Can you have a look at these ADRS - revised touring and ADR's!

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I can make my ADR's for WDW as of Monday and so I thought I better finally sit down and work out where we were going to be each day of our 11 night WDW visit so I could work out when and where for the most important part - FOOD!!!!!!

We had a long list of places we wanted to eat, it was just going to be hard to fit it all in and I knew something was going to have to give. I hoped it would become clear which ones to get rid of as I worked through but of course it's never that easy.

I must admit I do find working out which park on which day to be extremely difficult and I will be relieved once it's done. Then I can sit back and enjoy the ride.

TOURING - A bit of background on how our family likes to tour - we like to get up and at em' nice and early so we can ride and enjoy the parks before the parks get really busy. We also like to avoid the heat but December in Orlando shouldn't be a problem. We like to return to our room in the afternoon for a rest/nap/zone out and then go to dinner somewhere and a different park to where we've been during the day. We never start at a park first thing in the morning and stay all day and into the night. I think we just get too tired.

So on with the rough plans, please let me know if you see any glaring holes in my thinking, have any awesome advice, etc.

REVISED PLANS - after reading through the EasyWDW recommendations.

Day 1-5 staying at AKL

Sun 9 Dec

Fly fly fly fly fly and arrive into Orlando at 9.30pm ish. By the time we get our bags and get the Magical Express to AKL who knows what time it will be. Will dump bags and crash for however long our bodies need.

Mon 10 Dec

We will have flown in from Canberra late the night before so I don't have anything firm set for when we should get up etc. We will just sleep and see what happens.

Breakfast - either a bowl of cereal in our room from our Garden Grocer delivery or if absolutely starving and can snag a table we could wander down to Boma. Will play that by ear, am hoping for Boma though, the food is yum.

Park during the day - have changed to Animal Kingdom from Epcot. It actually isn't a recommended park by EasyWDW but is from Touring Plans. I just have no idea what time we will wake up this day so to me this park seems like a good option for a later start if need be.

Lunch - likely just something from Flame Tree BBQ

Wander a bit more and then back to the room for a rest and to unpack a bit more.

Dinner - 4.45pm Sci Fi Diner - have been here before, think the theming is fun and this will fit it with us wanting to hit up Fantasmic afterwards

6.30pm Fantasmic (plan to enter around 45 mins before the show perhaps with a cupcake in hand for dessert to keep the family quiet). This will be our first time seeing Fantasmic and come hell or high water I am seeing it.

After Fantasmic I thought we could wander over to see the Osborne Lights for the first time, sigh I think this will be amazing.




Tuesday 11 Dec

I actually think in some ways we could potentially be a little more tired today with the jetlag catching up, well that is what has happened on previous trips so we shall see.

8am Breakfast at CRT. I wanted to do an early lunch here but after discussions with the family, they feel sure we can do breakfast. I hoe I don't live to regret this decision .

Park during day - Magic Kingdom

Lunch at Pecos Bills or Cosmic Rays, although we do love Columbia Harbour House also.

Park hop over to either Wilderness Lodge or Grand Floridian to see decorations and then catch cab back to resort to relax and have a wander around the savannah viewing areas and if warm enough, a swim.

Dinner - 6pm Jiko at AKL. Someone recommended this further down the thread and I thought it might be nice to take it a bit easier this night and enjoy the resort. We felt when we stayed at WL last time that we truly didn't get to spend enough time there so hopefully a lazy afternoon and an early dinner in the resort will be a great way to soak the place in.


Wednesday 12 Dec

Breakfast - in room

Park - Hollywood Studios

Lunch - 12.30 50's Prime Time Diner - love this place

Wander some more then back to the resort.

Dinner - 6.30pm O'Hana's and then watch fireworks either from restaurant or the Poly beach


Thursday 13 December

Breakfast in room or at Mara

Park - Epcot

12pm - Biergarten

Evening - MVMCP, woohoo, how fun. We will pick up a counter service meal and enjoy this exciting evening.

Friday 14 December

We will need to be up super super super early today as we are transferring over to POFQ for the remaining 6 days.

