First Night Dinner

[dis1010]

Hi all,

I used to be a frequent traveler to WDW, but I since moved from NY to California and, well, that kind of stopped. Haven't been there for a decade! (A lot has changed over that time.)

Anyway, I am now the proud father of almost 18 month twin girls and decided to throw together a trip for September. So, they will be 20 months then.

We went to Disneyland in May for the first time and it went amazingly well. The girls loved the rides (after they got used to the idea) and we did a character lunch that was an experience I will always remember. It made me want to take them to Disney World ASAP, even though I had planned to wait several years.

We will be flying in on a Saturday, arriving at 3:35 pm into MCO, after flying cross-country. We are renting a car and staying at BLT.

I'm wondering if anyone has thoughts on where to have dinner that night and what would be a good time to make an ADR. Was thinking 6:30 might be the safe bet in terms of timing. Does that make sense?

In terms of what restaurant, the Wave or Kona Cafe seem like logical options, given there are lots of openings and the transportation is easy. But I'm not excited about either of them. Never been to the Wave. I like Kona Cafe, but mostly just for breakfast.

Any suggestions on a first dinner that won't be overly trying after a long travel day, but would provide a good start to the trip?

Thanks!

 

[sponica]

Honestly I'd just keep it low key arrival night.

My 20 month old DID NOT SLEEP on the plane, either plane. She did not sleep until wheels down in MCO....and we didn't have a time shift to deal with. I think we ended up getting room service, we were zonked and didn't want to go out for food after a day of travel.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I'm with sponica on this one. I wouldn't make an ADR for a variety of reasons. Your plane may be delayed or your family will simply be too exhausted to travel to another destination for dinner. I would wait until you land and, if you think a TS is in the picture, look on the MDE app and see what it is available in the monorail resort area. My vote would be for the Wave if available. It's right at CR and the food is good. If you don't see any availability on the app, you can also just stop to see if they can take a walk-up. You could then check out your resort surroundings, watch the monorail go through the hotel and even go for a ride. You could also check then if GF Cafe or even Trail's End at Ft. W is available (only a boat ride from CR and you can check out the WDW stables while there) If you aren't up for TS or nothing is available at that point, I would simply do room service or go to Contempo Cafe on the 4th floor of CR. Again, the food is good and you can check out the CR surroundings. My DS has been traveling to WDW multiple times a year since he was 12 months and he wouldn't be able to tell you where he ate on his first night there at 20 months. IMHO, your better bet is to ease into the trip than to stress over a TS on your first night.

 

[dis1010]

Intellectually, I know you are both right That's probably the smart thing to do. It's hard to balance excitement with the reality of what's going to be an exhausting trip...

Out of curiosity, putting aside concerns about whether our kids will be up for a TS meal, would you pick the Wave over Contempo Cafe or vice versa?

Thank you both!

 

[sponica]

I've never been to either, so I'm useless.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Intellectually, I know you are both right That's probably the smart thing to do. It's hard to balance excitement with the reality of what's going to be an exhausting trip...

Out of curiosity, putting aside concerns about whether our kids will be up for a TS meal, would you pick the Wave over Contempo Cafe or vice versa?

Thank you both!

In terms of atmosphere and food, I would pick the Wave. I've always found the food and service to be outstanding. For convenience, I would do Contempo, although, for a QS, I think it is rather good as well. You could certainly plan on Contempo and then check to see if the Wave has availability once you land? I'm always nervous about scheduling TS on arrival day in case we have a flight delay.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

I love the Wave! We took our kids there for the first time last year (they were 3 & 2). We all enjoyed our meals very much.

If you’re thinking QS ...

My favorite resort QS is Capt. Cook’s at the Poly. Instead of a TS, I’d take your kids on a monorail loop (for my kids, the monorail is an attraction in itself!) hop off at the Poly for Capt. Cook’s and a Dole Whip, then go back to BLT to relax. That way you’re on your own schedule and not tied to an ADR.

Just my two cents!

 

[daisy2013]

Wait until you arrive to see how you feel. Then make an adr for that night if you want. I just did a test for 4 people for tonight and tomorrow. Both kona and the wave were available as well as a host of others.

 

[dis1010]

I like the idea of taking the monorail. We didn't get a chance to do that at Disneyland. So, it will be a first for them

Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions!

 

[disneygolfer1985]

We are doing something similar over thanksgiving. We will arrive on Saturday around 2 and we have a ADR for 1900 Park Fare at 7:45. We will be coming from the central time zone and my then 18 month old doesn’t go to bed until 10, so we figured since we are staying the GFV we could either tour the resort with her or left her take a nap when we land. We are looking forward to it, but also trying to stay close to our resort.

