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

[Candycane83]

YMMV but I planned breaks and my kiddo was NOT interested in taking them at all. I forced it one day and we laid in the dark trying to get him to nap and he was quivering with excitement the whole time and I gave it up after that. So if you're leaving at 3pm I definitely would not want to try to work a break in there, it's not a super long day to begin with.


This is where I excel, lol. Seriously, not to toot my own horn or anything but I think our trip last time was so amazing because I just had a really good flow to the trip. everything felt natural, not a whole lot of waiting etc. And I was REALLY rusty with trip planning and unaccustomed to the new FP+ system at the time so I actually ended up making a lot of changes on the fly as I got my groove on. I strive for a plan with some must dos but enough flexibility with the other stuff kind of close by to fill in. it really does make a difference in how relaxed the trip feels to do that. My head is not really there yet though but offhand (since I have 2 epcot days) I would say for one I will be booking Soarin' and RD TT and for the other I will be booking Frozen and RD Soarin' (on this day we have a 10am GG so will rope drop soarin' and living with the land if there is time or just show up early for breakfast if not). Soarin' is my kid's favorite attraction.

So I haven't given it much thought or research but these are my first pass FP+ without giving thought to time and order of preference, not chronological order. This is also for my "first choice" plan, I'm hoping to not have to go to the backup (have ADRs for it but haven't thought it all the way through)

12/3 AK
9:45am TH breakfast
FP+:
Kiliminjaro Safari
Dinosaur
Primeval Whirl
Standby:
Festival of the Lion King
Wonders of Flight
Finding Nemo
3:00pm Y&Y
HOPING for Star Wars fireworks & Dessert party

12/4 DHS
RD: Jedi Training Academy, Great Movie Ride
11:15am Sci Fi Dine in
FP+
Toy Story Mania
ToT (my kid does not want to go on this again either but I may try to talk him into it as I love it)
Star Tours
Standby/4th FP+:
Indiana jones Stunt Spectacular
Muppets 3D
5:00pm CA Grill Dinner
Illuminations from International Gateway Bridge


12/5 Epcot
RD: Test Track
11:35am Coral Reef w/CP package
FP+
Soarin'
Spaceship Earth
Mission: space
Standby/4th FP+:
rest of future world
baymax, J&S etc
5pm CP
6:45 La Hacienda Dinner
mexico
stake out spot for Illuminations
Illuminations near mexico

12/6 down day, HS for dinner and F!,won't be at the parks before 4pm or so
FP+
Illuminations for later
4:30 H&V w/F!
Fantasmic!
Illuminations FP+ viewing area

12/7 Epcot/ switch to poly / MK
RD:Soarin', Living with the Land
10:00am Garden Grill
FP+
Frozen
Spaceship Earth **
Journey Into Imagination **
** these two will be in play for being changed on the fly depending on standby times and where we are
leave Epcot around 2:30-3pm, drive to Poly, get room, freshen up for dinner
5:05pm Narcoossees
4th FP+ at MK, whatever I can get that is on our list to do, hopefully space mountain
MK for MSEP, Wishes and extra magic hours til midnight

12/8 down day/ MVMCP
9:35AM Boma Breakfast
MAYBE go to AK if there is anything we missed and feel like we need to do but UNLIKELY
Pool day (Lava Pool at Poly)
3:30PM Ohana
FP+

12/9 MK
9:50am Crystal palace
FP+ list (for previous two days as well - 1 wednesday and 2 thursday):
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain (back to back with BTMRR)
Big Thunder Mountain RR (back to back with Splash Mountain)
7DMT
Peter Pan's flight
Pirates of the Caribbean

4th FP+: maybe parade viewing on last day, we'll see how i feel about it and what is available, or any rides we missed or want to do again... if there are none and we are really just winding down we'll FP the parade
6:15pm HDDR
Wishes from the room hopefully

This is my total first pass at this, I'm sure there will be major tweaking once I actually look at actual times and flow. Also my child does NOT like to wait for characters and the only ones we waited for on our last trip were buzz and woody. Everyone else we just skipped or saw at character meals (we had three - CP, Ohana, TH - we are adding H&V and GG). We may do some star wars characters, we may do baymax, we may do others if there are no long waits. In February he did all of these with his dad and there were no waits really. We are doing a lot more character meals so I suspect maybe just baymax and star wars peeps.

