Lunch vs. Dinner with Kids

[dancer_mom]

This is our first time doing Disney World with our kids 4,4, and 18 months when we travel. Also first time on the Dining Plan (hopefully free so that may play into my decision). It will be HOT when we go and we want to use our meals as a cool down, relaxing time before hitting the parks again.

I can't decide if I want to do lunch or dinner for our daily TS. In particular CP at the MK, Norway Princess meal in Epcot, and Sci-fi dine in at DHS. So here are my questions.

Are TS dinners more crowded than lunches? Will we feel rushed?

We eat lunch at 11 and dinner at about 5 - will both times of day be equally hot as I would rather do the TS meal at the hotter time of the day?

If anyone else has gone in September and had to manage the heat with little ones is this eating/playing schedule good?

Hit rope drop
Do CS meal at 11am
Back to Resort to rest
Parks at 2:00pm (this way we can grap a spot for whatever parade is on)
TS Meal - Earliest Seating 4:45ish to get out of heat again.

Am I over thinking it?


Thanks for any suggestions guys.

 

[tink20]

This is our first time doing Disney World with our kids 4,4, and 18 months when we travel. Also first time on the Dining Plan (hopefully free so that may play into my decision). It will be HOT when we go and we want to use our meals as a cool down, relaxing time before hitting the parks again.

I can't decide if I want to do lunch or dinner for our daily TS. In particular CP at the MK, Norway Princess meal in Epcot, and Sci-fi dine in at DHS. So here are my questions.

Are TS dinners more crowded than lunches? Will we feel rushed?

We eat lunch at 11 and dinner at about 5 - will both times of day be equally hot as I would rather do the TS meal at the hotter time of the day?

If anyone else has gone in September and had to manage the heat with little ones is this eating/playing schedule good?

Hit rope drop
Do CS meal at 11am
Back to Resort to rest
Parks at 2:00pm (this way we can grap a spot for whatever parade is on)
TS Meal - Earliest Seating 4:45ish to get out of heat again.

Am I over thinking it?


Thanks for any suggestions guys.

Maybe switch it up, oneday a lunch TS, next day a dinner. At 11:00, its not too busy yet. The hottest part of the day is around 2p- 5p. September is slower, so I think, I would worry more about the heat. Hope you all have a great time!

 

[disneynut11]

When we went we would start at the parks using EMH or at park opening. Some days we used our TS for lunch and would eat around 11-12 then leave the park for a swim or nap only to return eat a QS dinner and tour the parks again.
Otherwise we would again be at parks first thing, eat a QS (around 11-12)when hungry, leave for swim/nap around 1-2, the come back to the park at 5-6 eat a TS and tour. One niet we has a TS at Crystal Palace at 7 which gave us enough time to find a spot near Country Bears for the parade at nine, and fireworks afterwards.

 

[dancer_mom]

Thanks guys - we will just worry about taking a break at a good time then. I think I was feeling paranoid because I have read threads where people talk about the restaurants being so packed at free dining times.

Thanks for the tips

 

[MomtoBJSF]

When we went we would start at the parks using EMH or at park opening. Some days we used our TS for lunch and would eat around 11-12 then leave the park for a swim or nap only to return eat a QS dinner and tour the parks again.
Otherwise we would again be at parks first thing, eat a QS (around 11-12)when hungry, leave for swim/nap around 1-2, the come back to the park at 5-6 eat a TS and tour. One niet we has a TS at Crystal Palace at 7 which gave us enough time to find a spot near Country Bears for the parade at nine, and fireworks afterwards.

We are planning on doing this exactly. We also have 3 small kids, ages 5, 3, and 20 months going for our first trip in March!

 

[Big Kid]

We like having TS lunches in the parks since we're already there, then grab QS dinners wherever we are when we get hungry. When we have scheduled TS dinners, naps feel rushed and the buses run late.

If you are eating at 11:00 and 5:00 in September, most restaurants will not be busy, which is always nice with kids along.

Our 4-year-old melted in the September heat last year, and tired much more quickly than he does when we go for our usual January trip, so I would not try to catch a parade every day. He swam more than he ever has before so you might want to give that a try during particularly hot afternoons.

Our other September challenge was that it rained most afternoons so be sure to pack your wet weather gear.

The one tip that worked well for us in the heat was to freeze an insulated water bottle the night before (don't fill it up all the way!) and then carry it with us in the parks. The ice melts gradually so you always have ice cold water.

Enjoy the light crowds and have a great trip!

 

[scdufek]

For us, we liked to eat a TS lunch, that way if later on the kids and adults were too tired, etc., then we could have that flexability in the evening. We did however, eat a couple of early TS meals that went fine!

