Need 2 days for Hollywood Studios??

[gracie1]

I posted this on the DIS site as well, trying to get as much advice as I can!
Here's the deal. We are spending 2 days at MK, 1 day at Epcot, 1 day at HS and 1 day at IOA. I am wondering if we should cancel our Epcot day and do 2 at HS. Our kids are 9, 7 & 3 and when we were looking at the show schedule for HS, along with the attractions & meet & greets, Fantasmic! I just don't know how you fit it all into one day, without splitting up. We had the kids look at the list of shows and everything to see if they wanted to cut anything, and they want to do it all. Plus, we will go back to the resort mid-day so our youngest can nap. What do you think? Would you trade in Epcot?? Does it take 2 days to do everything at HS? (remember, we will take a 2-3 hour break). Thanks!!

 

[stefan74]

In my opinion -due to the ages of your children, because your children want to do all of the shows, and because you take breaks during the day, I would skip Epcot and do 2 days at HS. This way your children will be able to take in all of the shows they want and you will be able to take a break in the day.

 

[devoy1701]

I don't know if I would cancel Epcot, but 2 days at DHS is definitely needed if you want to do everything, shows and all. Sounds like maybe you might want to add a day to your trip if possible??? AK has some really good shows as well...

 

[gracie1]

I wish we could add a day, but our plane tickets are already purchased and everything is lined up. I just don't want to feel like we are rushing around all day trying to get to all the shows and end up missing a lot. Maybe this will just make us plan a 2nd trip so we can do Epcot & AK!
The only thing my kids were excited about at Epcot was Soarin and The Seas (Nemo). With their ages, do you think they'd have more fun at Epcot or HS?

 

[Tinkerbell 8]

when are you going? if you're going during a non-peak time, the wait times will be shorter, and you will be able to fit more into the day without rushing. hollywood studios never takes us more than a day, usually we are only there for a few hours and we get everything we want done, (we also arrive at the park an hour before opening so we are first in line for the line drop so we can get fastpasses for tsm and then head over to tot and rnrc). also it would help to look at the touring plans so you can go the opposite of where most people rush, making your wait times shorter.

 

[mr_braver23]

I wouldnt cancel Epcot myself for 2 days at HS. To me HS can be done in one day, with young kids. Shows will be your best bet. Epcot has way to much to skip for 1 extra day at HS.

:wave:

 

[MaryJaneP]

Much more to do at DHS than at Epcot for your kids. IMO, losing Epcot day altogether is not going to be a blip in their recollections. Nemo is just okay, not outstanding. Turtle Talk is the same. Soarin' may be great for adults, but I think the kids see it as a non-3d movie.

Shows (Ariel, BatB,Fantasmic,Indiana,Lights), rides (TT,RnRC,TSM,GMR) and extras (HISTA playground) are more tuned to their ages. Even Sci-Fi and parade may entertain them. I'm not sure if Big Blue will be done the conversion to Disney Junior when you go. Anyone else know schedule for that?

 

[smk]

I posted this on the DIS site as well, trying to get as much advice as I can!
Here's the deal. We are spending 2 days at MK, 1 day at Epcot, 1 day at HS and 1 day at IOA. I am wondering if we should cancel our Epcot day and do 2 at HS. Our kids are 9, 7 & 3 and when we were looking at the show schedule for HS, along with the attractions & meet & greets, Fantasmic! I just don't know how you fit it all into one day, without splitting up. We had the kids look at the list of shows and everything to see if they wanted to cut anything, and they want to do it all. Plus, we will go back to the resort mid-day so our youngest can nap. What do you think? Would you trade in Epcot?? Does it take 2 days to do everything at HS? (remember, we will take a 2-3 hour break). Thanks!!

I wouldn't cut anything Disney! I'd cut IOA :lookaroun ! That's no help to you I realize but you asked!

 

[gracie1]

I wouldn't cut anything Disney! I'd cut IOA :lookaroun ! That's no help to you I realize but you asked!

LOL - My 7 yr old Harry Potter obsessed son would shiver at your comment! IOA is all he's been talking about!

 

[gracie1]

Much more to do at DHS than at Epcot for your kids. IMO, losing Epcot day altogether is not going to be a blip in their recollections. Nemo is just okay, not outstanding. Turtle Talk is the same. Soarin' may be great for adults, but I think the kids see it as a non-3d movie.

Shows (Ariel, BatB,Fantasmic,Indiana,Lights), rides (TT,RnRC,TSM,GMR) and extras (HISTA playground) are more tuned to their ages. Even Sci-Fi and parade may entertain them. I'm not sure if Big Blue will be done the conversion to Disney Junior when you go. Anyone else know schedule for that?

