First day breakfast !

[Nadia_disfan]

Hey guys, my group of 14 friends and family vary from age 7 to 70 with pretty much every decade in-between, we are all fun loving active and love disney.

Im in charge of planning and want something special for the first day, we are travelling from uk so will probably be up at silly am so want to take advantage of that.

I'm thinking ohana as none of us have done it and we have 4 newbies in the group.
The catch is we want to make rope drop, (mk) hence not dining in the park as we want to enter when the atmosphere is waking up if that makes sense? ...
Is there a boat you can catch to mk from poly? Or do we get back on monorail?
What time would you suggest the ressie for
How long is poly to mk?
Is there a better idea?
Help please , open to ideas

 

[Raising Disney Kids]

I would choose Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Hotel. YUMMY buffet with plenty of food choices for each type of person in your group....and of course, meeting the guests of honor (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto makes this a great first day choice. Sounds like you will be at Poly? Quick ride on monorail to Contemporaty and then a short walk to MK for rope drop.

Personally I would save 'Ohana for a dinner....yummy!!!

 

[Nadia_disfan]

oh so chef mickeys is a good breakfast? .. do they have mickey waffles and other novelty type things? I'm liking this idea, seeing mickey first thing is really going to bring on the magic

 

[Sgt Tibbs]

I'll chime in as well and agree with Chef Mickey's, yes they have the Mickey Waffles.

Other recommendations would be Crystal Palace another character buffet,Winnie the Pooh & Co., in the Magic Kingdom. They will let you in early and you can walk up Main Street USA (escorted) before the rush. 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian is another breakfast buffet with Mary Poppins & Co.

Nothing like getting in the Disney spirit with a character meal!

 

[darthtatty]

I love Chef Mickeys for breakfast
They do Mickey shaped waffles

what time does the park open on that day?
I would probably try to get an adr for 2hours before but thats being generous.
For chef mickeys you generally do have a wait to be seated. give about 30 mins at least for this. (sometimes quicker/longer)
probably about 30-40 mins eating.
you can walk from chef mickeys to MK in about 10 mins, or you could get the monorail.

Ohanas is a popular brekkie too.
you can either boat or monorail from there to the MK.

 

[KungFoomF]

The catch is we want to make rope drop, (mk) hence not dining in the park as we want to enter when the atmosphere is waking up if that makes sense? ...
Is there a boat you can catch to mk from poly? Or do we get back on monorail?
What time would you suggest the ressie for
How long is poly to mk?
Is there a better idea?
Help please , open to ideas

It makes sense but it is somewhat unlikely you will make the rope drop with a group that large eating breakfast across the lake. It is possible, but plan on 1.5 hours for breakfast. Large groups seem to just take longer. People talking, etc. Then add another 20-30 (to be safe) for getting to the park. Yes, there is a boat from Poly/TTT. The express monorail is faster if it is running that early. The boat ride is pretty quick 10-15 minutes. But you might have to wait for it, too.

As Sgt. Tibbs said, I'd highly recommend getting an 8AM reservation for Crystal Palace so you can be IN the park when it opens. This will allow you to get a nice empty Main Street group photo, too.

 

[LeeLee'sMom]

We love the breakfast at O'Hana...Mickey, pluto Lilo & Stitch and we personally thinkg the food is better. Chef Mickey's is good too, and a little cheaper, not sure if you are paying or on the dining plan.

 

[kelleigh1]

Definitely Mickey Waffles at Chef Mickey's.

We did Chef Mickey's on our last trip and had a lot of fun. There were just 2 of us, but I think your large group would have a blast!

 

[Quin]

So long as this is not a morning EMH day at MK, if you get a seating immediately when the restaurant opens and keep a little eye on your watch to move along the dawdlers, you should still arrive pretty close to rope drop. However, you will likely not get there and through security in time to see the pre-rope drop opening show.

You will have far more food choices with classic mickey themes at CM or at 1900 PF than at Ohana for breakfast. Both have characters; CM gives you the Fab 5 while 1900 PF gives you "British Disney" - Mary Poppins, Pooh, Alice.

If you are taking Disney transport from another resort, take the early-breakfast bus to MK, then get on the resort loop monorail to whichever buffet you have selected. From 1900 PF take the monorail back to MK; from CM, walking is quicker. If you are driving to MK, take the resort loop monorail from the TTC to your breakfast resort.

If the pre-rope-drop show sounds like a better fit for your group, grab sometime early from the food court at your resort with no sit-down breakfast at all. Figure on an early lunch in the MK. Or even before lunchtime, plan a mid-morning break where you come back to Main Street, get pastries from the Bakery, and find a place to sit and absorb the Disney atmosphere while you absorb the cinnamon rolls.......then resume touring and stop again for lunch a few hours later. Breaking the day up might help some of the party members who are not as used to the heat and the amount of walking.

 

[Nadia_disfan]

Wow! I'm bowled over by the excellent and well thought out responses!!
You are all so helpful!
I'm thinking CM is now the front runner, as it seems it'll be quicker to get into MK from, just hoping it won't be an EMH day, ... just want the easiest way yo get that Disney kick off and do rope drop, the main reason is one of our party is a massive Disney fan, and has dreamt all her life of going, and now in her 50's is finally getting the chance thanks to her lovely son treating her and her husband to the trip of a lifetime, there will be lots of tears! Very happy ones!

 

[darthtatty]

Wow! I'm bowled over by the excellent and well thought out responses!!
You are all so helpful!
I'm thinking CM is now the front runner, as it seems it'll be quicker to get into MK from, just hoping it won't be an EMH day, ... just want the easiest way yo get that Disney kick off and do rope drop, the main reason is one of our party is a massive Disney fan, and has dreamt all her life of going, and now in her 50's is finally getting the chance thanks to her lovely son treating her and her husband to the trip of a lifetime, there will be lots of tears! Very happy ones!

Thats great that theyre finally able to go.
Hope you have a great time planning. when are you all going?

 

[Nadia_disfan]

Hi!
We are going oct 24-7 nov, really want the wow factor on the first morning as that first visit to Disney really stays with you, and us Brits have an abundance of energy from about 5am the first day until 4pm haha! Then we tend to hit a wall, so getting up and going early to brekie and rope drop simply must be done, no one will sleep the night before haha

 

[~Tonga Wingo~]

Another good aspect of Crystal Palace is if you get a really early reservation, you can get pictures on an empty main street and also of the castle without crowds. There is normally a photopass photographer in front of the castle who could probably get a great pic of all 14 of you in front of the castle with very little people behind you!

If you do go with Ohana's I'd get a 7:30 reservation which is their first of the day. I think with 14, you'd still be pushing it to get to MK by 9 when it opens.

Good Luck!

 

[Nadia_disfan]

My main reason against crystal palace was that as we have first timers in the group thought that first time walking onto main street with everything awake and alive would be more fitting, rather than it looking quiet and asleep ... Does that make sense?
I always remember my first time walking in the castle stage show on, balloons in the air, the sounds and sights, ...
Entering the park full swing is really my preferred choice rather than rushing up main street for breakfast missing the atmosphere

 

[Quin]

Then it sounds like CM is definitely the best pick. Disney transport starts running quite early because of all the pre-park-opening breakfast locations, so you should be fine. Have a great trip!

 

[Nadia_disfan]

Thank you, CM decided now, makes sense ... Think I'll book CP for later in the trip too!