Detailed touring plans,..here we go!

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Registered: 03-21-2007
Detailed touring plans,..here we go!
10
Mon, 04-23-2007 - 11:04pm

Hi all,
Someone below posted that they liked to hear people's touring plans, so here you go...any and all input welcome! (In fact, if anyone is inspired to suggest something completely different that might fit my needs...I"m stuck in a planning rut!)

First, this is a once-ever trip for us. Time is early/mid August. We'll have 1 full day (opening to closing!) plus two thirds of a day (opening to 7pm since we're not staying for the Pirate and Princess Party)at MK, 2 full days at EPCOT (with a possible midday break at the hotel on one of them...but unlikely), 1 full day each at MK and AK, one day for DTD/Blizzard Beach.

Now for the priorities: DH and DS like fast rides, I don't (I will go on Space Mtn for the memories, lol, and to see DSs reaction, but I draw the line at the Rock and Roller Coaster). DS and I (but not so much DH) both want to ride the "baby" rides (like Peter Pan and Pooh...but we'll draw the line at Dumbo, LOL). I'm the only one interested in it's a small world (but will drag the guys to it with me...just need to get'em when they're not too tired so the line won't seem so long to them! LOL) Finally, neither DH nor I want anything to do with spinning rides (i.e. teacups, and a dinosaur ride at AK whose name escapes me, and of course the "harder" version of Mission:Space)...but we'd like to give a chance to DS to do these somehow (NOT Mission Space...we might do the mild, non-spin version of this with him), just haven't figured out how yet??

Haunted Mansion and Spaceship Earth will both be closed during our trip :(

Most of the many guides I've been reading generally suggest, as far as general tips: 1. Getting there early (no problem since we are generally morning people) 2. Trying to avoid crisscrossing the park too much. (I guess this is more important at Epcot, which is bigger, than at MK, for instance...on the other hand, we'll be spending more time at Epcot, sooooo...any input on this, specifically?) 3. Taking a mid-day break (this one we have a problem with...we don't have any napping preschoolers, although my son DOES get cranky when he's tired, and used to an early bedtime...on the other hand is it REALLY worth the trouble to take buses to and from the resort??)

So keeping ALL of this in mind (!), here's what I'm thinking so far:

MK days: Try to stick to one "land" at a time, or at least one "side" of the park. Focus on Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Toontown the first day (doing the popular rides such as Buzz and Space Mtn. early and late, the slower ones like Carrousel of Progress, plus "soaking in" the atmosphere at Main Street, etc, in the middle of the day), leaving Frontierland and Adventureland for the second, shorter day (straight to Big Thunder early, Tom Sawyer island later) Does that make sense? What else should I be thinking of??

Epcot days are totally unplanned so far! We know we want to ride/see EVERYTHING here...take time to see the live shows at World Showcase, etc...On the other hand we have no ADRs at all and just a vague plan to "snack around the world"...any tips/hints as to how to attack this huge place?? (We do know that Soaring, Test Track, and Mission:Space -the MILDER version for us!!- are the ones to get to first before they get awfully long...but...anything else???)

MGM is equally vague right now. We do intend to get there early, and probably DH and DS will go straight to grab Fastpasses for Rock and Roller Coaster (to use later while I shop :) then we'll ride Tower of Terror. The rest of the day, the order of the shows, etc is a mistery! Any tips there?? We won't stay for Fantasmic, but other than that I'm also pretty sure we want to do ALL of the rides/shows (except for maybe the little tiny kid one, I forgot the name of it - Playhouse Disney?!)

Finally AK is also a tossup, we can't decide if we want to do EE first or last in the day, if we should try the Safari in the morning or get a fastpass for later...if Dinosaur is too rough for right after eating...LOL as you can see I need LOTS of help with this one!

