What is your Theme Park Strategy?

[cruise-o-matic]

What's your best strategy?

Is it better to take advantage of morning EMH or avoid it and go the following day? What about Evening EMH?

For example, when I wanted to ride Summit Plummet, I got there at rope drop. Then I literally ran up the peak and was the 2nd one...after the Ski Captain. I got to ride it twice...but by my 3rd attempt (about 15 minutes after Rope drop), the wait was already 20+ minutes.....had the biggest bruises on my buns after that... :D

[kathleena]

I have tried evening EMHs and they are too crazy

The morning ones are still manageable.

No more nights for me!

[cruise-o-matic]

I have tried evening EMHs and they are too crazy

The morning ones are still manageable.

No more nights for me!

I think E-ride would be better. Even though you have to pay extra, it would be worth it, especially in the summer.

[withdisneyspirit]

I definitely agree...avoid evening EMH. I avoid that park altogether! My strategy is to go to the park that had evening EMH the day before, then the park really isn't very crowded at all. I do still like morning EMH :)

[cruise-o-matic]

I definitely agree...avoid evening EMH. I avoid that park altogether! My strategy is to go to the park that had evening EMH the day before, then the park really isn't very crowded at all. I do still like morning EMH :)

Thanks for the advice.

DD likes to sleep in and trying to make morning EMH...well, if she ain't happy, no one's happy.....

[lllovell]

We avoid both. I tend to do a park the day after an EMH (be it night or morning, but most specifically the night ones). We were going to try the e-ride thing before they took it away, but to me, staying up late for the small children just to fight crowds is a nightmare!

We simply get to a park at rope drop and pick a park to return to after lunch breaking our day up with a little quiet, rest time and avoiding EMH has never been difficult to do.

Laura

[tjkraz]

With two small kiddies napping every day, we like to split our days between a morning park and an afternoon park.

The mornings are usually short. The one big difference DVC has made in our touring is that I refuse to rush everyone out the door at 8:30am to make a 9am opening. If we don't leave the room until 10am, so be it. But we're still back in that room around 1pm for naps.

Then we'll leave again around 5pm and stay out for the night.

I don't know that I've ever attended a single morning EMH. Maybe a day at AK about 3-4 years ago, but that's about it. One of my goals for our next trip is to arrive at MK before opening. Probably won't be on an EMH morning, though. :)

I have no problem with the nighttime EMH. Obviously the parks aren't going to empty out immediately, so the crowds are understandable and were expected from the get-go. Logistically I think it works better at some parks than others. We did a nighttime EMH at MGM back in May '04 when they were running a 2-week trial period. The result was pretty much what I expected: As soon as Fantasmic let out, ToT and RnR were swamped. A year later we did a nighttime EMH at MGM and simply avoided those rides. There were quite a few other attractions open, and no crowds.

We also did the night EMH at MK and had a good experience. We did BTMR (twice) with no wait right at park closing, followed by SplMtn with no wait. Then we did Pirates and Buzz, each with about 10 min wait.

My guess is that the night EMH gets even better as the night goes on. It's basically a reverse of the morning EMH--instead of crowds getting steadily larger, they get steadily smaller.

[TW1]

We are the quintessential Commandos.

We are in whatever park opens first each morning and out of whatever park closes last each night. Its go go go for us from rope drop to pillow.

We'll start each day at the EMH park and run it til mid-afternoon. Head back for a swim, quick bite and on to that evenings EMH park.

We'll split up and gather FPs, do the rides/shows we like either together or in teams, set our watches for certain shows or events along the way, and use parade times to take in an extra ride or shopping somewhere.

For each of our trips its been like that and we can't wait for the next one to do it all over again. DD is 11 and DS is 7 and they've gotten to know the parks as well as we have, so they often lead the charge cross-park to make it to a FP or beat a crowd. (DD even has her favorite bathrooms and knows how to wind her way through a crowd to get there while heading to any place in the parks :p)

This last trip in Aug., however, we did plug in a slightly slower day, just doing a TL till about 5pm and not going to a park that night. Was alot more calm, but he kids were a bit disappointed we weren't heading out somewhere after dinner!

