FOUR DISNEY PARKS.... THE TWENTY FIVE - NO, MAKE THAT THIRTY-SEVEN, BIGGEST ATTRACTIONS.... IN ONE DAY!
Help support the Make-A-Wish Foundation
UPDATE - The "Four Parks in One Day" challenge was completed on October 29th, 2012 - I even managed to up the ante - I visited the top 37 attractions in one day! That's more than most people visit in a full week-long vacation to Disney World!
Read the details on how I managed to pull this off!
Part 1 - List of attractions visited
Part 2 - How to plan for such a challenge
Part 3 - Hollywood Studios recap
Part 4 - Epcot recap
Part 5 - Animal Kingdom recap
Part 6 - Magic Kingdom recap
Part 7 - Final concluding thoughts
In addition, you can see all my live thoughts I posted on Twitter during the challenge by heading to my Twitter page (you don't need to be a Twitter member to read the page)
Follow my challenge on Facebook
Here's what I wrote before the challenge - click here or "part 1" above to read the details of how the day actually went off:
This is Clark Bundy - founder of Optimal Magic. On Monday, October 29, I'm going to attempt a feat I've been told is impossible. I'm going to try to experience 25 of the biggest attractions at the four Disney World Parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios), in a single day!
I'm calling this the "Four Disney Parks and 25 Attractions in One Day" Challenge. Most importantly I'm using this crazy stunt to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Here are some details for the challenge:
When will this occur?
I will be visiting the Walt Disney World resort on Monday, October 29, 2012.
What is the goal?
I am planning to visit all four Disney parks, and 25 of the biggest attractions at Disney World, in one day. Here is the current list (subject to change based on what attractions are open that day):
Magic Kingdom
1) Space Mountain
2) Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
3) Peter Pan
4) Winnie the Pooh
5) Dumbo
6) Splash Mountain
7) Big Thunder Mountain
8) Haunted Mansion
9) Pirates of the Caribbean
10) Mickey's Philharmagic
11) Ariel's Undersea Adventure *update - looks like this will not be open on October 29 (cast member previews only - darn!) Any ideas for an alternate ride? I'm leaning toward the Peoplemover because I love it.
Epcot
12) Spaceship Earth
13) Soarin'
14) Mission: Space
15) The Living Seas
16) Journey into Your Imagination
(Unfortunately Test Track will not be open)
Disney Hollywood Studios
17) Toy Story Midway Mania
18) Star Tours
19) Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
20) Rock 'n Roller Coaster
Animal Kingdom
21) Kilamanjaro Safaris
22) Expedition Everest
23) Primeval Whirl
24) Dinosaur
25) It's Tough to be a Bug!
Many people would consider doing all of this in a week a successful trip. And I'm going to try to get them all done in just one day! Am I missing a favorite of yours? Send me an email and I'll try to include it as well!
Why is this a big deal?
The average Disney World visitor experiences only nine attractions in a single day at the Magic Kingdom, and even fewer at the other parks. They also wait in lots of long lines and can end up quite stressed from the crowds.
Nine attractions in a day is not a lot. I think I'm able to do much, MUCH more. To prove it can be done, I'm taking on the ultimate challenge - FOUR parks and the 25 biggest, big-line attractions - in one day!
To put it in perspective on how difficult this will be, if you look at the Disney-published wait times for these attractions on a "normal" October afternoon, they sum up to 10.5 hours of waiting. In addition, the attractions themselves take up 3.5 hours of time. I estimate I'll have to walk 12 or more miles, so that adds 4 hours of walking time. Finally, there is commuting time between the parks, so add another 1.5 hours (or more) to that. Finally, add in breaks for food and restrooms, and the inevitable ride breakdowns, and that's probably another 2.5 hours.
It sums up to 22 hours! But the earliest park opens at 8am and the latest closes at midnight - only 16 hours of time! So how will I accomplish this?
The fact of the matter is if I can accomplish something so outrageous, that means you certainly don't have to wait in those long lines ever again when you're visiting Disney parks!
Has this ever been done before?
Many people have done the "four Disney Parks in one day" quest - just getting to each park isn't that hard. But they usually visit only one or two attractions per park. My goal is to visit all the "big" attractions at all four parks in one day - as far as I know, that has never been accomplished before. And I'm not sure it even can be done, but I'm going to try!
How are you going to do it?
My ground rules are as follows:
1) I will utilize Extra Magic Hours (as can any other Disney Resort guest).
2) I am willing to use the single-rider line where it exists (as can any other guest).
3) I will not accept any "extra" Fastpasses to help me in my quest, whether given to me by other guests or Disney staff. Only exception is any bonus Fastpass that any other guest would get in a similar situation (for instance, if I'm stuck on a ride that breaks down and Disney offers a Fastpass to apologize), or any "surprise" Fastpass a Fastpass machine spits out (since the machine doesn't know about my quest and won't treat me more favorably than any other guest).
