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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 dinner at 50s Prime Time Cafe, and you should have FastPass+ for Toy Story Midway Mania, Star Tours, and the Frozen Sing-Along.

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

FIRST THINGS

• Arrive at Hollywood Studios by noon

AT THE PARK

• At arrival, pick up a guide map and “Times Guide” and head to Great Movie Ride and see it unless lines are too long.  If so, get a fourth FP+ for it after your first three
• Have lunch at Backlot Express
• See Toy Story Midway Mania (FP+)
• Fold in the Indiana Jones stunt show among Muppet Vision 3D, the Frozen Sing-Along (FP+) and Star Tours (FP+)
• Have dinner at 50’s Prime Time Cafe

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you will begin your visit to the Magic Kingdom.

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HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS DAY 2: WEDNESDAY AGENDA

Today you have the morning off. You will then return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios by noon to complete the visit you began Monday.  You have no reserved dining today.

You should have FastPass+ for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

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

MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON

• Sleep in and have an early lunch at the hotel
• Arrive at Hollywood Studios by noon

AT THE PARK

• Check the Times Guide to plan when to see Beauty and the Beast (preferably the last show of the day)
• See  Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream
• See Voyage of the Little Mermaid (FP+)
• See Disney Jr Live on Stage
• Fit Beauty and the Beast in among your FastPass+ for Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
• Have dinner
• Get in line for Fantasmic about 30-45 minutes before the show
• See Fantasmic
• If the park is open after Fantasmic, most lines will be short–if you wish, this will be a good time for re-rides. Try for more FastPass+, or simply check standby lines
• Head back to your hotel when you are ready

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you will continue your visit to the Magic Kingdom

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MAGIC KINGDOM DAY 1: TUESDAY AGENDA

Today you have the early morning off, have brunch at Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort near the Magic Kingdom, and then begin your visit to the Magic Kingdom, seeing Tomorrowland and then touring some lower-wait attractions in Adventureland and Frontierland. You will then end your day at Fort Wilderness’s Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue.

You should have FastPass+ for Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, and the Jungle Cruise. The other fixed points in your schedule are Chef Mickey’s and Hoop-Dee-Doo.

Today may be a little over-crowded, but anything you miss you can pick up on Second Saturday.

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

FIRST THINGS

Be at the Contemporary Resort in time for your meal at Chef Mickey’s. For most, this will mean a bus to the Magic Kingdom, then walking or taking the resort monorail to the Contemporary. Check at your resort front desk for the best route.

AT THE PARK

• After your meal, walk or take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom
• See Space Mountain (FP+)
• Fit around your Buzz Lightyear FastPass+ lower wait rides in Tomorrowland–the Carousel of Progress, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Stitch’s Great Escape, and the Tomorrowland PeopleMover.
• Around the time of the 3p afternoon parade, check waits at Astro Orbiter and the Tomorrowland Speedway.  If the lines look OK, and the rides seem fun, see them
• Go to Adventureland and fit the Swiss Family Treehouse and the Enchanted Tiki Room around your FastPass+ for the Jungle Cruise
• Once off the Jungle Cruise, if you skipped Astro Orbiter and the Tomorrowland Speedway because of waits, try now for a fourth FastPass+
• Find the passage into Frontierland and see the Country Bears
• If you have time, find the rafts near Big Thunder Mountain and see Tom Sawyer Island
• Around 5p, head for the main entrance and look for the boat docks right in front
• Take the boat to Fort Wilderness (not the Wilderness Lodge), and follow the crowds to the Hoop Dee Doo area, and check in for the 6.15p show.
• See Hoop-Dee-Doo!
• Ask outside for the best way to get back to your hotel.  Most likely you will return by boat to the Magic Kingdom, and catch a bus or monorail there.  But special buses may be running…

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

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

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MAGIC KINGDOM DAY 2: THURSDAY AGENDA

Today you will continue your visit to the Magic Kingdom. You’ll see Fantasyland and Liberty Square.

It’s one of your longer days, but you’ve had the last four mornings to sleep in!

