Want to time things juuuust right

[LMSB]

Hi all,
I am in the beginning stages of planning our itinerary for our trip this fall & need some feedback-
Our second full day in the parks (Sat 10//28) we have an ADR for 9:50AM at Be Our Guest.
Extra Magic Hours that day are from 8:00AM-9:00AM at AK.
I'm trying to figure out if it makes sense to spend the hour in AK, then hustle over to MK for our meal. THEN head back to AK for the rest of the day. Or does it make more sense to just forgo the EMH, take our time in the AM getting to our ADR & then head over to AK once we're done. TY in advance

 

[disneygeek90]

In all honestly, I don’t think the AK EMH is really helping anyone’s time as much as they think. Either way you need to be at the park an hour and a half if you don’t want to get swept up in a 240 min wait by 9:45. So it’s either get there at 7:30 or 6:30. If anything, I think non EMH mornings are the better day to go. So much of WDW guests are tourists coming from the resorts. Most of them are probably waiting for mornings with EMH to rope drop rather than non.

I was there Sunday, non EMH, we were in bag check line at 7:40am, and off BOTH Pandora rides at 9:30am, no fastpass for either.

With a 9:50 ADR, that would be extremely tough. Not worth it. I'd recommend rope dropping another morning, or doing late EMH.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

IMO, I think that would be pushing it honestly, especially with the the time it takes for transportation alone from one park to another that is if you are taking a Disney bus. I think it would be a less of a headache to just take it easy in the morning getting to your ADR and then spend the rest of the day at AK

 

[Herdman]

I'd do rope drop at the MK if you don't have any FP before your ADR. You should be able to do at least a couple attractions before your ADR time.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

No offense @LMSB but that park hopping plan sounds like a nightmare. Walking all the way through The Oasis and back to the lands of AK, only to trek all the way back to the bus stops a very short time later? Worrying about making a hard-to-get ADR the whole time? At the very least, I can say it's not for me. Plus, an MK bus will probably be a long wait at that time of day. There's no dedicated AK-MK bus; they are dispatched based on need, and doing something like park hopping or going back to a hotel right after opening is not what Disney is expecting you to do. So trekking through AK, waiting who knows how long for a bus, driving across property (MK and AK are not that close), going through security, and then walking all the way to the back of MK is too many variables for me.

Don't overthink it... just rope drop MK and get in a few rides before your ADR.

 

[LMSB]

No offense @LMSB but that park hopping plan sounds like a nightmare. Walking all the way through The Oasis and back to the lands of AK, only to trek all the way back to the bus stops a very short time later? Worrying about making a hard-to-get ADR the whole time? At the very least, I can say it's not for me. Plus, an MK bus will probably be a long wait at that time of day. There's no dedicated AK-MK bus; they are dispatched based on need, and doing something like park hopping or going back to a hotel right after opening is not what Disney is expecting you to do. So trekking through AK, waiting who knows how long for a bus, driving across property (MK and AK are not that close), going through security, and then walking all the way to the back of MK is too many variables for me.

Don't overthink it... just rope drop MK and get in a few rides before your ADR.

None taken! I mentioned this plan to my husband last night & he looked at me like I was a crazy person We decided to get to MK for rope drop, enjoy our breakfast then head over to AK for the rest of the day. Made another ADR at Rainforest Cafe for an early dinner too

 

[LMSB]

TY all for your feedback- we decided to skip EMH at AK & get to MK at rope drop. I figure we can enjoy an attraction or two in fantasyland before our ADR at BOG (I also mentioned my original plan to my husband last night & he looked at me like I was insane) We'll head over to AK after breakfast & enjoy the rest of the day- I made a dinner ADR at Rainforest Cafe too. It's funny, there's a Rainforest Cafe in one of the malls by us but I have no interest in going to that one- the Disney location seems so much more special!

 

[epcotisbest]

TY all for your feedback- we decided to skip EMH at AK & get to MK at rope drop. I figure we can enjoy an attraction or two in fantasyland before our ADR at BOG (I also mentioned my original plan to my husband last night & he looked at me like I was insane) We'll head over to AK after breakfast & enjoy the rest of the day- I made a dinner ADR at Rainforest Cafe too. It's funny, there's a Rainforest Cafe in one of the malls by us but I have no interest in going to that one- the Disney location seems so much more special!

Excellent plan. The second best thing we ever did was stop planning our day around dining. We no longer make any ADRs on park days, as it wastes too much time trying to get from one place to the other just for a meal. We might make an ADR for a place special to us like Sanaa, BOMA, Cali Grill or other resort dining on resort and pool days, but park days we grab something quick, like Pecos Bills or Sleepy Hollow when we get hungry. No time wasted trying to get to an ADR, or even thinking about if dining time is near.
The best thing we ever did, in 35 years of WDW trips, is slow down. We quit rushing to try to do as much as possible, and enjoy the moment, taking in the whole experience, enjoying the atmosphere, landscaping, small things and little details. When we stopped rushing from one thing to another, started enjoying more pool and resort time, and changed our mindset to quality over quantity, it became a better vacation by so much more than I can even describe.
Now, mind you, we go often and that could be why slowing down has worked so well for us, but we used to have to come home and get back to work to recover from the trip. Now we come home rested, relaxed and rejuvenated.
Sorry, got a little long-winded there.

