How bad did I screw up our itinerary? First timers....

[pioneer89]

I know this is going to be worth it once we get there, just to see the look/magic in my kids' eyes, but I'm getting seriously frustrated planning. I dont think I've ever had to spend so much time/energy/headaches on planning a vacation before in my lie.

It's a lot of information to process, but as a first timer, you've come to the right place. The people here will give you the very, very best advice, and as you can tell, they LOVE giving it.

With ADRs, having a good plan is important, so you can spend more of your vacation doing the things you want, and less traveling between parks. You'll be loving yourself for going through this headache now, thus your vacation goes smooth.

 

[claryche]

I say keep trying to change your TH reservation. Try at 6am Eastern online as soon as it opens for the days. And you don't have to get rid of your reservations to make a new one. Just make a new one, if possible, and we access your schedule and then delete the one you need to delete.

I wanted to comment on Fantasmic. I don't know how old your son is, but we took my DS when he was 18 months and he loved it. By that time of your trip, you will probably be able to tell if your son would like it or not, based on how he has liked other parts of the trip. So don't automatically write it off, is all I'm saying.

 

[claryche]

Sorry, forgot to include this in my post. Do you have park hoppers, because if you don't that will change your plans. It seems like for most of your days you are only doing one park a day and buying park hoppers to just do one hop might not be the best bang for your buck.

 

[khrivnak]

We do have park hopper passes.

I got them because I dont know what I'm doing making these plans, but I think I'll keep them because I like the flexibility of switching things up.

I'm afraid once we get there, the kids will be wanting to go to MK or something else during down times. Once I'm there and see how things work (its so hard never being there) I may be able to skip park hoppers for the next trip (because we KNOW there will be a next trip).

I had the travel agent book everything..... I couldnt even tell you how much extra it was for the park hopper passes.

 

[tinkerbellmichelle]

If you don't have park hoppers you may want to fiddle around a bit with your reservations.

We absolutely loved breakfast with the princesses in Norway and we loved Ohana's character breakfast. In fact, O'hana's was by far our best character breakfast. And we loved chef mickey's for dinner. good luck with your decisions - i changed our reservations so many times and even more while we were there. eventually we were more than happy with where we ate. It turned out that eating somewhere nearby where we were went over way better than running around all over the place to get our food.

So i agree with chef mickey's on either your MK or Epcot day.

 

[Amy162]

The only thing that screws me up is heading back over to Epcot for Akershus (not excited about this ADR at ALL, but cant cancel because thats the only dinner you can eat with Belle... a must for my DDs).

Would it be possible to try to schedule a breakfast at Akershus instead? I've never had dinner there, but I've heard that the breakfast food is so much better than dinner, and Belle has been there for breakfast both times we've been there. I just made my ressies for the same week last week (online) and there were several openings for a breakfast ADR here.

Also, if meeting Belle is a must, make sure you do Storytime with Belle at MK. She's not in her princess dress, but if you get there early your kids may even be chosen to participate in the story with her!

 

[goofy53073]

I think switching the ADR's will be difficult so I would suggest switching your days at the parks. Not sure about the parade and making it for dinner?

Stacey

 

[Zandy595]

Somewhere on the DIS someone posted a link to a website that told you how long it takes to get from place to place and the best way (bus, monorail, boat, walking, car) to do it. I forgot to save it. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

OP that site might be very helpful to you.

 

[sharonabe]

We're driving down, but planning on parking our car and using disney buses, etc. (we are planning mid-morning breaks here and there... depending on how the kids are)

Obviously the "screwed up" days are Monday and Tuesday. In a perfect world, I'd love to keep the Tusker House breakfast.

So... keeping Disney transportation in mind (I have no idea how long "take a long time" is....)

Monday do Epcot and keep CM 7:55 pm
Tuesday do AK. The only thing that screws me up is heading back over to Epcot for Akershus (not excited about this ADR at ALL, but cant cancel because thats the only dinner you can eat with Belle... a must for my DDs).

I know this is going to be worth it once we get there, just to see the look/magic in my kids' eyes, but I'm getting seriously frustrated planning. I dont think I've ever had to spend so much time/energy/headaches on planning a vacation before in my lie.

I think you've hit on the simplest way to fix your plan. There is a bus from AK to Epcot. It's bus stop #15 on the left side as you exit AK (thanks from another DISer for that info). I don't know how long it takes, but if you leave AK by 4:00, I think that SHOULD be enough time. Of course, your kids may need a break before then and you head back to your hotel for an afternoon nap. That also fixes your park-to-park transportation problem. You will also be able to catch Illuminations that night after your princess dinner.

