Does this resort tour plan make sense?

[TrustDadsPlan]

Context - Dad taking two daughters (18 and 19) to WDW for four nights/five days for Christmas present. We arrive at the Orlando airport at 11 am on Thursday, Dec 19th. Please let me know if my plan for our arrival day makes sense logistically. Any insights are greatly appreciated.

Arrive at Port Orleans FQ at 1 pm. Check in and look around the resort for 30 mins or so.
Disney Springs by boat for mid-day "dinner" (at ?) and exploring from 2-4.
Uber to MK. Take Monorail and tour Grand Floridian (Gingerbread house etc), Poly (Trader Sam's for dad) and Contemporary from 4:30-6:45.
Walk from Contemporary to MK for MVMCP from 7 until whenever.

Does this work? Any insights? Which restaurant at Disney Springs is the most fun/has the best theming? We have the quick service dining plan but, if we can't use it for this meal, it's not a deal breaker. Priority is unique or fun atmosphere. Thank you!

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Context - Dad taking two daughters (18 and 19) to WDW for four nights/five days for Christmas present. We arrive at the Orlando airport at 11 am on Thursday, Dec 19th. Please let me know if mt plan for our arrival day makes sense logistically. Any insights are greatly appreciated.

Arrive at Port Orleans FQ at 1 pm. Check in and look around the resort for 30 mins or so.
Disney Springs by boat for mid-day "dinner" (at ?) and exploring from 2-4.
Uber to MK. Take Monorail and tour Grand Floridian (Gingerbread house etc), Poly (Trader Sam's for dad) and Contemporary from 4:30-6:45.
Walk from Contemporary to MK for MVMCP from 7 until whenever.

Does this work? Any insights? Which restaurant at Disney Springs is the most fun/has the best theming? We have the quick service dining plan but, if we can't use it for this meal, it's not a deal breaker. Priority is unique or fun atmosphere. Thank you!

The only things I would add is you might arrive a little later at POFQ, and be aware an Uber will drop you off at the TTC not MK gates, so you may want to get dropped off at Poly first, walk to GF, and then monorail to Contemporary.

Not sure what time Trader Sams opens, but it gets busy that may impact your plans.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

If you can manage to do carry-ons only and arrange non-Disney airport transportation (taxi/black car/uber/lyft whatever), you might get to your hotel before 1. Here's where I like to waste money.

But then I'm a cheapskate sometimes, so I would probably just catch the bus from Disney Springs to the Poly or GF - whichever shows up first and then walk to the other.

I love Jaleo at Disney Springs, but it's spendy..... probably my favorite restaurant chain in the world. Go to the ones near my home all the time.

And I've only been to the Las Vegas location, but Morimoto is awesome too.

Those restaurants would be considerably better if the girls were over 18...

 

[nursejackie]

I read that buses start at 4pm from DS to the parks including MK, so you could walk from the bus station at MK to Contemporary, then just on monorail after exploring.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I read that buses start at 4pm from DS to the parks including MK, so you could walk from the bus station at MK to Contemporary, then just on monorail after exploring.

While you can take a bus from a theme park to DS starting at 4 pm, you cannot take a bus from DS to any theme park.

Context - Dad taking two daughters (18 and 19) to WDW for four nights/five days for Christmas present. We arrive at the Orlando airport at 11 am on Thursday, Dec 19th. Please let me know if my plan for our arrival day makes sense logistically. Any insights are greatly appreciated.

Arrive at Port Orleans FQ at 1 pm. Check in and look around the resort for 30 mins or so.
Disney Springs by boat for mid-day "dinner" (at ?) and exploring from 2-4.
Uber to MK. Take Monorail and tour Grand Floridian (Gingerbread house etc), Poly (Trader Sam's for dad) and Contemporary from 4:30-6:45.
Walk from Contemporary to MK for MVMCP from 7 until whenever.

Does this work? Any insights? Which restaurant at Disney Springs is the most fun/has the best theming? We have the quick service dining plan but, if we can't use it for this meal, it's not a deal breaker. Priority is unique or fun atmosphere. Thank you!

Just keep in mind, you can enter MK with a MVMCP party ticket at 4 pm. Personally, I would skip DS this day and uber from POFQ to Poly and eat QS at Capt. Cook's there. You can then get in line at about 2:30/2:45 pm to be in the first wave of people getting into Trader Sam's which opens at 3 pm. Then monorail to GF to see the tree and gingerbread house and then either monorail directly to MK for the party or monorail to CR to see their decorations and then walk over.

If you would rather enter the party later, then you could boat to DS and have lunch. I would then, again, uber to Poly and then do GF and CR. If you uber to MK, they will drop you off at the TTC and it's going to add more transit time to your trip. Also know, if you aren't in the first wave of people going into Trader Sam's, you may have to wait some time to get inside.

 

[TrustDadsPlan]

While you can take a bus from a theme park to DS starting at 4 pm, you cannot take a bus from DS to any theme park.



