Trip Itin.. (1st timer).. is this ok ?

[Hippomum]

Dear all,
I have posted the same at TA.. but noted that the forum here is quite active and it is specific on trip planning. Hope I can get some feedback or comments on my rough plan. Apologies to forummers who are at both boards... this is a repeat post.

We are booked for Contemporary from 3-10 Dec (arriving on 3rd from NY).. with a 4D hopper pass... below is my tentative itin. does it look ok for a 1st timer ? 2 Kids (aged 13, 11)

1) 4 Dec (MK).. with EMH morning

2) 5 Dec (Epcot)- EMH PM

3) 6 Dec - break from Disney.. maybe shopping / Downtown disney / outlet malls

4) 7 Dec (Hollywood Studios) - EMH PM

5) 8 Dec - Universal Studios (1 D P2P access)

6) 9 Dec (AK) + return to whichever rides we missed / wld like a repeat ?


Questions -

I know, pretty cramped, but that's all the dates we can afford out.. does it look ok, in terms of

a) Scheduling ? I chose based on park crowd calendar and EMH.. will I have to wait excessively, or do-able ?

b) I am thinking of getting a car on 6th Dec through to 8th.. so I can get to Shopping places and US .. makes sense ?
If I do rent a car, shd I get the car onsite at Disney (Alamo) .. so that I can minimise my time ?
Or, shd I abandon the car idea to US and get the tickets with transport ? Wld that be easier and cheaper ?
For US- I would love to stay onsite for the obvious Express Q and early entry, but with only 6D to play with, it is really too cumbersome / wastage fo time for me to move hotels & i am looking forward to using the DME to/fro MCO

c) Any advise on the likely waiting times for the parks at WDW & US (esp HP.. my dd is a die-hard fan)... for US, its a Mon and based on park calendar, its a LOW ? With the new HP rides, wld it still mean a good 1-2hours wait time ? I can't find the park hours yet for US for the month of Dec... so I am not sure if we can complete the park within a day...
For wdw.. the time allocated, wld we be able to do reasonably well and paced out to enjoy the highlights ?

d) I arrive at MCO around noon... if I take the DME.. approximately how long will it take for me to arrive at Contemporary ?

e) Anyone with experience on renting onsite at Disney with national Alamo - what happens if I return the car after office hours.. ? The website was not clear on this ?

appreciate all kind advise and comments, on where I can fine-tune... or anything else I can possibly merge into the plan.
Its our first trip to WDW and we are all.. blown away by what it has to offer )

TIA

 

[stevehousse]

With ur plan u r not park hopping anywhere so I would maybe switch to non park hopper tickets to save a little money...

 

[mammaminnie]

Definitely consider getting rid of the park hopper if you won't be switching between parks in the same day. It's always nice to save money As far as waits, those dates typically have lower crowds since they are between the major holidays, and right now they are not Free Dining dates so that will help out as well. For US, are you planning on checking out of your WDW hotel and in to a US hotel? There isn't any free transportation between WDW or US so you would either need a rental or a cab to get back and forth. If you go with a rental, I highly suggest onsite at WDW to save the time vs going back and forth to the airport. For DME, I always tell people to expect 90 min to 2 hours from the time you land to arrive at the hotel. That gives you time to de-plane, go thru the airport, check-in with DME, load on to a bus and transit to WDW. Hope that helps!

 

[JIMINYCR]

Dear all,
1) 4 Dec (MK).. with EMH morning

2) 5 Dec (Epcot)- EMH PM

3) 6 Dec - break from Disney.. maybe shopping / Downtown disney / outlet malls

4) 7 Dec (Hollywood Studios) - EMH PM

5) 8 Dec - Universal Studios (1 D P2P access)

6) 9 Dec (AK) + return to whichever rides we missed / wld like a repeat ?

