Comments on: Extreme parks: how to survive four Disney resorts in a day http://www.elliott.org/blog/extreme-parks-how-to-survive-four-disney-resorts-in-a-day/ The travel troubleshooter. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:10:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Laura http://www.elliott.org/blog/extreme-parks-how-to-survive-four-disney-resorts-in-a-day/comment-page-1/#comment-12313 Laura Wed, 28 May 2008 01:35:47 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5014#comment-12313 Go Chris! This sounds like something I would have done. I once left Orlando at 5PM to drive home to Maryland 'to get one more day at Disney in' for my then 10 and 12 year olds. I drove through the night and got home the next day to go to work. Your kids will probably brag about it later in life "My old man was so coool, he did 4 parks with us in one day!" While I haven't tried to do all 4 in one day, I can tell you that on one recent trip we 'maximized' our park hopper passes by studying the opening and closing times of all the parks and strategically planning our visits so that, if say we started at Animal Kingdom (which closes earliest) we ended at Epcot or one of the other attractions that remains open for several more hours after that. We jammed in a lot of Disney. Another secret - park at the Wilderness Lodge (Disney will allow you to park and 'visit' the lodging facilities if you say you are interested in staying there in the future) and take the launch to the Contemporary, from there you can get the monorail to any of the parks. This might not be the most convenient way if you're in a hurry, but it is one of the more fun ways to get into the park. One word of advice though about parking in various Disney hotel or other facility parking lots - make sure some other form of Disney transportation can get you back there no matter how late you leave - we almost got stranded at the Grand Floridian once because the buses didn't run back to the Wilderness Lodge from there at that hour. Once we complained that the bus driver had told us (in error) that the bus would pick us up and pointed out we wanted to get back because our 2 year old had a fever of 102, they found a way to get us there (but we still felt Disney's self-proclaimed legendary service had failed us - they initially didn't go out of their way to help us). Go Chris! This sounds like something I would have done. I once left Orlando at 5PM to drive home to Maryland ‘to get one more day at Disney in’ for my then 10 and 12 year olds. I drove through the night and got home the next day to go to work. Your kids will probably brag about it later in life “My old man was so coool, he did 4 parks with us in one day!”

While I haven’t tried to do all 4 in one day, I can tell you that on one recent trip we ‘maximized’ our park hopper passes by studying the opening and closing times of all the parks and strategically planning our visits so that, if say we started at Animal Kingdom (which closes earliest) we ended at Epcot or one of the other attractions that remains open for several more hours after that. We jammed in a lot of Disney.

Another secret – park at the Wilderness Lodge (Disney will allow you to park and ‘visit’ the lodging facilities if you say you are interested in staying there in the future) and take the launch to the Contemporary, from there you can get the monorail to any of the parks. This might not be the most convenient way if you’re in a hurry, but it is one of the more fun ways to get into the park.

One word of advice though about parking in various Disney hotel or other facility parking lots – make sure some other form of Disney transportation can get you back there no matter how late you leave – we almost got stranded at the Grand Floridian once because the buses didn’t run back to the Wilderness Lodge from there at that hour. Once we complained that the bus driver had told us (in error) that the bus would pick us up and pointed out we wanted to get back because our 2 year old had a fever of 102, they found a way to get us there (but we still felt Disney’s self-proclaimed legendary service had failed us – they initially didn’t go out of their way to help us).

]]> By: Michelle B. http://www.elliott.org/blog/extreme-parks-how-to-survive-four-disney-resorts-in-a-day/comment-page-1/#comment-12035 Michelle B. Wed, 14 May 2008 18:28:11 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5014#comment-12035 Looks like you took Mike Scopa up on his challenge! Glad to see you were successful! Looks like you took Mike Scopa up on his challenge! Glad to see you were successful!

]]> By: Amy http://www.elliott.org/blog/extreme-parks-how-to-survive-four-disney-resorts-in-a-day/comment-page-1/#comment-11993 Amy Mon, 12 May 2008 21:46:50 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5014#comment-11993 4 parks in one day with 3 young children? I wouldn't even be able to get my husband to do this! 4 parks in one day with 3 young children? I wouldn’t even be able to get my husband to do this!