Just keep in mind, you can enter MK with a MVMCP party ticket at 4 pm. Personally, I would skip DS this day and uber from POFQ to Poly and eat QS at Capt. Cook's there. You can then get in line at about 2:30/2:45 pm to be in the first wave of people getting into Trader Sam's which opens at 3 pm. Then monorail to GF to see the tree and gingerbread house and then either monorail directly to MK for the party or monorail to CR to see their decorations and then walk over.

If you would rather enter the party later, then you could boat to DS and have lunch. I would then, again, uber to Poly and then do GF and CR. If you uber to MK, they will drop you off at the TTC and it's going to add more transit time to your trip. Also know, if you aren't in the first wave of people going into Trader Sam's, you may have to wait some time to get inside.

This is great, practical advice. What are the advantages of going to the party early? I would assume the intersecting coming and going crowds will be at max during that time? We have a day set aside for MK in addition to the party that first night. The party is a surprise and am looking for maximum effect. Is it a better spectacle etc to go in at 7 rather than earlier? Either way, I am going to try to make it to Poly in time for 3pm opening at Trader Sams. Another question - given our time frame of approx. 2-6:30 ish, would skipping DS and just doing the three resorts give us enough to do to fill that block?

 

[philharmagic fan]

This is great, practical advice. What are the advantages of going to the party early? I would assume the intersecting coming and going crowds will be at max during that time? We have a day set aside for MK in addition to the party that first night. The party is a surprise and am looking for maximum effect. Is it a better spectacle etc to go in at 7 rather than earlier? Either way, I am going to try to make it to Poly in time for 3pm opening at Trader Sams. Another question - given our time frame of approx. 2-6:30 ish, would skipping DS and just doing the three resorts give us enough to do to fill that block?

Crowds tend to be lower on party days, so by getting there early (if it's after 4 your party ticket gets you in, no need to pay for a park ticket that day) you'll get to do several extra rides. If you want a fun dinner at Disney Springs, go some other night to The Edison - they have live entertainment (a jazz trio and a stiltwalker when we were there) late in the evenings.

 

[SG131]

This is great, practical advice. What are the advantages of going to the party early? I would assume the intersecting coming and going crowds will be at max during that time? We have a day set aside for MK in addition to the party that first night. The party is a surprise and am looking for maximum effect. Is it a better spectacle etc to go in at 7 rather than earlier? Either way, I am going to try to make it to Poly in time for 3pm opening at Trader Sams. Another question - given our time frame of approx. 2-6:30 ish, would skipping DS and just doing the three resorts give us enough to do to fill that block?

How do your girls feel about characters? There are a couple characters like Jack and Sally that people will line up for early and that start meeting before 7. There really won’t be much difference in appearance if you go in at 4. The castle won’t be lit yet, but the first lighting ceremony takes place before 7 so if you don’t go in until then you will have to wait until a later show.

When you say trader sams are you trying to sit inside or is on the patio sufficient? Honestly on such a short trip I’d probably skip it or just sit outside in order to get my moneys worth out of the party ticket especially since neither of your kids can drink yet. I planted my butt there an hour early to make sure I got in the first group, depending on the day if you aren’t there you may be waiting awhile to get in.

 

[gregskellington]

I stayed at the Poly in May, and every day there was already a wait at 3 for Trader Sam's. I think around 230 Cast Members started taking names and people were lined up before that. I actually had the best luck going around 6pm two different nights (still a ~45min wait).

 

[Nancyg56]

Context - Dad taking two daughters (18 and 19) to WDW for four nights/five days for Christmas present. We arrive at the Orlando airport at 11 am on Thursday, Dec 19th. Please let me know if my plan for our arrival day makes sense logistically. Any insights are greatly appreciated.

Arrive at Port Orleans FQ at 1 pm. Check in and look around the resort for 30 mins or so.
Disney Springs by boat for mid-day "dinner" (at ?) and exploring from 2-4.
Uber to MK. Take Monorail and tour Grand Floridian (Gingerbread house etc), Poly (Trader Sam's for dad) and Contemporary from 4:30-6:45.
Walk from Contemporary to MK for MVMCP from 7 until whenever.

Does this work? Any insights? Which restaurant at Disney Springs is the most fun/has the best theming? We have the quick service dining plan but, if we can't use it for this meal, it's not a deal breaker. Priority is unique or fun atmosphere. Thank you!

I would skip DS the arrival day. I would take a bus to the Mk, and then hop on the boat to the WIlderness Lodge. From there take the boat back to the Contemporary and check the lobby out, and then hop on the monorail and tour the Poly and the GRand. You can lunch at any of the monorail resorts, there are good CS options. . I think the Grand Floridian has the best decorations of the three monorail resorts. I woudl then go to the MK for 4 PM. The party starts at 7, however those 3 hours are nice to have.

I do think you have a long day, so keep in mind how tiring travel day can be. My family would just take a nap at the resort and hit the party. LOL!

 

[Best Aunt]

I think your plan for arrival day is overly ambitious.

