Hollywood Studios touring plan

[AmyKat]

DH (39) - roller coaster enthusiast
Me (37) - take 'em or leave 'em - more in it for the kids
DD6 - scardy cat but we've been working on being brave - more afraid of the dark and loud noises than movement. 2nd time to WDW but she was 2 last time. She did great on the rides at her school spring carnival.
DD2 - fearless except when it comes to "fake head" characters. As long as they talk she's okay. 1st time to WDW.

Thursday September 20th
2nd recommended park on Josh's schedule
Park hours - 9AM - 8PM

This will be the first park of this trip.

My goal is to wait the least amount of time possible without running from one end of the park to another all day long. I rush through out my day at home. I want vacation to be more laid back.

8:30 - arrive for RD (early enough? does it matter which side I line up on?)

Grab FP for TSM

Ride TSM SB

Watch first showing of Disney Junior

Send DH to get FPs for Tot & RnR while I take the girls to the potty. Does DD2 have a KTTW card too? If so, that will give DH 4 cards and we only have 2 riders, so he could get 2 FPs for each ride at the same time.

Watch Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Ride TSM on FP

Ride ToT FP with stroller swap

Ride RnR FP with stroller swap

1st parent done takes kids to Honey I Shrunk the Kids

2nd parent done grabs FP for TSM & checks in for lunch at Mama Melrose's (Noon ADR) and phones other parent to come join at restaurant.

Ride Star Tours with stroller swap. DD6 should be able to ride this.

If time allows, see 2:00 showing of Beauty & The Beast (should I swap this with Little Mermaid?)

3:00 - Pixar Parade - will skip this if the girls are too tired. I expect them to be hyped up on Disney energy.

head back to AoA to rest

back to the park around 7:00

hopefully use last set of TSM FPs

Fantasmic @ 8

I'm open to ALL comments, ideas, suggestions ...

Thanks!

Amy

[JulieC]

Which 2 riders for which rides? DH and DD6 for RnRC and ToT? Is she 48" tall? My DD6 couldn't ride last week due to slight lack of height, she is about average height for her age. I don't think you are going to get FPs for DD2 unless you buy her a park ticket, but I could be wrong. I'm confused about who is riding what and swapping stroller.

[AmyKat]

Sorry. Dh & I would be the riders. DD6 is tall enough but too scared.

[stevenmilz]

I don't think you are going to get FPs for DD2 unless you buy her a park ticket, but I could be wrong.

That is correct - you only get one FP per park ticket. Since DD2 is unticketed, you don't pull FPs for her - she won't need them. You can get rider swaps because you have a height-restricted kid though.

[off2neverland]

2 yo will not have ticket- so can't get 4 FPs- but you can utilize swaps- and actually you hardly need since you only have 2 thrill riders and 3 tickets

Your TSM FP pulled at RD should have a RT good til about 10:30-
It's going to be difficult to squeeze VoTLM in between Dis Jr (9:40) and using that TSM FP- VoTLM probably at 9:40, 10:05, then 10:30- it runs every 25 min.
Dis Jr runs about 25 min so you are not out of that 9:40 show til after 10
I would switch them- see VoTLM at 9:40, Dis Jr at 10:30- or save one for after lunch or in the evening.

You are not allowing enough time to ride RnRC/ToT- each ride on RnRC will take 15/20 min, each ToT about 20/25 so if each adult rides both once each- that's about 80 min or more for those 2 rides- assuming you start the process by 11 (after 10:30 DisJr or VoTLM) you are late for lunch

If F is at 8- you need to line up by 7- even w/FDP-assuming your MMR is an FDP? and I'd skip parade for sure - if you stay for that you are only getting about an hour actual break- to resort past 4- leave again by 5:30 around to get back in park by 6:30.

SO! overall you have too much in plan- mainly because swaps take twice as long! If one adult can forego a ride- or adults each only get 1 thrill ride each- it might work.
I think you will also need to pick between VoTLM or BaTB. I'd go with BaTB and plan to see the 11:30 show.

Something like this:

RD- be there by 8:15
FP and Ride TSM
1 adult ride RnRC-get swap for later
FPV ToT- (RT 10:30-11:30)- you'll actually also be getting a swap later
Potty break and characters in here
10ish TSM w/FP
10:30 Dis Jr
11- 1 adult ride ToT w/FP- get swap for later
11:30 Meet at BATB
FPV ST- want RT about 1:15/1:30
12 Lunch- done 1:15/1:30
ST w/FP- swap- allow about 30-35 min here- done just past 2?

Now you have a swap for RnRC and ToT- adult goes to use while other adult takes kids to HISTK or VoTLM or you can take a break- return by 6- use the swaps then while non-riding adult and kids see VoTLM

[DisneySmiles]

Based on our last time there (Feb) you will probably have time between your SB ride on TSM and DisneyJunior. We rode SB twice and meet Buzz and Woody before that 9:40 show. However, we pretty much left the Disney Junior show and went straight to VotLM and the show started pretty quickly. If you are doing bathroom breaks, you'll have to be pretty fast. There are bathrooms in Disney Junior off to the right of the stage as you walk in.

