Category — i. Itineraries for Walt Disney World

(Note: this is from the Disney World Higher Crowd Itinerary.)

EPCOT DAY 2: FRIDAY AGENDA

Today you will complete Epcot, and have the evening off.

For today you should have FastPass+ for Mission: SPACE, Test Track, and Turtle Talk with Crush.

You have no reserved dining today.

FIRST THINGS

Be at the park by 45 minutes before open. 

AT THE PARK: MORNING

• When the park opens, see Soarin’ Around the World
• Ride Mission: SPACE (FP+)
• Head to Test Track. Ride it using FastPass+.
• Head to the other side of Future World and see the attractions in the Imagination Pavilion– Disney-Pixar shorts, and Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• Fit in The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Living with the Land, and Circle of Life around your FastPass+ for Turtle Talk with Crush. If lines are too long for Living with the Land, get a fourth FastPass+ for it later. Note that as you ride each FastPass+ ride you can move the next to an earlier time, if available.
• Have lunch while you are in this area of the park at Sunshine Seasons in the Land Pavilion on the lower level
• Next is the rest of World Showcase, starting in Canada and progressing counter-clockwise. Tour as you did Saturday night, checking out the shows as you wander
• If the kids are bored by World Showcase, check out Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure
• And you are almost done!  Check out Innoventions on your way out of the park

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you complete your visit to the Magic Kingdom.

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(Note: this is from the Disney World Higher Crowd Itinerary.)

MAGIC KINGDOM DAY 3: SECOND 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 and 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. Check for available FastPass+
• Place yourself between Casey’s Corners and the Castle and watch Happily Ever After
• From the same spot, watch Once Upon a Time
• Head back to your hotel

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you finish the Animal Kingdom, and then return home

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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 Avatar: Flight of Passage and Festival of the Lion King,

(Note: this is from the Disney World Higher Crowd Itinerary.)

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

• Arrive 40 minutes before open
• At open, head to and ride Expedition Everest
• Ride DINOSAUR
• Ride Primeval Whirl
• Ride (if desired) Triceratops Spin
• See Maharajah Jungle Trails
• Ride Avatar Flight of Passage (FastPass+)
• See the 11a Festival of the Lion King (FastPass+)
• Fit more exploring of Avatar: World of Pandora and additional FastPass+ for re-rides into whatever time you have still available

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: MAY 13 TO MAY 21, 2017

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

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

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 5/13/-5/21/17

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-11p 5/13, 9a-10p 5/14 through 5/19, 9a-11p 5/20, and 9a-10p 5/21

Epcot will be open from 9a-9p every day

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9.30p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-9.30p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 5/13-5/21/17

Saturday 5/13 Morning:  Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 5/14  Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

Monday 5/15 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 5/16 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 5/17 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 5/18 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 5/19 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Saturday 5/20 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 5/21  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 5/13-5/21/2017

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 3p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 5/13-5/21/17

Happily Every After at Magic Kingdom: 9p every night

IllumiNations at Epcot: 9p every night

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9p every night

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9.30p every night

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom 9.15p every night

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 5/13-5/21/17

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

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This To-Do List is for the 2017 Basic December Itinerary. For To-Do-Lists for other itineraries, see this.

A. MORE THAN 180 DAYS BEFORE YOUR PLANNED ARRIVAL DATE

(Note that a good travel agent, such as Kelly at Destinations in Florida at 980-429-4499 or at Kelly@DestinationsInFlorida.com can do almost all of this for you, for free. If you use Destinations in Florida as your travel agent and tell them you came from this site, then they share a bit of the pixie dust they get from Disney with me.)

1. Confirm your budget, planned dates, intended hotel, kids’ development and heights, and your transportation choice and its availability for your planned dates.

2. Make your plane reservations, if flying. Make any other needed transportation arrangements.

3. Create your My Disney Experience account here and add your family members to it

4. Set up your hotel and tickets. Call 407-939-7675 (preferred, because this allows you to tell the reservationist which building at your resort you wish to be in), or click here to use Disney’s online system.

• If you are following my itinerary, you want the hotel you’ve picked for 8 nights, nine day, no hopper tickets, the Dining Plan, and Disney’s Magical Express
• You also wantto order your MVMCP tickets for your planned date there. These may not be on sale until later May or even later.
• Itineraries other than mine will have different requirements here

B. 181 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

1. Login to your MyDisneyExperience.com account, click the “Things to Do” tab at top right, under Dining hit “Make Reservations,” and practice trying to reserve restaurants (hint: use the search box at the upper right).

This may well drive you crazy, but the site works better than it used to…and is likely the only way you can get your Cindy reservations done! (as the site opens up a new reservable day at 6a, whereas the phone reservation line opens at 7a).

2. Collect your planned restaurant reservations together. You will want to do them online in order of hardest to reserve first. This is how they are listed below. Note that the two dining packages–Rivers of Light and Candlelight Processional–may not go on sale until later in the summer.

C. EXACTLY 6am EST, EXACTLY 180 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

(For an 180 day calendar, see this).

1. Be on the restaurant website by at least 5:50am EST, and have your Cindy reservation all set up on the page. Keep refreshing, as you will be let in as soon as Disney’s system decides it is 6a.

