October 2012 1st WDW trip help!

[pammydw]

We were there last year for Columbus weekend and will be there again this year.....hopefully. I don't think it's too bad at all. It's busy for October but I wouldn't consider it busy for most other times of the year. It's not as busy as Memorial Weekend and definitely not as busy as spring break or Christmas.

I have heard this will be a great time of year to visit Disney. We love Halloween, so that is a bonus!
Thank you!

 

[pammydw]

It was fun reading all the replies to you. People here can be so encouraging!

Our first trip was in Oct. 2007, first two weeks of the month, and I just checked to see if that's when Columbus Day was and yes, it was Oct. 8. that year, so we were there for the holiday weekend. Oh, and we were there for my 52nd birthday on Oct. 5.

I did not think the parks were crowded at all. I have a bit of a funny way to measure crowds though. If I have to wait for a toilet in the restroom, then the park is crowded. The restrooms were empty -- half the time there wasn't even someone else in there. I'd go again in October if it weren't for the fact that I don't like the Food and Wine Festival (but I do like the Flower and Garden Festival in the spring). (Actually, I was supposed to be on my way there right this very moment but we had to cancel our trip two weeks ago.)

It sounds like you've been given great suggestions for your daughter's birthday. You might also want to do one of those in-room celebrations so that when you arrive there is something in your room to surprise your daughter. Or you can have a special cake served at her birthday dinner. I saw one on another thread that looked absolutely delicious and the family said it was one of the best cakes she'd ever eaten. Of course, both these ideas are a bit pricey, but the memories might just be worth every penny.

Have fun planning!

Thank you for all the good ideas about room celebrations! I was going to take crepe paper and decorate the room for her. We are going to surprise her with a homemade autograph book when we get to our airport hotel the night before we leave. That is when she will find out that she is going to WDW!
I love that your birthday is the same day as our daughter's! That is great!
I hope you get to reschedule your cancelled trip.

 

[MouseEarsForAll]

Have a great first trip! I hope she has a great birthday, and the first of many at WDW.

 

[pammydw]

I would just like to say thank you to everyone who responded to this thread. Your thoughts, comments and advice are much appreciated!
Pam

 

[Missyrose]

I just wanted to chime in and say to have a wonderful time on your trip! We'll be there October 6th-12th and this will be our third October in a row that we have gone.

We LOVE Disney in the fall. The Food and Wine Festival at Epcot is amazing. We went to our first MNSSHP last year and can't wait to go back again.

A couple of suggestions:

I would plan on doing the party on arrival night (the crowd calendar looks much more favorable on that night vs. the rest of the holiday weekend). Not knowing what time you get in, I would take it easy at your resort for most of the afternoon, then plan to be at MK by 4 for the party. Use the hours of 4 to 6 to ride rides at MK. Then plan to be in line for the 7 Dwarfs or the princesses by about 6. (We got in line for the Dwarfs last year at 5:45 and were the first people in line, the Dwarfs came out early and we were through with the meet and greet by 6:50, so we didn't waste any official party time in that line!).

For the 5th -- I would do 1900 Park Fare breakfast like you had planned (I've heard nothing but raves about it). Then plan to be at MK all day until the Halloween party starts at 7. Visiting MK on a party day is great because so many guests avoid party days because of the short hours, so you end up with empty parks and you get waaaaaay more done than you would have on a day with longer hours! Then plan to eat her birthday dinner at 'Ohana (it's soooo good and fun for kids!). Or you could do the Lilo and Stitch breakfast at 'Ohana that morning and then go to 1900 Park Fare for dinner (it's Cinderella, Prince Charming and the stepsisters at dinner). Just another idea I'm throwing out there.

The 6th is going to be crazy busy, but like others have said, just plan to be at your chosen park when it opens. I would probably make this your DHS day. DHS has been listing an opening time of 9 a.m. but actually letting people in at 8:30, so plan to get there between 8:15 and 8:30. Make sure you go straight to Toy Story Mania and grab a fastpass then jump in the standby line. The reason I chose DHS over Epcot for this day is because the Food and Wine Festival makes Epcot ridiculously crowded on Saturdays. So you're better off going to Epcot on Sunday.

The 7th -- If you wanted to do another character meal, you could try for a pre-opening breakfast at Akershus in the World Showcase, it's a princess meal. That would get you in the park nice and early. If you want to try some of the food at the Food and Wine kiosks, plan to be in the WS close to its opening (11 a.m.), there won't be any lines at the kiosks at that time.

