***1st Week of December Thread ADR Plans, Park Hours, and dealing with Pop Warner***

[Lisa F]

Hello!

My BF & I will be staying at POR 11/30-12/7!

We will be doing the dining plan and still debating on purchasing MVMCP tickets for the night of the 6th!

Itinerary:
11/30 - Flying SW out of MKE to MCO
Arrive Early Evening
Pick up car rental
Check-in to POR
Unpack
Head to I-Drive 360 for Nighttime fun!

12/1 - Epcot
Lunch - Sunshine Seasons
Dinner - Le Cellier
*Fingers Crossed NPH will be narrator for CP**

12/2 - DAK
Lunch - Flametree BBQ
*Hoping RoL will be open by then*
Late Dinner - Ohana

12/3 - Relax/Disney Springs
Mini Golf?
Lunch - Earl of Sandwich
Dinner - California Grill

12/4 - Universal
Breakfast - Riverside Mill
Lunch - Leaky Cauldron
Dinner - Kobe Steakhouse (I-Drive)

12/5 - Hollywood Studios
Lunch - F! Pkg at Mama Melrose
Dinner - Fairfax Fare

12/6 - MK (Finally!)
Lunch - BoG
Dinner - Liberty Tree Tavern
**Debating getting MVMCP tickets for this night so we have more time in the park since it will be our only day**

12/7 - Daytona Beach
Breakfast - Riverside Mill
**We realize the weather may not be ideal for this and if that's the case, we will just enjoy Disney Springs or even extend our park passes for one more day**
Latest Flight Out back to MKE

Now, just this week we thought about maybe if the weather is ideal for a beach day, we would stay the night in Daytona on the 7th and fly out early on the 8th (haven't bought flights yet). Hotel rates are super cheap that night in Daytona. And I would love to wake up on the beach at the Hilton Daytona.

We are definitely so excited!!

A lot of your choices are similar to mine But if you didn't want to do MVMCP it would be cheaper to extend yoru passes one more day and go to MK on the 7th, which is also a non party day so there will be MSEP and regular wishes.

 

[Mintycake]

Okay here's how our plans are shaping up so far. Staying at BC 12/2-12/9 - not on dining plan, no park hoppers. We plan to go to parks early either for AM EMH or rope drop, with a break back to the hotel after lunch, and then returning to the park around 4:30pm. The only late start day will be the day DD does the Pirate Cruise - it is 9am - 11am.

Dec 2 - Arrival evening, dinner Boardwalk pizza window
Dec 3 - HS rope drop for Jedi training sign up, TSMM, other rides and shows, lunch at 50s prime time, go back to hotel, dinner ? When we were considering the dining plan we were thinking of Mama Melrose or Sci Fi but I'm thinking we might just do a quick service OR maybe Beaches and Cream at the hotel, then head back for Fantasmic and hopefully star wars fireworks (can you do both?) Or maybe switch out Beaches and Cream for lunch and dinner at 50s prime time. What do you think?
Dec 4 - Epcot (International showcase) - Akershus PPO breakfast, Frozen stuff, lunch at the qs in France (Les Halles?), break, dinner at Katsura Grill
Dec 5 - MK day 1 - 7:30am Ohana breakfast so we can make it to RD (is that possible?), BOG lunch, break, Columbia Harbour House dinner
Dec 6 - Epcot/MVMCP (Future world) - Cape May breakfast, RD, Lunch at Sunshine Seasons, break back to hotel, head to MK for MVMCP, dinner at Pinnochio Haus (quick meal so we don't miss too much!). Given the price of MVMCP, we may drop this. In this case we'd spend the extra half day possibly at AK (DD has told me she is not interested in AK and I'm not really either) or just have a full day at Epcot this day
Dec 7 - Pirate Adventure cruise for DD from Yacht club, late start to Epcot to do "less popular" attractions. Possibly Behind the Seeds tour at The Land which my daughter is very interested in. Illuminations. lunch at Sunshine Seasons, dinner? Maybe Via napoli. (if we don't do the christmas party we'll likely do a half day MK here)
Dec 8 - MK day 2 - Breakfast in room, RD, Lunch at Cosmic Rays, Dinner at 1900 Park Fare OR Lilo's playhouse for DD and DH and I will eat at Kona Cafe or Trader Sams. (I'm thinking 1900 Park Fare is princess overkill)
Dec 9 - departure day (early morning) - breakfast in room

My struggle with the MVCP is that 1) it's a lot of money for us and 2) is the schedule totally crazy already? Will adding that to our schedule make it not restful at all?
Would be interested to hear your thoughts.

