I made up the plan. It is MY plan! - A March 2015 TR - update 6/30 Epcot morning

[Gracefulskinny]

I went in to our meals with that understanding and prepared for it. I can see how it would throw things off. That somehow ended up happening on our first morning a few times.

 

[cstorm65]

I have heard that Crystal Palace has slowed things down. We have had an 8:05 ADR for the last two trips and saw all 4 characters, ate, and paid the bill by 8:50 each time. But for whatever reason they have slowed it down in the last year sometime. We are trying a 10:30 breakfast this year so that we can tour a while and then go in for breakfast so we will see how that works. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your day.

 

[irene_dsc]

90 minutes to see all the characters? I'd be a bit upset, too! I forget how long we were at Tusker House, but maybe an hour, and we saw all 4 characters at least twice!

 

[irene_dsc]

This was quite a change from the very intense theming at AoA, but at least this guy was in our room

I also have to say, I love that pillow!

 

[ursalita]

QUOTE="ksl5f123, post: 53664870, member: 260167"]Of course, this was strategically planned so we could walk in from the Contemporary! It really is a very short walk! I think it took us only 3-4 minutes before we were where buses to the MK drop people off. Awesome![/QUOTE]

That is so great to be able to walk to MK!! I hope we get to stay there some day. There are so many resorts we want to try!

It was very overcast this morning. We could barely even make out the castle from our room. The reason for a pre-park open ADR = pictures of an empty main street!

Oh, wow! The fog makes a really cool effect around the castle. Your pictures came out great.

We were escorted to our table and informed that the characters work on a 90 minute cycle and that we should expect to be there at least that long! Um, no!! We don't work that way!

It's too bad you were seated so long after your reservation. We were told it would be 90 minutes but it ended up nowhere near that long. We must have lucked out because all the characters were at our side of the restaurant.

By this point, it is already 8:50 and the streams of people outside have been going past for the last 5 minutes! We decide to let the kids finish eating, and then just go. We miss Pooh and Eeyore by doing this.

Oh, that's too bad. We weren't too thrilled about our CP breakfast experience and don't think we'll do it again either.

the new queue is awesome!!! None of my pictures came out, but it was so fun to walk through the Darling's house and interact with Tink. It will continue to be a must-do for us!

I have to do this next time - go to Peter Pan to ride standby first thing so we can see the queue. I'm sorry you got so behind on your plan. I hope you can make it up somehow.

 

[SarahDisney]

I love that the girls still have their BBB hairstyles!

90 minute cycle at CP? That's crazy! I totally understand not wanting to do breakfast there again ... it definitely messes up your morning!

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the new PP queue, even if you were there longer than expected. It really is amazing how a few minutes can totally mess up your plans!

 

[ksl5f123]

Ugh...I'd be annoyed that the breakfast at CP took so long too...kills precious morning time in the park...sigh....But you at least got your pictures with some characters for tradition!

I love getting those pictures, so I am happy we did it. We just won't do it again with this new knowledge.

I went in to our meals with that understanding and prepared for it. I can see how it would throw things off. That somehow ended up happening on our first morning a few times.

We have done LOTS of character meals and never been told it would take so long before. I guess I should have sought out some CP breakfast threads, but it never occurred to me to do so.

I have heard that Crystal Palace has slowed things down. We have had an 8:05 ADR for the last two trips and saw all 4 characters, ate, and paid the bill by 8:50 each time. But for whatever reason they have slowed it down in the last year sometime. We are trying a 10:30 breakfast this year so that we can tour a while and then go in for breakfast so we will see how that works. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your day.

I am actually happy to hear that it USED to be possible. It makes me feel a little less crazy for trying it.

90 minutes to see all the characters? I'd be a bit upset, too! I forget how long we were at Tusker House, but maybe an hour, and we saw all 4 characters at least twice!

Thanks! Tusker House certainly keeps things moving. We have had good experiences with characters there.

 

[ksl5f123]

That is so great to be able to walk to MK!! I hope we get to stay there some day. There are so many resorts we want to try!

CR was actually never on my list, but I may have been spoiled. The combination of fireworks viewing and the walk were just awesome.

Oh, wow! The fog makes a really cool effect around the castle. Your pictures came out great.

Thanks. It made for different pictures than I have from any other trip which is kind of cool!

It's too bad you were seated so long after your reservation. We were told it would be 90 minutes but it ended up nowhere near that long. We must have lucked out because all the characters were at our side of the restaurant. Oh, that's too bad. We weren't too thrilled about our CP breakfast experience and don't think we'll do it again either.

I think we *might* have been OK if we had been seated on time. By being seated late and the gates opening early, we never stood a chance.

