Give feedback on our plans, please

[kimfirstdisneytrip]

First timers. Will be going with two girls, ages 3 and 6, and several grandparents. We are having a princess-centric visit to Disney, but also want the adults to experience some of the classics. We know that plans are more of a guideline, and can be canceled at any time (when kids get tired), except canceling ADR's need advance notice. We are setting a goal for 3 must-see rides or shows each day, and anything else is bonus. We do not plan to return to the resort mid-day to rest and then go back to parks, as MNSSHP is a factor, and we plan to leave early most days. Please give any feedback on our plans:

We fly in to Orlando at 5PM. This is the only night Wishes, and MSEP will be showing. MK for MSEP, Celebrate, and Wishes.

Sleep in and go to HS as we have a Fantasmic meal package with Hollywood Brown Derby that evening. Try to get FP for Toy Story MM, Star Tours, maybe Frozen sing along. Casually stroll the streets. I guess one of my questions is our "dinner" is at 3:55PM, and Fantasmic starts at 7:30PM, how much time do we have to do something before Fantasmic? Can we catch Beauty and the Beast? Leave right after Fantasmic.

Next day - MK Cindy's Royal Table at 8:15AM. This is on a MNSSHP night. Get fast passes for Princess Fairytale Hall, Peter Pan's flight, Winnie the Pooh. Do whatever rides/shows we can in Fantasyland. Leave whenever we want, definitely before 7PM.

Next day - another MK day (MNSSHP night). Get morning fast passes for Space Mountain, Dumbo, Under the Sea. Free choice in afternoon to get more fast passes, try to do Enchanted Tales with Belle, Magic carpets, but also probably rest in the park before dinner? Dinner at Be Our Guest at 4PM, then leave after that.

Next day - AK with EMH in morning. Go straight to Kilimanjaro Safari. Get fast pass for Festival of Lion King, enjoy whatever else until Tusker House at 11:30AM. Then get fast passes for Expedition Everest, and Finding Nemo. More free choice in afternoon to get more fast passes, do stuff in Dinoland. Go back to resort early, have dinner there.

Next day - Day of rest. In the evening go to Disney Springs to see Lego Imagination center and we have tickets for Cirque du Soleil at 6PM (only some of us, the 3 year old will not see the show).

Next day - Epcot. Get fast passes for The Seas w/Nemo, and Turtle Talk. Akershus lunch at 12:10PM. Get fast pass for FEA (I'll try to get this first, as soon as my window opens). Free choice afternoon to get more fast passes, stroll, rest, etc. We can return to resort at any time.

Next day - hang out at resort and fly home.

What do you think???

Thank you!

 

[g-dad66]

I think it sounds like a very relaxed schedule (which it sounds like you are aiming for).

I'd suggest getting a Fast Pass for Enchanted Tales, rather than Under the Sea or Dumbo.

On your question about Beauty and the Beast: the last show is usually at 5:00, and I don't think you could make it with a 3:55 Brown Derby ADR.

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

I think the only day you might have an issue is your arrival day. With such a late flight, you don't know how long the lines will be to get anywhere, how long check in will take, etc, and you could be very tired and just have a miserable time in the park. Then again, that is how it would be for me, at least.

 

[Nancyg56]

I think the only day you might have an issue is your arrival day. With such a late flight, you don't know how long the lines will be to get anywhere, how long check in will take, etc, and you could be very tired and just have a miserable time in the park. Then again, that is how it would be for me, at least.

I agree.

I would plan to go, but be prepared to skip it. I have found that if I push the arrival day it can ruin the next day completely.

 

[Heidi K]

Couple of fastpass suggestions:

for Magic Kingdom, I agree with getting an Enchanted Tales fastpass; also, the Pooh ride actually has a fun, interactive line that your kids will probably enjoy for 20-25 minutes; you might want to ride it early in the day and save a fastpass for something else. Dumbo also has a fun, air-conditioned play area
for Animal Kingdom, if you are planning to ride Kali River Rapids and/or Dinosaur, I would get those instead of the shows
for Epcot, I would get fast passes for Spaceship Earth if you are planning to ride it, rather than The Seas (never seems to have a line)

On your Hollywood Studios day, I think you'll have time to do a couple things after your dinner (from about 5:30 to 6:30), but I don't think B&B usually has a showing that late.

