To-Do List for the Disney World FastPass+ High Crowd Itinerary

This To-Do List is for the FastPass+ High Crowd Itinerary.  For To-Do-Lists for other itineraries, see this.

Daily instructions are here:

A. MORE THAN 180 DAYS BEFORE YOUR PLANNED ARRIVAL DATE

(Note that a good travel agent, such as Destinations in Florida, can do almost all of this for you, for free. If you use Destinations in Florida as you travel agent through a link for this site–like this one–then they share a bit of the pixie dust they get from Disney with me.)

1. Confirm your budget, planned dates, intended hotel, kids’ development and heights, and your transportation choice and its availability for your planned dates.

2. Make your plane reservations, if flying. Make any other needed transportation arrangements.

3. Create your My Disney Experience account here and add your family members to it

4. Set up your hotel and tickets. Call 407-939-7675 (preferred, because this allows you to tell the reservationist which building at your resort you wish to be in), or click here to use Disney’s online system.  (Note: if your dates are later than what the online system permits, see this.)

• If you are following my itinerary, you want the hotel you’ve picked for 8 nights, nine day, no hopper, no “water parks and more” tickets, the Dining Plan, and Disney’s Magical Express
• Itineraries other than mine will have different requirements here

B. 181 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

1. Decide whether on your first night you’ll be dining at Akershus or the San Angel Inn. Akershus is a princess meal–you’ll have another princess meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table on Wednesday.  If you really like princesses, do Akershus; otherwise, San Angel Inn is the better choice.

2. Login to your MyDisneyExperience.com account, click the “Things to Do” tab at top right, under Dining hit “Make Reservations,” and practice trying to reserve restaurants (hint: use the search box at the upper right).

This may well drive you crazy, but the site works better than it used to…and is likely the only way you can get your Cindy reservations done! (as the site opens up a new reservable day at 6a, whereas the phone reservation line opens at 7a).

3. Collect your planned restaurant reservations together. You will want to do them online in order of hardest to reserve first. This is how they are listed below.

C. EXACTLY 6am EST, EXACTLY 180 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

(For an 180 day calendar, see this). Be on the restaurant website by at least 5:50am EST, and have your Cindy reservation all set up on the page.

Keep refreshing, as you will be let in as soon as Disney’s system decides it is 6a.

Make as many of the following as you have patience for (try to get through at least Akershus), in the exact order listed:

• Cinderella’s Royal Table Lunch (dining plan, two credits): Wednesday at 11a or later if you can; earlier than 11 only if your sole option…
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue (dining plan, two credits): Wednesday 6.15p show. The later time will keep you up later than you need to be, OK if all you can get. Avoid the earlier time–it’ll cut into your park time too much
• Chef Mickey’s (dining plan, one credit) Friday 11a.  Later is OK, but not a whole lot earlier–no earlier than 10.30a
• Crystal Palace (dining plan): Second Saturday 7p if you can; earlier OK, but not later
• Akershus Banquet or San Angel Inn (dining plan): First Saturday 7p.  No later, but earlier is OK.
• 50’s Prime Time Café (dining plan): Tuesday 7p. Can be earlier but not later.

For those you don’t make online, make them by calling call (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463)

D. 60 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

1. Go to your MyDisneyExperience account as early as a minute after midnight and set up the following FastPass+

• First Saturday afternoon and evening at Epcot: Tier One: Illuminations. Tier Two: Spaceship Earth and Mission Space. Note that the Illuminations FastPass+ may not be available until closer to your arrival date—if not available, make Test Track your Tier One instead, and try to change it to Illuminations later. Set the Tier Two times for when your travel plans permit you to be in the park. If one is impossible to set at a good time because of your travel schedule, leave it as is—Disney requires you to book three FastPass+.
• First Sunday at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Tier One: Toy Story Midway Mania. Tier Two: Tower of Terror and the Frozen Sing-Along. Set Tower of Terror to begin between 9.30a to 10a, Toy Story Midway Mania for early afternoon, and the Frozen Sing-Along for later in the afternoon. (At park open, head straight to Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster.)
• Monday at Epcot: Tier One: Soarin. Tier Two: Turtle Talk with Crush and a third of your choice. Set the first two for for late mornings/early afternoon, and the third for right after. (At park open, head for Test Track.)
• Tuesday afternoon at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Tier One: Fantasmic. Tier Two: Star Tours and Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Set all for the late afternoon/early evening.
• Wednesday at the Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Winnie the Pooh, Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid. Set for late morning/early afternoon, with last window ending by 3p. (At park open, head for Peter Pan.)
• Thursday afternoon at the Animal Kingdom: Kali River Rapids, Expedition Everest and Dinosaur. Set all for late afternoon, with Kali River Rapids last.
• Friday at the Magic Kingdom: Enchanted Tales with Belle, Buzz Lightyear, and the Haunted Mansion. Set Buzz for around 10a, Belle for around noon, and the Haunted Mansion right after that. (At park open, head for Space Mountain.)
• Second Saturday morning at the Magic Kingdom: Splash Mountain, Main Street Electrical Parade (MSEP), and Jungle Cruise. Target Splash Mountain for late morning and Jungle Cruise for right before. Note that MSEP may not be available until close to your trip. If so, book Pirates of the Caribbean now, and change to MSEP if/when it becomes available. (At park open, head to Big Thunder Mountain.)
• Second Sunday morning at the Animal Kingdom: Kilimanjaro Safaris, Festival of the Lion King (if open by your dates) and a third ride of your choice. Target all to end by when you need to leave the park for your return home. (At park open, head to Expedition Everest if you want to re-ride it; otherwise do Kilimanjaro at open, and change its FP+ to something else you want to see again from Thursday.)

2. Do online check in, requesting as you do special location points

3. Customize your MagicBands

E. NOTES ON PACKING ETC. BEFORE YOU LEAVE

1. Bring your MagicBands in your carry-ons

2. If you use Disney’s Magical Express, you do not need to collect your bags at the Orlando airport unless you arrive late in the evening/at night or are an international traveler. Disney will get them for you and, eventually, deliver them directly to your room. Your bags may arrive hours after you do; so, depending on the weather forecasts, have a carry-on with an appropriate change of clothes for Orlando weather on Saturday, as you will almost certainly go to Epcot on Saturday before your checked bags arrive.

3. Follow the instructions in the Magical Express packet you will receive in the mail regarding both tagging your bags pre-departure, and where to go at the Orlando airport to find your transport to your resort.

4. Bring a copy of your room reservation, confirmation numbers and any tickets for special events you may have received in the mail.

5. Pack breakfast utensils, as they are not always available in the gift shop: bowls, spoons, napkins

6. When you arrive at the hotel, look for the special “On-line Check-in” line, and get into it.

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