By a long shot.

You said that you will arrive at the Orlando airport at 11:00 am. From there: to Port Orleans French Quarter to Disney Springs to Grand Floridian to Poly to Contemporary to MVMCP (which runs until midnight) and then back to Port Orleans French Quarter.

That's at least 14 straight hours of running around. And you didn't mention what time you have to leave your house to get to your local airport. How many more hours will your travel time add to the mix? Four hours? Five hours?

I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

You spent quite a bit of money on those MVMCP tickets. Create a plan that gives you at least a slight chance of enjoying it. The party should be the highlight of your day, not Disney Springs or hotel hopping.

You need to build in some time to rest. Since your kids are teens, maybe that would translate to picking one hotel with beautiful decorations where they could take a lot of selfies or photos, then let everyone rest in the lobby while they post on social media. Wilderness Lodge might work for that purpose. (There are public seating areas on the 4th floor of Wilderness Lodge which are calmer than the lobby.) The bus service from there to the Magic Kingdom is great; there is boat service from there but the boats don't run frequently and the ride is much longer. If you want to go from there to anywhere else, use Uber or Lyft.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

This is great, practical advice. What are the advantages of going to the party early? I would assume the intersecting coming and going crowds will be at max during that time? We have a day set aside for MK in addition to the party that first night. The party is a surprise and am looking for maximum effect. Is it a better spectacle etc to go in at 7 rather than earlier? Either way, I am going to try to make it to Poly in time for 3pm opening at Trader Sams. Another question - given our time frame of approx. 2-6:30 ish, would skipping DS and just doing the three resorts give us enough to do to fill that block?

The advantage of going to the party early are really, IMHO, getting 3 hours of extra MK time "for free". If you are interested in meeting any of the special characters that only meet during the party, getting there early allows you to line up early for the characters so you aren't wasting a lot of party time in those lines. You can also make three FP+ during those extra hours (just make sure to make your regular day FP+ first and then go back and make party day FP+). If you make the FP+ for 3:30, 4:30, 5:30 pm, you can get those rides in at that time and, again, not spend time waiting in line rides during the party. You can also see the first castle lighting at 6:15 pm, again, saving party time.

You are correct, though. The crowds get quite big between 4 pm - 6 pm when regular day and party guests are in the park together.

If none of those things above interest you and you would rather go to Trader Sam's (which is really cool!), there is certainly nothing wrong with waiting until 7 pm to enter. You will then enter Main Street with the castle lit, the snow will probably be going, etc. May be the max effect you are going for.

I do think touring resorts can take up that entire block of time. If you want to go to Trader Sam's, I would definitely uber to Poly first and grab QS there. Capt. Cook's is good and Poly is certainly festive. You will then be there early enough to get in line and be in the first wave of people getting into the lounge. If you don't mind paying out-of-pocket, you could even just go to Poly, get in line for Trader Sam's and eat in there - they have good, big appetizers that you can share but they are not on the dining plan. I would then monorail or even walk to GF, then monorail to CR. Keep in mind, you have to go through security every time you get on the monorail, so that can eat up some time. If you find you have extra time on your hands - 75 to 90 minutes or so - you can even boat from Contemporary to Wilderness Lodge to see the tree and decorations there which are GORGEOUS! You can then boat directly from WL to MK for the party. Also, if you find you've had enough of the resorts, you can always decide to go to MK early for the party.

 

[TrustDadsPlan]

Thanks for all the replies. Our day starts with leaving the house for the airport at 4:45 a.m. We are an energetic three but the advice about focusing on the party strikes me as wise. I am going to cut out Disney Springs - and maybe Trader Sams, as the wait is really not fair to the kids. I do like the idea of them walking into the park with the lighting and snow going. Maybe just check out FQ on arrival and then uber to GF. After GF, monorail to Contemporary and then walk into the park for the party at 7. If we have time to kill, we'll add the WL to the mix......

 

[Shellyred8]

Just a heads-up for you: During our last Christmas trip to WDW we stopped at the GF one evening to see the decorations. We had a half an hour wait to get on the monorail. We were not expecting that at all, so just something to keep in mind for your planning purposes. You may get lucky and it won't be an issue, but just keep this in the back of your mind that it could happen.

Sounds like a great trip!!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Thanks for all the replies. Our day starts with leaving the house for the airport at 4:45 a.m. We are an energetic three but the advice about focusing on the party strikes me as wise. I am going to cut out Disney Springs - and maybe Trader Sams, as the wait is really not fair to the kids. I do like the idea of them walking into the park with the lighting and snow going. Maybe just check out FQ on arrival and then uber to GF. After GF, monorail to Contemporary and then walk into the park for the party at 7. If we have time to kill, we'll add the WL to the mix......

Just a little plug for Trader Sam's - it's pretty darn cool inside and they have some of the best "mocktails" on property. I've taken my DS12 there multiple times and he loves the antics and effects. Just want to put that out there before you nix Trader Sam's!