Dad's 50th and probable last trip ideas. Long Post. Sorry

[bethwc101]

First, I would like to apologize if my post seems all over the place. I am a little frazzled and scatter brained while typing this up.

Hello all and thank you to those who are reading this. DF's (father, not fiance, can never remember these abbreviations ) health has been slowly declining. We were planning on celebrating his 50th birthday/farewell trip this July as he will probably not be around by fall. Just spoke with doctors who have said prognosis is worse than they initially thought. He will likely not make it to summer. I feel numb. I don't know what to do. Even though only six months have been taken away from me, it feels like a lifetime.

Disneyland is DF's favorite place. We always do an annual trip for dapper day as he loves dressing up with the family. We have jumped the trip up to April so he can attend one last dapper day disneyland trip with the family. We are going all out for this trip and I need some help with ideas. He is super excited for the trip, but doesn't have the energy to plan his dream trip, so it is on me to come up with it for him. I know of what some of his favorites are, I just need help breaking some ties as well as coming up with some additional special things. I mentioned a VIP tour to him, but he doesn't want a stranger with us a whole day for the last trip with his family (which makes sense).

My parents are separated and I celebrated DM's 50th with her kids at Disneyland last March, and not to play favorites, but I feel this one is more important so I want to go even above what I did for her weekend at DLR. I don't know if that makes me petty or what, but I just don't care right now I guess.
Also, he doesn't want to be a financial burden, so I will be doing a lot of hmmm... fibbing to him (what's a little extra cc debt anyway ). Saying things didn't cost anything because it was part of a "package" deal, complimentary stuff, 1,000,000 guest at hotel, I had extra GCs lying around anyway, disney rewards points about to expire, etc (without making it seem like it's because he's sick because he would get upset with us). Again, normally I wouldn't do, but i don't need him stressing about finances. I just want him to enjoy all the stuff he loves. But can normally only afford do once/trip all this trip. We won't be moving very fast, so we will be focusing on his favorite rides and attractions (planning on only doing 3-5/day based on his energy). No wheelchair for him because "He doesn't need it" Ok dad, whatever you say. So we will be doing a lot of sit down meals as he LOVES Disney food and quick service can be too difficult to find seating, and he wants to be able to relax. Preferably places that have longer meal times and aren't rushing you for high turnover. Now, we won't linger to the point of being rude, but we don't want to feel rushed. If that makes any sense.

Anyway, to the fun part. PLANNING Normally, I like to start planning 6+ months out because, well, I'm a little obsessive. So I feel just a little frazzled trying to plan this nice trip in only 2 months. I know for some people that is no problem. And I have done last minute trips, but we didn't do any sit down meals, and just kinda winged everything. I'll need to be getting reservations and stuff.

I had thought about signing up for the walk in walt's tour. Just because he has always wanted to see something Disneyland that is exclusive, and not seen every day by the public and has a touch of Walt (the apartment, NOS Disney gallery, etc). We we decided that would be too much on demand walking, (again, he will refuse to be in a chair in his last days.) and want to go slower.
Unfortunately, his favorite place in the park to relax was closed to the public in 2013 (court of angels) but is there another place similar in the park to this where he can just sit and relax? He used to just hang out in there for an hour or so each trip. We would just come back and see if he was ready to move on or not while us kids were off doing rides. . Something with a quiet vibe that seems to be overlooked and missed a lot? The closest thing to that I can think of is over by Fowler's Inn, but just doesn't have the same relaxing fibe to me.
He is a HUGE Star Wars fan so we will likely spend a lot of time there and build some stuff. Definitely Oga's since he loves to try unique drinks. I personally don't drink alcohol, so I will have to do my research on those to find out what's good and what he should pass on. And we will definitely wait for a table even if it makes it longer.
I am a little concerned about SWGE though as I have heard there seems to be a lack of seating. Can anyone comment on their experience with this issue in the land.
We will already be staying at GCH.
Looking for nice meal ideas. I know there are plenty of threads discussing these dining options, but I am wondering if your opinions might change based on the circumstances (slow moving and not rushed)
Cafe Orleans or Carthay Circe?
Fantasmic! Blue Bayou or WOC dessert party?
SH55 or Napa Rose?
Plaza Inn or Carnation Cafe (for breakfast)
Is the Carthay Circle lounge worth it to stop in for some drinks?

I'll add more as I can, but work is pretty much ridiculously crazy until the week before our trip (of course) so I already have my plate pretty full, and now get to try and juggle all this. And I start my second job next week Yay!