So, detailed planners of the bunch, please throw some SPECIFIC IDEAS at me, please!! :)

Avatar for ashleysmomma2003
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Registered: 03-31-2003
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 7:38am

Animal kingdom is MUCH better in the early morning. If you have ever been to a zoo you may recall the animals being more perky and alert in the am. Well, same goes for AK. The safari is fantastic in the am because all the amimals are out and about. As the day goes on the animals start to settle down for naps or you just cn't see them. Also, many things close early at AK even on late days...like counter services.

If you don't like fast rides...avoid Tower of terror. I love roller coasters and the such and got sick on this ride! It doens't just drop you once...it drops you several times and lifts you back up. The ride is always different because of a computer program they use...but still ughh. My dh doesn't like roller coasters and actually liked rock n roller coaster. There is no long uphill and big drop. He actually went on it twice.

We did the MIssion space toned down version and I thought it was a waste of time. Without the whole "space" feeling from the original version I felt I was watching a tv screen in a really small room! Don't know if I will actually try the real version this time....

Dinisaur is not that rough. I don't think it will get you sick after eating...just a few moments that may surprise you! If you do the Beauty and the Beast show...get there early. We got there about 10 minutes before the show and we were pretty far back!

Good luck with your planning. The most planning we do is what parks on what days and where to eat. From there we just relax and enjoy ourselves...remember this is a Vacation!

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Registered: 01-13-2005
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 8:55am

How old is your DS? Watch the movie "Swiss Family Robinson" and then remember to visit the SFR treehouse in MK. For some reason my girls love it! and it's usually a quick walk through because it's not as popular as other MK attractions. Don't forget Mickey's Philharmagic in MK, you'll be surprised at how the 3D movies can entertain all ages.

In MGM definitely do the lights, motor, action! stunt show and the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. The thing with MGM though is that most of the shows have specific showtimes, they are not constantly loading rides...so plan to have some down time while you wait for the next show to begin. The showtimes will be printed and will be available with park maps. Take a minute when you enter in the morning to organize your day according to the showtimes and you won't have to do too much criss-crossing of the park. We also like the Great Movie Ride inside the Chinese theater - it's a great "in between" filler. Also, don't miss the Animation show. It stars Mooshu from Mulan and it's really entertaining - after the show you go into another room with fun kiosks, or you can take an animation lesson and draw a character. This is where we've gotten the Incredible's and Frozone's autographs.

We always do Epcot in small pieces, so I don't have a full day gameplan for you there....but IMO it's easy enough to start with one building and just work your way around the lake (or future world) one building at a time. We always find some great (and reasonably priced) souvenirs in the country stores...esp. China.

Hope that helps. Enjoy your planning!
Mara

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Registered: 12-17-2003
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 3:37pm

Oh boy do I love planning specifics! YAY - thank you for posting your questions, lol (yep, I'm the one who "inspired" this question.)

Ok, this answer is going to take me a while. I hope I don't get it all typed out and then lose it or something, cause I just KNOW it's going to be long. Here we go...

Magic Kingdom:
You are absolutely right about getting there early and about taking it one land at a time. We have been to MK 5 times, and we have found this to be our favorite route so far. First, when you walk into the park, you'll be on Main St. USA. After you go around the circle, stop and take a family photo with the castle in the background. You'll want it for your scrapbook.

When you're done with the photo, don't stop and shop on MSU. You can do that later (or actually, I really prefer shopping at Downtown Disney, but that's a different story.) Go to the end of Main Street and turn RIGHT - this will lead you to Tomorrowland. The reason we do TOmorrowland first is because it is most popular and so the ride times get continually longer as you go. Make a bee-line immediately for Space Mountain. If you can get on this one without a fast pass, that's great. If the line is already long, grab a fast pass and move on. Other attractions to check out here: Stitch's Great Escape, Buzz's Space Ranger Spin (OMG, this is one of the most fun rides EVER!!!!!! Totally not just for little kids - and it's not a "spinny" ride even though it sounds like that),and the Carosel of Progress (awesome show, this is a must for us every time we go, it makes you feel totally connected to Walt, IMO.) If you have time, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority will give you an awesome view of the park, but if you feel rushed, don't go on it. It's slow moving and really just another vantage point to see the park from. The Astro Orbiter, IMO, is NOT worth it, but some people like it. My family found it very boring and haven't been on it a 2nd time. Also, I hear the Indy Speedway is good, but we've never been on it because it doesn't interest us a lot.