I know, pretty cramped, but that's all the dates we can afford out.. does it look ok, in terms of

a) Scheduling ? I chose based on park crowd calendar and EMH.. will I have to wait excessively, or do-able ?

b) I am thinking of getting a car on 6th Dec through to 8th.. so I can get to Shopping places and US .. makes sense ?
If I do rent a car, shd I get the car onsite at Disney (Alamo) .. so that I can minimise my time ?
Or, shd I abandon the car idea to US and get the tickets with transport ? Wld that be easier and cheaper ?
For US- I would love to stay onsite for the obvious Express Q and early entry, but with only 6D to play with, it is really too cumbersome / wastage fo time for me to move hotels & i am looking forward to using the DME to/fro MCO

c) Any advise on the likely waiting times for the parks at WDW & US (esp HP.. my dd is a die-hard fan)... for US, its a Mon and based on park calendar, its a LOW ? With the new HP rides, wld it still mean a good 1-2hours wait time ? I can't find the park hours yet for US for the month of Dec... so I am not sure if we can complete the park within a day...
For wdw.. the time allocated, wld we be able to do reasonably well and paced out to enjoy the highlights ?

d) I arrive at MCO around noon... if I take the DME.. approximately how long will it take for me to arrive at Contemporary ?

e) Anyone with experience on renting onsite at Disney with national Alamo - what happens if I return the car after office hours.. ? The website was not clear on this ?

appreciate all kind advise and comments, on where I can fine-tune... or anything else I can possibly merge into the plan.
Its our first trip to WDW and we are all.. blown away by what it has to offer )

TIA

The good thing is you're going after Thanksgiving and before the Christmas crowds. We have gone during that time frame before and its wonderful...you have all the decorations up and seasonal things to enjoy. You are limited by your days but what can you do? Using the park hopper passes can be worthwhile if you use them. Do one park in the AM and another in the PM. But this being your first time you might be better off doing without and concentrate on doing full days at each park. Theres lots to do & see for first timers. They may not be of good value to you at this point.
We take advantage of the EMH's and they do give us more park time so they are in my opinion worth taking advantage of them. I personally like the evening EMH cause the crowds thin out after hours and theres more access to rides. Depends on your kids too.... MY DS never liked to get up early so we had a time getting him to rise to use morning EMH but he did like to stay out late so he lasted through the later hours.
We never rented cars to shop but have rented taxi to do off site trips. Somewhat expensive and timing was sometimes not very reliable. The Disney transportation is good, but can at times be trying. Arriving bus times can be far between.
Crowd calendars can help, some are accurate, some not so. Ride wait times can vary, Disney is fairly accurate on their posted wait times. We found the time period you are going to be less crowded than other times, but Disney is Disney and theres never a time when the parks are really empty. The more popular the ride the more chance of a wait. Take advantage of FP and target the rides you want more either earlier in the day or later when the crowds thin out. Planning wisely and using the EMH can help immensely.
I've waited for DME only briefly to 3/4 hr or more. Depends on their back up or scheduled drop offs. They do go on their specific routes and you can get antsy waiting for your resort drop off as others get to theirs first.
So much of having a good trip vs a disaster is planning. Know what you mostly want to doand avoid the things youre not so enthused about. Dont try to do it all in your first trip. Use this trip to get a feel of what Disney has to offer and enjoy. Return trips are for doing the things you missed or doing those so so attractions. Take the time to see & do what makes you happiest.

 

[CheshireCat12]

You will probably have a busier time of it at US visiting HP than you will at WDW!

 

[Bocko57]

That was my thinking @CheshireCat12. Universal Studios P2P can be done in 1 day but with the new HP section it might be a problem. Another problem with doing P2P in December is the shorter hours too. If you are really wanting to do both Parks in 1 day, you might want to think about the Express Pass. As mentioned by a few others, if you are not going to go from park to park at Disney, save yourself some money and use it for the Express Pass at Universal. Again it is just a suggestion. I would say Universal would not be overly busy then but with HP it might be more so.

 

[DisneyDaver]

Does your family like thrill rides? If so, I suspect that your kids will find that 1 day at the 2 Universal Studios parks is not enough.

If I only had 6 days, I would drop the "break from Disney day" and spend 4 days at the WDW parks and 2 days at Universal Studios. From my experience, the "deluxe" level hotels at Universal are sometimes significantly cheaper than the Contemporary (like a couple dollars per night!) AND the Universal "deluxe" hotels come with "Express Passes" for the rides at the parks. Thus, if possible, I would recommend spending the last two nights of your trip at a Universal "deluxe" hotel. (Note though that the Express lines are not available at some of the rides including, I think, the Forbidden Journey and the new Harry Potter rides.)