I don't know if anybody managed to read all this, and I don't blame anyone for not, but if you did. Wow. Impressive. Props to you.

Update 1: Anything special at F&W for him, since we've never participated, or better not to waste time there?

 

[wowsmom]

Cafe Orleans or Carthay Circe?
Fantasmic! Blue Bayou or WOC dessert party?
SH55 or Napa Rose?
Plaza Inn or Carnation Cafe (for breakfast)
Is the Carthay Circle lounge worth it to stop in for some drinks?

I'm so sorry about the changed prognosis.

I don't have any experience with tours, etc but for the meal questions, I'd choose:

WOC dessert party - sitting in chairs, very relaxing

Napa Rose - great food, great service, in your hotel so easy to head back to room when finished

I don't usually eat breakfast in the parks, but isn't Plaza Inn a buffet? Would he be okay getting his own food or having you get it for him?

I've always wanted to stop into Carthay Circle lounge but the times we've tried, there has been a line. Not sure if that's always the case.

Also, I've never felt rushed at any restaurant at DL, so I don't think that's anything to worry about.

Good luck and best wishes for you as you plan this trip.

 

[bethwc101]

I'm so sorry about the changed prognosis.

I don't have any experience with tours, etc but for the meal questions, I'd choose:

WOC dessert party - sitting in chairs, very relaxing

Napa Rose - great food, great service, in your hotel so easy to head back to room when finished

I don't usually eat breakfast in the parks, but isn't Plaza Inn a buffet? Would he be okay getting his own food or having you get it for him?

I've always wanted to stop into Carthay Circle lounge but the times we've tried, there has been a line. Not sure if that's always the case.

Also, I've never felt rushed at any restaurant at DL, so I don't think that's anything to worry about.

Good luck and best wishes for you as you plan this trip.

Thank you. And I think a lightbulb went off in my head when you said Napa Rose is in the hotel. Why didn't I think of that?
And Plaza Inn is a buffet. I would probably walk with him through so he can see everything. But then I would get plates for him. I only said Plaza Inn because that's the only place I can think of that we've done sit down breakfast in the park. We do a lot of BWs which tend to have breakfast included, so I can't think of any other breakfasts that we've done the parks. Except once with Flo's which, funny enough, in a recent thread we decided I had a once off experience. But it was so not good, I can't go back there. So I am more than open to other suggestions for breakfast ideas in park.

 

[Disney Lvr of Old]

I am sorry for your circumstances but love that you are planning this for him. I totally understand the "it was free" safety net you are providing your Dad so he doesn't worry.

Napa Rose Chef's counter is lovely and slow paced. Definitely a splurge.
I don't know if the Grand Circle tour will be back for those dates but it's the only way to see the Lilly Belle and it's very special.

Good luck with your planning and prayers for you and your family.

 

[Susie63]

I would definitely look into booking a VIP parade pkg. Good luck with your planning

 

[Going2DisneyAZ]

Sorry to hear all this. You are so sweat for doing this. As a Disney fan about the same age as your fathers I think you are doing a wonderful thing.

I have some thoughts but need to process. To answer some of your questions first though:

Cafe Orleans or Carthay Circe? Carthay Circle, hands down. My favorite place now.

Fantasmic! Blue Bayou or WOC dessert party? I would do WOC desert and/or F! Riverbelle. I know a lot of people are not fans of F! at Riverbelle I am in the minority. I think the seats are just fine and you are in a seat which I think your father would appreciate. Some seats are better than others so maybe call Disney Dining and explain the situation and see if they can seat you on the rail.
SH55 or Napa Rose? For me SH55

Plaza Inn or Carnation Cafe (for breakfast) For me Plaza as I STILL enjoy the character interaction at 52.
Is the Carthay Circle lounge worth it to stop in for some drinks? MOST DEFINITELY

 

[bethwc101]

I am sorry for your circumstances but love that you are planning this for him. I totally understand the "it was free" safety net you are providing your Dad so he doesn't worry.

Napa Rose Chef's counter is lovely and slow paced. Definitely a splurge.
I don't know if the Grand Circle tour will be back for those dates but it's the only way to see the Lilly Belle and it's very special.

Good luck with your planning and prayers for you and your family.

How does NR Chef Counter compare vs just regular menu. Is it that much more of an experience?

I would definitely look into booking a VIP parade pkg. Good luck with your planning

I had thought about that and mentioned it to him, he really doesn't want a stranger hanging out with us for a whole day on his last family vacation

Sorry to hear all this. You are so sweat for doing this. As a Disney fan about the same age as your fathers I think you are doing a wonderful thing.