You should have FastPass+ for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Enchanted Tales with Belle, and the Haunted Mansion. Other fixed points in your schedule: you have lunch reservations at Cinderella’s Royal Table and want to see the afternoon parade at 3p.

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

FIRST THINGS

Be at the park by 45 minutes before open.

AT THE PARK

• Enter the turnstiles when the park opens, grab a map and Times Schedule, and head to Peter Pan. Ride it
• See it’s a small world, the Carrousel if you wish, Mickey’s Philharmagic,  and Winnie the Pooh while you are in the area
• If you missed the Tomorrowland Speedway or Astro Orbiters in Tomorrowland Tuesday, and they are important to you, see now before lines build
• See Dumbo
• See the Barnstormer if it looks like fun and lines aren’t too long
• See the Mad Tea Party
• Fit together Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, your FastPass+ for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Enchanted Tales with Belle, and your lunch at  Cinderella’s Royal Table
• See the 3p parade by grabbing a spot around 2.30 between the Castle and Liberty Square
• Fit the Hall of Presidents and Liberty Belle Riverboat around you FastPass+ for the Haunted Mansion.
• If you missed it Tuesday, see Tom Sawyer Island
• Have dinner at the park or in your hotel (counter service)

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you finish your visit to Epcot

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MAGIC KINGDOM DAY 3: SECOND SATURDAY AGENDA

Today you will complete your visit to the Magic Kingdom, with Adventureland and Frontierland in the afternoon, 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 can arrive earlier if you wish to fit more in–if you want to revisit high-wait rides, then arrive before park open.

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

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

FIRST THINGS

Be at the park by noon (or earlier, as noted above).

AT THE PARK

• Head to Big Thunder Mountain. Ride it using FastPass+
• See the Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• See Pirates of the Caribbean (FP+)
• See Splash Mountain (FP+)
• Re-visit any rides you want to do again or missed earlier in your visit, booking additional FastPass+
• 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, booking additional FastPass+
• 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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OVERVIEW: THE BEST TIMES IN 2017 AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

This site recommends arriving at Walt Disney World one of the first three Saturdays after Thanksgiving.

If you can’t go then, presented below are my rankings of the weeks of 2017 in order of best to worst times to visit Disney World.

These rankings are designed for first time visitors who do not know whether or not they will return.

For visitors on a return trip, less concerned about ride closures or the peak of the hurricane season, the later January, early February, and September weeks would be ranked much higher.

These week rankings are based on my 2017 Disney World Crowd Calendar and on the 2017 Walt Disney World price seasons.

Other factors are key as well–the Christmas season, ride closure season and hurricane season in particular.

(For 2018 rankings, see this, and for 2019 rankings, see this. For more how I build these rankings, see this.)

RECOMMENDED 2017 WEEKS, RANKED IN ORDER

The thirteen recommended weeks that follow are wonderful weeks to visit Walt Disney World in 2017.

Week number one has it all–lower crowds, lower prices and wonderful Christmas programs and decorations. The first Saturday of this week overlaps with Thanksgiving crowds, but the rest of it will be marvelous:

• 1: 11/25/17

Weeks 2 and 3 have many, but not all, of the strengths of week 1:

• 2: 12/9/17. A week as good as week 1 on crowds and holiday programs. Slightly more expensive, however, than weeks 1 or 3
• 3: 12/2/17. Largely a terrific week with low crowds, low prices and wonderful holiday programs. However, this is a week that, because of Pop Warner football demand for resort rooms, is rarely discounted beyond its already low prices. Those intending to stay at a value resort, Caribbean Beach or Coronado Springs should consider avoiding this week and target week 1 or 2 instead, as Pop Warner guests may make these resorts boisterous this week

Week 4 has lower prices and crowds, and offers in its first few days Disney World’s Halloween program

• 4: 10/28/17

Week 5 is a very strong week. It has low crowds and prices, and Disney World’s holiday program at the Magic Kingdom will be in place

• 5: 11/11/17

Weeks 6 is your best 2017 Spring Break bet, with low crowds and moderate prices

• 6: 3/4/17

Weeks 7 and 8 are similar to week 4 but projected at slightly higher crowds. They share great late autumn weather. These are near-tied, but are in calendar order as the better weather is earlier this time of year

• 7: 10/14/17
• 8: 10/21/17

Weeks 9 to 12 are all in the same 2017 post-Easter stretch, and share low crowds, moderate prices, and nice spring weather. They are in calendar order, as the weather is better earlier in this period

• 9: 4/22/17
• 10: 4/29/17
• 11: 5/6/17
• 12: 5/13/17

Week 13 is the second-best 2017 Spring Break week, with low crowds and moderate prices

• 13: 2/25/17

This completes the weeks in 2017 that are recommended.

