Category — i. Itineraries for Walt Disney World

Disney After Hours is a separately-ticket opportunity to be in the Magic Kingdom with next to no one, and for three hours ride the best rides (not all are open, but most are) with next to no waits.

It’s expensive, but especially for returning visitors who know their way around Magic Kingdom and want to nail a lot of rides, can be well worth it.

I’ve done it twice–extensive reviews are here for my January 2017 Disney After Hours test, and here for my April 2016 Disney After Hours test.

These are the dates of Disney After Hours in early 2018:

• Friday January 19: 8 to 11p
• Friday January 26: 8 to 11p
• Tuesday January 30: 8 to 11p
• Thursday February 8: 8 to 11p
• Thursday February 15: 9p to 12MN
• Thursday March 1: 9p to 12MN
• Thursday March 8: 9p to 12MN

Have you done it? What did you think?

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: SEPTEMBER 16 TO SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on September 2017 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/16-9/24/17

The Magic Kingdom will be open 9a-11p 9a-11p 9/16, 9a-7p 9/17, 9a-10p 9/18, 9a-7p 9/19, 9a-8p 9/20, 9a-9p 9/21, 9a-7p 9/22, 9a-11p 9/23, and 9a-7p 9/24

Epcot will be open from 9a-10p 9/16,  9a-9p 9/17 through 9/21, 9a-10p 9/22 and 9/23, and 9a-9p 9/24

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9p 9/16, and 9a-8.30p 9/17 through 9/24

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-9p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/16-9/24/17

Saturday 9/16 Morning:  Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/17  Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

Monday 9/18 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 9/19 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 9/20 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 9/21 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 9/22 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Saturday 9/23 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/24  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/16-9/24/17

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 2p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/16-9/24/17

Happily Every After at Magic Kingdom: 9p 9/16, 9/18, 9/20, 9/21, and 9/23

IllumiNations at Epcot:  10p 9/16, 9p 9/17 through 9/21, 10p 9/22 and 9/23, and 9p 9/24

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30p 9/16; 8p 9/17 through 9/24

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9p 9/16; 8.30p 9/17 through 9/24

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom 8.45p 9/16; 8.15p 9/17 through 9/24

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/16-9/24/17

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

Update: parks to close early Saturday, remain closed Sunday and Monday

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: SEPTEMBER 9 TO SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on September 2017 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

The Magic Kingdom will be open 9a-11p 9/9, 9a-7p 9/10, 9a-10p 9/11, 9a-7p 9/12, 9a-9p 9/13 and 9/14, 9a-7p 9/15, 9a-11p 9/16, and 9a-7p 9/17

Epcot will be open from 9a-10p 9/9,  9a-9p 9/10 through 9/14, 9a-10p 9/15 and 9/16, and 9a-9p 9/17

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9p 9/9 through 9/16, and 9a-8.30p 9/17

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-9p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

Saturday 9/9 Morning:  Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/10  Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

Monday 9/11 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 9/12 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 9/13 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 9/14 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 9/15 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Saturday 9/16 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/17  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 2p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

Happily Every After at Magic Kingdom: 9p 9/9, 9/11, 9/13, 9/14, and 9/16

IllumiNations at Epcot:  10p 9/9, 9p 9/10 through 9/14, 10p 9/15 and 9/16, and 9p 9/17

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30p 9/9 through 9/16; 8p 9/17

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9p 9/9 through 9/16; 8.30p 9/17

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom 8.45 and 10p 9/9; 8.45p 9/10 through 9/16; 8.15p 9/17

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/9-9/17/17

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: SEPTEMBER 2 TO SEPTEMBER 10, 2017

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on September 2017 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

The Magic Kingdom will be open 9a-11p 9/2 and 9/3, 9a-9p 9/4 through 9/6, 9a-7p 9/7, 9a-9a 9/8, 9a-11p 9/9, and 9a-7p 9/10

Epcot will be open from 9a-10p 9/2,  9a-9p 9/3 through 9/7, 9a-10p 9/8 and 9/9, and 9a-9p 9/10

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-9.30p 9/2 and 9a-9p 9/3 through 9/10

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

Saturday 9/2 Morning:  Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/3  Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

Monday 9/4 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 9/5 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 9/6 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 9/7 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 9/8 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Saturday 9/9 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 9/10  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 2p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

Happily Every After at Magic Kingdom: 9p 9/2 through 9/6 and 9/8 and 9/9

IllumiNations at Epcot:  10p 9/2, 9p 9/3 through 9/7, 10p 9/8 and 9/9, and 9p 9/10

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30p every night

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9p every night

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom 8.45 and 10p 9/2; 8.45p 9/3 through 9/8; 8.45 and 10p 9/9; 8.45p 9/10

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 9/2-9/10/17

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

DISNEY WORLD ITINERARIES FULLY UPDATED

I have not been posting a lot lately, as first Josh and I have been working on the 2018 version of The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit, and second, I’m on a long vacation in the mountains of North Carolina.

Here’s the view from our balcony…

But every morning I’ve started early at the Starbucks in Boone, North Carolina and have been busy working there to update all the itineraries on this site.

For the standard Low and High Crowd itineraries, the updates reflect the changes at Disney World over this summer, and include refinements of my guidance for the new Avatar: World of Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. They also are adapted to the closure of Ellen’s Energy Adventure and the Great Movie Ride, and the shift of the Festival of Fantasy Parade to 2pm.

These standard itineraries and their variants:

• Low Crowd Itinerary
• Low Crowd Itinerary, Seven Night Version, Sunday Arrival
• Low Crowd Itinerary, Seven Night Version, Saturday Arrival
• High Crowd Itinerary
• High Crowd Itinerary, Seven Night Version

My “Basic Itinerary” and its variants are meant for what is in 2017 the four-week period that begins the Saturday after Thanksgiving. They include all changes to Disney World since last December.

• Basic December Itinerary
• Basic December Itinerary, Seven Night Version, Sunday Arrival
• Basic December Itinerary, Seven Night Version, Saturday Arrival
• Basic December Itinerary, Nine Night Version.

Which dates you should use which  itinerary, and any other needed changes, is all laid out here.

Those taking even shorter trips, or with very different arrival days, will be best served by looking at the closest itinerary I have for the essential matters, and then adapting the one and tw0 day touring plans you will find in my book. Ask me for help using the comment form below!

Although I might be busy at the kitchen table, battling with my older son over the fate of the world…

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

Below is a seven-night, Saturday arrival variant of my FastPass+ based Disney World itinerary for lower crowd weeks.

Updated in August 2017, it includes guidance for the new Avatar: World of Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and is adapted to the closure of Ellen’s Energy Adventure and the Great Movie Ride, and the shift of the Festival of Fantasy Parade to 2pm.  On its first Animal Kingdom day, it uses a Rivers of Light Dining Package to save a FastPass+. Note that this package is available sometimes only 3-4 months ahead, rather than the 180 days ahead that most dining is available.

I’m not keen on this itinerary, as it has little rest time. Moreover, to see both evening shows at Hollywood Studios, you need to add an expensive Park Hopper to your tickets.

This itinerary does not work all dates, and some dates that it mostly works it may need some little adjustments. Use the comment form below to check with me on your dates.
As in all images and tables on this site, click it to enlarge it.

The recommended dining reservations and FastPass+ that make it work are in the To-Do List.

Daily agendas are in the links:

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

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!