[withdisneyspirit]

I love your commando story, TW1! How do you conquer HHI?

[TW1]

I love your commando story, TW1! How do you conquer HHI?

Ahh, that's why we bought there! HHI is our complete opposite. We probably only make it to WDW every other year, so we are ready and willing for a jam-packed trip.

Our usual HHI routine is breakfast in the room followed by a day at the beach. By 4 we're heading back to the main resort for a quick dip in that pool or dinner (usually in the room.) Evenings are just as lazy with more swimming, or campfires, crabbing, etc. But our favorite post dinner activity is to go back for a stroll on the deserted beach.

This past August we managed 5 nights at BCV followed by 2 at VB and 5 more in HHI. The BCV part was go-go-go, 7am - midnight. Kids loved it and hung in there, but the day we packed up for the trip to the beach they were REALLY ready for down time.

Honestly, HHI could be jammed packed with things to do, though different things obviously, like biking, tennis, shopping, day trips, etc. But we really just want to veg on the beach or pool side. I see it in our future however. DD did a project on South Carolina and is now very eager to see some of the state. We promised a trip to Charleston and Fort Sumter so our lazy beach summer could be compounded with some site seeing soon.

Honestly, I'm surprised at the folks who can "afford" to take it easy. It's just not in our nature to pass up a trip the WDW without trying to do it all, all-over again. I would feel like I'm missing something if I were just doing the resort things.

We'll see. Things do change so I guess our Commando trips could come to an end some day.

[lllovell]

TW1 - you vacation much like my family does while at the beach.

We have been going to St. George Island (Florida panhandle area) since I was a young teenager (so FOREVER :p ) and going as a big extended family means that going out to eat is complicated. We get up and cook breakfast (occasionally the whole family eats breakfast together - but usually its every man for himself), head to the beach about 10 - setting up a quick tarp, chairs and kiddie toys then playing for the rest of the day. Lunch is also every man for himself, then a family volleyball game at 5 followed by one last swim of the day and dinner.

As we have grown, we tend to have more money and eat out more for things like breakfast and lunch, but I am really glad that we still do our dinners together for the most part. Everything is low key, laid back and on "island time". We try to go for 2 weeks together in the summers, but tend to only be able to make it for 1 these days with all of us kids having families now, etc. We even scattered my Mother's ashes there so no matter what, she is with us with we are at the place that she loved so much.

So, We have the luxury of getting a beach trip every year and getting 2-3 WDW trips in. We live close enough to both places to drive and some of our WDW trips are just long weekends for Star Wars Weekends or Braves Spring training games, etc so its a nice balance!

This is why I don't think it would be smart for us to own more DVC points right now. I just couldn't give up my time at St. George every year. :)

(Of course, we are going to HHI in January for a long, low-point weekend in January and may fall in love with it too - and then all my smart planning is going to be sunk :p )

Laura

[TW1]

L,

You'll have to let me know how HHI is in Jan. It would be great to get away then and the school calendars should allow it. We usually go in August and once at the end of March. As long as it ain't freezing, January would be just as much fun I imagine.

[cruise-o-matic]

I'm like you TW1....I like to go go go....DW & DD like to take it a little easier....Hard to make them understand that in the summer, you need to get to parks early, lest you wind up showing up with the rest of the masses & heat too. I think DW liked DVC b/c it would = more trips and maybe I'd slow down some..... :D

Promised to take DD to WDW next July w/my sis's family. She'll be 9 and can officially ride the horses at FW but we also plan to return in mid-Oct while she has 4-day weekend. Trying to talk her into HH this summer instead since we are going in Oct too....Sis would be OK with that.

[Leftcoaster]

I tend to be a sleep in kind of commando. I'll usually wake up 9-ish and take my time getting ready before heading out to the parks. Then, I'll stay out till park closing (usually Epcot), head back to the resort to freshen up a bit and then off to Pleasure Island.
Sometimes I'll head back to the resort in the afternoon for a break. Sometimes, I'll just take more time in the morning and hang by the pool, etc.