 

[MSSANDRA]

While a lunch break is nice, with your times and age or kids and plans to go back to the resort as well, I like you plan for CS lunch around 11:00 and then an early dinner.

Another positive to that plan is wasting less of your less crowded morning time with a sit down. Crowds really start to build around noonish so a quicker CS meal may give you a little more ride time before the crowds get crazy. Also, it can help avoid as much "spoiling Dinner" with all those yummy snacks. Eating early before you have time to encounter all those tempting snacks. Same as dinner....a light snack at the resort may help avoid those same temptation with an early dinner them the fun yummy snacks for a after dinner treat!

 

[mindondisney]

For our little guys, what we found was that when we booked lable service lunches, the restaurants took so long that the kids were squirmy at the meal, took too long and then would fall asleep on the busses back to the resort. If they nap on the bus, they do not sleep during naptime.

So if we do Counter Service lunch, we can eat faster and leave the park with a wad of fastpasses for evening. We are able to get on the bus earlier and keep them awake. Then, after a refreshing nap, when it is still so hot, we can go to a sit down restaurant first, then use up our fastpasses for a great night.

Good luck!

 

[laughinplace199]

I think it depends on your kids. We always did CS lunches and TS dinners. My kids were usually too hot, tired, etc to sit through a TS meal at lunchtime. We did CS and then headed back to the resort for a nap, swim, etc.

After a nap, swim, and shower, we'd head back out for dinner and some more park time. The kids were well-rested and able to handle and enjoy a TS meal at that point.

 

[DixieBelle]

I think I was feeling paranoid because I have read threads where people talk about the restaurants being so packed at free dining times.

September is still a little ways off, but for now the free dining is a pin code. Not everyone will get the offer. That kind of lowers the crush a bit.

September is a good time to go. Most schools are back in session, so the crowds fall a bit. The weather is still very much summer so good for the pools. MNSSHP is starting. good times!

 

[dancer_mom]

While a lunch break is nice, with your times and age or kids and plans to go back to the resort as well, I like you plan for CS lunch around 11:00 and then an early dinner.

Another positive to that plan is wasting less of your less crowded morning time with a sit down. Crowds really start to build around noonish so a quicker CS meal may give you a little more ride time before the crowds get crazy. !

Good Point about wasting morning time at the TS - I hadn't thought of that.

For our little guys, what we found was that when we booked lable service lunches, the restaurants took so long that the kids were squirmy at the meal, took too long and then would fall asleep on the busses back to the resort. If they nap on the bus, they do not sleep during naptime![/QUOTE

VERY good point - this is my BIGGEST fear - that the kids will sleep before we get back.

I think that for the most part we will stick with our plan to book the TS dinners. I am sure that our break time might get extended once we are there and really see how hot we are. Thanks for the advice about the parades... you are probably right that we won't make it back in time everyday for those if we want to survive the week. I think we will just aim to make it to the MUST DO parades - like the pixar one because our kids LOVE the pixar movies right now. Thanks everyone.

 

[CoryB2679]

This is our first time doing Disney World with our kids 4,4, and 18 months when we travel. Also first time on the Dining Plan (hopefully free so that may play into my decision). It will be HOT when we go and we want to use our meals as a cool down, relaxing time before hitting the parks again.

I can't decide if I want to do lunch or dinner for our daily TS. In particular CP at the MK, Norway Princess meal in Epcot, and Sci-fi dine in at DHS. So here are my questions.

Are TS dinners more crowded than lunches? Will we feel rushed?

We eat lunch at 11 and dinner at about 5 - will both times of day be equally hot as I would rather do the TS meal at the hotter time of the day?

If anyone else has gone in September and had to manage the heat with little ones is this eating/playing schedule good?

Hit rope drop
Do CS meal at 11am
Back to Resort to rest
Parks at 2:00pm (this way we can grap a spot for whatever parade is on)
TS Meal - Earliest Seating 4:45ish to get out of heat again.

Am I over thinking it?


Thanks for any suggestions guys.

We've been in September (twice). It really is the best time of year to go. It's not too crowded (school is in) and it's not too hot (it's also a good time to go to Typhoon lagoon for the same reasons).
We went in October this year with my DD 5 and DD 20 mo. They both loved it. The question I would ask is when do you need the biggest break. Sometimes taking the nice long lunch (TS meal) is nice because it gives the kids time to recharge (and the little one a time to fill up and pass out). I'd only recommend late if you're planning on staying out late, or heading home right afterwards. Both my kids kept falling asleep at dinner time when they'd eat.
Oh, and I HIGHLY recommend Hollywood & Vine character dining at Hollywood Studios. It's awesome for young kids (all Disney Junior characters), and it's a buffet with pretty good food, so you can fill the tanks.