1st trip must do's

[dyingtodisney]

After the party Sat. night I decided to actually start planning my June vacation to SSR - 12 nights in a studio with DH, DD8 and DS4. I visited wdwig as suggested by RTWhite and have actually started printing out menu's with prices and stuff. I think I may make a notebook to use for my OPA moments. I have come across several questions however and I need the PROS! Keep in mind this trip is primarily for the kids where next trip we'll be looking for more adult dining opportunities because we'll have my parents with me.

1. hoop de doo review or luau at polynesion? (with 8 and 4 yo)
2. If time and money permits is it "normal" to do a character meal every park day ? Is it better to do just one or two a trip?
3. Can anyone explain the FANTASMIC show?
4. Will there be a restaurant on site at SSR?
Thanks for any help you may be able to give!

 

[KelNottAt]

1. I would recommend the hoop dee doo. We took our kids to HDD and the Luau during the same trip in 1998. They were 5 & 7 yo. They loved loved loved the HDD much more than the luau. At their ages, the slapstick was wonderful, compared to the ooh ahh cultural entertainment of the luau. Plus, the HDD food is much more familiar to kids. My picky eaters turned up their noses at the luau food.

2. I don't recommend character meals everyday. I only do about 2 per week when we go to WDW. This saves us money, keeps our schedules more flexible and keeps that "special" feeling for the character meals for years, I hope.

3. We've only seen the Fantasmic show once (10/2001). We arrived 20 mins before show time and were stuck al the way to the left side in SRO. The audience fills a HUGE outdoor theater to watch a show on a...ummm...pond-like surface with boats and an island. The Disney characters do singing, dancing, and special FX. Then it all ends with a grand finale light and laser show on and above the water. Awesome.

4. Sorry, I'm not following SSR developments, can't answer your last Q.

Kelley

 

[Pa@okw95]

I would go witha the Hoop De Do with kids that age. One or two character meals is enough for one trip. They have them at the resorts as well as the parks-check them out on this site. You should have a restaurant on site at SSR if not you will be right next to many at DD. A big word to the wise, do not try to do too much-take some days to swim and relax. Have fun

 

[JimC]

Here are some of my thoughts.

1. Don't overschedule. Leave time for the kids to get a break, especially in the hot June afternoons -- great time to return to the resort and take a swim or rest. It will improve everyone's mood and stamina for evening activities.

2. Character breakfasts are early so make wure the kids can get up for it and it is probably better not to have them out late the night before.

3. If they like fireworks make sure to see Wishes at the MK one night.

4. hoop de doo review or luau at polynesion are both fun for kids. There is also an old fashion Mickey's BBQ at FW to consider. If I had the time and cost was not an issue I would do all three. HDDR is first choice.

5. Philharmagic is another must see at the MK.

6. Plan on a day at each of the water parks. They are great fun.

7. Get APs plus discounted water park tickets or PAPs for your stay. They are going to be least expensive ticket option and you can return as often as you want for a year from the date they are activated (Not purchased).

8. Fantasmic is a spectacular show with water, fire, lights, lasers and fireworks. The story opens with Sorcerer Mickey and continues with other great movie characters. It is 25 minutes long in a huge outdoor theater. You need to be there at least one hour early to get seating. We do the dinner package which gets you into a special area and much less waiting.

 

[rbuzzotta]

Stephanie, first of all.....have fun!!!!!

We do the Hoop de Doo every other year.......this summer is our year again YEAH!!.....

We do Chef Mickeys on arrival day for dinner. We tend to eat dinner out just about every night, but the weight I put on this past summer may change that for me!!! LOL!!

WE relax and enjoy every minute of our 2 weeks at OKW!! WE are not park commandos and enjoy alot of pool time!