When you're tomorrow landed out, head over to Fantasyland. If I remember correctly, the first thing you'll run into is Mickey's Philharmagic. If your family is ready for a sit down, air conditioned break, go for it, it's a FANTASTIC show, the waits are never too terrible, and the theatre accommodates a lot of people. One note - make sure to steer clear of the doors when you're in the waiting area. There are signs, but no one ever reads them, and inevitably some little kid who's parent wasn't paying attention gets smacked in the head by the opening doors. Also in in Fantasyland are Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan, both really fun rides. The wait for Peter Pan can get very long, so you may want a fast pass for that one. I've never seen the WP one get terrible, but it might in the middle of August, so be prepared to wait. Both of those lines are outside - a drink while you're waiting in line would probably be a good idea. But both rides also have fans throughout the ride to cool you off, so you won't be too hot once you're on the ride. Snow White is a very similar ride to WP and Peter Pan, but for some reason we didn't like it as much. The best one of the 3 I think is Peter Pan because you're way up high, but it's not scary and it won't upset your tummy if you have motion sickness.

I agree with you about skipping Dumbo, you can get the exact same ride (essentially) over in Adventureland on Alladin's Magic Carpet, and the line is a bit shorter.

If you can arrange to be in Fantasyland at the right time for Cinderella's Surprise Celebration, I hear it's fun to watch. We've never been able to time it just right, lol. Also, I can't remember if you have little ones? If so, there's a story reading by Belle if you can time that right.

In Mickey's Toontown, you'll want to get in line for autographs at the Hall of Fame if your kids are collecting autographs. The lines here will be LONG, but it is indoors. Also, you can only get in one line at a time, so if you don't have a lot of time, ask your kids who their favorites are and split the group up, 1 parent with each group. Usually each line is for 2 or 3 characters, grouped by theme, and the signs will tell you who's there. One note about this - you'll see many of these characters in other places around the park, so skipping this is an option. For us, the only one we didn't see at another time was Ariel.

There are a few other things to do in Toontown if you have little ones - Mikey and Minnie's houses, the Barnstormer, etc. But for our family, the autographs was the only thing that appealed to us (dd was 10 the first time we went.)

One thing I didn't see on your MK list was the parades. There's one in the afternoon, and that one's pretty good. If you want to see it, a great spot is in Liberty Square, right by the bridge to the center of the park. Make sure to line up EARLY, and have plenty to drink on hand. If you have a dining package, it might include priority seating to this parade, if so, USE IT, it's worth it. The second parade, the nighttime one, is best viewed (IMO) where Main Street USA meets the circle at the middle of the park. Once it's over, stay right where you are, because WISHES, the nightime fireworks will be coming up, and they are PHENOMENAL!!!!! If you have a dining package that includes priority seating for wishes, DON'T use it. While you'll have a table and no crowds, you can't see the fireworks very well from the spot they have reserved. It's MUCH better from the center of the park, imo.

On your second day in MK, you might want to consider doing Adventureland first. When you get to Adventureland, you'll want to go straight for Pirates. This ride is super popular and will get long lines fast. The next one I'd do is the Jungle Cruise for the same reason. The Tiki Room and Aladdin's Magic Carpets are fun, but don't sweat it if you run out of time for them.

When you get to Frontierland, stop and get a fast pass for Splash Mountain. I guarentee you'll need the fast pass in the middle of August, lol. You could do Frontierland first and try to get on Splash Mountain right away, but this ride always has such a huge line, I think you'll need a fast pass no matter what.