At the risk of being too much info, there is one other option that would provide your kids with some rest without having to go back to the hotel. Leave AK around 3:00 and catch the first Epcot hotel bus that comes along (Boardwalk, Beach Club, Swan, Dolphin). Then take the boat from one of these hotels over to the International Gateway of Epcot. This way you are entering Epcot on the World Showcase side which makes the walk over to your ADR a little easier. The kids will get some downtime on the bus and boat (not sleeping time probably, but it is a rest of sorts).

Don't stress too much. You have a great plan already! Enjoy the process!

 

[topmonkeygirl]

Somewhere on the DIS someone posted a link to a website that told you how long it takes to get from place to place and the best way (bus, monorail, boat, walking, car) to do it. I forgot to save it. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

OP that site might be very helpful to you.

http://www.ourlaughingplace.com/default.aspx I think this is the site you were looking for.
You didn't do bad for a beginer.

 

[Eliza'sMom]

If you'd like to see the parade at AK, you could try to get a later ADR at Akershus. Or, maybe they have some breakfast or lunch availability for Nov. 9. I think breakfast with the princesses would be a fun start to your trip if you have princess-loving DDs.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

That parade is nice but not so fantastic I would make special arrangements to see it. If it doesn't work out, there's always next time.

 

[Maiden]

Wow, so many options! I agree you will get the best advice here, but we're all a bit different in terms of what's most important, how we feel about the buses, and how much we enjoy/mind the walking involved in getting around.
Keep in mind that when you arrive at Epcot entrance to go to Akershus you will still have to walk a fair distance. If you choose to go to a resort and then take the boat to the international gateway entrance, this will cut down on your walking but may take a little longer.

Our family doesn't mind the walking at all, but our kids are older & we're reasonably fit. We don't mind waiting a bit for the bus & riding the bus either, but it still is a bit tiring, and we try to hop only when we really need to.

I think all in all trekking to Epcot JUST for a meal would take too much time & energy to be worth it. If you were going to stay & experience Epcot after your meal, it's worth it.

I would highly reccomend the hopper passes, it's worth the extra. If you take a midday break, you can go back to whichever park you choose!

I also would reconsider Fantasmic, when my kids were younger they enjoyed it more than any parade or fireworks.

Good Luck!

Not sure if anyone has answere this already but No charge to use the monorail ststem.

 

[chezdion]

I mean that your kids are young and sometimes(at least when my kids were young) you have to take them into consideration. They can not tour like teens and adults. they need down time.
We have always gotten up early, had brkfst in the room and get to the parks upon opening(not neccesarily EMH) We do things up until lunch and then maybe we do one more. We leave between 1 and 2 and then swim, for a few hours, get cleaned up and dress for the evening ( we go in Feb) and head back to aonther park for the night. Our kids can't stay up for EMH at night so we avoid that park on that night.
But, AK always closes earlier than the other parks, so we do that in the Am and we have done pretty much everything by the time we leave.

This way we get 2 times in each park morning and afternoon.
Good luck, have fun and remember....if your kids are getting ready to melt down leave the park even if it is just for a monarail trip....if you can get in the front car, that is as much fun for a 2 year old as is Small World!

 

[lexmelinda]

Sunday - 11/8 = nothing planned as we're driving from PA and not sure what time we're arriving. If you get there by late afternoon, you could head over to DHS to see the 7:00pm Fantasmic on this evening. We usually head to MK to see Spectro on arrival day but I'm not sure I'd recommend it with Sunday night being EMH at MK. It'll only cost you $10-$15 to add another day to everybodys tickets.

Monday - 11/9 = Animal Kingdom day. Would love to catch the Jammin Jungle Parade. Dinner reservations for Chef Mickey at 7:55 pm. I agree that this should be your Epcot day, however your dinner isn't til almost 8pm so you'll get back to the room around 10ish. Will you be up for rope drop in the morning?

Tuesday - 11/10 = Epcot Day. Would love to catch illuminations at 9:00. Breakfast reservations at Tusker House for 9:30 am and dinner reservations at Akershus 5:20 pm. I know Akerhaus is important but is this one hop really worth $250?? When you think of it that way, wouldn't you rather go to MVMCP if you're going to spend that kind of money? You can see Belle at Fairytale Garden on your MK day or at the France pavilion on your Epcot day. Remember: You can always add park hoppers anytime after your arrival. The concierge at your hotel or guest services at any park can add hoppers to your tickets. re: AK....make sure you are at rope drop and send DH ahead for FPs. You can grab another set when you finish breakfast.

Wednesday - 11/11 = MK day. Spectromagic at 7:00? Dinner reservations at Crystal Palace at 3:40. Wishes is at 8:00 p.m. but if you stay, make sure you watch it near the train station and proceed directly to the buses.

