Disney World FastPass+ Lower Crowd Itinerary
By Dave Shute
Note: for arrival dates during lower-crowd weeks after May 27, use this itinerary instead.
Below is my Disney World itinerary for lower crowd weeks.
It does not work all dates, and some dates that it mostly works it may need some little adjustments. Check your week here.
The recommended FastPass+ that make it work are in the To-Do List, so you can book them at the 60 day window for FastPass+ sign-ups. Daily agendas are in the links:
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89 comments
Dave, what are you hearing about the Soarin’ closure? I know they’ve got a new film and they’re also planning to add seats; are both happening simultaneously in the spring?
Scratch that – just saw on the Disney website. Could NOT be more bummed… 🙁
Hi Dave!
We have a trip planned in early May for our family of four. Two questions: we are arriving on Friday evening and leaving on Saturday afternoon. How should we adjust the itinerary to fit our stay? Also, we are early risers – our children are often up by 7, and hitting the parks early would be best for us followed by some down time in the afternoon and then back again to the parks in the evening. What should we do? Thank you for your help!!
Tammy, how old are the kids, and where are you staying (affects your eligibility for some early morning programs)?
Dave,
Our kiddos are very tall 6 and 8 year olds. 🙂 We will be staying in a two bedroom condo at Bonnet Creek and plan on renting a car so we have the most flexibility. Thanks!
OK Tammy, Bonnet Creek is not eligible for morning EMH, so that answers that. In general, arriving early (at least 30 mins before opening) means you can get first thing on one to 4 rides (varies by park) that will later build long waits without using FastPass+. You can then put your FastPass+ into later in the day for when you return. The simplest itinerary adjustment is to do what it shows as first Sat on Friday, do Second Sat on First Sat, and combine the two AK half days into one day on First Sun.
Are you going to be updating your seven night itineraries as well to reflect these new EMH patterns?
Jason, yup within a week or so.
Hi! We are arriving in Disney on Jan 26 (Tue) and staying at Pop Century thru Feb 2 (Tue) with our 6 kids ages -11,9,9,7,6&4. I’m using your itinerary as a base for our plans. Since we arrive on a different day then you lay out should I just make your 1st day our first day? Or since we arrive on a Tue should I skip to the Tue of your plan and start there.? If i do that then day one is MK which you suggest not seeing their night show on the first day. And with such an early plane trip that morning I don’t want to use up one of our MK days on very tired kids! Thanks for your help!
Emily, my itineraries tie to the operating patterns of actual days–“Tuesday” means “Tuesday,” not “Day 4” so they don’t adapt well to different days or lengths.
The best approach is 1. pick park days and 2. then adapt either my daily approaches to the parks or the one and two day park touring plans you can find in my book.
For picking park days,
Jan 26 avoid avoid Epcot
Jan 27 avoid MK
Jan 28 avoid Epcot
Jan 29 avoid MK and HS
Jan 30 avoid AK and MK
Feb 1 avoid AK and MK
Feb 2 avoid Epcot
We are arriving Jan 10 and leaving the 16th. We have tickets for 5 days. How can I make your itinerary work for my family? I have a 5 and 8 year old and we are staying on site.
BBC, my itineraries are integrated and tied to specific days–Monday means Monday, not Day 3–so they don’t adapt well. Moreover they are targeted at kids 8 and up.
You can find one and two day park touring plans, including ones aimed at younger kids, in Chapter 6 of my book.
Those dates,
1/10 avoid HS
1/11 avoid AK and MK
1/12 avoid Epcot
1/13 avoid MK
1/14 avoid AK and Epcot
1/15 avoid HS and MK
1/16 avoid MK and AK
Hi!
We are going to Disney from Jan 11-Jan 16. We have 2 little ones that are almost 3 and 4 years old. Both are 40 inches tall. Can you please help me with how to plan? We are staying on site at the Art of Animation.
Andrea, most of my stuff on this site is for older kids on longer trips, but you can find great stuff for kids that age in my book.
Taking my daughter and 6 year old grandson. Arriving at at noon on Dec. 31, 2015. We are not going to parks on New Year’s Eve. We do have 3:30 pm reservations at T Rex. We have 3 day park hopper tickets for Friday January 1, 2016, Saturday Jan. 2 and Sunday, Jan. 3. We leave on Monday January 4. We are planning on doing Magic Kingdom on Sunday Jan. 3 hoping not so crowded that people heading home after holiday. What are your suggestions? Thank you!
Cindy, Sunday will be the best day at MK your visit. With a six year old, I’d do another MK day (the 1st) and either HS or AK the 2nd.
Dave, and we are staying at the Animal Kingdom lodge.
