*** Yay May! OFFICIAL MAY 2020 THREAD!!! Flowers are starting to bloom! ***

[Roscoe18]

My best guess, since they mention the shows still taking place, is that the work will be done overnight with some equipment visible in the back during the day, but not in the front. This is only a guess and I really have no idea for sure, but seems reasonable as I doubt they'd want to do the shows with people painting in the background. lol .

I hope this is correct. Tom had a post on this, and he seems to be leaning towards the idea that the work will be visible and possibly obtrusive to guests. More than pretty pictures, I hope they don't have to modify HEA while this is happening. We currently have a dessert party booked, but if it's going to be "lesser" version of a show I love, I'm not sure I'll keep that. We'll have to see as reports come in on the progress.

 

[GBRforWDW]

That sounds like a good idea! I only have three others to add so I should start practicing so I’m not fumbling around, lol!

Unfortunately no, I’ve tried so many times to like it! Along with Brown Derby () Im not crazy about them. Everyone always thinks I’m crazy when I say that. I’d rather pop over to Epcot. Plus this trip I’ve been planning to go to all of our favorite restaurants to take my sisters. Besides the GG character meal, we have Ohana breakfast (and dinner our first night).

If you're not already there, check out https://www.disboards.com/threads/r...nformation-read-post-1-2-no-spoilers.3782822/ for more info about the process.

Bummer about the HS restaurants, but at least Epcot is close enough to get over to and find something you like rather than settling,

 

[GBRforWDW]

I hope this is correct. Tom had a post on this, and he seems to be leaning towards the idea that the work will be visible and possibly obtrusive to guests. More than pretty pictures, I hope they don't have to modify HEA while this is happening. We currently have a dessert party booked, but if it's going to be "lesser" version of a show I love, I'm not sure I'll keep that. We'll have to see as reports come in on the progress.

Yeah, I was just reading his thoughts. I hope he's wrong, but until they start work, guess we won't know for sure. Makes me feel better that at least one of the options he thought of was the same as what I had said. I guess whichever route is safer. People aren't going to forego their WDW due to a castle paint job, especially with RotR going full steam ahead.

 

[Tessaf]

Today I booked our CL FP! Everything went smooth and it is so nice to not have to worry about HS. The only odd part was on one of our HS days, DSS said MMRR doesn’t start offering FP till 10:30 that day.

 

[Feberin]

I'm also slightly disappointed that the castle might have scaffolding up. We wouldn't have gotten any pictures without tons of people in them but still it's a little frustrating if they have it obviously under construction.

 

[A_Hal]

I just recently discovered this group and have enjoyed reading about your upcoming trips.

My family and I also have a May trip planned. We have a split stay planned May 23-30. The first night is at All Star Movies with the remainder of the stay at Port Orleans French Quarter. We have heard great things about POFQ and are excited to explore it for ourselves. My wife and two sons (8 and 5) have visited several times and are super excited for this trip because my parents as well as my sister and her family will be joining us for the first time. My niece will turn 3 while visiting and we have an exciting day planned for her.

Like many others, DHS has perplexed me the most when it comes to planning. Currently we have a full day and 2 partial days planned at MK with a full day planned at the other parks. I have considered switching to a full day and a half day at MK with 2 days at DHS so that we have a better chance to ride all of the tier 1 rides. Our DHS day is at 60+6 so I’m hopeful we’ll have a good selection. I’m thinking about fast passing SDD and standby MFSM. Although the wait isn’t terrible now, I’m waiting to see how the addition of FastPass impacts wait times.

I look forward to hearing more about your trips and planning strategies.

 

[GBRforWDW]

I just recently discovered this group and have enjoyed reading about your upcoming trips.

My family and I also have a May trip planned. We have a split stay planned May 23-30. The first night is at All Star Movies with the remainder of the stay at Port Orleans French Quarter. We have heard great things about POFQ and are excited to explore it for ourselves. My wife and two sons (8 and 5) have visited several times and are super excited for this trip because my parents as well as my sister and her family will be joining us for the first time. My niece will turn 3 while visiting and we have an exciting day planned for her.

