WDW Logistics help...

[Jigs]

Hoping for some help from the WDW pros out there......
We've been voraciously reading every trip report, tip and morsel of planning advice on this board (and others) since August. We bought "The Unofficial Guide" and read it cover to cover.
All that and we can't figure this one out on our own.

We have a ps a Cindy's castle for 10am and we want to utilize early magic hour at MGM on the same day.
We are staying the GF.
What is the quickest way to get from the GF to MGM?
How many rides can we take in? We are hoping for the RnR roller coaster and ToT.
How long does a breakfast at Cindy's usually last?
What is the quickest way to get from MGM to MK?
Is a taxi an option?
We've only got 4 days and our Cindy's breakfast day is our eldest dd's 10th birthday. A big one, so we want to make sure that we can fit in the things that she is most excited about without cutting it too close to the wire.

Thanks for your help!
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[DisneyRoxMySox]

Hoping for some help from the WDW pros out there......
We've been voraciously reading every trip report, tip and morsel of planning advice on this board (and others) since August. We bought "The Unofficial Guide" and read it cover to cover.
All that and we can't figure this one out on our own.

We have a ps a Cindy's castle for 10am and we want to utilize early magic hour at MGM on the same day.
We are staying the GF. -->

It's going to be hard, but you ,ight be able to do it.

What is the quickest way to get from the GF to MGM?-->

The fastest way it bus. Be sure to catch the first bus out, usually 7:30 to 7:45. Be at the bus stop by 7:30.

How many rides can we take in? We are hoping for the RnR roller coaster and ToT.-->

You can ride both of them once. Maybe one of them twice, but depending on crowds, I can't tell you. You also want to allow 45 minutes travel time. I know it's a lot, but trust me.

How long does a breakfast at Cindy's usually last?-->

This I don't know the answer to. But do a search, there was recently a thread about extended hours.

What is the quickest way to get from MGM to MK?-->

If there is a bus to the TTA take that, you have three options from there. Monorail, ferry or bus. I would take the monorail, it's fun.

Or just take a bus back to GF. The take the monorail.

Is a taxi an option?-->

There might be. But why pay for travel when there is complimentary travel.

We've only got 4 days and our Cindy's breakfast day is our eldest dd's 10th birthday. A big one, so we want to make sure that we can fit in the things that she is most excited about without cutting it too close to the wire.

Thanks for your help!
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[DisneyRoxMySox]

Hoping for some help from the WDW pros out there......
We've been voraciously reading every trip report, tip and morsel of planning advice on this board (and others) since August. We bought "The Unofficial Guide" and read it cover to cover.
All that and we can't figure this one out on our own.

We have a ps a Cindy's castle for 10am and we want to utilize early magic hour at MGM on the same day.
We are staying the GF. -->

It's going to be hard, but you ,might be able to do it.

What is the quickest way to get from the GF to MGM?-->

The fastest way is bus. Be sure to catch the first bus out, usually 7:30 to 7:45. Be at the bus stop by 7:30.

How many rides can we take in? We are hoping for the RnR roller coaster and ToT.-->

You can ride both of them once. Maybe one of them twice, but depending on crowds, I can't tell you. You also want to allow 45 minutes travel time. I know it's a lot, but trust me.

How long does a breakfast at Cindy's usually last?-->

This I don't know the answer to. But do a search, there was recently a thread about extended hours.

What is the quickest way to get from MGM to MK?-->

If there is a bus to the TTA take that, you have three options from there. Monorail, ferry or bus. I would take the monorail, it's fun.

Or just take a bus back to GF. Then take the monorail.

Is a taxi an option?-->

There might be. But why pay for travel when there is complimentary travel.

We've only got 4 days and our Cindy's breakfast day is our eldest dd's 10th birthday. A big one, so we want to make sure that we can fit in the things that she is most excited about without cutting it too close to the wire.

Thanks for your help!
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[DisneyRoxMySox]

Sorry for posting twice, oops! Hope I could help!! Always willing! Have fun!! Make sure you stop by City Hall at MK first, tell them it's your daughters birthday. She will receive a button. They might treat her extra-special at breakfast.

 

[Disneydreaming]

If you have a car, it would be the most time saving way to do it.

 

[Laura]

It seems like it would be more hassle than its worth to try and do MGM in the morning and then go to breakfast.

