Can anyone critique my (jam-packed) trip plans? First time visit...

[jamieT]

Ok, I have a lot to say about this touring plan, so I hope you are really really going to take some hard advice. This plan is not going to work unless you have a family who will agree on everything you say, will not have any objection to the words "We don't have time for that" I am sure you are so excited to be taking your kids to Disney ..Yah.. So exciting. I know we read all these things and say we have to do this and we have to eat here because the almighty "They" said so. Please remember no meal will be enjoyed if you spend it looking at long miserable crabby faces and I guarentee you will.

According to The Unofficial Guide to Disney it will take you 45-60 minutes to get from Polynesian to Epcot then figure at least 1 1/2 hr for the meal (at least) 20- 40 minutes just to get to MGM and then 20-40 minutes back to the resort. This is a lot of wasted time.

Also, no matter if you think you are night owls as a family please please realize that with the heat, fresh air, CROWDS, and just really the overstimulation of Disney itself this is going to be a whole different ball game. Late dinners might be the norm at home on a day to day basis, but in Disney it usually means crabby kids who don't eat the meal because they are asleep in the booth or on the floor or screaming and whining!

The plan you have is more for a seven to ten day trip, where you have a lot of time to explore so you can really take your time.

Also, this is Disney. Overplanning takes the magic out of it and I am telling you you will go home feeling as though you wasted your money if the whole time the trip to grandmas house the kids are saying we didn't do this, or see this....

Ok, so please know I am not critisizing you at all. If you aren't going back for 5 yrs than this needs to be an awesome trip. Here is what I prepose

Pick one park a day and stick to it. Like the day you go to Epcot- go to Coral Reef because that is the place daddy wants to go to (and we all know nothing ruins a trip like a disappointed Daddy!) If I were you I would go to Epcot first day and stay there. Have your first dinner at Coral Reef, but explore Epcot while you are there. ( you will enjoy MK and MGM more with you kids being the age they are ) Spend your second day at MK because you will still have a lot of energy (you'll be on a Disney High still!)

MGM is a great place for day 3 because there are a lot of shows. You will be wearing out, and those shows will really be nice day three believe me!!!!!
Also you said a must is Woody and Buzz. Why not have lunch at Pizza Planet right there at MGM and they also have the new Toy Story thing going on there!

We are going to be at Disney for 9 days in September and believe me when I tell you I have read more and planned more for this trip than I have ever planned before, but I have also taken the advice of many many blogs I have read very much to heart. Relax and take in the magic. Be ready to go off the beaten path. Be ready to see a show or whip out bathing suits to let the kids play in the water.

I am telling you that in my opinion you will go home with magical memories instead of ehausted bitter empty pockets!!!! Good luck and God bless!!!!

Please know my word is not gospel, just another concerned overplanning mom who wants you to have an amazing trip.

One last thing. If you over schedule it will put bad taste in your families mouth for the next trip and they may not ever want to go again (remember what I said about Daddy!). Use this trip as an exploring trip and if you can go back in 5 yrs Go for 7-10 days! Then use this kind of plan!!!!!!!!!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!!! I hope you end up having the best trip ever!!!!!
The aggravation of planning is worth the magic!!!!!!!

 

[Rylee]

Hi,

I've been thinking about your trip plans...

For a total of about $50 ($50 for ALL 6, not each) you could add another day to your tickets to give you another day in the parks. You could visit the MK again before going to Grandma's.

Some more/other ideas and tips...

Put the dining number in your cell, in case you want/need to cancel some ADR's.

• On arrival day... check-in at resort and get park tickets...
• Go staight to the Studios.
• Grab a show/event schedule.
• Do as much as you can, using fast passes, child swaps or have one parent ride with older kids, while other parent takes younger children to meet Buzz & Woody, see the Little Mermaid Show, or Beauty and the Beast show. Have a meeting place and then switch and have other parent ride with older kids.
• Be sure to do/see anything on your "must-do" list that won't be open during EMH.

Depending on how well you are checking off you "must-do" lists, crowds and tummy's... drive to Epcot for your Teppan Edo ADR or call and cancel it and stay in the park. (Be sure to grab another fastpass before leaving the park, to have when you return.)

Return to HS and finish out the night.

Day 2 -

• Mk opens at 8:00 AM, if you can be up and ready... try hitting the MK before Chef Mickey's. (Very easy to get to from MK) If not, explore resort and then head to Chef Mickey's.
• Get to Epcot and grab Soarin' fast passes first thing! Then head to Test Track.

I would probably cancel Le Cellier. You can get a good steak anytime and the theme is a wine cellar, so the kids won't be missing out on anything.
Keep the Coral Reef, but keep checking to move the time up.

