Touring Plan Tuesday: Epcot Day One

As you can see, our plans to the right are revised a little bit. I found out that Magic Kingdom was closing early on 9/10 for a special event, so the touring plan people are telling me to avoid the park. I moved it to 9/7 and changed our dinner reservations. We can go to Disney Hollywood studios on our last day, 9/10.

You will also see updated crowd estimates. Instead of being 4s and 5s, some are at a level of 1 or 2. Amazing! Obviously the busiest days are Labor Day weekend, but I liked hearing that some of the crowd levels will be really low!

There are a few reasons why I chose Epcot for our first days.

• It is the largest park-- we will have more energy near the beginning of the trip
• Crowd levels-- since it is a larger park, crowds are more dispersed. Epcot is 2x larger than the Magic Kingdom, meaning a "5" or "6" at Epcot and Animal Kingdom (our second park) will feel less crowded than a "6" at the Magic Kingdom
• Hayden probably won't like it-- why not start with the least cool right of the bat? I would hate to take him to MK or AK first and then have him be disappointed and bored. We can get Epcot out of the way and move onto other parks.

Here is what I am thinking as a tentative plan for the first day. I don’t have my book with me, but I want to add in the “little things” that we might want to check out. For example, the splash fountain and Club Cool sound interesting. We will also make sure that Hayden has a chance to do the “Kid Cot” stations in the world showcase.

Laura: Have you thought about an autograph book for Hayden? If not, I would like to make him one. I wanted to make one that includes a “passport” pages for the different countries in Epcot. The ‘natives’ will write personal messages to him in their native language. Sadly, there are no “click click” languages so Dirk will not feel at home in World Showcase. LOL!

7:00     Take bus to Magic Kingdom. Tell driver that we would like to go to the Polynesian   
            Resort. If he can’t take us there, take the Monorail from MK to the Polynesian.

8:00     Ohana breakfast with Lilo and Stitch

Walk 10 minutes to the Transportation and Ticket Center

Board Monorail to Epcot

            Ride Soarin’-- Everyone except Paula and Ginny
            Ride Soarin’-- Everyone except Evan and Ginny (L, D, and H ride a second time with P)

            Ride Living with the Land

            See Circle of Life

            Tour “The Seas with Nemo and Friends” and ride “Finding Nemo”

            See Turtle Talk with Crush

            Ride Journey Into Imagination

            See Captain E-O

12:05   Coral Reef Lunch

             Explore Innoventions West, Disney Visa Character Greet @ 1:30 p.m. (free 5X7)
             Club Cool
             "Mom, I Can't Believe It's Disney Fountain"

            Go back to the hotel for naps/swimming

            Return to Epcot (leave hotel around 4:00-4:30 ish?)

            Go to Canada and watch “O’Canada”

            Explore the United Kingdom

            Go to France and see “Impressions de France

7:05     Biergarten Dinner

            Depart Epcot

Let me know what you think and if you have anything to add to this plan. The rest of the major attractions will be done our second day there, but if you see something I missed in these areas of the park, please let me know. 

Also, let me know if there is something that you absolutely will not do. All of the attractions on this day are things Hayden can ride, so that is a good thing!