I have trouble spending an entire day at MGM. Usually after 6 hours (even when the park is crowded) I've done every attraction 1-2 times and I just leave or hop to a different park. So I bet if you waited till after breakfast to go to MGM you'd still have plenty of time to see everything there is to see.

I mean it just wouldn't be FUN to have to rush around like crazy in the morning, and you wouldn't be able to enjoy ToT and RnR if you are worried that you'll be late for breakfast. Plus there are no guarantees that a bus will show up in time to transport you to the Magic Kingdom, so you might not want to risk it unless you have a car. That's just my opinion though.

 

[KaliSplash]

This is right on the edge of doable. But I think it can be done.
You will need to ARRIVE at MGM before 8 a.m. I'd suggest as early as 7:30 to make sure you get in fast. Race to RnRC, then head to TOT.
You probably want to leave MGM by 9 or 9:15 at latest. Disney transportation should be able to get you to GF or TTC in time to make it over to breakfast.
And you really do want to ride these two before breakfast!
Good luck.

 

[wannabeBelle]

I Am with Laura on this one. I wouldnt rush to get to MGM and do those rides and then run to get back in time for breakfast. It sounds like a lot of running around. I would definitely go after breakfast and use the travel time to MGM to digest your food ( Cinderella's is an all you care to eat place with some rather great breakfast foods espcially the french toast fritter!!) as others have said It really is right on the edge of do able but you would have to get there forexactly 8 am and be leaving the park by no later than 9 to comfortably make your PS. What were you thinking about doing after breakfast anyhow? Belle

 

[Jigs]

Thanks for all of your replies.

We were last at WDW in 1990, before we had children and before half of the existing park was built. We honestly didn't know how long it would take to get from MGM to MK. Now, thanks to your replies, I can see that it really would be silly to try to hit the EMH.
The ps for Cindy's breakfast was so hard to get, there is no way that we want to risk missing it.
Because we will be there during value season and fireworks and parades are on limited schedules, our planning has to be very precise if we are going to see everything that we had hoped to.
Wishes will only be showing on 1 of our nights. Same with Spectromagic.
It looks like we will have to devote 2 full days to MK if we don't want to be running ourselves ragged.

That only leaves 2 days for the 3 other parks.

So, which park would you choose if you had to skip one?

I'm leaning toward AK but I'd really appreciate any opinions or advice that will help us to make this decision.

 

[PrinceDon]

Don't skip a park...park hop

Even with only 2 days left for MGM, AK & EPCOT, I wouldn't skip a park. Park Hop. Spend both mornings, until about 12:00 - 1:00 in AK. One day hop to MGM, be sure to see Fantasmic! Other day, go to EPCOT, don't miss Illuminations. You wont see everything, but you will get a flavor of all of the parks. This will get you about 7 hours in AK, 6 or 7 in MGM and 8 or 9 in EPCOT.
If you can arrange to use an early morning in AK, then it is a bonus.

Have a great time

 

[wannabeBelle]

Even with only 2 days left for MGM, AK & EPCOT, I wouldn't skip a park. Park Hop. Spend both mornings, until about 12:00 - 1:00 in AK. One day hop to MGM, be sure to see Fantasmic! Other day, go to EPCOT, don't miss Illuminations. You wont see everything, but you will get a flavor of all of the parks. This will get you about 7 hours in AK, 6 or 7 in MGM and 8 or 9 in EPCOT.
If you can arrange to use an early morning in AK, then it is a bonus.

Have a great time

I couldnt agree more!!! Sounds like the perfect plan!!! Also you may want to consider 1 1/2 days in Magic Kingdom and do the other 1/2 day in AK!!!! Belle

 

[Kaity'sDad]

Be sure you pick up one of the birthday pins on your way in. Also, be sure you let the person taking your name at arrival for breakfast know it is your daughter's birthday. My wife and I took our daughter for her fifth birthday last September (we managed to miss the hurricanes) and it was great. If you let them know it is her birthday, she will get a special surprise. She will be given a certificate for celebrating her birthday with the princesses, with her name, date etc. on it. Then when the princesses come around, each will sign it and wish er a happy birthday. My daughter's hangs in her princess room now!

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Good catch Kaity's Dad. Actually, you should go to Guest Services at each park during your "birthday trip" and get one for each.

As always Belle is right on. I wouldn't even try to do something before your Castle meal (unless MKT is driving you...but then you may not feel like eating) Generally, I hear you saying two conflicting things in your discussion on this thread, 1) you want to see everything possible, and 2) you don't want to kill yourself and your family over the four days.