Like many others, DHS has perplexed me the most when it comes to planning. Currently we have a full day and 2 partial days planned at MK with a full day planned at the other parks. I have considered switching to a full day and a half day at MK with 2 days at DHS so that we have a better chance to ride all of the tier 1 rides. Our DHS day is at 60+6 so I’m hopeful we’ll have a good selection. I’m thinking about fast passing SDD and standby MFSM. Although the wait isn’t terrible now, I’m waiting to see how the addition of FastPass impacts wait times.

I look forward to hearing more about your trips and planning strategies.

Welcome! I think it's well worth it to have 2 fast pass days at HS just to get SDD and MMRR, as well as 2 chances at RotR. I'm also not sure you would need 3 days of FPs at the MK, but it can be nice to have. Either way, good luck and happy planning!

 

[tzeitel]

My best guess, since they mention the shows still taking place, is that the work will be done overnight with some equipment visible in the back during the day, but not in the front. This is only a guess and I really have no idea for sure, but seems reasonable as I doubt they'd want to do the shows with people painting in the background. lol .

This is what they did at DLR to cover daytime construction work on the castle.
https://www.ocregister.com/2015/02/...tle-or-small-world-in-disney-style-of-course/

 

[kylenne]

Today I booked our CL FP! Everything went smooth and it is so nice to not have to worry about HS. The only odd part was on one of our HS days, DSS said MMRR doesn’t start offering FP till 10:30 that day.

We ran into something similar with SDD when we booked ours, DSS said FPs didn’t start until 9:30 on our HS day. I’m wondering if it’s a measure to keep the standby line moving in the morning given the crowds at rope drop due to ROTR.

 

[magickingdomprincess]

Joining in on the May fun! My DH, DS8, and DD6 will be going 5/23 – 5/31, with 5 nights at BCV using our DVC points, then 3 nights at HRH at UO. We normally go in early June but due to scheduling conflicts we’re braving Memorial Day and heading down in May the day after our kids get out of school. So excited for all of the new stuff since last summer! RotR, MMRR, the Skyliner,! Also Hagrid’s at UO! Also excited for the F&G booth menus to come out. I love snacking around WS!

I’m trying to get a game plan for my FP day at the end of March. It’s so hard to try to plan FP’s with not knowing how the BG process for RotR will go, and how the FP availability will be for the other rides.

Is anyone on the thread writing a pre-trip report or would like to share their FP plans? I’m looking for inspiration!

 

[GBRforWDW]

Joining in on the May fun! My DH, DS8, and DD6 will be going 5/23 – 5/31, with 5 nights at BCV using our DVC points, then 3 nights at HRH at UO. We normally go in early June but due to scheduling conflicts we’re braving Memorial Day and heading down in May the day after our kids get out of school. So excited for all of the new stuff since last summer! RotR, MMRR, the Skyliner,! Also Hagrid’s at UO! Also excited for the F&G booth menus to come out. I love snacking around WS!

I’m trying to get a game plan for my FP day at the end of March. It’s so hard to try to plan FP’s with not knowing how the BG process for RotR will go, and how the FP availability will be for the other rides.

Is anyone on the thread writing a pre-trip report or would like to share their FP plans? I’m looking for inspiration!

Welcome! yes, there's a lot that has changed in the last year and it's pretty incredible. So much newness this year!

For FP's, are you planning on 1 park per day? PH or no? I think at this point, we can only plan for what we know, so if they continue on the same trajectory for the next month, we can only assume it'll continue on for 2 more months while we make our FP selections, then adjust as necessary. Just remember, the plans for MFSR/Tier 1 changes and MMRR fastpasses were all introduced less than 30 days before their starting date, so everyone was scrambling to change their plans. We're fortunate in that the biggest potential change would be adding FP's for RotR, but I think the majority of us would say that we feel confident they are not going to change that any time soon.

If I were you, I'd put my HS day later in the trip, so you're out of the holiday weekend. It won't magically remove the crowd, but it'll help to an extent, plus you'll have your pick of Tier 1 ride and for the most part, time of day you want to ride.

 

[SMRT-1]

Is anyone on the thread writing a pre-trip report or would like to share their FP plans? I’m looking for inspiration!

This is still a work in progress, and, since we'll have 10 park days, it's probably not as helpful for a 5-day trip (also, my wife loves Tower of Terror, so it's probably got a lot more ToT than a normal plan), but here's the current state of our general plan and FP+.