I know you said you thought that would be a waste of time to switch hotels mid-trip, but I have done this multiple times with WDW and Universal have felt that the early entry and Express passes saved me more time than I lost with the hotel switch.

 

[Hippomum]

With ur plan u r not park hopping anywhere so I would maybe switch to non park hopper tickets to save a little money...

Yes... thanks for the pointer, it is going back to drawing board for consideration. Any savings will be good !

 

[Hippomum]

Definitely consider getting rid of the park hopper if you won't be switching between parks in the same day. It's always nice to save money As far as waits, those dates typically have lower crowds since they are between the major holidays, and right now they are not Free Dining dates so that will help out as well. For US, are you planning on checking out of your WDW hotel and in to a US hotel? There isn't any free transportation between WDW or US so you would either need a rental or a cab to get back and forth. If you go with a rental, I highly suggest onsite at WDW to save the time vs going back and forth to the airport. For DME, I always tell people to expect 90 min to 2 hours from the time you land to arrive at the hotel. That gives you time to de-plane, go thru the airport, check-in with DME, load on to a bus and transit to WDW. Hope that helps!

** Hi.. this was my dilemna, I wasn't sure if I shd check out of WDW.. check into a US Hotel and do the park for 2days. push the shopping over 2 half days ? For rental cars.. I was checking up Alamo.. but I am not sure what to do once the office hours are closed.. can I drop off the car at care ctr ? how wld I make my way back to Contemporary then ?? thanks !!

 

[Hippomum]

That was my thinking @CheshireCat12. Universal Studios P2P can be done in 1 day but with the new HP section it might be a problem. Another problem with doing P2P in December is the shorter hours too. If you are really wanting to do both Parks in 1 day, you might want to think about the Express Pass. As mentioned by a few others, if you are not going to go from park to park at Disney, save yourself some money and use it for the Express Pass at Universal. Again it is just a suggestion. I would say Universal would not be overly busy then but with HP it might be more so.

** the EP was something I had wanted to buy.. but after adding on for 4 !! the price skyrocketed !!! Hence, I was thinking of I am able to do the rides in a day.. but both parks look awesome and the kids wanna do ALL (!!) .. cos they love the thrilling rides... but as it is low season, I am not sure what time the park close and the waiting times... hence, I am deliberating if I shd break the trip into 5N at Wdw and 2N at US.. shd I do weekend at WDW or US ? shd it be the end of the trip or beginning ??? back to drawing board...

 

[MissingDisney]

If you don't plan to park hop every day, I'd drop it. Way too expensive of an add-on if you aren't planning on really using it.

 

[Hippomum]

Does your family like thrill rides? If so, I suspect that your kids will find that 1 day at the 2 Universal Studios parks is not enough.

If I only had 6 days, I would drop the "break from Disney day" and spend 4 days at the WDW parks and 2 days at Universal Studios. From my experience, the "deluxe" level hotels at Universal are sometimes significantly cheaper than the Contemporary (like a couple dollars per night!) AND the Universal "deluxe" hotels come with "Express Passes" for the rides at the parks. Thus, if possible, I would recommend spending the last two nights of your trip at a Universal "deluxe" hotel. (Note though that the Express lines are not available at some of the rides including, I think, the Forbidden Journey and the new Harry Potter rides.)

I know you said you thought that would be a waste of time to switch hotels mid-trip, but I have done this multiple times with WDW and Universal have felt that the early entry and Express passes saved me more time than I lost with the hotel switch.

** yes.. the Contemporary is costing us an arm and leg.. but its our very first trip to wdw.. not sure if we will make the long long flight there again ..am waiting v v eagerly for the winter discounts to be out for room as my dates do not qualify for FDP. Hopefully, the savings can translate to some nice character dining and perhaps 2N at US !
Any other tips are greatly appreciated ! Tks

 

[Bocko57]

** the EP was something I had wanted to buy.. but after adding on for 4 !! the price skyrocketed !!! Hence, I was thinking of I am able to do the rides in a day.. but both parks look awesome and the kids wanna do ALL (!!) .. cos they love the thrilling rides... but as it is low season, I am not sure what time the park close and the waiting times... hence, I am deliberating if I shd break the trip into 5N at Wdw and 2N at US.. shd I do weekend at WDW or US ? shd it be the end of the trip or beginning ??? back to drawing board...

