FEA and Breakfast at Akershus

[RedWhiteandBlugold]

Sorry if this topic has already been exhausted. I know no one knows exactly how all this FEA FastPass stuff is going to shake down this summer, but my FP booking date is coming up in June and I'm looking for feedback on strategies. We currently have an 8am reservation at Akershus for the Princess breakfast. It sounds like FP+ is available for FEA, but not the A and E meet and greet, correct? So would it make sense to get in line to meet A and E right away and (attempt to) get a FP for FEA, OR would it make more sense just to get in line for FEA right away and then go to see A and E afterwards and hope the line isn't long. This assumes (first time WDW'ers here) that we don't have to leave Norway after breakfast and can go to FEA right when it opens and beat the RD crowds there? Any thoughts?

 

[megster1123]

This is my plan for October as well. 8am Akershus, go direct to the M&G. Based on the schedule in MDE, A&E will begin meeting at 9. So as far as the breakfast is concerned, it's going to be very rushed. And if the kids are having a great time I'm not going to rush them through Akershus just to go get in line somewhere. So we're going to have play it by ear and see if the kids even want to meet more princesses, as they will have just got done dining with several. Then yes, shoot for an early FEA FPP+ and then put a pin in all things Frozen!

Also, I think the line for A&E will be absolutely horrid. No matter when you go.

 

[ChasingLeslie]

We have an 8am Akershus ressie in July. We plan to be at Epcot early, pay our check right away, and head to the M&G after eating/seeing princesses. We have a FP for FEA.

 

[Mintycake]

I"m not too worried about the FEA since it seems easy to fastpass (I've been practicing on the system 30 days out for June which is typically higher crowd than when we're going in Dec) and I've been able to snag them no issues. I am worried about the M&G. If there is only one wish she has for the trip it is to meet Anna and Elsa. We are going to do a PPO Akershus reservation and what will likely happen is DH will eat, get in line, and I will stay at AK so that DD can meet the princesses at breakfast, and we will join him later in the line. I feel like its a bit rude doing that but I assume it's a common strategy for lines?

 

[megster1123]

I feel like its a bit rude doing that but I assume it's a common strategy for lines?

I don't think it's really a common strategy. I could be wrong, but i don't recall seeing much of this. FWIW, if you feel like it's a bit rude, then it probably is...

 

[Mintycake]

I don't think it's really a common strategy. I could be wrong, but i don't recall seeing much of this. FWIW, if you feel like it's a bit rude, then it probably is...

Perhaps but this is the strategy that other people I know who went to WDW used for M&G and rides as well. I know one family who used the dad as a placeholder for rides - he would get in line for a ride while the mom and daughter did a different ride and then once they caught up with him he'd move to the next one. I think that's a bit rude. We only plan to do it for one M&G which I'm hoping won't be utter pandemonium when it opens.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Having someone hold your spot in line and "joining them" isn't common, because it's considered rude as hell.

 

[RedWhiteandBlugold]

We have an 8am Akershus ressie in July. We plan to be at Epcot early, pay our check right away, and head to the M&G after eating/seeing princesses. We have a FP for FEA.

Is it going to be rushed or unrealistic to plan on getting out of AK breakfast by RD? I was thinking an hour was plenty of time, but maybe I'm wrong?

 

[megster1123]

We only plan to do it for one M&G which I'm hoping won't be utter pandemonium when it opens.

So...only doing it once, for probably the most popular M&G, that every other little kid there wants to enjoy, makes it ok? What makes your family so super special? If my family sat down for breakfast together and then went to the line together and waited fairly together...and then saw you and your daughters line jump after having enjoyed a casual breakfast - yep, like someone else posted, that's RUDE. AS. HELL.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I mean, everyone understands: in a 20-60 minute line, a kid needs to pop out with one parent and return because nature rang and wouldn't hold?

Yeah, we get that, no big.

But "we'll send someone ahead to hold a spot in line and saunter up when we're done with our prior attraction?"

 

[Delphinidae]

Following because I've been wondering the same! We also have an 8am at Akershus that I had been debating cancelling for a PPO at Garden Grill instead, so we could go straight to Soarin' after. Then they announced FEA and the meet and greet would open at 9, so I figured I'd better keep Akershus! But honestly I am still considering both options LOL.

As to your time question, character meals always have a good chance of running long depending on the interaction. It can take them a while to get to everyone and then it depends on how much time is spent with each person. I would definitely ask for the check first thing so at least you aren't waiting around for that.

 

[Ladcassidy]

When the first A&E M&G opened in Norway several years aso, CM's specifically suggested that families have only one person stand in line due to space constraints for queuing. It was easy to have the rest of the family join the line-holder as he or she approached the entry because the line was entirely out doors. I suspect that a large stretch of the new Royal Sommerhus queue will be indoors, so it will be less convenient (and much more obvious) when latecomers try to join alongside someone who already is there. This is uncharted territory for all, and may require a new set of rules.