I have some thoughts but need to process. To answer some of your questions first though:

Cafe Orleans or Carthay Circe? Carthay Circle, hands down. My favorite place now.

Fantasmic! Blue Bayou or WOC dessert party? I would do WOC desert and/or F! Riverbelle. I know a lot of people are not fans of F! at Riverbelle I am in the minority. I think the seats are just fine and you are in a seat which I think your father would appreciate. Some seats are better than others so maybe call Disney Dining and explain the situation and see if they can seat you on the rail.
SH55 or Napa Rose? For me SH55

Plaza Inn or Carnation Cafe (for breakfast) For me Plaza as I STILL enjoy the character interaction at 52.
Is the Carthay Circle lounge worth it to stop in for some drinks? MOST DEFINITELY

Does Carthay Circle have anything similar to the pommes frites? I know he loves those.


Also, we will be there during food an wine, but because DH and I don't drink, we've never really participated in these festivities. Is there anything here that is a "unique" expereince or nothing special to waste time there?

 

[TikiRob]

What a wonderful thing you are doing. I wish I could help, but I'm still planning my first trip to DLR.

One thing I found is the new Plaza Inn Parade package. It is like $40/person (not buffet) and gives VIP section for parade.

Make great memories!

 

[Going2DisneyAZ]

Does Carthay Circle have anything similar to the pommes frites? I know he loves those.

Also, we will be there during food an wine, but because DH and I don't drink, we've never really participated in these festivities. Is there anything here that is a "unique" expereince or nothing special to waste time there?

Then menu changes at Carthay so I am not sure. The fried biscuits and the duck wings are fantastic. The signature martini is great too if he drinks. The lounge and restaurant are great, very old school classic elegance. I think he would love a stop for a snack or drink and even dinner in the dinning room.

We did not enjoy food and wine but may be in the minority there. Just not our thing and the lines were always long. Think food truck type service so not even counter service level of experience.

 

[bethwc101]

Then menu changes at Carthay so I am not sure. The fried biscuits and the duck wings are fantastic. The signature martini is great too if he drinks. The lounge and restaurant are great, very old school classic elegance. I think he would love a stop for a snack or drink and even dinner in the dinning room.

We did not enjoy food and wine but may be in the minority there. Just not our thing and the lines were always long. Think food truck type service so not even counter service level of experience.

Hmm... I'll read back through last years 2019 F&W reports, but I vaguely remember reading about some of these lines. I think I remember FreshBaked did a video and showed some pretty long lines.
Maybe if there's something he really wants and there is a short line we will get it, but i won't plan on doing that for any meal.

 

[mouschievous]

I am so sorry for your circumstances, and bless you for planning this for your dad.

We are currently planning a "once in a lifetime" trip for my parents. We decided on WOC dessert party over any of the F! packages because we know my parents will want chairs and based on reviews it sounds like the view for that is better than the view for F! in the RiverBelle tables.

If you decide to do Carthay Circle and you have a large enough group to warrant it, they have a semi-private dining rooms. We actually talked about booking the Snow White room (seats 12) but then we outgrew it. You can learn more here

I would definitely look at booking one of the Parade packages. I believe that gets you a guaranteed seat for the parade, which it sounds like would be great for your dad.

Does your dad like the character interactions? If so, do the character breakfast at Plaza Inn - two birds, one stone! We loved that breakfast so much. I've heard good things about the character breakfast at Storytellers as well, and that one is also at GCH.

 

[bethwc101]

I am so sorry for your circumstances, and bless you for planning this for your dad.

We are currently planning a "once in a lifetime" trip for my parents. We decided on WOC dessert party over any of the F! packages because we know my parents will want chairs and based on reviews it sounds like the view for that is better than the view for F! in the RiverBelle tables.

If you decide to do Carthay Circle and you have a large enough group to warrant it, they have a semi-private dining rooms. We actually talked about booking the Snow White room (seats 12) but then we outgrew it. You can learn more here

I would definitely look at booking one of the Parade packages. I believe that gets you a guaranteed seat for the parade, which it sounds like would be great for your dad.

Does your dad like the character interactions? If so, do the character breakfast at Plaza Inn - two birds, one stone! We loved that breakfast so much. I've heard good things about the character breakfast at Storytellers as well, and that one is also at GCH.

Does Plaza inn breakfast have a package deal for the parade? I thought it was just a lunch/dinner meal.

 

[tsumgirl]

I'm so sorry about the news you received today. This trip you're planning is so wonderful.