Who will be going with you?
My brother will be with me for a good portion of the day - he will be in Orlando that day for a conference, but can be with me in the morning and evening. The afternoon I'll probably be going solo.
How can I follow what you're doing?
I plan to update my Twitter feed constantly during the day (with photos and details of each ride). I'll also update the Optimal Magic Facebook Page. Finally, check my blog - I'm providing updates before the challenge and will write a full report after it's complete!
Sounds awesome - how can I help?
I don't need any help personally for the challenge. However, you can help. Please consider making a donation in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which helps kids with life-threatening illnesses make their wishes come true. Over 40% of the wishes involve the Disney Company - I thought it would be nice to make a difference with this quest and help raise money so kids with life-threatening illnesses can make the trip to Disney World! You can donate by clicking here or at the bottom of this page. I'm trying to raise at least $1000 from this quest. Any amount helps - thanks!
How the heck are you going to get this done in one day?
My company Optimal Magic helps customers visit Disney World and Disneyland in the best, most optimal way possible. While the service goes well beyond "get through the parks without waiting in line," that is a major part of the service. I have created advanced analytical tools that help me figure out the best way to visit each park, enabling customers to visit Disney World without waiting in long lines.
I plan to use these tools I've built to create a general plan of attack for the day. Of course, there are so many variables with four parks in one day that there will be some decision-making on the fly, but I think it may be possible to get this done. I'm not sure, but we'll see!
Wait - does that mean you won't wait in line?
Unfortunately, I anticipate that I will have to wait in a few long lines. Some attractions have short lines (or early Fastpass return times) very early in the day. For example, if you don't get to Soarin' at Epcot or Toy Story Midway Mania at Disney Hollywood Studios right at 9am, you'll be waiting in a long line. And Ariel's Undersea Adventure is new - if I'm not there at park opening I'll be waiting in lines there too. It's impossible for me to be in two places at once, so I'm going to have to deal with a few long lines.
My customers never have to wait in long lines... unless they wanted a "four parks in one day" plan like this one, which I don't recommend! But for me with this particular quest, there is no way around it. I hate lines - I hope I can handle a couple!
What's your plan for the day?
I'm going to reveal my plan as we get closer to October 29, but here are a few hints:
Read the details on how I managed to pull this off!
Part 1 - List of attractions visited
Part 2 - How to plan for such a challenge
Part 3 - Hollywood Studios recap
Part 4 - Epcot recap
Part 5 - Animal Kingdom recap
Part 6 - Magic Kingdom recap
Part 7 - Final concluding thoughts
In addition, you can see all my live thoughts I posted on Twitter during the challenge by heading to my Twitter page (you don't need to be a Twitter member to read the page)
Follow my challenge on Facebook
Here's what I wrote before the challenge - click here or "part 1" above to read the details of how the day actually went off:
This is Clark Bundy - founder of Optimal Magic. On Monday, October 29, I'm going to attempt a feat I've been told is impossible. I'm going to try to experience 25 of the biggest attractions at the four Disney World Parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios), in a single day!
I'm calling this the "Four Disney Parks and 25 Attractions in One Day" Challenge. Most importantly I'm using this crazy stunt to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Here are some details for the challenge:
When will this occur?
I will be visiting the Walt Disney World resort on Monday, October 29, 2012.
What is the goal?
I am planning to visit all four Disney parks, and 25 of the biggest attractions at Disney World, in one day. Here is the current list (subject to change based on what attractions are open that day):
Magic Kingdom
1) Space Mountain
2) Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
3) Peter Pan
4) Winnie the Pooh
5) Dumbo
6) Splash Mountain
7) Big Thunder Mountain
8) Haunted Mansion
9) Pirates of the Caribbean
10) Mickey's Philharmagic
11) Ariel's Undersea Adventure *update - looks like this will not be open on October 29 (cast member previews only - darn!) Any ideas for an alternate ride? I'm leaning toward the Peoplemover because I love it.
Epcot
12) Spaceship Earth
13) Soarin'
14) Mission: Space
15) The Living Seas
16) Journey into Your Imagination
(Unfortunately Test Track will not be open)
Disney Hollywood Studios
17) Toy Story Midway Mania
18) Star Tours
19) Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
20) Rock 'n Roller Coaster
Animal Kingdom
21) Kilamanjaro Safaris
22) Expedition Everest
23) Primeval Whirl
24) Dinosaur
25) It's Tough to be a Bug!
Many people would consider doing all of this in a week a successful trip. And I'm going to try to get them all done in just one day! Am I missing a favorite of yours? Send me an email and I'll try to include it as well!
Why is this a big deal?
