First-Time Family ~ Please Help w/ ADRs!!!

[NickieMouse MO]

We'll be at Disney in 9 days and I'm so stressed I could cry. I went ahead and made reservations back in September not really knowing what I was doing, figuring we'd make changes as it got closer and we became more knowledgable about what we wanted. (We are on the DDP)

I had no clue that it would be so HARD to get reservations! These boards are amazing - I wish I'd seen them months ago! I've read over everything so many times and I'm just so overwhelmed!

Please Please Please give me any input on this schedule! We have a DS7 and DD4.

Day 1: We'll get to hotel by 2pm and I made a 5pm Hoop De Doo reservation. Does this cancel any chance to get to the parks the first day? Is Hoop De Doo worth it? (third tier seating, too)

Day 2: nothing

Day 3: CRT breakfast (No, I don't know how I scored this w/out trying)

Day 4: 6pm Chefs de France

Day 5: 6pm Boma

Day 6: 6pm Raglan Road

Does this schedule look really boring for the kids? Should I consider more character meals? Any recommendations on the better ones out there?

Thank you Thank you Thank you for your help!!!

 

[susieq76]

Okay- I would try and add something for your son. How about Sci Fi instead of Raglan Road? Also- its your first trip- you'll probably want to stay inside the park rather than go to Downtown Disney for dinner.

Otherwise- Boma is yummy, but its at the AKLodge not the park. Just wanted to make sure you knew that.

 

[dburg30]

From what I've read, and especially if you like 'oldie time' entertainment, and good ole country fried food, I dont think you can go wrong with hoop dee doo. 3rd tier seating will put you upstairs look out over the place. I think that will be fine. I've never been there, but I've read that it's really hard to get a bad seat. And yea, I'd say you wont be going to a park BEFORE HDDR, but maybe see how late stuff is open afterwords.. Maybe a few hours somewhere, but probably you'll just right off going to the park that day, and getting prepared for your first FULL DAY AT DISNEY!!!! WOOHOO

 

[dburg30]

Oh yea, I think most would suggest, especially for your first time, to try to join parks and eats .. Meaning if you are in magic kingdom, try to plan to eat in MK so you dont have to leave and come back. Now if it's for dinner,and you're done for the day, not as big of a deal, but if it's for lunch or an early dinner, you may not want to 'waste' the time getting from one place to the other and then trying to get back to finish the day at a park..

Of course, 9 days left til you go, you dont want to just start cancelling ressies, without having something else lined up first.. ie: make a new ressie then cancel the old one..

 

[NickieMouse MO]

Thanks for the responses! You are right about needing something for DS.

I got so LUCKY just now and got ADR for Ohana's with Lilo and STITCH for Sat the 19th at 9:00am! He's going to Love that!!!

(and special thanks to whomever just cancelled so our family could be seated that morning!)

-Nicole

 

[engle]

Why not try Teppan Edo? Kids will find it FUN and the food isn't too funky.

That may be a good option instead of Raglan Rd or Chefs.

And don't stress....it WILL be fun. And the planning can be too. Just keep open to changing things if you can't get what you want!!

 

[Magic2000]

We did the Hoop de Doo in July and had a great time! We did the 5:00 show also, and was on the 2nd floor. The view was fine - no problems at all! They even came up and asked where we were from! I would think you'd be a little rushed trying to do a park and then make it over to the campgrounds for dinner. You may want to relax for a bit at the hotel, and then head over to Fort Wilderness. There's a cute little gift shop there, as well as a little playground area. I believe there is a petting zoo, and there used to be pony rides.

If you're looking for some other fillers - you may want to try some of the hotel restaurants. My family loves Kona Cafe at Polynesian, as well as the Grand Floridian Cafe. Also - Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club Resort is just a short walk from Epcot! Great ice cream there! DD & I shared a hot dog this summer, and each got a sundae! It was sooo good!!!

We also like the Plaza Restaurant in Magic Kingdom - great sandwiches and really good shakes! My kids also really like 50s Prime Time Cafe at MGM. Oh, and the kids also enjoy Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom too!!

Have a great trip!!!! We'll be arriving in 10 days - so maybe we'll see ya around! We're staying at CSR!

 

[shellybaxter]

I think the Hoop Dee Doo is a great way to start your trip, but I'm not sure I'd do it with third tier seating. That being said, I'd change Raglin Road. Its just a personal thing, and it might be fine for you, but I just don't like taking small children to a bar. And I don't mean a restaurant attached to a bar, I think that's fine, but at Raglin Road the dining tables are in the bar. So I'd skip that one.

Some fun family restaurants for us have been Whispering Canyons, Sci Fi, Prime Time 50's, Hollywood and Vine (espeically for small children), Biergarten. Garden Grill, and Liberty Tree Tavern

 

[dburg30]

I think the Hoop Dee Doo is a great way to start your trip, but I'm not sure I'd do it with third tier seating.

Curious as to why you'd say that?

 

[Colleen27]

Please Please Please give me any input on this schedule! We have a DS7 and DD4.

Day 1: We'll get to hotel by 2pm and I made a 5pm Hoop De Doo reservation. Does this cancel any chance to get to the parks the first day? Is Hoop De Doo worth it? (third tier seating, too)

Day 2: nothing

Day 3: CRT breakfast (No, I don't know how I scored this w/out trying)

Day 4: 6pm Chefs de France

Day 5: 6pm Boma

Day 6: 6pm Raglan Road

Does this schedule look really boring for the kids? Should I consider more character meals? Any recommendations on the better ones out there?