Breakfast - 8am Crystal Palace, we will cab it to the park I think

Park - Magic Kingdom for the day, watch 3pm Parade, resort hop to either WL or GF, depending on which resort we did on day 2.

back to POFQ to check in and for a rest

Dinner - 6.30 T-Rex and a wander around Downtown Disney

Saturday 15 December

Outlet Shopping Day. This will be DH's favourite day because that man loves to shop . I would say we'll make an early start with brekky in the room and by around lunchtime the kids and I will be done done done. DH on the other hand will perhaps shop on while we return to the resort for a swim or to relax.

Dinner - 8pm Rose & Crown and then Illuminations at 9.30pm. We haven't been to this restaurant before nor have we seen Illuminations so looking forward to this.

Sunday 16 December

Breakfast in room

Park - Epcot

Lunch - 12.30 San Angel Inn

Back to room for a rest

Dinner - 6pm Flying Fish (I can't wait for this one. We had an ADR last time but were simply too tired on the day so cancelled. I will not be cancelling this time and already know what I will be ordering ). After dinner wander around the Boardwalk taking everything in.

Monday 17 December

Breakfast in room

Kennedy Space Centre tour day - can't wait for this. The rest of the family are whinging and whining and don't want to go but I'm making them. I know DS10 will be blown away once he is there.

Catch boat from POFQ to Downtown Disney

Evening - 6.30pm dinner at Raglan Road (went here twice last time, amazing food and great atmosphere. Looking forward to seeing the dancers and house band this time)

Wander around Downtown Disney afterwards

Tuesday 18 December

Breakfast in Foodcourt

Park - Animal Kingdom

Lunch - 12pm Tusker House Character Lunch

Back to room for some washing and a rest

Evening - Epcot

Dinner - 6pm Coral Reef.

Wednesday 19 December

Breakfast in room

Universal - Harry Potter for the day.

Evening - wander around MK for the last hurrah, to say goodbye to Walt and the Castle.

and if possible dinner at Be Our Guest if we can get a reservation when they open.

Thursday 20 December - head to NYC mid morning

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I know that was really wordy but it was helpful to write it all out for planning purposes as well.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

[australiankaren]

Looks like a great plan..

don't forget to do some resort hopping ie:
the new art of animation resort @ POP,
contemporary/ WL when @ MK catch the boat, all will have Xmas decorations and its great to have a sticky....

don't forget to pack your refillable mugs, as you can grab a drink at the food courts...

maybe instead of counter service lunches in MK, grab a boat to wilderness lodge resort for lunch, they have great wraps & kids meals....

WDW is as much about the resorts (pool hopping etc.) as it is about the parks IMHO....

We try to go to BW/BC when at Hollywood studios/ Epcot catching the boat
AKL when at AK
Contemp/ WL/GF when at MK
DTD when at POR/POFQ

The kids also would love the theming of all stars resorts and POP....

but you have an awesome list, and sign up for the VIP outlet shopping vouchers etc. My DH loves to outlet shop as well

 

[shushh]

I'm at a conference but the speaker is so boring...

Let's see how much I can type before I feel guilty or get caught!

Plans look good.
If you haven't been to character meal at Tusker House, I think it's worth doing. The theming is beautiful and you get a photo of the characters in safari gear. The food is unusual and may not be to everyone's tastes but we enjoyed it.

I'm not sure how fast you eat but I'm wondering if there is enough time to finish dinner at Rose and Crown and finding a spot for Illuminations. There are prime viewing spots that people stake out. If you don't care so much about the view and don't need the photographic vantage point then don't worry. We were late and our kids couldn't really see the fireworks because they were too short and we couldn't see the whole span of the show.

If you are interested in narrative of the Christmas story by a celebrity and amazing musial arrangement of Christmas favorites, have you considered the candlelight processional at Epcot?

Will type more later!

 

[dabecs]

I can't really comment because I have no experience but it's exciting to see your plan

I think we will try to have a break most days too - it seems like a great idea to keep everyone happy and balanced

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Looks like a great plan..

don't forget to do some resort hopping ie:
the new art of animation resort @ POP,
contemporary/ WL when @ MK catch the boat, all will have Xmas decorations and its great to have a sticky....

don't forget to pack your refillable mugs, as you can grab a drink at the food courts...

maybe instead of counter service lunches in MK, grab a boat to wilderness lodge resort for lunch, they have great wraps & kids meals....

WDW is as much about the resorts (pool hopping etc.) as it is about the parks IMHO....