Saturday

• Arrival/Drop Bags off at hotel
• Morning/Lunch at Disney Springs
• Hotel Check-in
• Boardwalk
• Afternoon/Evening at Hollywood Studios
  • FP1 - TSM
  • FP2 - RnRC
  • FP3 - ToT
  • Possibly Ride MFSR at close

Sunday

• Animal Kingdom
  • RD - Everest
  • FP1 - Safari
  • FP2 - Kali Rapids
  • FP3 - Nav'i River
• Evening at Epcot

Monday

• Magic Kingdom
  • RD - Jungle Cruise
  • FP1 - Peter Pan
  • FP2 - Mansion
  • FP3 - Space Mountain

Tuesday

• Sleep in / Morning at hotel
• Lunch at Homecomin'
• Afternoon/Evening at Epcot
  • DiveQuest
  • FP1 - Epcot Forever

Wednesday

• Hollywood Studios
  • Attempt to get RotR BG
  • RD - ToT
  • FP1 - SDD
  • FP2 - Star Tours
  • FP3 - Indy Stunt Show

Thursday

• Epcot
  • RD Frozen
  • FP1 - Test Track
  • FP2 - Mission Space
  • FP3 - SE (unless closed for refurb)

Friday

• Morning at Hollywood Studios
  • Attempt to get RotR BG
  • RD ToT
• Afternoon at Magic Kingdom
  • FP1 - 7DMT
  • FP2 - Mansion
  • FP3 - Buzz
• Evening at Epcot
  • Dinner at Space 220 (assuming it's finally open, and we can manage ADRs)
• VAH at Magic Kingdom

Saturday

• Sleep in / Morning at hotel
• Evening at Hollywood Studios
  • FP1 - MMRR
  • FP2 - ToT
  • FP2 - Fantasmic

Sunday

• Sleep in / Morning at hotel
• Evening at Animal Kingdom
  • FP1 - Flight of Passage
  • FP2 - Night Safari
  • FP2 - Rivers of Light

Monday

• Morning at Hollywood Studios
  • Attempt to get RotR BG
  • RD ToT
  • FP1 - ToT
  • FP2 - MFSR
  • FP3 ??
• Afternoon/Evening Park Hop
  • Anything we missed, or want to do again.

Tuesday

• Hotel check out
• Travel

*edited to remove Tier 1 FP conflict at Epcot on Tuesday.

 

[lobolabo]

Well May friends, after a lot of discussion and deliberation we've decided to combine our May plans with our trip in June. So no May trip for us. I enjoyed chatting with you all and hope you all have great trips!

 

[GBRforWDW]

X

 

[magickingdomprincess]

Welcome! yes, there's a lot that has changed in the last year and it's pretty incredible. So much newness this year!

For FP's, are you planning on 1 park per day? PH or no? I think at this point, we can only plan for what we know, so if they continue on the same trajectory for the next month, we can only assume it'll continue on for 2 more months while we make our FP selections, then adjust as necessary. Just remember, the plans for MFSR/Tier 1 changes and MMRR fastpasses were all introduced less than 30 days before their starting date, so everyone was scrambling to change their plans. We're fortunate in that the biggest potential change would be adding FP's for RotR, but I think the majority of us would say that we feel confident they are not going to change that any time soon.

If I were you, I'd put my HS day later in the trip, so you're out of the holiday weekend. It won't magically remove the crowd, but it'll help to an extent, plus you'll have your pick of Tier 1 ride and for the most part, time of day you want to ride.

Thank you! We have AP's and love to hop! We usually do one park in the AM, take a hotel/swim break, then a different park in the pm. You're right, it seems like the current FP tiers will probably be in effect for awhile. It will be really interesting to see how the availability is for Tier 1 FP's at DHS. I'm planning 1-2 mornings at DHS, just in case we don't get a BG. I'm also thinking we might sneak in a ride or two at the end of the night before park close, since we're pretty close by at BCV. Good point on planning one of those DHS days further out though. I think there's a UK website that helps show current FP availability, I need to go find it again, I haven't used it in awhile.

This is still a work in progress, and, since we'll have 10 park days, it's probably not as helpful for a 5-day trip (also, my wife loves Tower of Terror, so it's probably got a lot more ToT than a normal plan), but here's the current state of our general plan and FP+.