2017 WEEKS I’M NOT SO KEEN ON

Weeks 14-20 all have moderate crowd levels, with different prices and weather. I don’t particularly recommend moderate-crowd weeks for first time visitors, but they are quite manageable, and I would go myself such weeks with no hesitation.

They are in order of least to most crowded, and within crowd groups are sorted by price.

• 14: 11/4/17. “Jersey Week”—teacher meetings in New Jersey, leading to a massive temporary immigration of New Jersey families to Orlando. Crowds moderate-minus, prices low to moderate, almost never with major discounts.
• 15: 5/20/17 Similar to week 12, slightly more heat and humidity and crowds.
• 16: 10/8/17. Columbus Day week, with higher crowds and prices than the great weeks (ranked 7, 8 and 4) that follow it
• 17: 8/5/17  Moderate-plus crowds as the summer season begins to fade away
• 18: 6/3/17.  Beginning of summer–similar crowds to week 17, but slightly higher prices in deluxes
• 19: 4/1/17. Moderate+ crowds and high prices. My draft of this material had this as a better week, but the late-arriving crowd facts ended up not supporting such a position. Moreover, crowds may be higher than my forecast.
• 20: 4/15/17. The week after Easter is usually quite bad, but the late Easter in 2016 has moderated the number of kids on break, especially after Easter Monday. However, crowds may be higher than my forecast.

Note: in May 2017 I changed the crowd forecast for the week of 12/16/17 to “moderate+.”  This would shift it into this group, with a ranking after 20 and before 21.

Weeks 21-28 have one thing in common: they occur during the peak of the hurricane season. Hurricanes are rare and even more rarely affect a Disney World vacation, but for first-timers who may never return, why not just avoid the risk? For returning visitors, though, the low-crowd weeks among this group can be wonderful times to visit.

They are ranked in order of first crowd levels, and within the same crowd level prices.

Weeks 21 and 22 have among the lowest crowds and lowest prices of the year.

• 21: 9/9/17
• 22: 9/16/17

Weeks 23 to 25 are similar, but with slightly higher crowds than 21 and 22–with 25 forecast to have slightly higher crowds than 23 and 24

• 23: 9/2/17
• 24: 9/23/17
• 25: 8/26/17

Week 26 is at the outer range of low crowds

• 26: 8/19/17

Weeks 27 and 28 are the only moderate-crowd weeks in this hurricane group

• 27: 9/30/17
• 28: 8/12/17

2017 WEEKS TO AVOID AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

There’s two groups of weeks to avoid:  high crowd weeks and weeks when rides are often closed.

The first group, ranked 29-45, should be avoided because of crowds ranging from high to unbelievable.

This group includes all of later June, July and early August (massive crowds). It also includes the busy March Spring Break weeks beginning 3/11/2017, and the holiday weeks—President’s Day week, the week before Easter, Thanksgiving week, and the weeks around Christmas.

Click the table for exact rankings within these lousy weeks.

The next group includes the January and early February weeks when rides are often closed for repair or refurbishment—weeks 46-52.

Some of these weeks have the lowest crowds and lowest prices of the year.

(But not all--click the table above.)

However, this is the peak time for ride closures at Walt Disney World, especially the January weeks.

If this may be your only family visit, why go when you know some of the best of Disney World will be closed?

If you must go during this period, avoid the first days of January (massive crowds), the Martin Luther King Day (1/14/17 arrival date) holiday weekend, and the week before the Pro Bowl (which is January 29th).

The Marathon Weekend (affecting arrival dates of 12/31/16 and 1/7/17) complicates the parks as well.

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