Category — i. Itineraries for Walt Disney World

(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Higher Crowd Itinerary, Seven Night Variant.)

MAGIC KINGDOM DAY 3: SATURDAY AGENDA

Today you will complete your visit to the Magic Kingdom, with Adventureland and Frontierland in the morning, a break to nap and pack, and the nighttime shows in the evening. You will also pick up today anything you missed on your earlier visits, or want to see again.

You should have FastPass+ for Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean and a third ride.  The other fixed points in your schedule are dinner at the Crystal Palace and the times of the evening shows.

FIRST THINGS

Be at the park by 45 minutes before opening.

AT THE PARK

• Head to Splash Mountain and ride it
• See Big Thunder Mountain (FP+)
• See the Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• See Pirates of the Caribbean (FP+)
• Take the raft to Tom Sawyer Island
• Head back to your hotel and take an afternoon break
• Be back at the Magic Kingdom by 5.30p
• Have dinner at the Crystal Palace
• Re-check the time of the fireworks tonight, then if you have time re-visit any rides you want to do again
• Find a viewing spot as close to the Castle hub as you can.
• Watch Celebrate the Magic
• After Celebrate the Magic, move back closer to Main Street and see Wishes
• Head back to your hotel

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you finish the Animal Kingdom, and then return home.

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(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Higher Crowd Itinerary, Seven Night Variant.)

ANIMAL KINGDOM DAY 2: SECOND SUNDAY AGENDA

Today you spend the morning completing your visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and then depart for home. You have no scheduled meals.

You should have FastPass+ for Festival of the Lion King, Kali River Rapids, and a third (pick from your favorite from your Wednesday visit).  Your goal today is to see Africa, complete Asia with Kali River Rapids, and if you have time and interest, see Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

Bring spare clothes and shoes to change into, as you will get soaked on Kali!

MORNING

• Check out and note your instructions for Disney’s Magical Express if you are using it.  If you aren’t, for many domestic airlines you’ll be able to check bags and print boarding passes near the front desk.  This is a tip-based service.  You can also store your bags at the bell stand
• Arrive at Animal Kingdom by 45 minutes before open

AT THE PARK

• Enter the park, and go to Africa and ride Kilimanjaro Safaris
• See the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
• Use your FastPass+ for Festival of the Lion King, and anything else you have scheduled
• Revisit favorite rides.
• See Kali River Rapids (FP+)
• Rafiki’s Planet Watch is a minor adventure accessed by the Wildlife Express Train. If interested, and you have time (including the train allow at least 45 minutes), see it
• Sadly return home

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Disney changed its basic Extra Magic Hours pattern a while ago, so I’ve had to re-do my example itineraries to reflect new patterns of the ebb and flow of crowds among the parks.

All the integrated itineraries on this site come with To-Do Lists tied to the basic calendar issues of a Disney World trip: restaurant reservations opening 180 days ahead, and FastPass+ opening 60 days ahead.

So I posted the first draft of my Higher-Crowd Itinerary back in December, more than 180 days before the first period it was aimed at (the busy weeks beginning the Memorial Day weekend in 2016) and this morning (70 days before the first day of this itinerary) I published the daily agendas and FastPass+ that make it work.

The itinerary, its To-Do List, and the daily agendas are in the links:

Saturday  Sunday  Monday   Tuesday   Wednesday  Thursday   Friday   Saturday  Sunday

Summary of this Itinerary      To-Do List

The itinerary follows the basic design principles of this site:

• See all the best of Walt Disney World over a nine day trip.
• Spend the equivalent of 2.5 days at the Magic Kingdom, 1.5 at Epcot, and a day each at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios (people who think either of these last two is a half day park have not written itineraries for them!)
• Have people see Epcot first and the Magic Kingdom last, because MK can set visual expectations that the other parks–especially Epcot–don’t deliver on.
• Divide actual parks visits across every day you are in Orlando.  This costs more for tickets, but yields additional FastPass+ and more breaks, reducing total waits and making the visit more civilized.

Curious?  The full Disney World FastPass+ Higher Crowd Itinerary beings here!

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(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Higher Crowd Itinerary. The itinerary works only for certain weeks. See this to see if it works for your dates.)

If your arrival is May 27 or later the summer of 2017, use this for the first and second Sunday–including the FastPass+ you need to book for then–instead of what’s written here!

ANIMAL KINGDOM DAY 1: FIRST SUNDAY AGENDA

Today you have the morning off and then begin your visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which you will complete next Sunday morning. You have no scheduled meals today.

You should have FastPass+ for Rivers of Light, Expedition Everest, and Dinosaur.