We try to go to BW/BC when at Hollywood studios/ Epcot catching the boat
AKL when at AK
Contemp/ WL/GF when at MK
DTD when at POR/POFQ

The kids also would love the theming of all stars resorts and POP....

but you have an awesome list, and sign up for the VIP outlet shopping vouchers etc. My DH loves to outlet shop as well

We will definitely be resort hopping over to Grand Floridian and Wilderness Lodge. They are the 2 we particularly want to see decked out for Christmas. Not that fussed about Art of Animation.

We can't wait to walk into the lobby of AKL and see the big tree and we've booked a Savannah view so that will be pretty special also.

Thanks for the reminder about the VIP vouchers for the outlets. We did that last time and my DH said it was great. I didn't even bother going to the outlet malls last time. This time I'm going with a list of stuff for the kids.

I'm at a conference but the speaker is so boring...

Let's see how much I can type before I feel guilty or get caught!

Plans look good.
If you haven't been to character meal at Tusker House, I think it's worth doing. The theming is beautiful and you get a photo of the characters in safari gear. The food is unusual and may not be to everyone's tastes but we enjoyed it.

I'm not sure how fast you eat but I'm wondering if there is enough time to finish dinner at Rose and Crown and finding a spot for Illuminations. There are prime viewing spots that people stake out. If you don't care so much about the view and don't need the photographic vantage point then don't worry. We were late and our kids couldn't really see the fireworks because they were too short and we couldn't see the whole span of the show.

If you are interested in narrative of the Christmas story by a celebrity and amazing musial arrangement of Christmas favorites, have you considered the candlelight processional at Epcot?

Will type more later!

I think Tusker House would be the best choice, for something unique.

We are eating at Rose & Crown because they have a viewing deck for patrons to watch Illuminations from. We are even hoping we might be able to snag an outside table so we can literally watch it from our table. That would be cool. If we can't though I'd be happy with having a nice dinner and then wandering out to the deck to watch.

I am very interested in the Christmas story but from what I understand the Candlelight Processionals are super crowded and you need to get there very early to see anything. I'm not sure whether DH and DS would be able to stand it, we shall see though.

I'm really looking forward to visiting all of the Santas in Epcot in the World Showcase. I think once we are there we will add more Epcot time as it really is the most wonderful park and our whole family really enjoys it.

I can't really comment because I have no experience but it's exciting to see your plan

I think we will try to have a break most days too - it seems like a great idea to keep everyone happy and balanced

Planning is so super exciting, except for the choosing the parks part .

The break in the afternoon works well for our family but it does add alot of travelling to the day so doesn't suit everyone. We don't mind it and we feel more rested if we do it.

 

[DVCAustralia]

It is definately worth doing a detailed plan in advance, not only does it help with ADRs but it means that you can relax when you are at WDW rather than constantly have to make decisions as to where to go.

I strongly suggest checking easywdw.com, which has a calander and then detailed recommendations for each day, the link for December is: -
http://www.easywdw.com/calendar/december-2012-disney-world-crowd-calendar/#more-8298

Below are some of my thoughts based on doing WDW in December a few times over the years: -

Monday 10 December
Breakfast
If you need something extra for breakfast I suggest checking out Mara, the quick service location just near Boma.
Dinner
I also thought that 'Ohana would be a great place to see the fireworks but I would strongly recommend avoiding 'Ohana, for dinner in that area I would recommend 1900 Park Fare, GF (the characters are wonderful), The Wave at Contemporary or even Kona Cafe at the Polynesian over 'Ohana.
Instead, I recommend watching the fireworks from the beach area at the Polynesian Resort as they play the music, it is a great angle, but it is quiet and not crowded (this is also a great way to see the fireworks for MVMCP without paying to attend). You could also see the Electrical Water Pageant and do the Chrsitmas decorations at Grand Floridian while you are in the area.
As for getting around you can use the monorail for Poly to GF but it is better to use the boat from GF to Poly.
This is the extra magic hours evening at MK if that is of interest.

Tuesday 11 December
Since you are staying at AKL and may be tired I would change this day to the Animal Kingdom, since you will be close by the resort and you sit down for extended periods at the shows and on the safari.
I would recommend doing the Christmas decorations on a day you are at Magic Kingdom since you will be in the area anyway.

Wednesday 12 December
If you are not doing the evening entertainment I would change Magic Kingdom to the next day and do Hollywood Studios on this day.
I do though agree with Cosmic Rays, however the ribs are now not served until 4pm.
The Osbourne Christmas lights are amazing, make sure you stay awhile so that you can see the dancing at least twice.