I know this is a ton of information I'm throwing at you. Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have. But you guys are going to have SUCH a good time, and your DD is in for the surprise of her life!

 

[pammydw]

I just wanted to chime in and say to have a wonderful time on your trip! We'll be there October 6th-12th and this will be our third October in a row that we have gone.

Wow! Thank you for all the info!
We LOVE Disney in the fall. The Food and Wine Festival at Epcot is amazing. We went to our first MNSSHP last year and can't wait to go back again.

A couple of suggestions:

I would plan on doing the party on arrival night (the crowd calendar looks much more favorable on that night vs. the rest of the holiday weekend). Not knowing what time you get in, I would take it easy at your resort for most of the afternoon, then plan to be at MK by 4 for the party. Use the hours of 4 to 6 to ride rides at MK. Then plan to be in line for the 7 Dwarfs or the princesses by about 6. (We got in line for the Dwarfs last year at 5:45 and were the first people in line, the Dwarfs came out early and we were through with the meet and greet by 6:50, so we didn't waste any official party time in that line!).
My DH said the same thing, but I am afraid she might be too tired for the next day (her birthday). We schedule the breakfast for 8 am. We get in at 9am on Thursday, so we will have almost the whole day to do whatever. We were almost thinking Epcot b/c of the w & f festival. Maybe it wouldn't be too busy that day? But we want to do Soarin' and I am afraid we will have a long wait time b/c we probably won't get to the park until 11, after getting in from the airport and all. We are flying in on SW and they were just added to the baggage pick up, so hopefully we will be able to do that. We were even considering taking a cab from the airport so we don't get stuck on the WDW bus system thingy! We are really trying to make plans, but we are waiting for the official schedule to come out about the MNSSHP. Plus, I thought it would be fun for her to be at the parade on her birthday because they will see her birthday pin. Thank you for the heads up about the Dwarfs. Does Disney give a daily schedule of meet and greets, times and places?

For the 5th -- I would do 1900 Park Fare breakfast like you had planned (I've heard nothing but raves about it). Then plan to be at MK all day until the Halloween party starts at 7. Visiting MK on a party day is great because so many guests avoid party days because of the short hours, so you end up with empty parks and you get waaaaaay more done than you would have on a day with longer hours! Then plan to eat her birthday dinner at 'Ohana (it's soooo good and fun for kids!). Or you could do the Lilo and Stitch breakfast at 'Ohana that morning and then go to 1900 Park Fare for dinner (it's Cinderella, Prince Charming and the stepsisters at dinner). Just another idea I'm throwing out there.
Staying at the MK the whole day was our plan. That is about the only day we know for sure what we would like to do, the only question is what day to do the MNSSHP. We definitely want to something awesome for dinner, but not so much a character dinner because we are doing that in the am. I was really interested in 'Ohana. It sounds like so much fun.

The 6th is going to be crazy busy, but like others have said, just plan to be at your chosen park when it opens. I would probably make this your DHS day. DHS has been listing an opening time of 9 a.m. but actually letting people in at 8:30, so plan to get there between 8:15 and 8:30. Make sure you go straight to Toy Story Mania and grab a fastpass then jump in the standby line. The reason I chose DHS over Epcot for this day is because the Food and Wine Festival makes Epcot ridiculously crowded on Saturdays. So you're better off going to Epcot on Sunday.
I am so glad to hear from a Vetran that my husband and I are on the right track. We were thinking this be the DHS day. It sounds like our arrival day and the last day are the one's in question! We like the idea of Epcot on arrival day, but we thought it would be really hard to keep her from the MK. But not so much if we do the MNSSHP that night. We could ride the rides...Ooooo, I am getting so excited!!

The 7th -- If you wanted to do another character meal, you could try for a pre-opening breakfast at Akershus in the World Showcase, it's a princess meal. That would get you in the park nice and early. If you want to try some of the food at the Food and Wine kiosks, plan to be in the WS close to its opening (11 a.m.), there won't be any lines at the kiosks at that time.

I know this is a ton of information I'm throwing at you. Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have. But you guys are going to have SUCH a good time, and your DD is in for the surprise of her life!

I can't thank you enough for all the great suggestions. And you really helped put things into perspective.

