How to start trip?

[justme0729]

Im starting to go in circles with how to plan our itinerary. We have 5 days/ nights we can be in the park. We are a group of adults ( extended family) including first timers. Should we go to MK on our first day, a Saturday night which is also the day for Gay Days at MK so it might be more crowded, for 3 fastpasses and then the Hoop Dee Doo at 8:30? Or should we go to Epcot to do 3 fastpasses with dinner at The Coral Reef or Via Napoli and go to MK at rope drop the next morning? We would have another day to do MK so basically should we take the first timers to see the castle on a crowded evening first thing or wait until the next morning?

Thanks!

 

[Lynzer4]

What time do I arrive would determine if I go to the park.

As long as I will be to my hotel by 3 usually we hit a park. You've been traveling all morning so I usually stay away from a TS that night if I can.

As for which park that depends on closing times. If you don't get to the parks until 3 and AK closes at 5 but MK closes at 10. I'm going to pick MK.

If you only have 1 day planned at MK I would say you should probably go to Mak as you will want at least 1.5 days there. Plus I always make sure I get 2 nights of wishes (it's my favorite. Lol)

 

[ChasingLeslie]

I would do MK on your first full day.

 

[Accident]

I have 2 ways of looking at this...

First is what night entertainment is on your must do list. Now that 3 of the 4 parks have nigh entertainment it's a little rougher but there is always a chance that weather will interfere with night entertainment or your willingness to wait in it when it happens but it's not ideal weather. I like to priority those because if weather is a problem the first couple days then you have the chance to possibly try to see it later in the trip. And vice versa, if the end of your trip has weather you've already done it and it's not something you wanted to do and miss because your not there anymore to try to see it. The same goes with afternoon parades which is mainly MK but some could argue for a star wars fan there is also outdoor stuff at Hollywood Studios that is important to be able to experience. It really depends on the group and when your coming as certain times of year the chance of weather is much higher.

Now the second really comes down to if Magic Kingdom is the right park to do first. There are good arguments pro and con and it's harder to make a recommendation. For many, especially if your a first timer or with first timers there is something about starting off where you turn the corner, see the castle and get that "I've finally made it" feeling. It's also the day your not tired and there is a lot more to do at MK than any other park so it might be the better time to get that park done right away. But I also remember being younger and finding the other parks somewhat boring because we did MK first. There is no right answer for this one but I will say the times we tried another park first (when it wasn't a travel day where MK wasn't an option) we didn't really feel like we made it until we got into MK. for many return visitors the resort sometimes fills this need as they have memories from past and the familiarity of the resort to get them that same albeit different feeling.

So what would I do?

I want to see the parades and fireworks at MK and HS. Those are first 2 parks I'll be hitting to ensure I have options in case weather happens. I honestly don't care about epcot or AK but do enjoy them enough that I'll go but I'll skip them to get my fireworks at MK and HS if needed.. If I have a first timer to disney with me, it'll be MK first. Let them get their OMG THERE IS THE CASTLE AND I'M REALLY HERE moment..

 

[DisneyWishes14]

For first timers, I would always recommend MK first. There is nothing that says "I'm in WDW!" like walking down Main St. and seeing the castle. I think your plan of just getting 3 FP+ and then heading over to HDDR is a good one. If you are just focusing on seeing the castle and focusing on 3 rides, it can be a leisurely way to get the lay of the land at MK and get excited for the full day you have planned there. Plus, taking the boat over to Ft. W and experiencing that area is also a lot of fun!

 

[pitpat]

Normally I like MK first, but in your situation I like your Epcot plan better since it's just a quick visit. MK on your first full day.

 

[loves to dive]

I'd wait until we got there and ask everyone what they wanted to do. Who knows, some may just want to hang around the resort.

 

[megs1313]

How many MK days do you have otherwise? Do you have parkhoppers?

 

[mshanson3121]

It's hard to say based on the limited information you have.

1. What time are you arriving?
2. Do you plan on doing all the other parks?
3. Are you big on rides?
4. Are you big on animals? Star Wars?

Myself, with 5 days, I would want 2 MK, 1 HS, 1 EP and 1 AK. By the sounds of things, one of your five days is only going to be a partial, so while I love the sentimental idea of starting at MK, I also think you really need 2 full days for MK for first-timers. So, I would choose Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios for your first day, depending on what your preference is, and my advice would be HS because a) it has the least amount to do right now of the parks and b) it will probably be open later than AK. So, head there as soon as you can (by the sounds probably 4ish?) and stay till close, watch the Star Wars fireworks or Fantasmic - both a great way to kick off a Disney vacation.

Then, you'll have 4 full days with which to do MK, AK and EP.

 

[melana]

If this is your first time go to MK on your first day. I think that would make the start of your trip totally magical. We always start and end our trip at MK. I just remember the look on my niece's face the first time she saw the Castle as we were walking up to the Hub. It was priceless. She was just full of pure joy and amazement by what she was seeing.

 

[justme0729]

How many MK days do you have otherwise? Do you have parkhoppers?