Thursday 13 December
As stated I suggest changing Animal Kingdom to Tuesday.
I recommend Yak & Yeti, this was one of only two repeat restaurants over two trips. The characters at Tusker House have great outfits however I did breakfast so I am cannot advise about lunch.

Friday 14 December
MVMCP and getting up really early the next day are not easily compatible. Not only does the party go late, but when you leave you will be travelling all the way back to AKL, not a short journey.
You could make this outlet day and do a later start then aim to return at check-in time or a little before.

Saturday 15 December
You could put Epcot from Sunday on this day.
Rose & Crown is a great place to have dinner and see Illuminations, you can see Illuminations from some tables, otherwise they will let you go to their 'private viewing area'.

Sunday 16 December
You could put Magic Kingdom from Friday on this day.
Biergarten is great, the show times should be 1:15, 2:15, 3:15, 4:45, 5:55, 7:00 & 8:05pm and it goes for about 25 minutes so plan your ADR time to see at least one.

The rest looks great.

As for the Candlelight Processional I love it, whilst the queue will look long the capacity is usually sufficient during early to mid December and anyway they count it and can advise your chances of getting a seat. Make sure you queue in the general queue which goes past Italy and Germany, the other side is for those that did the CP dining package. The 5pm show is probably the one to aim for.

If you have any questions let me know.

Have a fantastic time!!

 

[mike the canuck]

Yak & Yeti is very good. It was one of our favourites last trip

 

[australiankaren]

I'm at a conference but the speaker is so boring...

Let's see how much I can type before I feel guilty or get caught!

Plans look good.
If you haven't been to character meal at Tusker House, I think it's worth doing. The theming is beautiful and you get a photo of the characters in safari gear. The food is unusual and may not be to everyone's tastes but we enjoyed it.

I'm not sure how fast you eat but I'm wondering if there is enough time to finish dinner at Rose and Crown and finding a spot for Illuminations. There are prime viewing spots that people stake out. If you don't care so much about the view and don't need the photographic vantage point then don't worry. We were late and our kids couldn't really see the fireworks because they were too short and we couldn't see the whole span of the show.

If you are interested in narrative of the Christmas story by a celebrity and amazing musial arrangement of Christmas favorites, have you considered the candlelight processional at Epcot?

Will type more later!

yep, you must see the candlelight processional.....very well done and moving.Worth the lining up IMHO...and then get warm cider and gingerbread @ the gingerbread house from the american counter service location behind it (cant remember the name)......great way to end the night.

 

[BecBennett]

We cancelled so many ADRs because of the length of time it took to get anywhere. In the end if there was an ADR we really wanted to make we took a cab, otherwise we pretty much just ate where we were.

 

[australiankaren]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/holidays/candlelight_processional.htm

 

[Mum from oz]

I will comment on what I have tried. The rest I have no idea!

Ohana - is delicious and one of our favourite meals!
Sci Fi - great choice, we thought this was really fun too.
T-Rex - Another of our must do's, we love the food and theming too!
CRT - Food wasn't the best, not bad, just not great but you can't beat eating in the castle!
Fantasmic - Definitely a great show. Be warned, get there EARLY! We got there an hour before it started last year and we still got stuck on the far side.
Tusker House - Really nice food at breakfast, we've done it twice. Not sure about lunch. Good fun to see the characters in safari gear. I think it is worth a try.
Crystal Palace - Always a winner for breakfast.
Kennedy Space Centre - Worth the trip. Our littlies were too young to get a lot of what was going on yet they still enjoyed it. Definitely drag them out there!!
Les Chefs De France - We had lunch here and it was really yummy. No idea about Coral Reef but the fish tanks do look amazing. Tough choice! (I know I'm not being very helpful here!)


I think your list looks pretty good. I also found it really hard working out which parks for each day. Its annoying you have to do it like that to work our you ADRs!

 

[Minniemum]

Oh the agony and ecstasy of ADR's.

We also do a plan of which parks we will be visiting each day long before we arrive. Our plans for September this year were done and dusted before the 180 day booking window for ADR's. We just didn't want to miss our favourites

As suggested by DVCAustralia I'd also have a look at the expected crowd levels. We've found easywdw.com to be accurate in the past.