Onto Liberty Square - what a bummer that Haunted Mansion will be closed! That is definitely one of my favs. You'd think they'd wait and close it after the peak season. *sigh* If you are running short on time, you can skip the Hall of Presidents, but if you have lots of time (which it sounds like you do) it is really interesting for adults and history loving kids. My daughter was bored, but DH and I loved it. The Jamboree is dumb, in my opinion, and I was personally very offended by all of the talk of alcohol. Not very kid friendly. One cool thing in Liberty Square is the stockades. They're not far from the Liberty Tree Tavern, and they make for great photo ops, especially if you have kids who like to ham it up for the camera like mine does!

I can't remember where you're eating lunch and dinner? It does sometimes help to plan your path aroud your meals, so that may change the order you do things.

Oh, one last thing, if you have extra time, the train ride around MK is pretty cool. There are some little scenes that you can't really see without taking that train ride.

Also, if your kids are autograph hounds, ALWAYS be prepared to take a time out or rework your plan a little to get an autograph. The characters are everywhere and the schedule isn't published except at specific spots, so you never know when you're going to run into one. There will usually be a line, but it will go pretty fast, just have your book, pen and camera ready. For us, I took 1 pic of the character signing, then another of them and my dd when they were done signing. It made for a really neat autograph scrapbook. Also, if the line is super long, it might be worth asking the handler if the character is going to need to take a break soon (they have mandated breaks, especially in the heat.) There's nothing worse than standing in line for a long time just to be told "Goofy needs to go get some water now - come back later."

Ok, now that I've written a BOOK about MK, I will save the rest of the parks for another post...

JoAnna in TX

 

 

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Registered: 12-17-2003
Tue, 04-24-2007 - 5:02pm

Ready for another post from me? Here are my answers about the rest of the parks...

Epcot:

With 2 full days at Epcot, you could do it one of two ways. You could do all of the future land one day and all of the world showcase the next. OR, since you want to eat both days, lol, you could do the right side of the park one day and the left side of the park the other day. Personally, I'd opt for the left and right, but either will work ok. I'm just not sure that the world showcase will really take up a full day, and I can guarentee that futureland could take up more than a full day.

I have found that what works best for us is to start the day by making a bee-line for Soarin'. Soarin' is still a new ride, it's a super fun ride, it's good for everyone (no motion sickness, etc.) and everyone loves it, so this line will get long FAST. If you go straight for it, you might not even need a fast pass. We were able to get on it with about a 20 minute wait, no fast pass. In fact, if the wait isn't too long when you get out (but it will be), go on it again. The second time is even better than the first. If the line is long, one time will suffice.

When you're done with Soarin', take the time to see the rest of "The Land". It may seem boring from the outside, but we found some of the stuff there to be really facinating. Since you have 2 full days there, it's worth it to take the time. When you're done in The Land, a great next stop is The Seas with Nemo & Friends. Your kids will love Turtle Talk with Crush, and the clamobiles look like a really neat adventure (they were shut down when we were there in December, WAHHH!)

Next, you can double back to see Figment and Honey I Shrunk the Audience before heading over to the World Showcase. Oh, and don't forget to stop at Refreshment Port to try Coca Cola products from all over the world. They are so neat!

On the second day, I'd start at Test Track and Mission Space since they will have the longest lines on that side of the park. You may have to fast pass them if the lines are long already, if so, hang out in Innoventions while you're waiting. It's SOOOO cool.

As far as places to eat, we aboslutely LOVE the restaurant in China (can't think of the name right now), my hubby loves the restaurant in Germany, and we also all love the restaurant in Japan, but I understand it's closed for renovations right now (now sure when it will reopen.)

Did you plan to stay for fireworks? They are pretty cool, although as a Children's Pastor, I just ignore a lot of the evolution stuff included in the show. You'll want to get a spot early, but again, if you have priority seating tickets included in your plan, use them. In fact, if you have the platinum (and maybe premium?) it includes an option for viewing the fireworks by boat. DEFINITELY worth it!!!

MGM:

Can I please please please encourage you to stay for Fantasmic???? This is my most favorite thing in all of Disney World, I swear. I can't even put into words what you will get out of this show. Kids love it, adults love it, I would never ever ever go to WDW and NOT see Fantasmic.