I have to do this next time - go to Peter Pan to ride standby first thing so we can see the queue

Since Dumbo is no longer the draw that it used to be, Peter Pan is always our first stop.

I love that the girls still have their BBB hairstyles!

90 minute cycle at CP? That's crazy! I totally understand not wanting to do breakfast there again ... it definitely messes up your morning!

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the new PP queue, even if you were there longer than expected. It really is amazing how a few minutes can totally mess up your plans!

J tried to convince me to let her take hers down before bed Tuesday night. I wanted her to stick it out for our M&G on Wednesday. At this point, C wanted to leave hers in the whole week.

Some of us planners just can't handle messed up plans. When we are talking rope drop during Spring Break, every minute counts!

 

[ksl5f123]

Let's review how far off we are at this point. Here was the plan:
8 AM arrive at MK - check
8:20 Breakfast at CP - didn't start until 8:30
9 AM Gabe and J to Space Mountain, everyone else to PP. J decided as we were walking out of CP that she didn't want to do Space. DH was VERY disappointed. He has been waiting 11 years for one of the kids to ride with him. T tried it at DL last summer and HATED it. I guess he has to keep waiting. PP was at 9:08.
9:10 AM - Winnie the Pooh - We didn't get here until 9:30
9:20 AM - meet up with Gabe and J at Buzz
9:40 AM - Dumbo
9:50 AM - Teacups
10 AM - send MIL, FIL, T, J, and DH to Splash and BTMRR (10-11 AM FP+) while C, D, and I do ETWB (9:30-10:30 FP+) and iasw.

So, we exit Winnie the Pooh at 9:50. DH wants to go to Buzz which is next on the plan. Given how lines are building, and the distance from Winnie the Pooh, I tell him there is no way we are going to make our FPs if we do that. So, I make the executive decision to just get us back on the plan. We go to the teacups. DH is again disappointed. This is the only ride in MK that he doesn't do - and neither do MIL and FIL. Good thing the girls are big enough to ride in their own teacup!

I rode with the boys, but all of my pictures of them came out even blurrier than that one. Circles I can do - I know I am strange, right?

We exit this ride at 10 AM and send our group off to Splash at BTMRR. I was hoping that Alice would be out this morning, since C was in her Alice dress, but only White Rabbit was meeting. That's OK, because he really played it up!

Next we are off to ETWB. We use our FP and are quickly into Maurice's workshop. I just love this show! The special effects are amazing!

C was chosen to be Philipe!


I am going to stop here because my browser is being annoying. Hopefully I will continue soon.

 

[KatMark]

I'm sorry to hear about Crystal Palace. Spoiler alert: we were in and out in 40 minutes tops...and we saw all the characters and made rope drop and were first in line for Peter Pan. I'm sorry it didn't work out well for you. I can't do lunch there...let's just say I won't do any of the buffets except for breaKfast at Disney.

We loved the new queue at Peter Pan. I didn't want to hold people up behind us so I didn't get a lot of pictures. I want to go again when it's not a long wait, but also when I'm not first in line and holding up the people behind me.

We totally skipped the Tea Cups earlier this month...thank God.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I always get a kick out of how different the school calendars are. My kids still have more than 5 weeks of school left (last day is June 25th)

Too bad about the hazy Castle - but definitely got some cute pictures. I agree that a key point to the pre-park opening ADR's is the empty park for pictures and very glad that Disney has the PP Photographers out then

Hmm, I've never been told how long the character's cycle is and if I had been I can't imagine it being 90 mins. Who takes 90 mins for a buffet? We've done the pre-park opening ADR at CP several times and never had that experience. They have been a tad late sometimes in seating us but never took more than 30 minutes or so (maybe 45 max) to see all characters. That really sucks you didn't get to see them all

Glad you enjoyed the new queue for PP. Due to the wait times that ride always have we generally do the FP+ for it ... but you skip the queue when you do FP+ so next trip might have to just go there firs thing with no FP+ and hope for the best as I really do want to check it out.

Well, at least the kids are having fun and that is the important part.

Definitely tough to decide to adjust or stick with the plan. We always try to figure out what are the couple of most important things for each person to do and then ensure we do those and adjust the plan if we needed to - but everyone's touring style is obviously different and you have to do what works best for you.

The pictures with the White Rabbit are really cute!

 

[SarahDisney]

I love the White Rabbit pictures - and I love that he noticed C's Alice dress!

 

[KathyM2]

I can't do the teacups either...my DD went alone too! Great pics though...and I love the rabbit ones!! Sorry about DH being dissapointed in the plan...that's when the whole FP+ thing starts to get in the way...you can't change the plan man...

 

[ursalita]

It sounds like you guys are adjusting well to the messed up timing. I love the pics with the White Rabbit and ETWB.

