Coordinating a character breakfast with a park tour -- help

[GetGlowing]

Our 90-day mark for ADRs is coming up soon so I want to get this nailed down.

The park: Magic Kingdom

The plan is that the girls (me, my mother, my sister and her daughter) will have a character breakfast at the same time the men (our husbands) take the Behind the Steam Trains tour at the Magic Kingdom (crossing fingers and toes and whatever else that it will be back on schedule by then).

I need some advice on coordinating the two activities for our group. I really think the timing of them is more important than where we ladies end up having breakfast.

The info I'm finding about the steam trains tour is that it begins at 7am and concludes after 11 am.

Ideally, we'll be able to get an early reservation for CRT. But we understand that may not happen. So in which order should we seek alternatives, and what times would be best to coordinate with our fellas? I suppose we could do any time as long as both end around 11. But I'd rather have earlier.

I'm thinking in order of preference: CRT - Crystal Palace - 'Ohana - Chef Mickey?

What is the earliest reservation for each of these?

Am I making this more complicated than it needs to be??

help ....

 

[jcemom]

Chef Mickey's starts serving at 7:00, 'Ohana at 7:30, both Crystal Palace and CRT start at 8:00.

Breakfast is only going to take about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on how fast you eat (we are almost always done in under an hour but we're not big eaters).

If you do any of those breakfasts at the earliest seating you should be out in time for MK rope drop if it's at 9:00 that day. Is that your plan? That's probably what I'd do. You can't possibly stay at breakfast from 7:00-11:00.

 

[GetGlowing]

Thanks a bunch, those start times help. We weren't planning to stay at breakfast that long. We'll probably get Fantasyland out of the way first.

We took my niece to Chuck E. Cheese the other day and she absolutely flipped out when Chuck E. came out to shake and howdy with everyone in the restaurant. (It was hilarious!) but it's got me worried about her reaction to characters at WDW. She says she's excited to meet Mickey Mouse, and she's met other creatures before. I'm hoping it's because Chuck E. kind of slipped up behind her -- she didn't see him coming and then he was at her shoulder. Now I'm thinking if we don't get early CRT then we'll try for Chef Mickey, then maybe Crystal Palace.

 

[jcemom]

Thanks a bunch, those start times help. We weren't planning to stay at breakfast that long. We'll probably get Fantasyland out of the way first.

I didn't think so, lol... but then again, I know a couple of guys who could probably eat for four hors straight.

If you're going to do Fantasyland first, and want to be out of breakfast by 11:00 or shortly after, I think I would go with Crystal Palace at 10:00-10:10ish. The last seating is 10:30 so it's clearing out by then and you get good character interaction. We can usually be finished in under an hour easily if we go for a late seating.

Whatever you choose I hope you all have a great time! And hopefully your niece isn't as startled by the Disney characters as she was by Chuck E.

 

[coffeehousemom]

hi Rae!!

If you are worried that she might freak with characters I would definately shoot for CRT first for the sheer fact that they are face characters vs costumed. If that's a no go then find out if she would be more comfortable w the Pooh clan or the mouse group. She might feel more at ease with one over the other if she is used to watching that one more than the other.

 

[GetGlowing]

Hi Kayte! That's just about what I was thinking. hope hope hope