Cindy Perry
Hi,
We are arriving on a Wednesday (13 april 2016) and departing on a Tuesday (19 April 2016) and have booked to stay in our RV at the Campsites. Can you tell me, do I use your fastpass+ lower crowd itinerary starting from the Wednesday, so starting at Hollywood Studios, – or should our first day, even though its a wednesday, be the Saturday you have planned, starting at Epcot?? We are a family with 4 kids aged 2-8 which I know is not your ideal, but it is what it is and I know we’ll still have heaps of fun!…and we’ll come back when they’re older for the bigger rides 😉
Thanks for your help…and all the work you’ve put into this site – its amazing!!!!
Sorry, I’ve just seen the answer to my questions, in your replies to the questions above – sorry about that.
No worries, Hayley!
We are going to disney world for the first time with our 2 boys for their birthdays, they are going to be 5 and 8. We are staying at the wilderness lodge. We will check in at 10 am on April 2 and leaving April 8 at noon. Do you have recommendations on parks, restaurants, rides, etc. We purchased the dining plan and park hopper. My boys are early risers too 🙂
Hi Jessica, all my itineraries are for kids older than your youngest, and for longer trips. But Chapter 6 of my book has touring plans for each park, and Chapter 7 guides to dining.
4/2 avoid AK and MK
4/3 avoid HS
4/4 avoid AK and MK
4/5 avoid Epcot
4/6 avoid MK
4/7 avoid Epcot
4/8 avoid HS and MK
We are arriving on May 20th and leaving on the 27. We only have a 4 day military pass. Any suggestions on which days to visit the parks? My daughter is 8 and this is our first time. We are also undecided on flying or driving but I would also like to go to Universal Studios.
Hi Sally, for WDW weekdays are best. 5/23 avoid AK, 5/24 avoid Epcot, 5/25 avoid MK, and 5/26 avoid Epcot.
We are arriving at Fort wilderness Sunday Feb 21st. Do you suggest that we stay at camp that afternoon and evening? My grandson is 4. I really need to schedule my week. I’m thinking a 4 day pass with hopper.
Thanks Tammy
Thanks
Tammy, it kinda depends on how many total days you have. With a 4yo, you are looking at half days anyway, and with FastPass+, you can schedule low-wait rides even with a late arrival in the parks!
We are going to disney world for the first in February . We have been to WDW in the past in June, July and August. Wife and I are traveling with our two young children. (8and 4) .We are staying at out time share Saratoga Springs. We will arrive at 6am on February 3 check in and leaving on February 11 at 7pm. Any recommendations!
Tony, not sure what you are asking for!
recommendations for parks on the week that I will be there. Wondering what park to avoid.
Tony, as soon as you have picked your park days, book FastPass+–they are running out!
2/3, avoid MK
2/4 avoid Epcot
2/5 avoid MK and HS
2/6 avoid AK and MK
2/7 avoid HS
2/8 avoid MK and AK
2/9 avoid Epcot
2/10 avoid MK
2/11 avoid Epcot
I’m planning a trip from 3/27/16-4/2/16 and have looked at your schedules but to get in more time at mk and less at some of the others parks what would you recommend for parks to avoid on those days. We will have adults and 2 family’s of kids, no water parks, and we are staying off resort due to our groups size. Thanks
Summer, that’s such a crowded time to go that it doe snot make a huge difference–especially if DIsney has morning extra magic hours for onsite guests every morning, as it commonly does the weeks before and after Easter.
The 27th, avoid HS
The 28th, aovid AK and MK
The 29th, avoid Epcot
The 30th, avoid MK
The 31st, avoid Epcot
April 1 avoid MK and HS
April 2 avoid MK and AK
You’ll note there’s not a lot of MK options…
Hi, I am planning a trip September 15-21, This will be a first visit for 4 and 5 year old grandchildren so trip is centered around them. I have arrival Thursday 15 with dinner at Bomas. The park days are Friday -Animal Kingdom, Saturday -Hollywood Studios, Sunday -Magic Kingdom, Monday-Epcot, Tuesday -Blizzard Beach for a few hours and MNSSHP that night. I am having trouble with my dining plans. I know ROL will be open but not sure on the times. My night plans are either dinner at Tusker House or Rain Forest Cafe prior to ROL on Friday or OHanas. Saturday will be fantasmic show, Sunday either Ohanas or Tusker house with ROL. Monday Askerhaus prior to illuminations. I am just wondering if trying to go to ROL would be expecting too much on a Magic Kingdom day. I am pretty sure we will not stay until close as we are planning RD. So we would go back to the hotel for rest, So was thinking a late dinner at OHanas would be easier than trying to rush to A K for ROL. I did not see any wishes for that time but based on suspected MNSSHP hoping Tuesday we will see Happy Hallowishes. Any thoughts?
Hi Denise, your plans overall sound great. ROL shows are not clear right now–one informed source tells me there will be three per night, but dunno if that’s true, nor what the interval will be between them. My guess is that if there are three it’ll be something like (with the 7.30 sunset in mid-September) 7.45p, 8.30p and 9.15p. All this should become clearer by the end of April…
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