Character Meal before Cruise?

[21stamps]

I thought the cruise forum would be the correct place to ask this question-

We are spending the night 11/25 at WDW for Epcot, cruise leaves 11/26, then we return to WDW 12/3-12/7.

I have too many character meals planned for our return trip, 1900 Park Fare and Ohana breakfasts are must dos for kiddo.

Should I schedule one for the 26th? Or will that be too hectic before the cruise? Other concern- I want the gingerbread house on the Fantasy to be a "wow" moment for him, so I don't know if going to the Grand Floridian first would be the best choice. As for Ohana- I was trying to stay away from MK until our return (staying tpv at the contemporary), that portion of the trip is going to be a surprise.

Thoughts?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I thought the cruise forum would be the correct place to ask this question-

We are spending the night 11/25 at WDW for Epcot, cruise leaves 11/26, then we return to WDW 12/3-12/7.

I have too many character meals planned for our return trip, 1900 Park Fare and Ohana breakfasts are must dos for kiddo.

Should I schedule one for the 26th? Or will that be too hectic before the cruise? Other concern- I want the gingerbread house on the Fantasy to be a "wow" moment for him, so I don't know if going to the Grand Floridian first would be the best choice. As for Ohana- I was trying to stay away from MK until our return (staying tpv at the contemporary), that portion of the trip is going to be a surprise.

Thoughts?

I have done it before at Chef Mickeys- @ Contemporary resort, it starts at 7 am, first ADR was 7.30 but we stayed there, and got there at 7 am, it was not hectic, a great send off. Ohanna is good as well.

You could drive to Contempory if you have a ADR booked there, and show it st the gate. At the beach club, Cape May I didn't rate that CB.

 

[21stamps]

I have done it before at Chef Mickeys- @ Contemporary resort, it starts at 7 am, first ADR was 7.30 but we stayed there, and got there at 7 am, it was not hectic, a great send off. Ohanna is good as well.

Ok great! And you didn't feel too rushed? I am renting a car one way WDW - port Canveral.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Ok great! And you didn't feel too rushed? I am renting a car one way WDW - port Canveral.

Not rushed, it was great, the children loved it.

 

[21stamps]

Not rushed, it was great, the children loved it.

Thanks! Now I just have to figure out if it will spoil the "surprise" of ending up at MK area instead of airport post cruise.

I don't think I want to plan a surprise trip ever again!

 

[dclpluto]

Remember you are going to be eating around 10k calories a day on your cruise. I would take it easy on food before and after your cruise. Enjoy

 

[hanscarlet]

we are going to do one at Cape May Cafe on the morning of our cruise then going to take the transfer from MCO (using uber from Beach C to MCO)

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Thanks! Now I just have to figure out if it will spoil the "surprise" of ending up at MK area instead of airport post cruise.

I don't think I want to plan a surprise trip ever again!

Quite easy to do, - to me Chef Mickeys " is" the best CB, I have done Cinderellas Royal in MK, but for food, location and characters are the best at Chef Mickeys. Easy to drive and park st fir a couple of hours.

we are going to do one at Cape May Cafe on the morning of our cruise then going to take the transfer from MCO (using uber from Beach C to MCO)

To me I was very disappointed with the food and characters at CMC and it started a lot later than CMs.

 

[21stamps]

Remember you are going to be eating around 10k calories a day on your cruise. I would take it easy on food before and after your cruise. Enjoy

You sound exactly like my travel agent!!! On Black Friday we will do a candlelight processional dinner package at Garden Grill, and then I have 7 TS meals planned for our return trip. She thinks I'm absolutely nuts. But really, I don't even care if we don't eat so much, I book the meals for the character interactions so we don't have to spend time waiting in line at the parks.

Quite easy to do, - to me Chef Mickeys " is" the best CB, I have done Cinderellas Royal in MK, but for food, location and characters are the best at Chef Mickeys. Easy to drive and park st fir a couple of hours.

To me I was very disappointed with the food and characters at CMC and it started a lot later than CMs.

We have a Chef Mickey's dinner planned already. And I don't want to go in to CR since that's where we will be returning to. Ohana and 1900 PF are the 2 breakfasts that I have to decide between.
Ohana is his fave meal in all of WDW- bc well- Stitch!lol

 

[21stamps]

we are going to do one at Cape May Cafe on the morning of our cruise then going to take the transfer from MCO (using uber from Beach C to MCO)

Why are you taking the transfer from MCO? Is there any advantage over leaving from WDW? I booked the transfers from WDW, but planning on cancelling them after finding out how late you arrive to the port. That's where the rental came in to play.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

You sound exactly like my travel agent!!! On Black Friday we will do a candlelight processional dinner package at Garden Grill, and then I have 7 TS meals planned for our return trip. She thinks I'm absolutely nuts. But really, I don't even care if we don't eat so much, I book the meals for the character interactions so we don't have to spend time waiting in line at the parks.

We have a Chef Mickey's dinner planned already. And I don't want to go in to CR since that's where we will be returning to. Ohana and 1900 PF are the 2 breakfasts that I have to decide between.
Ohana is his fave meal in all of WDW- bc well- Stitch!lol

I like the breakfast skillets in Ohanna and stitch. We stayed at the Polynesian as well, and eat breakfast and dinner there. To me 1900 PF wasn't a great CB.

 

[21stamps]

I like the breakfast skillets in Ohanna and stitch. We stayed at the Polynesian as well, and eat breakfast and dinner there. To me 1900 PF wasn't a great CB.

