Let's talk logistics

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

I am finding it hard to pick my FP. There seems to be logial choices but you only get 3. Screw up and you are waiting in line for something unplanned. 

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

I scheduled the bejebbers out of our park days.  Here is my plan for our first day at MK:

 

Leave campsite at 7:15am

Breakfast (outside gates of Magic Kingdom) Banana Muffins, juice

1. Ride Space Mountain: 9am – 9:20am (Ride photo!)

2. Ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: 9:25am – 9:35am (Ride Photo!)

3. Ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: 9:40am – 9:55am

4. Rice the Teacups 10:00am – 10:15am

5. Ride Dumbo: 10:20am – 10:35am

6. Ride The Barnstormer: 10:40am – 10:50am

7. Ride Journey of the Little Mermaid: 10:55am – 11:15am

8. Bathroom Break by Gaston’s Tavern

9. Meet Gaston

10. Ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with FP+: 12:00pm – 12:15pm (FP+ 12:05pm-1:05pm)

11. Have lunch (near BOG) Girl Scout Nachos

12. Use FastPass+ at Be Our Guest Restaurant if possible. Otherwise, stand in line. (dessert only)

13. Visit Enchanted Tales with Belle with FP+: 1:30pm – 2:00pm (FP+ 1:10pm – 2:10pm) (Ride photo!)

14. See Festival of Fantasy Parade in front of Hall of Presidents: 2:30pm – 3:15pm Snack -  Kashi Bars

15. Mickey’s Philharmagic 3:25pm – 3:55pm

16. Prince Regal Carousel 4:00pm – 4:30pm

17. Meet Peter Pan 4:30pm – 4:45pm

18. Peter Pan’s Flight 4:45pm - 5:00pm

19. Ride It’s a Small World 5:00pm – 5:30pm

20A. Group A Meet Anna and Elsa with FP+: 5:40pm – 6:10pm (FP+ 5:40pm – 6:40pm)

20B. Group B Ride Haunted Mansion with FP+: 5:40pm – 6:10pm (FP+ 5:30pm – 6:30pm)

21. Carousel of Progress 6:30pm – 7:00pm

22. Find MSEP viewing spot near Cinderella Castle (right hand side of Hub)

23. Eat dinner - Ham and Cheese Wraps, pretzels, water

24. Watch Parade

25. Move into street for Celebrate the Magic and Wishes

26. Huddle together until crowd disperses after fireworks. .

27. Make our way slowly down Main St. visiting shops or stay for kiss goodnight.

 

 

Yet, we never felt rushed, we changed plans, we had a blast!  My older kids stood in line for Space Mountain for an hour, since it was down when we first tried to ride it at rope drop.  They had fun in line and younger dd and I had fun doing other stuff.  

 

Planning is good, but don't let it overwhelm you.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

 

Planning is good, but don't let it overwhelm you.

 

 

That's a great piece of advice!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I am finding it hard to pick my FP. There seems to be logial choices but you only get 3. Screw up and you are waiting in line for something unplanned. 

 

Make sure you look at GDF's boyfriend's cheat sheets- he gives suggested priorities for FP+ choices based on how difficult it is to experience an attraction via stand-by.  He gives good suggestions.

 

You won't have that much of a problem choosing which three attractions to use your FP+ choices on at Epcot, DHS and AK -there aren't that many to choose from.  FP+ is pretty much a joke at Epcot.  You can only choose Test Track or Soarin'.  Because of FP+, you should use one of your remaining ones for Spaceship Earth.  The rest of the rides at Epcot aren't hard to do without FP+.

 

TCD

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

 

I scheduled the bejebbers out of our park days.  Here is my plan for our first day at MK:

 

Leave campsite at 7:15am

Breakfast (outside gates of Magic Kingdom) Banana Muffins, juice

1. Ride Space Mountain: 9am – 9:20am (Ride photo!)

2. Ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: 9:25am – 9:35am (Ride Photo!)

3. Ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: 9:40am – 9:55am

4. Rice the Teacups 10:00am – 10:15am

5. Ride Dumbo: 10:20am – 10:35am

6. Ride The Barnstormer: 10:40am – 10:50am

7. Ride Journey of the Little Mermaid: 10:55am – 11:15am

8. Bathroom Break by Gaston’s Tavern

9. Meet Gaston

10. Ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with FP+: 12:00pm – 12:15pm (FP+ 12:05pm-1:05pm)

