Hi there!

I will be with my wife (who has never been to MK or HS) and two teen nieces (never been to WDW) for a trip to each of the 4 parks from 12jan to 15jan (so Marathon weekend plus two days). We will be staying at Worldquest, so not on site but not far. So I would like some help on best park for each day. The day by day list on touringplans.com says that MK is the best park on Sa, Su, and Tu, and to avoid the other parks; and HS is the best park for Mo. Hmm, so avoid EP and AK every day that we are there, interesting.

Initially I thought:

Sa 12jan: MK, only day open until 11
Su 13jan: AK, bad day for all non-MK parks but at least the AK is least popular
Mo 14jan: HS, touringplans says best park no-brainer
Tu 15jan: EP, the last park left

But as I read more about avoiding days with extra hours (Tues for EP) and that Tuesdays generally are worst day for EP and best for MK, I thought about this alternative

Sa 12jan: EP, at least Sat is generally not bad
Su 13jan: AK, bad day for all non-MK parks but at least the AK is least popular, and maybe least affected by marathon
Mo 14jan: HS, touringplans says best park no-brainer
Tu 15jan: MK, Tuesday is best day, but only open til 8

Given the marathons, any advice?

Also, my wife is in a wheelchair. I have not read if there is a section at Fantasmic for wheelchairs, and how quickly it fills. Would one expect to wait 60-90 minutes like the guidebooks say at Fantasmic in mid Jan? Also, any other advice for a wheelchair patron would be appreciated!

THANKS!!!

Dave
Indianapolis

Welcome to MP, my fellow Hoosier.

When it comes to catering to guests with disabilities, from personal experience, Disney is second to none. I would not say that you get "special" treatment because of such, but they are very accommodating. As for your question about Fantasmic, they have an area at the top of several (if not all??) sections that are reserved for guests in wheelchairs and their familes. I dont think you will have many worries there.

As for when to get there, our usually guideline is about 45 mins during the off season, which your trip most likely falls under. No less than 30 mins though and that is only if the crowds are light.

In many cases, touringplans.com's plans works well... or at least as good as any other trip-planning guide. Sometimes there are some variances with the marathon going on, but I believe that it most likely takes some of that into consideration.

As for the rest of your plan, generally Epcot can handle the most people so if the other parks are crowded, Epcot tends to handle more guests a little easier. Use FastPass whenever possible and available and I would bet that you will be able to avoid many long lines.

I know that other who have been there during the marathon will be able to chime in on some other specific tips.

I cannot say enough good things about Disney's service to the handicapped. My wife broke her ankle before our trip this past August. She had a knee-high brace, and needed a wheelchair. In a week of touring the parks, we never met a Disney employee that didn't do whatever it took to accomodate her. Not one made her feel like it was an annoyance to have to help us, and in some cases it probably was (eg., at Test Track, the loading CM has to take the wheelchair up an elevator, across the track, and back down an elevator on the other side.) The only issue we had was that we were relying on rented wheelchairs from Disney, which wasn't a problem at the parks but was at the resort. We stayed at Carribean Beach, and they don't reserve wheelchairs. It's first come, first served, and we never managed to get one, so she had to hobble around on her brace.

Unfortunately, we didn't experience the same level of compassion from other Disney guests. In a week of riding crowded buses, only two people offered her a seat. People in the parks were really rude about getting through in a wheelchair.

I cannot say enough good things about Disney's service to the handicapped. My wife broke her ankle before our trip this past August. She had a knee-high brace, and needed a wheelchair. In a week of touring the parks, we never met a Disney employee that didn't do whatever it took to accomodate her. Not one made her feel like it was an annoyance to have to help us, and in some cases it probably was (eg., at Test Track, the loading CM has to take the wheelchair up an elevator, across the track, and back down an elevator on the other side.) The only issue we had was that we were relying on rented wheelchairs from Disney, which wasn't a problem at the parks but was at the resort. We stayed at Carribean Beach, and they don't reserve wheelchairs. It's first come, first served, and we never managed to get one, so she had to hobble around on her brace.

Unfortunately, we didn't experience the same level of compassion from other Disney guests. In a week of riding crowded buses, only two people offered her a seat. People in the parks were really rude about getting through in a wheelchair.

Regarding Fantasmic, the back row of most of the sections has breaks in it for wheelchairs. We got there an hour early on a really busy day, and got one of the few remaining handicapped spots. The problem is getting out. When the show's over, 10,000 people are crushing each other to get through the one poorly designed exit. Trying to get through there in a wheelchairs was pretty rough. I recommend leaving as soon as you see the boat with all the waving characters. That's the end of the show, and you'll be just ahead of the mad crush of people.