Nine months from today, my husband and I will be checking into the Lodge for 11 nights and our first on-site stay at Disney. We originally booked at POFQ because I was told be a co-worker that it was a best moderate. When my husband found out that POFQ was not a hotel (walk from room to lobby), he was a bit disappointed. When we went to my nephew's wedding in 2009 in California, we ate at Napa Rose and fell in love with the Grand California Hotel - similar to Wilderness Lodge. I was going to surprise him for our 28th anniversary, but he found out.
On the day we arrive, we plan on getting in early and getting settled and spending the evening in Downtown Disney and going to dinner at House of Blues. The next day we are planning on spending the day at Animal Kingdom since that is the park we left off the last time we were there (10 years to the date---too long). We are doing the Deluxe Dining Plan. For breakfast that morning, I was considering Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge --
should we take a taxi to breakfast and then hop on a bus to Animal Kingdom?
We need to finalize all of our ADR's by May so we can submit them to our
travel agent (who will make all of our reservations) and I am finding that it is hard to make up my mind.
We know we want the Deluxe Dining Plan (because we don't want to have to worry about thinking about how much we are spending and because we want to try various restaurants). We also want to spend adequate time at each park. Visit all of the resorts. And have some time to relax.
We are early risers and figure we can eat breakfast early. Head to our destination for the day at eat a later lunch (between 1 and 2) and then eat a late dinner (8pm) where we can sit back with a glass or two of wine and enjoy each others company.
It is too early for my husband to sit down and plan our meals yet. My mind has been thinking about it for a long time.
Some of the places that I have in mind are:
SIGNATURES: Artist Point, Le Cellier, Jiko, Flying Fish, California Grill - please let me know your thoughts and if we should add others to the list. I am not picky. My husband is allergic to shellfish and a bit picky (does not like Indian Food, soups - except French Onion) or anything in gravy).
BREAKFAST: Crystal Palace (for Whinnie and Friends - I have a tattoo on my right leg of Whinnie), Kouzzina; Kona, The Wave, Boma.
LUNCH/DINNER: Via Napoli, Be Our Guest, Nine Dragons, Yak & Yeti, Tutto Italia, Brown Derby
We don't want to be a slave to our ADR's but understand if you don't make reservations you probably will not get in.
This will probably change, but this is how I see our time going:
Day one - arrive, check into the Lodge, unpack, explore and go to Downtown Disney
Day two - go to Animal Kingdom Lodge and eat at Boma - spending the day at Animal Kingdom and eat dinner at Artist Point.
Day three - spend the day at Hollywood Studios
Day four - spend at the day at Epcot/World Show case
Day five - spend the day at Magic Kingdom
Day six - resort hopping day
Day seven - do laundry in the morning and relax - do DVMCP at night
Day eight - resort hopping day, mini golf, Disney Quest
Day nine - two half days and whatever parks we would like to go back to
Day ten - Souvenier Shopping and maybe go to the movies
Day eleven - Cirque du Soleil and Pack
Day 12 - leave for home
Sorry for the long post. Any comments, suggestions welcome.