Is there anything I'm missing? I'm a first timer!

[ladybugkisses]

Woohooo...I'm so happy to have this done!

I'm on the deluxe dining plan and will be staying at the Poly. Two adults and a 9 year old.

Does this look OK? I will still have 3 TS credits left - I thought I could use those at a QS during the day if we get hungry. Is there any must haves that I might be missing? I tried to plan dinners around what parks we will be in.


arrive Jan. 5th

California Grill 9:10PM


Jan. 6th - MK

CRT 10AM
Spirit Of Aloha 8PM


Jan. 7th - Epcot

Coral Reef 11:30AM
Le Cellier 8:25PM


Jan 8th - MK

1900 Park Fare 9:05AM
Narcoossee's 9PM


Jan 9th - HS

Ohana 8:45AM
Kona 5:54PM
LaNouba 9PM


Jan 10th - AK

Donald's Safari 8:05AM
Jiko 6:25PM


Jan 11th - MK

Crystal Palace 8:05AM


Jan 12 leaving

Chef Micky's 9:30AM

 

[Hootch]

going to miss something. WDW is too large to see it all in one time and that includes restaurants.

You have a very good mix. A couple of signature restaurants, a dinner show, character meals and other good places to eat.

A few suggestions if you want to use the extra TSs. 50s Prime Time or Sci Fi Dine In in Hollywood Studios are fun. The food is not exotic or high end in either place. The atmosphere is the draw. Flying Fish and Narcooses are good choices if you are looking for seafood. You have Jiko for a taste of African cuisine. Boma is also a good option if you want to try more dishes.

 

[ladybugkisses]

Thanks...I really wanted to try The Flying Fish., but I worried about getting there. I don't want to take to much time away from the parks. We won't have a car so it will be Disney transportation and cabs.

Rachel

 

[ronunc]

It's a short walk from Epcot to the Flying Fish through the International Gate (near France). You get the benefit of seeing the Boardwalk area.

 

[Hootch]

Thanks...I really wanted to try The Flying Fish., but I worried about getting there. I don't want to take to much time away from the parks. We won't have a car so it will be Disney transportation and cabs.

Rachel

by the PP it is a short walk from the International Gate at Epcot. You can also catch a bus from any park to the Boardwalk Inn. It's a short walk from there. Hop a bus at the same resort to get back to that resort or move to another. The Beach and Yacht Clubs are on the other side of Crescent Lake.

You can get a feel for it from the map linked below:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/epcot-resort-area.htm

 

[ladybugkisses]

Thanks. I have Le Cellier booked on the day that we will be at Epcot, is the Flying Fish better?

Thanks again,
Rachel

 

[kentear]

Hi Rachel - First time visits are always so much fun. You are going to have a wonderful time. Back when I first started vacationing there, it could be totally overwhelming too. The place is HUGE.

You have lots of variety which is wonderful. But some of your days are really long. For example on 1/8 you have breakfast at 9am and dinner at 9pm. That means you will be up at probably 7:30 and not to bed by probably 11:30. The on 1/9 you do basically the same thing all over again. You might need a vacation to recover from your vacation.

I'm getting a little off topic but...just like you said, I remember back when I first went, I wanted to spend as much time in the parks as I could. People may disagree with me but. in my opinion I really encourage you to try to do the exact opposite. It sounds weird, but you are going to be there for many days and I guarantee, once you go this time, you will be back many more time. Plan for a lot of time out of the parks. Did I mention the place is HUGE? Enjoy your resort - it is so fantastic. Take naps every day. Especially the adults Take time to "slowly" enjoy DTD. Sit in the lobby of the GF and enjoy the live music in the afternoon. Go play a round of miniature golf by the Swan/Dolphin. Take the boat from the MK to Wilderness Lodge and explore the beautiful hotel just for the heck of it. When you leave HS, take the boat to the Boardwalk and check it out. Lots of neat things your 9-year old will like. Enjoy stuff like that.

We break the day up by spending no more than 3 hours in a park based on where we are eating. So if you are going to CRT, spend a couple of hours in the park after but then leave. You will be back. Then at dinner time if you are eating in DTD, spend time there. Just try not to spend your whole day at the park. You will be exhausted. Oh by the way, the place is HUGE.

The other thing we do is never schedule lunch and dinner in the same park/place on the same day. For example, I would suggest you change one of your ADRs for 1/7 to another place. This is just my opinion but I find that it has really worked well for us over the years.

Anyway, just some suggestions. We love the dining plan and can't vacation without it now. We sometimes feel we are always eating but hey, it's vacation. Remember...you can always go back and will NEVER see everything! Trust me on this. You will have a great time.