Ok, now that I got my endorsement of Fantasmic out of the way, I agree that the best place to start at MGM is that side of the part. Tower of Terror & Rock N Roller Coaster will have equally long lines, so fast pass one, then get in line for the other. Another one with a long line, but on the other side of the park is Star Tours, so you could start on that side instead and fast pass ToT and RNRC later in the day.

You'll also want to make sure that you plan your schedule around the timed shows like Indiana Jones (Awesome show!), Lights Motors Action, and Beauty and the Beast. Other must-sees for us are The Great Movie Ride, Sounds Dangerous, Muppet 3D and Little Mermaid. We didn't care at all for Narnia, it's a complete waste of time (seriously, trust me.) We have yet to make it to One Man's Dream or Magic of Animation, and we want to see them next time we're there.

As far as food at MGM, the only one we really like is Brown Derby, but 50's and Mama Melrose are not bad. We didn't care for Sci Fi.

Animal Kingdom:

I would strongly suggest to do the safari first because the animals won't be active later in the day, especially in the summer when it's so hot. The safari is wonderful, you'll really enjoy it. If you get motion sickness, it might be worth a dramamine, but based on what you said about the other rides you want to do, you probably don't get motion sickness, lol.

So if you're starting in Africa, the next stop would be Rafiki's Planet Watch, then down to Discovery Island for It's Tough to be a Bug (GREAT show!) head over to Asia for Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest. They are both really great rides, you'll all love them. KRR is very family friendly, but prepare to get soaking wet (yay!) EE is a bit more intense. If you don't handle thrill rides well, you might want to wait at the bottom for your family, lol.

One note, you may also want to check times for the Finding Nemo show. We enjoyed it (although we preferred the Tarzan show that USED to be there) but it's not a must-see in my opinon.

In DinoLand USA, the ride Dionsaur is a great adventure, but if you don't like spinny rides, that may be the only thing you do in DinoLand. We don't care for TiceraTop Spin or Primeval Whirl. Oh, and yes, it probably is a little intense for right after eating, it will really shake up your tummy. But so will Kali, EE, etc. lol. Sorry I can't give you better help on that one!

Honestly, I've never been in Camp Minnie-Mickey, so I can't give you any info on it.

I will say that the parade is wonderful! The food in AK leaves something to be desired, though. The best place there is Rainforest Cafe, but you have to leave the park to get to it (it's just outside the entrance.) Tusker, Mr. Kamal's, and the bbq and pizza places are just kind of...so so. Not awful, but not great. If you're going to leave a park in the middle of the day to take a rest at the hotel, this is the one to do it at, cause then you can eat lunch at the hotel, then head back later. THe only problem with that is that you'll have a very long wait for EE and KRR. So we usually just put up with the food at AK. Oh, and we've only done breakfast at Restaurantausaurus, so it might be good for lunch/dinner - worth a try.

Ok, I can't think of anything else. Any other questions that come up, just ask!

JoAnna in TX

 

 

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Registered: 03-21-2007
Thu, 04-26-2007 - 12:19am

What can I say but Thankyouthankyouthankyou to your extensive and detailed reply!

I am taking notes! We will be doing Spectro & Wishes on our first MK day. I like your suggestion for one "side" of Epcot each day (too much of a good thing, IMO, to do just "countries" or just Future World in one day).

Did you find Breakfastosaurus worthwhile? We have ADRs but I'm considering dropping them - we probably don't need more than one character meal (if that - DS is 9 this week, he's far more into the rides than the characters) and we're doing Crystal Palace on the first MK day.

One more thing - what was the "evolution" part of the show at Epcot that you mentioned? I haven't read anything at all about that...is there any website or somewhere you can point me that would have a description of that part of IllumiNations?

TIA

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Registered: 04-26-2006
Thu, 04-26-2007 - 2:06am

I have never seen Illuminations yet (planning on going Sat night), but I just wanted to jump in and say you can probably find a home movie version on You Tube. I think I watched the holiday version there. I think it starts out with the "big bang" story line (I might be wrong though).