I haven't done 1900 PF. We stayed at Poly last time and LOVED it!!!! I've gone back and forth a million times with if I made the right decision to do CR this time. I'm hoping that my son will be ok with it, but I do not want to deal with him wanting to go down the volcano slide in December, and CR's pools are pretty boring so shouldn't be tempting.lol. I have no desire at all to swim during our time there this trip!

What didn't you like about 1900 PF breakfast? I put it on the list bc of the mad hatter, as of now it's scheduled for the morning of his pirate cruise. Neither one of us our big breakfast eaters, but that's the only meal with those characters.

 

[JMHDisney]

Looks like you already have a Chef Mickeys booked, but based on our experience there, I would think you could easily fit in a character breakfast if you wanted one. We had breakfast at 8am, didn't feel rushed and had tons of time to wander around CR before our private transport arrived at 11am (we were aiming to be at port by 12:30 with a wine stop as I like to skip waiting in lines in the terminal).

 

[21stamps]

Looks like you already have a Chef Mickeys booked, but based on our experience there, I would think you could easily fit in a character breakfast if you wanted one. We had breakfast at 8am, didn't feel rushed and had tons of time to wander around CR before our private transport arrived at 11am (we were aiming to be at port by 12:30 with a wine stop as I like to skip waiting in lines in the terminal).

Awesome thanks! I'm hoping to arrive to the port @ 10:30am. I don't really have a clue how long it takes to return rental car and get to the ship, so hoping if do a 7:30-8ish Ohana that we would be ok

 

[FigmentSpark]

Your son might assume this one char breakfast is as close to MK as he's going to get. I know you want it to be a surprise, but will he be disappointed, rather than looking forward to it? On the other hand, it might be enough to satisfy him before the cruise and the rest will just be a nice surprise.

 

[21stamps]

Your son might assume this one char breakfast is as close to MK as he's going to get. I know you want it to be a surprise, but will he be disappointed, rather than looking forward to it? On the other hand, it might be enough to satisfy him before the cruise and the rest will just be a nice surprise.

I know. That's what I'm so worried about. Since our pre cruise day is all Epcot/HS I wanted the magic kingdom, and seeing the castle, to be a wonderful surprise after the cruise.
I'm concerned, especially since he asks on a weekly basis when we are going back to the Poly, that it may be a complete tease- and not a good one. I'd hate to start off his first ever cruise day with a disappointed child!!!
I considered cape may, but that's not on our list, is kind of redundant with the other meals I have planned, and would be a total of 9 TS meals on top of a week long cruise. I do need to fit in my clothes during the trip lol.

 

[hanscarlet]

Quite easy to do, - to me Chef Mickeys " is" the best CB, I have done Cinderellas Royal in MK, but for food, location and characters are the best at Chef Mickeys. Easy to drive and park st fir a couple of hours.

To me I was very disappointed with the food and characters at CMC and it started a lot later than CMs.

Ugh, that is not what I want to hear about CMC. To be honest we're going to WDW due to my mother's begging but DH and I would prefer to skip the whole thing. When you say "later", do you remember the earliest time we can do it? Would prefer to get in and out if possible. I sound bitter and I shouldn't be but just annoyed I have to accommodate my mother's agenda

Why are you taking the transfer from MCO? Is there any advantage over leaving from WDW? I booked the transfers from WDW, but planning on cancelling them after finding out how late you arrive to the port. That's where the rental came in to play.

We looked into getting the transfers right from Beach Club and it's definitely something we can do but I don't like the unpredictability that comes with the pick up time and how many other resorts you might have to stop at. We'd rather just take the straight shot from MCO and possibly get there a lot earlier (assuming my CMC breakfast works out.... if it is later then I may need to nix it for a quick continental with a different place on site).

 

[FigmentSpark]

Have you thought about springing the surprise on him while you're at your pre-cruise day?

Maybe you can get guest services to arrange for his Mickey phone call that evening after you return from EPCOT? Or make an invitation that your server (or a character) could deliver to him at your breakfast inviting him to stay after the cruise?

 

[timrousbeastie]

[...]
We are spending the night 11/25 at WDW for Epcot, cruise leaves 11/26, then we return to WDW 12/3-12/7.
[...]
Should I schedule one for the 26th?

Crystal Palace is an old family tradition for us and, for our November '14 Fantasy cruise, we went there for breakfast around 9:30 AM. After that, we spent another hour or so in Magic Kingdom before heading back to the hotel, picking up our luggage, and driving our rental car to the port around 12:30 PM. It was very easy without any stress. They had just set up the gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian the day before we arrived. It was a beautiful photo op, but the atrium at the GF is so gorgeous in itself that shopping and dining there made more of an impact on us. It was a wonderful morning and the perfect way to start the first day of our cruise. Seeing the gingerbread house on the Fantasy was another beautiful memory, and I honestly never thought of the connection between the two before reading your post. I wouldn't worry about that part at all.

Ironically, our departure in November '15, when we used the Magical Express, turned out to be a lot more stressful. We were staying at the Bay Lake Towers (with "theme park view" which wildly exceeded my expectations) and DCL left a message for us that the bus would pick us up at 11:30 the following morning. We had breakfast the Contemporary and then spent the morning at the park. When we returned at 11:10, the staff were calling our names and saying that the bus was about to leave and would do so if we were not ready immediately (even though we were 9 guests and had paid a small fortune for concierge). We had to run to gather our party and just made it at the last minute.

Many others prefer to get on the ship early, but I'd much rather spend the morning in the Magic Kingdom area and embark 1-2 pm.

 

[Hundredacre]

We also were disappointed with Park Fare. Unorganized, way too crowded, barely saw our waiter, food very sub par. But we love chef mickey's and go everytime we go to wdw.