How to enjoy Disney with 5 little kids! (Sept 2013)

You can make ADRs at 6am online or 7am by phone (Eastern Time). My understanding is that if you have your trip booked you can make all of your ADRs when the first day of your trip opens, but I've never actually done it.
 
You can make ADRs at 6am online or 7am by phone (Eastern Time). My understanding is that if you have your trip booked you can make all of your ADRs when the first day of your trip opens, but I've never actually done it.

I thought that was the case too. Maybe try it online and see what happens...or call:goodvibes Good Luck:goodvibes
 
Thanks, guys!
I can't believe I have forgotten that! :faint: It doesn't work online, but maybe by phone? I'll give it a try. That would be awesome!
 
Okay, I did make all of our ADRs online, but I DID have problems with Be Our Guest! On the first call, they said, BOG must not be taking reservations yet. Fortunately I know better than to take one CMs answer as final. When I called back, they had reservations available, but nothing between 4:10pm and 8:30. Already so booked? Maybe it's just because we need a table for 7? We chose the early (4:10pm) time because I don't we will be trying to retire early each evening. At least we got in! I'm glad I didn't wait until Friday to try!
The other weird thing was I couldn't get an ADR near noon at Yak & Yeti. 2:30 was the first ADR. Really? Y&Y is full for lunch and that day hasn't even opened for ADRs for off-site guests. It must be the table for 7 thing. :confused3
I kind of wonder if I should have just requested a table for 6 anyway? Our 3 month old won't be sitting in a highchair or eating anything. We will only need 6 seats.
 


Okay, I did make all of our ADRs online, but I DID have problems with Be Our Guest! On the first call, they said, BOG must not be taking reservations yet. Fortunately I know better than to take one CMs answer as final. When I called back, they had reservations available, but nothing between 4:10pm and 8:30. Already so booked? Maybe it's just because we need a table for 7? We chose the early (4:10pm) time because I don't we will be trying to retire early each evening. At least we got in! I'm glad I didn't wait until Friday to try!
The other weird thing was I couldn't get an ADR near noon at Yak & Yeti. 2:30 was the first ADR. Really? Y&Y is full for lunch and that day hasn't even opened for ADRs for off-site guests. It must be the table for 7 thing. :confused3
I kind of wonder if I should have just requested a table for 6 anyway? Our 3 month old won't be sitting in a highchair or eating anything. We will only need 6 seats.

Good that you got all the ADR's! I would just keep checking back online to see if you can get the times you want. Some will cancel and things may open up that will fit better for your situation.
Maybe go back online and see if you can get a Y&Y for 6. Your baby definately wont need a seat and since you would have it for 6 the tip is added in anyway...so I would think that would work.

I had a problem changing a ressie on our last trip. We had a breakfast at Ohana and my dd14's bff (who moved to FL) was meeting up with us. I added her, but then her mom said she would go if there was room. I called back and they said no...wouldnt have a table for 8 (I had a ressie for 7). This didnt make sense as I figured most tables would be 4 or 6 or 8...even numbers. Told the mom (I felt bad) and she said no worries. Showed up and what did we have...a table for 8!! Her mom hadnt come with us...ugghhhhh

Sometimes Disney Dining is a Pain!
 
Sometimes Disney Dining is a Pain!

:headache: You can say that again!

The online system is driving me nuts! It never seems to work right. At least we're covered and any changes I'm able to make will even improve an already good situation.

Still didn't have time to hunt for tshirt designs today. My baby needed a lot of cuddling. And I spent a lot of time reading to the kids or having them read to me which was very enjoyable.
 
Thanks for sharing!! What did you use the put your passports together? I have downloaded all the cards but had no idea how to actually make it look like a real passport like you did. :)
 


Thanks for sharing!! What did you use the put your passports together? I have downloaded all the cards but had no idea how to actually make it look like a real passport like you did. :)

:welcome:

I just stapled through the center (2 staples with the flat part on the outside of the booklet. Then I used clear contact paper on the outside covers. It took quite a bit of trimming down work to make it look perfect, but I was pleased with the outcome. The kids loved them!

Not sure if your using the same/similar pattern. This one is pretty old. It was designed by Pat who hasn't been around the design board in a long time. It printed back to back and in order to assemble the book just right. (I had to do a little realigning of the document to make it match up perfectly too. A labor of love!)
 
I made a new Yak & Yeti ADR online. For 7 people, there was no availability the whole day! So I changed my request to 6 people and got right around noon like we wanted.

I understand that they want us to reserve for 7 because of fire codes. (There are a maximum number of people who can be in the building at one time.) But I don't thnk it's at all likely that they will be filled to capacity at lunch time during a Friday in an off season. Since we really only need a table for 6, it should be fine. If they're truly filled and turn us away, it's a chance I'm willing to take. I'd rather take that chance than eat lunch at 2:30 (our original reservation.)

This ADR eperience has prepared me for our November trip though! We are going to have to call ASAP the first day possible to make ADR's for 13 people or our dining times will be ridiculous or we'll be shut out.
 
I made a new Yak & Yeti ADR online. For 7 people, there was no availability the whole day! So I changed my request to 6 people and got right around noon like we wanted.

I understand that they want us to reserve for 7 because of fire codes. (There are a maximum number of people who can be in the building at one time.) But I don't thnk it's at all likely that they will be filled to capacity at lunch time during a Friday in an off season. Since we really only need a table for 6, it should be fine. If they're truly filled and turn us away, it's a chance I'm willing to take. I'd rather take that chance than eat lunch at 2:30 (our original reservation.)