[DrTomorrow]

We're modified commandos: Up early, up late - but with a nap in-between! :D

I love to be at the park at rope drop - there's just a special kind of energy we feel when we're waiting. We also chat with the CMs - we lurve the bellhop from ToT that is usually at the DS rope. However, once we've had 3 or 5 hours in a park (around noon or so) we've usually done so much that we're ready to head out. We go to our resort, have some sammiches, swim, relax and (sometimes) nap. Then we head out again for the evening - I also love theme parks at night, with all the lights lit up.

This has worked out very well for us; even in the reduced hours of fall/winter (of course, our PM breaks aren't a long). The only downside is that we rarely see any afternoon parades.

[UsedtobeSmith]

We try and get up early, but are pokey about it. At home we are up and out, no fuss no muss, but on vacation I cant seem to get a fire under anyone... including myself.

Once at the parks we hustle... we find the kids do better if we keep moving. So we use FP a lot. Go GO go until we feel the first melt down coming on! Then we head to the hotel for quite time and hopefully a nap. If we head out again it will be to the pool and maybe Epcot for dinner.

[mamaprincess]

I wish I could say we had an exact formula but we really don't. We have a pretty late breakfast so we can be well rested. We get into the parks by noon which many folks don't suggest :crowded: . We fast pass religiously those rides that are known for lines and we watch our fastpasses and adhere to them. We child swap because we have a little one which allows us to beat the lines and go twice (shame on us :mad: ). We leave the parks well in advance of closing so we can avoid the :crowded: . With this loose strategy we have never waited in a line more than 40 minutes and that was only once for the great movie ride (a miscalculation on my part). We do everything we want to do at every park and we aren't warn out and cranky. :goodvibes

[cobbler]

I have never been to any of the EMH's. I plan my days at the 90 day window with my dining. When the hours come out and if we hit an EMH great, but it isn't necessary.

Although I doubt that I would ever do a morning EMH. Trying to get my family up and ready - ha. I think I might have an easier time hyjacking the monorail!

[jnrrt]

So, if you were to hijack a monorail, where would you take it?

:hehehehe: Sometimes I crack myself up!

[jiggerj]

Early up and Early to sleep. Like to be at the parks at opening, take a break midday, easy eve then HOPEFULLY everyone goes to sleep early enough to feel ready and refreshed for the next day. Exceptions being late night for Illuminations or Wishes. With a 6 yr old with you "after" Illuminations or Wishes could be kinda late. I go with the flow of my ds's mood cause I know we will be back. No more commando and tired out. This is our VACATION! :)

Although I think I am probably the one that gets tired out as I like to get up at 4:30 am and just sit on the balcony and enjoy Quiet Disney time.

[TW1]

So, if you were to hijack a monorail, where would you take it?

:hehehehe: Sometimes I crack myself up!

Castaway Cay

[PoohsPal]

Castaway Cay
Do they float?

[jnrrt]

No, no, no! You guys are missing all the monorail funniness here!

See, if someone hijacks a plane, they could say "Turn this plane around and take me to Scotland!" or something. But see a MONORAIL is on TRACKS. You see the funniness? See, he's have to say "Turn this around and take me to Scotland!' and the driver would say, "It's going to the Contemporary." "No, Scotland!" "No, the Contemporary." "I can't hear you!" "Neener, neener, neener!" And so on.

So you see how funny that is. It's very very funny. Very funny. You see.

[PoohsPal]

And I thought you artsy people had more imagination. :Pokepoke: :D

[kathyseb]

Since DVC, we take it a little slower.

Prior to DVC, we were at the park within 10 minutes of it opening. We stay until the park closes.

Now we sleep in as we eat breakfast in the room. Sometimes we eat breakfast in our jammies and sometimes we are dressed and ready to hit the pavement running.

We do not go back to the room during the day. Once we hit the park, we stay until it closes. Unless we are at BW since then you could walk back to the room from MGM or EPCOT.

We have never been to EMH.
We go during the off season, so crowds are really not a problem for us.

We will stay for late hours if we happen to be at that park.

We hop from park to park. If we ever stay an entire day and evening at only one park, it will be EPCOT. That is where we spend the majority of our time.