What would you do?

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December 4, 2019 at 8:27 am #121268

bpellinen
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Here is the dilemma. My husband and I are going on our first Disney Cruise (yay!) for our 10th anniversary. We are going President’s Day week (get on the ship on President’s Day, and off that Friday). Due to flight availability, and our willingness (or lack there of), to drive to a bigger airport, we are leaving on the Friday before, and staying at Pop Century before the cruise. Originally, we were talking about getting a couple park tickets for those 2 days, and going to EPCOT Saturday, and Magic Kingdom Sunday(our 2 favorite parks.) However, my main concern is that it’s President’s Day weekend, and it will be insanely crowded. The point of our trip is the Cruise, not the parks, and we are planning a trip to Disneyland at the end of May this year. I’m afraid of starting the trip off being stressed because of all the crowds, and feeling like I wasted the money on the park tickets. However, there’s a small part of me that keeps thinking “can we be on property, and not go to the parks?” My husband has the same feelings as I do…it’s going to be really busy, so is it worth it, but can we be there and not go?

What would you do? I know we have plenty of options besides the parks…resort hopping, riding the monorail, exploring Disney Springs…we could even be brave and figure out how to get to the mini-golf courses using Disney transportation….etc.

December 4, 2019 at 10:15 am #121283

starbee
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I can’t speak for the level of crowds during President’s Day because I’ve never been during that time. But I was at WDW this year during Columbus Day weekend which people also say is super busy and I thought the crowds were the same as any other weekend. You could have a similar experience where the crowds aren’t as bad as you think. I would say if you go and expect that crowds will be terrible, things can only get better form there right? I think with FP+ you would be able to make sure you could get some stuff done and then anything else in addition would be a bonus. I am pretty happy to get a Joffrey’s, sit on a bench and take in the atmosphere and just be happy to be at Disney World which you could always do too if the crowds are bad. But then you have to think, will you be upset at the money you’ve spent if it comes to that? That part is all down to personal preference and how much you want to be able to accomplish to make it worth the money.

December 4, 2019 at 10:43 am #121292

dngnb8
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JMHO

WDW is always busy for the most part. 3 day weekends may have a higher population, but I would not call it insane. To alleviate the madness, I would suggest looking at hitting just some of the rides, manage your Fast Passes effectively, and focus more on shows and other attractions like you have always talked about. The biggest mistake people make is what I call Steamrolling the Parks. Trying to squeeze every attraction into a fixed period of time. Prioritize, Fast Pass and relax. Also remember, no matter how up tempo the parks may be, the cruise is a perfect close to a hectic park visit!

December 4, 2019 at 5:43 pm #121312

85glht
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Here is another opinion…. if you can afford it, just do it. You already know that you will not be able to visit all the parks and you are allocating 1 day per park. Get your fast passes and dining reservations situated (if any) and go and have a good time! Vacation is about relieving stress, NOT accentuating it.

December 4, 2019 at 5:58 pm #121313

Anonymous
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85glht wrote:

Vacation is about relieving stress, NOT accentuating it.

Exactly!

December 4, 2019 at 8:24 pm #121316

Nascfan
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If you can truly think of the parks and whatever you would do in them as a true bonus, then go for it. But please don’t stress yourself out over it. If you’d be happy doing the other things that Walt Disney World Resort has to offer, and there are a TON of them, then that’s your best option. Do you normally get to do the other things or are your WDW vacations pretty much go-go-go in the parks? That might factor into your decision.
What would I do? I think I’d probably go to the parks just because.

December 5, 2019 at 12:24 pm #121327

starbee
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Nascfan wrote:

What would I do? I think I’d probably go to the parks just because.

Same here. There’s more to do than just the rides so I would be thrilled to be there all day! I’d feel sad if I was at WDW but couldn’t go to the parks at all. So close, yet so far.

December 6, 2019 at 8:21 am #121368

bpellinen
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Thanks everyone, for your comments. As of right now, I think we are not going to go into the parks (but I may change my mind again), and give ourselves time to just explore different resorts and things. As my husband pointed out the other night, we haven’t really ever done that, because we spend most of our times in the 4 parks. We may even be brave and attempt to find the mini-golf courses. Does anyone have any opinions on those? I think there are 2….

December 6, 2019 at 8:39 am #121369

Nascfan
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Since you’ve never really explored, this is a great option. Oh my gosh, there’s so much to see and even do at the different resorts! Just a few suggestions, go to AKL and take some time to walk around and watch the animals on the savannah. They have great viewing spots all over, Arusha rock and chairs at certain points on the balcony hallways where you can sit and watch. And did you know they have night vision goggles that you can use under the tutelage of guides at night if you can find yourself there then? All the monorail resorts are gorgeous, along with Wilderness Lodge. So many have activities and things to do too, or just have fun exploring. Trader Sam’s at Poly, people rave about that if you’re interested in cocktails! Oh, and the Boardwalk and Epcot resorts, so awesome! If you’re so inclined you can rent some watercraft at any of the monorail resorts, Fort Wilderness, Wilderness Lodge, and Yacht and Beach. Or, if you’re interested in manual power, you can rent kayaks or canoes at Fort Wilderness, just $13/hour! One of the cheaper things to do at WDW! Anyway, I guess what I’m saying is, you could truly spend a week or more at WDW, never set foot in a park, and not run out of things to do.
As for mini-golf, we’ve done both, WinterSummerland and Fantasia Gardens. Love them both! WinterSummerland has two courses, one themed to winter and one to summer. Just take transportation to Blizzard Beach from Pop and it’s right next door. Fantasia Gardens is lots of fun also, holes themed to Fantasia of course, with lots of great theming. That one will require a little more planning to get to, I suggest taking transportation to Studios from Pop and then the boat or walking path (if you’re so inclined) to the Swan/Dolphin, and it’s pretty easy to get to from there. I honestly think you can’t go wrong with either, both are a lot of fun!

December 6, 2019 at 11:19 am #121382

starbee
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You can also rent surrey bikes at several resorts and that’s fun too! We’ve done that at Ft. Wilderness. There’s a bunch of things over at the Springs also like the amphicars, the Void, and other things I can’t think of right now

If you go to Trader Sam’s, expect at least a 45 minute wait (for a party of 2), even if you get there when it opens. There’s no reservations and no limit to how long you can be in there and it’s tiny. If you show up at 9pm or later, forget it, you won’t get in before close.

December 6, 2019 at 11:21 am #121383

starbee
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Nascfan wrote:

As for mini-golf, we’ve done both, WinterSummerland and Fantasia Gardens. Love them both! WinterSummerland has two courses, one themed to winter and one to summer. Just take transportation to Blizzard Beach from Pop and it’s right next door.

We’ve done Winter Summerland (both courses) and it’s super fun! However if Blizzard Beach is closed, Winter Summerland usually is too for some reason, so definitely check on that before you make the trip. We’ve made that mistake

December 6, 2019 at 11:25 am #121386

Nascfan
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Oh good thinking @starbee! I just checked refurb schedule and it looks like Blizzard Beach is supposed to be open with Typhoon Lagoon closed at that time. But smart to check!
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