This ADR eperience has prepared me for our November trip though! We are going to have to call ASAP the first day possible to make ADR's for 13 people or our dining times will be ridiculous or we'll be shut out.

Glad you got the time you wanted! Im sure you will be fine when you check in. :thumbsup2
 
Thanks, Blessedby3! I just noticed your TR from 2010. How awesome to be family of the day! I didn't even know there was such a thing! I just read the first page of your TR and can't wait to read more!

We were at BLT in May 2010 too.
 
Thanks, Blessedby3! I just noticed your TR from 2010. How awesome to be family of the day! I didn't even know there was such a thing! I just read the first page of your TR and can't wait to read more!

We were at BLT in May 2010 too.

Thanks, it was pretty awesome! First time anything like that has ever happened:goodvibes We loved BLT!!! I wish we could afford to stay there again...maybe someday. We got an awesome 45% room discount. :cool1:
 
:wave2: Alright, sorry I've been MIA so long! Just not much going on re: trip planning. But yesterday, something VERY exciting happened!

:coffee: After watching airline prices for this trip for the past couple of months, we decided it doesn't look like the prices will drop as we had hoped. We decided to just book the flights.

I discovered that if we fly to Orlando 3 days earlier than we had planned, it is actually $50 per ticket cheaper. Multiply that by 6 and we're talking $300...yikes! Well, since I'll still be on maternity leave, DH doesn't work outside the home, and the kids are homeschooled, we have a lot of flexiblity. I wondered how much it would cost to stay at a value resort for 3 nights before the rest of our planned trip. (We can't just end it 3 days earlier since we end with a cruise...so adding on was the only option.)
We found that if we applied our $300 "savings" from airfare, for an additional $300 we could stay at the Art of Animation resort for those 3 nights and we decided to do it!!! :cool1: (We booked 2 standard rooms instead of a family suite because we'd rather have "real" beds than fold outs/downs.) So yes, overall we are spending $300 more (plus more food expense--no ticket expense since we have APs) but what a deal for more Disney vacation time!

Now we have 10 Disney days before our week long cruise! What a way to end maternity leave! I will never want to go back to reality!

I'll edit the first couple of posts to indicate our change in plans. Of course this also meant that we needed to figure out which park we would spend this extra time at and it changed some of our later plans then too. I've spent a few more hours rearranging dining reservations accordingly. :thumbsup2
 
:wave2: Alright, sorry I've been MIA so long! Just not much going on re: trip planning. But yesterday, something VERY exciting happened!

:coffee: After watching airline prices for this trip for the past couple of months, we decided it doesn't look like the prices will drop as we had hoped. We decided to just book the flights.

I discovered that if we fly to Orlando 3 days earlier than we had planned, it is actually $50 per ticket cheaper. Multiply that by 6 and we're talking $300...yikes! Well, since I'll still be on maternity leave, DH doesn't work outside the home, and the kids are homeschooled, we have a lot of flexiblity. I wondered how much it would cost to stay at a value resort for 3 nights before the rest of our planned trip. (We can't just end it 3 days earlier since we end with a cruise...so adding on was the only option.)
We found that if we applied our $300 "savings" from airfare, for an additional $300 we could stay at the Art of Animation resort for those 3 nights and we decided to do it!!! :cool1: (We booked 2 standard rooms instead of a family suite because we'd rather have "real" beds than fold outs/downs.) So yes, overall we are spending $300 more (plus more food expense--no ticket expense since we have APs) but what a deal for more Disney vacation time!

Now we have 10 Disney days before our week long cruise! What a way to end maternity leave! I will never want to go back to reality!

I'll edit the first couple of posts to indicate our change in plans. Of course this also meant that we needed to figure out which park we would spend this extra time at and it changed some of our later plans then too. I've spent a few more hours rearranging dining reservations accordingly. :thumbsup2

More time at WDW=AWESOME! Thats my kind of addition:thumbsup2
 
I have only just found this and have at least one of your trippys to go back and read!:faint:

Congrats on baby number 5, :worship: to you, I get stressed just having 2!

Great plans and 10 days followed by a cruise sounds perfect. I love all your t-shirts, I want to make some for my little ones and nieces but I'm not sure what to put on them yet. I need to spend a bit of time on the Creative board I think.

Can't wait to read more.

P.S. I think I have commented before on another of your TR's, but your kids look so much alike, Zoe is a mini all 3 of the older ones! And the boys look so grown up in the most recent pics.
 
I have only just found this and have at least one of your trippys to go back and read!:faint:

Congrats on baby number 5, :worship: to you, I get stressed just having 2!

Great plans and 10 days followed by a cruise sounds perfect. I love all your t-shirts, I want to make some for my little ones and nieces but I'm not sure what to put on them yet. I need to spend a bit of time on the Creative board I think.

Can't wait to read more.

P.S. I think I have commented before on another of your TR's, but your kids look so much alike, Zoe is a mini all 3 of the older ones! And the boys look so grown up in the most recent pics.

:welcome: Thanks for joining in again!

Oh, thank you! I love making t-shirts. I have pulled a couple of designs but haven't spent enough time on the Creative board yet either. Hopefully when I'm sitting around with a new baby I will do it! One month to go!
 

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