The 2012 Walt Disney World Week Picker

44 comments

1 Lori { 02.06.12 at 8:10 am }

I am taking my 2 kids to WDW 2/25-3/2 with 5 or 6 days to visist the 4 parks. Which days should we pick to go to which parks? Should we avoid MK the 29th?
We need to make dining reservations , I am not sure what days to go to MK.
Thanks!

2 Dave { 02.06.12 at 8:57 am }

Hi Lori! Here’s some thoughts on what to avoid by day:

2/25: avoid them all, unless you go for evening fireworks at e.g. Epcot. This is the tail of the President’s Day week corwds
2/26: Avoid HS
2/27: Avoid AK and MK
2/28: Avoid MK
2/29: Avoid MK (as you thought) and HS
3/1: Avoid Epcot
3/2: Avoid Epcot

The best MK day will be 3/1.

3 Maria { 02.07.12 at 8:40 pm }

We are taking our two kids (10 and 11) to WDW from April 16 to April 23 (first visit). We have a 7 day MYW ticket with park hopper and water park. We were thinking of taking advantage of the extra magic hours. In your opinion, which days should we pick to go to which park? Should we really avoid the parks with the extra magic hours?
Thanks for your help!

4 Dave { 02.08.12 at 6:23 am }

Hi Maria! This itinerary fits pretty close: http://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-first-family-trip/basic-itinerary/alternative-itineraries/itineraries-for-the-rest-of-the-year/v2-of-2009-autumn-winter-spring-itinerary/

Hears the deal with EMH: morning EMH gives you a great hour or so, but by 11ish the park is more crowded than it would be on a non-EMH day. You can then hop away too a less busy park…but hopping can take an hour….

Evening EMH has the same impact of crowding a park more than it would be otherise, but more so in the afternoon.

5 Shawn { 02.08.12 at 6:59 am }

Thanks for the insight Dave! I will get back to you in late March/early April to plan our trip for 10/30-11/6…but now I am looking at the new Fantasyland opening….do you have any idea what will be open by the time we get there, and any opinion as to if it would be worth delaying our trip to wait for the remainder to open? Thanks! And LOVE your site!

6 Dave { 02.08.12 at 7:27 am }

Thanks Shawn!

Re the Fanyasyland expansion…Dumbo will be open soon, and the first of the two major new rides will open later in the year–my guess is sometime between October and Thanksgiving, but that’s just a guess.

I don’t think there’s enuf to the expansion to make it merit affecting the timing of your trip. For why, see this: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2011/11/29/preview-ariels-undersea-adventure-at-the-magic-kingdom/

7 Lori { 02.15.12 at 9:48 am }

Thanks for your response about 2/25-3/2 week. AK is our favorite and we thought Sun with the extra hour it is open will give us more time. Do you think it will be more crowded because it is a weekend so the extra hour will not matter?
Lori

8 Dave { 02.15.12 at 10:03 am }

Yes, it will be so much more crowded that it will be open longer…

9 Lori { 02.15.12 at 10:06 am }

so do you think AK will be better on 2/29 for us? than 2/26?

10 Dave { 02.15.12 at 10:15 am }

Yup! AK will be good that week the 28, 29, 1st and 2nd, and best the 29th…

11 Tom { 02.23.12 at 8:53 pm }

Why should we avoid MK on 2/29???

12 Dave { 02.24.12 at 7:09 am }

Hi Tom! The special schedule at MK celebrating Leap Year–being open from 6a 2/29 til 6a 3/1–suggets to me it will be crowded until the 3p parade, and again in the evening, compared to other days that week.

13 Mark { 02.25.12 at 4:32 pm }

Dave, We are visiting week before thankggiving and was considering taking the Keys to the Kingdom tour on the wed befor thanksgiving. I know the MK is very crowded this day should we avoid totally or will the tour be ok. We have to leave that evening and this will be the oly time we can take the tour..Any info very much appreciated.Thanks Mark

14 Dave { 02.25.12 at 6:50 pm }

Hi Mark!

First, just curious–are you dead set on taking the tour, and during this trip?

Or are you thinking that this might be a more effective way to see some MK rides on a very busy day while skipping some lines? Just in case its the latter, see this for more effect at a comparable price: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/02/21/getting-more-fastpasses-faster-at-walt-disney-world/

Second, I have a recollection that these MK tours shut down and get replaced by a holiday tour at some point in the season. I’m not sure if I am recalling this correctly, so you’ll need to call to confirm… http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/tours-and-experiences/keys-to-the-kingdom/

15 Sandi { 03.25.12 at 7:34 pm }

We are planning a family Disney vacation in Orlando in the fall. Is there any downside to waiting until mid October? (Trying to avoid hurricane season!) Thank you!