We were thinking the same thing --so many shows! They want to do all the one's you listed Plus, my son can't wait for the Jedi Training and our 3 yr old will love the Playhouse Disney show. Our 9 yr old is looking forward to the animation class, ToT, RnRC, TSM and Disney Chanel Rocks. We have an ADR on one day for 50's Prime Time and I'm thinking of adding Sci-Fi for lunch on the other day (if we do it). What is Big Blue?? Thanks for your help!

 

[MaryJaneP]

We were thinking the same thing --so many shows! They want to do all the one's you listed Plus, my son can't wait for the Jedi Training and our 3 yr old will love the Playhouse Disney show. Our 9 yr old is looking forward to the animation class, ToT, RnRC, TSM and Disney Chanel Rocks. We have an ADR on one day for 50's Prime Time and I'm thinking of adding Sci-Fi for lunch on the other day (if we do it). What is Big Blue?? Thanks for your help!

Bear in the Big Blue House. Not even sure it is still there. It was opposite Little Mermaid. We never went in there, but it was heavily hyped at one time. Visits tending to blend together here. My bad.

EDIT: Apparently replaced with Playhouse Disney Live w/ characters from Bear in the Big Blue House. Maybe 2001. Wow!

 

[erstwo]

I think you are right about DHS being a 2 day park - we did miss some things this last trip even with doing Fantasmic on one night and then coming back to spend an entire day at DHS another day.

I will say that we fit in RnR, ToT (twice), Beauty & the Beast, Little Mermaid, Art of Animation, the Osborne lights (holidays only), and Toy Story Midway Mania (twice) all in one day. Plus we left for about 3 hours to have dinner at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary. But I think it might have been because it was a NON- Fantasmic day. Fantasmic days tend to be more crowded which equals longer lines.

I will also say (just to confuse things a little more! :lol that at the end of our recent 10 day trip, my 8 year old niece and 4 year old niece were asked what their favorite rides were of the entire trip. Both chose an Epcot ride: Soarin for the 8 year old and Test Track for the 4 year old. Just throwing it out there!

Here's a link to my trip report about our day at DHS. It should take you right to that day: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=664099&page=4

Edit: I wanted to add: Go ahead and plan that 2nd trip! Because in my humble opinion, the BEST shows at WDW are at the Animal Kingdom. Festival of the Lion King is like a Cirque du Soleil included in your park ticket and Nemo is Broadway worthy.

 

[Susan Savia]

I think it depends on the time of the year your going. We find that we see and do all we want to by 2:00 at HS and that at Epcot we can go in at rope drop and still be there at 9 at night. Some feel Epcot isn't as kid friendly, but I disagree and feel there's plenty for children to see and enjoy. Our children, now grown, found Epcot to be their favorite park, over MK and HS. Oh, and we don't leave the park during the day for naps or lunches outside. We've never took the time out from Disney to visit Universal...never really wanted too.

 

[devoy1701]

I wouldnt cancel Epcot myself for 2 days at HS. To me HS can be done in one day, with young kids. Shows will be your best bet. Epcot has way to much to skip for 1 extra day at HS.

:wave:

I disagree, with the lengths of the shows at DHS and counting waiting time, you're looking at a 45 minute commitment for many of those shows (Mermaid less, but Playhouse Disney, AI, BatB about that)...with LMA and Indy, and Backlot needing closer to an hour. Also add in atleast an hour of wait time for Fantasmic and you have about 6-7 hours devoted to just shows. Especially when the main players here are her 2 children who want to do all of those shows.

Much more to do at DHS than at Epcot for your kids. IMO, losing Epcot day altogether is not going to be a blip in their recollections. Nemo is just okay, not outstanding. Turtle Talk is the same. Soarin' may be great for adults, but I think the kids see it as a non-3d movie.

Shows (Ariel, BatB,Fantasmic,Indiana,Lights), rides (TT,RnRC,TSM,GMR) and extras (HISTA playground) are more tuned to their ages. Even Sci-Fi and parade may entertain them. I'm not sure if Big Blue will be done the conversion to Disney Junior when you go. Anyone else know schedule for that?

Don'y forget the Meet and Greets in the Animation building (these lines are usually a lot shorter than the meet and greets at other parks, and even the drawing class that kids seem to love.

Gracie, I think you're making a wise decision in realizing that you can't do everything during this trip so there is no point in trying to. You made a good point that you can hit Epcot and AK on a return trip and get the most out of the parks you are able to hit. If you are able to, stagger your DHS days and put something in between them (IOA if possible), that way your kids won't feel "bored" that they've already been there and might decide they want to ride a couple things or see some shows again. 2 back to back days at DHS might seem like overkill, but I definitely think the park needs 2 days.

