Is this too much?

[chasingthtdream08]

Hi All,

I am planning our days for our December trip this year. Here is a quick rundown....DBF and I, Nov 30th-Dec 7th, DDP, POR, 4-Day Basic Park Passes (No Hopper).

Nov 30th - Arrival Day
Flight to arrive around 3pm
Rental Car
Check-in
Orlando Eye

Dec 1 - Epcot
Lunch - QS Mexico
Dinner - Le Cellier

Dec 2 - Animal Kingdom
Lunch - Flametree BBQ
Dinner - Ohana

Dec 3 - Rest/Relaxation Day
Mini Golf
Disney Springs
Lunch - Earl of Sandwich
Dinner - Cali Grill

Dec 4 - Universal/IOA
Breakfast - Riverside Mill
Lunch - QS @ Uni (debating on getting their meal plan)
Dinner - Kobe Steakhouse

Dec 5 - Hollywood Studios
Lunch - Mama Melrose Fantasmic Package
Dinner - Backlot Express

Dec 6 - Magic Kingdom
Lunch - Be Our Guest
Dinner - Liberty Tree Tavern

Dec 7 - Beach/Departure
Head to Daytona early
Flight departs at 9pm from MCO

A few additional questions I have....
My DBF is a huge Harry Potter fan, we've been to Hogsmeade before but he has not seen Diagon Alley yet. We plan on getting to the park the earliest we can and staying until park close to finish both parks. We know it will be impossible to hit everything, we just want to hit the favorites. Will this be enough time?

Do park hours come out at least a day or so before the 180 ADR window? I may change my plans around once I see EMH/Firework schedules.

We are big on sleeping in on vacation so most likely won't hit the parks until 11/12noon (except for Universal & MK days). Will this be an issue?

Can I expect any discounts to come out for this week?

 

[jar]

Depends on your style/pace. I don't think it's too much. Not sure I'd run to Daytona and then back to airport on departure day (especially if you are 11am/12pm up and out people and you also won't be able to shower before flight) but a full day in early December in each park seems enough to see everything.

 

[seashell7290]

Uni quick service plan is a great deal if you are eating lunch in either Harry Potter restaurant. You get the meal with a drink and a snack and a drink to use later in the day. And yes the Harry Potter ice cream place can be used as a snack (salted caramel blonde )

 

[drinkme]

Skip your rest day. If you aren't getting to parks until later each day than don't take a rest day. Universal/IOA will probably close early the day you have chosen. Like maybe 6 or 7pm. Add another day to that park, especially since you have a big HP fan in the family.

 

[Iowajes]

I'd skip the rest day unless you really want to do those things. You can rest when vacation is over!
(Clearly, I'm not a "relaxing vacation" type)

 

[sharonabe]

OR use your rest day to head over to Daytona and do mini-golf and Disney Springs on your departure day. It looks to me like you have one more QS to use. If you rearrange to this schedule, you could use that QS at Wolfgang Puck Express in DS which is one of the BEST uses of a QS credit there is.

There MAY be free dining for your week if free dining comes out at all. Alternatively, I would expect a room discount, so just be watching for either.

As to getting to the parks around 11/noon, just be aware that AK and HS will likely close around 7, so that will limit your time there. I think I'd try to get there a little earlier than 11. HS usually closes early one night that week for a CM party, so watch for that one. You'll also want to schedule your MK day on a NON-party night or you'll be kicked out of the park at 7:00.

 

[chasingthtdream08]

Thanks all for the help! Maybe half a day at Universal/half a rest-day wouldn't hurt

 

[DisneyCAL]

Go light on your AK day with the food at Flametree bbq, Ohana is a ton of food. As for Harry Potter, we did both sides plus Jurassic Park from 9am-2pm got in what we wanted, toured some rides instead of riding but saw all of it.

 

[subtchr]

OR use your rest day to head over to Daytona and do mini-golf and Disney Springs on your departure day. It looks to me like you have one more QS to use. If you rearrange to this schedule, you could use that QS at Wolfgang Puck Express in DS which is one of the BEST uses of a QS credit there is.

There MAY be free dining for your week if free dining comes out at all. Alternatively, I would expect a room discount, so just be watching for either.

As to getting to the parks around 11/noon, just be aware that AK and HS will likely close around 7, so that will limit your time there. I think I'd try to get there a little earlier than 11. HS usually closes early one night that week for a CM party, so watch for that one. You'll also want to schedule your MK day on a NON-party night or you'll be kicked out of the park at 7:00.

I agree with all of this, just a couple points...

It's not a CM party that closes DHS in early December, it's Pop Warner. This year their dates were Dec 5-12, and the DHS party, which closed the park at 6:00, was December 9.

Great point about avoiding a Christmas Party date at the MK. Unfortunately, a non-party day tends to be quite a bit more crowded during the day, but without hoppers, you don't have much choice.

I can't imagine sleeping in that late on a Disney vacation, but we are weird that way. We would see that as wasted prime park hours!

Also, I much prefer Cocoa Beach to Daytona, and it is much closer. Clearwater Beach is even nicer, but that is a bit longer drive than Daytona. Still under two hours, though, and gorgeous.

Have a great trip!

 

[sharonabe]

It's not a CM party that closes DHS in early December, it's Pop Warner. This year their dates were Dec 5-12, and the DHS party, which closed the park at 6:00, was December 9.

It does appear that the CM party/recognition takes place BEFORE Thanksgiving week and not the week after. Sorry about that.

 

[cgattis]

I ditto the PP in that I would not drive all the way to Daytona and back to the airport. If you must do a beach that day, I'd definitely choose Cocoa for proximity to the airport. Or you could use that as your rest day, as you can get there and leave any time you wish. Also we personally LOVE the HP stuff and could never be satisfied with a half day to do both parts.

