CHRISTMAS VACATION (The Trip, Not the Movie): 12/19 - We're back, TR link on p. 25

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

It was so exciting that they came out before we expected! They really are almost the same as last year!!!

 

[lurkyloo]

I'm a TourGuideMike devotee, so I'm torn: Dunno whether I should do what you guys did and plan on my own using this year's hours and last year's TGM recommendations for December or wait for TGM to release his hours (hopefully before I call for ADRs next week!). Because part of me would hate to do all that work on my own and then have to change it for TGM, but part of me would LOVE to do all that work on my own because it's just fun to do!

 

[MyMuse]

I am honestly thrilled with the hours they released. I know things can be added/taken away and changed---but if they were to stay "as is" for the next three months I would be so happy.

I based my tentative plan on December hours from last year and they are pretty much identical. EMHs are on the same nights/mornings for the parks, the closing times, parade/fireworks times are pretty much identical. I couldn't have asked for more. Now, I don't really have to do any itinerary shifting at all. I'm going to have a "Plan A" and "Plan B" in case I can't get the ADRs I want on the days I want them---but I'm so on Cloud 9 right now that I don't even think ADRs will be a problem!!!

I'll update later with my park plans with the desired ADRs worked in.

Awesome for you! Isn't it nice when a plan comes together?

I haven't fully decided on what I'm going to do; I have 2 AM tours I want, so it's really messing up the schedule. hmmm..maybe I should add on more days and it will solve itself?

 

[MissMet]

I'm so glad the hours came out & they were exactly what you wanted. Just to give you a heads up. When the Oct hours came out, I put them on my own spreadsheet & they still have not changed in any way from the original release. So hopefully the same happens for you.

Also, I have a split stay too & online they would not let me get ADRs for the end stay, so you'll probably have to call for those ADRs.

I'm also doing some remodeling... the entire downstairs! As of right now I don't have a kitchen, just a microwave.

Happy painting & planning!

 

[annnewjerz]

I'm extremely pleased with the hours too!! I came home from work last night, made a diagram of the hours and EMH, and got ready to mutilate my itinerary...but didn't have to change a thing!! The itinerary I made just out of thin air already totally avoids EMH without even trying. I'm so very excited!! Glad it all worked out well for you too!!

I'm glad the hours were what you were hoping for. Originally, the plan was to do all EMHs since the hours are so short this time of year (I know you can't since you're off-site) and then I got to thinking that I'd rather do no EMH and shorter mid-day breaks, with early nights to be well rested for rope drop the next day---so I switched every day of my plan except the arrival and departure.

It was so exciting that they came out before we expected! They really are almost the same as last year!!!

The hours for October were very very similar to the hours for October 2008, which are the hours I used to make my plans for October 09---so I was hoping the same thing would be true for December, and it was!

I'm a TourGuideMike devotee, so I'm torn: Dunno whether I should do what you guys did and plan on my own using this year's hours and last year's TGM recommendations for December or wait for TGM to release his hours (hopefully before I call for ADRs next week!). Because part of me would hate to do all that work on my own and then have to change it for TGM, but part of me would LOVE to do all that work on my own because it's just fun to do!

I've never done TGM so I really can't offer any help there! I think either way, you will be fine no matter what. I know you can't really base decisions on Touring Plans or TGM, but Touring Plans has most of the days during my trip rated as a 4 or 5 for crowds. With a 4 or 5, I'm hoping that every park will be reasonably low and none will really be much better than the other.

Awesome for you! Isn't it nice when a plan comes together?

I haven't fully decided on what I'm going to do; I have 2 AM tours I want, so it's really messing up the schedule. hmmm..maybe I should add on more days and it will solve itself?

That's what I did, added a day so we could fit Cirque du Soleil into the schedule---so your idea might not be that crazy!! What tours are you doing?

Also, I have a split stay too & online they would not let me get ADRs for the end stay, so you'll probably have to call for those ADRs.

Happy painting & planning!

For your split stay, is it all DVC points, or are you doing part of the stay in cash? Were you able to call for those ADRs at 7:00 and the CM made them for you, or did you have to wait for the 90 day period for your second half of the trip?

I ask because for October, we have a room booked for October 17-19. When I went online to make my dining reservations and put in my reservation number, I was able to make reservations for 10 days of Disney even though we'll only be there for 3 days. This leads me to believe that maybe if I put in our reservation number for the cash portion of our stay, it will open up 10 days of dining for me---which will cover the rest of our trip.

Does that make sense? All of this ADR crap is so confusing.

