Seven Night Walt Disney World Autumn-Winter-Spring Itinerary v2

4 comments

1 Mike { 08.26.11 at 3:11 pm }

Question on extra magic hours. We have three young kids (5, 2, 1). On a recent trip in March in a peak crowd week, we went to all the parks on days with AM EMHs as we are always up early and our kids tend to fizzle out by 4pmis. It proved to be a mistake and with even heavier crowds to fight on these days. We will be returning in a far less busy weeks in late april and/or early november and i had origionally planed to avoid all parks with EMH except maybe AK AM, but now i’m thinking if its not that busy anyway, maybe we should again take advantage of the AM EMHs. What do you think, still avoid EMH? Thanks.

2 Dave { 08.26.11 at 3:24 pm }

Hi Mike, great question.

I have learned over the years of return visits to avoid am EMHs unless I am thinking of leaving the AM EMH park by noon or so. The crowds by then, compared to non-EMH days, are too much. I then either take the rest of the day off or hop to another park…

If you can’t or wont spend the money on hoppers, then I would for sure avoid am EMHs. During non-busy times the issue is 9as you note) less super-crowding and more one of facing crowds that you would otherwise not have to face.

Does this help?

3 Mary Beth Taylor { 01.29.12 at 5:32 pm }

I have read this site quite a bit and thankful to have found it. My husband and I have not been in 13 years and kids have never been. One almost too young and too short. Currently 47″ and 6 but will be 2 months from 7 by travel dates and hopefully 48″ w shoes and a pony tail. Other will be 10. Bad news-We will arrive 11/21 late night. We expect Th, Fri, Sat, and Sun crowds to be horrific but I am coming for a conference on Th-Sat 8:00-12:15 pm each day, pays for mileage there and back(700 miles) and my food- which I can share, for 4 days. Also gives us Grand Floridian rate of 255$/ night for 11/21, 11/22, 11/23, 11/24. So, we can’t pass it up. My questions are– we should probably keep our focus to a minimum thru Sat. I am thinking we get a 7-8 day park hopper pass (we want to spend last 2-3 days at Universal). That would be worth the 6.88-7.86$ extra a day to maybe go to a park when I get done all 3 days and just browse around, and probably go to La Nouba one night and maybe doing a couple of the character dinners, firework shows, DTD, etc. I also wondered about adding the water park fun for another 6.88-7.86/ day and on the 3 mornings I am in class my hubby could take the girls to the water parks– will only one or both be open? and will they open early enough to make it worth it? We could ax the water fun stuff but I don’t want him taking them to the special stuff w/o me and I can sacrifice water parks.
Next, from 11/25-11/28 will be the 4 days we REALLY do WDW . This is where I get lost…. Do we focus on one park a day or hop since we paid for the passes to hop. We’ll have seen some of the sites already during our first 3 days of browsing so we’ll probably be doing the rides during the better crowds on these 4 days– I am at a complete loss as to what we need to be sure to see at each of the parks during this time an which of the dinners and shows are the best, and how they fit this sched. I do want it to feel like a vacation too.
My last question is after conference over and we have ro start paying our own room 11/25 do we move to a value resort– since we get to experience the deluxe resort early, I am wondering if a Value resort would be more fun for girls. And less expensive. Sometimes they extend conference rates at these meetings for the duration of the stay. I do not know if they will, but even so, this is still considerably more for a room that we will likely only be sleeping in. I also looked on VRBO and found one condo for 100$/ night that has free shuttle to the parks….. Is that really worth the gamble that the shuttle won’t run when you need it to and how many benefits do we lose by not staying at WDW?? (also gotta decide to stay or move again for universal– how far is it?)
I believe we would be crazy not to do a dining plan but do not know which one yet.
I really appreciate what you have done here and if it weren’t for this site, I think we really would have messed this trip up. I am sincerely gracious for all your hard work!!!!!

4 Dave { 01.29.12 at 6:13 pm }

Hi Mary Beth! Could you reconfirm for me your departure date and time? I’m gonna suggest a slighly different approach to the 25th and later, but need your full availability to give you the best advice…

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