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Mom and daughter on Expedition Everest; Animal Kingdom
  • On Jan 11, 2010
    Amy from IL Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    WDW trip arriving 7/25/2010--7/30/10. Which parks-MK, Epcot (1/2day), HS-should we visit on which day (incl an off day)? Unofficial Guide to WDW says to avoid parks Early Magic Hours, yet everything I read says get to park when it opens...your thoughts?

    Hi Amy,

    If you are reading the "Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" then I recommend checking out their crowd calendar at www.touringplans.com.  On the crowd calendar, they make a recommendation for the best park to visit on a particular day; they also make a recommendation for parks to avoid  I love the work they do as there is a lot of data and math behind their recommendations.  You can check their recommendations for the dates you are interested in.

    With regards to when you should arrive at a park, I recommend that you get there at least 30 minutes before the posted opening time.  That's also true if the park is having morning Extra Magic Hour.  I personally love morning Extra Magic Hour as I think a lot of guests like to sleep in; a morning Extra Magic Hour gives me another hour in the park while a lot of guests are still sleeping!

    However, based on my experience, I do believe that a park with morning Extra Magic Hour is generally more crowded than another day when it is not offering Extra Magic Hour.  I think that is because a lot of Disney resort guests (those staying on Disney property) do try and take advantage of Extra Magic Hours and thus they will be at the park; guests who are not staying on Disney property or who are not aware of Extra Magic Hours randomly distribute themselves.  Thus I think there is a slight bump in the park offering morning Extra Magic Hour.

    My recommendation is to enjoy morning Extra Magic Hour and stay in the park until late morning or early afternoon, and then hop to another theme park.  That has always worked well for me.  However, if you can't get there early enough to fully enjoy morning Extra Magic Hour, then I agree with the Unofficial Guide -- skip that park!

    Have a magical vacation!
     
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Meet the Panelist: Bernie, Maryland

I am an engineer with NASA with prior Air Force service. My wife and I have two boys, ages 13 and 8. At home, I'm known as the "Disney Guy" and I've enjoyed helping guests plan their Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, and Disneyland vacations. Learn More About Bernie

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