 

[MyMuse]

That's what I did, added a day so we could fit Cirque du Soleil into the schedule---so your idea might not be that crazy!! What tours are you doing?

The Segway tour at Epcot and Keys to the Kingdom at MK.

The Segway one is only on Sat & Tues, so that limits that. For KTTK, I was trying to get a least crowded (well, for MK anyways). I have a unknown variable with a friend of mine who is on vaca at BLT with her mom at the same time, but I haven't been able to connect with her yet.

 

[annnewjerz]

Hmmmmmm, methinks I need a new pair of sunglasses before our October trip. Time for more shopping!!

 

[MissMet]

For your split stay, is it all DVC points, or are you doing part of the stay in cash? Were you able to call for those ADRs at 7:00 and the CM made them for you, or did you have to wait for the 90 day period for your second half of the trip?

I ask because for October, we have a room booked for October 17-19. When I went online to make my dining reservations and put in my reservation number, I was able to make reservations for 10 days of Disney even though we'll only be there for 3 days. This leads me to believe that maybe if I put in our reservation number for the cash portion of our stay, it will open up 10 days of dining for me---which will cover the rest of our trip.

Does that make sense? All of this ADR crap is so confusing.

My split stay as of now consists of three resi #s- all of which are on points. When I originally made the ADRs, I had not added on those two extra days, so it was just the two resis. When I made my ADRs I had two restaurants that didn't take ADRs so I purposefully planned them on the last two days when I wouldn't be able to do it online. So for this trip I really can't answer your questions.

However, in the past I have also had a split stay with DVC points & I remember being able to make all my ADRs over the phone. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure they let me make them all. Although, I was making them through DVC member services- they're used to split stays, since wait lists, etc.

I know that really didn't help much, but I would just try online & then if anything call.

Either way I'm sure you'll get the ADRs you want.

 

[annnewjerz]

So, with my 90 day ADR mark only a week away---I think it's time to start posting my desired ADR times/places and rough itinerary for each day.

I know, I know---I already posted where we hope to eat and whether or not those places would be new or old favorites, but this is different! I changed all of my plans and while we are still planning to eat at all of the same places, it will be on completely different days.

So, here are the restaurant and reservation times I'm hoping to get (as of today, this is all subject to change of course):

Day 1: EPCOT & DTD
No dining ADRs.
Lunch @ Sunshine Seasons
Dinner @ Earl of Sandwich or Wolfgang Puck Express

Day 2: ANIMAL KINGDOM
12:00pm / Lunch @ Yak & Yeti or ESPN Club (no ADR)
8:00pm / Dinner @ Jiko

Day 3: MAGIC KINGDOM
8:15am / Breakfast @ Crystal Palace
5:30pm / Dinner @ Narcoossee's

Day 4: DHS
1:00pm / Lunch @ Sci-Fi Dine In Theater
7:30pm / Dinner @ Hollywood Brown Derby

Day 5: MAGIC KINGDOM
2:00pm / Lunch @ Kona Cafe
8:00pm / Dinner @ California Grill

Day 6: EPCOT
12:00pm / Lunch @ San Angel Inn
6:00pm / Dinner @ Flying Fish Cafe

Day 7: MAGIC KINGDOM
1:30pm / Lunch @ The Plaza Restaurant

 

[disneygirlinnj]

Perfect plan!!

 

[AlohaPolynesian]

Day 1: EPCOT & DTD
No dining ADRs.
Lunch @ Sunshine Seasons My favorite CS!!
Dinner @ Earl of Sandwich or Wolfgang Puck Express Love both of these places

Day 2: ANIMAL KINGDOM
12:00pm / Lunch @ Yak & Yeti or ESPN Club (no ADR) Yak & Yeti was really good when we ate there last summer.
8:00pm / Dinner @ Jiko I loved their tamales but they aren't on the menu anymore!

Day 3: MAGIC KINGDOM
8:15am / Breakfast @ Crystal Palace I love doing breakfast here.
5:30pm / Dinner @ Narcoossee's Didn't fit on my list this time but have always wanted to try it. You'll have to tell us about it!

Day 4: DHS
1:00pm / Lunch @ Sci-Fi Dine In Theater Cool atmosphere here!
7:30pm / Dinner @ Hollywood Brown Derby This place is so fun!

Day 5: MAGIC KINGDOM
2:00pm / Lunch @ Kona Cafe Only done breakfast here so I can't wait to hear how lunch is!
8:00pm / Dinner @ California Grill Always want to go, but never have.

