Feeling a little overwhelmed

[jf256]

Hi all,

Sorry for the long post..it is sort of indicative of my mental state at the moment.

Our ADR date is at the end of march but i am super super busy during February so have been trying to get a basic plan. We are going in September.

I am so unbelievably overwhelmed... i have two spreadsheets one for dining with costs, and one with the general plan.

We have deluxe dining plan as we upgraded from the free one. Staying at AKL

There are two of us adults neither drink. Have never been to Disneyworld. We both went to paris as children..thats it. I am the disney and theme park fan he isn't.

We have 10 nights. Want to do MNSSHP. Want a couple of lie ins, couple of disney springs dinners, few signatures, few character meals.. and that is what i have planned. But we also want to see the night time shows.

We dont know really know what our touring style will be until we get there. We might be happy staying in the parks all day we might not..

We went to Alton Towers Last year. 2nights arrived later than expected becuase i didnt set the alarm just ate a hotdog and wandered around the park. Day two blitzed all the rides we wanted to do with a one ride on each fast pass and the third day rode hex twice, the rapids twice and runaway train three times and spent the rest of the day exploring the beautiful gardens and grounds.

So i was thinking. Come ADR date.. just book the ones that are supposed to be hard to get CRT, BOG, TIFFINS FOTLK, CGB etc and a few must dos for us Morimoto Asia, Boma, Jiko and just leave the others.. until more info comes out. After hours dates, park times etc? And leave a few gaps even?

Would love some advice. Thanks

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

Sometimes it is hard to know, in advance, whether you will want to eat your main meal at lunchtime or in the evening and the schedules for parades, shows and fireworks (even park hours) are not released at 180 days, so I would hedge your bets and book something for lunch and supper everyday using MDE and also make use of Open Table and then cancel what you won’t need either when park hours and schedules are released or when you have found your rhythm while at WDW. Have fun planning.

 

[Cloudy]

I agree. I would book all my credits somewhere based on my initial thoughts and then cancel and move them around as needed. Just try and plan the prepayment required meals like CRT be be anchors which don't get moved if possible (just for ease of billing credits only).

That's a lot to plan for a first trip. No wonder you are overwhelmed. I think once you start to pencil it in it will start to feel better.

What a great trip! Have fun.

 

[momcubed892]

Just my $0.02. I prefer detailed planning when it comes to Disney. We have used the deluxe dining for many trips. I have found it challenging to get reservations at certain places during our stays, but I do not know how easy that is in September. I would ask yourself this. During your stay...
1. How upset or distressed would you be if you could not get a specific restaurant?
2. Is counter service an acceptable alternative if there are no agreeable restaurants?
3. How important is table service for breakfast?

My party would be upset at not having a breakfast ADR. We prefer table over counter service meals. And we have a long list of table service restaurants that we always want to eat at.

There are blogs that have the park hours for previous years up. Use those to get an idea about times. I schedule all meals at the 180 day mark. You can always cancel later. I make a spreadsheet of everything too.

 

[DrunkJam]

Deluxe Dining is SO much food! By which I mean, really, there is no need to worry too much.
Book things that you really want to do that are hard to get. I totally recommend Cali Grill Brunch, it's absolutely wonderful and the view is unbeatable. CRT was better than the reviews and it IS special to eat in the castle. BOG I have never tried, but got a reservation this time.

So, try and keep those hard to get ones as things you can anchor your holiday around. Then, book some that you'd like to do, so they are booked, but you can change them around when you know more (and even from the UK it is easy to change dining reservations, I have changed a bunch just lately after I added some more up charge events)

You might be better booking them all at 180+ whatever and then dropping or modifying them as and when. That way, you have a better handle on the overall shape of your plan.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

I’m going to suggest you pop back down to the regular dining plan. If you want to stay loose with your plans it’s my opinion that you’ll regret having to make that many advanced reservations.

We did the regular dining plan once and will never do it again. We hated having to be somewhere at a certain time. It really took the vacation out of the vacation.
It was also way too much food for us. We did not get our moneys worth out of it.
Now, we make one or two ADRs over a 12 night stay and wing the rest.

Having too many plans can be quite overwhelming. Sometimes less is more.