I'll let others weigh in on the restaurants, since I haven't done all of them. I would say that the WOC dessert party does provide a great view, and the seats are always welcome at the end of the day. It's my favorite splurge in the parks. If you do this, you may want to make a note in your reservations that accommodations will be needed, so you can have priority for a low table. I'm not sure if your DF can handle getting in/out of the tall director chairs at the high tables.

I would also suggest keeping the info for an off-site wheelchair rental company with you, just in case he starts losing his steam at any point of the trip. They're much more affordable and you'll have more flexibility should you want to use it off-site.

Is your DF opposed to using an ECV or would it be too challenging for him to operate? Part of the reason some people are opposed to a wheelchair is the loss of freedom, since you'll need someone to push it. An ECV will give him his freedom, help with his stamina throughout the day, and ensure he always has a place to sit if he needs one. He can just park it nearby whenever he doesn't want to use it, but it definitely helps me with the long treks between lands.

As for places to sit and rest, he would probably enjoy spending long stretches of time in SWGE. I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, but I would imagine he would love the time to just be immersed in it or staring at the Millennium Falcon or tie fighters etc.

 

[mouschievous]

Does Plaza inn breakfast have a package deal for the parade? I thought it was just a lunch/dinner meal.

I think the parade package is just later meals. My "two birds one stone" comment was about having getting character interactions while having breakfast, since OP indicated that a sit down breakfast was on the agenda.

 

[pblack]

I don't have much to add, I just wanted to say you are a great daughter for planning all this and making his last trip a memorable one for all. I hope that the trip is everything you/he wants/needs it to be.

 

[Susie63]

I would highly recommend the ECV. I had a medical episode a couple years ago on the day we left for DL. I would never have been able to navigate the parks. The Disney rentals are very easy to use but expensive.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

.

 

[Not Your Mom]

I am very sorry to hear your news. I lost my mom to cancer in 2015 and she went downhill fast.

I visited the Carthay Circle Lounge in December 2018 and very much enjoyed a flatbread and a strong drink. We didn't have reservations and the atmosphere was relaxing and classy. Would recommend.

I hope you guys have a good time and enjoy each others company.

 

[bethwc101]

I'm so sorry about the news you received today. This trip you're planning is so wonderful.

I'll let others weigh in on the restaurants, since I haven't done all of them. I would say that the WOC dessert party does provide a great view, and the seats are always welcome at the end of the day. It's my favorite splurge in the parks. If you do this, you may want to make a note in your reservations that accommodations will be needed, so you can have priority for a low table. I'm not sure if your DF can handle getting in/out of the tall director chairs at the high tables.

I would also suggest keeping the info for an off-site wheelchair rental company with you, just in case he starts losing his steam at any point of the trip. They're much more affordable and you'll have more flexibility should you want to use it off-site.

Is your DF opposed to using an ECV or would it be too challenging for him to operate? Part of the reason some people are opposed to a wheelchair is the loss of freedom, since you'll need someone to push it. An ECV will give him his freedom, help with his stamina throughout the day, and ensure he always has a place to sit if he needs one. He can just park it nearby whenever he doesn't want to use it, but it definitely helps me with the long treks between lands.

As for places to sit and rest, he would probably enjoy spending long stretches of time in SWGE. I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, but I would imagine he would love the time to just be immersed in it or staring at the Millennium Falcon or tie fighters etc.

I would highly recommend the ECV. I had a medical episode a couple years ago on the day we left for DL. I would never have been able to navigate the parks. The Disney rentals are very easy to use but expensive.

He has been very adamant about not wanting to use a wheelchair in park, meaning to include ECV. I think it's a maybe pride? thing about not wanting to finally admit defeat with his mobility. I will bring it up during the trip if I see he is getting tired or winded, but for now he is very adamant he wants to walk the park. Which is why we are planning on going to slow. I do imagine he might change his mind part way through day one, but for now he doesn't want to even think about wheelchair/ecv.

I also agree with SWGE, but I have heard there can be issues finding seats throughout the land unless you are in a dining area. So that was a concern but hopefully we will be able to find some seats where he can still enjoy the land and not be in a dining room but outside.

 

[Aurora0427]

I’m so sorry about your dad.

We love just hanging out in Galaxy’s Edge because the stormtroopers walk around and interact with the guests. It’s hilarious. Kylo Ren, Rey and Chewy do as well. My favorite drink at Oga’s is the Jedi Mind Trick. Also, meeting Darth Vader at Launch Bay is always a fantastic experience.