On your arrival day, I agree that you might want to be prepared to skip the park. Another thing to consider, although you know your kids best: our kids will NOT sleep in on the first day of a vacation. They're just too excited. We always rope drop the first day (which would probably also mean leaving for an afternoon break). Then we save sleep in days for later in the trip when they're truly exhausted.

 

[kimfirstdisneytrip]

Thank you all for your great feedback!! Yes, I am aiming for a relaxed schedule. I don't want to push my family too hard on our vacation, or to feel like we have to stick to a strict hour to hour schedule, I want them to enjoy it, you know? It seems like that balance between getting a lot out of Disney, esp since a Disney vacay does take a lot of advance planning, but not feeling too pressured or harried to stick to a schedule?
Our flight was initially in the morning, and the airline moved it to afternoon. I wasn't sure which would have been better, arriving at 11AM, trying to take naps and going out that night, or taking it easy during the day and then arriving later and then going out. Sounds like we would be better off if our flight was a bit earlier.
I love the fast pass suggestions, too! And Heidi K makes a great point about kids not sleeping in, I had wondered about that!

 

[Ambehnke]

You do not need Fastpasses for under the sea, dumbo, turtle talk, the seas, festival of the lion king, or finding nemo. I would use them for other things (didn't see 7 dwarves mine train on your list- my 4yos favorite!, Kali, dinosaur (although that one I'll admit is scary for a little), Spaceship Earth, character spot, I know your tier one will be frozen at Epcot but try to fit in Soarin at rope drop they'll love it! The wait for Anna and Elsa at Epcot is so short now so enjoy that!

 

[leebee]

Thank you all for your great feedback!! Yes, I am aiming for a relaxed schedule. I don't want to push my family too hard on our vacation, or to feel like we have to stick to a strict hour to hour schedule, I want them to enjoy it, you know? It seems like that balance between getting a lot out of Disney, esp since a Disney vacay does take a lot of advance planning, but not feeling too pressured or harried to stick to a schedule?
Our flight was initially in the morning, and the airline moved it to afternoon. I wasn't sure which would have been better, arriving at 11AM, trying to take naps and going out that night, or taking it easy during the day and then arriving later and then going out. Sounds like we would be better off if our flight was a bit earlier.
I love the fast pass suggestions, too! And Heidi K makes a great point about kids not sleeping in, I had wondered about that!

If your airline moved your flight time to the afternoon, you might be able to get it moved to an earlier time without penalty. They are the ones that changed the ticket that they sold you, a ticket for a specific time, so you can usually choose the alternative flight- you don't have to just take whatever they reschedule you for.

I worry about the timing on that first day. Whether we take DME or rent a car ourselves, it usually takes at least an hour from landing before we are actually leaving the airport. Then tack on another 30 mins to drive from MCO to your hotel. Check-in can be as easy as 10 minutes (check in and drop bags in room/MDE will deliver without you there), but if there's a line, or if everyone needs to use the bathroom before leaving the room, etc… I'd add another 30 minutes here, and then another 30 minutes to get to, and into, MK. At best, you aren't going to get to MK before 7pm, and it'll most likely be closer to 8pm… and then there's the food issue, although you can grab something in MK. When does MSEP start? You could be cutting it very close. I guess I'd make sure the adults all understand the plan and that being prompt and efficient is essential.

 

[Ambehnke]

Also the best feedback I can give to not feel rushed or strapped for time is to arrive a half hour early before park opening and hit things you don't have Fastpasses for but want to do right away in the morning. The lines are so minimal and make getting in several rides those first few hours easy. Then you have time mid day when the lines are long to relax, shop, ride peoplemover or the train, eat, use Fastpasses etc. or go back and take a nap if you decide you need it (on a couple of instances we would have been better off going back to take a nap than waiting an hour to ride things that weren't worth the wait but with the time of year you're going it hopefully won't be that bad.)