That’s just my .02. Obviously you know much better than I do what is best for you and your crew.
Have a great trip and know there’s a 99% chance you’ll go back - that Disney bug is hard not to catch!

 

[mom2kandj]

I'm planning for 7-8 nights in July and just made a break through after being super overwhelmed.

I took a big calendar style dry erase board and filled in our travel days. Then I looked at touringplans to figure out a loose plan for the parks and then wrote those in on the calendar. Then I took my wishlist for ADRs and started looking for my specific ADRs. I was about 3-4 ADRs in when I remembered that we are a rope drop family that needs an early lunch and preferably AC and likely table service. Re-did a bunch of ADRs to adjust for 11:30am lunches 4-5 days. I did a few dinner ADRs, but we park hop and planning dinner is way harder for us, so we are more likely to use counter service in the evenings. I'll likely overbook by 3-4 and then cancel our schedule firms up.

The key was the big visual on the dry erase board.

We have free dining and I've toyed with the idea of upgrading to DxDP, but it would be just too much time and food for our family. I wish there was a plan with 2TS a day.

Good luck!

 

[loves to dive]

I agree to pop down to the regular dining plan if you just have to have a dining plan. I'm also going to suggest something that is frowned on here on the boards. O.k. here goes - don't plan your meals until you get closer, if at all. Nooooooo, everyone stop throwing those rocks at me. We don't book any ADRs in advance any further than day of. I have been able to get Cali. Grill, Flying Fish, Chef Paul's, Tiffins, Topolinos, even Beaches and Cream day of. Now I haven't tried character meals because we are two adults and I don't do buffets, waste of money since I'm a small eater. Also, because we are two adults, the times don't matter to us, early late, whatever. The park doesn't factor in either, we always have hoppers. Heck, I got V&A's a week in advance (that was the one exception to advance planning). The key is to flexible and not worry about eating at the "in" spot. There are so many places to try at WDW you won't miss it.

 

[scard192]

BOG dinner will be hard to get as MK closes early 4 nights/week for MNSSHP.

 

[DrunkJam]

I agree to pop down to the regular dining plan if you just have to have a dining plan. I'm also going to suggest something that is frowned on here on the boards. O.k. here goes - don't plan your meals until you get closer, if at all. Nooooooo, everyone stop throwing those rocks at me. We don't book any ADRs in advance any further than day of. I have been able to get Cali. Grill, Flying Fish, Chef Paul's, Tiffins, Topolinos, even Beaches and Cream day of. Now I haven't tried character meals because we are two adults and I don't do buffets, waste of money since I'm a small eater. Also, because we are two adults, the times don't matter to us, early late, whatever. The park doesn't factor in either, we always have hoppers. Heck, I got V&A's a week in advance (that was the one exception to advance planning). The key is to flexible and not worry about eating at the "in" spot. There are so many places to try at WDW you won't miss it.

This can work. We have got some great options day of (I did a rubbish job of guessing what my differently autistic children would enjoy and we had to dump some lovely signature ADRs for some great, but less adventurous things) but if you are set on specific restaurants or times, ADRs are useful.

 

[heidijanesmith]

The planning can be overwhelming. I have a folder with a day by day calendar that I keep track of park hours, special events, extra magic hours and our ADR's. All in pencil and I do change things sometimes.

Here is my 2cents about the Deluxe dining plan VS the regular dining plan. We love using the dining plan and always get our money's worth out of it! We are drinkers though and getting an alcoholic drink included can really save us money.

The Deluxe is too many ADR's for us. We like one sit down meal per day, maybe two. Our touring style is get up early and tour, take a mid day break and then back out at night. The mid day break is a must for us. We enjoy spending time at our hotel and pool.

Having multiple ADR's, up to three a day is too much time spent dining. I do book all of our ADR's 180d in advance. I am a planner and this works for me.

Everyone has their own touring styles and dining styles. There are so many options, you will find what works for you.

 

[evlaina]

Planning is overwhelming for some, but it's such an expensive place to go and there's so much to do, I could never just wing it. We also always do Deluxe Dining, we don't find it to be too much food at all, and I would keep it if you're interested in Signatures and character meals.