Yes we are seeing Illuminations 3x. it is our favorite show and we are staying at BWV all of those nights. with the other parks except MK closing so early it makes it a good time to catch it more than once.

Wow! just wow! I wish I were this organized.

Anyway, just a comment on the parade, I dont think there are FP for that anymore. Unofrtunately...

 

[Lisa F]

Wow! just wow! I wish I were this organized.

Anyway, just a comment on the parade, I dont think there are FP for that anymore. Unofrtunately...

see that is how organized I am, lol. I don't even know the current FP choices (I was going by the FP+ thread). Not even sure we will get to a 4th FP on the last day. we were pretty exhausted by the end of our trip, which is why I thought maybe even a 4pm HDDR would be fine but I ended up booking the 6:15 instead. By that time we will have been in the park from 7pm or so to midnight close on wednesday, from 5pm to midnight close for the party on Thursday and from that morning... I think we can do most of MK in that time though it will be mostly after dark!

 

[1437disney]

Another CRT question. Can you see the fireworks from inside? I just snagged a 9:35pm reservation on a MVMCP night. I am guessing not and that is why it was available.

 

[Lisa F]

Another CRT question. Can you see the fireworks from inside? I just snagged a 9:35pm reservation on a MVMCP night. I am guessing not and that is why it was available.

if you are right at a window but they are obscured by the glass and obstructed a bit. it is not the best view of the fireworks (ESPECIALLY the 360 fireworks since you're basically looking out the back side of the castle and most of the fireworks are around the other side - it does look toward the main show for the non-360 parts) but it is a magical experience to be in the castle and near a window when the fireworks go off. hope that makes sense?

I'm not sure I'd choose to see them from there if it was my first time seeing the Holiday Wishes. But if I'd seen Holiday Wishes many times I think it would be lovely. It's not BAD it's just not the ideal way to experience the holiday show. It may, however, be the idea way to experience CRT!

 

[Candycane83]

LOL, actually, I wish I were as decisive as to what we want to do. Where to eat was hard enough!

Lots of long days... my plans too actually... which may result in me dumping a lot of my plans... i need to think long and hard on how to make this relaxing enough for my 2 year old and still put in everything we want to do... i guess my basic problem is I'm not sure how mu toddler will react to long days

 

[Lisa F]

LOL, actually, I wish I were as decisive as to what we want to do. Where to eat was hard enough!

Lots of long days... my plans too actually... which may result in me dumping a lot of my plans... i need to think long and hard on how to make this relaxing enough for my 2 year old and still put in everything we want to do... i guess my basic problem is I'm not sure how mu toddler will react to long days

you're going to have a stroller, right? my son was never in a stroller in his life. EXCEPT at WDW. You will find that it is probably a lot easier to do long days with a kid who can just sleep in place than with a kid who is going to get worn out and will crap out at the end of the day. A disney trip is not going to be "relaxing" for your son. it will be a lot of fun but it's a lot of stimulation. It's just not relaxing! But he will have a great time and hopefully sleep when he needs to and if he's asleep in the stroller you can still enjoy the parks, just sit down, spend a snack credit, get an adult beverage and enjoy the atmosphere.

 

[CCxmas]

Does anyone think it is crazy to have a 615 H&V dinner and be able to make it to the Fantasmic! show? Looking at 12/1 and not sure if they have released the HS evening plans yet..

 

[Candycane83]

you're going to have a stroller, right? my son was never in a stroller in his life. EXCEPT at WDW. You will find that it is probably a lot easier to do long days with a kid who can just sleep in place than with a kid who is going to get worn out and will crap out at the end of the day. A disney trip is not going to be "relaxing" for your son. it will be a lot of fun but it's a lot of stimulation. It's just not relaxing! But he will have a great time and hopefully sleep when he needs to and if he's asleep in the stroller you can still enjoy the parks, just sit down, spend a snack credit, get an adult beverage and enjoy the atmosphere.

I was thinking about that and hoping he would nap in the stroller. We never have really long days or overstimulated days right now so I have nothing to compare this with. I might try going to a theme park this summer just to test it out. I have a bit of WS and time planned and MK. I'm limiting AK to the first part of my trip only.

 

[Candycane83]

Does anyone think it is crazy to have a 615 H&V dinner and be able to make it to the Fantasmic! show? Looking at 12/1 and not sure if they have released the HS evening plans yet..

