Debating my arrival day ADR, help!

[Kamy04]

Our trip is just over a month away! It is me, DH, DS1(6), and DS2(2). We are staying at POR. This is probably our only trip ever!

Back on my ADR day, I booked a 7:20 Chef Mickeys. The plan was that this is where we see Mickey, etc so we don't have to wait in lines. I know the food isn't great and that is fine, lol.

In my mind, we are up at 5am, flight leaves 7am, in Orlando at 9:30. Go to hotel, swim/eat, check in at 3. Then NAPS. Assuming a good nap, up around 5:30/6 and head to Chef Mickeys. In a perfect world.

Now I am wondering if this is a bad idea, lol. My kids are usually in bed at 7pm. I realize that won't happen on vacay, but too many late nights and they will fall apart. We are rope dropping MK the next morning. (Kids are up at 6am no matter what bedtime, ugh)

I am worried about plans changing: room not ready at 3, nap refusals, etc. my big concern is them being a pain the next day at MK and not being able to hang until our 1pm SDMT FP. Lol

Does CM notoriously run behind?

If we do keep it, is it feasible that we would still be at the CR to watch Wishes? (This is may 2nd) of course that pushes bedtime later, so not sure about doing that.

Anyone done a late ADR on arrival day with young ones? Is this too risky to our sanity? Lol

 

[kmb584]

Our trip is just over a month away! It is me, DH, DS1(6), and DS2(2). We are staying at POR. This is probably our only trip ever!

Back on my ADR day, I booked a 7:20 Chef Mickeys. The plan was that this is where we see Mickey, etc so we don't have to wait in lines. I know the food isn't great and that is fine, lol.

In my mind, we are up at 5am, flight leaves 7am, in Orlando at 9:30. Go to hotel, swim/eat, check in at 3. Then NAPS. Assuming a good nap, up around 5:30/6 and head to Chef Mickeys. In a perfect world.

Now I am wondering if this is a bad idea, lol. My kids are usually in bed at 7pm. I realize that won't happen on vacay, but too many late nights and they will fall apart. We are rope dropping MK the next morning. (Kids are up at 6am no matter what bedtime, ugh)

I am worried about plans changing: room not ready at 3, nap refusals, etc. my big concern is them being a pain the next day at MK and not being able to hang until our 1pm SDMT FP. Lol

Does CM notoriously run behind?

If we do keep it, is it feasible that we would still be at the CR to watch Wishes? (This is may 2nd) of course that pushes bedtime later, so not sure about doing that.

Anyone done a late ADR on arrival day with young ones? Is this too risky to our sanity? Lol

You know your kids best. If you think that a 7:20 pm ADR is going to be too late for them, keep looking for a more suitable time. I'd recommend checking the night prior as that is when I've been able to get some of our best ADRs (people cancel so they do not have to pay the $10/pp no show fee).

With that said, my daughter is 8 and has been going to WDW since she was an infant. Even still, I don't book a dinner ADR later than 6:30 pm because I know that she'll be exhausted come 7:30 - 8:00. Also, you don't have to wait until 3:00 pm to check in. It's the "official" time, but the computers roll over in the early morning (6:00ish). Now, a room may not be ready when you do check in, but you also stand a greater chance of getting into your room earlier than 3:00 if you check in earlier. We've been in our rooms anywhere from 9:45 am - 6:00 pm (sometimes they run late).

 

[LisaCM614]

Our trip is just over a month away! It is me, DH, DS1(6), and DS2(2). We are staying at POR. This is probably our only trip ever!

Back on my ADR day, I booked a 7:20 Chef Mickeys. The plan was that this is where we see Mickey, etc so we don't have to wait in lines. I know the food isn't great and that is fine, lol.

In my mind, we are up at 5am, flight leaves 7am, in Orlando at 9:30. Go to hotel, swim/eat, check in at 3. Then NAPS. Assuming a good nap, up around 5:30/6 and head to Chef Mickeys. In a perfect world.

Now I am wondering if this is a bad idea, lol. My kids are usually in bed at 7pm. I realize that won't happen on vacay, but too many late nights and they will fall apart. We are rope dropping MK the next morning. (Kids are up at 6am no matter what bedtime, ugh)

I am worried about plans changing: room not ready at 3, nap refusals, etc. my big concern is them being a pain the next day at MK and not being able to hang until our 1pm SDMT FP. Lol

Does CM notoriously run behind?

If we do keep it, is it feasible that we would still be at the CR to watch Wishes? (This is may 2nd) of course that pushes bedtime later, so not sure about doing that.

