Planning help! Any ideas?

[bkb91]

Hey guys,

I'll be going to the world Sept 23 - Oct 1. I have been to the world 4 times, and was also in the college program, so I know the place rather well. I'm taking my grandmother who has never been! We both plan on taking in the sights and don't expect to be too hectic.

Here are my tentative plans as of now,

Tuesday, Sept 23: We land at MCO at 5:40pm, We should be getting to Pop Century around 7 or so, and plan to get settled, eat at the food court, and browse the resort and maybe walk to AoA and check it out.

Wednesday, Sept 24: This day is going to be spent relaxing. Every time I have tried to go and go and go my first day at the world makes me exhausted for the rest of the trip. I'm thinking after along day of flying (15 hours including layovers) , a rest up day to start would be a great idea. Once we're up and at 'em, we're gonna go take pictures! My grandma go a new really nice camera for Christmas, and we think this would be a wonderful place to use it! After that we plan for a Dinner ADR at 'Ohana on the Dining Plan.

Thursday, Sept 25: This is our Hollywood Studios day. This is the park I worked in while on my CP, so it has a special place in my heart. I don't have any exact plans for the day except for plenty of Star Tours. I haven't decided if Fantasmic is worth going to. My grandma is up for anything, but she also said she trust my opinion on if something is worth our time or not.. I still havent decided on that one. We plan on doing Mama's Melrose for Lunch and 50's Prime Time for dinner both on the dining plan.

Friday, Sept 26: This day we plan on doing the Keys to the Kingdom tour in the morning, which should be over around 12-1pm, depending on our start time. I did this tour last August and it was INCREDIBLE. I'm pretty sure this will be something I take every new disney traveler I bring down. I want to do this tour before our full MK days just to have an overview of the park before we dive in. After the tour we plan to hop to EPCOT. We plan on riding Test Track and/or Soarin'. Depending which one has the best FP+ time available. We also plan on going through the F&W, probably not the whole thing, but just peruse and enjoy the sites. I'm sure it's going to be busy, assuming its's opening weekend, and thats why we want to split it into two days (We'll be coming back on Sunday). We plan on having dinner at Teppan Edo, out of pocket.

Saturday, Sept 27: No parks today! I try to avoid parks on Saturdays! We plan on doing the DTD things, and going to La Nouba that evening. Lunch and Dinner plans will be a QS at DTD, most likely Wolfgang Puck Express and Earl of Sandwich.

Sunday, Sept 28: This night should be a MNSSHP night! And we're going!! With the party ticket, we can get in at 4pm. Prior to this we plan on finish EPCOT. Having Breakfast at Kona Cafe out of pocket, and lunch at Akershues on the dining plan. Then heading to the party after we're done there.

Monday, Sept 29: Animal Kingdom! This to me is a half day park (Oh, the horror!). I plan on doing Tuskerhouse for breakfast on the dining plan. With it being a half day, using the rest of the day as a relax, maybe hit the pool at Pop! Then a dinner ADR at Whispering Canyon (I've never dined here, so I'm really excited for this!) on the dining plan.

Tuesday, Sept 30: Magic Kingdom! I plan on getting an 8AM ADR at Crystal Palace on the dining plan. I don't have any exact plans for inside the park this day as of yet. Just lots of fun and rides, I can't wait to see the new parade and get lots of the Haunted Mansion in! It's my all time FAVORITE. Then doing lunch at BOG with QS on the dining plan. I still am unsure for dinner.

Wednesday, Oct 1: We leave today! Our plane doesn't take off until 5:40pm! So we plan on getting any last minute things and/or shopping in. We plan to return to the hotel to get anything we checked in with Bell Service around 1-1:30. And take the long Magical Express ride to the airport.



Here are my questions / concerns that I can't figure our on my own!
-My alternative for Sept 24th, our first full day, I'm wondering if its a better idea to move my DAK to this day (with it being a half day, to me) and then continue our leisurely day after we're done with that park and do the pictures and meandering. If I do this, it will open our original DAK day to an entire day to do what we want to do. I just don't know! Plus, we would be able to sleep in the day after the halloween party, and I assume we will be up pretty late for that.

