Made my PS for next week...but need advice

[DisSarahK]

We will be at Disneyland on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week--two adults plus a 4.5 year old and a 2.5 year old. We have no Disney experience (well, I did go to DL when I was 4 or 5, but that hardly counts!)

Here is what I want to do: Ariel's Grotto, Minnie & Friends, Carnation Cafe

Here is what I scheduled:
Wednesday (park opens at 10am) ~ lunch at Carnation Cafe at 12:30pm
Thursday (early entry at 9am) ~ breakfast at Minnie & Friends at 10:30am
Friday (park opens at 9am) ~ breakfast at Ariel's Grotto in the gazebo at 10am

I'm just not feeling confident about the times and meals I selected. I highly doubt we will be at the parks in the evenings due to our children, and I really want to maximize their Disney experience. They are eagerly anticipating meeting characters and I've had to convince them that it won't be like Mickey Mouse Playhouse and these characters won't be able to play games all day with them (my children had some grand plans!!) So, I really want the character meals for them as a way to ensure they get some face time with the characters and the princesses.

I've heard bad things about lunch at Ariel's Grotto, but would I be better off doing that so that we can have a longer morning in the park?

Please give me advice! These meals have me so stressed out...thus why I procrastinated for so long about making these seating arrangements!

Thank you!

 

[jkkldisney]

The character meals is the best way to make sure the kids get to meet and spend time with a lot of characters. Minnies breakfast is wonderful. We did lunch at Ariel's Grotto. I wasn't impressed with the food/value, but the characters are what you are really paying for in this experience. I would expect because it shouldn't be as busy in the parks for the dates you are going, the breakfast at Ariel's Grotto should be ok.

 

[DisSarahK]

Thanks for your reply! I'd love to hear more opinions, too.

 

[cruise cruise cruise]

Here are my thoughts....

Wednesday will be your first day in the park. Disney Princess Fantasy Fair opens at 10:30, and if I am correct (probably not) Toon Town opens at 11:00 (although it would be a TT Mornign Madness-- or what ever it is called, so it could possibly be pretty busy by the time you got in)

So, anyhow, if you can get some character interaction before 12:30, then stick with your wednesday plans. Otherwise if you want to hit the rides first thing then, I would suggest changing to one of your character meals for the first day.

Thursday and Friday, I would move your PS later in the morning to be more of a lunch (even if it is the last breakfast seatting). 10 and 10:30 seem like off times. Will your kids be hungry at that time?

Good luck with whatever you choose

 

[Queenbillabong]

These sound good to me. For Minnie at the Plaza Inn, I don't think you can move it back much as it is only for breakfast, not for lunch. I don't know about your kids, but mine would be really hungry by then and ready for some food after enjoying the MM!

I would try and get an earlier breakfast at Ariel's (I think you can book about half an hour before the park opens), so you can get an early start there and then be in the park when you're done breakfast.

Have a great time

 

[silence]

I think your times look ok. We too like to book Minnie's at around 10-1030, that way we can enjoy the park with fewer guests before sitting down to eat. Plus, it's basically "brunch" for us, so we just need a snack in the afternoon vs. a lunch, which helps us budget wise.

I booked Ariel's for 9:40 when the park opens at 10:00, they told me this was the earliest time for that day (a Weds. in Oct.).

 

[bumbershoot]

I am sure you know this, but I have to make sure.

Ariel's restaurant is in DCA, and DCA officially opens at 10am that Friday (every day, I believe, actually), and they start letting people in at 9:30. So if you want to check in semi-early (when we had a PS there for a 9:40 seating, they wanted us to check in at the gates at 9:20 so they could take us back there) you'll want to be at the gates for that opening time. So you're not going to have any time to play in a park that morning.

But then you'll be out and can get over to bug's land for some excellent Heimlich's Chew Chew Train action with your little ones!!!!

 

[DisSarahK]

Although I did know that Ariel's Grotto is in DCA, I hadn't fully put together that going there would mean no playtime in the morning in DL. That isn't good!! Ack. Maybe we should do lunch there instead? In which case maybe we should do lunch there on Wednesday and do Carnation Cafe for a late breakfast on Friday?

Thoughts?

 

[DisSarahK]

Just bumping--I'd love opinions on my proposed change to my PS.

 

[bumbershoot]

Of the meals at Ariel's, I personally would try breakfast. Least expensive, and although I haven't had meat since I was 20, I do recall that it's hard to mess up breakfast meats, and pastries and scrambled eggs are also fairly simple.

So I personally would keep the breakfast, though if you want to, maybe see if you can get the last seating for it?

But you have to remember that I love DCA, and we love bug's land more than Fantasyland. So there's a bias there.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

riel's, I personally would try breakfast. Least expensive-food at lunch not the best were doing breakfast this time.

and minnies why dont you do at 830? (ee9) you could probley get in. if not then the 1030 looks good just make sure you have snack for kids in line

 

[AZTiggerFan]

Definitely do Minnie's early because it's not so crowded yet and your kids get much more time with the characters. I would also suggest that you sit outside because it will give you much better lighting for your pics.

 

[RuthieT]

We went to Ariel's and the food was not good.... The princess was great, but if we were to go again we would try breakfast. We are trying Minnie and Friends and Goofy Kitchen on our next trip in December.