Dazed and confused - need help with itinerary!

[dthmj]

We leave in just over a week. And I have no idea what I'm doing.

My husband and I myself are going to DW for the first time ever - our kids are grown, and they have all gone without us, so I feel no guilt not taking the kids. Hubby will be using an ECV, but he doesn't have to use it all the time (he normally doesn't, but we thought it would be a good idea for the amount of walking involved - he walks just fine, but has severe anemia and just doesn't have a lot of stamina, plus some bad knees) All that to say, we can ditch the ECV if we need to to get around.

First - our plane lands at MCO at 12:35pm - is it possible to make it to a lunch reservation at 2:20pm at Whispering Canyon Cafe? We are staying at the Polynesian, and was planning on using the Magical Express to get from the airport. Or should I change that reservation? Or change how we get to the Resort (we are not using Magical Express to get back to the airport as we are switching hotels mid trip)?

Second - we are spending our first full day at Animal Kingdom and have a 7:40pm reservation at The Yachtsman - when do we need to leave AK by? I'm guessing we should freshen up back at the hotel before we head over there. We could also probably leave the ECV at the hotel when we go to dinner.

Third - we are spending the next day at MK with 8:30pm reservations for Hoop De Doo - what time do we need to leave the park to make that dinner show?

Finally, for our day at DHS, I used touringplans.com and they came up with this section that I'm not sure will work. We do have the Fantasmic/Brown Derby dining package. Are we going to make all that? Or do we need to do some rearranging?

Hollywood Brown Derby - reservation at 4:25pm (How long does it take to eat there?)
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (FP) arrive at 5:40pm
Fantasmic! - arrive at 6:03pm (7pm show)
Toy Story Midway Mania (FP) arrive at 7:34pm
Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular arrive at 7:45pm

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[ChristineOH]

I'd cancel Whispering Canyon. You might make it, but you'll be cutting it close. I wouldn't want the stress. I'd stick with Magical Express. It's easy and enjoyable. I wouldn't try to make special arrangements at additional cost just for that ADR.

Yeah, your DHS day won't work. You can barely make it from Fantasmic to SWAGS... like you have to sit in the back and rush over, knowing you won't have the best view for the fireworks. No way you can fit TSMM in there. If you're using an ECV, I'd skip the fireworks. If you do that, you could still head to TSMM. Maybe someone else can comment with more info about how the crowds are heading different places after Fantasmic.

I can't help with getting to the Yachtsman or Hoop. What's the reason for doing Hoop? It gets rave reviews, but for two adults, I'd chose something on the monorail that would be easier to get to and is more upscale. That's a personal preference.

 

[GillianP1301]

I'll do my best to give my opinion/answers to your questions:

First - our plane lands at MCO at 12:35pm - is it possible to make it to a lunch reservation at 2:20pm at Whispering Canyon Cafe? We are staying at the Polynesian, and was planning on using the Magical Express to get from the airport. Or should I change that reservation? Or change how we get to the Resort (we are not using Magical Express to get back to the airport as we are switching hotels mid trip)? This is pretty tight, doable but risky. I would opt instead for something around 4:00, allows you to settle into your room and do some resort exploring either at Poly or WL, both are gorgeous.

Second - we are spending our first full day at Animal Kingdom and have a 7:40pm reservation at The Yachtsman - when do we need to leave AK by? I'm guessing we should freshen up back at the hotel before we head over there. We could also probably leave the ECV at the hotel when we go to dinner. If you are relying on Disney buses, then the travel time between resorts can be lenghtly because you have to go to a park and transfer to a resort bus. I would plan to leave Poly by 6:30, monorail to MK and then bus to Yacht Club. The bus from AK to Poly is about a 20 minute ride + factor in about 20 minutes to wait for a bus to arrive (that's just an average). The other option would be taxi/uber in which case you will save a ton of time and could get from Poly to YC in about 15 minutes.

Third - we are spending the next day at MK with 8:30pm reservations for Hoop De Doo - what time do we need to leave the park to make that dinner show? Boat is the easiest way to get from MK to HDDR and it only takes about 15 minutes. Allow for a bit of extra time to wait on a boat. If you are at the boat dock by 7:30, that should be good timing to get you to HDDR for check-in a 8:15. Boat dock at Fort Wilderness is only a 1 - 2 minute walk to HDDR.

Finally, for our day at DHS, I used touringplans.com and they came up with this section that I'm not sure will work. We do have the Fantasmic/Brown Derby dining package. Are we going to make all that? Or do we need to do some rearranging?

Hollywood Brown Derby - reservation at 4:25pm (How long does it take to eat there?) I usually plan for 90 minutes at a signature meal and it's usually end up around 75ish minutes.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (FP) arrive at 5:40pm This timing works, I would expect you'd be at ToT around 6:00.
Fantasmic! - arrive at 6:03pm (7pm show) Not necessary to be that early, especially with your dining pass. You should have some time to look around that area of the park after you are done with ToT and enter around 6:30-6:40 for Fantasmic.
Toy Story Midway Mania (FP) arrive at 7:34pm If you head straight to TSMM after Fantasmic, you should be there by 7:45 or so (takes a few minutes to exit the Fantasmic theatre because of the amount of people.
Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular arrive at 7:45pm What time is this show starting that night? If it's 8:00, you have an slight chance of seeing most of it, but with no chance to stake out a spot. If it's 8:30, then you should be okay.