All your ADR's look good. Everyone raves about O'hana but we had a negative experience. I think it had more to do with the time of our booking of 7.30pm. When we arrived the place was packed and we had to wait 45mins after our ADR before we got in. This was on top of us being 15 mins early. Arrrgh. The meat was so overcooked you could've bounced it off the table but like I said the place was madness. The dessert however was to die for. I would go back just for that. Maybe an earlier ADR would be better.

Dinner - 6pm eityher Chefs De France or Coral Reef. I think the kids would be blown away by the fishtanks at Coral Reef but DH and I would probably prefer the food at Chefs De France. I'm torn on this one.

I loved Coral Reef it was our favourite meal last year. People seem to love it or hate it, with most complaining about overcooked fish. All our meals were cooked to perfection. We had an ADR of 12pm so avoided the rush. This may have helped. Both DD and DS loved the fishtank especially trying to find all the different species.

We haven't tried Chefs yet but have booked in for our trip in September. I rang to make this reservation because I wanted to make sure we saw Remy. He only comes out at select times. CM suggested we book 30 mins before he was due to come out.

For this trip we have also booked T-Rex we had trouble getting a table for 9 with Disney so rang direct and had no trouble. I recently read this in another Australia thread. I love the dis

Re shopping, I always order heaps online and get it sent straight to our hotel. DD who is 11 loves picking out her clothes and it saves me traipsing her around the malls. Anything we don't like or doesn't fit we return to the malls. NB With regular shipping it can take up to 10 business days. That would put you in time for the thanksgiving sales. Great deals to be had then!

Here's to getting all your ADR's at the time you want

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

It is definately worth doing a detailed plan in advance, not only does it help with ADRs but it means that you can relax when you are at WDW rather than constantly have to make decisions as to where to go.

I strongly suggest checking easywdw.com, which has a calander and then detailed recommendations for each day, the link for December is: -
http://www.easywdw.com/calendar/december-2012-disney-world-crowd-calendar/#more-8298

Below are some of my thoughts based on doing WDW in December a few times over the years: -

Monday 10 December
Breakfast
If you need something extra for breakfast I suggest checking out Mara, the quick service location just near Boma.
Dinner
I also thought that 'Ohana would be a great place to see the fireworks but I would strongly recommend avoiding 'Ohana, for dinner in that area I would recommend 1900 Park Fare, GF (the characters are wonderful), The Wave at Contemporary or even Kona Cafe at the Polynesian over 'Ohana.
Instead, I recommend watching the fireworks from the beach area at the Polynesian Resort as they play the music, it is a great angle, but it is quiet and not crowded (this is also a great way to see the fireworks for MVMCP without paying to attend). You could also see the Electrical Water Pageant and do the Chrsitmas decorations at Grand Floridian while you are in the area.
As for getting around you can use the monorail for Poly to GF but it is better to use the boat from GF to Poly.
This is the extra magic hours evening at MK if that is of interest.

Tuesday 11 December
Since you are staying at AKL and may be tired I would change this day to the Animal Kingdom, since you will be close by the resort and you sit down for extended periods at the shows and on the safari.
I would recommend doing the Christmas decorations on a day you are at Magic Kingdom since you will be in the area anyway.

Wednesday 12 December
If you are not doing the evening entertainment I would change Magic Kingdom to the next day and do Hollywood Studios on this day.
I do though agree with Cosmic Rays, however the ribs are now not served until 4pm.
The Osbourne Christmas lights are amazing, make sure you stay awhile so that you can see the dancing at least twice.

Thursday 13 December
As stated I suggest changing Animal Kingdom to Tuesday.
I recommend Yak & Yeti, this was one of only two repeat restaurants over two trips. The characters at Tusker House have great outfits however I did breakfast so I am cannot advise about lunch.

Friday 14 December
MVMCP and getting up really early the next day are not easily compatible. Not only does the party go late, but when you leave you will be travelling all the way back to AKL, not a short journey.
You could make this outlet day and do a later start then aim to return at check-in time or a little before.

Saturday 15 December
You could put Epcot from Sunday on this day.
Rose & Crown is a great place to have dinner and see Illuminations, you can see Illuminations from some tables, otherwise they will let you go to their 'private viewing area'.

