What would you do???

[PrincessCooper's Mom]

I have a quick trip planned from 1/25/12 - 1/27/12 for me, my DD5, and my mom to see New Fantasyland and to celebrate the last weekend of hunting season in Alabama. A girls only trip!!! We are staying at POR in a royal guest room that my daughter is going to flip out over. She does not know about the trip and I have not shown her any pictures of that type of room. I am not sure of best plan for the weekend. I am thinking about changing plans but want some other opinions. Please give me your opionion on my plan and any suggestions for a different plan.

Friday 6:00am start drive to Orlando
Friday 1:00pm arrive at Disney
Take boat to Downtown Disney and enjoy resort
Friday 6:55pm Chef Mickey's

Saturday 8:10am Cinderella's Royal Table
Saturday 9:00am Magic Kingdom opens

Sunday 10:00am Ohana Breakfast

I am thinking about going to park Friday or maybe Sunday and cancelling one of the reservations. I keep going back and forth. I dont want to overdo it or spend a ton of money because we have a weekly trip planned for September 2013.

Please need suggestions and reassurances!!!

[MareSINY]

We will be there at the same time! I'm also doing a girls only trip, taking my 5 year old niece on her first solo trip to Disney. We arrive on the 24th and leave on the 28th.

I personally wouldn't plan so many sit down meals for a quick trip. I always make these short trips more about the things the kids have never done and less about the sit down meals. If there's a specific sit down meal they've never done than I'd give that one a try (a few years ago I took one of my nieces to breakfast with the princesses in Norway at Epcot.) I usually do quick dining service meals and maybe plan one special meal.

We are flying but will arrive early in the morning and plan to be at the parks on our first day. I also plan park hoppers for these type of trips so I can get to each of their favorite rides in each park at least once. We always send up spending the majority of our time at MK but there are certain rides they like in each park so with hoppers we can run around to different parks if we feel like it.

Have a great trip!! Maybe I'll see you around the parks!

[PrincessCooper's Mom]

That is why I keep thinking about changing plans because there are so many different options. Some that I have thought about.

Cancelling Chef Mickeys and going to see La Nouba but not sure if DD5 would enjoy or going to park till close, but then I think about price of ticket for 1 more day in the parks.

Cancelling Ohana and going to park but would have to leave about 1:00pm to drive home.

Maybe driving down Thursday and staying some where cheap off site and going to Magic Kingdom on Friday and another park on Saturday.

If only money was not a deciding factor..................

[kwdw]

I'd suggest cancelling the Royal Table on Saturday and planning to take the time to go to Be Our Guest for lunch. The place is really part of the experience at the New Fantasyland and I think you should make the time to see it. Get there at park opening on Saturday and head STRAIGHT to the Enchanted Tales with Belle, then do Under the Sea. I spent a fair amount of time in Fantasyland just looking at all the new stuff to see, it's really well done. You'll lose some "less crowded" time if you wait to go after breakfast at the castle. Plus, you will likely have to wait some in line for Be Our Guest at lunch, and I really don't think you should miss that. And you might not be hungry after a huge breakfast.

[WDWLinda]

Hi there! This sounds like a great trip, but my first thought was that you'll be tired on Fri. after the long drive and you might want to stay in the DTD area for dinner instead of heading off to Chef Mickey's, plus I thought with 3 character meals in such a short time it might not be so special by the third one. You have a meal with the princesses plus O'Hana's...I think that's a great mix of characters and enough of them. And then you can take the boat back and forth to your hotel - no need for more car time. I think 1 long day at MK is enough - don't spread yourself too thin or make it rushed.

Have a great time!!!

[Luvchefmic]

Oh forgive me Chef Mickey for what I am about to say I agre too many sitdowns for weekend trip I would ditch Mickey and Ohanas BUT definitely keep the castle esp if you have never been I would also forget Cirque two reasons $$$ & I woul wait until DD a little older

[bdklein]

Originally Posted by PrincessCooper's Mom

I have a quick trip planned from 1/25/12 - 1/27/12

You mean 1/25/13 - 1/27/13?

Just want to make sure you dont mess anything up with the dates.

[KellyNY]

I would stay offsite and do another day in parks. Princess room is great but it is a short trip, she will not have time to enjoy this room. I would also keep only only one ADR, whichever you like the most. Parks hours are shorter, you want to take advantage of them esp. on a short trip.

[PrincessCooper's Mom]

My daughter is all about the characters and a character meal is the only way to see characters without going into a park on Friday.

I want to save Be Our Guest for when we go in September for a table service.

How can you have a girls only trip and not eat in the castle. Plus me and my mom are splitting room and CRT meal so this will probably be our only chance to stay here and eat there.

Loving all the suggestions!!!