 

[dyingtodisney]

THanks for all the great advice! Yeah, I think the character meals I had planned out added up to approximately $700 for a meal a day so I'm definitely going to have to narrow them down a bit.
I've planned on doing parks 2-3 days then a day completely at the ssr pool then parks 2-3 days, pool ,etc. I've heard definitely come back in the middle of the day for a rest. Few more questions?
1. Cirque De Soleil for kids 4 and 8 wise choice or wait until bring parents 05?
2. Downtown Disney what areas are fitting for kids?
3. Isn't there a restaurant at Epcot you can eat and watch the illuminations cruise or am I totally confused?
4. Chef Mickey's or Cindy's RT or dino breakfastosaurus? Unfortunately with a dd and ds I feel son will want dino , daughter definitely Cindy's...

 

[s&k'smom]

Oh the HDD, the kids will love. Lots of singing, clapping. We took our kids to more laid back places as DS is very sensitive, we really enjoyed Cape May for dinner and Trail's End. For lunch we did do 50's which DS could handle that time of day. Also a yes vote for Chef Mickey's as when we were there last Oct, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Chip and Dale and Plute so we got quite a bit of charector interaction. If you can't get Cindy's try the Princess Breakfast at Norway. We went and saw Belle, Mulan, Snow White, Jasmine and someone else but I can't think of who right now (I think that's when both kids were crying!!)

 

[blanq]

Wow, 12 nights at SSR! You will have a wonderful 1st trip, with plenty of time to see and do things. Many posters have already answered some of your questions. I have a few comments.

I, too, agree that a character meal every day is overload. But, there are lots of fun kid-dining experiences at WDW that don't involve the characters. I would highly recommend "Ohana for dinner. It's a fun experience and there are hula hoop and coconut-rolling contests for the kids! Also, 50's Prime Time or Sci-Fi at MGM are campy and fun for kids. Teppenyaki might be good, as your kids can watch the chef in action, and the kids menu isn't too frufru for them (see wdwig.com). Also, I would recommend Whispering Canyon at the WL...make sure you ask for ketchup (sorry, but I can't spill the beans!). Finally, Beaches and Cream, at the BC is a wonderful place to get burgers, fries, and old-fashioned ice cream treats, like the famous "Kitchen Sink"!

Regarding Cirque...yes! Your kids should love this! We took our DS (then 9) to this in May and we all loved it! There were kids of all ages around us, and they were all mesmorized throughout the show!

Epcot and Illuminations. You can book cruises, 90 days out from your departure. They are hard to get, as there are only a few boats available. They are not dinner cruises, and I think you rent them for an hour (maybe someone who has actually done this can pipe in on this topic!) A perfect place to view Illuminations is from the patio seating at Rose and Crown, but they can't guarantee you a table there, and I believe now require you to take the next available table, from your PS, whether it is in or outside. We personally have had perfect seating for Illuminations from here.

 

[stink]

Hoop Dee Doo Review has my vote over the Luau. I'd pick the character breakfast or dinner that has your Kid's favorite characters. One or two character meals is plenty. I also recommend the following non-character family fun type restuarants - 50s Prime Time Cafe in MGM, Whispering Canyon in the Wilderness Lodge, O'honas in the Poly, Mickey's Back Yard BarBQ at Fort Wilderness.

 

[mommystieg]

Hi I wish we could have talked more Saturday night but I am kinda shy so we pretty much just stayed in one place until it was time to go (but I got to know Liferbabe and her family a lot better)--here is my 2 cents:
In reply to your first post:
1) Our DDs loved HDDR(they were 9 and 2 when we saw it)
2) We did more character meals on this trip than on the first trip and I could have probably left off a couple of them. You don't want to spend too much time waiting for your PS's.
3) Fantasmic is wonderful as long as your kids aren't frightened by some of the stuff(fireworks, dragon, snake) Check Deb's site for more detail but it is basically a dream sequence where Mickey must conquer lots of villains. It is DH's favorite!!
4) SSR will not have a restaurant but it is supposed to have a pretty interesting food court. If you haven't already, post that question on the DVC board.

