Please help with HS day

[floridadream]

Hi all-

I’m trying to help my friend plan her HS day. They want to get there early for Jedi training and they also want to see the Star Wars fireworks. She also wants to do Cali Grill that night. I’m thinking it’s too much especially during the summer heat. Would you recommend HS in the morning, a mid afternoon break and then having dinner/fireworks back at HS? Or do you think her plan would work? FYI they’re staying at the Poly. TIA!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Hi all-

I’m trying to help my friend plan her HS day. They want to get there early for Jedi training and they also want to see the Star Wars fireworks. She also wants to do Cali Grill that night. I’m thinking it’s too much especially during the summer heat. Would you recommend HS in the morning, a mid afternoon break and then having dinner/fireworks back at HS? Or do you think her plan would work? FYI they’re staying at the Poly. TIA!

Is this pre-6/30 or post 6/30?

I assume when she says she wants to eat at Cali Grill, she means they’d leave HS, go to CR for dinner, then back to HS for fireworks? That’s a lot of back and forth across property, especially when there are good dining options at HS or the Epcot resorts, in my humble opinion.

 

[floridadream]

Post 6/30... would you still do the mid day break at the hotel?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Post 6/30... would you still do the mid day break at the hotel?

You’re probably on top of this, but if it’s July - just watch out that there are 8AM park openings and 7AM AM EMH’s EVERY day the entire month. August currently shows 9AM openings with Sunday 8AM EMHs, but that very well could change to match July. Toy Story Land is going to be a big disrupter, I suspect.

Point being, could end up being a looong day.

I don’t know about a mid day break back to Poly. That’s more “back and forth” transportation time that we’d prefer, under many circumstances. I’m sure it’s fine for some folks, but wouldn’t ‘normally’ be my first choice.

But we’re also not “stay all day from AM to PM” park folks, so I wouldn’t necessarily want to stay all day either.

So I’m a ball of conflicting advice!

 

[Tksolomom]

California Grill is not that easy to get to from HS, unless you are taking a taxi or Uber, I wouldn’t do it. You are also losing one of the big advantages of CG, which is to see the fireworks from there. I wouldn’t do it, CG is supposed to be a relaxing dinner. All that running around would ruin I for me.

 

[dkrauss]

Hi all-

I’m trying to help my friend plan her HS day. They want to get there early for Jedi training and they also want to see the Star Wars fireworks. She also wants to do Cali Grill that night. I’m thinking it’s too much especially during the summer heat. Would you recommend HS in the morning, a mid afternoon break and then having dinner/fireworks back at HS? Or do you think her plan would work? FYI they’re staying at the Poly. TIA!

This seems like a tall order to me. Given what you write..............I'd pick another night to eat at California Grill. I'm assuming there are younglings involved if you want to do Jedi Training.......so that means your at HS at or before RD....... The break is a good idea given your early arrival and those younglings. Getting back and forth to HS will require time unless you do UBER or Taxi. I just don't see a CG reservation on the same night when you also want to see the Star Wars fireworks. Something is gonna cause your friend stress..........and you absolutely don't want to rush thru the CG experience.

Again my call would be reschedule the CG reservation (if possible) for a different night........or skip the StarWars fireworks (which may not go over with the kids ) Given they're staying at the GF.........its easy to get there for them.

Doug

 

[jwolfpack]

On our last trip, we did a PPO breakfast at Hollywood and Vine so that we could sign up for Jedi training before breakfast. Our kids are past caring much about Disney Jr characters, so we asked for our check immediately, ate quickly, and were out of the restaurant in time to rope drop Toy Story Mania and then carry on with FP's scheduled for 9 am, 10 am, and 11 am. This strategy, however, may not be an option depending on park opening time post Toy Story Land opening.

We scheduled our Jedi training for around noon and left the park shortly after that for a break at the hotel.

We returned that evening for the Star Wars dessert party. We explored launch bay, met characters, and did all things Star Wars that evening. This was a relaxing way to tour and see fireworks in my opinion.

Depending on how long of a break they want at hotel AND how early California Grill opens AND what time the Star Wars dessert party is scheduled, it could work. We probably would skip lunch in this scenario since breakfast would be big, dinner would be early, and dessert would be plentiful.

 

[sharonabe]

Well, I was going to give a plug FOR their plan, but went to take a look at the calendar. SWS isn't on the calendar for July - hours we have for Sep. Without knowing what time they will be showing it, it's difficult to plan for it.

If they schedule SWS after F!, so around 9:00, it could be doable. They'd need to leave HS around noon or 1:00, get a nap, and then have the earliest ADR for Cali at 5:00. That would give them plenty of time to get back to HS.

As to the travel time, assuming they would take the afternoon break anyway, the only thing that's added on is the monorail from The Poly to Contemporary. Then they just have to bus from Contemporary to HS. It's not that much more than busing from Poly after a break.