To-Do List for FastPass+ Lower Crowd Six Night Itinerary

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

Daily instructions are here:

• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday
• Saturday
• Sunday

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 six nights, seven 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).

1. 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.

2. Make as many of the following as you have patience for, in the exact order listed:

• Cinderella’s Royal Table Lunch (dining plan, two credits): Friday at 11a or later if you can; earlier than 11 only if your sole option…
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue (dining plan, two credits) Tuesday 6.15p. The later show keeps you up too late, the ealrier one cuts into your park time
• Crystal Palace (dining plan): Saturday 6p. Can be earlier, but not later
• San Angel Inn or Akershus (dining plan): Monday 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 moments after midnight and set up the following FastPass+

• Monday 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+.
• Tuesday at the Animal Kingdom: Kilimanjaro Safaris for 12.30-1.30p, Festival of the Lion King for 1.30 to 2.30p, and Kali River Rapids for 3.30-4.30p. (At park open, head to Expedition Everest.)
• Wednesday afternoon at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Tier One: Toy Story Midway Mania 2.30-3.30p. Tier Two: Voyage of the Little Mermaid (1.30-2.30) and Frozen Sing-Along (3-4p).
• Thursday at Epcot: Tier One: Soarin 10.30-11.30a. Tier Two: Turtle Talk with Crush 12.30-1.30p and a third ride. (At park open, head for Test Track.)
• Friday at the Magic Kingdom:Enchanted Tales with Belle 10a-11a, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train 12.30-1.30p, and Peter Pan 1.30-2.30p. (At park open, head to Space Mountain.)
• Saturday at the Magic Kingdom: Pirates of the Caribbean 9.30-10.30a, Jungle Cruise 10.30-11.30a, Splash Mountian 11.30-12.30p  (At park open, head for Big Thunder Mountain.)
• Sunday morning at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Tier One: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster 9a-10a. Tier Two: Star Tours (10-11) and Indiana Jones Stunt Show (At park open, head straight to Tower of Terror.)

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 Monday, as you will almost certainly go to Epcot on Monday 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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