 

[LMSB]

Excellent plan. The second best thing we ever did was stop planning our day around dining. We no longer make any ADRs on park days, as it wastes too much time trying to get from one place to the other just for a meal. We might make an ADR for a place special to us like Sanaa, BOMA, Cali Grill or other resort dining on resort and pool days, but park days we grab something quick, like Pecos Bills or Sleepy Hollow when we get hungry. No time wasted trying to get to an ADR, or even thinking about if dining time is near.
The best thing we ever did, in 35 years of WDW trips, is slow down. We quit rushing to try to do as much as possible, and enjoy the moment, taking in the whole experience, enjoying the atmosphere, landscaping, small things and little details. When we stopped rushing from one thing to another, started enjoying more pool and resort time, and changed our mindset to quality over quantity, it became a better vacation by so much more than I can even describe.
Now, mind you, we go often and that could be why slowing down has worked so well for us, but we used to have to come home and get back to work to recover from the trip. Now we come home rested, relaxed and rejuvenated.
Sorry, got a little long-winded there.

Thank you for your feedback! I agree on ADRS on park days- I made sure not to plan any breakfast or lunch reservations, just dinners. We tend to eat on the early side (between 5:30 & 6) so I made our ADRS in or around that time frame. We'll grab coffee & a small breakfast at our resort (All Star Movies) and lunch at a QS. I'm not a huge fan of the breakfast ADR at BOG but it was the only time I was able to get- HOPING once our trip gets closer there may be some cancellations and I'll be able to get us a dinner res.

 

[nickys]

TY all for your feedback- we decided to skip EMH at AK & get to MK at rope drop. I figure we can enjoy an attraction or two in fantasyland before our ADR at BOG (I also mentioned my original plan to my husband last night & he looked at me like I was insane) We'll head over to AK after breakfast & enjoy the rest of the day- I made a dinner ADR at Rainforest Cafe too. It's funny, there's a Rainforest Cafe in one of the malls by us but I have no interest in going to that one- the Disney location seems so much more special!

I'm sure a little insanity goes a long way to successful Disney vacation planning - at least that's what I tell myself now and again .

Glad you have "refined" those plans!

 

[floridagirl57]

In all honestly, I don’t think the AK EMH is really helping anyone’s time as much as they think. Either way you need to be at the park an hour and a half if you don’t want to get swept up in a 240 min wait by 9:45. So it’s either get there at 7:30 or 6:30. If anything, I think non EMH mornings are the better day to go. So much of WDW guests are tourists coming from the resorts. Most of them are probably waiting for mornings with EMH to rope drop rather than non.

I was there Sunday, non EMH, we were in bag check line at 7:40am, and off BOTH Pandora rides at 9:30am, no fastpass for either.

With a 9:50 ADR, that would be extremely tough. Not worth it. I'd recommend rope dropping another morning, or doing late EMH.

I have a similar question. I will be there at the end of August, and AK has morning EMH from 8-9 (we are staying on site). My goal is to ride FOP with my husband that morning, but based on everything I'm reading I'm worried we won't make it in time. I'm shooting for 7:15 am. Is that early enough?

 

[disneygeek90]

I have a similar question. I will be there at the end of August, and AK has morning EMH from 8-9 (we are staying on site). My goal is to ride FOP with my husband that morning, but based on everything I'm reading I'm worried we won't make it in time. I'm shooting for 7:15 am. Is that early enough?

You will probably still make it on and off in a decent time. That will be close to when they start letting people enter with their tickets, so it will be backed up by the kiosks most likely, but they will hold you before Pandora till about 7:40. You may be a little backed up but should still make it in one of the first few shows. I wouldn't suggest going any later than that, though. You could always shoot for 7 to be safe.

 

[floridagirl57]

You will probably still make it on and off in a decent time. That will be close to when they start letting people enter with their tickets, so it will be backed up by the kiosks most likely, but they will hold you before Pandora till about 7:40. You may be a little backed up but should still make it in one of the first few shows. I wouldn't suggest going any later than that, though. You could always shoot for 7 to be safe.

Hum, ok. Maybe we will skip it, not early birds over here but I've only ridden FOP once and would love to ride it again. Another wrinkle in our plans is that I need to buy a ticket for my husband, but through the promotion for Passholders family and friends, the ticket must be purchased on the day of use. I've heard several different stories of when the ticket booths and Guest Relations open (I've read they open an hour before the park, but a Disney rep told me these open with the park), so it might all be a wash.