One day at WDW - what to do?

[cdd89]

Hi,

I'm planning on taking a friend to WDW for one day (only). They loved Disneyland (California), but haven't been to WDW in years (since 1997!) and took against it when they saw it all that time ago.

Having agreed on a day there, I'm trying to decide what touring plan would give them the best time and put the resort in the best light. (It's really a trip for them, not me, as I've been there pretty recently). I'm certain hopping parks is a good idea - my main decision is whether to do 2 or 3 parks. But of course I'm happy to hear suggestions of sticking to 1 park (I don't think 4 parks is at all feasible given the limited opening hours).

I was planning to go on a moderate crowd level day which has Evening Extra Magic Hours at Hollywood Studios (which I would be eligible to take advantage of). So I was thinking about this plan:

1) Rope drop Animal Kingdom (9AM) to do two or three attractions during the light AM hours, and sample the ambience.
2) Hop to Epcot before 12:00, and do Test Track [FP+], Mission Space [FP+] and Spaceship Earth [FP+]. (Skip Soarin' entirely, as it was in DCA and they didn't seem too impressed by it - go figure! - and apart from the queueline theming, it seems the exact same attraction to me). Have a late lunch in a World Showcase restaurant.
3) At around 6:00PM, leave Epcot to hop to Hollywood Studios. I'd like to do One Man's Dream, Tower of Terror a couple of times, and RnRC once (but only if there's time - not a priority by any means). I'd also like to do Fantasmic's 7PM showing (there's an 8:30PM EMH-Only showing, but I assume this would be better spent at the shorter attraction lines - or does anyone disagree?)

Any comments - does this plan seem realistic or overambitious? Does anyone think I'm making a big mistake by heading for the DHS Extra Magic Hours? The other thought I had was that I think he'd enjoy Epcot's Illuminations (he's seen Fantasmic in DL and TDS)... but doing Epcot in the evening would mean accepting slightly reduced park hours since it closes at 9PM. And finally - does everyone agree with my FP+ strategy (using them at Epcot)?

The other thing I was contemplating was abandoning either DHS or Epcot, making it a two-park trip (with a more relaxed pace) - so I'd be interested in thoughts on that as well.

Thanks for the advice - I don't usually tour WDW this way (I feel a bit sick even thinking about it - the thought of missing off the Magic Kingdom seems verging on sacrilegious!) and I'm totally prepared for things not to go to plan (weather and attraction closures, just to start with).

Thanks!
C

 

[ExtinctJenn]

While I think your plan makes sense... is there a particular reason you are skipping the Magic Kingdom? Yes it's very similar to Disneyland but there are a lot of experiences that are unique to WDW over DL. A great generic example is the castle. Those who have only seen Arora's are often blow away by the size of Cindy's.

 

[JillC LI]

Ambitious but doable if your friend like to tour in that manner (I do). Still, I'm sad about you missing the MK altogether as well.

 

[Disnee4Me]

Can you even get a one day park hopper ticket???

 

[ExtinctJenn]

Can you even get a one day park hopper ticket???

Yup!

 

[cdd89]

Thanks for the replies!

You can indeed get a one day park hopper, and it is unbelievably expensive (per day)! If everyone paid $135 every day of their stay I guess we'd have a lot more E-tickets now

I'm sad to be missing Magic Kingdom too... But I couldn't justify omitting anything else. Animal Kingdom is a brand new park (for him!), a substantial departure from the theme park norm, and the biggest carrot to persuade him to go in the first place. He had fond memories of Epcot, and there are two "new-to-him" attractions there he's pretty likely to enjoy. Hollywood Studios is the one I'm most uncertain about, but the temptation to take advantage of lower EMH crowd levels is hard to avoid, and his love for the incarnations of the Tower of Terror in the other parks makes it very compelling to show him the original. The extra commuting time to get into and out of the Magic Kingdom, and the fact he's seen the "Disneyland" park at both Disneyland and Disneyland Paris sort of sealed the deal. But next time... (There WILL be a next time!)

Still, I'm glad to see others don't think I'm completely mad for trying to do three parks in one day! I'm very excited about it actually - it's not how I usually tour the parks (I usually like a whole day in Epcot and MK on their own!)

 

[ExtinctJenn]

Still, I'm glad to see others don't think I'm completely mad for trying to do three parks in one day! I'm very excited about it actually - it's not how I usually tour the parks (I usually like a whole day in Epcot and MK on their own!)

Lots of folks boast about doing all 4 parks in one day so you are far from mad for wanting to do 3.

 

[erasure fan1]

I couldn't even think of doing more than 1 park with just 1 day. We did just 1 day last year and the only park in my mind that I could justify was the magic kingdom. I commend the effort, I just think with how the crowds are all the time now, you will do more running around than enjoying. I hope it goes well for you though, good luck!

 

[CheshireCat12]

If your friend does DL on any regular basis, the MK would probably be redundant. Not enough of a difference to make it worth the day, IMHO. I like your plan but if your friend has seen Fantasmic maybe flipflop your DHS and Epcot times so that you have dinner and Illuminations at Epcot, still FP+ those three attractions though you'll want to be done with your last one 30 min. before Illuminations to get a decent spot. Maybe make a dinner reservation in WS that will have you lingering on the patio during Illuminations (Rose and Crown, Spice Road?) Also, maybe plan your day for Epcot evening EMH (lately that has been Friday I believe)

 

[Horizons '83]

Looks like a great plan, we are going next weekend and only have a day so we intend to hit all 4 which isn't too hard to do when MK is open till 2 AM! We actually love spending the whole day traveling to park to park.

 

[DisneyDaver]

How late is DHS open that night? If it's 11:00 pm or later, I'd consider modifying your schedule just a bit by staying at EPCOT through the end of Illuminations, then walking (by leaving through the International Gateway) over to DHS to spend an hour for the sole purpose of a couple rides on Tower of Terror. For those who like walks, it's a nice one ... and probably the fastest way between the 2 parks if you are near International Gateway for Illuminations.

 

[General Zondag]

Timed perfectly it should work! Looks like you're like me...always plan ahead!
Have a great trip.