11. Have lunch (near BOG) Girl Scout Nachos

12. Use FastPass+ at Be Our Guest Restaurant if possible. Otherwise, stand in line. (dessert only)

13. Visit Enchanted Tales with Belle with FP+: 1:30pm – 2:00pm (FP+ 1:10pm – 2:10pm) (Ride photo!)

14. See Festival of Fantasy Parade in front of Hall of Presidents: 2:30pm – 3:15pm Snack -  Kashi Bars

15. Mickey’s Philharmagic 3:25pm – 3:55pm

16. Prince Regal Carousel 4:00pm – 4:30pm

17. Meet Peter Pan 4:30pm – 4:45pm

18. Peter Pan’s Flight 4:45pm - 5:00pm

19. Ride It’s a Small World 5:00pm – 5:30pm

20A. Group A Meet Anna and Elsa with FP+: 5:40pm – 6:10pm (FP+ 5:40pm – 6:40pm)

20B. Group B Ride Haunted Mansion with FP+: 5:40pm – 6:10pm (FP+ 5:30pm – 6:30pm)

21. Carousel of Progress 6:30pm – 7:00pm

22. Find MSEP viewing spot near Cinderella Castle (right hand side of Hub)

23. Eat dinner - Ham and Cheese Wraps, pretzels, water

24. Watch Parade

25. Move into street for Celebrate the Magic and Wishes

26. Huddle together until crowd disperses after fireworks. .

27. Make our way slowly down Main St. visiting shops or stay for kiss goodnight.

 

 

Yet, we never felt rushed, we changed plans, we had a blast!  My older kids stood in line for Space Mountain for an hour, since it was down when we first tried to ride it at rope drop.  They had fun in line and younger dd and I had fun doing other stuff.  

 

Planning is good, but don't let it overwhelm you.

 

You have more than 3 FP?

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Make sure you look at GDF's boyfriend's cheat sheets- he gives suggested priorities for FP+ choices based on how difficult it is to experience an attraction via stand-by.  He gives good suggestions.

 

You won't have that much of a problem choosing which three attractions to use your FP+ choices on at Epcot, DHS and AK -there aren't that many to choose from.  FP+ is pretty much a joke at Epcot.  You can only choose Test Track or Soarin'.  Because of FP+, you should use one of your remaining ones for Spaceship Earth.  The rest of the rides at Epcot aren't hard to do without FP+.

 

TCD

Once I pulled myself off the ground and wiped away my tears I realized that the FP craziness really only applied to MK. That makes things much easier and since we will have hopper tickets we can always just hop over in the evenings after AK or DHS if we missed something. Starting to relax, life is good.

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

You have more than 3 FP?

I divided the group so girls could go see Anna and Elsa while the boys did Haunted Mansion.  Each group only had 3 FP+.  After we finished that, we checked for a 4th FP+ and got another ride on Buzz Lightyear.

 

Oh, and at that time, they had a separate FP+ for lunch at BOG.  That has been discontinued.

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Explain to me what you mean by checked for a 4th FP. I thought it was 3 and that is it?

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

As soon as you use your 3rd, you can check to see if there is a fourth FP+ you want to book.  You can only do this at a kiosk in the park, not on your phone with the MDE app.  You can even hop to another park and see if you can book a 4th (and the 5th, and then 6th....) that you want to book.  As soon as one is done, you can try to book another.

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

The downside is that most of the big ticket items will no longer have FP+ available that day.

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Ahhhh good to know. Hey btw I am trying to talk my husband into going in Jan and then again in Sept/Oct. How fun would it be if we could meet up. Loads of money and careful planning would have to happen between now and then but here's to hoping!

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

Ahhhh good to know. Hey btw I am trying to talk my husband into going in Jan and then again in Sept/Oct. How fun would it be if we could meet up. Loads of money and careful planning would have to happen between now and then but here's to hoping!

Our trip is still iffy, but it would be so cool to meet up! :D

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Another question. Right now the plan is to spend the first half of the day at Epoct. Rest in the afternoon and then head to the Boardwalk for dinner at 7:00.  If we take the bus back to Epcot and cut through to the Boardwalk but do not make it back to Epcot for the closing of the park will we have to catch a bus to DTD and then another to the Fort? Is ther a better way?

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

Kristie, you might want to consider using something like this: http://www.passporter.com/club/disney-attraction-priorities-eworksheet.php

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Nice. I am amazed at what is out there now. Had I been smart years ago I could have made some serious money planning WDW trips and designing things like you just linked to. 

[keith_h 420]

I am finding it hard to pick my FP. There seems to be logial choices but you only get 3. Screw up and you are waiting in line for something unplanned. 

 

Like you Rene and I hadn't been to Disney World since my little brother passed away in 2000. We decided to FP the Seven Dwarfs, Space Mountain and Jungle Cruise. We used our optional for a second ride on Big Thunder RR. For the remainder of the rides we went on we found the wait times really weren't  that bad ranging from immediate entry to 20 minutes or so. We even got onto Peter Pan in about 20 by waiting until later in the evening just before the parade ended. We had similar results at Epcot.