The average Disney World visitor experiences only nine attractions in a single day at the Magic Kingdom, and even fewer at the other parks. They also wait in lots of long lines and can end up quite stressed from the crowds.
Nine attractions in a day is not a lot. I think I'm able to do much, MUCH more. To prove it can be done, I'm taking on the ultimate challenge - FOUR parks and the 25 biggest, big-line attractions - in one day!
To put it in perspective on how difficult this will be, if you look at the Disney-published wait times for these attractions on a "normal" October afternoon, they sum up to 10.5 hours of waiting. In addition, the attractions themselves take up 3.5 hours of time. I estimate I'll have to walk 12 or more miles, so that adds 4 hours of walking time. Finally, there is commuting time between the parks, so add another 1.5 hours (or more) to that. Finally, add in breaks for food and restrooms, and the inevitable ride breakdowns, and that's probably another 2.5 hours.
It sums up to 22 hours! But the earliest park opens at 8am and the latest closes at midnight - only 16 hours of time! So how will I accomplish this?
The fact of the matter is if I can accomplish something so outrageous, that means you certainly don't have to wait in those long lines ever again when you're visiting Disney parks!
Has this ever been done before?
Many people have done the "four Disney Parks in one day" quest - just getting to each park isn't that hard. But they usually visit only one or two attractions per park. My goal is to visit all the "big" attractions at all four parks in one day - as far as I know, that has never been accomplished before. And I'm not sure it even can be done, but I'm going to try!
How are you going to do it?
My ground rules are as follows:
1) I will utilize Extra Magic Hours (as can any other Disney Resort guest).
2) I am willing to use the single-rider line where it exists (as can any other guest).
3) I will not accept any "extra" Fastpasses to help me in my quest, whether given to me by other guests or Disney staff. Only exception is any bonus Fastpass that any other guest would get in a similar situation (for instance, if I'm stuck on a ride that breaks down and Disney offers a Fastpass to apologize), or any "surprise" Fastpass a Fastpass machine spits out (since the machine doesn't know about my quest and won't treat me more favorably than any other guest).
Who will be going with you?
My brother will be with me for a good portion of the day - he will be in Orlando that day for a conference, but can be with me in the morning and evening. The afternoon I'll probably be going solo.
How can I follow what you're doing?
I plan to update my Twitter feed constantly during the day (with photos and details of each ride). I'll also update the Optimal Magic Facebook Page. Finally, check my blog - I'm providing updates before the challenge and will write a full report after it's complete!
Sounds awesome - how can I help?
I don't need any help personally for the challenge. However, you can help. Please consider making a donation in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which helps kids with life-threatening illnesses make their wishes come true. Over 40% of the wishes involve the Disney Company - I thought it would be nice to make a difference with this quest and help raise money so kids with life-threatening illnesses can make the trip to Disney World! You can donate by clicking here or at the bottom of this page. I'm trying to raise at least $1000 from this quest. Any amount helps - thanks!
How the heck are you going to get this done in one day?
My company Optimal Magic helps customers visit Disney World and Disneyland in the best, most optimal way possible. While the service goes well beyond "get through the parks without waiting in line," that is a major part of the service. I have created advanced analytical tools that help me figure out the best way to visit each park, enabling customers to visit Disney World without waiting in long lines.
I plan to use these tools I've built to create a general plan of attack for the day. Of course, there are so many variables with four parks in one day that there will be some decision-making on the fly, but I think it may be possible to get this done. I'm not sure, but we'll see!
Wait - does that mean you won't wait in line?
Unfortunately, I anticipate that I will have to wait in a few long lines. Some attractions have short lines (or early Fastpass return times) very early in the day. For example, if you don't get to Soarin' at Epcot or Toy Story Midway Mania at Disney Hollywood Studios right at 9am, you'll be waiting in a long line. And Ariel's Undersea Adventure is new - if I'm not there at park opening I'll be waiting in lines there too. It's impossible for me to be in two places at once, so I'm going to have to deal with a few long lines.
My customers never have to wait in long lines... unless they wanted a "four parks in one day" plan like this one, which I don't recommend! But for me with this particular quest, there is no way around it. I hate lines - I hope I can handle a couple!
What's your plan for the day?
I'm going to reveal my plan as we get closer to October 29, but here are a few hints:
- Extra Magic Hours are at Animal Kingdom that morning (meaning it opens an hour earlier than the other parks)
- Extra Magic Hours are at the Magic Kingdom that evening (meaning it's open later than the other parks)
Want to help? Please make a donation to Make-A-Wish FoundationThe "Four Disney Parks and 25 Rides in One Day" challenge is a lot of fun, but it also can do a lot of good. Please consider making a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, to enable kids with life-threatening diseases to visit Disney World or have their other wishes come true. You can donate using the form to the right!
I'm hoping to raise $1000 for Make-A-Wish - every donation helps - thanks!  |