MORNING

• Sleep in and eat breakfast in your room
• Arrive at Animal Kingdom around noon

AT THE PARK

• Today your goal is to see Discovery Island, most of Asia, DinoLand, and Rivers of Light (if it is open by your trip)–you’ll be returning next Sunday morning to see Africa and other areas you missed
• Enter the park, grab a times guide, and compare the times of Flights of Wonder and Finding Nemo: the Musical to your FastPass + schedule, figuring out when to see these
• Head to Discovery Island to see It’s Tough to Be a Bug
• Eat lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue
• Head to DinoLand and use your Dinosaur FastPass+.  The other rides here aren’t worth much of a wait except for Finding Nemo. Ride them if they look like fun and the lines are short
• Fit Finding Nemo in around your FastPass+ for Expedition Everest, seeing also the Maharajah Jungle Trail and the show Flights of Wonder (Nemo is close to Expedition Everest)
• Have dinner at the counter service near Yak and Yeti
• If you have the time and energy, and there’s another show available, see Festival of the Lion King in Africa.  This will simplify your Sunday morning
• See the sunset version of  Kilimanjaro Safaris
• See Rivers of Light
• After dark, perhaps on your way out, see the Tree of Life Awakenings
• Note that you have one available FastPass+ for next Sunday morning.  When you have finished today, re-book a favorite for then

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you begin your visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

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(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Higher Crowd Itinerary. The itinerary works only for certain weeks. See this to see if it works for your dates.)

EPCOT DAY 1: FIRST SATURDAY AGENDA

Check in, get settled if your room is ready, and be at Epcot as soon as you can.

FIRST THINGS

• Arrive at your hotel, following the instructions in your Disney’s Magical Express packet if you are using it to get from Orlando International to your Disney Resort. Check in
• Unless you are arriving late, your room will likely not be ready, but you can leave your bags. First change into clothes more appropriate for the weather–which your To-Do List reminded you to pack in your carry-ons. You can ask to be called or texted later to find out your exact room
• If your room is ready, and if you have time–you want to be at Epcot as soon as you can–get food and supplies (bowls, napkins, scotch) for your breakfast in the morning, which you will be eating out of your room. Also get (from the counter service restaurant)  “Refillable Mugs,” which you will be able to re-use at your resort for free drinks over your entire stay
• Head to Epcot as soon as you can

AT THE PARK

• Your plan today is to see as many of Epcot’s lengthier attractions as you can to free time on your second visit, see parts of World Showcase that are most fun in the evening, see the new ride Frozen Ever After in Norway, and see Epcot’s park-closing spectacular IllumiNations.
• You should have FastPass+ for Spaceship Earth, Frozen Ever After and a third ride, and dinner reservations for either Akershus or San Angel Inn at around 7p. Those arriving late may have to thin the below to just dinner, Frozen Ever After, World Showcase, and Illuminations
• Go through the turnstiles and pick up a park map and “Times Guide”–a schedule. Use your Spaceship Earth FastPass+ and then see Ellen’s Energy Adventure.
• Head to World Showcase, and while keeping an eye out for your dinner reservation at around 7p, see the pavilions starting with Mexico and going clockwise.
  • Each pavilion will have some or all of shopping, special exhibits, a ride, a movie, and other special events—such as acrobats in China.
  • Check your map, times guide, and the pavilion itself, to see what each pavilion has.
  • For scheduled events like the acrobats, etc., sequence what you do when among items that are not scheduled (shops, exhibits, and rides), and bounce back and forth between nearby pavilions, so that you don’t have to wait long for the scheduled item
• Have dinner at whichever you chose to reserve between San Angel Inn inside the Mexico pyramid or the Akershus Royal Banquet  Meal in Norway at 7p
• Continue touring World Showcase clockwise until about 8:30p, using your FastPass+ for Frozen Ever After
• Pick a spot for Illuminations as near its FastPass+ area on the Spacehsip Earth side of the lagoon as you can find
• Watch Illuminations, and if you are parked, taking the monorail, or taking a bus back to your hotel, immediately at its end start walking briskly to the park exit (on the far side of Spaceship Earth) to beat the crowds.
• Return to your hotel

BACK AT THE HOTEL

Buy food, supplies (bowls, spoons, etc.) and refillable mugs for breakfast in your room at your hotel counter service or gift shop, if you did not have time, or a room assignment, earlier.

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

You will spend the first of two days at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. You get to sleep in–you want to arrive by noon. Check with your concierge on transport (likely buses) and what time you should be at the bus stop.

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(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Higher Crowd Itinerary. The itinerary works only for certain weeks. See this to see if it works for your dates.)

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS DAY 1: MONDAY AGENDA

You begin and end today at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with an afternoon break between. You should have FastPass+ for Tower of Terror, the Great Movie Ride, and Indiana Jones.

AT THE PARK

• Arrive by 45 minutes before open, and at open head to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Ride it
• Ride Tower of Terror (FastPass+)
• See Star Wars Launch Bay
• Ride the Great Movie Ride (FP+)
• See the 11a Beauty and the Beast
• See the noon Indiana Jones Stunt Show (FP+)
• Head back to your hotel and take a break
• Return to the park by 5.45p
• Have dinner at 50s Prime Time Cafe
• Depending on the timing of Fantasmic (you want to be in line 45 minutes before it is scheduled) see MuppetVision 4D, Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream, and Disney Jr. Live on Stage (any you miss you can see on Wednesday)
• See Fantasmic or see the Star Wars fireworks

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you begin your visit to the Magic Kingdom.

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