No released plan yet but that looks too tight if Fantasmic is 7? If it's 7:30, your plan might work a little better. I'm sure you would want to meet all the characters and not be too rushed?

 

[Lisa F]

Does anyone think it is crazy to have a 615 H&V dinner and be able to make it to the Fantasmic! show? Looking at 12/1 and not sure if they have released the HS evening plans yet..

it's not crazy but you won't be able to do both. F! is scheduled for 7pm now, by 6:15 you should be making your way over there to get seats, not sitting down to dinner. Also from what I've read about H&V be prepared to wait 15 minutes + for your ADR time. not possible to do both with dinner at that time.

 

[CCxmas]

No released plan yet but that looks too tight if Fantasmic is 7? If it's 7:30, your plan might work a little better. I'm sure you would want to meet all the characters and not be too rushed?[/QUOTE
I feel like last year on certain nights that there were 2 shows it was 730 and 830. Anyone agree?

 

[Candycane83]

Last year was 7 and 8:30 from what I remember but someone correct me if I'm wrong

 

[Lisa F]

I feel like last year on certain nights that there were 2 shows it was 730 and 830. Anyone agree?

yes last year there was a close time of 8:00 and a showing of F! at 7 and 8:30. They very likely won't run 2 F! shows though, if they run a second show it will be the new star wars fireworks which are going off 45 minutes after F! starts currently. If they are only running 1 F! during the super busy summer season they won't be doing a second during the slow first week of december. They MAY extend hours though. I think it is more likely they will have the park open til 8 like last year, do a 7pm F! as currently scheduled (they have sold a ton of dinner packages for this so it definitely won't be any earlier) and 7:45 fireworks. Right now they close at 10, with 9pm F! and 9:45 fireworks. that is my guess but there is no way I'd count on a second showing of F!

 

[Candycane83]

yes last year there was a close time of 8:00 and a showing of F! at 7 and 8:30. They very likely won't run 2 F! shows though, if they run a second show it will be the new star wars fireworks which are going off 45 minutes after F! starts currently. If they are only running 1 F! during the super busy summer season they won't be doing a second during the slow first week of december. They MAY extend hours though. I think it is more likely they will have the park open til 8 like last year, do a 7pm F! as currently scheduled (they have sold a ton of dinner packages for this so it definitely won't be any earlier) and 7:45 fireworks. Right now they close at 10, with 9pm F! and 9:45 fireworks. that is my guess but there is no way I'd count on a second showing of F!

I'm guessing if this is the case, there might be 2 shows for F! 7 and 8:30 then fireworks would be at 8pm? I think they've done a set up recently where fireworks is in between 2 shows of F!

 

[Lisa F]

I'm guessing if this is the case, there might be 2 shows for F! 7 and 8:30 then fireworks would be at 8pm? I think they've done a set up recently where fireworks is in between 2 shows of F!

no, if they are not doing 2 F! shows now during the busy season they are not doing 2 during the quiet season.

 

[Candycane83]

no, if they are not doing 2 F! shows now during the busy season they are not doing 2 during the quiet season.

oh I see! I thought they were still doing 2 shows now like last month! I guess with this new show, it may not be feasible?

 

[Maryemcd]

I'm replying to you. reply to me and you are there, lol!

Thanks, Lisa F! Glad to have this group to share info.

 

[Maryemcd]

this is very similar to my list, lol. Except take out akershus and park fare (kid refuses to do anything with princesses and is not a fan of face characters in general) and add in Ohana breakfast. Also doing all breakfasts except for H&V. You know with CP there is no longer "lunch" or "dinner" - dinner starts at 11:30am and goes to close. Same price, same menu. Keep whatever time works for you.

I'm eagerly awaiting the star wars dessert party too!

I don't think we will do CP so I have "regular" reservations. Want to do EP on 2 days, but may not be there in the evenings.

 

[Lisa F]

I don't think we will do CP so I have "regular" reservations. Want to do EP on 2 days, but may not be there in the evenings.

I meant crystal palace not candlelight processional

 

[Maryemcd]

I meant crystal palace not candlelight processional

oops.... must have had Epcot on the brain. I would love to do the Candlelight Processional, but don't think my sister or nephew would be that excited about it!