 

[starrysky]

Thank You! We aren't going to tell her until the day before we leave. And since we leave so early we are going to stay at an airport hotel the night before. That will be when we tell her. We aren't going to tell her much. I want everything to be a surprise, not expected!
Thanks for all the great advice! I hope you have a good time too!

Oh to be turning 8 again. I think she is going to be one excited kid surprise extras or not. Have an awesome time we arrive on the 6th and I can't wait.

You do have time to play around with you dinning ADRS as you are not far over your 180 days mark so I would think if you did want to change times you should be ok to do so.

I also love the idea a pp mentioned about the costume in the room idea. That would have made my day as a kid. Especially if you are big into halloween as a family.

 

[Missyrose]

Wow! Thank you for all the info!
We LOVE Disney in the fall. The Food and Wine Festival at Epcot is amazing. We went to our first MNSSHP last year and can't wait to go back again.

A couple of suggestions:

I would plan on doing the party on arrival night (the crowd calendar looks much more favorable on that night vs. the rest of the holiday weekend). Not knowing what time you get in, I would take it easy at your resort for most of the afternoon, then plan to be at MK by 4 for the party. Use the hours of 4 to 6 to ride rides at MK. Then plan to be in line for the 7 Dwarfs or the princesses by about 6. (We got in line for the Dwarfs last year at 5:45 and were the first people in line, the Dwarfs came out early and we were through with the meet and greet by 6:50, so we didn't waste any official party time in that line!).
My DH said the same thing, but I am afraid she might be too tired for the next day (her birthday). We schedule the breakfast for 8 am. We get in at 9am on Thursday, so we will have almost the whole day to do whatever. We were almost thinking Epcot b/c of the w & f festival. Maybe it wouldn't be too busy that day? But we want to do Soarin' and I am afraid we will have a long wait time b/c we probably won't get to the park until 11, after getting in from the airport and all. We are flying in on SW and they were just added to the baggage pick up, so hopefully we will be able to do that. We were even considering taking a cab from the airport so we don't get stuck on the WDW bus system thingy! We are really trying to make plans, but we are waiting for the official schedule to come out about the MNSSHP. Plus, I thought it would be fun for her to be at the parade on her birthday because they will see her birthday pin. Thank you for the heads up about the Dwarfs. Does Disney give a daily schedule of meet and greets, times and places?

Magical Express will take you about 90 minutes from when you land until you get to your hotel. Taking a cab or town car will shave some time off that, but I don't know if that's enough to make it worthwhile.

The rule of thumb is you can probably check into your hotel and get to your first park in about 3 hours. So I would plan on being at your first park at noon.

Here's my thought, if you really want to ride Soarin, getting to the park at noon means the wait will easily be more than an hour, probably closer to 90 minutes. There's a chance there may be Fast Passes left, but those would be for very near park closing time. Doing Epcot on a day when you can get there when it opens will make riding Soarin much easier. And that's not even taking into account the rumors that Test Track will reopen after its refurb in December, not September like originally planned. (with Test Track closed, the crowds at Soarin will be even more ridiculous than they already are).

I'm going to stick to my original suggestion. Arrive at MCO, take DME to your resort. Unpack, have lunch, maybe let your daughter swim and then head to the Halloween party at 4.

I don't know how princess crazy your daughter is, but you could get her a Bippity Boppity Boutique appointment at Downtown Disney that afternoon to get her all princessed up for the party. That would also take care of a party costume.

For the 5th -- I would do 1900 Park Fare breakfast like you had planned (I've heard nothing but raves about it). Then plan to be at MK all day until the Halloween party starts at 7. Visiting MK on a party day is great because so many guests avoid party days because of the short hours, so you end up with empty parks and you get waaaaaay more done than you would have on a day with longer hours! Then plan to eat her birthday dinner at 'Ohana (it's soooo good and fun for kids!). Or you could do the Lilo and Stitch breakfast at 'Ohana that morning and then go to 1900 Park Fare for dinner (it's Cinderella, Prince Charming and the stepsisters at dinner). Just another idea I'm throwing out there.
Staying at the MK the whole day was our plan. That is about the only day we know for sure what we would like to do, the only question is what day to do the MNSSHP. We definitely want to something awesome for dinner, but not so much a character dinner because we are doing that in the am. I was really interested in 'Ohana. It sounds like so much fun.

I think the 1900 Park Fare breakfast/'Ohana dinner sounds like a wonderful plan. If you're still at the Poly at 9:30, you can watch Hallowishes from the Poly beach (they even pipe in the music!).