Hope that helps.

Charis

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 04-26-2007 - 9:04am

Yes, there are You Tube versions.

I brought up one for Illuminations to see if DS (8.5yo) would be interested in staying for it and he asked me to shut it off. Thinking he wasn't interested, I asked him why. He replied, "if I see it NOW it will spoil it for when we go".

Cathie

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-17-2003
Fri, 04-27-2007 - 12:01am

You're most welcome!!!!

We really did like the food at breakfastausaurus, and we also really liked that it got us into AK early, so when we were done eating we were in the park and ready to hit the rides & shows. And the characters/handlers aren't mean to guests or anything, they just sort of rush through. I hope that makes sense. You will still get the chance to get an autograph and a photo, but if you're up at the buffet when they come around, you're out of luck, so what we did the first time we went is we took turns going up to the buffet so that if one of the characters came out the person at the table could come grab the other people to get us back to the table, lol.

Oh, and Crystal Palace is so much fun. I'm so jealous right now, that is totally my favorite dining experience at MK, and I want to go back so badly, lol!

Ok, so I hate to get into anything negative about Disney...if you are a believer in evolution, just ignore the rest of my post, rofl...

There are a LOT of exhibits/shows/rides in Epcot that deal with evolution. If you've ever watched shows on Discovery Channel, that's sort of the same feeling. As they explain stuff, they just sort of weave evolution (as opposed to creation) into everything, and in a very subtle way so it sounds like absolute fact. As a Christian and a Mom, as well as a homeschooler, we've learned to almost ignore that stuff. I have a 12 year old, so when she hears those things, she just sort of rolls her eyes and moves on. I don't mind exposing her to it because a)she needs to hear about what others believe; and b)I know that she has done enough reading and research to be able to defend her faith and that it won't make her doubt what she believes. HOWEVER, as a Children's Pastor, I am concerned. I appreciate that Disney is not a Christian company AND I'M FINE WITH THAT. Really, I am. I don't expect them to present creationism at all. However, I just wish, knowing that a HUGE amount of their patronage comes from people with some sort of religious affiliation where evolution is not part of their beliefs, that they would tone it down or even just introduce the term "might have". As in "this is what MIGHT HAVE happened." Or something like "we think this is what happened." But instead it's presented as FACT...that's the problem I have. But like I said, as a parent and a homeschooler, we still really enjoy Epcot, we just have to look at it the same way we look at shows on the Discovery Channel, lol.

HTH!

JoAnna

 

 

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Registered: 12-17-2003
Fri, 04-27-2007 - 12:04am

Well, darnit - after all that I didn't even answer your question! SOrry, I got on my darned soapbox again...

Ok, to answer your question. The show "Illumintions" is a show based on how the earth was formed and evolved into what it is today. There's a whole audio track that goes with it (as there is at Fantasmic and Wishes) that explains what you're seeing. The technology behind Illuminations is VERY cool, though, and the fireworks are awesome, so it's worth seeing, I just had to mention the evolution aspect of it because most people don't realize that before seeing it, and for me, it warranted a chat with our dd about what she saw and what she thought about what they said.

JoAnna

 

 

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Registered: 04-26-2006
Fri, 04-27-2007 - 10:54am

I just wanted to say I totally agree with you about the evolution stuff, and not just at Disney. It really upsets me that it is presented as fact on television shows, and even in text books. Though I personally don't believe in evolution at all, I am not opposed to it being presented as a theory. The double standard in the country really bothers me. It is totally OK for the media and other entities to push "non-religious" things like evolution as fact, but if a person of faith wants to share their belief on these matters, suddenly, the Constitution has been violated. What about our rights?

OK, I will now step down off of my soapbox :)

I am really looking forward to seeing Illuminations and figure at this point all the evolution stuff will go over my boys heads. I really am not looking forward to the day when I have to explain to him that some of the "facts" in his textbooks are really just theories.