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OVERVIEW
Some families—particularly those coming from the West Coast, and those driving from distant parts of the East Coast or Midwest–will have difficulty arriving at Walt Disney World early Saturday afternoon, and/or departing Sunday afternoon. This could reduce their ability to carry out the itineraries for the Saturday of arrival and the Saturday evening before and the Sunday that they depart.
RESPONDING TO TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES
The best answer is to take a vacation a day or two longer to allow for the full recommended time on site, following the basic itineraries as is. There is no way to enjoy Disney World and also have a relaxing vacation, without some down time, time off, and sleeping in; at the same time, there is a minimum of 6 days worth of park touring to fit into the schedule.
However, if taking extra vacation time to follow the recommended itinerary is impossible, and you can’t wait for another year when it is possible, the following suggestions are my best effort at working around these difficult issues.
ITINERARIES
I have developed alternatives that allow you to skip the first Saturday night in Orlando (losing because of this your much-needed off day on Thursday), the second Saturday night in Orlando (losing, possibly, your morning off that day, and depending on your travel plans, a few hours in the Magic Kingdom, plus your Gospel Brunch Sunday) or both. If your plans allow you to skip only one night, skip the second Saturday night if you can arrange to depart Orlando late Saturday afternoon or evening, as the full off day on Thursday is much more valuable than what you will lose on the second Saturday and second Sunday.
Details–including to do lists–can be found through following the links in
Shorter and Longer Itineraries for the December Week
ITINERARY LINKS
- For itinerary design goals and the basic December Itinerary, see this
- For shorter and longer itineraries targeted at the same December week, see this
- For itineraries covering all the other parts of the year, see this
- To design your own itinerary, see this
- For rides that might be skipped, see this
- For a comprehensive guide to rides and attractions, see this