I may have missed it, but did you say when you were going and how big your travel group is? By mentioning limited operating times, I am guessing this month or next. If that is the case, you should have not problem seeing a lot of what you want. You can use your extra magic hour to get a good jump on things, but focus on three or four "must do's" for each park, and after that, relax and take the parks in. You WILL NOT be able to see everything, so get a good taste, and plan for future trips. There is just too much to do in 4-5 days, even if you know what you're doing.

Generally in MK, Splash gets more crowded than TM, so FP one and ride the other while waiting. In Tomorrowland, FP Stitch and do Space Mountain. Possibly FP Philharmagic and enjoy some other sites.

In Epcot, plan on FP for TT and possibly the Land, MS and others you can probably walk on.

As in your original scenario in MGM, go right to RnRC, FP Tower, if not crowded, you can do them multiple times first thing. Do GMR and Star Tours, Muppets and Indy if you have time left.

For AK, must do the Safari and Lion King, Tough to be a Bug is a little scary for the younger ones and Dinosaur is great, but very scary for some.

If you do go back to MK from one of the other parks, look for a Poly, GF, Contemporary or MK bus. Take the first one. Walk from Contemporary, monorail from the others. This flexability will shorten your wait.

You are correct in not wanting to miss Wishes and Spectromagic. Illuminations at Epcot should be seen. Fantasmic at MGM takes a bit more time and unless you have a dinner package, maybe save it for another trip.

And while it may sound contrary to "seeing it all", with younger children, it would be good to head back to the hotel midday for a pool break or a power nap. It makes the evenings and early wakeup that much more manageable. If you have kids under 6, consider park strollers (transferrable on same day between parks). You will be covering a lot of ground, and little legs wear out fairly quickly, causing your back to do the same before long. Possibly plan some other dinners and PS so that will have a minimum impact on your visit (and also assure you of the ones you want) if that is part of your experience.

Good luck. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Good catch Kaity's Dad. Actually, you should go to Guest Services at each park during your "birthday trip" and get one for each.

As always Belle is right on. I wouldn't even try to do something before your Castle meal (unless MKT is driving you...but then you may not feel like eating) Generally, I hear you saying two conflicting things in your discussion on this thread, 1) you want to see everything possible, and 2) you don't want to kill yourself and your family over the four days.

I may have missed it, but did you say when you were going and how big your travel group is? By mentioning limited operating times, I am guessing this month or next. If that is the case, you should have not problem seeing a lot of what you want. You can use your extra magic hour to get a good jump on things, but focus on three or four "must do's" for each park, and after that, relax and take the parks in. You WILL NOT be able to see everything, so get a good taste, and plan for future trips. There is just too much to do in 4-5 days, even if you know what you're doing.

Generally in MK, Splash gets more crowded than TM, so FP one and ride the other while waiting. In Tomorrowland, FP Stitch and do Space Mountain. Possibly FP Philharmagic and enjoy some other sites.

In Epcot, plan on FP for TT and possibly the Land, MS and others you can probably walk on.

As in your original scenario in MGM, go right to RnRC, FP Tower, if not crowded, you can do them multiple times first thing. Do GMR and Star Tours, Muppets and Indy if you have time left.

For AK, must do the Safari and Lion King, Tough to be a Bug is a little scary for the younger ones and Dinosaur is great, but very scary for some.

If you do go back to MK from one of the other parks, look for a Poly, GF, Contemporary or MK bus. Take the first one. Walk from Contemporary, monorail from the others. This flexability will shorten your wait.

You are correct in not wanting to miss Wishes and Spectromagic. Illuminations at Epcot should be seen. Fantasmic at MGM takes a bit more time and unless you have a dinner package, maybe save it for another trip.

And while it may sound contrary to "seeing it all", with younger children, it would be good to head back to the hotel midday for a pool break or a power nap. It makes the evenings and early wakeup that much more manageable. If you have kids under 6, consider park strollers (transferrable on same day between parks). You will be covering a lot of ground, and little legs wear out fairly quickly, causing your back to do the same before long. Possibly plan some other dinners and PS so that will have a minimum impact on your visit (and also assure you of the ones you want) if that is part of your experience.

