Disney plannin virgin with a question about mealtimes...

[LilTinks]

I'm curious to know whether you end up eating your lunches and dinners later than normal or earlier than normal. I'll be in MK in November with DH and 2 DDs (4 and 7) and I'm wondering if I'm setting up my dining reservations for realistic times (1PM for lunches and 6PM for dinners). Or, will the kids be zoning out from their busy days by noon, in which case we should eat lunches closer to 12 and dinner around 5? Doesn't leave much time for the pool at the hotel in between getting back from MK or AK and getting ready for dinner. Also, I'm concerned that none of us will have the energy to go back to the parks after dinner...

Any advice from the pros out there?

 

[Anie87]

Do you mean between lunch and dinner you want to go back to the hotel to use the pool? Are you going to have breakfast at all while you're in WDW? I would say if you're eating breakfast, you could hold off for lunch until 1-ish, but in my experience, we skip breakfast and often end up eating lunch at 11:30 or noon and dinner at 5ish.

 

[LilTinks]

We'd like to have some time factored in for relaxing (although the more I read on these forums the more I think that Disney isn't for relaxing!). I'd love to be able to hang out at the pool at least 2 or 3 times during our 6-day stay, but it seems to be a tight squeeze in-between lunch and dinner after factoring in transporation to and fro, changing in and out of wet bathing suits, etc. When do people swim?!

Are we being lazy by not going back to a park after dinner? In theory I'd love to do that every day, but in reality won't we all be pretty much beat by dinnertime?

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Unfortunately, I can't really help. I found that DD was all over the place in terms of when she wanted to eat and when. If we ate a sitdown breakfast, DH and I never ate lunch but DD usually wanted something by late afternoon, which meant that she wasn't wanting dinner at 5-6pm. Some days she ended up skipping a real lunch for a popcorn snack around lunch time and then napping/swimming until dinner time and WAS hungry at 5-6pm. IMO, make the ADRs for how the adults would normally eat and the kids will somehow work around it. Good Luck!

 

[december]

We are planning a quick snack for breakfast in the room, early lunch (11-11:30), and an early dinner (5:30). Then we can use our snack credits for a late parade/fireworks snack. Some days we will use it for breakfast, too. I'm from MS, and I'm afraid November will feel too cold to swim for me and the kids!

 

[MinnieCandi]

We are also going in November and during our past visit to the World, we went to the parks every morning headed back to the hotel every afternoon for a swim and had dinner around 6ish every night. Most nights we would stay out for the fireworks, but some nights we were just too tired!! I plan one ADR per day (either a big breakfast or big dinner) and other than that, we try to wing it. I try to let the kids be the guide, we eat when they are hungry and we go for a swim when they need a break from parks.

Hope this helps alitte. Have a great vacation!!

 

[LizinSTL]

We'd like to have some time factored in for relaxing (although the more I read on these forums the more I think that Disney isn't for relaxing!). I'd love to be able to hang out at the pool at least 2 or 3 times during our 6-day stay, but it seems to be a tight squeeze in-between lunch and dinner after factoring in transporation to and fro, changing in and out of wet bathing suits, etc. When do people swim?!

Are we being lazy by not going back to a park after dinner? In theory I'd love to do that every day, but in reality won't we all be pretty much beat by dinnertime?

We went last year w/ our 2 girls (almost 6 and just turned 9). I think the key is to be flexible. We did get a stroller a few times (when they were wiped out). Keep that option available. Yes....4&7 is old for using a stroller at home when you are going to the park or the mall typically but you will be walking more than normal at Disney and it can save a lot of anxiety for them and you if you know exactly where they are.
As far as dining goes- we did spend time swimming and relaxing at the resort, etc.

I'll give you an example of our itinerary/dining plans so you can see how we did it.
arrive Saturday afternoon....downtown disney and counterservice...swimming at hotel
Sunday- late start MGM @ 11 for 50s PT cafe and then Hollywood and vine fantasmic package for dinner (back to hotel to crash after that)
Monday- bright eyed for opening at MK- CS lunch at 11 and then back to hotel to relax and swim by 1- back to MK by 5 for the evening parades/fireworks, etc
Tues- late start to AK, arriving after 10- CS for lunch and then dinner at Boma at 5:40. To hotel to swim for night
Weds- Epcot for lunch w/ Princesses in Norway 1:25 (swim in morning at hotel) and then epcot Future world until dinner at le Cellier at 8:30-
Thurs- Chef Mickey breakfast and then to Blizzard beach all day- hotel to swim in the evening.
Friday- Typhoon Lagoon AM- hotel for food court lunch, epcot world showcase after lunch w/ biergarten for dinner at 6:30.
Saturday- MK at 9am last chance rides before noon return to hotel for Magical express.

We had plenty of downtime. We did have parkhoppers but didn't use them at all. I think the key is to just let your kids really guide you. If they are early to bed types, then plan on one or two late nights and the rest early ones. If they prefer to be up late and sleep in, then plan your trip that way. Nothing will spoil a trip more than grouchy kids!!! Don't be afraid to scrap plans. I totally missed illuminations all 3 times I tried to see it. Oh well...there's always the next visit. My little one missed the MK parade too. She said now we HAVE to go back!