Thursday - 11/12 = DHS day. Skipping fantasmic as I was told my DS might be a little frightened. Dinner reservations at Sci Fi at 5:55. Be at the park 20-30 minute before rope drop if you want to ride TSM. We really liked Sci-Fi despite the bad reviews. Very cool theming. Don't miss the Osborne Lights! They will have started by the time you finish dinner.

Friday - 11/13 = MK day. Dinner reservations at 1900 PF at 6:05 pm. Since it's MVMCP night, there won't be any Wishes on this evening. Maybe if you skip the park hoppers and you could put that money towards MVMCP tickets on this evening instead? The fireworks and parade will be very cool. I'd wait til you get to Disney to purchase the tickets so you can be sure the weather forecast is good. Once purchased, the tickets are non-refundable....rain or shine.

Here's a link to park hours for November.

Just to play devil's advocate: If you keep your itinerary the way it is....

Monday: You would need to plan to BE at AK on Monday at 7:40am. That means you will have to leave your room and head to the bus stop no later than 7:00. If you have a good touring plan, you should be able to ride your priority rides, see some animals and shows and finish up by mid-afternoon so you can rest before dinner.

Tuesday: Plan to be at Epcot no later than 7:40am. This will be hard to accomplish since you won't get back from dinner til around 10ish on Monday night. Again...have a good touring plan and plow through Future World collecting FPs at every opportunity. Be at World Showcase at 11am if you want to do a whirlwind tour. Leave when it gets crowded and go back to the hotel for a rest and be back for your Akershus ADR by 5:00. You can use the FPs you collected in the morning when you finish dinner. All the BIG Future World attractions are open til 9pm. I wouldn't stay for Illuminations if you're trying to make rope drop at MK tomorrow. Be at the bus stop before the fireworks start. (This plan assumes you've canceled the Tusker House ADR.)

BTW....I highly recommend Tour Guide Mike to all first-timers.

 

[Zandy595]

... Good luck, have fun and remember....if your kids are getting ready to melt down leave the park even if it is just for a monarail trip....if you can get in the front car, that is as much fun for a 2 year old as is Small World!

I was told they don't allow guests in the front car anymore.

 

[Jeanieblue114]

I hightly recommend picking a handful of must do things that you think your family will like and filling in with the rest.
If you do your first trip as commando touring, and you aren't extremely familiar with Disney transportation and park layouts, you are going to have a cranky hubby and kids who are melting down.
Plus, you are going to need a vacation from your vacation and potentially feeling like you never want to go back again.
Please keep in mind that it's a vacation.
Stop and enjoy the magical moments.

(Remember that transportation from one place to another can easily take over an hour. Hopping from park to park can also add a few miles of walking...not fun when kids are needing naps and have been up since 7am. From the front entrance of EPCOT to Norway for your reservation is over a mile.)
Review your maps of parks and Disney before you go!!

 

[Fairiebee]

I dont know that I'd be able to switch the actual reservations. When I made these reservations weeks ago they were slim pickins. If I cancel, Id be afraid I couldnt get CM and TH reservations again. Could I just switch which parks the go to for that day?

Have I made a horrible mess of things? lol If I have, just dont tell my DH

Oh Pishaw! You haven't made a mess of anything. You're going to DISNEY wahoo

So what if you don't to get the perfecto plan, we sure didn't the first time and still had a BLAST thank you very much!

I think it would be nice to switch to seeing the AK on the day you do TH, just because I have heard that getting to AK for rope drop is great, because the animals are all out. You could a hit a few rides and go have breakfast and still have time to FP dome more rides and then hit some shows and relax. Wishing you a great trip!

 

[laughinplace199]

As some previous posters have suggested, I'd switch your AK & Epcot days so that you can keep your Tusker House ADR. It's easy enough to go from Epcot to Chef Mickey's via monorail (and yes, the monorail is free).

However, your Chef Mickey's dinner is at 7:55 PM. Obviously, you know your kids and what they can handle, but my kids could never have handled such a late dinner at that age.

Honestly, since you have a car, I'd use it instead of the buses - at least for the days where you're wondering if you'll have enough time to get where you're going. We seldom use the bus system - we always rent a car - because we like being able to come and go when we want to. It's also considerably faster to get from point A to point B when you use your car instead of Disney transportation.

Are you planning on mid-day naps/breaks at the resort? That was always a must for us with small kids. We'd get to a park at rope drop, stay until just after lunch, and then head back to the room. After a rest and perhaps a swim, we'd head to dinner and then perhaps a park. For our family, keeping the kids well-fed and well-rested was the key to a happy vacation for everyone.

Have a wonderful time and don't stress too much. You'll have tons of fun!