Day - 3

• See how it's going, but I would not return to nap, if possible.
• Let Cinderella Royal Gala Feast at Grand Floridian be your break. (Rest at Grandma's.)
• Or, nap but cancel Ohana's and stay in the parks. (By the time you finish a 9:30 pm meal, it will be pushing 11 pm before you and DH can go out.)
• Or... cancel the Royal Feast, stay in the park and give the kids counter service. Later, take children back to resort with sitter, and Mom and Dad go to Ohana.

Definitely see Mickey's Philharmagic! My entire family loves it... (and I have a bigger age span between kids... 6, 9, 17, 22, & 26)

Also, I don't see splash Mountain on your list... I'm betting when the kids see it, they'll want to do it.

As for Day 4 -
Like I've said... add a day to your tickets if you can. You could swim in the morning, check-out, have breakfast and hit a park for several hours before leaving.

We only schedule 1 TS meal per day and we never go hungry. This also acts as a break from the crowds/heat/parks. (Kids would rather be on the attractions or swimming than sitting in restaurants.) If you can cancel any mid-day TS ADR's, I would, and stay in the parks or take a break at the pool, to refresh and grab quick serve at the resort. Or, cancel the evening ADR's, and use afternoon TS to escape heat and crowds and use evening hours to tour when it's a little less crowded and hot. (Don't cancel Coral Reef... keep that for your DH!)

*Have your plan, your list of "must-do's" but remember to take time to discover the Magic at your own pace. Your children will see things that are not on the "list," (they'll need potty breaks, all at different times, if they're like mine) see a character they just have to meet, want ice cream and to ride the same attraction, AGAIN, so don't be afraid to toss the plans and ride Dumbo when your 2 y/o's face lights up when he spots the flying elephant.

Hope some of the ideas will help. We all want you to have a magical trip!

 

[adell557]

Hi,

I've been thinking about your trip plans...

For a total of about $50 ($50 for ALL 6, not each) you could add another day to your tickets to give you another day in the parks. You could visit the MK again before going to Grandma's.

Some more/other ideas and tips...

Put the dining number in your cell, in case you want/need to cancel some ADR's.

On arrival day... check-in at resort and get park tickets...
Go staight to the Studios.
Grab a show/event schedule.
Do as much as you can, using fast passes, child swaps or have one parent ride with older kids, while other parent takes younger children to meet Buzz & Woody, see the Little Mermaid Show, or Beauty and the Beast show. Have a meeting place and then switch and have other parent ride with older kids.
Be sure to do/see anything on your "must-do" list that won't be open during EMH.

Depending on well you are checking off you "must-do" lists, crowds and tummy's... drive to Epcot for your Teppan Edo ADR or call and cancel it and stay in the park. (Be sure to grab another fastpass before leaving the park, to have when you return.)

Return to HS and finish out the night.

Day 2 -
Mk opens at 8:00 AM, if you can be up and ready... try hitting the MK before Chef Mickey's. If not, explore resort and then head to Chef Mickey's.

Get to Epcot and grab Soarin' fast passes first thing! Then head to Test Track.
I would probably cancel Le Cellier. You can get a good steak anytime and the theme is a wine cellar, so the kids won't be missing out on anything.
Keep the Coral Reef, but keep checking to move the time up.

Day - 3
See how it's going, but I would not return to nap, if possible.
Let Cinderella Royal Gala Feast at Grand Floridian be your break. (Rest at Grandma's.)
Or, nap but cancel Ohana's and stay in the parks. (By the time you finish a 9:30 pm meal, it will be pushing 11 pm before you and DH can go out.)
Or... cancel the Royal Feast, stay in the park and give the kids counter service. Later, take children back to resort with sitter, and Mom and Dad go to Ohana.

Definitely see Mickey's Philharmagic! My entire family loves it... (and I have a bigger age span between kids... 6, 9, 17, 22, & 26)

Also, I don't see splash Mountain on your list... I'm betting when the kids see it, they'll want to do it.

As for Day 4 -
Like I've said... add a day to your tickets if you can. You could swim in the morning, check-out, have breakfast and hit a park for several hours before leaving.

We only schedule 1 TS meal per day and we never go hungry. This also acts as a break from the crowds/heat/parks. (Kids would rather be on the attractions or swimming than sitting in restaurants.) If you can cancel any mid-day TS ADR's, I would, and stay in the parks or take a break at the pool, to refresh and grab quick serve at the resort. Or, cancel the evening ADR's, and use afternoon TS to escape heat and crowds and use evening hours to tour when it's a little less crowded and hot. (Don't cancel Coral Reef... keep that for your DH!)

Hope some of the ideas will help. We all want you to have a magical trip!

Okay Rylee, can I hire you to plan my trip too??? Your plan rocks without the OP having to make too many changes.

I second to SKIP the Gala Feast seeing that you are going to 1900 park fare on the last day, I realize different characters but the same restaurant twice in one trip is not as much fun.