We will go to MK on one other day including at night for Wishes. We are thinking about getting park hoppers but not sure yet

 

[Dug720]

I've been debating between MK and EPCOT for my first partial day as I love them both - and love both Wishes and Illuminations. I'm solo, so my schedule is all about me this time, which I like - no debates. Right now I'm leaning towards EPCOT because to be honest there are far more places in EPCOT I'd rather eat than in MK - shooting for a dinner Garden Grill reservation for night 1 to start things off right! (I have tickets for 8 of my 9 days (planning a resort/Disney Springs day mid-stay) so the combination of mid-late August and being solo, I don't feel the need to spend the extra money for hopping - especially if it would just be for food.)

 

[mshanson3121]

We will go to MK on one other day including at night for Wishes. We are thinking about getting park hoppers but not sure yet

If you do not get Park Hoppers, I would definitely not do MK on your arrival day, just because it'll really cut into how much time you have there. However, if you have hoppers, then I would definitely consider starting at MK and going to HDDR (we loved that show). Just make sure you allow an evening for MK, EP and HS for all the night time shows. If Rivers of Light has opened at AK, then you'll want a night there too. Myself personally, I would make my final night at MK, because to me that's the quintessential ending to a Disney trip - watching Wishes. So, if you had hoppers I might do something like this:

Day 1: arrival, MK for 3 FP+, HDDR
Day 2: AK, hop to EP for evening
Day 3: MK, hop to HS for evening
Day 4: EP, hop to AK for evening
Day 5: HS (or park of choice), hop to MK for evening

 

[Day-Day]

I'd wait until we got there and ask everyone what they wanted to do. Who knows, some may just want to hang around the resort.

I would want some idea ahead of time in order to book fastpasses.

If you do not get Park Hoppers, I would definitely not do MK on your arrival day, just because it'll really cut into how much time you have there. However, if you have hoppers, then I would definitely consider starting at MK and going to HDDR (we loved that show). Just make sure you allow an evening for MK, EP and HS for all the night time shows. If Rivers of Light has opened at AK, then you'll want a night there too. Myself personally, I would make my final night at MK, because to me that's the quintessential ending to a Disney trip - watching Wishes. So, if you had hoppers I might do something like this:

Day 1: arrival, MK for 3 FP+, HDDR
Day 2: AK, hop to EP for evening
Day 3: MK, hop to HS for evening
Day 4: EP, hop to AK for evening
Day 5: HS (or park of choice), hop to MK for evening

I don't understand the logic on the park hoppers (maybe because we always have park hopping). Seems to me if the OP does not have park hoppers and wants to visit all 4 parks, the best thing to do is to go to MK on arrival in order to get extra time that is usually needed for MK.

I would probably go to MK. I don't think Gay Days is nearly as crowded as it was years ago. There are other things to consider such as arrival time on Day 1 as well as park hours during the visit.

 

[mshanson3121]

I would want some idea ahead of time in order to book fastpasses.



I don't understand the logic on the park hoppers (maybe because we always have park hopping). Seems to me if the OP does not have park hoppers and wants to visit all 4 parks, the best thing to do is to go to MK on arrival in order to get extra time that is usually needed for MK.

Not sure what's hard to understand? If she has 5 day basic passes they get one park per day. Which means one day at EP, AK and HS, two for MK. But one of their days is only a partial day, late afternoon arrival by the sounds of things, so it is better to save the day for when they can do a full day at MK, not a partial day. They have first timers going, there's way too much to see at MK that can be crammed into one day and an late afternoon/evening. They lose a lot by missing that second rope drop. Far better to do say HS - a park that really doesn't have as much to offer right now, and then have two full days at MK.

However, if they have park hoppers then they can switch things up a bit, start at MK, and make up some of the lost MK time by hopping there on a 3rd day.

 

[CarrieR]

In my experience, when bringing first timers we always hit MK that first evening. I tend to be very "commando" the first hour of every morning, so this lets them have a relaxed, go-with-the-flow intro to the park without "meeting" it via the 7D rush lol.

 

[Day-Day]

Not sure what's hard to understand? If she has 5 day basic passes they get one park per day. Which means one day at EP, AK and HS, two for MK. But one of their days is only a partial day, late afternoon arrival by the sounds of things, so it is better to save the day for when they can do a full day at MK, not a partial day. They have first timers going, there's way too much to see at MK that can be crammed into one day and an late afternoon/evening. They lose a lot by missing that second rope drop. Far better to do say HS - a park that really doesn't have as much to offer right now, and then have two full days at MK.

However, if they have park hoppers then they can switch things up a bit, start at MK, and make up some of the lost MK time by hopping there on a 3rd day.

Too much depends on the park hours and the arrival time of the first day. A late afternoon arrival is not enough time for shows and rides in HS. I agree that MK needs more time than the rest and maybe the first day can give that extra time; probably not if they plan on doing HDDR on that day as well though. I would want to get as much out of the park day as possible and save HDDR for another day.

 

[bweagle]

We usually hit Disney Springs on Arrival Day. When MK used to have late EMH (like 2-3 am late) we would head to MK around 7 pm on arrival night and spend 7-8 hours there, but since they've reduced EMH hours, we generally don't head into the park on the first night anymore.