 

[vicb]

I agree with cancelling your WC lunch ADR. If it were me, I'd try for lunch at Kona as a walk up when you are all checked into the Poly that afternoon, or take a monorail ride over to GF and perhaps try the GFCafe for a late lunch. What are your plans that arrival day beyond lunch? Parks, hanging at resort or Disney Springs? That could effect what I'd choose to do.

I would probably leave AK by 6pm at latest if taking a Disney bus back to Poly. That being said... last trip we took a cab from AK to our hotel because it saved a ton of time and helped us get to our dinner on time (cab stand right outside of main gate). I would definitely take a cab from Poly to Yacht Club for the dinner, but that is just me.

And yes, your HS day is way to jammed together.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

I’m never comfortable making ADRs for our arrival day. We’ve had too many delayed flights. But we’re also a family of 5 so a $50 penalty is more of a deterrent than a $20 one. But I do think your timing is too close either way. Capt Cooks, the QS at Poly is pretty good with some unusual fare for QS. We ate there on our arrival day a couple years ago.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We leave in just over a week. And I have no idea what I'm doing.

My husband and I myself are going to DW for the first time ever - our kids are grown, and they have all gone without us, so I feel no guilt not taking the kids. Hubby will be using an ECV, but he doesn't have to use it all the time (he normally doesn't, but we thought it would be a good idea for the amount of walking involved - he walks just fine, but has severe anemia and just doesn't have a lot of stamina, plus some bad knees) All that to say, we can ditch the ECV if we need to to get around.

First - our plane lands at MCO at 12:35pm - is it possible to make it to a lunch reservation at 2:20pm at Whispering Canyon Cafe? We are staying at the Polynesian, and was planning on using the Magical Express to get from the airport. Or should I change that reservation? Or change how we get to the Resort (we are not using Magical Express to get back to the airport as we are switching hotels mid trip)?

Second - we are spending our first full day at Animal Kingdom and have a 7:40pm reservation at The Yachtsman - when do we need to leave AK by? I'm guessing we should freshen up back at the hotel before we head over there. We could also probably leave the ECV at the hotel when we go to dinner.

Third - we are spending the next day at MK with 8:30pm reservations for Hoop De Doo - what time do we need to leave the park to make that dinner show?

Finally, for our day at DHS, I used touringplans.com and they came up with this section that I'm not sure will work. We do have the Fantasmic/Brown Derby dining package. Are we going to make all that? Or do we need to do some rearranging?

Hollywood Brown Derby - reservation at 4:25pm (How long does it take to eat there?)
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (FP) arrive at 5:40pm
Fantasmic! - arrive at 6:03pm (7pm show)
Toy Story Midway Mania (FP) arrive at 7:34pm
Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular arrive at 7:45pm

Thank you so much for your help!

You won't make the WCC lunch using Disney transportation and as others have said, IMHO, it's not worth spending extra on private transportation to get to that lunch. If possible, I would simply switch the reservation to an early dinner (perhaps around 5 pm) if you have no other plans that evening. That will give you ample time to use DME to get to Poly, settle in and then go to WL. Or, even consider canceling or re-scheduling for another night. If you have travel delays and you can't make the ADR, you will be charged the no-show fee. In this case, I would wait until you land and then go on the MDE app to see what's available in the MK area that afternoon/evening.

How long would you like to spend freshening up before Yachtsman? Are you willing to take a cab/uber/lyft to Yachtsman from Poly (that will save a TON of time). If it were me, I would be at the AK Poly bus stop by 5/5:15 pm. This will get you back at Poly no later than 6 pm which would give you a full hour to freshen up before taking a cab/uber/lyft from Poly to YC. If you want to use Disney transport to YC, you'll need to be at the Poly bus stop (taking a bus to DHS) by 6:00 pm at the very latest as you'll have to bus to DHS and then boat to YC - that's a long haul.

 

[dthmj]

Thank you for the feedback!

Ok - Whispering Canyon needs to change. Our plan for arrival day is to just hang out and maybe "resort hop" and just visit some resorts, have a look around. The only other plan we have in place that day is dinner at 'Ohanna at 9pm. We don't plan to hit the parks until the next day. We will probably be pretty hungry by the time we land and get settled, and since we have dinner at 9, would rather not wait until 5pm for a meal. I probably need to stick some granola bars on the carryon to get us until 3 or so. I did want to visit the bar at Poly and have a drink - we have friends that said it was not to be missed.

Maybe a late lunch that day at something at a resort that doesn't need ADR? Preferably not at the Poly, since we will be staying there and can go anytime.