 

[Kimberly9701]

Just got pointed to this thread by @Lisa F How fun! My husband and I will be celebrating our 25th Wedding anniversary at BWI from 12/3 - 12/9.

I had originally booked at POP for the night of the 3rd til I realized it is PW week - so added a night on at the BWI (really sad about that one (NOT))! I bought tix last night for MVMCP on the 6th and so excited for it! We went 5 years ago and had such a great time, but missed the parade, but we won't miss it this year!

Congrats on your anniversary!!!!!

Alrighty, @Kimberly9701 and @Lisa F i just booked the week of 12/3-12/9 theme park view room at CR. Doing MVMCP 12/6. So so so excited!! Thank you guys for your help and for listening to all of my back and forth! Love being able to chat with people that get it! I love seeing everything in my MDE app. Ready to make dining reservations now!

Awesome!!!! You may end up being my neighbor

We will be at AoA Dec 2-11. Cannot wait! Thinking of doing a party for the first time and we're also looking at Dec 6 or Dec 8. Any thoughts on which MVMCP would be less crowded?

I don't know, but I'm going on the 6th, so hopefully I chose correctly

 

[Kimberly9701]

Ok I just updated our list..if I missed someone please let me know

 

[Winniebell10]

Ok. I know I've asked this already, but......how are you guys deciding your days now? I see the crowd predictors, but how do you plan dining and what parks you'll be at on what days without knowing the park schedules yet. Meaning, I hate to book a pre park opening breakfast in the magic kingdom if it were to be a day that will have early EMH. Or I'd hate to book a dinner at Epcot if I realize it's going to be better to be in another park once the schedule comes out. Does that make sense? We do have some set things to go around so that helps....... 12/6 we'll be our MVMCP evening. Our son's actual birthday is the 9th, I'd like to get in at HDDR early.
I guess I may be over thinking it. When we went in September, the only hard to get dining we did was as Sci-Fi and we just went around the dining that day. This trip, the only difficult dining will be HDDR and I think we want to do BOG early. Other than that, was thinking Garden Grill and other places that I don't think are that difficult. But then wondering about going around RoL and AK in the evening too.
Anyway, just picking you awesome folks brains about your planning thinking.....

 

[Mintycake]

Ok. I know I've asked this already, but......how are you guys deciding your days now? I see the crowd predictors, but how do you plan dining and what parks you'll be at on what days without knowing the park schedules yet. Meaning, I hate to book a pre park opening breakfast in the magic kingdom if it were to be a day that will have early EMH. Or I'd hate to book a dinner at Epcot if I realize it's going to be better to be in another park once the schedule comes out. Does that make sense? We do have some set things to go around so that helps....... 12/6 we'll be our MVMCP evening. Our son's actual birthday is the 9th, I'd like to get in at HDDR early.
I guess I may be over thinking it. When we went in September, the only hard to get dining we did was as Sci-Fi and we just went around the dining that day. This trip, the only difficult dining will be HDDR and I think we want to do BOG early. Other than that, was thinking Garden Grill and other places that I don't think are that difficult. But then wondering about going around RoL and AK in the evening too.
Anyway, just picking you awesome folks brains about your planning thinking.....

Personally I am basing my days on things I know are available, like Pirate cruise sails Mon, Wed, Fri, so I know it has to be one of those days. And I read somewhere to avoid MK on a Saturday. But I don't think crowd calendars are out yet officially for Dec. I'm just hoping to see the EMH and park hours out before I have to make my ADRs, for many of the same reasons you have.

 

[Winniebell10]

Personally I am basing my days on things I know are available, like Pirate cruise sails Mon, Wed, Fri, so I know it has to be one of those days. And I read somewhere to avoid MK on a Saturday. But I don't think crowd calendars are out yet officially for Dec. I'm just hoping to see the EMH and park hours out before I have to make my ADRs, for many of the same reasons you have.

Thank you for your thoughts. Good to see my thinking is along the same lines as you guys and that I'm not exactly missing anything. Well, except the EMH and park hours for the first week of December. Ha! When do those usually come out?

P.S. How do I make a trip counter? I really want one of those.

 

[Kimberly9701]

Personally I am basing my days on things I know are available, like Pirate cruise sails Mon, Wed, Fri, so I know it has to be one of those days. And I read somewhere to avoid MK on a Saturday. But I don't think crowd calendars are out yet officially for Dec. I'm just hoping to see the EMH and park hours out before I have to make my ADRs, for many of the same reasons you have.

Are you talking about Pirates and Pals or the Pirate Adventure?

Does anyone know when those schedules get released? I think you book them at 180 days?

