Akershus breakfast @ 8:30 a.m.

[squirk]

We're staying at WL for Thanksgiving this year, and I've booked an 8:30 a.m. princess breakfast for my wife and daughter at Akershus.

Given that Future World doesn't open until 9:00 and World Showcase (where Akershus is) doesn't open until 11:00, where and how should we try to enter the park?

Do we walk in the main (Future World) entrance and tell guest services about the reservation? Or is it better to try to enter at Int'l Gateway (my guess is that if you take the bus, you really don't have an Int'l Gateway option, though, right?)?

In either case, since you're getting in before either section of the park opens, are you escorted to the restaurant, or are you on the "honor system" to make your way there?

Finally, do you suppose there's any way all five of us (including me and our two sons) could get in early? Or will we men-folk have to just cool our heels outside the park until 9:00?

Thanks!

 

[Hoopfamily]

When you approach the main gates, you will see a sign directing you to one turnstile in particular for you meal. They will check you in then escort you through the park to Akershus, although we have also been just directed by the cm and we made the trek on our own. Either way, take the walk slowly enjoy the sight of being almost the ONLY people at EPCOT. The music is on so you get the soundtrack. One of my mothers favorite pics was taken a few years beck when my wife, daughter and myself were walking ahead of them to Akershus and she snapped a photo of us walking in empty EPCOT. Also per usual get there early, I would suggest 7:45 - 8:00 am, but I'm an always early kind of guy.

 

[Hopefully]

At the special turnstile at the Front entrance mentioned by the PP, they check against a list of ADR's. They let those with ADR's in. We have walked on our own to the restaurant.
They will not let you men folk in, I don't think.
Have Fun

 

[lemondog]

We had an 8:30 ADR there. We entered thru the main gate because we took the monorail. They will let you in for your ADR. Remember to get to the gate early...it's still a lengthy walk from there all the way to Norway.

 

[squirk]

Thanks to you all. What do you suppose it is - a 20-minute walk on average?

 

[Forever Fairy]

If you are taking the bus from the WL - you will be dropped off at the front gate.

Depending on how fast you walk, yes it's about a 15 - 20 min walk. I would get there about 45 mins early and then you can take your time while walking to the restaurant.

I have never been "escorted" for early reservations - it's always been on the honor system. And as Hoopfamily stated- I have gotten some really beautiful pics of Epcot since there isn't anyone really in the park.

Have a great time!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I had been wondering this myself, DH and I have an 8:15 or 8:30 reservation at Akershus in Jan, but we shouldn't have any problem entering, we are at BWI and can just enter at the IG.

The turnstile to look for is all the way to the left and will usually have a sign and a CM with a clipboard. The last time we did this, they checked off several families and let us go in in groups. I was worried we would be late, but they said since we had checked in with them and they didn't let us on in, we were fine and we were. We did have to wait for our entire party that was on the reservation to be together, though, before they would let us check in. Our group was at 2 different resorts.

If only your wife and daughter are down for the reservation, they are the only ones that will be let in. And there is no way to just wander, there are CMs standing through out the walkways to prevent that.

 

[vossjemi]

Out of curiosity, are any of the FP machines turned on while you make your trek to early breakfast?

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Out of curiosity, are any of the FP machines turned on while you make your trek to early breakfast?

No, and the CM's aren't even going to let you down near the attractions anyway. You have to walk straight back past Spaceship Earth and straight to FW.

You can't even do that at regular opening, they have that area roped off, you can't go past the Fountain