 

[lebeau]

If you really want to see all of the shows, you probably would need to do a day and a half. But some of that stuff id skippable (in my opinion).

We took a 5 year old and a 1 year old to Epcot last year and it was one of our favorite parks. We were surprised how much there was for our kids to do. Epcot has a lot more dark rides whereas DHS only has 2 (and the line for TSM is often daunting).

If your kids prefer shows over rides, maybe you're better off at DHS than Epcot. But I know my kids have limited patience for shows and greatly prefered Epcot. (Although my five-year-old rode the Great Movie Ride often enough to memorize the spiel...)

Also, the playground at DHS is pretty great...

I would almost never recommend DHS over Epcot. There won't be a lot of rides there for your kids. But if they have their hearts set on seeing all of the shows, maybe that's the way to go.

(We could do a half day at DHS, but like I said, we're lucky to get the kids to sit through a single show much less a day of shows.)

 

[lebeau]

Gracie, I think you're making a wise decision in realizing that you can't do everything during this trip so there is no point in trying to. You made a good point that you can hit Epcot and AK on a return trip and get the most out of the parks you are able to hit.

Very true.

Also, if you find that you get through your first day at DHS and don't feel like there's a full day left to do, you can always change your mind and go to Epcot.

No need to commit until after you've experienced a full day and determined whether or not what's left to do merits a second day.

 

[NYwdwfan]

We were thinking the same thing --so many shows! They want to do all the one's you listed Plus, my son can't wait for the Jedi Training and our 3 yr old will love the Playhouse Disney show.

Make sure you get there early to get him signed up - we got to HS around 11 and when my 5 year old saw the show he got so excited to do it but they had already given out all of the time slot passes for the day. We went back 2 days later, got to the park at 8:15 and went to Hollywood and Vine for Breakfast (no ADR necessary - just tell the person at the turnstyle you are going for a walk-up) so we were to the left of the main crowd for rope drop. We ran straight to the Jedi stage (my mom ran to TSM for fastpasses) and got the kids signed up for the first show. MAKE SURE THE KID(S) ARE WITH YOU - THEY WILL NOT SIGN THEM UP WITHOUT SEEING A KID! We could have arrived later and still gotten the kids in, but they assign the kids in 15 kid groups for each show for the day, and if you get there late you could be assigned to a show late in the day which would interfere with your touring plans (or worse, get shut out). It was totally worth it - bring a video camera!

 

[ShadyLady]

Much more to do at DHS than at Epcot for your kids. IMO, losing Epcot day altogether is not going to be a blip in their recollections. Nemo is just okay, not outstanding. Turtle Talk is the same. Soarin' may be great for adults, but I think the kids see it as a non-3d movie.

Shows (Ariel, BatB,Fantasmic,Indiana,Lights), rides (TT,RnRC,TSM,GMR) and extras (HISTA playground) are more tuned to their ages. Even Sci-Fi and parade may entertain them. I'm not sure if Big Blue will be done the conversion to Disney Junior when you go. Anyone else know schedule for that?

Soarin is one of our kids (4 & 8) absoulte favorite rides! Epcot is a no-miss IMO - even if for a half day through lunch and then the other half at HS.

Get to Epcot at park opening - one of you run to Soarin and get a Fast Pass for everyone in your group, while the rest of your party gets in line for the Character Spot. Meet your party back, go through that, and then ride Nemo - walk through and look at the aquarium a bit. Then either ride Soarin if you can or Living with the land. Then over to World Showcase - book an ADR for lunch somewhere. Spend some time in Mexico, ride the ride, and Norway ride. Walk around the other countries for their beauty - eat lunch, then on you way out of the park, ride Spaceship Earth. You can easily do all this and be out of Epcot by 1:00 and have hit the highlights.

Try to do this on a later hour night at HS, then back to HS for more shows rides in the evening.

 

[ShadyLady]

Don'y forget the Meet and Greets in the Animation building (these lines are usually a lot shorter than the meet and greets at other parks, and even the drawing class that kids seem to love.

DO NOT miss this! The Animation Academy is one of our favorite trip events, and you get a wonderful (free) souveneir! We go several times during a trip - anytime we are at HS. The Meet & Greets have some of the shortest lines and characters you cant see anywhere else!

 

[gracie1]

All of you have been so helpful... (made me more confused :shrug:, but helpful!)
We aren't sure yet what we are going to do, still debating it. I do like the idea of seeing what we get done in one day and then if we do and see everything we want to, we can keep Epcot on the schedule. (we have 3 days in-between, so if we do decide on 2 days at HS, they won't be back to back).