Am I doing too much?

[amalchione]

I always plan our whole trip. We just grab breakfast most days and plan our lunch and dinners, I always make reservations for dinner. It keeps us looking forward to what the next day hold

 

[ktbugsmom]

Every kid and every family is different... I guess the hard part for you will be waiting to see how your DD will be and how she might be able to handle it.

My DD (now 7.5 years old) was a parent's nightmare in restaurants when she was a baby. She would sit still for about 5 minutes - then was done. Completely and totally done and if she couldn't get out of her seat - she screamed and cried and made my life miserable. We figured that out pretty quickly (as an infant - would scream until she threw up - such fun at a restaurant!). We honestly did not do restaurants again until she was almost two years old!

On the other hand, my brother has a little boy and from day one, he has been just the most laid back little thing. Awesome in restaurants. Friendly happy little guy. Now at two - he is still SO easy.

My daughter now is great and loves going out to eat. But, at Disney, by day 4-5, we get tired of "going to another restaurant"... sometimes it is nice to just get a hot dog at Casey's on the way out of the park and go to the hotel pool.

So - I would add a bit more flexibility to your schedule - but only you and your DH will know if your new DD can handle it. She might LOVE it.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Here's what I think. I'd keep those reservations for now, and wait and see. If you do have a very active, intense little baby who can't handle sit-down restaurants, then you can cancel closer to the time. Many babies don't want to just sit in a chair through a long meal, but if you come prepared with toys, and realize that you'll probably have to take her for a few walks around the restaurant or resort to keep her happy, you can have an enjoyable time.

I think the days when you have a sit-down breakfast, then snacks for lunch, then a sit-down dinner sound do-able. I do think three table service meals in one day is probably too much.

Personally, I find sit-down table-service meals easier with a baby than buffets or counter service meals where I had to juggle tending to the baby with getting food. I liked just having someone bring the food to us.

Teresa

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I have the deluxe plan for my next trip too! I counted up your credit usage, and it seems you break even with the number of meals and credits.

Three meals a day may be too much, but I have some days like that. Of course I'm going solo, and know I can handle it, but it may be too much for a 10 month old.

You do have some great restaurants picked out though! Enjoy.

 

[mermaid&cinderella]

Great restaurants but what we do is a sit down breakfast (you have to start the day right...LOL ) a snack at lunch and then a sit down dinner. We could never do 3 sit down meals in one day, too much food and wasted time, but that's just my opinion!

 

[Colleen27]

I agree with the posters who have said that is just too much restaurant time for a child that young. Both my kids have been excellent in restaurants from infancy, but I wouldn't have tried 3 meals in a day or signature dinners every night when either of them were 10mo.

With a 10 month old, I'd probably go with the standard dining plan and do mostly character meals with the TS. You could still pay OOP for one special meal at a signature if you feel your little one is up for it, and you wouldn't have to worry about wasting credits if it turns out that the baby isn't going to cooperate that evening.

 

[CharmedLife]

Another vote for too much, for several reasons:

1. The nap situation mentioned before.
2. Children get antsy sitting in high chairs for so long, especially several times a day. I foresee that you and your husband will spend very little time actually eating together, as one of you will be out in the hall with the baby.
3. Child or no child - you are looking at spending 5 - 6 hours on some days in restaurants. You're not going to have much time to do anything else, you'll just be eating, waiting to eat, or just finishing up eating, most of the time. Factor in transportation between parks and hotels, and you're not going to have much time for anything else at Disney.

With a young one, I would lean more towards buffets and set-menu family-style restaurants. You will get your food faster, and thus get in and out faster. Less time for baby to be sitting still waiting. In addition, at a buffet there will be a bigger variety to choose from, which may suit your 10-month-old's palate (sp?) better.

Have fun!

PS - My DS also got his first haircut at Disney! So cute, we still have the mouse ears they gave him!

 

[Tricia1972]

I'd like to agree with a PP about buffet and family style being great for dining with a 10 month old.

When we went with our DS on our first Disney trip we always picked a 'runner' and a 'sitter'. This runner would go and get a salad or appetizers and pick up a few trinkets for DS to start on. The sitter would sit with DS and keep him entertained.

When the runner got back to the table they'd work on cutting up DS's food and the sitter would go get their food. By the time the sitter got back to the table the runner and the sitter would eat together while DS munched on his just cut up food.

We worked subsequent plates the same way.

When we went to sit down TS restaurants we all get our food at the same time and one is cutting while the other is eating. Not a bad thing, just a different thing. It also takes longer to get courses, which enlogates the entire dining experience and can make it harder to entertain the child.

I still personally feel that you may be setting yourself up for disappointment if you make all of these ADR's and plan your trip around them, however, it's your vacation and you need to do what's best for you. One thing I would definitely do is NOT depend on Disney transportation for your trip. I think you'll want to definitely rent a car.

 

[twoDISNEYfans]

Thanks for all of the imput everyone! We are driving down so we wont have to rent a car or depend on Disney transportation for everything. I am definately re-thinking the delux DP to the standard DP that has one TS and one CS and then leaving the other meal or snack up in the air OOP. I also let DH read the imput you all gave and it helped in changing the dining plan. We are discussing grabbing breakfast and doing lunch where ever at a CS then only doing one reservation a day at a TS. Ill try and re-work the schedule and re-post it. Thanks again!!!

 

[Pumbaa_]

What part of Dec are you planning? Makes a huge diff crowd wise.

If you are doing MVMCP, try to plan a meal in the park. Much more convenient to enjoying the festivities.

Glad to see you are rethinking the DxDP. Lots of sitting time for a little one. On the plus side, you can use it for room service.

Enjoy planning your trip and congrats on the soon to be new arrival

 

[StrwLady]

I say do your ADR's when you can. Leaving it the way you want it planned. Then wait and see how your little one is in public situations or on long days. My son went everywhere with us from day one. So we never had a problem in restaurants. If he was tired he would fall asleep in his carrier. If he wasn't he would sit contently wherever we were. He has also been one not to get cranky when tired. Now his first trip to Disney he was much older 2 1/2. He tolerated "marathon days" (dust til dawn ) just fine. Where I know many other kids can't.

So I say take a wait and see approach.

Congratulations on the little one on the way