CS with the kids, and go to Cali grill or somewhere really nice for you ran dhubby that night. Ohana has gotten only so so reviews that I have seen.

Also, I would look into doing a meal at HS instead of Teppan Edo, your kids would probably really like the scifi or prime time 50's cafe, they have awesome atmosphere. And good food too. That gives you more park time.

Take advantage of the EMH before Chef Mickey's too never thought of that.

I have to say it again, Rylee you Rock

 

[Rylee]

Okay Rylee, can I hire you to plan my trip too??? Your plan rocks without the OP having to make too many changes.

I second to SKIP the Gala Feast seeing that you are going to 1900 park fare on the last day, I realize different characters but the same restaurant twice in one trip is not as much fun.

CS with the kids, and go to Cali grill or somewhere really nice for you ran dhubby that night. Ohana has gotten only so so reviews that I have seen.

Also, I would look into doing a meal at HS instead of Teppan Edo, your kids would probably really like the scifi or prime time 50's cafe, they have awesome atmosphere. And good food too. That gives you more park time.

Take advantage of the EMH before Chef Mickey's too never thought of that.

I have to say it again, Rylee you Rock

I've had lots of practice... 5 kids, all with there own list of "must-do's" but it's my DH I have to drag, kicking and screaming from the attractions, to our ADR's.

You're right!!! She should switch to the Si-Fi.

OP... see if you can get into the Si-Fi Dine-In and cancel Teppan Edo. Sit in cars at the drive-in movies. Your kids will love it. (My kids request it every trip.)

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Yeah, I agree with what the PP's said, and I highly recommend counter service instead of table.

You won't BELIEVE how much time the TS restaurants eat up. We usually pick one per visit when we know we can relax and really enjoy it, the rest of the time we tend to grab food on the fly.

Our schedules at Disney are so different than normal that our eating schedules tend to change, as well.

It's nice to know when you're starving you can grab a sandwich in the Columbia Harbour House right away and be back on track in 15-20 min rather than suffer for another hour being hungry, grabbing a Mickey Head ice cream because you're desperate and your kids are cranky, then not being that hungry for the expensive TS meal...

 

[scrapbookworm]

I agree with the others saying to cut out some TS meals. If you eat breakfast at Chef Mickeys at 10:00, and then Le Cellier at 2:30, and Coral Reef at 8:30, not only will you be stuffed to the gills (pun intended), you will be spending a LOT of money on food going to waste. Those are expensive meals! (I realize not THE most expensive, of course, but it will add up). For my family of 3, that would be at least $150 (plus all the drinks and water you'll need in between). And you'll be wasting at least 90 minutes each meal at a TS, maybe even more. Do you want to spend 4 hours or more that day sitting in a restaurant? I wouldn't, lol. And you wouldn't have the stomach room to enjoy a turkey leg, School Bread from Norway, a Mickeybar, etc.

I did the same thing on our first trip, and we ended up cancelling a bunch of ADRs. Now, I only plan 2-3 per trip MAX.

Counter service meals aren't just hamburgers and fries. There are lots of good options available.

Hope you have a good trip!

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I agree with the others saying to cut out some TS meals. If you eat breakfast at Chef Mickeys at 10:00, and then Le Cellier at 2:30, and Coral Reef at 8:30, not only will you be stuffed to the gills (pun intended), you will be spending a LOT of money on food going to waste. Those are expensive meals! (I realize not THE most expensive, of course, but it will add up). And you'll be wasting at least 90 minutes each meal at a TS, maybe even more. Do you want to spend 4.5 hours or more than day sitting in a restaurant? I wouldn't, lol.

I did the same thing on our first trip, and we ended up cancelling a bunch of ADRs. Now, I only plan 2-3 per trip MAX.

Counter service meals aren't just hamburgers and fries. There are lots of good options available.

Hope you have a good trip!

Yep, a family of four (us) usually pays between 130-170/meal at Chef Mickey's and Coral Reef. Le Cellier's a bit cheaper, maybe 100-140. Compare that to a meal for three (because the servings are so big you can have the kids split one at counter service, hard to do at TS) at Columbia Harbor House for 20-30 bucks. Biiiiiig savings.

We've found that over time that if we did too many TS's, they just blurred together and we had a harder time getting around the parks after gorging ourselves (because you will!).

Plus, let's just say the experience of all that rich food in that amount causes some, um, interesting digestive alterations.....

 

[scrapbookworm]

Oh, and that's another thing. I know that I feel lethargic after a big meal. And when I'm spending $20+ for an entree, I definitely feel the pressure to clean my plate.

fwiw, I would take Le Cellier over Coral Reef, but later in the day. Chef Mickey's should get you by at least 6-7 hours. And you could have a school bread in between. (sigh). Now I'm craving school bread!