16 Dave { 03.25.12 at 8:18 pm }

Hi Sandi! Later October is a wonderful time to go, and includes the weeks I rank 4th, 5th and 6th best of the year! See this: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/10/20/2012-weeks-to-visit-walt-disney-world-ranked-in-order/

17 lorraine levitt { 03.26.12 at 7:51 pm }

We are planning our first trip to Disney World May 5 thru May 15. We will be staying near Disney, but not at any of the resorts. We are renting a car at the airport. I have not seen any prices for parking. We are planning on getting a hopper ticket, but I am a bit confused as to the parking. Please help. Do you park at one of the venues and use the tram/shuttle between parks or do you have to move the car from park to park?
Very informative site. Thanks for any help…..

18 Dave { 03.27.12 at 7:26 am }

Hi Lorraine, you can do it either way.

If you drive from park to park, you pay parking ($15) only once per day, keep your receipt, and then show the receipt at the next park and they’ll let you in for free.

If you park at one park and take Disney transport to another…you need to double check Disney park closing hours, as the buses stop running at a certain point.

E.g. if you leave your car at Animal Kingdom on a day it closes at 5p, and then head to MK and stay til 11p, you won’t be able to get back to AK. In this case you either wanna just drive to both parks, or park your car at the park you intend to END your day, and from there take Disney transport to your first park…

19 Shawn { 04.09.12 at 3:17 pm }

Hi Dave! I had posted in February with questions about determining our itinerary for our trip this fall (arrive ~3pm 10/30, depart the morning of 11/6), with our kids (6 & 4) – first time to Disney for us. In talking to WDW, they indicated the Nov hours would not be out until the first week of May, so it looks like I may have to book our restaurant reservations without that information. We are thinking of trying to go to the Halloween party on 10/30 (vs. 10/31) – hopefully there will be enough time to get to MK for that? We would not be using park tickets that day, but purchasing tickets for the party. Do you have any recommendations as to our itinerary, any parks to avoid on certain days? Currently we are not planning on park hoppers, this might be a bit much for our first trip. We would also be looking to space out the evening shows, so as not to do them two days in a row, if possible. Would love any advice or recommendations you have- we can book our dining on 5/3 (we have the plan with one table service, one quick service and one snack per day) and it’s a bit overwhelming to know where we’ll be each day and pick dates/times for meals this far in advance Also, if you have any advice on which would be the best meal for our table service (breakfast/lunch/dinner) that would be great. THANKS much Dave!!

20 Dave { 04.09.12 at 4:33 pm }

Hi Shawn, a couple of things–I can’t advise on the best park sin November without the calendar. However, I should have it by 4/23 so check back with me then. That’ll give you a couple of weeks to finalize your thinking.

For the meals to target, see this: http://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-first-family-trip/where-to-eat/

You can get to MK at 7p for the Halloween Party with a 3p arrival, but it will be close. You’ll be OK if you are late…

21 Shawn { 04.09.12 at 4:53 pm }

Thanks Dave, I’ll check back in a few weeks regarding park hours. Do you have an opinion on whether it would be best to do the Halloween party on the 30th or 31st?

22 Dave { 04.09.12 at 5:18 pm }

Shawn, both nights will sell out and thus be equally busy. Given that, I’d pick the 31st, as being there on actual Halloween will be more fun!

23 Shawn { 04.10.12 at 11:14 am }

Hi Dave- a quick follow up…what are the crowds like on 11/1 (at the Halloween party), I’m wondering if it would make a big difference with the crowds to wait one more day…

24 Dave { 04.10.12 at 4:02 pm }

Shawn, I’m not sure. My guess is that both nights will sell out and thus be equally crowded. If I’m wrong, the first will be better…

25 Shirley { 04.19.12 at 12:57 pm }

Hi! We are going with our grandson, age 7, during Columbus Day Weekend October 5-8. Which on site resorts will offer a discount price? Any special tips for that time? We plan to see MK, AK and Epcot. Thanks

26 Dave { 04.19.12 at 1:06 pm }

Hi Shirley! Disney offers hotels at 4 basic price groups. This page has the groups (value, moderate, etc) in ascending prices, and within each group has the hotels in the order I recommend them.

There are no announced deals beyond this for your weekend. If any come out, you’ll find them here: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/03/29/walt-disney-worlds-latest-spring-and-summer-deal/ However they don’t usually discount Columbus Day weekend, so my guess is there won’t be a deal.