Anyone done a late ADR on arrival day with young ones? Is this too risky to our sanity? Lol

I would not keep this ADR. I would try to get the kids to bed as close to their normal time as possible. My motto is 'tired families do not make happy memories'
Even if you are seated at 7:20 PM, you won't likely be done with dinner until almost 9pm, then you have to get back to your resort it may be after 10pm before the kids are in bed. I'm tired thinking about it. IF your kiddos are like mine were - the next day would be a disaster because everyone's schedule was thrown off. My three are teens now and they still would not deal well with late night out and getting up for RD.
Now I have friends who just 'power through' and their kids sleep in the stroller and are still somehow pleasant. My kids were not that way - mine were cranks if they didn't get sleep. Like KMB said - you know your family best!
You will have an awesome trip even if you don't eat at Chef Mickeys. You'll still see Mickey and if he is a priority you can find a way of planning so you don't have to wait in too much of a line

 

[DizDad513]

Our trip is just over a month away! It is me, DH, DS1(6), and DS2(2). We are staying at POR. This is probably our only trip ever!

Back on my ADR day, I booked a 7:20 Chef Mickeys. The plan was that this is where we see Mickey, etc so we don't have to wait in lines. I know the food isn't great and that is fine, lol.

In my mind, we are up at 5am, flight leaves 7am, in Orlando at 9:30. Go to hotel, swim/eat, check in at 3. Then NAPS. Assuming a good nap, up around 5:30/6 and head to Chef Mickeys. In a perfect world.

Now I am wondering if this is a bad idea, lol. My kids are usually in bed at 7pm. I realize that won't happen on vacay, but too many late nights and they will fall apart. We are rope dropping MK the next morning. (Kids are up at 6am no matter what bedtime, ugh)

I am worried about plans changing: room not ready at 3, nap refusals, etc. my big concern is them being a pain the next day at MK and not being able to hang until our 1pm SDMT FP. Lol

Does CM notoriously run behind?

If we do keep it, is it feasible that we would still be at the CR to watch Wishes? (This is may 2nd) of course that pushes bedtime later, so not sure about doing that.

Anyone done a late ADR on arrival day with young ones? Is this too risky to our sanity? Lol

I would recommend not going through with this ADR on arrival day for you and your little ones. Personally I think it will just add pressure to the day you arrive and stress that you don't need. We love relaxing at the new hotel (so many distractions for little ones regardless of where you stay), and possibly going to DS to shop and grab dinner when we arrive. That way you aren't so concerned about getting right in your room and getting kids to calm down for nap, etc.

I have to say on our first trip with kids back in 2009 (my girls were 3 and 1), we made Chef Mickey's our early morning ADR on our first full day and it was AMAZING. Boy did it get the trip off to a great start. The kids were awake and excited to meet Mickey and we knocked out seeing the Fab 5 first thing on our first day! And I believe the breakfast buffet is a bit better than the dinner at CM, we certainly left full and satisfied. What a great way to start your first day. I would check to see if you can get a 7-7:30 ADR for breakfast that day, bump FP+ times to starting at 10 or 11 at MK, and you could still find yourselves arriving at MK close to RD or shortly there after if park opens at 9. Also, riding the monorail from inside CR to MK after meeting characters with full energy to start the day is pretty magical! Something to consider...

 

[DVC_Dad_Canada]

We always go to Disney Springs on arrival day and eat at Wolfgang Puck Express. Great variety and prices and no ADR pressure. We're done with the character meals with my kids all being teenagers.

 

[GillianP1301]

My advice for families with young kids is try to keep your eat and sleep patterns as close to home as possible, it will all but eliminate unwanted meltdowns. That being said, throwing in a late night or two during a week can be doable, but not every night. That gets more flexible as the kids get older.

That being said, I would probably try for an earlier CM time for the arrival day dinner, something closer to the time you normally eat and with rope dropped planned for the next morning, I wouldn't start the vacation off by a late night right out of the gate. This approach doesn't work well with a planned mid afternoon nap though, that's the only issue. If you're lucky, you'll get your room early and then you can try napping early. And are you even sure your kids will even nap? If they aren't still napping at home, then doubtful they will nap at Disney especially on the first day, they are going to be wired!

 

[bumbershoot]

Won't they be hungry?

Also, Chef Mickeys isn't really known for tasty food.

Do you think the 6 year old will actually nap?

And wouldn't a nap so late in the day wake everyone up and make early bedtime impossible?

 

[Kamy04]

The nap is for the 2yo. He is definitely still a napper, but not a stroller napper.

I haven't seen an earlier CM ADR pop up the past few months, I have been checking!

In a Disney utopia we would get into the room early, nap and get that early ADR, but that relies too much on things going to plan.

I think I will cancel this, though it kills me lol. My boys would love the CR and the monorails going by as they eat.

 

[maryj11]

Maybe you could a reservation on another day or try Tusker's House breakfast. Mickey, Donald, Daisy and Goofy are there.

 

[CarolynFH]

....My boys would love the CR and the monorails going by as they eat.