Good luck. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

You dont recommend MKT's Limo service?? :lol: :lol: :lol:
Clemson Tigger has a good game plan going here, although I would add Tarzan Rocks for the Animal Kingdom. I love it but I know a lot of people n these boards dont agree so you are going to have to see if this is something your family would enjoy. It is a high powered mix of rock concert, stunt skating and of course Tarzan himself. I couldnt agree more about the strollers, it seriously helped us do a lot more than I thought we would when I went with my niece and two nephews. The 4 and 7 year old got to ride, the adults including the 11 year old walked. It saved the littler legs from being so tired they couldnt enjoy anything!!! Fantasmic I almost never miss but it can be scary for younger children. Hope this helps!! Belle

 

[Jigs]

Wow!

Thanks ClemsonTigger! Really appreciate the detailed suggestions.

I had to laugh when you said this:

I hear you saying two conflicting things in your discussion on this thread, 1) you want to see everything possible, and 2) you don't want to kill yourself and your family over the four days.

Of course we want to see everything possible and not kill ourselves. That's what Disney planning is all about. Not to mention, the reason I hang out on this board every night until way past my bedtime.

Our party will consist of: 2 office working, not in top physical condition, adults.
And our 2 hyper, disney-crazed children: DD who will turn 10 on Feb. 8th, and little DD 4.

We arrive Feb. 6th.and depart on the 11th but the first day is just a travel day and we don't have park tickets. That leaves 4 (ish) days.

I take it that you don't recommend MKT as a viable transport service. We actually haven't settled on who we will use for the trip from the airport. Our DD would love a limo ride and for 4 people the cost seems to be about the same as for any type of transport. Who would you recommend?

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Hi Jigs,
No, the MKT thing was an inside joke. He is a friend on the boards with quite the reputation behind the wheel. He has provided shuttle service to other friends from these boards and some have lived to talk about it.

As far as a real service, I have been very happy using Quicksilver (member of these boards, and has a link on the home page. You can make your reservation on line or by phone. No deposit or credit card number necessary. They will meet you at baggage claim and get you right to your hotel. They will bring the right size vehicle for your group and have a car seat if needed for the 4 year old. Also, for pickup as it will only be your party, you won't have to wait and leave real early as with bulk carriers.

Your Birthday Boy will be able to do most anything he is brave enough to handle, with your group, you can switch off on the more challenging rides. Check also for those that have parent swap. That way the whole group can go through the line and trade non-riders right at boarding. Again, do remember to visit guest services (you can do it as the rest of the group heads toward the first attraction) and get those birthday pins. Also study where the stroller rental is and have one person head there. It is a real good time of year in that you won't have big crowds to deal with. Also avoiding Friday and Saturday, you will work around the largest of the crowds of the week.

You can never tell how the kids will react, though, that is the real wild card. The first time we took ours, they were 6 and 4. Aside from wanting to spend much of the time at the hotel pool, they were attracted to different things than we had "planned for". Also, the 4 year old was deathly afraid of the characters (the whole trip) and didn't like loud noises, particularly Epcot fireworks....so much for best laid plans. The four year old will probably enter the park, have eyes go wide, mouth hang open...and just stay in overload for most of the first day at least.

You have a real advantage in staying at GF. You can easily leave MK (or Epcot) and head back to the hotel for a break. With young kids, that transportation make things a LOT easier.

Let me stop my rambling with one other thought. The rides I mentioned are the "E ticket"/longest line rides (relative to the overall park). They are not necessarily the only ones you should do (I'm sure the kids will have to do Dumbo, Peter Pan, Tea Cups, Pooh and the Carousel. (Oh, if you can, try to check for times for the Sword in the Stone (front of carousel) for your 10 year old...the button might help him get selected.

We look forward to hearing how you make out, have a great time!

 

[Jigs]

Hi Jigs,
No, the MKT thing was an inside joke. He is a friend on the boards with quite the reputation behind the wheel. He has provided shuttle service to other friends from these boards and some have lived to talk about it.

:lol: Of course. I've seen MKT all over these boards. Thanks for the chance to laugh at my self.

Your Birthday Boy will be able to do most anything he is brave enough to handle, with your group, you can switch off on the more challenging rides. Check also for those that have parent swap. That way the whole group can go through the line and trade non-riders right at boarding. Again, do remember to visit guest services (you can do it as the rest of the group heads toward the first attraction) and get those birthday pins. Also study where the stroller rental is and have one person head there. It is a real good time of year in that you won't have big crowds to deal with. Also avoiding Friday and Saturday, you will work around the largest of the crowds of the week.

