WDW 2-Day Park Hopper with Lightning Lane Plan

Question

GF and I are going to WDW the Sat and Sun of Pres Day Weekend. We are active. We want to do a few rides as Hollywood, a bunch of rides at MK, and a lot of adult stuff at Epcot. We also have a Sat night dinner res at Liberty Tree Tavern.

We’re getting the 2-Day Park Hopper with the LL Multi Pass. Here’s the plan I’m thinking… tell me if there’s a better way.

Start at Hollywood and reserve our first three LL rides there. Aerosmith, RotR, and Smugglers. Then start making the rolling reservations and head over the MK for rest of the day and our dinner reservations.

Or are we better off hammering MK at rope drop and then going over the Hollywood and then back to MK for dinner?

Next day mostly Epcot but we could always go back to MK or Hollywood if we get bored.

Thoughts?

Answer

Presidents’ Day weekend is one of the busier times of the year at Walt Disney World, so having a clear plan for your 2-Day Park Hopper and Lightning Lane Multi Pass is essential. Your overall idea is good, but there are a few strategic adjustments that can make the experience smoother and help you maximize ride time at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom while still enjoying your adult-oriented day at EPCOT.

Below is a detailed breakdown, along with pros and cons of each proposed strategy and suggested optimizations.

First, some key points about your goals:

You want to ride several headliners at Hollywood Studios.
You want to do “a bunch of rides” at Magic Kingdom.
You have a dinner reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern on Saturday night.
You want the second day to focus on EPCOT but allow flexibility.

Given this, your plan should prioritize minimizing long waits at the most time-consuming rides and structuring park hops to avoid backtracking during peak crowds.

Option 1 — Start at Hollywood Studios with LL reservations (your original plan)

This is a solid strategy, but has pros and cons. Lightning Lane Multi Pass lets you pre-book three attractions at the park where you start your day, so HS is a strong candidate because it has many high-demand rides.

Pros: You’ll lock in LL times for major HS rides like Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, Smugglers Run, and (if eligible) Rise of the Resistance. You clear the hardest park first before crowds peak. Park Hopping to MK puts you in position for your Liberty Tree dinner without the stress of fighting midday crowds to get from MK back to HS.
Cons: HS is extremely Lightning Lane dependent. If your LL slots end up spaced out, it may consume more of your morning than you expect. If Rise of the Resistance ends up having downtime — common on busy weekends — it may throw off your schedule.
Neutral factor: MK is more rope-drop friendly than HS thanks to sheer ride capacity. You don’t lose as much by not rope-dropping MK.

This option works well, especially with your dinner reservation already anchoring you to MK in the evening.

Option 2 — Rope drop Magic Kingdom, then hop to Hollywood Studios, then back to MK for dinner

This is doable but involves significant and inefficient backtracking.

Pros: MK rope drop is very productive. You could knock out 4–7 rides in the first hour, especially in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. HS can then be handled with LLs in the afternoon.
Cons: The back-and-forth hopping (MK → HS → MK) is time-consuming and will cut into your usable park time. Transit between MK and HS is one of the slower hops. With Presidents’ Day weekend crowds, this becomes even more cumbersome.
Major issue: LL Multi Pass only allows your first 3 LLs to be in your starting park. If you start at MK, your pre-booked LLs will be MK rides — but MK LLs are nowhere near as valuable as HS LLs. This is a big missed opportunity.

Because of this limitation, this plan is much less efficient than starting at HS.

Recommended Plan (Optimized)

Based on your goals, the LL rules, and the crowd levels for that weekend, here’s the best approach:

Start Day 1 at Hollywood Studios and pre-book your 3 LL Multi Pass attractions there. Ideal lineup: Slinky Dog Dash (if available), Smugglers Run, Tower of Terror or Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster. (Note: Rise of the Resistance is usually an Individual Lightning Lane, not part of Multi Pass.)
Arrive 45–60 minutes before HS rope drop. Ride one major attraction standby before your LL windows begin.
Use rolling LL selections strategically. As soon as you tap into your first LL, book MK headliners like Space Mountain, Big Thunder, or Pirates for later in the afternoon.
Hop to Magic Kingdom early afternoon. MK handles crowds better and you’ll have LLs queued up to reduce waits. Spend the rest of your day enjoying rides before your Liberty Tree Tavern dinner.
End the night at MK.

Day 2 — EPCOT-Focused Day

This is very straightforward, and EPCOT is a great park for a relaxed adult day.

Start at EPCOT. Pre-book your 3 LLs for attractions like Remy, Frozen Ever After, and Soarin’.
Rope drop Test Track or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. (Cosmic Rewind is usually virtual queue + ILL — check the system that day.)
Enjoy Food & Wine–style experiences around World Showcase in the afternoon.
If you still have energy: hop to MK or HS in the evening using LLs you’ve stacked throughout the day.

Why this plan works best:

It leverages LL Multi Pass where it’s most valuable (Hollywood Studios, EPCOT).
It avoids inefficient backtracking between parks.
It preserves your ability to arrive at MK with pre-booked LLs already waiting for you.
It guarantees you're already in MK for dinner without stress.
It gives you flexible evening options.

Bottom line: Your original plan — start at Hollywood, hop to Magic Kingdom — is the strong winner. With LL Multi Pass rules and Presidents’ Day crowds, it’s the most efficient and least stressful strategy.

WDW 2-Day Park Hopper with Lightning Lane Plan

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