Here's my plan, what do you think? HELP!

[tanmar]

Okay - finally made up a "prelim" plan of where to go and what to do according to what restaurants we were able to book (leaving in 2 1/2 wks). My husband and I haven't been to WDW since .... hmm..... 1990?

We are on the Disney Dining Plan (with credits), 2 adults, a 4 yr old and a 17 mth old.

We booked restaurants and set up arrivals at parks best that we could to take advantage of extra hours and find restaurants that we could actually book.

Please let me know what you think.... if I have made any grave errors, if you have any suggestions for changes to my "plan" - please do let me know

Sunday afternoon arrival
MAGIC KINGDOM - afternoon
MGM - evening - DINNER - Hollywood & Vine
MGM extra hours

Monday
EPCOT - a.m. extra hours
MAGIC KINGDOM - afternoon and evening - DINNER - Tony's

Tuesday
MGM - a.m. extra hours and LUNCH - SCI-FI
EPCOT - evening

Wednesday
ANIMAL KINGDOM - for the day
AKL - DINNER - Boma's
MAGIC KINGDOM - extra hours evening

Thursday
MAGIC KINGDOM
Character breakfast at O'Hana's
EPCOT - afternoon and evening - LUNCH - Le Cellier
EPCOT - extra evening hours

Friday
(not sure for the day yet - hubby in meeting, just me with 2 kids)
Dinner at Concourse Steakhouse

Saturday
ANIMAL KINGDOM - a.m. extra hours
MAGIC KINGDOM - afternoon and evening - DINNER - Citrico's

Sunday
sad to say.... homeward bound....

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Your plan looks good to me. A question though. What resort are you staying at ? I would suggest 50's Primetime at MGM instead of Hollywood & Vine.

 

[tinagirl]

That seems like a lot of hopping to me.

Some are easy (such as Epcot to MK...monorail) or Epcot to MGM (boat via boardwalk), but for your Magic Kingdom to MGM day, that will take a bit of work.

Why not go directly to MGM or stay in MK and ditch just that one night of extra hours, as the kids will likely be sleepy after the ride in?

 

[tanmar]

We're staying at CBR. It's my DH that booked it - I want to change it but not sure what for. Thanks for the suggestions! I'll definitely check it out.

 

[tanmar]

Right, that's what I'm looking for.

We wanted to have "intentions" or somewhat of a plan (kinda needed to with booking dining). This was the only way to make restaurants work and take advantage of extra hours. Will we take advantage of extra hours? each time? Likely not.....

We really need the help / advice. Like mentioned, we haven't been there in so long so it's hard to know what is do-able and what isn't. We didn't know that MGM to MK would be harder so thank you for that

 

[jann1033]

i think ohana for brk and then lecellier for lunch will be too much food unless you got areally late lunch

i'd skip mk the first day depending on your arrival time you won't have time to see much. i'd just go to mgm

off season we try to go to am emh if we can but it isn't a priority if we want to go somewhere else for the day so i would probably get ohana brk for monday if i can then just stick in mk for the day and go to epcot all day thurs. if you get there at opening you can get stuff done before the crowds

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I think you are expecting wayyyy too much for kids that age. They are very young to hop so much plus do the evening EMH and the AM EMH.

When we visited with our kids last September (7, 2) we didn't hop at all. Took one park at a time, except one day, but that was only due to Cinderella's breakfast. My 2 year old was way too whooped to even think of her doing a late EMH and early EMH , even with a nap.
We stayed late one night and that was the MNSSHP, and she napped 3 hours that afternoon. One day, we kept her at MGM all day without a nap and she fell asleep on the way out with her head on the tray of her stroller, and that was at 7pm. WDW is very tiring, especially with children so young. It's easy to get caught up in the moment, but its better just to go at your childrens pace. Because even the best of them will tire easily.

 

[tanmar]

Whew! Thanks for the suggestion - we moved our plan around today - rescheduled restaurants, and got O'Hana's for breakfast on the Monday.

Now, the plan is as follows:

Sunday
Wing it -

Monday
O'Hana's for character breakfast
Magic Kingdom
Concourse steakhouse for dinner
Try to see Spectromagic and Wishes at MK

Tuesday
MGM
Mama Melrose for late late lunch, or early dinner with Fantasmic at 7

Wednesday
Animal Kingdom with AK parade at 3:45
Boma for dinner
MK if we're feeling up to it

Thursday
Epcot
Le Cellier for lunch
MK in the evening for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Friday
still unknown for day
still have to figure out what to do when hubby becomes available at 4pm - Any suggestions? MGM is open until 8pm and Illuminations (which we haven't fit into a slot yet) is at 9:30 at EPCOT.. .plus where to eat for dinner....