Sunday 16 December
You could put Magic Kingdom from Friday on this day.
Biergarten is great, the show times should be 1:15, 2:15, 3:15, 4:45, 5:55, 7:00 & 8:05pm and it goes for about 25 minutes so plan your ADR time to see at least one.

The rest looks great.

As for the Candlelight Processional I love it, whilst the queue will look long the capacity is usually sufficient during early to mid December and anyway they count it and can advise your chances of getting a seat. Make sure you queue in the general queue which goes past Italy and Germany, the other side is for those that did the CP dining package. The 5pm show is probably the one to aim for.

If you have any questions let me know.

Have a fantastic time!!

Did you not like O'Hana's? I thought it was one of those places that always got rave reviews.

Good point about looking at resort decorations on our MK days, I hadn't thought of that. Good thinking.

You may be right, doing AK on that second day might be the easier option.

Yes maybe the early morning the day after the Christmas party isn't not the best idea. Lucky you caught that one.

Thanks for the Biergarten times, we would definitely want to see the show. Probably a 12.30 or 12.45 adr would be best yeah?

I'm going to read a bit more info on the Candlelight Processional.

Thanks for all of your really well thought out suggestions, I appreciate it.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

We cancelled so many ADRs because of the length of time it took to get anywhere. In the end if there was an ADR we really wanted to make we took a cab, otherwise we pretty much just ate where we were.

Yes, cabs will definitely be something we use for those out of the way ADR's.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/holidays/candlelight_processional.htm

Thanks Karen. Neil Patrick Harris is doing it when we are there, love me some NPH.

I will comment on what I have tried. The rest I have no idea!

Ohana - is delicious and one of our favourite meals!
Sci Fi - great choice, we thought this was really fun too.
T-Rex - Another of our must do's, we love the food and theming too!
CRT - Food wasn't the best, not bad, just not great but you can't beat eating in the castle!
Fantasmic - Definitely a great show. Be warned, get there EARLY! We got there an hour before it started last year and we still got stuck on the far side.
Tusker House - Really nice food at breakfast, we've done it twice. Not sure about lunch. Good fun to see the characters in safari gear. I think it is worth a try.
Crystal Palace - Always a winner for breakfast.
Kennedy Space Centre - Worth the trip. Our littlies were too young to get a lot of what was going on yet they still enjoyed it. Definitely drag them out there!!
Les Chefs De France - We had lunch here and it was really yummy. No idea about Coral Reef but the fish tanks do look amazing. Tough choice! (I know I'm not being very helpful here!)


I think your list looks pretty good. I also found it really hard working out which parks for each day. Its annoying you have to do it like that to work our you ADRs!

I remember your trip report and how much you loved KSC and TRex. I'm sure we will love it too.

Oh the agony and ecstasy of ADR's.

We also do a plan of which parks we will be visiting each day long before we arrive. Our plans for September this year were done and dusted before the 180 day booking window for ADR's. We just didn't want to miss our favourites

As suggested by DVCAustralia I'd also have a look at the expected crowd levels. We've found easywdw.com to be accurate in the past.

All your ADR's look good. Everyone raves about O'hana but we had a negative experience. I think it had more to do with the time of our booking of 7.30pm. When we arrived the place was packed and we had to wait 45mins after our ADR before we got in. This was on top of us being 15 mins early. Arrrgh. The meat was so overcooked you could've bounced it off the table but like I said the place was madness. The dessert however was to die for. I would go back just for that. Maybe an earlier ADR would be better.



I loved Coral Reef it was our favourite meal last year. People seem to love it or hate it, with most complaining about overcooked fish. All our meals were cooked to perfection. We had an ADR of 12pm so avoided the rush. This may have helped. Both DD and DS loved the fishtank especially trying to find all the different species.

We haven't tried Chefs yet but have booked in for our trip in September. I rang to make this reservation because I wanted to make sure we saw Remy. He only comes out at select times. CM suggested we book 30 mins before he was due to come out.

For this trip we have also booked T-Rex we had trouble getting a table for 9 with Disney so rang direct and had no trouble. I recently read this in another Australia thread. I love the dis

Re shopping, I always order heaps online and get it sent straight to our hotel. DD who is 11 loves picking out her clothes and it saves me traipsing her around the malls. Anything we don't like or doesn't fit we return to the malls. NB With regular shipping it can take up to 10 business days. That would put you in time for the thanksgiving sales. Great deals to be had then!

