2 week plan - comments please

[fizz13]

Ok, could we have some honest comments/ criticism about my itinerary (it is still a work in progress). would you switch anything around? Ideas for free day activities? Restaurants I should be going to?
We are a party of 4 adults and 3 kids, aged 5, 3 and 11 months.
Lets hear it:

01/1- land 3:40pm. Check-in to Wyndham Palms on 192.
Dinner at Downtown Rainforest Cafe at 7pm
01/2- Seaworld till close (6pm)
Dinner at Chef Mickeys 7:10pm.
01/3- EPCOT.
PSB breakfast at 8:50am. Tour F/W. Leave mid-afternoon
Walk to Beaches and Cream for early dinner.
01/4- AK
Leave around 5pm to TTC. Go to MK to get boat to Fort
Wilderness. See Petting Zoo with kids
7:15pm Hoop-de-doo-Revue.
01/5- DAY OFF
01/6- IOA till close (6pm)
Dinner at Bahama Breeze on I-Drive
01/7 -MK
CRT breakfast
Leave around 4:30pm. Jump on monorail to Poly for early
dinner at Ohana 5:30pm.
01/8- DAY OFF
Dinner at Citywalk (adults only)
01/9- MGM till close. Do Fantasmic DP at Hollywood and Vine
01/10- UNIVERSAL STUDIOS till close (6pm)
01/11- EPCOT
Start around 1pm with W/S.
Dinner at Teppanyaki around 7:30pm. Watch Illuminations.
01/12- DAY OFF
Dinner at Boma
01/13- (DS 1st birthday) MK
Start with 12:30pm PS at Crystal Palace
Stay till close for Wishes
01/14- DD check-in for Virgin
12pm Whispering Canyon Cafe lunch
Drop-off car around 5:30pm.

The 3 things I would like to fit in are a trip to Disneyquest for DH and DBIL, a meal at a good steak restaurant and trip around the resort hotels ( maybe a monorail loop and a visit to Boardwalk). I have tried to distribute our meals to see as many resorts as possible. Shopping will be slotted in on our days off.
Thanks for any help you can give me,
Claire

 

[ncbyrne]

Two weeks is a wonderful vacation! DH and I try to get 10-16 days when we go alone, but I've never tried more than a week with kids. You have done your homework, and it shows in your itinerary. Lots of down time factored into the plan. Just be sure to plan on strollers for all three.

 

[fizz13]

bump

 

[mickeymom629]

and it sounds like you're going to do it all, but I've always started our first full day at WDW at the MK, so I would go to MK rather than Epcot, as you have planned. I just love that feeling of walking down Main Street to start our WDW vacation!

 

[erikthewise]

I think you should hire yourself out as a vacation planner! It looks great. Those DAY OFF's are important for a 2-week trip -- I'll bet you end up doing something on those days, but it will be what you want and with no pressure.

 

[TonyS20]

I agree with the others that your plan looks to be very well thought out! We are getting ready for our first 2 week vacation and are looking forward to it!

You mentioned wanting to see the Boardwalk, monorail loop of resorts, a good steakhouse and DisneyQuest.

I would think 01/3 would be a good time to visit the boardwalk. You can also see the Beach and Yacht Club resorts as well as the Swan and Dolphin after your meal at Beaches 'n Cream (one of my faves!).

As for taking a monorail loop visit of the resorts, I would suggest doing that after your O'hana's dinner on 01/7. You can visit the GF and Contemporary by riding the monorail. If your crew is up to it, I like the walk between the Poly and GF. You could also relax on the Poly beach and catch the Electric Water Pagent at 9:00 if you are still around that late.

I have heard lots of recommendations for Le Cellier in Epcot as a good steakhouse. You could fit it in for lunch on 01/11 or 01/13. You could also try Concourse Steakhouse or Yachtsman Steakhouse or Shula's for dinner on one of your "Days Off".

To visit DisneyQuest, I would recommend a trip to DTD on one of your "Days Off". Those that want to do DQ can do that while the others shop. That evening, you could eat at one of the resort steakhouses suggested above.

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[Suzanne033]

I just have a couple of comments:

1/2 - I would leave Sea World alot earlier than 6pm. You will never make it to the Contemporary in time

1/4 - Touring the AK will not take all day. When I went in Christmas '02 (DH, DF, DM, DD, DB, DSIL and myself) we were done by 1pm. (Plus my DM is handicapped, we stopped frequently for breaks.)

1/13 - That is an awfully long day for a 1-year-old

Anyway, that is my humble opinion.

 

[fizz13]

Thankyou for all your comments. BTW, my services are available free of charge for vacation planning I love it so much (LOL).

TonyS20, your ideas are great. I just wonder how the kids are going to be after Ohanas so it may be better to do it when they won't be grouchy but we'll see.

mickeymom629, I love MK too and seeing that castle brings it home. I thought if we do Epcot first though, we might have a fighting chance of them being excited about it, instead of trying to get back to the castle all the time. That was my logic anyway.

Suzanne, I agree about Seaworld and think we will definately have to leave earlier.
About the long MK day for my DS, that is sweet of you to think about it. However, we are going off-season and it has been known for MK to close around 6 or 7. As we are starting at lunchtime, I am hoping he will cope with it. He is very good at falling asleep in his stroller. Obviously we would not stay to the end if he wasn't enjoying it as it is his birthday after all.

Thanks once again and please feel free to keep adding your posts. It is very useful (and sometimes flattering) for me to read.
Much love and pixie dust,
Claire

 

[erikthewise]

Concerning Disney Quest:
Your children are too young to get much out of it. 2 adults going at a time while the others take the kids somewhere else would make sense.

If you decide to go:
-- Go on a weekday
-- eat a large, late breakfast, or 11:00 lunch at DD
-- Be there when it opens (11:30?)
-- Buy tickets in advance at e.g. ticketmania.com, if shipping them to UK makes sense. (If not, forget it)

The attractions are slow-loading and the waits can get long if it's the least bit crowded. Be sure to read something about it in advance, either from a guidebook or at http://allearsnet.com/btp/dqfaq.htm

 

[TwingleMum]

You got alot of great advice and your plans looks wondeful. My only other comment would be to enjoy every single moment. Don't rush around. Your kids may get interested in something that to you seems trivial or silly but enjoy it through their eyes. And build those memories in your mind so when you have one of those "I can't take their crying anymore" moments (and we're human we all have them LOL) remember the magic of your trip and sitting with them on Buzz Lightyear for the 100 time so your 4 yr old DS can protect you from Zurg and how proud he was. ENJOY!!!!

 

[Kimmielee]

Great advice Twingle Mom.... I made a very detailed plan last year and it went haywire because I didn't realize that my DS (just barely 4 then) would want to ride Buzz over and over... "Let's do it again Mommy!"

This trip, I have the parks planned, the days off planned, a few PS's worked in... but the "grand plan" is all up to my DS... it's his trip and his choices!

A bit easier for me... it's just he and I.