On your second post:
1) We haven't seen Cirque yet but we have seen things on Bravo about their shows so it is on our must do list.
2) We have only been shopping at DTD so if you are asking about the PI part I don't know anything. We visited DQ in 2002 and thought it was pretty cool but there was not a lot for our youngest(she was 2) There are lots of great stores that your kids will love including World of Disney, a Lego store and Once Upon a Toy Store.
4) Both kids would probably enjoy Donald's Breakfastasaurus--it is one of the few places to catch Donald. We have 2 girls so CRT was a must and on our next trip I want to try PSB. Chef Mickey's is also good although we have only eaten dinner there. You can schedule a PS at Donald's before AK opens and that is a GREAT time to get pictures without a lot of other people in them.
We will be close to leaving when you get there next June--have a great time and keep in touch.

 

[disneyfan551]

Definitely do Downtown Disney! Even just walking around, and eating at RFC is a blast!

And, I would absolutely make time for a water park!! We LOVE to go to Typhoon Lagoon! It is so relaxing & a nice break from the parks!

Have a great time!

 

[dyingtodisney]

mommy'stieg- Guess What? I put in my request at work last night for our trip and another charge nurse is going to mexico for a wedding the dates we had planned so I was FORCED to move our trip up Now we will be at Disney 6-6 thru 6-18 so maybe we could make some plans to meet with our families and liferbabes. Ofcourse I'm not sure of the safety of my son and liferbabe's together again but it would be FUN!!!

Do they have illuminations every night at Epcot? What would be the best time to have PS at Rose and Crown to see the illuminations?
At CRT does the prince show up? I'm thinking my son would prefer that over the princesses in NOrway just because it's in the castle, my dd will be thrilled with anything!
I've noticed lots of suggestions for OHANA's what park is the polynesian closest too?
Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Kapp]

1) For your DD, try and do Cindy's. Your DS will enjoy it too! One or maybe two character meals would be enough.

2) Try Boma at the AKL. The kids can will love seeing the animals and your and your DH will love the resort and the meal at Boma.

3) Fantasmic is a "must do" , at least once. Yes, the wait is a major pain but the show is great.

4) For your DD, get a passport at Epcot for her to use at all of the "countries". It will get her involved.

5) ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[raidermatt]

HDD or Luau... I haven't seen the Luau at the Polynesian, but have seen 5 or 6 in Hawaii. We just saw HDD in May. I'd say either would be great for the kids, but if I had to pick, I'd go with the Luau. (It's easier to get to, also)

The Poly is closest to the MK (both the Luau and Ohana are there)

As others have said, a couple of character meals would be fine, I'd say no more than three for a 12 day trip.

Fantasmic is pretty much a must see.

Cirque should be great for the 8-year old. The 4-year old may or may not love it, but it has lots of music and acrobatics, if that helps with your decision.

I'm sure there will be some type of restaurant at SSR, but I'm not sure what type.

Downtown Disney for kids... either the West Side or Marketplace are fine. West Side has DisneyQuest (separate admission), and the Marketplace has the World of Disney store, Lego store, Once Upon a Toy...

There are several restaurants that you can eat at and watch Illuminations, though we have never done that. Cruises can be booked as well, but are fairly expensive. Those that have done the cruises speak highly of them. We just stake out a good spot by the railing in Norway and watch from there. Just try not to get behind a pole, or tree, and the view will be great. (Illuminations is another must see)

Yes, Illuminations occurs every night at Epcot, barring weather or technical problems. (Always subject to change, of course, but its been every night for several years now.)

If you are going for a PS at R&C, anytime after 7:45 should still have you in the restaurant at 9:00.

I'd try for Cindy's and one between Breakfastosaurus and Chef Mickey's. The advantage to Breakfastosaurus is that its in AK, so you can walk out into the park. Chef Mickey's is in the Contemporary, so you will need to travel to there, then to wherever you are going. Not as convenient if you are pressed for time, but it does allow you to take a look inside the Contemp, and ride the Monorail or boats. If you go for a third, I'd suggest one with different characters, like 1900 Park Faire (Grand Fl.) or The Crystal Palace (MK).

Not sure if any of the princes show up for Cindy's.