 

[GoofyCoaster]

Our arrival day scenario is similar to yours, dis1010. Traveling with a preschooler this fall, landing at MCO at 4pm and staying at BLT. We have been to WDW several times in the last year so we know we’re not up for an ADR within hours of landing. It makes me stressed about timing if there’s a flight delay and DS is not in the mood to sit still, wait for food, and behave in a TS restaurant after a day of travel. Our plan is to grab dinner at the contempo cafe and play at the pool the first evening. If we’re feeling adventurous, we’ll ride the monorail to the poly or GF for food or shopping.

What lucky twins to hit Disney on both coasts! In the the same year!!

 

[Elephantay]

If you're making a reservation, I think 630 is too early. It can take awhile at DME and won't you want to check into your resort first and be sure your room is all set? I'd recommend CC and if you have any energy, a swim. We are never thrilled to go on any WDW transportation on travel day after a cab, plane, train at the airport, then bus to resort....Monorail in the am to start your day!

 

[YesterDark]

Personally I never plan anything the first day. I travel quite a bit for work, so I'm a pro with airports/planes and the logistics of timing things.

If you arrive at 3:35, you'll be off the plane around 4:00 assuming you have a taxi location when you land. Then you have to get off, set up the kids in strollers and walk down to the car rental area. I assume you're bringing your own carseats?? (brave man if true). Add another 30 minutes.

So that means, if timing is perfect, you're probably in your rental car about an hour after you land. That's the metric I typically use when travelling solo, so maybe pad that number by 20 minutes to be safe? Maybe you walk slower, maybe it's busier at the rental car line, maybe you have to wait 10 minutes to get to the taxi locations. Blah Blah.

I assume you don't need to go to baggage claim.

Add in a 30-40 minute drive, getting out of the car, checking in etc. is probably another hour. So from landing to getting in to your room figure 2 hours give or take. So now you're in your room at 5:30-6pm. Now I don't know anything about your twins, but my youngest is 18 months right now, and she doesn't do well with a later dinner, let alone travel etc. So I would probably take it easy that first night. Explore the grounds, sit at the pool, grab a snack and eat somewhere you can unwind.

Otherwise a 6:30 reservation means that you haven't stopped moving since leaving home for the airport and if you're coming from the West Coast, you're losing time. You probably have a 8am flight or so? Yeah, I don't think I'd plan anything.

 

[marchingstar]

i’m in the same boat as most others: i think a dinner reservation is probably too much. we’re from western canada, and after a full day of travel on our first family trip, we really all needed to have a calm night after a very long travel day.

what about finding a fun way to start your trip the next day? breakfast at chef mickey’s would be a great kick off, or breakfast at ohana. and either way, you’re really taking advantage of location.

we stayed at the polynesian with our 7 month old, and it was awesome. we spent most of our time
in MK and it was so convenient to pop back to the resort for naps or down time as needed. i hope you have a great family trip

 

[dis1010]

Thanks for the additional thoughts. We're definitely not doing a reservation We're going to do Crystal Palace for lunch the next day. I don't want to book a breakfast because I'm not sure what the morning will be like due to the time change. But we can definitely make lunch. And I really want them to meet Winnie the Pooh

(I am otherwise dreading the idea of a buffet with them...but I can't miss out on this one...)

 

[marchingstar]

Thanks for the additional thoughts. We're definitely not doing a reservation We're going to do Crystal Palace for lunch the next day. I don't want to book a breakfast because I'm not sure what the morning will be like due to the time change. But we can definitely make lunch. And I really want them to meet Winnie the Pooh

(I am otherwise dreading the idea of a buffet with them...but I can't miss out on this one...)

aww you’ll have a blast

 

[rongarbutt]

I have over-planned our arrival day the past 3 trips. Two times we had luggage issues at the airport and the other time a complimentary mini-van ride, so some good, some bad. There are too many variables with transportation that I have come to grips with the idea of not planning the arrival day, though I am totally struggling with the idea for our trip this fall. Deep breaths and go with the flow. You may end up ordering a pizza to the room, and that is ok too. With a rental car, stopping for Chick-Fil-A or Chipotle on your way isn't out of the question. It's not magical, but maybe more practical. Plan the heck out of the rest of the trip, but fly by the seat of your pants on arrival. Have fun!

 

[Day-Day]

Grand Floridian Cafe may be an option. They often have availability if you decided to make a reservation after you arrive at your hotel and have a feel for how things are going.

 

[babyruth]

on arrival day when my daughter was 3 we booked Kona Cafe for dinner. To be honest after travelling all day she was antsy at a seated meal. We got sushi and got going. I wanted to go downstairs for a Dole whip so we did, and we walked outside to find they were playing Snow White on a big screen and the fireworks started not long after. It was actually perfect. She wasn't too into watching the fireworks but my son 14 at the time was. She was happy to lay down among all the other kids and watch the movie under the stars! Then we left after the fireworks were over.

and another night you should go to Sanaa because you can wander outside and see the animals on the Savannah.