Ok. I know I've asked this already, but......how are you guys deciding your days now? I see the crowd predictors, but how do you plan dining and what parks you'll be at on what days without knowing the park schedules yet. Meaning, I hate to book a pre park opening breakfast in the magic kingdom if it were to be a day that will have early EMH. Or I'd hate to book a dinner at Epcot if I realize it's going to be better to be in another park once the schedule comes out. Does that make sense? We do have some set things to go around so that helps....... 12/6 we'll be our MVMCP evening. Our son's actual birthday is the 9th, I'd like to get in at HDDR early.
I guess I may be over thinking it. When we went in September, the only hard to get dining we did was as Sci-Fi and we just went around the dining that day. This trip, the only difficult dining will be HDDR and I think we want to do BOG early. Other than that, was thinking Garden Grill and other places that I don't think are that difficult. But then wondering about going around RoL and AK in the evening too.
Anyway, just picking you awesome folks brains about your planning thinking.....

I think we are all "over thinking it" lol
I'm planning my days around the parties. I know that both of our MK days will be on party days, so that takes care of Sunday and Tuesday. I also know that HS is an early morning (to sign up for Jedi Training), so I'm going to plan on our HS day following the day that we will be leaving MK at 7. I still am so stumped on what to do about arrival day! We should be at CR by 9am...so do have an entire day, but it's a Saturday, and I kind of want to avoid MK on that day, so thinking maybe half day Epcot and then dinner at Whispering Canyon.

 

[Mintycake]

Pirate adventure (that leaves from Yacht Club). I believe you book at 180 days and you have to call.
LOL about over thinking it. Most definitely I am. I cringe when I talk to friends who just went to Disney with no plans....just showed up at the parks! But you know what? They still had a great time.

 

[Kimberly9701]

Pirate adventure (that leaves from Yacht Club). I believe you book at 180 days and you have to call.
LOL about over thinking it. Most definitely I am. I cringe when I talk to friends who just went to Disney with no plans....just showed up at the parks! But you know what? They still had a great time.

I guess we have to book dining before we know the pirate adventure schedule. This worries me! I know it's at 9:30, but which day has a direct impact on the parks. I'm getting a reservation this time!!!!!!

 

[Tattylou]

Ok, my December friends. I have gone to WDW 15+ times, but always in April. I want to see the holiday decorations so I am looking at coming down from 11/30-12/4 (we would be getting in late on 11/30 so just going right to bed that night and then parks Thur, Fri, Sat). I'm looking at All Star Music....is it going to be over run by PW crowd?

 

[Mintycake]

I guess we have to book dining before we know the pirate adventure schedule. This worries me! I know it's at 9:30, but which day has a direct impact on the parks. I'm getting a reservation this time!!!!!!

I asked the question in another thread...this is the information I have about the Pirate cruise:

The Albatross Treasure Cruise tells the tale of The Legend of the Albatross. It starts the voyage from the Bayside Marina at the Yacht and Beach Club, and sails around Crescent Lake and Epcot’s Showcase Lagoon. Sails Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The booking details

The cruises are only available to children ages 4-12, and they must be potty trained. The kids will be provided a life jacket and required to wear it while on the cruise. The cost for the trip is $37 per person.

They start fairly promptly at 9:30am, and last until 11:30am. Reservations are required and can only be made by phone (sorry no internet booking) by calling (407) 939-7529.

They request that you arrive at least 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork before the cruise starts.

 

[Kimberly9701]

I asked the question in another thread...this is the information I have about the Pirate cruise:

The Albatross Treasure Cruise tells the tale of The Legend of the Albatross. It starts the voyage from the Bayside Marina at the Yacht and Beach Club, and sails around Crescent Lake and Epcot’s Showcase Lagoon. Sails Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The booking details

The cruises are only available to children ages 4-12, and they must be potty trained. The kids will be provided a life jacket and required to wear it while on the cruise. The cost for the trip is $37 per person.

They start fairly promptly at 9:30am, and last until 11:30am. Reservations are required and can only be made by phone (sorry no internet booking) by calling (407) 939-7529.

They request that you arrive at least 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork before the cruise starts.

Yeah, I tried to book one out of GF last year but they were full. I kept calling even until day of hoping for a cancellation. Didn't happen. I didn't know that the BC one went out 3x per week. I thought it was 1 day for each of the resorts that offer it. If this is something new then it would make it easier to plan around Monday.

 

[Kimberly9701]

Ok, my December friends. I have gone to WDW 15+ times, but always in April. I want to see the holiday decorations so I am looking at coming down from 11/30-12/4 (we would be getting in late on 11/30 so just going right to bed that night and then parks Thur, Fri, Sat). I'm looking at All Star Music....is it going to be over run by PW crowd?