Saturday

• Arrival/Drop Bags off at hotel
• Morning/Lunch at Disney Springs
• Hotel Check-in
• Boardwalk
• Afternoon/Evening at Hollywood Studios
  • FP1 - TSM
  • FP2 - RnRC
  • FP3 - ToT
  • Possibly Ride MFSR at close

Sunday

• Animal Kingdom
  • RD - Everest
  • FP1 - Safari
  • FP2 - Kali Rapids
  • FP3 - Nav'i River
• Evening at Epcot

Monday

• Magic Kingdom
  • RD - Jungle Cruise
  • FP1 - Peter Pan
  • FP2 - Mansion
  • FP3 - Space Mountain

Tuesday

• Sleep in / Morning at hotel
• Lunch at Homecomin'
• Afternoon/Evening at Epcot
  • FP1 - Soarin'
  • DiveQuest
  • FP2 - Epcot Forever

Wednesday

• Hollywood Studios
  • Attempt to get RotR BG
  • RD - ToT
  • FP1 - SDD
  • FP2 - Star Tours
  • FP3 - Indy Stunt Show

Thursday

• Epcot
  • RD Frozen
  • FP1 - Test Track
  • FP2 - Mission Space
  • FP3 - SE (unless closed for refurb)

Friday

• Morning at Hollywood Studios
  • Attempt to get RotR BG
  • RD ToT
• Afternoon at Magic Kingdom
  • FP1 - 7DMT
  • FP2 - Mansion
  • FP3 - Buzz
• Evening at Epcot
  • Dinner at Space 220 (assuming it's finally open, and we can manage ADRs)
• VAH at Magic Kingdom

Saturday

• Sleep in / Morning at hotel
• Evening at Hollywood Studios
  • FP1 - MMRR
  • FP2 - ToT
  • FP2 - Fantasmic

Sunday

• Sleep in / Morning at hotel
• Evening at Animal Kingdom
  • FP1 - Flight of Passage
  • FP2 - Night Safari
  • FP2 - Rivers of Light

Monday

• Morning at Hollywood Studios
  • Attempt to get RotR BG
  • RD ToT
  • FP1 - ToT
  • FP2 - MFSR
  • FP3 ??
• Afternoon/Evening Park Hop
  • Anything we missed, or want to do again.

Tuesday

• Hotel check out
• Travel

Thanks for sharing! That's so neat you're doing Divequest at EP! That's where you actually go into the tank at The Seas, right? I've always thought that looked fun but would probably not have the nerve to do it myself! Good choice with Homecomin! I've eaten there on my last two trips. That mac and cheese and hummingbird cake is delish! I have an ADR there for this trip but probably going to cancel to take the kids to TRex Cafe.

I didn't realize Epcot forever is a Tier 2 FP. I'll have to think about that on our arrival night, especially if SE is closed then. It's crazy how DHS has changed from being a park we barely went to before to now wanting to spend so much time there. I guess that's what happens when they had so many new rides!

 

[GBRforWDW]

Thank you! We have AP's and love to hop! We usually do one park in the AM, take a hotel/swim break, then a different park in the pm. You're right, it seems like the current FP tiers will probably be in effect for awhile. It will be really interesting to see how the availability is for Tier 1 FP's at DHS. I'm planning 1-2 mornings at DHS, just in case we don't get a BG. I'm also thinking we might sneak in a ride or two at the end of the night before park close, since we're pretty close by at BCV. Good point on planning one of those DHS days further out though. I think there's a UK website that helps show current FP availability, I need to go find it again, I haven't used it in awhile.



Thanks for sharing! That's so neat you're doing Divequest at EP! That's where you actually go into the tank at The Seas, right? I've always thought that looked fun but would probably not have the nerve to do it myself! Good choice with Homecomin! I've eaten there on my last two trips. That mac and cheese and hummingbird cake is delish! I have an ADR there for this trip but probably going to cancel to take the kids to TRex Cafe.

I didn't realize Epcot forever is a Tier 2 FP. I'll have to think about that on our arrival night, especially if SE is closed then. It's crazy how DHS has changed from being a park we barely went to before to now wanting to spend so much time there. I guess that's what happens when they had so many new rides!

The site you’re referring to is the Dibb https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=835236.

