Holy Moly...I did not plan enough for this Disney Trip Next WEEK!

I am going to Disney next week for April break (I am a teacher so I can only travel during peak times) and will be traveling with 4 adults. I have a timeshare near animal kingdom that we will be staying at.....and I figured 4 adults ehhhh we can wing it.....but now with a week left and 1 reservation I think I made a planning fail!!!! It is my husbands first time going ever and my friends wife's first time...so does anyone have a suggestion for a game plan that will be most effective for seeing as much as possible?

We will be there 6 nights....5 full days really to use. We are getting discounted park hopper passes through a friend of my grandparents who works for Disney so we will be utilizing that two times. So far our agenda is....

Arrive Friday night
Saturday: MGM to pick up park tickets, then spend the morning at Animal Kingdom and late afternoon/evening at epcot. No plans for dinner yet there...but would like a reservation
Sunday: Universal Studios
Monday: Islands of Adventure
Tuesday: Magic Kingdom with a 9:45 dinner reservation at Ohana. (I am not sure if we can catch the fireworks from there...I get mixed answers on when they actually start)
Wed: No plan for that day yet...maybe relax at the pool or go to another park
Thursday go home

We want to make downtown disney at some point as well.

I am a planner and I DROPPED the ball on this one!

So any suggestions would be great!! I want to for sure catch a good viewing of the Wishes fireworks and do not know if dinner will help us achieve that or not.

Message edited 3/29/2012 10:49:12 PM.

Re: Holy Moly...I did not plan enough for this Disney Trip Next WEEK!

Everything will be fine. It will be a different trip than if you had planned out every meal months ago, but don't look back, just look forward. Ask the people you're traveling with what they're interested in.

I think you could do both universal parks in one day and give yourself another pool day. There's really not much at universal studios itself. That said, there are some great restaurants at Universal and a movie theater and bars, etc.

There are loads of restaurants on I-drive, too.

Have a wonderful time!!

Re: Holy Moly...I did not plan enough for this Disney Trip Next WEEK!

Have you called or gone online and seen what ADRs are left at EPCOT? If you want to do a sit down I would try to grab something because busy times (and you mentioned you know it is spring break) the restaurants will probably have signs up that say no walk ups.

Try some of the good but lesser popular places. Marrakesh you might be able to get something. Since you are a group of adults you probably will have better luck because you can take anytime (the later times are often easier to get since families want to eat earlier). Not sure where else might have some openings.

Disney's website has their calendar - the fireworks time will be located on that calendar. You can definitely see the fireworks from the Polynesian (if you are on the beach they pipe in the narration). You might even be able to see them from Ohana depending on where your table is. The time you are dining most likely you will be eating during the fireworks (they are often at 10pm). You won't get the narration though from Ohana (they do pipe in the narration to California grill but not Ohana). If you are going Tuesday the 2nd. The MK is open until 1am. There are 2 parades that night - and the fireworks (Wishes) are at 10pm. You can request a table by the window but not sure if you will get that.

Re: Holy Moly...I did not plan enough for this Disney Trip Next WEEK!

Oh BREATHE!!!

That's step 1.
Step 2, The fireworks on Tuesday night will be at 10. You may be able to see them depending on where you are seated. Generally, smaller parties are seated closer to the windows, so you have a decent shot. I would arrive EARLY and ask to be seated near te windows. No guarantees, but you can ask. As PP stated, they do pipe in the music. it's NOT the same as seeing the fireworks from Main St, but it's nice.

Step 3 -

On 4/7 There s availability for 4 for dinner at the following restaurants
Coral Reef
Garden Grill
Hacienda de San Angel and San Angel Inn
Les Ches de France
Nine Dragons
Restaurant Marrakesh
Teppan Edo and Tokyo Dining
Via Napoli

Pick one and book it ASAP.

Out of those I would go for Hacienda, Teppan Edo, or Marrakesh, depending on the kind of food you like. Oh and Via Napoli is great too.

Step 4 - Do you have your universal tickets already? Are you able to add on to the CM tickets? Buying single days is expensive, and I feel like you're trying to do a LOT in a short time.

Let me know if you want advice about touring or attractions.

I always start my plans by trying to see the nightitme shows - Wishes! The magic the Memories and You, and Main Street Electrical Parade and Magic Kingdom, IllumiNations and EPCOT and Fantasmic! and DHS. I would never miss Wishes or Fantasmic! They're both must sees in my book.

Make sure to get First Visit pins at Guest relations.

Get to the parks before opening and ride the headliners first

Re: Holy Moly...I did not plan enough for this Disney Trip Next WEEK!

If it were me, I would either skip IOA and US and save them for a future trip, or get a VIP pass and do it all in one day. MANY people do them in one day. I'd put a relaxation day in the middle and use that evening to go to Downtown Disney or Boardwalk.

Do you have specific rides you want to ride? Certain rides such as Toy Story Midway mania, Soarin', Space Mountain, and Peter pan's flight require you to be there to ride at rope drop, or get a fastpass within hours.

I would follow a touring plan or at the very least be there 1 hour prior to opening with a plan to ride all of the headliners within the first few hours, take it easy in the afternoon, riding high capacity and less popular rides then, and then riding more after 4pm.