This is the first year ever that I will be at WDW this time of year. Sorry I can't help with that I don't know where they are staying.

 

[CynBeth]

Okay here's how our plans are shaping up so far. Staying at BC 12/2-12/9 - not on dining plan, no park hoppers. We plan to go to parks early either for AM EMH or rope drop, with a break back to the hotel after lunch, and then returning to the park around 4:30pm. The only late start day will be the day DD does the Pirate Cruise - it is 9am - 11am.

Dec 2 - Arrival evening, dinner Boardwalk pizza window
Dec 3 - HS rope drop for Jedi training sign up, TSMM, other rides and shows, lunch at 50s prime time, go back to hotel, dinner ? When we were considering the dining plan we were thinking of Mama Melrose or Sci Fi but I'm thinking we might just do a quick service OR maybe Beaches and Cream at the hotel, then head back for Fantasmic and hopefully star wars fireworks (can you do both?) Or maybe switch out Beaches and Cream for lunch and dinner at 50s prime time. What do you think?
Dec 4 - Epcot (International showcase) - Akershus PPO breakfast, Frozen stuff, lunch at the qs in France (Les Halles?), break, dinner at Katsura Grill
Dec 5 - MK day 1 - 7:30am Ohana breakfast so we can make it to RD (is that possible?), BOG lunch, break, Columbia Harbour House dinner
Dec 6 - Epcot/MVMCP (Future world) - Cape May breakfast, RD, Lunch at Sunshine Seasons, break back to hotel, head to MK for MVMCP, dinner at Pinnochio Haus (quick meal so we don't miss too much!). Given the price of MVMCP, we may drop this. In this case we'd spend the extra half day possibly at AK (DD has told me she is not interested in AK and I'm not really either) or just have a full day at Epcot this day
Dec 7 - Pirate Adventure cruise for DD from Yacht club, late start to Epcot to do "less popular" attractions. Possibly Behind the Seeds tour at The Land which my daughter is very interested in. Illuminations. lunch at Sunshine Seasons, dinner? Maybe Via napoli. (if we don't do the christmas party we'll likely do a half day MK here)
Dec 8 - MK day 2 - Breakfast in room, RD, Lunch at Cosmic Rays, Dinner at 1900 Park Fare OR Lilo's playhouse for DD and DH and I will eat at Kona Cafe or Trader Sams. (I'm thinking 1900 Park Fare is princess overkill)
Dec 9 - departure day (early morning) - breakfast in room

My struggle with the MVCP is that 1) it's a lot of money for us and 2) is the schedule totally crazy already? Will adding that to our schedule make it not restful at all?
Would be interested to hear your thoughts.

I would not miss CP at EPCOT and the only way to guarantee is to buy the dining package when released in July. Personally I would change your MVMCP to 12/8 and then do the CP on 1 of your EPCOT days.

 

[Kimberly9701]

I asked the question in another thread...this is the information I have about the Pirate cruise:

The Albatross Treasure Cruise tells the tale of The Legend of the Albatross. It starts the voyage from the Bayside Marina at the Yacht and Beach Club, and sails around Crescent Lake and Epcot’s Showcase Lagoon. Sails Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The booking details

The cruises are only available to children ages 4-12, and they must be potty trained. The kids will be provided a life jacket and required to wear it while on the cruise. The cost for the trip is $37 per person.

They start fairly promptly at 9:30am, and last until 11:30am. Reservations are required and can only be made by phone (sorry no internet booking) by calling (407) 939-7529.

They request that you arrive at least 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork before the cruise starts.

I'm on the phone with guest services now trying to find out. In his system it is showing Mon- Sat for November. There is no way that can be correct.

 

[LBlovesM&WDW]

@Tattylou Last year's info shows as follows and includes all the All-Stars, but they haven't updated it for 2016 yet. If they use the same resorts, I think you'll see tons of players and cheerleaders.
Disney's All-Star Resorts, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort or Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

 

[Kimberly9701]

I would not miss CP at EPCOT and the only way to guarantee is to buy the dining package when released in July. Personally I would change your MVMCP to 12/8 and then do the CP on 1 of your EPCOT days.

Oh wow, then dining package for CP isn't until July? So I guess I should hold off on Epcot restaurants until then!

 

[Tattylou]

@Tattylou Last year's info shows as follows and includes all the All-Stars, but they haven't updated it for 2016 yet. If they use the same resorts, I think you'll see tons of players and cheerleaders.
Disney's All-Star Resorts, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort or Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

Do you think pop will not have them? I was at Sports before for the cheer competition and it was kinda cray cray.

 

[jillyh]

It's my understanding that POP will be overrun with them! One reason I changed my reservation from Pop to BWI for my first night.