 

[ksl5f123]

I'm sorry to hear about Crystal Palace. Spoiler alert: we were in and out in 40 minutes tops...and we saw all the characters and made rope drop and were first in line for Peter Pan. I'm sorry it didn't work out well for you. I can't do lunch there...let's just say I won't do any of the buffets except for breaKfast at Disney.

We loved the new queue at Peter Pan. I didn't want to hold people up behind us so I didn't get a lot of pictures. I want to go again when it's not a long wait, but also when I'm not first in line and holding up the people behind me.

We totally skipped the Tea Cups earlier this month...thank God.

OK, now I am jealous! You did exactly what I wanted to do! I am going to blame Spring Break crowds for it not working for me. Yeah. That was it. Crowds.

The new PP queue is great! It was just a little too dark for my phone camera to get anything. I would love to take some pictures there too.

 

[ksl5f123]

I always get a kick out of how different the school calendars are. My kids still have more than 5 weeks of school left (last day is June 25th)

Wow! That really is different. We have 3 "days" left - tomorrow is awards and the swim party, Wednesday they have church and ??, Thursday they move their desks into the hall and watch movies.

Too bad about the hazy Castle - but definitely got some cute pictures. I agree that a key point to the pre-park opening ADR's is the empty park for pictures and very glad that Disney has the PP Photographers out then

Hmm, I've never been told how long the character's cycle is and if I had been I can't imagine it being 90 mins. Who takes 90 mins for a buffet? We've done the pre-park opening ADR at CP several times and never had that experience. They have been a tad late sometimes in seating us but never took more than 30 minutes or so (maybe 45 max) to see all characters. That really sucks you didn't get to see them all

We have never had them take that long before either. I don't know if our server wanted to exaggerate so we wouldn't be disappointed or if they were really that slow (since we didn't stick around to find out).

Glad you enjoyed the new queue for PP. Due to the wait times that ride always have we generally do the FP+ for it ... but you skip the queue when you do FP+ so next trip might have to just go there firs thing with no FP+ and hope for the best as I really do want to check it out.

Well, at least the kids are having fun and that is the important part.

Definitely tough to decide to adjust or stick with the plan. We always try to figure out what are the couple of most important things for each person to do and then ensure we do those and adjust the plan if we needed to - but everyone's touring style is obviously different and you have to do what works best for you.

The pictures with the White Rabbit are really cute!

I have a minute-by-minute plan (no unscheduled bathroom stops allowed! ). Usually, we run ahead of schedule and I have to find something to fill the time. This is the first time we have run behind in 10 years, but it was also our first time doing the CP breakfast and our first time with FP+. So, really, missing a couple of things that morning was just a bump in the road. And, you are right, the kids were having fun so it was all good!

 

[ksl5f123]

I love the White Rabbit pictures - and I love that he noticed C's Alice dress!

We had never met White Rabbit before, so that was a special treat. He was great

I can't do the teacups either...my DD went alone too! Great pics though...and I love the rabbit ones!! Sorry about DH being dissapointed in the plan...that's when the whole FP+ thing starts to get in the way...you can't change the plan man...

Exactly. There was no way I would have been able to move any of our FP that day. It is a new style of touring and we probably need more than one trip to adjust. Hmmm. Now there is a new angle - we need to go back because I need more practice with the new system!

It sounds like you guys are adjusting well to the messed up timing. I love the pics with the White Rabbit and ETWB.

ETWB is one of my favorites. C was thrilled to be Phillipe although I wish she would have waited so she and D could have been Mrs. Potts and Chip (especially since the kid chosen to be Chip refused to do it)

 

[ksl5f123]

Well, I didn't get to continue soon. Unfortunately, one of the kiddos came down with the stomach bug. When one gets it, we ALL get it. TEN DAYS! Ten days, it has taken to get it out of the house! Please, let it be gone now! So, yeah, my Lysol can and I have been a little busy. Eww.

So, I don't have a full update tonight, but at least let me finish those ETWB pictures!


Belle asked C if she was Belle or Alice. C said "kinda both"! Although the dress was designed to be Alice, it could just as easily be Belle's blue dress.


I love that one! D went up to get a bookmark from Belle too. He was so excited that she gave him something that he came running back to show me. The PP photographer never stood a chance.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Ugh, stomach bugs are no fun - especially when everyone gets it as you have to care for others while you feel bad.

Super cute pics from ETwB - and good point that you can have a blue dress with white apron that does double duty

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Unfortunately, one of the kiddos came down with the stomach bug. When one gets it, we ALL get it. TEN DAYS! Ten days, it has taken to get it out of the house! Please, let it be gone now! So, yeah, my Lysol can and I have been a little busy. Eww.

Stomach bugs are never fun! Hang in there!!!