Here's to getting all your ADR's at the time you want

I actually did look at crowd predictions. I have the Touring Plans membership which I used last time we went which we thought was really helpful. I used this when making my park selections but I think you and DVC have made some good points so I will go back to the drawing board and perhaps move some things around.

 

[WAMUMOF4]

I don't know much about most of the places your going we are not even going to Epcot on this trip.
We are trying Ohanas this trip as well it just seems to be one of those places people love or hate but thanks for reminding me about the fire works on the beach I had totally forgotten about that

CRT We had Lunch and I would highly reccomend the lunch it was great.
I guess im also wondering why you wouldn't go to animal kingdom when your are staying near it and don't have to travel so far

If the space centre is anything like the one in Houston it is worth it we loved the Houston one so much we are going back again this year.

 

[aussietravellers]

I can make my ADR's for WDW as of Monday and so I thought I better finally sit down and work out where we were going to be each day of our 11 night WDW visit so I could work out when and where for the most important part - FOOD!!!!!!

We had a long list of places we wanted to eat, it was just going to be hard to fit it all in and I knew something was going to have to give. I hoped it would become clear which ones to get rid of as I worked through but of course it's never that easy.

I must admit I do find working out which park on which day to be extremely difficult and I will be relieved once it's done. Then I can sit back and enjoy the ride.

TOURING - A bit of background on how our family likes to tour - we like to get up and at em' nice and early so we can ride and enjoy the parks before the parks get really busy. We also like to avoid the heat but December in Orlando shouldn't be a problem. We like to return to our room in the afternoon for a rest/nap/zone out and then go to dinner somewhere and a different park to where we've been during the day. We never start at a park first thing in the morning and stay all day and into the night. I think we just get too tired.

We are exactly the same

So on with the rough plans, please let me know if you see any glaring holes in my thinking, have any awesome advice, etc.

Day 1-5 staying at AKL

Sun 9 Dec

Fly fly fly fly fly and arrive into Orlando at 9.30pm ish. By the time we get our bags and get the Magical Express to AKL who knows what time it will be. Will dump bags and crash for however long our bodies need.

Mon 10 Dec

We will have flown in from Canberra late the night before so I don't have anything firm set for when we should get up etc. We will just sleep and see what happens.

Breakfast - either a bowl of cereal in our room from our Garden Grocer delivery or if absolutely starving and can snag a table we could wander down to Boma. Will play that by ear.
Mara the quick service is great too You can eat there or grab the food on a tray and take it back to the room and sit on the balcony watching the animals Mara would be our favourite CS at the whole of WDW. The chicken caesar is SO good. The chicken is cooked in yummy spices.

Park during the day - Epcot. This is DH's favourite park and with the world showcase not opening until 11am and us potentially sleeping in we thought this would be a nice easy way to kick off our WDW experience.

Lunch - San Angel Inn
for an early lunch, 11.45-12pm ish. (this will be our first time dining here, looks like a great atmosphere)

Wander a bit more and then back to the room for a rest and to unpack a bit more.

Dinner - 6.30 O'Hana
then watch the 8pm fireworks from the restaurant. (this will be our first time dining here, I like the idea of the family style dining) I think we will then return to our room and get some sleep, perhaps wander around outside the resort to see how it looks at night.

Tuesday 11 Dec

I actually think in some ways we could potentially be a little more tired today with the jetlag catching up, well that is what has happened on previous trips so we shall see.

It's highly possible that you will be up with the sparrows

Breakfast in room

Park during day - Hollywood Studios

Lunch - 12ish Sci Fi Diner (been before, thought it was super fun)

In the afternoon we plan to resort hop over to WL and to GF to check out the amazing Christmas decorations. The boys in our family may skip this and go back to the room. They function better with naps etc. I mean the big boy, DH most especially .

Dinner - 6pm T-Rex and then wandering around Downtown Disney for the evening.

Wednesday 12 Dec

Breakfast - 8am Cinderella's Royal Table (can't wait for this, our first time dining in the castle)

Park - Magic Kingdom for the day, counter service lunch either at Pecos Bill or Cosmic Rays.

Dinner - early dinner, like 4.45pm at 50's Prime Time Diner (had this before and loved it)

6.30pm Fantasmic (plan to enter around 45 mins before the show perhaps with a cupcake in hand for dessert to keep the family quiet). This will be our first time seeing Fantasmic and come hell or high water I am seeing it.