With it being low season, you maybe safe without the EP, but I worry about the HP sections slowing you down. I know the EP's can add up since I have purchased them in the past.

The big wait time rides are: HP and the Escape from Gringots (US), HP and the Forbidden Journey (IS), Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (IS), Incredible Hulk Coaster (IS), Descpicalbe Me: Minion Mayhem (US), Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (US), and Transformers: The Ride 3D (US), Hogwarts Express (US-IS/IS-US).

If you wanted to do the entire HP experience (Hogwarts Express to and from US-IS), I would get the 1 day P2P. I would do the HP sections and then go from the biggest wait time rides to the smallest. If you don't ride "Escape from Gringots" first, you can most likely expect a 120+ minute wait.

If you care to discuss more, please let me know. Good luck but most of all have fun!!

 

[DisneyDaver]

** yes.. the Contemporary is costing us an arm and leg.. but its our very first trip to wdw.. not sure if we will make the long long flight there again ..am waiting v v eagerly for the winter discounts to be out for room as my dates do not qualify for FDP. Hopefully, the savings can translate to some nice character dining and perhaps 2N at US !
Any other tips are greatly appreciated ! Tks

There is not really a right or wrong but if it were me, based on my experiences I would do the following:

I would take the Magical Express to the Contemporary and stay there for your first 5 nights. I would spend a full day each at MK, Epcot, and AK and a half day at DHS. Maybe take the Disney bus to Downtown Disney to shop the same day you go to DHS. I would not get a park hopper. Then on the morning of Dec 8th I would take a taxi (I've always taxi'ed in the interest of saving time but might be worth looking into Mears' options too to check costs) to Universal Orlando. At Universal I would stay at the Royal Pacific or Hard Rock for the last 2 nights to get Express Passes and EPA. I would be sure to wake up early on Dec 9th to take advantage of EPA that day. I would take a shuttle from Universal back to the airport. This plan would eliminate the need for a rental car.

Lastly, although it is a separate ticket event, I would highly recommend Mickey's Very Merry Christmas PArty which will be taking place while you are there. It is a blast and very festive and I have found the lines to be much shorter (than during normal park hours) for the rides.

 

[me_stitch]

if you do rent a car, they'll pick you up at your resort and take you back when you drop the car off, usually you just tip the shuttle driver a couple dollars each way.

 

[me_stitch]

also, if your only doing 6 days I wouldn't waste one taking a break from anything. as far as Park Hopper tickets go, if you plan on doing parks with EMH sometimes they are more crowded than other parks so being able to park hop is nice if say MK is really crowded and maybe HS isn't. just a thought.

 

[Hippomum]

Thank you everyone for your time and suggestions. I am going to make some changes and check out the US packages and take 2N off disney & off the park hopper. Hopefully, the costs even out themselves.
Hopefully, I can squeeze in some shopping too ! I can't leave orlando w/o going to the outlet malls (
I noted the suggestion on DHS being a half day park... i really hope we can take our time and enjoy the best of wdw. Kids are awfully excited.
One question - I read that we can pre order some drinks and stuff from the supermarkets nearby. Would it be a good idea to get them to deliver to Contemporary so I do not need to rent a car for the day I arrive and drive out to get ? instead I can do DTD on my 1st day after arrival...
my kids aren't into character dining... but we wld want to try 2 or 3 of the restaurants that are highly rated.. wld I still need to do a ADR for those ?
Thanks !!!

 

[DisneyDaver]

my kids aren't into character dining... but we wld want to try 2 or 3 of the restaurants that are highly rated.. wld I still need to do a ADR for those ?
Thanks !!!

I would try to get an ADR as soon as possible for any of the "highly rates" table service restaurants. California Grill at the Contemporary is my favorite WDW restaurants but it books up quickly. There are two outdoor viewing decks at the restaurant from which you can see the Wishes fireworks. I highly recommend booking a dinner at California grill and enjoying the fireworks from one of the decks. Of course, you need to check to see what time Wishes is at on the night you plan to dine there.

On the day you are at Epcot, I would make reservations at one of the World Showcase restaurants. A few good ones there depending on what type of food your family likes best. Make sure to schedule around Illuminations so you can enjoy that great show at World Showcase.