I actually prefer Touring Plans FP availability site https://touringplans.com/hollywood-studios/fastpass-availability/date/2020-02-19
This one allows you to see how many time slots for all rides available each day and gives an idea of time of day availability. Just use the calendar to go 60 days from today and count up from there to see what the availability looks like 2 months from now.

Used to be, you’d have to have HS on your fourth day or later for a decent shot at a Slinky Dog FP. Now you can get a shot for any T1 ride at 60+1 and at 60+2 you are almost guaranteed to get your choice for mid afternoon or later. If you have to have a morning FP for a T1 ride, you may need to wait til later in the week.

 

[SMRT-1]

Thanks for sharing! That's so neat you're doing Divequest at EP! That's where you actually go into the tank at The Seas, right? I've always thought that looked fun but would probably not have the nerve to do it myself!

I didn't realize Epcot forever is a Tier 2 FP. I'll have to think about that on our arrival night, especially if SE is closed then. It's crazy how DHS has changed from being a park we barely went to before to now wanting to spend so much time there. I guess that's what happens when they had so many new rides!

DOH! Epcot Forever is still Tier 1, not Tier 2. I think I just had a brain lapse because Fantasmic and Rivers of Light have moved to Tier 2. Thanks for catching that; I've updated my post to remove the other Tier 1 FP.


DiveQuest is amazing. I've done it twice before, and my wife has done it once. I love interacting with guests, especially the ones seated by the windows at Coral Reef. They have a cameraman in the tank with you taking a video that you can buy afterward. You need to be a certified scuba diver to do it, though. For the non-divers, they do offer Aqua Tour where you can snorkel in the tank.

 

[magickingdomprincess]

The site you’re referring to is the Dibb https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=835236.

I actually prefer Touring Plans FP availability site https://touringplans.com/hollywood-studios/fastpass-availability/date/2020-02-19
This one allows you to see how many time slots for all rides available each day and gives an idea of time of day availability. Just use the calendar to go 60 days from today and count up from there to see what the availability looks like 2 months from now.

Used to be, you’d have to have HS on your fourth day or later for a decent shot at a Slinky Dog FP. Now you can get a shot for any T1 ride at 60+1 and at 60+2 you are almost guaranteed to get your choice for mid afternoon or later. If you have to have a morning FP for a T1 ride, you may need to wait til later in the week.

Thanks! I'll check that TP one out. I was actually just coming back to post the right name since I found it. It looks kind of grim for what I was finding now (for 60 days from today), but I'm sure things will change for May. I may have to adjust and schedule some afternoon or evening FP's instead of just morning ones. Just as a sample of what I found:
MMRR: 60+3 evening, 60+4 afternoon, +9 morning
MFSR: 60+2 evening, 60+3 afternoon, 60+6 morning
SDD: 60+2 afternoon, 60+6 morning
SDMT: 60+0 evening 60+1 afternoon, 60+4 morning
FoP: 60+3 afternoon, 60+4 morning

Obviously a lot can change in the next 3 months, but I'll definitely be monitoring the FP availability to help with my planning.

 

[Feberin]

We book Fastpasses in 9 days. I'd love availability for MFSR for 2 and SDD for 4 at 61 days. It would let me switch my second day from trying to get a boarding group then hopping to Epcot then back to HS for dinner to just HS. And it would let me switching our fourth day from HS to maybe AK depending on boarding groups
to Epcot/AK.

 

[GBRforWDW]

Thanks! I'll check that TP one out. I was actually just coming back to post the right name since I found it. It looks kind of grim for what I was finding now (for 60 days from today), but I'm sure things will change for May. I may have to adjust and schedule some afternoon or evening FP's instead of just morning ones. Just as a sample of what I found:
MMRR: 60+3 evening, 60+4 afternoon, +9 morning
MFSR: 60+2 evening, 60+3 afternoon, 60+6 morning
SDD: 60+2 afternoon, 60+6 morning
SDMT: 60+0 evening 60+1 afternoon, 60+4 morning
FoP: 60+3 afternoon, 60+4 morning

Obviously a lot can change in the next 3 months, but I'll definitely be monitoring the FP availability to help with my planning.

I wouldn't expect much different. 60 days out is the sunday after Easter and probably still some Spring Break. You'll be going Memorial weekend/week. I'd plan for these scenarios to stay in place.

For Park/Fastpass plan, I'd almost say start with Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, then back to Hollywood for the second Tier 1/BG attempt.