Three weeks, August/September 2017

[Guest]

OK, I already started a thread in the Trip Planning forum, but realise that is more about logistics, so thought I would post again here. Especially as, based on the feedback there, I have updated our itinerary.

So this post is partly for me to use as a brain dump (as my head is already spinning) but also to get any further advice on what we might want to change

Day 1: Arrive late
Day 2: MK
Day 3: Epcot
Day 4: Water Park (Disney)
Day 5: Hollywood Studios
Day 6: Animal Kingdom
Day 7: Volcano Bay
Day 8: Universal Studios
Day 9: Hollywood Studios
Day 10: Water Park (Disney)
Day 11: Epcot or Animal Kingdom?
Day 12: Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure*
Day 13: Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure*
Day 14: Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure*
Day 15: MK (last day for Disney)
Day 16: Rest day? Possible Gatorland, Air Boat tour
Day 17: Volcano Bay
Day 18: SeaWorld
Day 19: Discovery Cove
Day 20: Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure (last day for Universal)
Day 21: Kennedy Space Center
Day 22: early departure

* we're booking into a Universal hotel for two nights so will visit these two parks these three days.

A few things contribute to the plan...
- 14-day 9-park tickets booked
- twin girls obsessed with Harry Potter (so lots of US/IOA time)
- Discovery Cove already booked (can we change, people have suggested to move earlier)
- start Disney tickets on first full day, then Universal tickets as late as possible

Possible options:
- move the first Volcano bay visit to Day 8 (a Saturday), which would mean US/IOA tickets last until the last full day. Add an extra Disney park on Day 7, and take out the Day 8 US visit (but not sure our girls can last until Day 12 before strolling down Diagon Alley!)
- see if we can move Discovery Cove to Day 2 (is this a good/bad idea), starting the Disney ticket a day later (but this would mean changing the SeaWorld visit). Or move it to Day 8 (presumably it's no busier on the Saturday...or does it cost more?) to keep the SeaWorld visit in the last week.
- ? !?!?

[Goldia]

Wow, this is a big plan, it looks like you will have an amazing time and you are going to need a rest when you get home.

I actually think you are almost there really. You've got your 14 days of wdw at the start and you've overlapped with universal 14 days in the middle. This is all great planning. You are right the water parks are best avoided for weekends as the locals all have annual passes so they tend to be busier, but, from everything we're hearing about Volcano Bay there are no queues as it's all virtual queuing? Who knows what this means in reality, but whatever daye you pick will be busy as it's going to be brand new this summer. Not sure what to recommend here really. But, i would probably swap this to the kast week of the holiday. As 2 days at MK isn't enough for me so I would be tempted to add an MK day. Also you could add in an extra Epcot evening after water park day. This gives bonus fast passes which are really useful given the tier system.

Would you consider swapping the Kennedy trip with universal? I just think this will be a better wow day at the end and although I'm sure you will kiera Kennedy it's not quite the same as univrsal and from the sound of it your twins will enjoy universal more.

Whatever you decide I'm sure you will have a great time!

[Guest]

Fab! Thanks for the advice.

I think you're right - a final Universal "hurrah" would be great. I can live without Kennedy (it's probably only for me anyway).

Also, I like the idea of water park + evening in one of the other parks.

I do think the plan looks perhaps too busy and quite exhausting, but I just want to get a rough outline in mind so we can start putting some detail in. In reality, I am sure some of the days will actually be half days (or early morning + evening) with the rest of the time back at the villa.

[dorsetmutley]

Currently I would say you could do HS in one day. Have a great holiday

[Guest]

Wow - it looks like a very comprehensive plan !

Have you had a go at an actual plan. I find them really helpful to fill out and print and take with me.

Plus it will get populated with park data etc as you go along.

A few nosy questions from me...

What day/date is your first full day in the parks ?

When you say 14 day tickets for all 9 parks what do you mean, do you mean Disney plus Universal (and is that Universal plus Volcano Bay?) Then Seaworld with your Discovery Cove ticket?

Do you have KSC tickets as it stands ?

DC booked day specific? Presumably

two nights in Universal booked already or cancellable if find something cheaper ?

Do you have a car ?

[Guest]

Haha! Yes, it might be a little bit too comprehensive! I just wanted to get something down to make sure I have everything covered. Whether these are full days or half days remains to be seen, but I think we'll pretty much stick with that outline, except it looks like we're going to cut KSC.

So, to answer some of your nosy questions ...

We have bought the 14 day pass for 6 Disney parks and 3 Universal (including Volcano Bay, by the time we get there). And yes, SeaWorld will be courtesy of the DC ticket.

We fly on 12th August, first day in the parks will be the 13th (pretty much the same as you, by the look of it!)

