Category — i. Itineraries for Walt Disney World

MAGIC KINGDOM DAY 1: TUESDAY AGENDA

Today you have the morning off and then begin your visit to the Magic Kingdom, starting on a regular ticket and then shifting to the specially ticketed Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (“MVMCP”).

Over the course of the afternoon and evening, you’ll complete Tomorrowland, see much of Adventureland and Frontierland, and begin your visit to Fantasyland.

You should have FastPass+ for Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and the Jungle Cruise. You have no scheduled dining, but many fixed events in the late evening as part of MVMCP.

(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Basic December Itinerary. The itinerary works only for the three weeks following Thanksgiving. For itineraries for other dates, see this.)

FIRST THINGS

Arrive at the park by 1p.

AT THE PARK

• See Big Thunder Mountain (FP+)
• See Tom Sawyer Island
• See Splash Mountain (FP+)
• See the Country Bears
• Fit the Swiss Family Treehouse and Enchanted Tiki Room around your FastPass+ for the Jungle Cruise
• Head to Tomorrowland and see the lower-wait rides here–the Carousel of Progress, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Stitch’s Great Escape, and the Tomorrowland PeopleMover
• Have dinner and then get your MVMCP wristbands. Note that at MVMCP, you’ll be skipping the first parade, and watching the second one instead
• See Space Mountain (FP+)
• See Buzz Lightyear
• See Astro Orbiter
• See Tomorrowland Speedway
• See Winnie the Pooh
• See Mickey’s Philharmagic
• See the 9.15p Castle Show
• See the 9.30p Holiday Wishes
• See the 10.05p “Celebrate the Seasons” show
• See the second Christmas Parade at 10.30p
• Return to Adventureland and see Pirates of the Caribbean and Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• You are now done–but if you have the energy and time, waits should be very low now, so re-ride a favorite

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you have the morning off, then complete your visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

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HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS DAY 1: MONDAY AGENDA

You will begin your visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios today, completing it Wednesday afternoon and evening. Two days is way more than enough time, so, thanks to FastPass+, you get to sleep in each day. You have no scheduled meals.

You should have FastPass+ for Toy Story Midway Mania, Star Tours, and the Frozen Sing-Along. The other fixed point in your schedule is the opening of the Osborne Lights at 6p.

(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Basic December Itinerary. The itinerary works only for the three weeks following Thanksgiving. For itineraries for other dates, see this.)

FIRST THINGS

• Arrive at Hollywood Studios by noon

AT THE PARK

• At opening, pick up a guide map and “Times Guide” and head to Great Movie Ride and see it. If lines are too long, get a fourth FastPass+ for it after Star Tours, or see it Wednesday
• Have lunch at Backlot Express
• Review the Times Guide, and pick out times to see Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular and the Lights Motor Action Extreme Stunt Show late in the day
• See Toy Story Midway Mania (FP+)
• Fold in the two stunt shows (Indiana Jones and Lights Motor Action) among Muppet Vision 3D, the Frozen Sing-Along (FP+) and Star Tours (FP+)
• See the 6p opening celebration of the Osborne Lights show in Streets of America

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you will have the morning off, then begin your visit to the Magic Kingdom.

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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. Afterwards, you’ll head to Fort Wilderness for the fun dinner show Hoop-Dee-Doo revue.

You should have FastPass+ for Kali River Rapids, Expedition Everest, and Dinosaur.

(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Basic December Itinerary. The itinerary works only for the three weeks following Thanksgiving. For itineraries for other dates, see this.)

MORNING

• Sleep in and eat breakfast in your room
• Pack some spare clothes–you will get soaked on Kali River Rapids!
• Arrive at Animal Kingdom around noon

AT THE PARK

• Today your goal is to see Discovery Island, Asia, and DinoLand–you’ll be returning Sunday morning to see Africa
• 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 and Kali River Rapids, seeing also during the afternoon the Maharajah Jungle Trail and the show Flights of Wonder (Nemo is close to Expedition Everest)
• Be at the Fort Wilderness (not Wilderness Lodge) bus stop by 4.45p. Take the bus to the entrance to Fort Wilderness
• Take any internal Fort Wilderness bus to Hoop Dee Doo Revue (ask the bus driver where to get off)

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you have the morning off, then begin your visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

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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

(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Basic December Itinerary. The itinerary works only for the three weeks after Thanksgiving. For itineraries for other dates, see this.)

• 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 attractions as you can to free time on your second visit, see the parts of World Showcase that are most fun in the evening, and see the lovely Christmas decorations at the nearby Epcot resorts–while exiting the park before the end of Illuminations, the park-closing show that you will see on Thursday night. You should also have FastPass+ for Soarin’, Spaceship Earth and a third ride of your choice, and dinner reservations for Akershus at around 6.30p. Those arriving late may have to thin the below to just Soarin’, dinner, World Showcase, and the Epcot resorts
• Go through the turnstiles and pick up a park map and “Times Guide”–a schedule. Use your Spaceship Earth FastPass+ and then see Turtle Talk with Crush,  Living with the Land and Soarin (FP+). If lines are too long for Living with the Land, see it Thursday with a fourth FastPass+
• Then sample Innoventions to get a sense of how much time you might want to devote to it Thursday.
• Head to World Showcase, and while keeping an eye out for your dinner reservation at around 6.30p, see the pavilions starting with Mexico and going clockwise.
  • Each pavilion will have some or all of Christmas displays and storytellers as part of Epcot’s Holidays Around the World celebration, 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 Akershus in Norway at 6.30p
• Continue touring World Showcase clockwise until about 8:30p
• Leave Epcot via the International Gateway exit between France and the UK and walk around Crescent Lake, visiting the lobbies and Christmas decorations at the Beach Club, Yacht Club, and BoardWalk Inn
• Be back in Epcot by 9.30p, and instead of staying for Illuminations–which will have started about now, and which you will see on Thursday–return to the exit by Spaceship Earth and head back to your hotel–thus beating the post-Illuminations crowds.

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 lobby concierge on what time you should be at the bus stop.

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: MAY 17 TO MAY 25, 2014

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the image, but organized by park, not by topic.

For more on May 2014 at Walt Disney World, see this.

[Read more →]

I’ve been busy building the daily agendas for all the core itineraires this site offers, revising them for FastPass+.

In doing such for the lower-crowd itinerary, which applies beginning August 16, 2014 (though often with modifications, see this), I realized some minor changes that took even more advantage of FastPass+ flexibility could make it much better.

So I’v re-done it. The new itinerary is here, and the new To-Do List for it is here.

So what’s different?  Specifically, it’s now cheaper and easier. Especially easier.

• With one exception, dining is all the same. Gospel Brunch Sunday morning is now out, so you need to cancel that. But all other scheduled dining remains the same.
• You now have three more mornings off than you had in the old itinerary
• You have to buy one more ticket day–which of course is much cheaper than the Gospel Brunch, so you come out ahead.

Above is the overview of the revised itinerary. And here’s the links:

Any questions or comments? Use the form below.

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