The Friday night MNSSHP will be FAR busier than the Thursday night party. Lots of locals come to the parties on the weekend. Weeknights are always the better choice.

The 6th is going to be crazy busy, but like others have said, just plan to be at your chosen park when it opens. I would probably make this your DHS day. DHS has been listing an opening time of 9 a.m. but actually letting people in at 8:30, so plan to get there between 8:15 and 8:30. Make sure you go straight to Toy Story Mania and grab a fastpass then jump in the standby line. The reason I chose DHS over Epcot for this day is because the Food and Wine Festival makes Epcot ridiculously crowded on Saturdays. So you're better off going to Epcot on Sunday.
I am so glad to hear from a Vetran that my husband and I are on the right track. We were thinking this be the DHS day. It sounds like our arrival day and the last day are the one's in question! We like the idea of Epcot on arrival day, but we thought it would be really hard to keep her from the MK. But not so much if we do the MNSSHP that night. We could ride the rides...Ooooo, I am getting so excited!!

Good plan for DHS, just make sure to get there early!

The 7th -- If you wanted to do another character meal, you could try for a pre-opening breakfast at Akershus in the World Showcase, it's a princess meal. That would get you in the park nice and early. If you want to try some of the food at the Food and Wine kiosks, plan to be in the WS close to its opening (11 a.m.), there won't be any lines at the kiosks at that time.

I know this is a ton of information I'm throwing at you. Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have. But you guys are going to have SUCH a good time, and your DD is in for the surprise of her life!
I can't thank you enough for all the great suggestions. And you really helped put things into perspective.

I would still plan on doing Epcot on this day. Get to the park about 15 minutes before park opening. Head straight to Soarin, grab FPs and hop in the standby line. You should be in and out in about 20 minutes (including the ride). Then work your way through Future World in the morning, before heading to the World Showcase for lunch.

Again, you guys are going to have such an amazing trip! Your DD is going to be so excited. You'll have to write a trip report to tell us how everything goes!

 

[pammydw]

I can't thank you all enough! Have any of you gone by what is said on the Easywdw board? I was just looking there and found information to be useful, but is it trustworthy?
Pam

 

[Missyrose]

I can't thank you all enough! Have any of you gone by what is said on the Easywdw board? I was just looking there and found information to be useful, but is it trustworthy?
Pam

Yep, Josh has been pretty dead-on with his estimates and I really like how he explains why some parks are recommended on certain days and others aren't.

 

[pammydw]

My husband was amazed at that site! I am glad to hear that it is trustworthy. I do think we are going to do the MNSSHP on Thursday. Makes sense all the way around. And then we can spend the whole birthday day in the MK! Woot-woot!
Missyrose, I can't thank you enough!

 

[pammydw]

Oh to be turning 8 again. I think she is going to be one excited kid surprise extras or not. Have an awesome time we arrive on the 6th and I can't wait.

You do have time to play around with you dinning ADRS as you are not far over your 180 days mark so I would think if you did want to change times you should be ok to do so.

I also love the idea a pp mentioned about the costume in the room idea. That would have made my day as a kid. Especially if you are big into halloween as a family.

We do love Halloween. So it is a bonus that Lucy's birthday falls in October! We have been discussing her Halloween costume recently because my mom always makes her costume and she wants it to be ready for our trip. So we will surprise her with her costume too!

Will you be attending the MNSSHP?

 

[Missyrose]

My husband was amazed at that site! I am glad to hear that it is trustworthy. I do think we are going to do the MNSSHP on Thursday. Makes sense all the way around. And then we can spend the whole birthday day in the MK! Woot-woot!
Missyrose, I can't thank you enough!

You're sooooo welcome, glad I could help. Has anyone told you about Lime Green Mickey Heads? Us Disers attach them to our bags so we can spot each other in the parks. Go to Home Depot and get the Mickey-head shaped pain chips in Alien Green. DBF (who is also on the Dis) and I write our screen names on ours and attach them to his camera bag, which doubles as our park bag. We'll be there October 6-12, so maybe we'll run into each other.

 

[starrysky]

We do love Halloween. So it is a bonus that Lucy's birthday falls in October! We have been discussing her Halloween costume recently because my mom always makes her costume and she wants it to be ready for our trip. So we will surprise her with her costume too!

Will you be attending the MNSSHP?