-I don't know if I should spread out EPCOT into two days. I don't know if I'm wasting a day when I could better use it. I thought this would be a good idea for FP+ that way I could get Soarin, one day and TT the other. But, if we get the early enough on one day and get in stand by for the one we don't have a FP+ for, and then do the F&W and other attractions after those. If I were to change it, I'm thinking to move all of EPCOT to Sunday before the MNSSHP, and then have a lighter day after Keys to the Kingdom.

-I know for fact, I haven't used all of my QS dining credit. We have 8QS, 8TS and 8 snacks. Any ideas of how to fit those in without over stuffing ourselves. Is there a way to maybe get nonperishable from the food court to take to the room and save for maybe a late night snack, that can be used as QS. I'm not sure where I'm at on my table service. I may convert some of the OOP to TS credits, I was just planning on paying OOP for the cheapest ones, to make more sense.

Any and all opinions and ideas are welcome! Even anything I might not have considered!

Thanks!

 

[danceintherain]

Hey guys,

I'll be going to the world Sept 23 - Oct 1. I have been to the world 4 times, and was also in the college program, so I know the place rather well. I'm taking my grandmother who has never been! We both plan on taking in the sights and don't expect to be too hectic.

Here are my tentative plans as of now,

Tuesday, Sept 23: We land at MCO at 5:40pm, We should be getting to Pop Century around 7 or so, and plan to get settled, eat at the food court, and browse the resort and maybe walk to AoA and check it out.

Wednesday, Sept 24: This day is going to be spent relaxing. Every time I have tried to go and go and go my first day at the world makes me exhausted for the rest of the trip. I'm thinking after along day of flying (15 hours including layovers) , a rest up day to start would be a great idea. Once we're up and at 'em, we're gonna go take pictures! My grandma go a new really nice camera for Christmas, and we think this would be a wonderful place to use it! After that we plan for a Dinner ADR at 'Ohana on the Dining Plan.

Thursday, Sept 25: This is our Hollywood Studios day. This is the park I worked in while on my CP, so it has a special place in my heart. I don't have any exact plans for the day except for plenty of Star Tours. I haven't decided if Fantasmic is worth going to. My grandma is up for anything, but she also said she trust my opinion on if something is worth our time or not.. I still havent decided on that one. We plan on doing Mama's Melrose for Lunch and 50's Prime Time for dinner both on the dining plan.

Friday, Sept 26: This day we plan on doing the Keys to the Kingdom tour in the morning, which should be over around 12-1pm, depending on our start time. I did this tour last August and it was INCREDIBLE. I'm pretty sure this will be something I take every new disney traveler I bring down. I want to do this tour before our full MK days just to have an overview of the park before we dive in. After the tour we plan to hop to EPCOT. We plan on riding Test Track and/or Soarin'. Depending which one has the best FP+ time available. We also plan on going through the F&W, probably not the whole thing, but just peruse and enjoy the sites. I'm sure it's going to be busy, assuming its's opening weekend, and thats why we want to split it into two days (We'll be coming back on Sunday). We plan on having dinner at Teppan Edo, out of pocket.

Saturday, Sept 27: No parks today! I try to avoid parks on Saturdays! We plan on doing the DTD things, and going to La Nouba that evening. Lunch and Dinner plans will be a QS at DTD, most likely Wolfgang Puck Express and Earl of Sandwich.

Sunday, Sept 28: This night should be a MNSSHP night! And we're going!! With the party ticket, we can get in at 4pm. Prior to this we plan on finish EPCOT. Having Breakfast at Kona Cafe out of pocket, and lunch at Akershues on the dining plan. Then heading to the party after we're done there.