Saturday
do either MGM, EPCO or AK during the day - whatever we feel we need to hop to see
Narcoosee's for dinner
MK open late

 

[3princesses4us]

Don't forget to do some DT Disney time! I spent hours shopping and eating around there day or night! I'd suggest going the night you get there (we are) and eating at Earl of Sandwich or Wolfgang Puck's. You might even want to go back on the Friday your hubby is busy. You could also enroll your 4 year old in the Beach Club's Albatross cruise that Friday morning for 2 hours...
Your schedule looks better for the kids. We won't be doing much hopping either when we take our 3 little ones...

 

[tanmar]

I was thinking about when I could fit in some DTD time..... I do enjoy shopping (trying very hard not to rent myself a car and go to the outlets on the Friday....

We were thinking about going on the Sunday when we arrive. I figured since we land at 11:15 or so in the a.m., get to the hotel, check in, maybe we could bring the kids to MK ... even just for an hour or so and then pop over to DTD, so some Disney shopping, perhaps grab a CS meal there and then stop in at the Hess Gas Station over there and pick up some milk and whatnot before heading back to our room.

We will be eager to do some stuff, but also know how tired we are going to be. Turns out our flight is a charter, requiring us to be at the airport 3 yrs beforehand.... so we're leaving the house at 4:15 a.m, so I guess I'm up at 3? UGH.

I didn't want to waste any TS meals on the Sunday as I figure we'll be so wiped that we won't really enjoy it....

 

[SRUAlmn]

Whew! Thanks for the suggestion - we moved our plan around today - rescheduled restaurants, and got O'Hana's for breakfast on the Monday.

Now, the plan is as follows:

Sunday
Wing it -

Monday
O'Hana's for character breakfast
Magic Kingdom
Concourse steakhouse for dinner
Try to see Spectromagic and Wishes at MK

Tuesday
MGM
Mama Melrose for late late lunch, or early dinner with Fantasmic at 7

Wednesday
Animal Kingdom with AK parade at 3:45
Boma for dinner
MK if we're feeling up to it

Thursday
Epcot
Le Cellier for lunch
MK in the evening for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Friday
still unknown for day
still have to figure out what to do when hubby becomes available at 4pm - Any suggestions? MGM is open until 8pm and Illuminations (which we haven't fit into a slot yet) is at 9:30 at EPCOT.. .plus where to eat for dinner....

Saturday
do either MGM, EPCO or AK during the day - whatever we feel we need to hop to see
Narcoosee's for dinner
MK open late

Why don't you take the day time on Friday to play at your resort early in the day and then go to DTD and shop and play and eat lunch while your DH is occupied (since from my experience that can be overwhelming to a non-shopper which is 'most' men .) Then after he is available around 4:00 take the bus from DTD to the Beach Club and eat dinner at Beaches and Cream and then hop over to Epcot via walk or boat and do World Showcase and then watch Illuminations.

OR

Go to DTD earlier in the day, then come back for naps while you wait for DH. Then head over to the Beach Club via the bus to MGM and then the boat to BC or bus to DTD and bus to Beach Club.

 

[tanmar]

Don't forget to do some DT Disney time! I spent hours shopping and eating around there day or night! I'd suggest going the night you get there (we are) and eating at Earl of Sandwich or Wolfgang Puck's. You might even want to go back on the Friday your hubby is busy. You could also enroll your 4 year old in the Beach Club's Albatross cruise that Friday morning for 2 hours...
Your schedule looks better for the kids. We won't be doing much hopping either when we take our 3 little ones...

I tried to search the Albatross cruise... The info I found only said that it is Wednesday mornings.... Is that true? Also, do they actually go on a boat and can I go along - don't think I'd want to send him on a boat without me... to protective I guess

 

[3princesses4us]

I called about it and was told by Disney that it runs both Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9:30-11:30. It's for ages 4-11 I believe but alas parents can not go with them. I think there's room for 12 kids plus the cast members working it. It's pretty cool. They do go on a boat (goes into Epcot before WS opens), but I can understand your hesitation. I'm only cool about it because I'm sending my older 2 girls together so they'll have each other. Hopefully someone else who's sent their kids on it can say how it really is...

 

[tanmar]

Yeah, it sounds wonderful and I REALLY wish I could send him on it - he'd have a fab time BUT I can't handle sending my 4 yr old on a boat without me.... I'd have a miserable worried 2 hours Lifeguards and all, well..., that's just me.

 

[pedro2112]

Tanmar,

Are you going to eat at Mama Melrose as part of the fantasmic dinner package? With a little one, I'd highly recommend it. You eat (which you are going to do anyway) and you get a special pass to use an alternate entrance to fantasmic, and sit in a reserved seating area. Fantasmic can get really crowded, and just walking into the venue a half an hour before the show is a lot more convienient than waiting in a line for an hour or an hour and a half with a little one. The package can be used with the dining plan.