7 parks in 3.5 days?

[European1992]

Hi all, planning to arrive to Orlando (from Miami) on June 22nd (hopefully before noon), and staying until the 25th, plane departing at 8:35pm that day.

I was thinking of cramming all 4 Disney and all 3 Universal parks in those days, but now I got the idea that I can cut some Disney parks, as I have visited both Paris parks multiple times, visited Hong Kong once recently, and went to AK, MK and Hollywood Studios in 2014.

I will also be visiting Disneyland and DCA for the first time (1 day, hopping), just a couple of days prior to Orlando.

Having all this in mind, what would you recommend cutting and how would you plan these days? Looking forward to some tips and tricks from experienced folks on here. Thank you!

 

[WaluigiTime]

I did that over a week and it was exhausting and I would get any fast passes you can afford.
If I were only to pick my must dos it would be...

Disneyland OR Disney World
- Haunted Mansion (I enjoy the Land version more but honestly it is not too different than MK's)
- Star Wars Rise of the Resistance (Long wait time)
- Soarin
- Big Thunder Mountain (I like Land's better but who knows after the extensive referb at MK)
- Small World (Wanna see Disney characters, go to DL's. Want it to be IP free go to MK's. You can easily get a low wait time on either)

Disneyland
- Pirates of the Caribbean (Way different than the one in Paris and much better than the one at World)
- Enchanted Tiki Room (Best version and never has a wait)
- Indiana Jones Adventure (I consider this the best dark ride of all time)
- Space Mountain (No back pain unlike Disney World's)
- Mr.Toad's Wild Ride
- Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway (very similar to the one in Hollywood Studios but the queue here is MUCH better)

Disney California Adventure
- Radiator Springs Racers (Long wait times)
- Gaurdians of the Galaxy Mission Break Out

Magic Kingdom
- Jungle Cruise (one of the few rides I prefer at MK over DL)
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress (May want to skip because its about 20 minutes long but if you like super old classic stuff than do not miss it)

EPCOT
- Spaceship Earth (Very long but I love it and it never has a wait time)
- Living with the Land (Same points as SSE)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind (Long wait but a great coaster)
- Test Track (I have had good luck with the single rider line)
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros (Line is never long so why not, its charming)
- IF you like aquariums The Seas is pretty cool

Hollywood Studios
- Honestly.... if you are going to Disneyland you can probably just do all the best parts of Hollywood Studios there but I do love the Tower of Terror.

Animal Kingdom
- Avatar: Flight of Passage (I don't even like Avatar much and I love this ride but get ready to pay to get on it or wait forever)
- Kilimanjaro Safari (Long ride but if you went in 2014 you have probably seen it and its up to you. I love it)
- Honestly I love Animal Kingdom but I like to walk through it super slow.

SKIPS

In General
- You probably have no time for parades or shows.
- Peter Pan (At both parks this ride gets incredibly backed up)
- Autotopia and Tomorrowland Speedway
- Flat rides (Unless you like them a lot, why waste the time)
- Toy Story Mania (Waits are long and its a 3D shooting gallery but if you like that than go for it)

Disneyland
- Submarines (I am in the minority and I love these but they can get backed up)

California Adventure
- Spider-man (It isn't that great and it is at Paris)

Magic Kingdom
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (It is incredibly short, long waits, and the lighting lane is expensive)
- Story book Circus (The entire area is meet and greets, dumbo, and a little kid coaster)

EPCOT
- Frozen Ever After (if you have been to the one in Paris you have been on the best version)
- Journey into Imagination with Figment (it sucks, it is a shell of it's former self but if you want to see it and there is no wait than go ahead)
- Mission Space (Hardly a wait but do you get sick easily? Also RIP Horizons)
- Remy's Rat Adventure (I do not mind this one but it breaks down A LOT and it is the same as the one in Paris)