]]> By: Canadian Agent http://www.elliott.org/blog/extreme-parks-how-to-survive-four-disney-resorts-in-a-day/comment-page-1/#comment-11986 Canadian Agent Mon, 12 May 2008 16:33:34 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5014#comment-11986 Just returned from spending 3 weeks in Florida and the Orlando area. Loved it! Love the state and everything that it has to offer! Did just two Disney Parks this time around but did all 4 parks 3 years ago over a 7 day period. To do all 4 parks in one day with three kids is amazing - Chris, you and your wife are to be admired (and you're very brave). Great story. Just returned from spending 3 weeks in Florida and the Orlando area. Loved it! Love the state and everything that it has to offer! Did just two Disney Parks this time around but did all 4 parks 3 years ago over a 7 day period. To do all 4 parks in one day with three kids is amazing – Chris, you and your wife are to be admired (and you’re very brave). Great story.

]]> By: KaTe http://www.elliott.org/blog/extreme-parks-how-to-survive-four-disney-resorts-in-a-day/comment-page-1/#comment-11985 KaTe Mon, 12 May 2008 15:48:29 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5014#comment-11985 Didn't you know that the beauty of living in Orlando is that you don't have to pull a 4-in-1-day? Didn’t you know that the beauty of living in Orlando is that you don’t have to pull a 4-in-1-day?

]]> By: Jeff Webster http://www.elliott.org/blog/extreme-parks-how-to-survive-four-disney-resorts-in-a-day/comment-page-1/#comment-11983 Jeff Webster Mon, 12 May 2008 15:36:18 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5014#comment-11983 Great idea and an entertaining article. I think the key was getting that little one to nap. You should revisit in a few years and try to add another ride or two at each park. I'll use some of your park insights when I take my little girl for her first Disney excursion later this year. Great idea and an entertaining article. I think the key was getting that little one to nap. You should revisit in a few years and try to add another ride or two at each park. I’ll use some of your park insights when I take my little girl for her first Disney excursion later this year.

]]> By: Chicky http://www.elliott.org/blog/extreme-parks-how-to-survive-four-disney-resorts-in-a-day/comment-page-1/#comment-11981 Chicky Mon, 12 May 2008 14:32:51 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5014#comment-11981 Chris, you're a glutton for punishment. LOL. Good article. It made me laugh, which is not a bad way to start a Monday morning. Chris, you’re a glutton for punishment. LOL. Good article. It made me laugh, which is not a bad way to start a Monday morning.

]]> By: Karen http://www.elliott.org/blog/extreme-parks-how-to-survive-four-disney-resorts-in-a-day/comment-page-1/#comment-11976 Karen Mon, 12 May 2008 13:46:44 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5014#comment-11976 Another great tip is to take advantage of the Fast Pass option where possible and that once you have it for a specific ride, you can use it whenever you want after the time listed on the ticket (said a pleasant elderly DW worker at Splash Mountain). Also, if you have little kids, take advantage of the switch pass option, which lets you ride immediately with up to 3 other riders since one person has to wait with a child that isn't tall enough for that ride. Great for big groups and coaster fanatics! The Pinnocchio Village Haus in Fantasy Land (Magic Kingdom) has really great, fresh salads and one of the best (healthiest,satisfying) theme park meals I've had. Another great tip is to take advantage of the Fast Pass option where possible and that once you have it for a specific ride, you can use it whenever you want after the time listed on the ticket (said a pleasant elderly DW worker at Splash Mountain). Also, if you have little kids, take advantage of the switch pass option, which lets you ride immediately with up to 3 other riders since one person has to wait with a child that isn’t tall enough for that ride. Great for big groups and coaster fanatics! The Pinnocchio Village Haus in Fantasy Land (Magic Kingdom) has really great, fresh salads and one of the best (healthiest,satisfying) theme park meals I’ve had.

]]> By: Christopher Elliott http://www.elliott.org/blog/extreme-parks-how-to-survive-four-disney-resorts-in-a-day/comment-page-1/#comment-11975 Christopher Elliott Mon, 12 May 2008 13:37:26 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5014#comment-11975 This was published in yesterday's Miami Herald. But to answer your question -- it was actually a lot of fun. This was published in yesterday’s Miami Herald. But to answer your question — it was actually a lot of fun.

]]> By: Joe Farrell http://www.elliott.org/blog/extreme-parks-how-to-survive-four-disney-resorts-in-a-day/comment-page-1/#comment-11971 Joe Farrell Mon, 12 May 2008 12:19:30 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5014#comment-11971 There are lots of 'how to do Disney' websites out there, and most of them have the same advice, Doing all 4 in a day seems like more of an assignment for a story than anything that it real fun. Are you using it on the blogs in order to expense it? There are lots of ‘how to do Disney’ websites out there, and most of them have the same advice,

Doing all 4 in a day seems like more of an assignment for a story than anything that it real fun. Are you using it on the blogs in order to expense it?

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