Honestly, there’s not much at Epcot for a seven year old. I’d replace it with another day at MK.

27 Shawn { 04.20.12 at 8:52 am }

Good morning Dave! Happy Friday!!
Disney just published the hours for 1st week in Nov I’m hoping you can provide some guidance on our itinerary, for a 6 yr old boy & 4 yr old girl (who is princess obsessed). We arrive 10/30 @ 3pm, leave 11/6 9am – staying at Art of Animation, no park hoppers, and have the Disney Dining Plan.

We’ve decided to do the Halloween party on 10/31, so will be at Magic Kingdom that day, but not all day as the kids will need to rest to be ready for a late night…maybe try to do Cindy’s for breakfast, some rides early when MK opens, then head back to hotel for lunch/pool time until later in the day…my daughter wants to do BBB, and before the Halloween party might be a good idea? I see they will have Test Track closed all of Nov., not sure how much else there is so we may not venture to Epcot at all. It also looks like they will no longer be doing the Hoop De Doo Revue? We will be aiming to get to the parks when they open to do character meet & greets and rides before the lines get too long.

Thanks much for your help, Dave!! Preparing for selecting our ADRs in <2 weeks and want to make sure we have a good itinerary set!

28 Dave { 04.20.12 at 6:10 pm }

Hi Shawn! Got you on your plans for the 31st. A couple of thoughts beyond that:

1. Do AK the 1st, HS the 2nd, MK the 3rd and take the 4th off. On the 5th return to your favorite.

2. Consider Epcot the evening of the 30th. You are right there’s not much there for kids the ages of yours–mostly, some great stuff in the Living Seas with Nemo pavilion (especially Turtle Talk wit Crush), and the 9p fireworks. The parents will quite enjoy it. Seeing Epcot first means the kids won’t compare it unfavorably to anything else. If you can afford it, book the princess dinner at Akershus.

3. Hoop is not yet officially confirmed by Disney as being closed, but likely will be. A replacement to consider is Whispering Canyon at the Wilderness Lodge–easiest to do on a MK day (e.g. the 3rd) as you can take a boat to and back from MK to WL.

4. Re BBB, I would hold that til the 3rd…you’ll have plenty of other distractions your first day at MK!

Let me know your reactions to this…Dave

29 Tiffany { 04.23.12 at 8:55 am }

I am taking my kids (4 and 7) to WDW May 7-12. We are getting the 4-day park hopper. I have not been to WDW since the mid-1980s, and I want it to be a magical time for the kids. I have no plan yet, but would like to know how to get the best experience possible. I have been to Disneyland and Disney Tokyo, and I know that planning makes for a better trip. Any suggestions?????

30 Dave { 04.23.12 at 10:14 am }

Hi Tiffany! The itineraries on this site are for longer trips and older kids. Take a look at the ones on TouringPlans here: http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/touring-plans

Given the ages of your kids, skip Epcot, plan on two days at Magic Kingdom and one day each at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom…

31 Laci { 04.23.12 at 10:45 am }

Hi, trying to decide the better week to go to WDW….5-21-2012 through 5-26-2012 OR
5-28-2012 through 6-2-2012. We have an RV, ( considering Fort Wildreness), and 3 kids -ages 5-8. Which week do u recommend and is there a certain part of the campground that you recommend to be able to acess park transportation without a lot of trouble? Thank you so much.

32 Dave { 04.23.12 at 11:30 am }

Hi Laci, the earlier week is better, as fewer kids are on summer break and you avoid memorial day.

For the best spots at Fort Wilderness, see this: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/11/02/review-the-campsites-at-disneys-fort-wilderness-resort/

33 Shawn { 04.23.12 at 3:47 pm }

Hi Dave! Thanks much for the help with our itinerary! I’ve spent the weekend reviewing your suggestions and have a couple of questions for you… Going with the plan for 10/31: MK, 11/1: AK, 11/2: HS, 11/3: MK, 11/4: TBD, 11/5: MK….

10/30 – we won’t have park tickets for our arrival day, so cannot head to Epcot. What about if we did Epcot the afternoon of 11/4 (instead of a full day off), did dinner at a restaurant like San Angel or Akershus, and then did Illuminations that night? How crowded will Epcot be 11/4? Are there any restaurants you can view Illuminations from, if you have ADRs there?

We are thinking of doing ADRs for breakfast at Cindy’s (10/31), Chef Mickey’s (or Be Your Guest if it’s open!!) (11/3) and ‘Ohana (11/4) – if we have reservations at 8am will we still have time to get to the parks when they open at 9am, to line up early for rides or character meet & greets?