 

I think a lot of the wait times depend upon when you go and what you do when major events are taking place (i.e. parades, show at castle, etc). In our case we were willing to skip some of the events to maximize our times on the rides. So while the FP has skewed wait times for some of the popular rides it is still possible to get on rides in a reasonable time if do some planning around events.

 

We had similar results

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Another question. Right now the plan is to spend the first half of the day at Epoct. Rest in the afternoon and then head to the Boardwalk for dinner at 7:00.  If we take the bus back to Epcot and cut through to the Boardwalk but do not make it back to Epcot for the closing of the park will we have to catch a bus to DTD and then another to the Fort? Is ther a better way?

If it is before 9:30 and the Studios has closed at 8:30 or later, you will be able to boat or walk to the Studios and catch a bus from there.

 

If it is before 10pm, you "should" be able to white lie your way at the International Gateway of Epcot and tell them "my car is parked in the Epcot lot" and they probably will let you walk through Epcot. (especially if you used your ticket in Epcot that day)

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

How much time should I give myself to get from say, 1300 to the Magic Kingdom by way of boat?

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

I usually allow about an hour.  

 

However, if you are trying to get to MK before rope drop, the best way is to take the resort boat to the Contemporary and then walk from the Contemporary boat dock to the MK gate.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

How much time should I give myself to get from say, 1300 to the Magic Kingdom by way of boat?

 

 

I usually allow about an hour.  

 

However, if you are trying to get to MK before rope drop, the best way is to take the resort boat to the Contemporary and then walk from the Contemporary boat dock to the MK gate.

 

I agree.  If it's important for you to be at the MK at a certain time, you should even allow a bit more than an hour.

 

From the 1300 loop, you will be taking a bus to the Settlement.  Depending on timing, you may be waiting as long as 15-20 minutes for that bus.  The bus will be making stops at 900/1000 and 800 on the way to the Settlement.  If there are any passengers in wheelchairs/scooters boarding or unloading at those stops, you will have some delay.  The bus ride itself should take less than 10 minutes. Once at the Settlement, you will need to walk to the dock and wait for the boat.  Again, that could take no time, or it could be 15-20 minutes or longer until the boat shows up.  The boat ride is about 15-20 minutes once you get underway.

 

The reason to take the resort boat if you're trying to make rope drop is that the MK boats don't start running from the Fort until 30 minutes before the park opens.  That does not allow sufficient time to get to the MK, get through bag check, and enter the park in time to see the opening show.  The resort boats start running earlier, so you can get to the Contemporary and hoof it over to the MK much earlier than a MK boat would get you there.

 

TCD

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Would It Be Faster Just To Walk The Settlement? Also Are There Detailed Maps Showing That Path From The Cont. Boat Dock To MK? I Think I Remember But Mercy It Has Been A Long Time.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Would It Be Faster Just To Walk The Settlement? Also Are There Detailed Maps Showing That Path From The Cont. Boat Dock To MK? I Think I Remember But Mercy It Has Been A Long Time.

 

That's a hard question to answer.  It would probably take you 15-20 minutes to walk to the Settlement.  If a bus came right away, the bus would be faster.

 

I don't know of any detailed maps available from Disney showing the walking route from the Contemporary boat dock to the MK, but I'll post one for you in just a bit.

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Another question. Right now the plan is to spend the first half of the day at Epoct. Rest in the afternoon and then head to the Boardwalk for dinner at 7:00.  If we take the bus back to Epcot and cut through to the Boardwalk but do not make it back to Epcot for the closing of the park will we have to catch a bus to DTD and then another to the Fort? Is ther a better way?

 

 

If it is before 9:30 and the Studios has closed at 8:30 or later, you will be able to boat or walk to the Studios and catch a bus from there.

 

If it is before 10pm, you "should" be able to white lie your way at the International Gateway of Epcot and tell them "my car is parked in the Epcot lot" and they probably will let you walk through Epcot. (especially if you used your ticket in Epcot that day)

 

Another option is to take the bus from Boardwalk to the MK, and then the boat from there back to the Fort.  The boats run for 1 1/2 hours after the MK closes- so make sure you know what time that is.

 

TCD

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Does The Internalional Gateway Open At The Same Time The Main Gates Do? We Thought Another Option Would Be To Drive To The Boardwalk In The Morning And Park. Then We Would Not Have To Worry About Time.

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

Would It Be Faster Just To Walk The Settlement? Also Are There Detailed Maps Showing That Path From The Cont. Boat Dock To MK? I Think I Remember But Mercy It Has Been A Long Time.

Here is a link to the map showing the path:

 

http://www.fortfiends.net/forum/topic/13734-boat-to-magic-kingdom/page-2?hl=crayon