Advice needed for arrival day

[mastermind307]

I like to begin our vacation with a nice dinner on our arrival day. We usually drive and I can plan and know exactly what time we'll arrive. For our October trip we are flying for the first time. We plan to use ME to get to Wilderness Lodge. Our flight is supposed to land at 12:05. So if it lands on time and there are no delays we should arrive at Wilderness Lodge around 1:30. Which of these options would work best?

I currently have a Garden Grill ADR at 7:00, but would like one a bit earlier so we can get back to the resort at a decent time since we'll need to unpack and take showers before going to bed. We do have an 8:15 Tusker House ADR the next morning.

I also have a 2:25 brunch booked at Chef Mickey's, and I think this would be a great start to our vacation, but not sure the timing would work.

I also found a 2:10 lunch ADR at Whispering Canyon that I thought might work since that's where we're staying. But again, not sure if the timing would work.

Lastly, I've been looking for a dinner time at Whispering Canyon (only seeing 8:20 right now and that's too late for us). We could go to EPCOT ride a few things using FPs and then return around dinner time.
We will eat at Whispering Canyon sometime during our trip, I have dinner booked another evening that I will cancel if I we eat there on our arrival day. If we don't eat at GG on our arrival day, we won't eat here at all since we have an Ohana dinner planned on our other EPCOT day. This will probably be the last time we would eat here since DD will be a Disney Adult next time we visit and it's bad enough to pay the child price for her let alone the adult price. As far at Chef Mickey's, we could do it another day, but only if we don't do GG. I can't justify doing both meals for the price, so it'll be one or the other.

Just looking for some advice and opinions to help me decide what to do.

 

[Hopefully]

Flight delays are common and totally out of your control. I would not book (or in your case keep) any ADR's in the 2:00 hour. Way too stressful and very likely not do able.

 

[jscottnc]

I agree with Hopefully. I think your best bet is to try Whispering Canyon as a walk-up when you arrive. 2pm-2:30pm should see you seated quickly. If that doesn't workout, grab counter service and go hang out by the pool.

 

[Nancyg56]

We book An ADR on our arrival night, but we always take the first flight out so we are checked in by noon. I would not keep an early afternoon ADR if we were not even scheduled to land until Noon. You just never know what can delay you.

 

[Lucius Best]

I wouldn't do Chef Mickey at that time, that's really pushing it. Sounds like Garden Grill would be a priority, but you're probably not getting back to WL until after 9pm, depends on how much sleep you need. Going to a park on arrival day is a lot easier with FP+, you could have rides booked 4pm/5pm/6pm and have plenty of time to get there. Agree with previous poster, I would be surprised if you need an ADR for late lunch at WL, walk up should be fine, depending on when they stop serving lunch.

 

[robinb]

I think the two afternoon ADRs are too early. Even if you are not delayed you would feel rushed to get to them. I would stick with the Garden Grill and make a couple of FP+ reservations at Epcot starting at about 3:00. That would give you until 4:00 to make the FP+. That way you can have a nice 1/4 day at Epcot and you'll be back home by 9:00 if you don't stay for IllumiNations.

 

[richmo]

If you're willing to risk the no-show fee, I guess you could keep the Chef Mickey's and hope for the best. Your flight will need to be on time though...and remember there could be a wait time for Magical Express to get you in. I agree with the others about Whispering Canyon...we had a late lunch there (2:00) on getaway day last year and except for a corporate group of about 20, we were the only ones in the restaurant. I wouldn't think you'd need an ADR.

 

[Pete S]

When we flew in January, we did not book an arrival lunch (we had booked dinner 10 hours after our flight was due to land). So when we had arrived and were on the Magical Express we looked up open ADR times on my wife's phone and made a reservation then. There were lots of choices and no stress about missing an ADR.

 

[mastermind307]

Thanks for the replies everybody. I figured the timing probably wouldn't work for Chef Mickey's brunch and these posts verified that. So I will cancel that one. I am going to keep GG for now.

Which meal would be better, GG or CM? I like GG because I feel it is a relaxing meal where the food it brought to the table. On our past 2 trips we have had dinner at GG on our arrival night, and have enjoyed it. On the downside DD, is a very picky eater and there's not much she'll eat. We ate at CM for dinner back in 2011 and it was ok. I wouldn't mind trying the brunch and there might be more food options for DD.

Also how likely would it be to walk up to Whispering Canyon when we arrive and get seated? I was also thinking that if I canceled GG, I could get on the app while on the bus and see what was available.

 

[mgentry210]

I doubt you will have a mid-day problem at Whispering Canyon. We ate there last trip and were one of only 2 tables in the restaurant. I wouldn't plan anything more than 3 hours after your flight. We arrive in 10 days (also Wilderness Lodge). Our flight gets in at 5:20 (hopefully) and our reservation is 8:45. By then we will be starving!

 

[JZCubed]

If you arrive at Wilderness Lodge, eat at Wilderness Lodge.

I'm not sure I understand why you'd arrive, and within the span of your first seven hours have two ADR's.