2. Make the following reservations in the exact order listed (the two dinner packages may not yet be open for booking at 180 days):

• Cinderella’s Royal Table Lunch (dining plan, two credits): Thursday at 11a or later if you can; earlier than 11 only if your sole option…
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue (dining plan, two credits): Thursday 6.15p show. The later time will keep you up later than you need to be, OK if all you can get. Avoid the earlier time–it’ll cut into your park time too much
• Crystal Palace (dining plan, one credit) Second Saturday 6p.  Later is OK, but not a whole lot earlier as you have a late lunch this day
• Tusker House as Rivers of Light Dining Package (dining plan, one credit). First Sunday 5.30p. You can schedule for as late as Disney will allow you to do so, but not earlier.
• San Angel Inn as Candlelight Processional Dining Package (dining plan, two credits): Friday 5.45p. Can be earlier but not later.

For any you don’t make online, make them by calling call (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463)

D. 60 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

1. Go to your MyDisneyExperience account at 7am and set up the following hard-to-get FastPass+, booking them in the order noted

• Second Sunday at the Animal Kingdom: Avatar: Flight of Passage for 9.30 to 10.30a
• Wednesday at Hollywood Studios: Slinky Dog Dash for 10-11a
• Second Saturday at the Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for 1-2p
• Monday at Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Mania for  9-10a
• Tuesday at Epcot: Tier One: Frozen Ever After for 12.30-1.30p

2. Second, continue with the rest (I’ve kept the ones above in this list so you can see the various times):

• First Saturday evening at Epcot: Book just one, Test Track, for 6-7p
• First Sunday at the Animal Kingdom: Na’vi River Journey, Finding Nemo: The Musical, and Kali River Rapids. Set Na’vi for 10-11a, Nemo 11.30 to 11.45 for the noon show, and Kali River Rapids at 12:40p
• Monday at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Tier One: Toy Story Midway Mania. Tier Two: Star Tours and Frozen Sing-Along. Set Toy Story Midway Mania for 9a-10a, Star Tours for 11a-noon 3.30p, and the Frozen Sing Along for the 10.30a show.
• Tuesday at Epcot: Frozen Ever After 12.30-1.30p, Mission Space 1.30-2.30p, Spaceship Earth 2.30-3.30p
• Wednesday at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Tier One: Slinky Dog Dash. Tier Two: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Fantasmic. Set Rock ‘n’ Roller for 9-10a, Slinky Dog Dash to 10-11a, and if more than one Fantasmic show is available, pick the earlier one–likely for 8p
• Thursday at Magic Kingdom: Book FastPass+ for Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain. Design the times for them around the time of your reservation for Cinderella’s Royal Table, and don’t set one for 1.30-2.30p, as you will need that time for the afternoon parade. (A FP+ time of 1-2p and/or 2-3p is OK, as you can use them at the beginning of the 1p window or end of the 2p window without interrupting your parade viewing.)
• Friday at Epcot: Soarin’ 11a-noon, Living with the Land noon-1p, Turtle Talk with Crush 2p show
• Second Saturday at Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train 1-2p, Peter Pan’s Flight 2-3p, Haunted Mansion 3-4p
• Second Sunday at the Animal Kingdom: Avatar: Flight of Passage and Festival of the Lion King. Set Flight of Passage for 9.30 to 10.30a, and Festival of the Lion King for 10.30-10.45a for the 11a show.

3. Do online check in, requesting as you do special location points

4. Customize your MagicBands

E. NOTES ON PACKING ETC. BEFORE YOU LEAVE

1. Bring your MagicBands in your carry-ons

2. If you use Disney’s Magical Express, you do not need to collect your bags at the Orlando airport unless you arrive late in the evening/at night or are an international traveler. Disney will get them for you and, eventually, deliver them directly to your room. Your bags may arrive hours after you do; so, depending on the weather forecasts, have a carry-on with an appropriate change of clothes for Orlando weather on Saturday, as you will almost certainly go to Epcot on Saturday before your checked bags arrive.

3. Follow the instructions in the Magical Express packet you will receive in the mail regarding both tagging your bags pre-departure, and where to go at the Orlando airport to find your transport to your resort.

4. Bring a copy of your room reservation, confirmation numbers and any tickets for special events you may have received in the mail.

5. Pack breakfast utensils, as they are not always available in the gift shop: bowls, spoons, napkins

6. When you arrive at the hotel, look for the special “On-line Check-in” line, and get into it.

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Note: this itinerary is a draft for you to use in pre-planning.  It is based on what I believe Disney World’s operating hours and crowding patterns will be, but these won’t be confirmed until week by week they unfold during June 2018.

This draft Walt Disney World itinerary is designed for the four weeks following Thanksgiving 2018.

If you aren’t going one of those weeks, see Other Itineraries for alternatives the rest of the year, which are published about six months ahead.

You can enlarge the basic itinerary by clicking it. 

A detailed  To-Do List covers all the planning steps you need to undertake. Even more detailed daily guidance is in the links:

DAILY PLANS

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

ITINERARY DESIGN GOALS

The basic December itinerary was designed to meet several goals: to ensure that you

1. See the best that Walt Disney World has to offer, including all of its special Christmas season offerings
2. See the parks in the order that works best for kids (essentially Epcot first, as it is potentially the most disappointing, and the Magic Kingdom last, as it is likely to be the best loved)
3. Avoid unnecessary waiting, by using FastPass+ and other tactics…
4. Given all the evening shows and late nights, have as few early mornings as practical

The 2018 version differs from previous ones in a couple of ways:

• It incorporates the new Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• It’s updated to include various openings, closures, and time changes since the 2017 version.

If you can’t do the dates required for the Basic Itinerary, see Other Itineraries for alternatives for both the December week and the rest of the year.

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