If we want to make Fantasmic on 11/2, how early do we need to be there? Wondering what time to make dinner reservations for (either Sci Fi or 50s Prime Time).

34 Dave { 04.24.12 at 7:02 am }

Hi Shawn, just checking–not sure what you mean by not having tickets for your arrival day, as your tickets are not dated. Also you don’t need to use your days consecutively, but can use them anytime within 14 days of your use of day 1. Let me know what you are thinking here…

35 Shawn { 04.24.12 at 8:19 am }

Good morning Dave,
You’re right…what I meant to say was that we did not buy 7 days worth of tickets, only 6. We are not planning on going to the parks on our arrival day. I think the kids will be tired by the time we finally check in, and we were going to use that evening to get settled, let them explore the hotel & pool, and be ready for a late night on 10/31.

I’m thinking we have too many breakfasts planned, so may opt out of Ohana. Also, the more I read about Sci Fi & 50s Prime Time, the more I am seeing comments about the food being bad. May be going back to the drawing board there…

36 Dave { 04.24.12 at 12:24 pm }

Shawn a couple of more thoughts…

I still recommend my approach, with Epcot the evening of your first day, and I think it uses only 6 days…but I get you on the first night issue. If you end up needing to add a seventh day to cover the 4th, it’ll only cost about $8.50/person (see http://yourfirstvisit.net/2011/06/12/disney-world-2011-2012-admission-ticket-prices/ )

Second, I’m not keen on any breakfasts other than late (after 10.30) ones…early ones either get you out of bed too early, or interfere with the first hour of touring after opening, which is the most valuable time for avoiding lines…

Finally, there’s no question that Sci Fi in particular but also Prime Time get weak reviews…however, many of these reviews are out of date…that said, they are skippable…

37 Shawn { 04.27.12 at 2:42 pm }

Thanks Dave….really appreciate all your insight, it’s invaluable!! We’re still working through our planning Especially for our arrival day and our potential “day off”. Do you see a first time family with young kids utilizing the park hoppers, or will there be enough to do in each park to keep us busy for a full day? I’m shifting all our table service reservations to the dinner hour.

I did see the Disney announcement that the new Fantasyland attractions including Be Our Guest Restaurant, Storytime with Belle, and the Ariel attraction, will be opening for “the holiday season”…do you know what general time frame Disney deems that to be? Would love to get an ADR and Be Our Guest but am assuming that won’t show up in the reservation system next week. Will I just need to keep trying back in the reservation system over the summer to see if it shows up?

Any word on when the tickets for the Halloween party will be on sale?

38 Dave { 04.28.12 at 7:21 am }

Hi Shawn, no you do not need a hopper. I’m still thinking about what to expect re “holiday season,” and the Fantasyland expansion…my current guess is that it will open no later than Dec 8, and possibly as early as Nov 10…The tickets should be on sale in May or June…

39 Shawn { 04.29.12 at 7:56 am }

Thanks Dave, I will have my eye open for the Halloween tickets. Bummed on this “holiday season” opening … our last day in the parks is Nov 5- can’t believe we would miss the expansion by a week! Well, we will just hope that it opens earlier…

40 Dave { 04.29.12 at 9:45 am }

Hey Shawn, it could open earlier than your visit or later…I’m betting on later though…

41 Jill { 05.08.12 at 1:18 pm }

Hi Dave! We are planning a trip 9/1-9/6/2012, value season! Staying at AKL with free dining plan. What are your recommended park days and dining options? We have a group of eight with five being preschoolers!

42 Dave { 05.08.12 at 1:29 pm }

Hiya Jill! With all those preschoolers, I’d spend 2 or more days at the Magic Kingdom, and one at the Animal Kingdom. Skip Epcot, and Hollywood Studios is iffy.

Re parks, I’ll give you bad parks by day:

9/1 HS
9/2 MK
9/3 HS and AK
9/4 Epcot
9/5 AK
9/6 MK

For dining, see this and its links: http://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-first-family-trip/where-to-eat/

Hope this helps! Dave

43 Samantha { 05.09.12 at 2:52 pm }

We are visiting Disney May 12-19…. we are doing absolutley nothing when we arrive on Saturday…. Do you think the best day to visity MK will be on Thursday the 17th? How do you think the crowd levels will be this trip? Thanks

44 Dave { 05.09.12 at 2:57 pm }

Hi Samantha! Nope, that will be one of the worst days. The best days at MK during your dates will be the 15th and 16th. I have the week overall forecast as a low crowd week–see this: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2011/10/31/may-2012-at-walt-disney-world/

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