We were beat by dinner time a lot. Don't feel pressured to see it all and do it all. You won't succeed anyway and you'll be miserable trying! I'm convinced you'd need to stay a month in order to actually see and do everything at WDW.

Have fun and don't put too much pressure on yourself! )

 

[Praying Colonel]

Last trip we ate our lunches a little early. We found it helped in 2 ways:

--You beat the lunch crowd by a little bit so you don't wait in a line to order and you have a table handy;

--With all the food you get on the DDP for lunch (and, heaven forbid, an afternoon snack! ), eating a little early meant you were hungry enough for dinner. We ate a late lunch 1 day and found we weren't very hungry for dinner.

 

[Tam1067]

On our last trip, we ate breakfast (muffins, cereal, etc.) before hitting the parks at opening, so we generally ate breakfast at 7;30 or 8:00. Then we'd get to the park. We had lunch no later than 11:30. This is a good plan because the kids were hungry but not starving, and the crowds are not in the CS places waiting too. We'd hang out in the parks most days until about 1:00, head back to the resort to swim, and then have an ADR for dinner at about 5:30. Again, this is before the main rush for dinner, but our kids were hungry but not too tired. We would still have time in the evening to do something else. We're following the same basic plan this year.

 

[mommyaof2]

On our last trip, we ate breakfast (muffins, cereal, etc.) before hitting the parks at opening, so we generally ate breakfast at 7;30 or 8:00. Then we'd get to the park. We had lunch no later than 11:30. This is a good plan because the kids were hungry but not starving, and the crowds are not in the CS places waiting too. We'd hang out in the parks most days until about 1:00, head back to the resort to swim, and then have an ADR for dinner at about 5:30. Again, this is before the main rush for dinner, but our kids were hungry but not too tired. We would still have time in the evening to do something else. We're following the same basic plan this year.

This is exactly what we did. It worked great with kids!

 

[rentayenta]

On our last trip, we ate breakfast (muffins, cereal, etc.) before hitting the parks at opening, so we generally ate breakfast at 7;30 or 8:00. Then we'd get to the park. We had lunch no later than 11:30. This is a good plan because the kids were hungry but not starving, and the crowds are not in the CS places waiting too. We'd hang out in the parks most days until about 1:00, head back to the resort to swim, and then have an ADR for dinner at about 5:30. Again, this is before the main rush for dinner, but our kids were hungry but not too tired. We would still have time in the evening to do something else. We're following the same basic plan this year.

This sounds similar to how we plan to do WDW for the first time this September. Up early, a little something to nosh on in the room (fruit, cereal, PopTart, juice, milk), an early lunch, and dinner a little later than usual, like 6ish. We will most likely go back to the hotel for a midday break.

 

[KKB]

I DON'T like to wait for anything (why we are going in Oct, to minimize waits...)
We will do breakfast in room; kids & DH are fine w/ breakfast bars/pop tarts/cereal (we have a fridge swap...). Coffee maker swap for Mom & me...I'll do cereal or Luna bars.
Early lunch...to avoid the crowds & to be hungry for dinner (DDP so ADRs each night)
Early dinner..just what kids are used to. Plus no major evening plans.
THAT is due to the fact that our boys do NOT understand the value of sleeping late when one stays up late! SO we intend to be in bed by 9PM most nights so they are up 'n at 'em by 7AM. Perfect even for AM EMH. Fewer crowds in AM, too!!
Liz, I read your itinerary...my kids will be 12/9/7 & they would be CRABS on that schedule! You are SO lucky! That's OK...we, too, intend to schedule swimming & naps if crabbiness is an issue (nothing like swimming to wear ya out!) Luckily we are amusement park people rather than Disney people...I think that streamlines WDW for us & leaves us time for swimming & naps. Still not sure about a water park...I KNOW the kids will be worthless the day after that! Might do it our last day, unfortunately a Saturday. Of course, all the parks will be busier that day!

 

[MicheinMA]

We were there in April with a 3 & 5 year old. This was out first time on DDP and I made all of our ADR's ahead of time with a range of times-anywhere from 5pm to 7:45pm. We found that the ones from 6-7 really worked best for us. It gave us time to grab lunch around 12-1ish maybe grab one or two more rides and get back tot eh hotel for a dip in the pool and a nap. Even if they only slept for 45 minutes it was enough to recharge thir batteries. We'd then jump on the buses and head back out and were able to enjoy dinner and a little more time in the parks.

As far as lunch went we would grab it as soon as someone mentioned they were hungry. Most of the time close to 1 pm as we would have a mid morning snack to hold us over.

Have fun!

 

[DISNEYNY]

We do the same as many of these posters. We are on the DDP. We are up early and grab something light for breakfast. We are hungry for lunch at 11:30 - 12:00 and then have dinner between 5:30 to 6:00. We use our snack credit late night if we are hungry. We do not usually go back to the room though. My kids are older and they don't want to miss anything at the parks. I also find all the bus trips to be a hassle, but your younger kids may need the break. As for when to use the pools...it is tough. Usually at night when we get back. We also try to plan a no parks day or half a park day in the middle of our trip to relax.