Getting to EPCOT in the afternoon likely means you will not be able to get a fastpass for Soarin', so you'll have to wait at least an hour for it. If you really want to ride, get in line 5 minutes before the park closes. The line will be shorter than is posted and generally if you get in line you WILL ride.

Re: Holy Moly...I did not plan enough for this Disney Trip Next WEEK!

Ok you mentioned an add on to CM ticket..what is CM ticket?

We are trying to do a lot in one visit because I don't know when we will be able to get back really...not for a few years to come probably...and in tote with kids.

I just realized there may be black out dates for the employee discount passes, so I am waiting to hear about that since that may change the order of the days if there are any black out days. But each pass is a day park hopper through the employee pass...we would purchase it twice.

We are doing Universal because I know that my husband would really enjoy those parks and the rides there. We want to pay for the additional fast past for there to help cut down wait time....but still looking into the cheapest way to get that...either purchasing right online or through our resort.

As far as epcot...our goal there is to drink around the world....that is it really. lol. So if we do the main ride there and it takes awhile that is fine.

Do you think with a fast pass at US and IOA both can be done in one day as opposed to the 2 day park hopper?

It is hard to form a game plan as to what rides to hit first because I have NO CLUE which are the headlining rides...so any input on that in each park would be super helpful!

DH and myself were in an accident 3 yrs ago...so resulting from that it is hard for me to stand and walk around hours on end without being in utter pain....so I am aslo trying to keep this in mind as well....but I know I will have to suck it up. I do not know how their wheel chair policy is when it comes to rides.

Re: Holy Moly...I did not plan enough for this Disney Trip Next WEEK!

I just wanted to say that they are very accommodating for anyone in wheelchairs :) I rented a wheelchair for one of my last days there for the same reason (too much pain from walking/standing)

Re: Holy Moly...I did not plan enough for this Disney Trip Next WEEK!

Wait - you're going WITHOUT kids, correct???

You absolutely did not drop the ball! - Go and RELAX and ENJOY a vacation - Enjoy the time of NOT having every second of your day planned around habing to be somewhere and a certain time !!!

Re: Holy Moly...I did not plan enough for this Disney Trip Next WEEK!

Sorry CM pass = Employee pass. I don't know much about them. I would check ahead of time about blackout dates and adding to them. Will the cast member be with you?

They are SUPER accommodating about wheelchairs. You can easily rent one. Do it if it will make your vacation more enjoyable. You can bring up to 5 guests with you when you enter through the handicapped entrance.

Headliners in each park (See ASAP in the morning, certainly by 11, or after 4 pm, or with fastpass - do you need an explanation about how fastpass works?)

Magic Kingdom:
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Peter Pan's Flight
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Jungle Cruise (* not necessarily a must see though)

Other things to see, but not necessary to see at opening due to higher capacity:
Haunted Mansion
Pirates of the Caribbean
Philharmagic

Skip: Stitch's Great Escape, Country Bear Jamboree. I'd skip Hall of Presidents on a short Trip


EPCOT:
Soarin' (truly, go RIGHT to the Soarin' queue and ride and/or get fastpass at opening. Lines can be 3-4 hours on busy days).
Test Track
Mission:SPACE
Maelstrom

Also see:
Spaceship Earth( but do NOT walk right to it when you enter the park. Everyone does that creating an uneccesssarily bottleneck, plus it's a contonuous loader, so it eats guests quickly. Save it for later in the day).
Living With the Land
The Living Seas (I could go either way)

SKIP:
Ellen's Energy Adventure is cute but it's 45 minutes long.
Journey and Captain EO are up to you. I ride both,even on a short trip, but they are not necessarily must sees.


Disney's Hollywood Studios:
Headliners:
Toy Story Midway Mania to avoid a line you MUST go to this ride first either to ride it or get a fastpass right at rope drop. Fastpasses have been known to run out by 10am. You rarely see a wait time under 1 hour even in the off season unless you ride this first or late at night.
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Rock'n'Rollercoaster
Star Tours

Also see:
The Great Movie Ride (it's a classic)
Muppetvision 3D (if you like Muppets)
Indian Jones Stunt Spectacular
Beauty and the Beast

Skip if you don't have time:
The Studio Backlot Tour (it's not bad, but it's a shell of its former self)
I'm not a fan of Lights, Motors, Action! (auto stunt show) but if people are really into cars and action stunts, they would probably like it.

Animal Kingdom:
Headliners:
Expedition Everest
Kilimanjaro Safari
Kali River Rapids
Dinosaur

Also see:
It's Tough to Be a Bug
Festival of the Lion King
Flights of Wonder

Skip:
Rafiki's Planet Watch/Conservation Station
Everything in Dinoland except Dinosaur


At IoA you want to get to Wizarding World First thing, and beyond that the same hing follows, the big rides like Rip Tide Rockits, Spider man, Despicable Me, etc etc, all need to be done early in the day or later on in the evening.

Don't try to ride any of these big rides from 11am-4pm.

Re: Holy Moly...I did not plan enough for this Disney Trip Next WEEK!

You can ride with 5 guests???? Wow that's at all of the parks???? Is there a deprecate line with a shorter wait time too??

Thanks for all of the help btw!!!

Re: Holy Moly...I did not plan enough for this Disney Trip Next WEEK!

Re: Holy Moly...I did not plan enough for this Disney Trip Next WEEK!

Re: Holy Moly...I did not plan enough for this Disney Trip Next WEEK!