 

[mommystieg]

Originally posted by dyingtodisney
mommy'stieg- Guess What? I put in my request at work last night for our trip and another charge nurse is going to mexico for a wedding the dates we had planned so I was FORCED to move our trip up Now we will be at Disney 6-6 thru 6-18 so maybe we could make some plans to meet with our families and liferbabes. Ofcourse I'm not sure of the safety of my son and liferbabe's together again but it would be FUN!!!

Yippee We will definitely have to plan a mini mini-meet!! Illuminations is presented every night. Prince Charming is at CRT but I don't know about PSB. We ate at 'Ohana in June and loved it!! There was too much food and if you think your kids might not like the food they can order off the kids' menu from Kona Cafe. Our oldest DD had a blast doing the coconut race and hula hooping!! The Polynesian is near MK and you can use the monorail to get there. We didn't do this but you can try to schedule your PS close to the MK fireworks and request a window seat--I've heard that the view is awesome. After our dinner at 'Ohana we took the monorail to the GF and watched the fireworks from the boat dock. That view was awesome, too!! Keep in touch and have a blast planning(it almost as much fun as going!!)

 

[CK1]

Here's my 2 pressed-penny cents, for what it's worth...

For 12 days, 3 character meals is about right. I would make at least one of those a dinner -- our kids just don't eat enough to breakfast, and they're too wound and hyped to eat. At dinner, though, they were ready for a pleasant rest somewhere cool, and hungry, too. We just feel like we get more bang for the buck that way (plus, bfast is typically soooo cheap, especially in a DVC villa with a fridge, microwave, and toaster handy! We save on b'fast and then add an extra dinner or two out!) I have 2 boys (ages 8 and 7) who have "done Disney" since age 2, and now one dd (age 3). All of them love Chef Mickey's, or any other meal with the "main" characters. Pooh meals were also well-received. But I couldn't get my boys to go to Storybook B'fast if their little lives depended on it! So I took DD, just her and me. It was very special -- a girl's day out. So don't rule out a separate meal -- it can provide some very special one-on-one time! Then just meet up somewhere later.

We usually go for 9 to 12 days on our trips. We find that 2 parks days, then a day off, two park days, then a day off, etc. works well. Water parks are GREAT -- our kids are water nuts -- but they take a lot of energy out of you! Plan on a restful day after that! DTD is a MUST. Our kids think it's the "fifth park". We pack a few snacks and head over in the am; let kids wear b'suits under their clothes, because those fountains are TOO tempting for the kids to run through (leapfrog fountains over by Once Upon a Toy). We pack a towel or two. The kids "dry off" and play at the outside Lego kiosks for awhile. SOmetimes we pick up some deli sandwiches there in the gourmet shop -- it's wonderful to sit out by the water! And don't forget to leave room for ice cream (Ghirardelli's). Or you can have light lunch or dessert at RFC -- that's about enough time to soak up the rainforest ambiance! ANother fun do-nothing day activity -- Disney Transportation! One day we decided to make Disney Transportation our day -- we took a transportation map and just toured the world... we did the monorail (waited to get front-car seats!), the busses, the boats, the ferry -- anything that moved, we hopped it, all without a park pass necessary! THe kids still talk about this one! Teaches great navigational skills, too. If you're a DVC member, you can also pool-hop, which we always do at least once, but that's an issue best covered over on the DVC board...
Some quick answers to other stuff: Fantasmic is awesome (try for a seat in the middle or 2/3 back -- that way you won't get wet)
and don't rush to get out of park afterwards. It's a zoo... slow down smell the coffee and shop a bit. Water parks are awesome -- my kids love them MORE than the other parks. Go for HDDR, and take advantage of some of the other "stuff" at FW, like a hayride. Time a boat ride back to MK during the fireworks or water parade. And don't forget the awesome themed meals that aren't character -- like PT Cafe, or Sci-Fi, or Ohana, or Whispering Canyon -- great family fun! Lastly -- make sure you take time to enjoy -- after all, it IS a VACATION!