I think I already covered enough for AK and Hollywood BUT I forgot to add Rock N Rollercoaster in Hollywood Studios and it will have the new Muppet themeing so I have no idea how busy it will be or if it will have a virtual queue.
TIPS
- They send everyone in line for a ride even if the park closes and if you are intending on staying until close then pick a busy ride and get in line 20 or so minutes before close if you don't mind waiting. If I were to pick rides for each park it would be, Rise of the Resistance at DL, Radiator Springs at DCA, Tron at MK, Guardians: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, RnRoller Coaster or Tower at Hollywood, and Avatar: Flight of Passage at AK.
- Usually the Disneyland version of rides are better than the ones at World so if you can get on the DL version than do that.
- I'd put Soarin and Haunted Mansion lower on my list at Land since you will get another chance at world and they are both incredibly similar. (I love Haunted Mansion so I would never miss it at either)

I don't think I am qualified on Universal Studios because I have only been there once in January and I did miss out on some things but here is what I'd say are must dos.
- Monsters Unchained (Wait is so fast, its a people eater)
- Stardust Racers
- ET
- Gringotts
- Spider-Man
- Velocicoaster
- Mummy
- Men in Black

I didn't get on the other two Potter rides and I avoided anything Minions and the Jimmy Fallon ride when I was there.

LAST OF ALL

Use www.thrill-data.com , it was a love saver when I attempted to do Universal and Islands back to back. You can look at the previous day to get an idea on when things will die down on rides and so on.

 

[parksandtravel]

I would do this:

June 22
Epcot

June 23
morning at AK
afternoon/night at DHS and/or MK

June 24
Epic Universe

June 25
morning at IOA
afternoon at USF

 

[Goofyernmost]

I guess it could be done if you don't take any bathroom breaks or meals along the way. Traveling between all those places would take up at least a half a day all by itself. If it is the challenge that you are looking for than by all means go for it. I'm sure that both Disney and Universal will gladly take a large chunk of your money and not have to give much back in return.

Just taking a guess here that you are not able to picture just how big all those parks are and it can be quite the surprise. If you have been before, than I assume it is just the challenge that you are seeking, which is fine, but if you really want to get a return on what will be around a thousand dollars just to get into the parks it will be more just going through the gates turning around and scurrying on to the next location. If you want to have the real experience I don't think it can happen unless you slow it down a lot.

I know it sounds like I am trying to discourage you from doing your plan, I just really have a hard time understanding why. It isn't for the memories because whatever ones you have will mostly involve fatigue and frustration and very little observation.

 

[Ayla]

You'll have 2.5 days. Not a lot of time.

 

[JIMINYCR]

That's an enormous challenge. Lots of time that cuts into your plans in travel back & forth too. No matter where you go there will be time wasted standing in lines waiting for rides. Going in June the parks will be attracting the locals and guests going when school is out. Numbers have been down lately but the summer months typically jump those crowd numbers up.
I can't recommend what to cut because I don't know what your wants or priorities are. Make that decision based on what key attractions you want to target most and which parks can deliver the most pleasurable experiences for you. Trying to even do both WDW and Uni is going to make you cut out a majority of attractions that you might enjoy and the value of your park tickets will not be very good.
If it was me, I'd want to take my time and enjoy fully each park without rushing through and be disappointed in what would be missed.

 

[WaluigiTime]

Added more to my list!

 

[CynBeth]

With such a short trip I would choose either Disney or Universal.

 

[esskay]

This doesnt sound like fun at all to be honest. Pick WDW or Uni, otherwise your entire trip will be at breakneck speed and knackering rather than enjoyable.

 

[Tom P.]

Is it physically possible to visit all of those parks in the time you have allotted? Yes. Is it possible to actually do much useful at the parks with that kind of itinerary? No. If you simply want to say you did it, then have at it. But if you actually want to enjoy the parks I would pick either Disney or Universal so as to pare down your itinerary. Just IMHO, of course.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Sounds like a terrible way to spend your time.

 

[mkt]

It's doable if you have a car or are willing to Uber, but you're doing to be very tired.

 

[European1992]

Thank you all for the input.

I think we will skip the 22nd and go 23rd, 24th and 25th.

23rd - IoA + USO
24th - AK + Epcot
25th - Epic

Planning to spend some money on fastpasses too.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Thank you all for the input.

I think we will skip the 22nd and go 23rd, 24th and 25th.

