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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: JANUARY 18 TO JANUARY 26, 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 January 2014, see this.

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Update: there’s a new–and much better–version of this itinerary here.

Below is a FastPass+ based Disney World seven night itinerary with a Sunday arrival.

There’s a Saturday arrival version too–but if you could do either, the one here, with a Sunday arrival, is better…)

This itinerary reliably works only during weeks that the normal eight night variant works without changes. To see if that’s true for your week, look your week up here. If your week is listed with changes–e.g. “swap Sunday and Tuesday” then use the comment form below to ask for help!

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

Thanks are especially due to Josh from easyWDW. With his permission, I picked the targeted park days based on both my own practices and his daily park recommendations.

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

This To-Do List is for the Seven Night variant of the FastPass+ Lower Crowd Itinerary, with a Saturday arrival.  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 Destinations in Florida, can do almost all of this for you, for free. If you use Destinations in Florida as you travel agent through a link for this site–like this one–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.  (Note: if your dates are later than what the online system permits, see this.)

• If you are following my itinerary, you want the hotel you’ve picked for seven nights, eight day, no hopper, no “water parks and more” tickets, the Dining Plan, and Disney’s Magical Express
• Itineraries other than mine will have different requirements here

B. 181 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

Decide whether on Sunday night you’ll be dining at Akershus or the San Angel Inn. Akershus is a princess meal–you’ll have another princess meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table on Thursday.  If you really like princesses, do Akershus; otherwise, San Angel Inn is the better choice.

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).

Collect your restaurant reservations together. You will want to do them online in order of hardest to reserve first. This is how they are listed below.

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

(For an 180 day calendar, see this).

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.

Make as many of the following as you have patience for, in the exact order listed:

• Cinderella’s Royal Table Lunch (dining plan, two credits): Friday at 11a or later if you can; earlier than 11 only if your sole option…
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue (dining plan, two credits): Friday 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
• Chef Mickey’s (dining plan, one credit) Wednesday 11a.  Later is OK, but not a whole lot earlier–no earlier than 10.30a
• Crystal Palace (dining plan): First Saturday 6p if you can; earlier OK, but not later
• Akershus Banquet or San Angel Inn (dining plan): Thursday 7p.  No later, but earlier is OK.

For those 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 as early as shortly after midnight and set up the following FastPass+

• First Saturday at the Magic Kingdom: your goal on this arrival evening is to see the evening spectacles at the Magic Kingdom. Get a FastPass+ for the Main Street Electrical Parade (MSEP). Disney requires you to book three FastPass+, so book two others even if you aren’t sure you will arrive at the park in time to use them—target two from among Splash Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Space Mountain. (If you can’t arrive in time for these, they are also on the schedule for later in the week.) Note that MSEP may not be available until close to your trip. If so, book something else now, and change to MSEP if/when it becomes available.
• Sunday at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Tier One: Toy Story Midway Mania 1.30-2.30p. Tier Two: Voyage of the Little Mermaid (9.30-10.30a) and the Frozen Sing-Along (noon-1p). (At park open, head straight to Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster.)
• Monday at Epcot: Tier One: Soarin 10.30-11.30a. Tier Two: Turtle Talk with Crush 12.30p-1.30p and a third ride after. (At park open, head for Test Track.)
• Tuesday at the Animal Kingdom: Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River Rapids, and Festival of the Lion King (if open by your dates—Finding Nemo if not). Set all for mid-late afternoon, with Kali River Rapids last. (At park open, head for Expedition Everest.)
• Wednesday at the Magic Kingdom: Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, and Jungle Cruise. Set Space Mountain for 12-1p, Buzz Lightyear for 1-2p, and Jungle Cruise for 3.30-4.30p
• Thursday afternoon and evening at Epcot: Tier One: Illuminations. Tier Two: Spaceship Earth 4.30-5.30p and Mission: Space 5.30-6.30p. Note that the Illuminations FastPass+ may not be available until closer to your arrival date—if not available, make Test Track your Tier One instead, and try to change it to Illuminations later.
• Friday at the Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Enchanted Tales with Belle, and the Haunted Mansion. Target Seven Dwarfs for 1-2p, Belle for 2-3p, and the Haunted Mansion for 3.30-4.30p. (At park open, head to Peter Pan.)
• Second Saturday morning at the Magic Kingdom: Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and a third. Set Pirates for 10-11a, and Splash for 11-12.  (At park open, head for Big Thunder Mountain.)

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

3. 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 the Magic Kingdom 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.

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

Update: there’s a new–and much better–version of this itinerary here.

Below is a seven night, Saturday arrival FastPass+ based Disney World itinerary that is a shorter variant of my recommended eight-night itinerary.

(There’s a Sunday arrival version too–if you could do either, the Sunday arrival version is better!)

This itinerary reliably works only during weeks that the normal eight night variant works without changes. To see if that’s true for your week, look your week up here. If your week is listed with changes–e.g. “swap Sunday and Tuesday” then use the comment form below to ask for help!