 

[kimfirstdisneytrip]

Thank you, everyone, for your really helpful and thoughtful feedback! So, it turns out our flight time to Orlando is still in the morning (embarrassed, but relieved). They had changed our flight times both to and from Orlando, and I was looking more at the new times instead of which dates they were referring to.
Our 6 year old is not really into rollercoasters. The adults will ride some of the classics. I guess that might help us save fastpasses so we can use them on other rides.
When I reserve our fastpasses, I will start with trying to get FEA, and then Toy Story. And then should I just go chronologically, starting with our first day and ending with our last day?
I really appreciate all the amazing feedback, you guys are great!!!

 

[Alexsandra]

First timers. Will be going with two girls, ages 3 and 6, and several grandparents. We are having a princess-centric visit to Disney, but also want the adults to experience some of the classics. We know that plans are more of a guideline, and can be canceled at any time (when kids get tired), except canceling ADR's need advance notice. We are setting a goal for 3 must-see rides or shows each day, and anything else is bonus. We do not plan to return to the resort mid-day to rest and then go back to parks, as MNSSHP is a factor, and we plan to leave early most days. Please give any feedback on our plans:

Sounds like you are off to a great start. I traveled with my two boys when they were that age and brought the grand-parents so I've been there.

We fly in to Orlando at 5PM. This is the only night Wishes, and MSEP will be showing. MK for MSEP, Celebrate, and Wishes.
Now that I know your flight is earlier, this sounds good. The kids might be tired though. Try to make them nap before heading to MK.

Sleep in and go to HS as we have a Fantasmic meal package with Hollywood Brown Derby that evening. Try to get FP for Toy Story MM, Star Tours, maybe Frozen sing along. Casually stroll the streets. I guess one of my questions is our "dinner" is at 3:55PM, and Fantasmic starts at 7:30PM, how much time do we have to do something before Fantasmic? Can we catch Beauty and the Beast? Leave right after Fantasmic.
I think Brown Derby is an ok choice but honestly we had a very mediocre meal there for a very high price. The restaurant is beautiful though. I don't know if it is the best choice for your family. I would switch BD for 50's Prime Time Cafe for lunch or dinner. That way the kids eat at a more decent time. The atmosphere is much more fun for the kids and the food is always good. It is a 50's themed restaurant with black and white TVs everywhere playing old shows. The waiters pretend to be family and play around with the guests. My whole family loves it there including the grand-parents. They have amazing milkshakes too which is a bonus. You don't really need a Fantasmic package. We have never had trouble finding a spot for Fantasmic and we have been to WDW over 7 times. It is a big theatre with lots of room. Actually the Fantasmic private viewing area is in a bad location. It is much better to show up at theatre about 30 min before the show starts and get a seat right in the middle. I vote for lunch at 50's PT so you can get out of the sun and the heat and give the kiddos and GP a chance to relax. Then have a dinner at one of QS locations in the park before Fantasmic.
As for your FP choices, they are all good. Book Toy Story first as they run out quickly.

Next day - MK Cindy's Royal Table at 8:15AM. This is on a MNSSHP night. Get fast passes for Princess Fairytale Hall, Peter Pan's flight, Winnie the Pooh. Do whatever rides/shows we can in Fantasyland. Leave whenever we want, definitely before 7PM.
Sounds great!

Next day - another MK day (MNSSHP night). Get morning fast passes for Space Mountain, Dumbo, Under the Sea. Free choice in afternoon to get more fast passes, try to do Enchanted Tales with Belle, Magic carpets, but also probably rest in the park before dinner? Dinner at Be Our Guest at 4PM, then leave after that.
Don't use FP on Under the sea. The line moves quickly and there is hardly ever a wait. Use it for Enchanted Tales with Belle which has wait times of over 50 min. and upwards all day. Dumbo is also a little bit of a wasted FP since this ride has fast moving lines especially with the two rides running simultaneously. I know you said your daughter does not like roller coaster and neither do I but the Seven Dwarves mine train is very tame and not scary at all. The Seven Dwarves anamatronics seen during the ride are super special and the princess factor is high on this one. I would definitely try it. If not use your FP for Jungle cruise, or Pirates of the Carribean.

