Itinerary help

[blackwo1]

I am planning a trip in January 2018 with my husband and girls (4 & 8). This is our first stay on property (POR) and we are doing the DDP. Here is my plan so far- please let me know if you would make any changes.

Sunday - travel day (by air) arriving at 3:00pm, dinner reservations at Chef Mickey's

Monday- Epcot, early Akershus breakfast, dinner at Napoli or Coral Reef, Illuminations

Tuesday- MK, either Tony's Festival of Fantasy parade package (if it's offered) or BOG Lunch, stay for fireworks

Wednesday (Grandpa and Grandpa to join us mid-day and stay till Saturday) - swim at resort in a.m., Disney Springs for lunch and BBB, 2:00pm parade with princesses, 1900 Park Fare character meal for dinner

Thursday- MK, either Tony's or BOG lunch (whatever we didn't do Tues), QS dinner

Friday- Last day to do whatever we didn't get to do- resort activities, ride monorail to other resorts, pool, buy souvenirs, use up QS and Snack credits on goodies to take home, dinner at Ohana, Cape May or The Wave

Saturday- travel home

>>>>>>>>

Friday feels like a wasted day for our last day. I would add a park day but we have done AK and don't need to do again and from the reviews I've read of HS, not sure about that until construction is done on the new areas. We will have a vehicle when Grandma and Grandpa come, is there a different Orlando park we should visit (Universal etc.)? Or do we leave it open until we are there and see what we feel like doing that day?

Anything else you would change- switching days, change restaurants, activities, etc? Thanks!

 

[Robo]

The reports that most of DHS is "closed" are inaccurate.

Really, a "Disney Myth."

 

[GillianP1301]

With 5 full days, I would not have 2 full rest/non park days. I would definitely recommend adding a day for the Friday and DHS is worth seeing. I think the SW fireworks show is one of the best nighttime entertainment options in WDW. If it were me, I would do DHS on the Thursday and MK on Friday, only because I like ending all trips with MK.

 

[ryukage]

I'd drop Tony's from the itinerary completely. There are very few positive stories that come out of there, and there are plenty of great places to view the parade from. We often just stop wherever we are to watch it go by, especially at the end of Main Street. If you're looking for a safe, non-exotic meal, I'd recommend either Liberty Square or the Plaza Restaurant. BOG is good, but the process can be overwhelming for some. If you have the option, pre-order your food at BOG. We waited 20+ minutes to order ours because we didn't want to be rushed in-and-out, but the time to order was such a slog.

HS may not have as much to offer as AK or MK, but between the thrill rides (ToT, RRC, Star Tours), TSMM, the character meet-n-greets, and the nighttime shows, you can have a great day. The Star Wars stuff is cool too for kids, or for people like me who still have the same excitement for all things SW (although I'm expecting geek-out-overload when Galaxy's Edge opens). You will almost certainly have to choose between the two nighttime shows. You need a close view of the Star Wars to make the most of it. If your family is more into the classic Disney characters than Star Wars, Fantasmic is the better choice.

I'd select Via Napoli over the Coral Reef, both for the menu and the location. The Living Seas can feel like a long way from World Showcase before Illuminations.