I think with hubby's issues, a cab/uber might be the best plan for getting to YC. But we don't need to freshen up for long - just a quick rest. I'm low maintenance - swipe on some deodorant and lipstick and I'm good. Though, we may want a change of clothes. I have no idea what to wear to some of these restaurants.

Looks like we can just scrap the Star Wars show and the rest of the plan will work with some wiggle room. I good with that. I'm sure we can get our fill of Star Wars during the day.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Re: transportation, if you are okay with the charge ($20 one-way) the Minnie Vans are an excellent way to get around WDW. They serve all the deluxe resorts, are usually there to pick you up within a few minutes of placing the request, and are driven by cast members so you get excellent service. They also pick up/drop off right at the front of the parks, so it's a lot closer than your traditional Uber/Lyft.

 

[dthmj]

Re: transportation, if you are okay with the charge ($20 one-way) the Minnie Vans are an excellent way to get around WDW. They serve all the deluxe resorts, are usually there to pick you up within a few minutes of placing the request, and are driven by cast members so you get excellent service. They also pick up/drop off right at the front of the parks, so it's a lot closer than your traditional Uber/Lyft.

I had not heard of Minnie Vans... I'm so clueless - I probably should have been planning for months... Anyway - do you know if the Minnie Vans can accommodate an ECV?

And does Uber/Lyft/cab pick you up and drop you off close to resort lobbies? Our travel agent suggested the Poly because it would be fairly easy for us to get to the various parks using Disney transportation - but it seems resort to resort is not that easy???

 

[EdmondD]

Good luck and have a great trip. I see you've already gotten some expert advice.

A question - I see you have:

Fantasmic! - arrive at 6:03pm (7pm show)
Toy Story Midway Mania (FP) arrive at 7:34pm


Do you literally have your itinerary planned down to the minute? As in, you plan to walk in to Fantasmic at 6:03? If you're planning to that level of detail, my 30,000 foot response would be to "unschedule" a little and be prepared to go with the flow.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I had not heard of Minnie Vans... I'm so clueless - I probably should have been planning for months... Anyway - do you know if the Minnie Vans can accommodate an ECV?

And does Uber/Lyft/cab pick you up and drop you off close to resort lobbies? Our travel agent suggested the Poly because it would be fairly easy for us to get to the various parks using Disney transportation - but it seems resort to resort is not that easy???

They do offer wheelchair/ECV accessible vans, but there are fewer of them. You can ask the front desk at the Poly when you arrive what you need to do for scheduling them.

At the resorts (in my experience, anyway) Uber drops you off close to the lobby. It's just at the parks that they can't get as close as Minnie Vans.

 

[dthmj]

Good luck and have a great trip. I see you've already gotten some expert advice.

A question - I see you have:

Fantasmic! - arrive at 6:03pm (7pm show)
Toy Story Midway Mania (FP) arrive at 7:34pm


Do you literally have your itinerary planned down to the minute? As in, you plan to walk in to Fantasmic at 6:03? If you're planning to that level of detail, my 30,000 foot response would be to "unschedule" a little and be prepared to go with the flow.

Ha ha... no. That's just what touring plans gave us. I see 6:03, and my brain says "6ish". I see 7:34, and it's 7:30ish. But apparently Touring Plans likes to be very precise.

 

[dthmj]

They do offer wheelchair/ECV accessible vans, but there are fewer of them. You can ask the front desk at the Poly when you arrive what you need to do for scheduling them.

At the resorts (in my experience, anyway) Uber drops you off close to the lobby. It's just at the parks that they can't get as close as Minnie Vans.

Thank you! Going between resorts, we probably don't need the ECV, but going to a park, we will. That helps making decisions on travel.

Is there an app or anything that would let us put in the start and end and tell us the various ways to get there with costs and times?

 

[wdw&sonny]

Your HS day is fine.
Dinner at HBD at 4:25. you'll be done around 6p and have plenty of time to head to F! by 7p show. Then head straight to the Fireworks show. Do TSM AFTER the fireworks. You have until 8:34p to use your FP.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Thank you! Going between resorts, we probably don't need the ECV, but going to a park, we will. That helps making decisions on travel.

Is there an app or anything that would let us put in the start and end and tell us the various ways to get there with costs and times?

Are you asking about comparing different transportation options (taxi vs Uber vs Lyft, etc) or just the cost for the Minnie Van itself? The Minnie Van is always $20, no matter where it's going to or from within the resort (at this time I don't believe there is an extra charge for the accessible vehicle but I'm not positive). To use it, you'll need to download the Lyft app on your phone and create an account. Once you check in at the Poly, see someone at the front desk about getting the code to access Minnie Vans.

If you're looking for an app that compares costs across different transportation options, I can't think of one. But if you do a google search for uber fare estimates, or lyft fare estimates, you can find them individually that way.

 

[mjkacmom]

We rented a ECV directly from the parks when we brought my dad, with mobility issues. He never used one before, but we had 5 young active kids with us, and I like to go commando. We didn’t have to worry about getting it on transportation.