We have done the party three years in a row and while we loved it we are not sure if its going to be included in our plans for this year. That being said we are planning dinner at the poly so we can see the fireworks from the beach.

We went in costume last year for the first time and be aware that while it might be cooler at night walking around in a costume can be a killer. I wore a morticia adams dress and the full long wig last year and while we got some great photos by the end of the night I was sweating and feeling so uncomfortable. If DH had not wanted to call it a night when he did we would have had to buy clothes in one of the stores to change.

So for dressing up make sure its something comfortable and if possible maybe take a change of clothes and store it in a locker or if you take a bag see what you can get in that.

We saw a guy in a full chewbacca costume last year and by the end of the night he was sitting pouring ice cold water over his head.

 

[pammydw]

I have a feeling that Lucy may be the only one in costume. Now if I can just convince her to be something other than a Monster High Doll! LOL!
We tried to get in to the Poly for dinner on her birthday night, but everything was booked already.
Thanks for the heads up!

 

[pammydw]

You're sooooo welcome, glad I could help. Has anyone told you about Lime Green Mickey Heads? Us Disers attach them to our bags so we can spot each other in the parks. Go to Home Depot and get the Mickey-head shaped pain chips in Alien Green. DBF (who is also on the Dis) and I write our screen names on ours and attach them to his camera bag, which doubles as our park bag. We'll be there October 6-12, so maybe we'll run into each other.

I will have to get one of those lime green Mickey heads! I think we are going back to the MK for our last night a(the 6th) to see the fireworks. Then again, we may be passed out in our hotel room! LOL! I got tired just booking our ADR's!

 

[Missyrose]

I have a feeling that Lucy may be the only one in costume. Now if I can just convince her to be something other than a Monster High Doll! LOL!
We tried to get in to the Poly for dinner on her birthday night, but everything was booked already.
Thanks for the heads up!

Keep trying for the 'Ohana ADR, you never know when one will pop up (it can happen any hour of the day or night). Plus, check out the Disney Dining Reservations board and there will eventually be an October 2012 cancellation thread where people who have to cancel there ADRs will post what they are canceling. If someone wants to cancel on the night you want to go, you can try and coordinate the cancel, so you can swoop in and pick up the ADR.

I will have to get one of those lime green Mickey heads! I think we are going back to the MK for our last night a(the 6th) to see the fireworks. Then again, we may be passed out in our hotel room! LOL! I got tired just booking our ADR's!

Just remember, you can't see EVERYTHING in one trip. Take it easy, much of Disney can be enjoyed in the details. If you need any more help, you know where to find us!

 

[iloveftwilderness]

I hope you have a fantastic time. It sounds like you are planning, which is part of ensuring a good time. As others have mentioned, you are allowed to enter the MK at 4 pm for the MNSSHP. I would suggest that when you visit the MK for MNSSHP that you try to ride the rides that won't be operating during the party. We usually ride the Jungle Cruise and the Tiki birds, as these won't be operating during the party.
I also suggest bringing glow necklaces, snacks and purchasing small surprises(washclothes, pj's, stuffed animals) from the Disney store prior to your trip. It will save you tons of money.
Realize ahead of time that you won't be able to do everything. So figure out what your must see attractions are. The less pressure you put on yourself to see and do everything, the better trip you will have.
It is called Disney World!
Have fun!

 

[pammydw]

Thank you for the info! We are super excited! And the more we think about it, we may just hang out at the hotel the first day until the MNSSHP. I am afraid we have too much time wrapped up in ADR's. But we have plenty of time to make adjustments. That is what I love about this forum. So many great experiences being shared.

 

[pammydw]

I hope you have a fantastic time. It sounds like you are planning, which is part of ensuring a good time. As others have mentioned, you are allowed to enter the MK at 4 pm for the MNSSHP. I would suggest that when you visit the MK for MNSSHP that you try to ride the rides that won't be operating during the party. We usually ride the Jungle Cruise and the Tiki birds, as these won't be operating during the party.
I also suggest bringing glow necklaces, snacks and purchasing small surprises(washclothes, pj's, stuffed animals) from the Disney store prior to your trip. It will save you tons of money.
Realize ahead of time that you won't be able to do everything. So figure out what your must see attractions are. The less pressure you put on yourself to see and do everything, the better trip you will have.
It is called Disney World!
Have fun!

Thank you! We are already planning our next trip for what we won't see this time! I keep saying, "we can do that on the next trip!" My DH is not sure what to do with me!