After Fantasmic I thought we could wander over to see the Osborne Lights for the first time, sigh I think this will be amazing.

Thursday 13 December

Breakfast in room

Animal Kingdom for day

Lunch - haven't quite decided. Either Yak and Yeti which we have done before and enjoyed or perhaps the Tusker House Character lunch. I would welcome opinions on this.

My vote would be Yak and Yeti, love it there But a character meal could be fun

Head back to the room for a relax in the afternoon.

Evening - MVMCP, woohoo, how fun. We will pick up a counter service meal and enjoy this exciting evening.

Friday 14 December

We will need to be up super super super early today as we are transferring over to POFQ for the remaining 6 days.

Breakfast - 8am Crystal Palace

Park - Magic Kingdom for the day, watch 3pm Parade

back to POFQ to check in and for a rest

Dinner - 6pm Flying Fish (I can't wait for this one. We had an ADR last time but were simply too tired on the day so cancelled. I will not be cancelling this time and already know what I will be ordering ). After dinner wander around the Boardwalk taking everything in.

Saturday 15 December

Outlet Shopping Day. This will be DH's favourite day because that man loves to shop . I would say we'll make an early start with brekky in the room and by around lunchtime the kids and I will be done done done. DH on the other hand will perhaps shop on while we return to the resort for a swim or to relax.

Dinner - 8pm Rose & Crown and then Illuminations at 9.30pm. We haven't been to this restaurant before nor have we seen Illuminations so looking forward to this.


Sunday 16 December

Breakfast in room

Park - Epcot

Lunch - 12.30 Biergarten (this is our first time here and I'm looking forward to the atmosphere more than anything)

Back to room for a rest

Evening - Hollywood Studios for a wander, dinner at a counter service place, perhaps Pizza Planet, the kids enjoyed that last time.

Monday 17 December

Breakfast in room

Kennedy Space Centre tour day - can't wait for this. The rest of the family are whinging and whining and don't want to go but I'm making them. I know DS10 will be blown away once he is there.

Catch boat from POFQ to Downtown Disney

Evening - 6.30pm dinner at Raglan Road (went here twice last time, amazing food and great atmosphere. Looking forward to seeing the dancers and house band this time)

Wander around Downtown Disney afterwards

Tuesday 18 December

Breakfast in Foodcourt

Park - Animal Kingdom for the day, lunch at Flame Tree BBQ probably

Back to room for some washing and a rest

Evening - Epcot

Dinner - 6pm eityher Chefs De France or Coral Reef. I think the kids would be blown away by the fishtanks at Coral Reef but DH and I would probably prefer the food at Chefs De France. I'm torn on this one.

My vote would be Chefs... I love it there... But I do like Coral Reef too.. if you go there and you like desserts, then you must try the chocolate wave. It is SO good!

Wednesday 19 December

Breakfast in room

Universal - Harry Potter for the day.

Evening - wander around MK for the last hurrah, to say goodbye to Walt and the Castle.

Thursday 20 December - head to NYC mid morning

I think you have some fabulous choices there! They all sound great and great park plans too It's going to be such a fun trip and at Christmas time too

 

[DVCAustralia]

It seemed to me that O'hana and Le Cellier got lots of great reviews and little criticism all the time, but I hated both and it turned out later that I am not alone. I think Minniemum gave a great description.
I would actually try to make the ADR for Biergarten about 15 minutes before the first show so that you can stay for the second show if I feel like it on the day. It is a lovely atmosphere and a great 'free' show.

 

[Andona]

If the space centre is anything like the one in Houston it is worth it we loved the Houston one so much we are going back again this year.

I'm soooo pleased to hear this! We loved Cape Canaveral and have planned to visit the Houston space centre on this trip. I've been a bit worried that it would be a bit of a let down after cape canaveral, but if you're planning to go back for a second visit then it must be good.

Shuttergirl, Your ADR's look great I think you have a nice mix of old favourites and new experiences in your planning.

Andona

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Okay so I popped over to the EasyWDW calendar recommendation link and now I am even more confused than ever. I think they give a very good explanation for each day about why they are recommending a park and why they are not but some of their recommendations are in direct opposition of the Touring Plans recommendations. I'm so confused .

I now don't know what to do about what I was planning. Sigh.