Are you one of those people who is absolutely horrified by the price of Disney tickets, and wants to squeeze every bit of fun possible out of every minute? Yes? Me too!
That’s why I set out to do three parks in one day, and I have to say - it was pretty awesome. Here is a rundown of our itinerary for this day with a 4 and 6 year old (***truly targeting this age group because we do a lot of character stuff and no coasters or Star Wars!).
But first, some prep! Things you need to do in preparation:
(1) Stay at a Disney resort the night before and after/ This does not mean you have to stay at a $500 -$700 a night room, but a $200 room at Pop Century will do just fine and is my preference for this itinerary. The skyliner access at Pop is key because we will begin our day at Hollywood Studios.
(2) Buy your 1-day Park Hopper ticket and book your reservation for Hollywood Studios.
(3) Comfy shoes for all - and I mean the kind you can walk ten miles in!
(4) Double Bob stroller. Even though your small kids don’t need a stroller anymore, they will for Disney!
(5) Get a mega power bank for your phone and charge it!
(6) Play around with the Disney App. Get to know the tip board, the map with wait times, character locations, and the mobile food ordering process.
(7) Make these two dining reservations if possible: Hollywood and Vine for Character Breakfast at 10:00; Be Your Guest Dinner at 7:00. These reservations are not necessary, and $$$, but enough Magic that I don’t feel like I’m getting ripped off.
(8) A great mindset. Things may not go as planned, kids may get whiney, but nothing is going to rattle you. You will pivot and it will be awesome!
And here we go! Below is the itinerary I recommend for a maximum, magical Disney Day! This doesn’t mean a “do everything” Disney day, but a really great day, filled to the max day, where you make memories with your young kids and feel like you REALLY got your money’s worth!
Wake up 6:30 am and buy Genie +; Get the kids up!
7:00 am, select your first Lightning Lane. There are a few strategies here and it depends on the crowd level of the day. If you’re going on a holiday or otherwise busy day, I might go for Remi Ratatouille in Epcot as my first Disney Genie LL, and aim for 2/3:00 window. If not a crazy busy day, then aim for Mickey Minnie Railway for a window as early as possible. Shouldn’t be a problem if you’re quick!
At 7:15, walk to the Skyliner. There may be a big line and it may freak you out. Don’t let it. Once the Skyliner starts moving, it will go fast! Pass out meal bars/snacks as necessary! :). Big breakfast later! Your kids will think the Skyliner is their first ride. My kids will tell you it is their favorite! (Figures, it is free!)
Now I am basing this itinerary on a 9:00 am park opening time, that would put early entry at 8:30 am (which you will have because you are a Disney resort guest). But surprise! You can buzz through the actual gates of Hollywood Studios a lot earlier than 8:30! I aim for no later than 8:00, that way you can enjoy Hollywood Boulevard at your leisure (maybe even enjoy a cup of coffee). Though you’re in the park, the rides won’t start until closer to 8:30 am. Walk towards the Toy Story section. Now when the rides officially start for “Early Entry” you are going to be way up front!
Start with Toy Story Mania, then go to the Alien Saucers. After that, consider whether you want to do Toy Story Mania again (it’s so fun!). If you got a LL for Mickey and Minnie’s Railway, do that! If you didn’t, you want to go there any way so long as the line is not more that 30 min. Then go to the Disney Jr. Play and Dance Show. You will love watching your kids dance with Mickey!
Time for Brunch! Remember they give you 15 minutes of grace time. Get ready to keep dancing. Grab some really cute photos with Goofy!
If you got the Mickey and Minnie Railway LL first, then AS SOON AS you buzz in, choose another LL! I would pick Frozen in Epcot/or Remi. You can aim this second one for the 3-4 window (plus or minus 30min): If you picked Remi as your first LL, you’ll be able to pick your next LL at 11:00 (two hours after park opening, so be ready!). Again, I think the aim should be Remi and Frozen LLs for late afternoon in Epcot.
After Brunch, it’s time for shows! Go to Frozen, then walk up to hill to Beauty and the Beast, then if you have someone in your group that likes Cars, walk out of Beauty and the Beast and go across “the street” to that attraction. We never worry about being on the front row - it’s all good, no matter where you sit. If you’re running ahead of schedule, watch the muppets 3D! Remember to pick your next LL two hours after you to picked your last one. Now we are aiming for a 6-7 window in Magic Kingdom. If Peter Pan is available, grab it! If Jungle Cruise is available, Grab it!
By this time, it should be getting close to 1:30 pm and time to Park Hop! Walk toward the exit. At the Exit of Hollywood Studios, walk to the left to the boat dock. Yay again for another “free ride” and one you should be able to simply roll the stroller onto! The boat will take you to the boardwalk entrance to Epcot. Buzz into the park at 2:00 pm, but maybe stop for a Mickey Ice Cream for the trip!
Now your order of operations here may vary depending on the times of your Lightning Lanes, but here is what I would like you to ideally accomplish: the aquarium section with Finding Nemo and Turtle Talk with Crush, Remi, Frozen, the boat ride in Mexico, and SpaceShip Earth. Other than Remi and Frozen, the line for the other rides should be no more than 10-20 minutes. If it’s more, don’t do it. Grab a snack along the way through mobile ordering. Take some fun country pictures, especially in Japan by the Temple (such a cool shot!).
Remember you are now stacking LLs for Magic Kingdom every 2 hours. What you choose is up to you, just remember your dinner reservation will tie you up in the Beast’s castle from 7-8. I recommend Buzz Lightyear as a 8-9 window option! One of my favorite rides. Also it’s a Smallworld is a good one for a LL, too!
At around 5:30 pm or sooner if you’ve knocked out what we wanted to do in Epcot, walk towards the front of the park and catch a monorail to Magic Kingdom. Take a family photo in front of Spaceship Earth on your way out:)
Yay for the Monorail! Another free ride! You will transfer to the Magic Kingdom monorail at the transfer station and your kids will love the train!
Welcome to Magic Kingdom! Take it all in and enjoy your three stacked LLs and dinner reservation! You will be shocked that after dinner and before the fireworks, Fantasyland will be a ghost town! Enjoy the Little Mermaid, Tea Cups and Dumbo!
After Tea Cups and/or Dumbo, walk towards the circle in front of the castle for the fireworks show. I don’t think you have to use precious time to stake out a spot. Just be there when it starts. Yes, it will be crowded, but you’re going to be looking up. No biggie! If you have a little one that doesn’t care for fireworks, perhaps this would be a great time to visit Belle in her cottage.
After the fireworks, there will be a mass exodus from the park. But not you! You will head to Tomorrowland! Do the Speedway, the People Mover and then the Rockets! Keep going if you have it in you! Feed the kids the cotton candy if it keeps them going! If the parks close at a certain time, for example 10:00pm, so long as you are in line for the ride at that time, you will ride it! (Perhaps I’ve made a run for a line or two….)
At Park close, you will have about a half an hour to walk out. I think this is a perfect time for a “we did it!” photo in front of the castle! Our “We did it!” Photo below!
And there you have it! Again, your day may not look exactly like this, but generally, this itinerary will give you the most possible magic in one day in my opinion, with no park FOMO. (I don’t have FOMO with Animal Kingdom.)
Stay hydrated, stay graceful and merciful to yourself and your family, and soak in all that Disney magic! Good luck!!
Commentaires