 

[CarolinaDD1997]

Ohana really is a lot of food so if you want to visit both restaurants make sure you make reservations with many hours in between. I personally prefer and absolutely love breakfast there, so if you plan on waking up early, i would consider going at that time!
Also if your bf is a harry fan id totally visit Universal during your rest day, at least half a day

 

[scrappingbuckeye]

Personally I would do the beach day the same day as Cali Grill - It's only 45 min to Cocoa plenty of time to do the beach downtown disney and dinner. I love MK so I would go back there on my departure day.

We are big on sleeping in on vacation so most likely won't hit the parks until 11/12noon (except for Universal & MK days). Will this be an issue?

So are we - we rarely get to a park before noon, we just stay really late instead.

 

[Thumper1066]

With a seven day DDP, I think you are missing a QS meal, however, if you wish I believe you can trade left over meals for snacks. If I remember, it was 3 snacks for every meal. You could use them to put together a "basket" of treats for the beach. I agree Daytona may be a reach. If you take your own food you can head to the northern section of Cocoa Beach, or even New Smyrna Beach. Or better yet after the Orlando Eye go to Disney Springs and try Cook's of Dublin (Pleasure Island Area) or Wolfgang Puck Express at the Marketplace.

I also concur with those who recommend an extra day at US/IOA. Did you get park to park tickets at Uni. so you can ride Hogwarts Express?
FYI, we saved 5 per person buying our Orlando Eye tickets from UndercoverTourist. Have fun planning.

 

[serene56]

Do park hours come out at least a day or so before the 180 ADR window? I may change my plans around once I see EMH/Firework schedules.

We are big on sleeping in on vacation so most likely won't hit the parks until 11/12noon (except for Universal & MK days). Will this be an issue?

Can I expect any discounts to come out for this week?

I made some pre rope drop ADR at 180 days. About 2 weeks before my trip they changed park hours etc which I had to cancel my pre rope drop ADRs. They added extra Fantasmic during the week and added an extra Electric parade. So what you see 6 months ahead more then likely will change.

Sleeping in and arriving later-- you will be arriving with a ton of others who feel the same way. Parks are very crowded around noon.
We go early-- leave when all those who slept in start arriving.. then go back around 6pm

 

[caroline1851]

I'm a rope drop person because I don't like to wait more than 15 min for any ride/attraction so I cannot imagine sleeping in. You might have to miss stuff or plan to wait a lot. With sleeping in often, I don't see a need for a rest day. But we've never been people to go from Rope Drop to close....
fyi, the CS lunch in Mexico is HORRIBLE. You should stay over at US so you get the express pass thing and do more than 1 day there. maybe day and half. we tried their meal plan and found the CS places to be pretty bad. We ate at US at some Chinese place and a pizza type place. Really bad food. I do remember a sandwich type place near theentrance of IOA that was really good though.

 

[Paigesmom2013]

Maybe I drive slow, but it took an hour for us to get to Daytona from MCO last year (that's where we spent the whole week.) I don't know if there are any closer beaches. And the security line out of MCO was quite long.

 

[Mirax]

I'm not sure of the weather in early Dec. I just know that when I was there in October 2012, it was only 70 degrees at the water park. I would be flexible about going to the beach.

 

[chasingthtdream08]

Thanks everyone for the input! I really appreciate the great tips! There are just some things in our plan that cannot be changed, such as the sleeping in thing. My BF works third shift here at home so the whole sleeping in this is for that reason, he's not an easy person to move around his sleep schedule and I don't need a cranky, resentful BF because he got no sleep. Also, we will be one hour ahead which will work against us as well. I realize that getting to the parks early is much more beneficial but this one is one we cannot budge on, besides we've already established that both the US and MK days will be early days, park open in fact. Speaking of MK day, I am trying to definitely plan MK on a day with no MVMCP but also trying to avoid the parade taping. I know just this last year, the parade was taped in November but I heard it was just due to some of the talent schedules, I can't bank on that happening again this year.

We picked Daytona because him and I have fond memories there each individually from other previous trips, I have been to Cocoa many times, especially when I lived in Orlando for three years, and realize how close it is especially to MCO so that may have to change. I also understand that the weather is unpredictable and in that case we would definitely find something else to do on our "Beach Day". I am leery to give up my rest day, just because on previous vacations, I've found that to be one of the most enjoyable days, taking things at a leisurely pace and finding some new Disney oddities.

We will definitely be getting a park-to-park ticket so we can ride Hogwarts Express. I am just trying to make this trip as budget friendly as possible and don't know how I feel about adding on an additional day. I've been in the past (before HP) and was able to leisurely do both parks in the same day and be done by 4pm, so I guess that's where my head is at.

Thanks for catching my "missing" of a QS meal, I suppose we could use that on our departure day in Riverside Mill otherwise, I'm not opposed to turning it into three snacks that we could bring home

I am definitely concerned about Pop Warner but as long as we're not at the same resort as them I think we should be okay!

 

[hsmamato2]

Well, I get it about the 3rd shift thing, but you are not going to see a lot if you arrive by noon and the park closes by 8 or so.... be aware of those timing things.... in that case a hopper might be a good investment for you guys, so you can just start where you like on your park days and hop to the latest park open that night,since that's your schedule.... that way your actual park days would be maximized(we like that sort of schedule also) I agree with pp's about Daytona on the day you leave, I would be so stressed,and if you get up late as per your notes, it will feel pretty much like you're watching the clock and rushing all day,I'd do it on the rest day,and then use my last day to hang out on property