 

[kmk1180]

You do have a nice selection of resturants...but you said this is your first time? To WDW?
My first thought is your going to spending your whole trip eating.
Some of those meals can take a couple of hours.
I think that's the biggest mistake first timers make, they underestimate how long it takes to see the parks, without sit down meals.
And they over plan, thinking they can still sit and eat twice and day and still see all the parks.

Are you sure you want to spend that much time sitting in a resturant with a 9 year old at you first trip to WDW?

 

[wezee]

Other than maybe moving the ADR time for Narcossees and CG to around 7:30pm...so you are not returning to your resort so late, I love your dining selections. We are also going with the DxDDP and have chosen many of the same restaurants.

I think planning TS each day, forces you to "stop and smell the roses", so to speak. I would not be concerned with taking time away from the parks. Going "commando" in the parks could lead to burn out. Take your time and enjoy!!

 

[ladybugkisses]

Ok.. I changed Narcoossee's to 7PM. I think your right about getting back to my hotel so late every night.


Kentear - you posted that you did not think it was a good idea to have 2 restaurants booked in the same park. Is there a reason why? I thought by doing to in Epcot, we would not have to leave the park, only to come back later.

Thanks for everyone helpful hints!! I really appreciate all the help.

 

[septbaby]

First of all don't take our advice as gospel, if you think your plan is solid, don't make the changes. If its not quite right, you'll just have to come back for a do over! There is nothing catastrophic in your plans.

Now, for my 2 cents:
AK Day - I'd switch the Safari breakfast for Boma. You have a number of character meals and should see all of those characters else where. Boma has a vast breakfast buffet and is unique. I think the Jiko ressie is good for dinner, but those two are not interchangable, do both. You have a late night with LaNouba the night before, so I'd probably book Boma no earlier than 9:30 or 10am. Take the bus to AK then take another to AKL, 5 min ride) and do the reverse to get back to AK after breakfast. Arriving at AK by noon will still give you a lot of time to do things before it closes at 5pm. DO NOT miss the parade. It goes around twice, so you should be able to see it. It is very high energy, artistry is amazing, the range of characters vast and the music is so so fun. Finally I highly recommend an ice cream snack to keep cool. My nephew would specifically recommend the Itzakadoozie!

DHS - I think eating at 9am and then again at 6pm you will definitely want another meal in between. Booking Sci Fi would probably be a good move for your family. DHS is a hot park, the break in AC with a thick milkshake is a great idea, esp since you have a long day plan, pace yourselves.

Narcoossee's - Just be sure the 7pm seating allows you to stay for Wishes. We did this last summer, it was wonderful. I'd suggest taking the boat back to the Poly as the Poly is the next stop; change up from the monorail.

3rd MK Day - You'll definitely need another meal or 2
Lunch inside MK, The Plaza right on Main Street sandwiches, salads with a great view of all the action (dessert is the specialty here)
Lunch or dinner outside of MK - Consider the Grand Floridian Cafe, a nice setting, diverse menu and just a relaxing place for a meal
Flying Fish - This would be a good night to book this one

Great strategy to have a few loose meal credits for CS, but if you have 3 per person that's may be too loose. You may find that you can easily share CS meals so 1-2 credits will likely feed all 3 of you.

Keep in mind you have the option of room service at the Poly, so you could spend 2credits for a meal that way. The gratuity is covered by your dining plan with room service orders. Again you don't have to order a meal for everyone, sharing a room service meal is perfectly acceptable.

Have a great time and make awesome memories!

 

[sharadoc]

You have your meals scheduled nicely with minimal travel time - you were really smart in putting them together that way, so you're not spending a lot of time travelling.

I also would like to add that you may be spending a lot of time eating and not enough time in the parks when all is said and done, but since you really want to experience as much as possible, then go for it! Just don't expect to do EVERYTHING - that's what makes it fun to plan for the next time.

Have a magical trip!

 

[kentear]

Kentear - you posted that you did not think it was a good idea to have 2 restaurants booked in the same park. Is there a reason why? I thought by doing to in Epcot, we would not have to leave the park, only to come back later.

I think that planing to stay in one park for that amount of time is a lot to be honest. If you break up where you have your meals (different parks/resorts) it helps to slow you down. I know it sounds counter intuitive but in my opinion it will really help you out a lot. Plus I think you can get park burnout after too many hours in one place.

However, this is just my opinion. What ever you do decide to do, I'll be anxious to see how you make out after you return. I hope you post a brief trip report. 1st time trips are so great!

 

[Bell30012]

If your nine year old is a girl you really need to add Akershus - Princess Storybook Breakfast in EPCOT (Norway) to your EPCOT day. It is a must for character interaction.