Thank you Thank you Thank you for your help!!!

Some thoughts:

Day 1: HDD looks like a lot of fun, but yes, that will keep you from getting to the parks that day. We never did parks on our first day when the kids were that age, though. Our Jan trip will be the first time we do a park on arrival day, and that's only because our flight gets in a 10AM.

Day 4: I'd think about trying to get Coral Reef or Teppan Edo for that day rather than Chefs, just because they offer more to keep the kids entertained. My kids really love the teppan style cooking/show, and they were 7 & 4 the first time we took them to that type of restaurant.

Day 5: Boma is a great choice for an AK day! My kids were the same ages as yours on our first family Disney trip, and they both loved it.

Day 6: Where are you planning on being this day? I don't think I'd travel to Downtown Disney for dinner if you're not already planning on being there, simply because of the travel time involved. There are too many good options in/near the parks.

 

[aviva5675]

Id agree with the poster to eat at the park you are touring that day, unless you have finished, and left for the day. You do not want to have to leave a park to eat only to return to the same park.

For your first day, if you really are at the hotel and checked in at 2 you can do a park, but why waste an entire day's ticket for about 2 hours of touring? Tour your hotel, swim, take a monorail ride, go to Downtown Disney---lots to do without blowing a whole day of ticket for only a short time in a park...

 

[shellybaxter]

Curious as to why you'd say that?

I like to be nearer to the action. I've sat in tiers one and two and wouldn't do it again if I couldn't get tier one. With tier three being removed from the action by a whole floor I don't think I'd personally enjoy it as much

 

[becka]

Hi from another Missouri DISer.

I was actually going to suggest the 'Ohana breakfast but I see you just got that one. That is my DS5's favorite character meal and seems to be one of the most boy friendly. I am sure your DS in particular will enjoy it almost as much as your DD will enjoy CRT.

I think HDD is a good way to start your vacation and I don't think you will want to go to the parks that day. Too few hours to really do anything and especially with your first trip I would want to wait to get to a park until I had a full day to explore.

There is so much to do that I would not waste too much time travelling around to eat on your first trip. If you know what park you will be in try to keep your ADRs in that park or at a nearby resort.

 

[GoofTroop]

We'll be at Disney in 9 days and I'm so stressed I could cry. I went ahead and made reservations back in September not really knowing what I was doing, figuring we'd make changes as it got closer and we became more knowledgable about what we wanted. (We are on the DDP)

I had no clue that it would be so HARD to get reservations! These boards are amazing - I wish I'd seen them months ago! I've read over everything so many times and I'm just so overwhelmed!

Please Please Please give me any input on this schedule! We have a DS7 and DD4.

Day 1: We'll get to hotel by 2pm and I made a 5pm Hoop De Doo reservation. Does this cancel any chance to get to the parks the first day? Is Hoop De Doo worth it? (third tier seating, too)

Day 2: nothing

Day 3: CRT breakfast (No, I don't know how I scored this w/out trying)

Day 4: 6pm Chefs de France

Day 5: 6pm Boma

Day 6: 6pm Raglan Road

Does this schedule look really boring for the kids? Should I consider more character meals? Any recommendations on the better ones out there?

Thank you Thank you Thank you for your help!!!

I think I'd cancel Chef de France with two young children. What about Garden Grill on day 4? The restaurant slowly revolves, so the scenery changes as you dine. The meal is served family style (eat all you want), and it's also a character meal: Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale. It's a very relaxed environment compared to other character meals, and one where I've seen the most character interaction....And you get to see Mickey too! (I noticed you had no character meals with Mickey Mouse!)

I don't think Raglan Road would be something I'd choose either (with young kids).

Elizabeth

 

[MS_mom_1965]

I don't know your travel schedule the first day, or the endurance levels of your kids, but if you REALLY wanted to go to a park on the first day, how about catching the Wishes fireworks show at MK after HDD?

That way, you wouldn't have to worry about staying late for on the day you actually tour MK and would probably be exhausted by then.

 

[mdoc]

I think all of your choices are pretty good. Sure, it might be better to eat in the park you're visiting that day, but if you can't swing that at this point, you should be comfortable knowing that the ADRs you have are fine. My kids were always happy with one character meal - we never had the need to do multiple ones. Hoop dee Doo is a lot of fun. I really don't think there's a bad seat in the house, either. I've sat right in the middle in the front row, directly under the stage, and I've sat in the far back, and greatly enjoyed myself both times. The balcony looks like fun, too. I'm not sure where the Tier 3 seating is - whether it's at the back or in the balcony. The only ADR you have that I don't think my kids would like is Chefs de France. I might try Biergarten or Garden Grill instead.

 

[MARCIAKAZ]

A suggestion--Fort Wilderness has a campfire movie show with Chip n Dale, and also horse drawn carriage rides. You may want to do one or both of these things after hoop de doo. More info is available at http://allearsnet.com/acc/faq_fw.htm

Then--something we discovered by accident on our first trip--The Electrical Water Pageant at the beach. It goes by sometime between 9:00 and 10:00 pm and is quite spectacular for little ones, especially! http://allearsnet.com/tp/ewp.htm

You can have a very full first evening without going to a park, and without running all over the place.

 

[susieq76]

FYI- its nearly impossible to get from the 5pm HDDR to the 7PM Sing Along & Movie. They are NOT close in the Fort