The counter service restaurant at CR is next door to CM, and you can watch the monorail go by just as well from there as from CM. So you could still do that without the time pressure of an ADR. It's an option, and you don't have to decide until the time comes.

 

[cassie58]

You could try to get a late Brunch ADR instead so you can still have the meal and meet the characters, but don't have to worry about the late night. Where are you staying? If you are staying on site and taking Magical Express, you should be at hotel by about 11, but obviously could be a little later, or flight could be delayed, so you could try and get a 2:00 ADR to give a cushion. Or when you do online check-in, you can ask for a room to be ready early, and you might get in an earlier nap, and try for the early dinner ADR at 5 - it won't be behind if you are there at the start of dinner, then you can be done by 6:30, and able to get the kids to bed early for RD the next day.

Whatever you decide, keep trying to modify your CM time, and this HS do turn up, especially as it gets closer, at 30 days when people have to pay off trip or cancel, and even a few days or night before as others finalize plans, as PP mentioned. You can also watch the Cancelled ADR thread on here for May, where others post their cancellations so you can try and coordinate and grab them. You can also make a free account on Touring Plans site, and use their Reservation Finder to put in time you want, and they send a text if one opens, and you can try and grab it. It is a fun first meal, especially riding the monorail I into CM- we did it on the first night of our first trip! Enjoy!

*Sorry - somehow missed you are staying at POR!

 

[Mainemama]

I would cancel it. That 5:00 a.m. wake up would stop me more than the early wake up the next day. Napping on your first day may or may not happen and if it does, pressure to get up and get anywhere is not a good way to start your vacation. Your kids will be excited, and taking everything in. I try to do sit down lunches, not dinners with my kids. This is hard to book on a travel day, but I would plan to book a reservation the same day, if you are up for it when you land at MCO. Brunch or lunch. This will fill time before you swim and settle in to your room, then your evening can be more flexible and you will feel fresher in the morning. If you keep an open mind about where you end up for a meal, you can definitely book something great! Maybe even Chef Mickeys. I am drawing a blank on other character lunch options outside of parks, sorry! If you really want to experience the Contemporary, you can also grab a bite at Contemporary or book the Wave. That would still be a great first day experience, and you could ride the monorail.

 

[Kamy04]

I have been checking religiously for different times (and have a request in Touring Plans), but nothing yet.

I just booked FP for the Character Spot so we can still see a few of the CMcharacters. Who knows, the boys might even hate the characters! Lol

 

[maryj11]

Here is another site to request to be texted for an opening. Someone posted that they had both Touring Plans and this one and this one contacted her first. https://***********.com

 

[lorileahb]

Here is another site to request to be texted for an opening. Someone posted that they had both Touring Plans and this one and this one contacted her first. https://***********.com

That was me - I got an Ohana breakfast for next week via a *********** notification e-mail (not the links on the website) before Touring Plans.

 

[mcurran]

My experience is that a chef mickeys visit doesn't eliminate the need for character meet and greets. The pics aren't as good as the pros.

Also your day is way too long. Day two will likely be a hot mess.

Why not book a 3-4 pm rainforest cafe meal in dis springs. Take the boat from POR. Sounds way more chill.

 

[CarolynFH]

...Why not book a 3-4 pm rainforest cafe meal in dis springs. Take the boat from POR. Sounds way more chill.

This could be a good idea too - also consider T-Rex, if your kids are into dinosaurs. Be aware that both restaurants are very loud at all times and get louder every few minutes, when the animals growl and move. Some kids might be frightened rather than entertained by that. Check out the other eating places at DS if those won't work - quite a variety of places that do and don't require ADRs. And I'd endorse the boat ride from POR to DS - relaxing fun.

 

[Kamy04]

I think I might not make any ADRs the first day now. Too much is up in the air.

Maybe we will take the boat to DS to the Lego Store and grab something non-ADRish there...or not ;-)

Wish our flight wasn't so early, but we really wanted a nonstop.

 

[maryj11]

That was me - I got an Ohana breakfast for next week via a *********** notification e-mail (not the links on the website) before Touring Plans.

Ok I set mine up to text me because I dont get into my email very much.

 

[Pmlocke]

When we traveled with our young children and then with our grandchildren we found the best way to ease into the vacation was to make the travel day a rest/pool day. We too would be up at 4 or 5 in the morning to catch the flight. Spending time at the resort, enjoying the pool, eating at the resort was a way to help ease into our vacation. The kids were really excited and we found that by allowing them to play in the pool, walk through the gift shop and buy some toys or a shirt, allowing them to have a simple meal at the resort allowed for them to be eager for bed at their normal time and then we were ready the next day for Disney Magic. When my kids saw the pool they were so excited about getting into it, they really weren't upset about not going to any park. Like one of the previous posters, tired kids will make for a cranky vacation.