Next day - AK with EMH in morning. Go straight to Kilimanjaro Safari. Get fast pass for Festival of Lion King, enjoy whatever else until Tusker House at 11:30AM. Then get fast passes for Expedition Everest, and Finding Nemo. More free choice in afternoon to get more fast passes, do stuff in Dinoland. Go back to resort early, have dinner there.
Use your FP for Kilimanjaro Safaris instead of Lion King or Finding Neemo. Both shows don't really have special seating for FP users, they just let you into the theatre a little earlier but there are so many seats, there are no bad views. KS fills up quickly (even in the morning) and then you can be waiting in lines of upwards of 30 min or more.
Tusker House is really amazing. We usually go for there for a late breakfast. We love the characters and food. You will all love it. The only downside is that its a little tight in there.

Next day - Day of rest. In the evening go to Disney Springs to see Lego Imagination center and we have tickets for Cirque du Soleil at 6PM (only some of us, the 3 year old will not see the show).
Sounds wonderful! We love Disney Springs and a day of rest is always great.

Next day - Epcot. Get fast passes for The Seas w/Nemo, and Turtle Talk. Akershus lunch at 12:10PM. Get fast pass for FEA (I'll try to get this first, as soon as my window opens). Free choice afternoon to get more fast passes, stroll, rest, etc. We can return to resort at any time.
Get FP for FEA first for sure. Both the Seas with Neemo and Turtle Talk Fps are wasted here. The Seas is a super fast moving line with never more than a 15-20 min wait and Turtle Talk is a complete fail. Made this mistake once. They don't even let you in the theatre early it is useless. Use the FP for Spaceship Earth which is a nice relaxing ride with anamatronics that the whole family will enjoy. This ride is the first ride you see when you come into EP (in the big ball) and seems to have long lines all day except in the evenings. Use your last FP for a character meet in the innovations building. You can meet Mickey, Minnie and Goofy there. This is a better use for your FP.
If you can't get FEA which happened to me, use your FP on Soaring which is a great ride or on the Illuminations show.
ADR sound great

Next day - hang out at resort and fly home.
Sounds good to me!

What do you think???
Its all good! To enjoy your first trip just take your time, enjoy every moment. Its not about getting everything done in one day but enjoying making memories with the family. You can cancel, change or skip any FP or ADR at any time so don't stress. If you see the kids are tired, leave the parks and head back to the resort. Try to stick to their habitual eating sleeping times to avoid crankiness. But you seem to already have that attitudes so I am not worried. Sounds like a great trip!
Thank you!

Click to expand. Wrote comments under each point. Hope that helped!

 

[kimfirstdisneytrip]

Click to expand. Wrote comments under each point. Hope that helped!

Alexsandra! Thank you!! I'm really impressed with your feedback, that was super-helpful! You really helped me understand the "why's". I will make those changes which you and the other posters suggested. Yay, I'm really excited can you tell?

 

[Alexsandra]

Alexsandra! Thank you!! I'm really impressed with your feedback, that was super-helpful! You really helped me understand the "why's". I will make those changes which you and the other posters suggested. Yay, I'm really excited can you tell?

I am so happy I could help. You will have a great time no matter what but it is always fun to know some of the insider tips. Have a magical vacation!

 

[mrzrich]

Alexsandra gave good advice, but she may not realize that the Fantasmic dining package seats have moved. There was a time when they were off to the side, now they are dead center.

I would either keep the dining package, or plan for Fantasmic as FP#4. There are usually Fp still available late in the day

 

[kimfirstdisneytrip]

Alexsandra gave good advice, but she may not realize that the Fantasmic dining package seats have moved. There was a time when they were off to the side, now they are dead center.

I would either keep the dining package, or plan for Fantasmic as FP#4. There are usually Fp still available late in the day

Thank you, mrzrich. I was planning to keep our Fantasmic meal package (it's more for the adults), and the next time we go to HS (future trip) will probably check out 50's Café.
Thank you for double checking!

 

[Ambehnke]

I think even a child who doesn't like roller coasters would still like 7DMT and Splash because of all the animatronics. My son (4yo) didn't love the drop of Splash but still loves the rest and probably rode it 5-6 times on our last trip (first time he was tall enough). Just in case you wanted to plan for those!

 

[Ambehnke]

Also you can YouTube videos of the rides and watch ahead of time with your kids to see if it is something they would like to try or rather avoid.

 

[kimfirstdisneytrip]

Also you can YouTube videos of the rides and watch ahead of time with your kids to see if it is something they would like to try or rather avoid.

Thank you, Ambehnke!