Monday, Sept 29: Animal Kingdom! This to me is a half day park (Oh, the horror!). I plan on doing Tuskerhouse for breakfast on the dining plan. With it being a half day, using the rest of the day as a relax, maybe hit the pool at Pop! Then a dinner ADR at Whispering Canyon (I've never dined here, so I'm really excited for this!) on the dining plan.

Tuesday, Sept 30: Magic Kingdom! I plan on getting an 8AM ADR at Crystal Palace on the dining plan. I don't have any exact plans for inside the park this day as of yet. Just lots of fun and rides, I can't wait to see the new parade and get lots of the Haunted Mansion in! It's my all time FAVORITE. Then doing lunch at BOG with QS on the dining plan. I still am unsure for dinner.

Wednesday, Oct 1: We leave today! Our plane doesn't take off until 5:40pm! So we plan on getting any last minute things and/or shopping in. We plan to return to the hotel to get anything we checked in with Bell Service around 1-1:30. And take the long Magical Express ride to the airport.



Here are my questions / concerns that I can't figure our on my own!
-My alternative for Sept 24th, our first full day, I'm wondering if its a better idea to move my DAK to this day (with it being a half day, to me) and then continue our leisurely day after we're done with that park and do the pictures and meandering. If I do this, it will open our original DAK day to an entire day to do what we want to do. I just don't know! Plus, we would be able to sleep in the day after the halloween party, and I assume we will be up pretty late for that.

-I don't know if I should spread out EPCOT into two days. I don't know if I'm wasting a day when I could better use it. I thought this would be a good idea for FP+ that way I could get Soarin, one day and TT the other. But, if we get the early enough on one day and get in stand by for the one we don't have a FP+ for, and then do the F&W and other attractions after those. If I were to change it, I'm thinking to move all of EPCOT to Sunday before the MNSSHP, and then have a lighter day after Keys to the Kingdom.

-I know for fact, I haven't used all of my QS dining credit. We have 8QS, 8TS and 8 snacks. Any ideas of how to fit those in without over stuffing ourselves. Is there a way to maybe get nonperishable from the food court to take to the room and save for maybe a late night snack, that can be used as QS. I'm not sure where I'm at on my table service. I may convert some of the OOP to TS credits, I was just planning on paying OOP for the cheapest ones, to make more sense.

Any and all opinions and ideas are welcome! Even anything I might not have considered!

Thanks!

September 24th - Have you considered sleeping in and doing the Animal Kingdom just in the evening? We did this during a trip last year, and easily accomplished everything we wanted to do.

The single rider line at Test Track is a great option. I would probably see how my first day at Epcot went, then only return if there was something specific I missed.

It doesn't make sense to pay OOP for ANY Table Service meals, unless you're already going to use ALL your other credits, so it would be a good idea to put some more thought into your counter service and snack plans.
There are usually some things (sandwiches, salads etc) in the food court that can be brought back to the room, and eaten cold.
Ultimately, it depends on how much and how often you're planning on eating. The dining plan doesn't work for us, because we'd rather have 3 meals a day without dessert, instead of 2 with dessert.
When I look through you're plan, I see space for at least 9 counter service meals, even with the extra table service. This is mostly because you've doubled up on table service some days, while skipping them entirely on others.
I also would not likely plan on a table service breakfast on the same day as a table service lunch. It would be breakfast and dinner, or just lunch with counter service or snacks filling in elsewhere.

 

[sharonabe]

I'm only counting 7 TS planned for DDP, so one of your OOP can be changed to DDP.

As for your QS, you'll need dinner on arrival day, lunch on first day, dinner on party night, your two QS at DTD, your BoG QS, and lunch on departure day. That's 7. You can either put a QS breakfast in somewhere or change one of your OOP TS to a QS. You won't need one on your tour day as lunch is included in the tour, but you might want to get a bite to eat before the tour to give you some energy. This might be the place I would use the last QS.

As to your plan, it sounds like you've taken into consideration your own touring style and know yourself well. Don't change it now. You can always make changes once you're there if it looks like you need more/less time somewhere.