New Years and Jan EMH

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SquareAce's picture
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New Years and Jan EMH

I have seen several different WDW agendas and EMH schedules for the time I'm visiting WDW. I could use some help finding some more info so I can plan my trip and ADRs.

We're staying at WDW resort, have 6 one park/day passes, and DDP plus dining.
Arriving early at WDW resort early Dec. 31 and leaving after going to WDW park on Thur Jan. 5, probably get an off site hotel room for the night in Ocala like we are on the way down.

Sat...We plan to attend MK all day Sat Dec 31 until after Midnight.
We want to revisit MK another day during our stay when less crowded as on NYE.
Visit all other parks one time, then visit our favorite again on Thursday before leaving.
We want to eat at Rain Forest Cafe and visit DTD the day we go to AK, since it closes so early.
Another must is to eat at Cinderella's royal table (probably not on NYE).

Saturday is the only day we know where we want to go so far. We're not afraid of staying up late for the evening EMH to have better access to the attractions, if that is advisable.

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Brad's picture
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Do you guys like to do stuff in the mornings, or sleep in?

Kristen K.'s picture
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I use TouringPlans.com to figure out park hours, EMH, special events and the projected crowds. It's a pretty solid resource, and if you have a smart phone a subscription comes with the Lines App, which is an amazing tools to use while you're in the park.

Some people plan their whole trips around EMH, I don't tend to worry about it unless it's an arrival/departure day I'm looking at. Evening EMH can be very crowded and sometimes confusing. If there is a day you want to sleep in, I would probably schedule Hollywood Studios for that day

Which Resort are you staying at? That usually affects some of my scheduling when I plan ADRs.

SquareAce's picture
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@ Brad
I like to get up and get moving early, but unfortunately my wife does not. But we have agreed to get up early or stay up late for which ever works to our advantage.

@ Kristen K
Why sleep in for the day we go to Hollywood Studios?
Also, thanks for the link. Unfortunately my old phone is only capable of running Android 1.5 OS and is not supported. We can use TouringPlans.com for pre-planning and we will have our laptop back at or room at the All-star movies WDWR where we can use it.

Is it absolutely necessary to make ADRs for table meals other than the character dining we want to do?
We're expecting the crowds to be significantly less from Mon, Jan 2 - Thur, Jan-5.

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Vettelover's picture
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Square Ace I would definitely do ADRs for ALL meals that you intend to do as a sit down meal. The crowd level may be significantly lower but they will still be high enough to require ADRs for all but counter service places. You MAY luck out and get a last minute cancellation for a place from your resort concierge but I would not count on it.

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SquareAce's picture
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Thanks Vettelover. I definitely don't want to be standing in line to eat.

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Brad's picture
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As far as early vs. late, I typically find that getting there before everyone usually gives you about an hour of time before most people arrive. The last hour at night is often pretty un-crowded, but I've found the mornings more reliable. I wonder how everyone else's experiences compare. My favorite thing about the mornings is that if the park winds up having a light day then usually you can stay quite a while before you start having troubles with lines. Also in the evenings sometimes we burn out before the crowds do.

Kristen K.'s picture
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I personally don't find that Hollywood Studios needs an open to close kid of day at the park to experience everything. Other people's mileage may vary, but I can get there at 11am and do just about everything. The only down point to it that is that Fast Passes for the Toy Story ride will probably not be available.

Yes, yes, triple yes on making ADRs for all of your meals you want table service for. You can always change them of cancel them if you want to rearrange your schedule. However make sure that you secure something if you want to eat at more than counter service.

SquareAce's picture
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Thanks for the advice Brad and Kristen K.

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The first week in Jan may settle down some, but the marathon is usually around the 7 or 9th not sure what the date is this yr, and there are bigger crowds for that (but probably not as big as the holidays). I heard that Disney started the original marathon that week because it was a down time...not anymore! The runners and families flock from all over the world and the crowds definitely grow. You may be gone before that though. We've spent lots of time there during that time as my husband used to run it every year. Check the date to be sure.

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Julie

Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust

SquareAce's picture
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Thanks Julie.
Has anyone seen a schedule of events for MK on NYE? I found one for last year, but I'm not sure if it will be the same.

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