Day 6: EPCOT
12:00pm / Lunch @ San Angel Inn Dinner was pretty good but the portions were huge!!
6:00pm / Dinner @ Flying Fish Cafe My mom and I will hopefully be trying this in December, too!

Day 7: MAGIC KINGDOM
1:30pm / Lunch @ The Plaza Restaurant Nice

Looks like you have some great places in mind. I hope you get them all!

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Your plans look really good! It will be nice to be able to eat at all of those fancy places! Good luck getting everything you want!!!!!

 

[annnewjerz]

Ugh, I'm nervous.

Signing on to make my ADRs in only 5 short hours (I read recently you can sign on at 3:00am EST now to make them).

I had very high hopes, had kept a positive attitude that even if I didn't get everything I wanted we would still get the most important ones. And now? Not so much---it feels like the day before you start school when you're little, or the day before you leave for vacation. Butterflies galore and too excited/nervous to sleep.

Wish me luck!

 

[annnewjerz]

Alright everyone, so here's the scoop all three of you have been waiting for---I just made my ADRs!!!

After A LOT of stressing out about making my ressies, I was relieved to find out the online system opened at 3:00am now. I was up all night and ready to go at 3:00am on the dot and of course, nothing is that easy. Between 404 "Page Not Found" errors, the system not recognizing my ressie number, getting some other weird E0202 errors---I seriously thought I would have to wait until 7:00am to call in.

Instead, I practiced something that I don't practice too often, patience. I sat around for a half hour, cleared my cookies a few times, retstarted and tried again and eventually a little past 3:30am, it worked. From here on out it was smooth sailing. Within 20 minutes, I had all of the reservations I had been hoping for (and some that I hadn't) within 15 minutes of my desired times.

Here they are!!

Dec. 13
Hollywood Brown Derby @ 11:35am (wanted 11:30am) --- really looking forward to lunch here.
Flying Fish Cafe @ 5:35pm (wanted 5:30pm) --- nice convenient dinner since we're at BWV.
Sci Fi Dine In Theater @ 9:20pm (wanted 9:30pm) --- just want to go for a late snack of some milkshakes and onion rings.

Dec. 14
Crystal Palace @ 8:15am (got the time I wanted) --- looking forward to pre-park opening breakfast.
Kona Cafe @ 2:30pm (got the time I wanted) --- looking forward to a lapu lapu if I'm back to hitting the bottle by then.

Dec. 15
The Plaza @ 12:35pm (wanted 12:45pm) --- will try this in Oct, hoping it's good enough to keep my ADR for Dec.
California Grill @ 7:40pm (wanted 7:45pm) --- looking forward to sushi and MVMCP wishes from the deck.

Dec. 16
Yak & Yeti @ 12:30pm --- the original plan was ESPN Club which doesn't take ressies, so I booked just in case. I can always cancel.
Jiko @ 7:55pm (wanted 8:00pm) --- mmmm, ostrich & filet with mac n' cheese.

Dec. 17
San Angel Inn @ 12:00pm --- planning to "eat around the world" but booked this as a back-up.
Le Cellier @ 8:00pm (wanted 8:00pm) --- was Tokyo Dining, but when I saw the "Holy Grail", I figured I should jump on it and change later if I want.

Dec. 18
The Plaza @ 1:35pm (wanted 1:30pm) --- can't think of a much better way to end our trip. Good old fashioned simple food right on Main Street.

Only 90 days everyone!!!!

 

[disneygirlinnj]

wow, awesome ADRs! congrats! I totally didn't know they switched it to 3am...that's torture waking up! I thought 6 am was bad. lol

 

[annnewjerz]

wow, awesome ADRs! congrats! I totally didn't know they switched it to 3am...that's torture waking up! I thought 6 am was bad. lol

Believe me, I did not wake up for that. A few cups of iced tea and some reruns of Flipping Out on Bravo and I cruised through the night awake until 3:00am.

If I had to get up that early, I know I wouldn't have made it.

 

[khertz]

Congrats on getting all your ADRs!! I also tried the 3 am thing (2 am for me!) and was able to get the Chef Mickey's time I wanted. I definitely didn't have the willpower to stay up until then, though! Set my alarm on my phone, made the ADR, and went back to sleep. I'm glad your patience paid off.

 

[KathyRN137]

Fantastic News! I'm so happy for you!


Kathy

 

[Todd_H]

I'd say those are some great restaurant picks, Ann!

So booking online at 3:30am is the new way to get the ADR's you want, huh? Wow, what is the World coming to ?

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Congrats on your ressie's!!! Your dedication paid off!!!! Have fun eating all of it!