23rd - IoA + USO
24th - AK + Epcot
25th - Epic

Planning to spend some money on fastpasses too.

Let me start by saying I am somewhat of a speed vacationer myself. Or at least sometimes I vacation that way.

For Universal, I highly suggest staying at Portofino, Hard Rock, or Royal Pacific to get the included passes.
Or at least price out that option for the passes. If you are solo, paying for Express Pass might be more cost effective.

For all of your options, you will not be able to see everything.

Your itinerary also appears to be based on the expectation of perfect weather. You mention coming from Miami. If you live there, you know what the weather will be like. If not, the heat and (often) daily downpours will impact your ability to hit all of the rides. I've been to FL in summer many times, touring in heat requires a slower pace than other times of year. Good prep will be to acclimate yourself to outdoor heat/humidity as much as possible well in advance. Also, during storms most outdoor attractions close: all the outdoor coasters, animal attractions, outdoor boat/water rides (including shuttle boats), etc.

I assume you are in good physical shape. You will want to be at the parks in time for Early Entry, and make sure to be there at park close. For me, summer always = afternoon breaks. Afternoon heat will make you sleepy. You will want to avoid any table service meals, esp at WDW. They are slow. On the other hand, you will also want to avoid high glycemic foods, like fries or syrup-coated pancakes. Snacking on produce is a good bet. Light lunches are a good bet. Quick breakfasts w high protein are a good option, like picking up some pre-made hard boiled eggs. You can sometimes find them at WDW quick serve places, ready to eat. The less you wait on food orders, the better. another lower sugar option is finding plain Greek yogurt, but hard to find at WDW. I like to place a pick-up grocery order for liquids and some good quality food.

Traffic. There is considerable traffic between WDW and Uni.

hotels Also, if you are staying at Uni- you'll be at a disadvantage for the WDW portion when picking LL. If you are at a WDW hotel, you will not get the Uni advantages of being at a Uni hotel. So if you are only at one hotel- you will not get Early Entry at least some of your days. You could do a split stay- but that also has challenges. You will also have to check out/sow luggage on check out day- which could impact your ability to be in the parks all day/early/late.

Of the parks impacted by weather, AK comes to mind. It also opens early, so you'll want to go to AK for 7:30am (if onsite), THEN do Epcot the 2nd half of the day.

If you buy LLMP, you can preselect 3 LL for AK, but since you are only there for such a short time, you might have trouble getting early return times. Depends show slow it is. On the other hand, In Epcot LLMP doesn't help much.

In all the parks, if you want speed, use single rider lines. Just know you will miss out on a good part of the pre-shows. If you have never been on the rides, you will miss out on part of the storyline. The story of some rides might not make much sense without the preshows. I also normally do re-rides in some cases. If you are doing a marathon day, re-rides will be less of an option for you.

the two older Universal lands are easier to navigate than WDW, esp if you have EP. Even without it, I do great mostly just goiing where I want. If something has a long wait, skip it an come back.

For Ee storyline th ofpartpic, you might want to plan a little. Use the app to study wait times. Map out a few options and see which is best. I've done pretty well going directly to Mario Kart at rope drop, then be sure to go to Berk before the park opens to the general public. Probably hit Werewolf late morning, then Monsters. DO see the shows. I'd put the Berk show as one of the better attractions in the park. If you have to skip something, skip Mine Cart Madness and Yoshi's Adventure. Neither is worth a long wait. It will be good if you have Express Pass, but it is $$$. Again though, with Epic, many rides close during storms. Lack of shade is also a problem. Ideally, you'd want to stay at Helios or Stella, ut 3 different hotels would be too much. If you are not at one of those hotels, allow time to get to Epic.

You are also going to pay a premium for your tickets! To do your plan, you will have to buy park hopper tickets for both WDW and Universal. If you are at all on a budget, you can lower costs substantially by sticking to just WDW or just Universal. And you would still have PLENTY to see.

 

[Pizza Moon]

I mean you could do it but frankly you’d have a better time just going to like epic one day islands/usf one and volcano bay Disney springs the other.

Like, vastly more enjoyable.

I wouldn’t even attempt this even if I had unlimited cash lying around.

Just doesn’t seem fun.