I have no idea what Alton Towers is, but WDW's Fastpass system only allows for pre-booking 3 in a row, it's not for every ride. As for worrying about hours, I never plan where I want to eat and the shows I want to watch based on park hours, so there's no reason to not plan that 180 days out. Like others said, you can book then decide to cancel, it's not a big deal. Better safe than sorry. Book late breakfasts and Signature meals for dinner.

Also, you'll love AKL, it's so pretty and September is super hot, so you'll definitely need some pool time.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

If you decide to keep Deluxe Dining - a late breakfast or early lunch along with a Signature (2 TS) is usually the advisable way of enjoying the plan. Don't worry about maximizing the value of your points as that is what is going to stress you out. You are there for 10 nights and you probably don't want to burn out your husband that isn't a huge Disney/theme park plan. Personally, our planning style is to get at parks for opening - eat lunch then relax in the brunt of the afternoon and head to dinner. If we go back into the park - its for a night time show or such. I find this gives a good mix of theme park fun and relaxation for a vacation.

You are also going during Food & Wine Festival so if you save your snack credits that could be lunch/dinner for that day and I would plan accordingly for that.

September is hot and humid and will often have daily rainstorms so look at your dining reservations as a nice break from the weather or break in your day.

 

[nco91590]

We just came back and I found it very difficult to make any of the nightime shows/fireworks. Not only because we were tight on time but we were full and tired by the end of dinner. The thought of going back into a park seemed like a lot of effort. Everyone just wanted to lay down and sleep or veg in front of the TV before bed. There are a few restaurants that let you see the fireworks from their balconies (California Grill and Topolino). Now, had it just been my husband and me, we might have tried harder. But with the two kids we took the path of least resistance when they started to seem tired and cranky.

If I was on Deluxe DDP, I would definitely do an early breakfast and then a signature dinner. Again, if it was just me and my husband, we would have been ok with an 8am reservation, but it was harder to get my kids up and moving in the morning. We would have been ok with an 8pm dinner reservation, but my kids would have been chewing their arms off by then. Keep in mind that Signature meals tend to take longer so if you want to make it to fireworks, you'll want to give yourself at least 2 hours to eat and get to a park.

I was saving snacks for Festival of the Arts but the lines were SO LONG that I would have spent all day standing in the sun waiting for a tiny plate of food. We skipped them entirely. If you are planning to attend F&W booths and burn snack credits, be sure to visit on a week day so you can actually use them. Again different without kids, but like, the lines were annoying.

Don't be stressed. If you are, just drop back down to the free DDP and do what you like. You're not technically wasting any money so if you skip a TS or two in favor of a show or fireworks it's no loss. KWIM?

 

[jf256]

I’m going to suggest you pop back down to the regular dining plan. If you want to stay loose with your plans it’s my opinion that you’ll regret having to make that many advanced reservations.

I did think this but honestly factoring in CRT,BOG,JIKO AND CGB we will need that deluxe plan. I also like appetizers. The price difference was not that much so was worth it but if i was paying for it.. id probably be sticking to lounges and a few sit downs tbh. We booked through a UK travel agent and the thought of having to get them to change it is another headache i dont need. If i do end up going again.. i am either booking it myself or through a US Travel Agent. All they book is hotels and flights. Nothing else.. and you pay more for the privelage. Never again.


Thanks for everyones help.

Fyi Alton Towers is a bit like your six flags but it is located in a really old town and it has a norman castle within the theme park, and stunning victorian gardens . It is beautiful but most people never see it. Thats why I am so looking forward to disney. There is so much more than the rides.. and oh god the food at AT is honestly horrific.

 

[jf256]

Thanks everyone for their help here. I have decided that i am not going to stress about it anymore. Just going to forget about it until end of feb time because it isnt worth worrying about till then. I have a rough idea of my must dos.

New plan will be a bit of a mix of suggestions from above: Book 1 (ocassionally two but this will be for rare occassions eg rest day) must do dining reservations a day and not worry about the rest until closer to the time. I think i will be happy with this. If we end up booking 6 signatures and 4 character meals we will end up paying for the upgrade so thats what i am going to do. If we want to eat QS the rest of the time so be it. It wont matter .

Honestly thank you so much. For helping me put some order back into this and for all your helpful suggestions. I will definately utilise the dry wipe calendar idea as i have an old study white board i used when studying to plan topics.