 

[Mintycake]

When the first A&E M&G opened in Norway several years aso, CM's specifically suggested that families have only one person stand in line due to space constraints for queuing. It was easy to have the rest of the family join the line-holder as he or she approached the entry because the line was entirely out doors. I suspect that a large stretch of the new Royal Sommerhus queue will be indoors, so it will be less convenient (and much more obvious) when latecomers try to join alongside someone who already is there. This is uncharted territory for all, and may require a new set of rules.

I do apologize and I don't mean to offend anyone. I read on this board somewhere (I can't remember the thread) that someone did that exact strategy (sending a parent to be a placeholder while family finished breakfast at Akershus) when the A&E M&G first opened at epcot with her family, and then I have met people who have told me that they used that strategy as well. I do think it's rude but wasn't sure if it was something people were just doing anyway? Unfortunately without FP+ for this I hope it will not be crazy crowds, but hopefully with the new set up it will be manageable. I was asking because I really don't mean to upset other people! Thank goodness I have some time before the trip so this will be interesting to see how crowds are managed.

 

[megster1123]

I do apologize and I don't mean to offend anyone. I read on this board somewhere (I can't remember the thread) that someone did that exact strategy (sending a parent to be a placeholder while family finished breakfast at Akershus) when the A&E M&G first opened at epcot with her family, and then I have met people who have told me that they used that strategy as well. I do think it's rude but wasn't sure if it was something people were just doing anyway? Unfortunately without FP+ for this I hope it will not be crazy crowds, but hopefully with the new set up it will be manageable. I was asking because I really don't mean to upset other people! Thank goodness I have some time before the trip so this will be interesting to see how crowds are managed.

I didn't know that was a common practice for the first M&G, so my apologies there. Also didn't mean to jump on you personally, so apologies for that as well. I just really try to have my family "play by the rules" and get super frustrated when my kids see people skirting the system.

 

[speeb]

Also my plan for November. Akershus, M&G, FEA. Hoping that I can manage that without a FP so I can use it for Soarin'.

 

[Mintycake]

I didn't know that was a common practice for the first M&G, so my apologies there. Also didn't mean to jump on you personally, so apologies for that as well. I just really try to have my family "play by the rules" and get super frustrated when my kids see people skirting the system.

Agree! That's how I think as well, that's why I was asking if it was the norm. I just keep my fingers crossed and hope karma does it's work for us all

 

[Missyrose]

How the queue worked the first time Anna and Elsa met at Epcot has no bearing on the new queue.

There was no real queue the first time around, just a series of outdoor lines. That made it easy for folks to come and go while waiting for hours. And the pavilion wasn't built to hold that many people at once, so the CMs started asking for just one person per party to wait in line.

The new queue should be much more akin to the Princess Fairytale Hall queue, one that makes it almost impossible to "catch up" with family members.

I personally wouldn't bet my touring plans on having one parent wait and the rest of the family catch up. You'll likely have to enter the queue together.

 

[ChloesDaddy]

Just throwing in our recent experience FWIW. We had an 8am Akershaus on Monday. We weren't allowed through the IG entrance until 7:53 and didn't get seated until 8:10. The park seems to open about 15 minutes prior to official open time most days, so you might have barely 30 minutes to eat and interact with the princesses and get out the door. That's not impossible, but I wouldn't pin my hopes on it unless my family just didn't care at all about meeting the characters.

By the way, the princesses were terrific with the kids. The food was pretty much your standard breakfast buffet. Nothing special.

 

[RedWhiteandBlugold]

Just throwing in our recent experience FWIW. We had an 8am Akershaus on Monday. We weren't allowed through the IG entrance until 7:53 and didn't get seated until 8:10. The park seems to open about 15 minutes prior to official open time most days, so you might have barely 30 minutes to eat and interact with the princesses and get out the door. That's not impossible, but I wouldn't pin my hopes on it unless my family just didn't care at all about meeting the characters.

By the way, the princesses were terrific with the kids. The food was pretty much your standard breakfast buffet. Nothing special.

ugh, well since the point of the breakfast is to meet the princesses I'll try not to rush the kids through breakfast, but I can already tell I'll be bouncing in my seat with anxiety thinking about the lines, and my husband will be holding me down and telling me to relax. Haha!

 

[Missyrose]

ugh, well since the point of the breakfast is to meet the princesses I'll try not to rush the kids through breakfast, but I can already tell I'll be bouncing in my seat with anxiety thinking about the lines, and my husband will be holding me down and telling me to relax. Haha!

Kind of an expensive breakfast to rush through, no?