Getting it from the recommended eight-night itinerary to seven nights required losing much of the built-in free time…

The FastPass+ that make it work are in the To-Do List, so you can book FastPass+ at the 60 day window for FastPass+ sign-ups.

The To-Do List for this itinerary is here.

And here’s the daily links:

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

Thanks are especially due to Josh from easyWDW. With his permission, I picked the targeted park days based on both my own practices and his daily park recommendations.

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

This To-Do List is for the Seven Night variant of the FastPass+ Lower Crowd Itinerary, with a Sunday arrival.  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 Destinations in Florida, can do almost all of this for you, for free. If you use Destinations in Florida as you travel agent through a link for this site–like this one–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.  (Note: if your dates are later than what the online system permits, see this.)

• If you are following my itinerary, you want the hotel you’ve picked for seven nights, eight day, no hopper, no “water parks and more” tickets, the Dining Plan, and Disney’s Magical Express
• Itineraries other than mine will have different requirements here

B. 181 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

Decide whether on Sunday night you’ll be dining at Akershus or the San Angel Inn. Akershus is a princess meal–you’ll have another princess meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table on Wednesday.  If you really like princesses, do Akershus; otherwise, San Angel Inn is the better choice.

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).

Collect your restaurant reservations together. You will want to do them online in order of hardest to reserve first. This is how they are listed below.

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

(For an 180 day calendar, see this).

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.

Make as many of the following as you have patience for, in the exact order listed:

• Cinderella’s Royal Table Lunch (dining plan, two credits): Friday at 11a or later if you can; earlier than 11 only if your sole option…
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue (dining plan, two credits): Friday 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
• Chef Mickey’s (dining plan, one credit) Wednesday 11a.  Later is OK, but not a whole lot earlier–no earlier than 10.30a
• Crystal Palace (dining plan): Saturday 6p if you can; earlier OK, but not later
• Akershus Banquet or San Angel Inn (dining plan): First Sunday 7p.  No later, but earlier is OK.

For those 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 as early as moments after midnight and set up the following FastPass+

• First Sunday afternoon and evening at Epcot: Tier One: Illuminations. Tier Two: Spaceship Earth and Mission Space. Note that the Illuminations FastPass+ may not be available until closer to your arrival date—if not available, make Test Track your Tier One instead, and try to change it to Illuminations later. Set the Tier Two times for when your travel plans permit you to be in the park. If one is impossible to set at a good time because of your travel schedule, leave it as is—Disney requires you to book three FastPass+.
• Monday at Epcot: Tier One: Soarin 10.30-11.30a. Tier Two: Turtle Talk with Crush 12.30-1.30p and a third ride. (At park open, head for Test Track.)
• Tuesday at the Animal Kingdom: Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River Rapids, and Festival of the Lion King (if open by your dates—Finding Nemo if not). Set all for mid-late afternoon, with Kali River Rapids last. (At park open, head for Expedition Everest.)
• Wednesday at the Magic Kingdom: Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, and Jungle Cruise. Set Space Mountain for 12-1p, Buzz Lightyear for 1-2p, and Jungle Cruise for 3.30-4.30p
• Thursday afternoon at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Tier One: Toy Story Midway Mania 2.30-3.30p. Tier Two: Voyage of the Little Mermaid (1.30-2.30) and Frozen Sing-Along (3-4p).
• Friday at the Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Enchanted Tales with Belle, and the Haunted Mansion. Target Seven Dwarfs for 1-2p, Belle for 2-3p, and the Haunted Mansion for 3.30-4.30p. (At park open, head to Peter Pan.)
• Saturday at the Magic Kingdom: Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Main Street Electrical Parade (MSEP). Note that MSEP may not be available until close to your trip. If so, book Big Thunder Mountain now, and change to MSEP if/when it becomes available. Set Pirates for 10-11a, and Splash for 11-12.  (At park open, head for Big Thunder Mountain.)
• Second Sunday morning at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Tier One: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster 9a-10a. Tier Two: Star Tours (10-11) and Indiana Jones Stunt Show (At park open, head straight to Tower of Terror.)

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

3. 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 Sunday, as you will almost certainly go to Epcot on Sunday 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.

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

OVERVIEW: AUGUST 2014 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews August 2014 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.

There are no great August times to visit Walt Disney World.

The beginning of the month, while inexpensive, is crowded, hot and humid. Crowds moderate over the month, but by the time they hit tolerable levels late in month, the peak hurricane seaosn has arrived…

If I had to go in August, for first time visitors who may never return I’d pick the week beginning 8/9.  While crowds are still moderate this week, it faces less hurricane risk than later, less crowded dates.

If I knew I could return–or was a returning visitor–I’d pick the week of the 23rd–trading off the (slightly higher) hurricane risk for low crowds.

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