DC we already booked the day, but we might check if it can be changed - but probably will keep it the last week, as we have some other limitations that I didn't mention: we will be meeting up with my brother-in-law's family, who live in Canada, and they will be in Orlando our middle week, including the 2 nights at a Universal hotel (already booked). They will have tickets for the same parks, so we will mostly stick together, which means DC needs to be week 1 or week 3. I am pretty sure we'll want to get stuck into the main parks in week 1, so moving DC and SW to week 1 kind of messes things up!

And yes, we will have a car. Car and Villa already booked.

[bigshaz]

Hello, we're also three weekers this year and just finalising plans now the EMHours have been released. One tip I picked up on somewhere on the threads is to put my Discovery Cove day early on in the holiday: if the weather is too bad they give you a day later in your holiday to return. I've stuck it in week one just to be safe
I'll post ours later, happy planning

[magickate]

Not sure if you can move DC, you'd need to contact whoever you bought tickets from but if you moved it to near the start then it'd be more expensive.

[Guest]

SO, here we go... *NEW and IMPROVED* ...our ninth version, and hopefully final plan:

Day 1: Arrive late
Day 2: easy morning, shop, swim; afternoon: AK
Day 3: all day: MK (character breakfast at Ohana)
Day 4: all day: Disney Waterpark
Day 5: all day: HS (character breakfast at 1900 Park fare)
Day 6: all day: Epcot (character breakfast at Garden Grill)
Day 7: all day: IoA/US (lunch at Leaky Cauldron)
Day 8: all day: Volcano Bay
Day 9: all day: AK (lunch at Tusker)
Day 10: free day (rest / Epcot / HS for short visit if we feel like it)
Day 11: all day: MK
Day 12: all day: Disney Waterpark
Day 13: Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure*
Day 14: Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure*
Day 15: Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure*
Day 16: free day (rest / Gatorland / Air Boat tour)
Day 17: Volcano Bay
Day 18: SeaWorld
Day 19: Discovery Cove
Day 20: IoA/US (last day for Universal)
Day 21: Aquatica
Day 22: early departure

So we took out Kennedy Space Centre but it might be an option for Day 16 or Day 20 (depends if we want to go back to US after three days there), and we decided to keep DC where it is and hope for no cancellation (moving it earlier was quite expensive).

All new comments welcome... !

[Guest]

Looking good. A few observations from me ...

Day 2. You will be up at the crack of sparrows. I would get up and go to AK as early as you can, do as many rides as you can before the crowds hit. The head back to your hotel / villa for the later afternoon and do your pool stuff slob then.

Dont forget the time clock difference.
7am Orlando time is noon our time.
Your bodies wont be used to the difference so you will be up early.
Going rather than leaving the park at 2pm is the equivalent of going / leaving at 7pm
A few hours in the pool and your body will think it is midnight.

Day 4 (on your plan) is when it often hits for us. So a waterpark is a good option then.

Day 5. HS - I would go all day for this one. Start very early and get in the key rides, do shows in the middle and make a decision on Fantasmic on how tired you feel. You can either go back to your villa for a nap/pool or go right the way through. If we were going to go all the way through I would personally arrange for a sit down ADR at lunchtime (earliest slot poss) rather than breakfast. That way you can do rides etc at the quietest time.

Plus 1900 Park Fayre is by MK rather than HS, so by the time you get there much of the key riding time with lower queues will be gone. (Unless you get very lucky with your fastpasses). How about SciFi diner or a Fantasmic meal deal (so you can go home and just bob back in).

MK and Epcot

I would also make your first two trips to MK and EP mornings / rides etc.
(Day 3/6). For MK that is because you will still be on UK time. For Epcot, focus on Future World. There is plenty there to be getting on with.

For your second trips to those parks suggest you aim for an afternoon start going through to the fireworks so that you don't miss them at either park. MK its filling in the stuff you didn't do and EP it could be fave futureworld rides (FP them) but then the bulk of the time in worldshowcase.

For MK you have a quiet waterpark day after the second MK day.
For Epcot you have MK. But if you are starting later - that should work out fine.

You will then have two late nights / fireworks one after the other though. If Green / red parks allow you could swap one of them with your second AK day? so not two fireworks nights on the bounce.

Try and plan something fun / special for the last night. so that you can have a late night before your journey back - it will help with the timezone jet lag on way back. An evening minigolf championship?

I didn't look at all the busy day guide info, but this is my gut feeling based on what you have here.

The best thing about this forum is that there is loads of advice - and from lots of different perspectives so others may have differing suggestions. The best thing about advice is that you don't have to take it !

The bottom line is whatever you choose to do, you will have a fab time.

PS. don't forget the allure of the shops. You will no doubt end up in outlet malls and goodness knows what on more than one occasion. We tell my DDs exactly which day it will be so we don't get pestered all the way through the holiday. Plus they can do a bit of planning.

Don't forget to rest too. It is a holiday afterall - and you are cramming a lot in !