[parkhopping]

I agree with PP who suggested sticking with one long day at MK Sat., if you keep your original plans of driving down on Friday. I consider myself to be someone who generally has a lot of energy when it comes to touring, and even I would be too tired to attempt much after such an early morning and long drive...especially when you factor in the cost of a ticket. Make Friday afternoon and evening relaxing, with a TS dinner like you have planned and maybe watching Wishes from the Poly beach if you feel up to it.

I also agree that for such a short trip, you will want to maximize your park time. The suggestion of doing CS at Be Our Guest instead of breakfast at CRT is a good one. It's a beautiful restaurant, and if your niece is a fan of Belle she'll love it.

Now, if you feel it would be financially feasible to come down Thursday night instead, a second park day would certainly be nice. If you did that, though, I would consider scrapping Chef Mickey's or making it a late lunch instead so you can take a break from the midday crowds.

I would not recommend buying tickets just to add 1/2 a day (for Sunday) to such a short trip - to me, that's just too expensive. If you were considering adding 1/2 a day to a 5-day (or longer) trip, it would make sense because each additional day at that point is only $10 more. And if you had APs, I would go for a morning in the park, no question. But for this, you're looking at a lot of $$ for not very much time, IMO. So your plan of doing a TS breakfast before heading out is not bad.

[parkhopping]

Originally Posted by PrincessCooper's Mom

My daughter is all about the characters and a character meal is the only way to see characters without going into a park on Friday.

I want to save Be Our Guest for when we go in September for a table service.

How can you have a girls only trip and not eat in the castle. Plus me and my mom are splitting room and CRT meal so this will probably be our only chance to stay here and eat there.

Loving all the suggestions!!!

Ooops, posted before I saw this. In that case, doing CRT breakfast before RD is the best way to go

[drinkme]

Originally Posted by PrincessCooper's Mom

I have a quick trip planned from 1/25/12 - 1/27/12 for me, my DD5, and my mom to see New Fantasyland and to celebrate the last weekend of hunting season in Alabama. A girls only trip!!! We are staying at POR in a royal guest room that my daughter is going to flip out over. She does not know about the trip and I have not shown her any pictures of that type of room. I am not sure of best plan for the weekend. I am thinking about changing plans but want some other opinions. Please give me your opionion on my plan and any suggestions for a different plan.

Friday 6:00am start drive to Orlando
Friday 1:00pm arrive at Disney
Take boat to Downtown Disney and enjoy resort
Friday 6:55pm Chef Mickey's

Saturday 8:10am Cinderella's Royal Table
Saturday 9:00am Magic Kingdom opens

Sunday 10:00am Ohana Breakfast

I am thinking about going to park Friday or maybe Sunday and cancelling one of the reservations. I keep going back and forth. I dont want to overdo it or spend a ton of money because we have a weekly trip planned for September 2013.

Please need suggestions and reassurances!!!

It's so easy to turn a quick weeekend trip into a full blown 10 day extravaganza! lol. I would keep your plans as they are. Like the pp said, if you had an AP, then add that 1/2 day. I wouldn't buy a 2 day ticket. Especially since you're going again in Sept. However, if you skipped a couple of the character meals, that would pay for the 2nd day at the park...sorry...it's too easy to get carried away!

[PrincessCooper's Mom]

Forgot about fireworks on Poly beach and I have always wanted to do that.

Also thought about riding monorail from Epcot to Chef Mickey's for my mom to see other resorts.

Thanks

[PrincessCooper's Mom]

Just looked and Wishes are at 8:00pm, probably wont make it to Poly but could watch from the Contemporary.

[parkhopping]

Originally Posted by PrincessCooper's Mom

Just looked and Wishes are at 8:00pm, probably wont make it to Poly but could watch from the Contemporary.

Yes, that's true. CG will be closed for refurb during your stay so you won't be able to view from up there, but there is a balcony on the 4th floor - same floor as Chef Mickey's, I believe. However, the view from there is not the best IMO. The monorail track partially blocks your view, and anytime a monorail comes by it is fairly loud, not to mention its bright headlights. Is an earlier time available for your ressie so you could make it to the Poly?

Riding the monorail to Epcot is a great idea. I love that it goes through the park. You probably already know this, but keep in mind that there are 3 lines for the monorail:

1) Express - TTC > MK and back
2) Resort - TTC, Poly, GF, MK, Contemporary
3) Epcot - TTC > Epcot and back

I would consider doing this before your dinner at Chef Mickey's. Park at the Contemporary, then ride the monorail to the TTC and switch to the Epcot line. Do the same in reverse to get back. Allow about an hour for this to be safe. You could also do this after Wishes if you prefer, but keep in mind that people will be leaving MK at that time and the monorail will be more crowded going to the TTC from the Contemporary.

ETA: This would also be something fun to do after your breakfast at Ohana on your last day. You wouldn't need to worry about making it to dinner, nor would you have a crowded monorail.