Thanks for the info. Our 10 year old is a Birthday Girl however. Hence the princess theme on her big day. 2 funny misunderstandings on this 1 little thread.

You can never tell how the kids will react, though, that is the real wild card. The first time we took ours, they were 6 and 4. Aside from wanting to spend much of the time at the hotel pool, they were attracted to different things than we had "planned for". Also, the 4 year old was deathly afraid of the characters (the whole trip) and didn't like loud noises, particularly Epcot fireworks....so much for best laid plans. The four year old will probably enter the park, have eyes go wide, mouth hang open...and just stay in overload for most of the first day at least.

Our 4 year old (also a girl btw) is terrified of Chuck E Cheese so I'm expecting that the face characters are the only ones that she'll get close to. The fireworks should be fine but I think I'll take everyone's advice and skip Fantasmic. I don't think we'll really have time anyway...

You have a real advantage in staying at GF. You can easily leave MK (or Epcot) and head back to the hotel for a break. With young kids, that transportation make things a LOT easier.

This is why we're staying during value season:animwink: . We wanted the location but no way could we afford this resort otherwise. Hope it's not to stuffy for the kids. I've read mixed reviews.
The big down side to the value-season thing (aside from the fireworks and parade schedule being limited) is that Dumbo, IASW, and The Land are all closed for renos when we're there. Oh well. Now that I'm addicted to this board, I know the only thing to do is "save it for another trip" and start planning the next one as soon as we get back.

We look forward to hearing how you make out, have a great time!

Thanks for the well wishes. I promise a trip report once we're back in Canada and have had a chance to catch our breath.

 

[Invero]

You're going to want to arrive at the Magic Kingdom no later than 9:40. This will allow for time to go through bag checks, the turnstiles, and walk back to the castle. Don't forget, this time of the morning will be quite busy, so expect lines at both bag checks and at the turnstiles. At the very least, you'll want to arrive at the podium for your breakfast 5 minutes prior to your seating time to check in.

Coming from the Studios, you'll need to either take the bus to the Transportation & Ticket Center, and then take the Monorail or Ferryboat to the Magic Kingdom, or you can take the bus to the Contemporary, and then walk (10-15mins) to the Magic Kingdom. For either bus, you'll want to be at the Studios bus stop (8 for Contemporary, 11 for TTC) no later than 9:00am.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend this. Too much rushing too early in the morning. Best to relax, take your time, and arrive early without chance.

 

[NeedABreak]

You might be able to get some rides in during that amount of time but don't rush to much. Just enjoy the park, if you over plan and try to do everything you'll just cause tension in the group. Make a plan, try to stick to it, but if all else fails just skip an attraction and head to the PS and Cindy's. It will still be there when you get done and you guys won't be bitting each other's heads off. Missing a ride or two won't ruin the vacation, but a huge arguement can really hurt the trip.

Relax, have fun, you are on vacation after all.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

My apologies on the gender error...luckily none of my thoughts were gender specific (how's that for a dodge).

As Tyler (aka Mr. Transportation) reinforced, it wouldn't be good to do anything before your breakfast, although I think you'd come to that conclusion yourself.

Didn't know Dumbo was taking a rest (no longer frequent that ride), but Aladdin will probably be up (was down in the fall) in Adventurland or there is a Triceratops spin in AK that are basically the same.

One additional thought (just to keep in mind) try to look for animated/talking objects in the parks. In MK, tomorrowland, "Push" makes occasional appearances and there are talking trash cans. (Ask a CM for time/location). These really fascinate the younger kids (of all ages). Similarly at AK, Wes Palm roams near the entrance, usually before the park opens or near close. Look for the palm in a small box (or ask a CM). Also at AK, you may come across DeVine...although she may unnerve the kids. At Rafiki's Planet Watch (don't think you have time to do this) there is Push or one of his relatives.
Also at Epcot, occasionally one of Push's relatives sometimes appears near Innovations East (to Test Track). There are also talking water fountains around the Innovations area...best to ask a CM for directions. These are simple things, but ones that provide a great deal of entertainment to folks.

PS. Another easy one...be sure to ask to ride in the front of the monorail on one of your trips (4 max so you will have to have two ride "coach"). It will be a thrill for the girls (hopefully they will be given pilots licenses) and offers a very different view from any other monorail ride.

Now go pack!