[pfalcioni]

Another option would be to allow your DH who's the thrill ride fan to ride ToT and RnRC while you take the girls to VotLM or BATB.

If you want to also ride both, then you can swap places and you go ride TOT and RnRC while your DH takes the kids to whichever show they haven't seen yet.

[JulieC]

Yup, you really only need one FP for each if I'm thinking right, though I'd get two FPs for RnRC (slightly farther away and you have it listed second) and not bother with the swap. If you don't mind doing one longish walk each, it would give the kids more time at HISTK and less waiting around in that area (where there isn't much for the little ones, except gift shops and food).

All go to ToT. Present FP and DD2, get swap, P1 rides ToT with FP.
P2+DD6+DD2 to HISTK
P1 rides RnRC with FP
P1 walks to HISTK to meet up.
P2 rides RnRC with FP
P2 rides ToT with swap
P2 FPVs TSM
P2 Checks in at Mama Melrose, phones P1 to join

[JulieC]

Based on our last time there (Feb) you will probably have time between your SB ride on TSM and DisneyJunior. We rode SB twice and meet Buzz and Woody before that 9:40 show. However, we pretty much left the Disney Junior show and went straight to VotLM and the show started pretty quickly. If you are doing bathroom breaks, you'll have to be pretty fast. There are bathrooms in Disney Junior off to the right of the stage as you walk in.

We left Disney Junior and went straight to VotLM and waited for about 2 minutes as well. Yes, that would have to be a quick one.

[AmyKat]

Sorry it took me a while to reply. This stuff makes my brain overheat. How does this look? (Times are approximate and just for me to keep up with reality.)


8:15 Arrive
9:00 Get FP and ride Toy Story SB
9:30 One parent ride RnR and get stroller swap for later
9:40 Other parent gets FP for ToT, takes girls to the potty, character autographs
10:00 Meet up and ride Toy Story with FP
10:30 Disney Jr.
11:00 One parent ride ToT and get stroller swap
11:30 Other parent take kids to Beauty & the Beast (hopefully ToT parent will meet up in time - if not head to Star Tours to get FP)
12:00 Get FP for Star Tours
12:00 Mama Melrose's for lunch (fantasmic package)
1:30 Ride Star Tours
2:00 - 5:30 rest at hotel
6:00 Back at park
6:00 One parent takes stroller swap passes and rides RnR & ToT
6:00 Other parent takes kids to Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Fill time with Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground, Muppet Vision, characters, potty, & snacks
7:00 One parent lines up for Fantasmic
7:30 Other parent and kids join 1st parent at Fantasmic

Is that better? We skipped the parade, but I think that will work out better.

[marybeth]

If you arrive by 8:15, you can probably be off of TSMM before 9:00. You will then have time to go to RnR and ride before the first Disney Jr. Actually, once you have the parent swap pass, the non rider could take the kids to meet some characters or for a potty break before going over to Disney Jr. The rider should have time to make it back before Disney Jr. starts. I made it there by 9:35 (plenty of space available) after riding TSMM and RnR.

Another thought is to fit RnR in by using the single rider option at most any point in the day. Then you could do ToT first thing instead of RnR. It might save you some backtracking, and you could go when it works instead of waiting on your FP return time.

[Havoc315]

There is such a thing as over FPing. You'll be looking at relatively light crowds. You said you don't want to be rushing back and forth, and FPs add more rushing. (extra trip to get the FP, then getting back to the attraction in the window).
Rope drop is more important than FP collection. In fact, for your plan -- you may not yet even be able to collect a second FP at 9:40.
I suspect you can ride the 3 headliners in the first hour, all on standby, no FPs, with minimal wait.
So I'd plan on doing TOT and RNR standby, but be ready to grab FPs is the standby line is over 15 minutes.
Im guessing you can finish TSM by 9:05-9:10(assuming you enter park at 8:45), complete RNR by 9:30, complete TOT before 10.
Then casually do Disney Jr, Beauty and the Beast, and TSM fp return, over the rest of the morning. (and grabbing Star Tours fp before lunch as you planned)

[AmyKat]

Thank you both! Disney seems to be going back and forth on the no-rope rope drop thing. I'm afraid that they will go back to the real rope drop for the slower crowds in September. I'm going to plan for the worst and hope for the best. The input that both of you gave me will help me have a plan in place for best case scenario too. Thank you!

[pfalcioni]

I wouldn't worry about the rope drop situation changing. As far as I know, they only went back to the old internal rope drop once since they made the change in Dec/January, and everyone who complained was told it was an unusual circumstance that was required due to a special event.