Last minute trip

[kikismom]

Hey all. My husband asked me if I wanted to go to a conference with him in Orlando at the end of March. I know it will be crazy busy but I feel like I can't pass up the free hotel, flight for him, and his food.

We are DLR experts but haven't ever been to DW so this is a bit overwhelming. Especially because our 60 day dining reservations have already started.

Here is our tentative plan:.

Sunday - AK, this is the one park he is looking forward to. Dinner reservations at DS, Trattoria al Forno at 7. I figure this is late enough seeing the park and getting there won't be an issue.

Monday - Epcot for my daughter (9) and I, husband will meet up after his day. We have Coral Reef booked for 7:55.

Tuesday - MK for our park. Nothing was really available late enough for him to eat with us so we'll head to DS for dinner at the Boathouse at 8.

Wednesday - Hollywood Studios
Thursday - Magic Kingdom
Friday - Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios has the most rides we are interested in as a family. His conference is over Wednesday evening. We may switch out to Epcot for Thursday as that is the other park he is interested in.

Any thoughts on other places to eat? I'd love to do a breakfast buffet with my daughter, husband doesn't do buffets. We normally do Plaza Inn and Goofys Kitchen at DLR, is anyone familiar with a comparable one?

We will be getting Genie+ and we've never used it so I need to study that. We are staying off-site at the convention hotel, it said it's a 20 minute ride to MK but I guess there is also a dedicated shuttle for conference people.

I'm a bit stressed about this as I usually have longer to plan and it's such a different set-up.

Any thoughts or ideas are very much welcome! I'm sure I'll have many more questions in the next few months.

 

[sheilafri]

First, don’t stress. This is all a bonus and you’ll have a great time even if you don’t get everything you want. The Friendship boats outside the IG at Epcot make it easy to get to the Boardwalk or HS so keep that in mind—particularly if you don’t have a car. IMHO, Epcot can remain somewhat busy through the evenings if there is a festival going on. HS is more likely to thin out a bit in case you want to park hop.

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

How exciting!

I just wanted to point out so you can plan accordingly that Trattoria al Forno isn’t at DS, it’s at the Boardwalk.

 

[kikismom]

What is IG? I keep seeing it referenced but can't figure it out.

Thank you for the info about Trattoria. I would have gone to the wrong place.

This is such an unexpected trip. I just found out last night we were going. I am an over planner so this is going to be a trip I'll have to loosen up about. It will be a good life lesson.

I really wish we could have park hoppers for our last two days only. I also may just suck it up and pay for them for the whole trip just to have them.

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

IG is International Gateway. It’s the ‘back’ entrance to Epcot where you enter into the World Showcase.

 

[snikki]

Last minute trips are IMO much better to do now that there isn’t FP+. Dining reservations always pop up. Especially the day of. I think you guys are going to have an amazing time! I feel like last minute, unplanned things end up being the best parts of life. They always work out much better since there’s not as many expectations set up.

 

[glocon]

I haven’t watched any in a while, but look at Disney Food Blog videos for ideas on places to eat. I used to love those!

 

[Upatnoon]

Hey all. My husband asked me if I wanted to go to a conference with him in Orlando at the end of March. I know it will be crazy busy but I feel like I can't pass up the free hotel, flight for him, and his food.

We are DLR experts but haven't ever been to DW so this is a bit overwhelming. Especially because our 60 day dining reservations have already started.

Here is our tentative plan:.

Sunday - AK, this is the one park he is looking forward to. Dinner reservations at DS, Trattoria al Forno at 7. I figure this is late enough seeing the park and getting there won't be an issue.

Monday - Epcot for my daughter (9) and I, husband will meet up after his day. We have Coral Reef booked for 7:55.

Tuesday - MK for our park. Nothing was really available late enough for him to eat with us so we'll head to DS for dinner at the Boathouse at 8.

Wednesday - Hollywood Studios
Thursday - Magic Kingdom
Friday - Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios has the most rides we are interested in as a family. His conference is over Wednesday evening. We may switch out to Epcot for Thursday as that is the other park he is interested in.

Any thoughts on other places to eat? I'd love to do a breakfast buffet with my daughter, husband doesn't do buffets. We normally do Plaza Inn and Goofys Kitchen at DLR, is anyone familiar with a comparable one?

We will be getting Genie+ and we've never used it so I need to study that. We are staying off-site at the convention hotel, it said it's a 20 minute ride to MK but I guess there is also a dedicated shuttle for conference people.

I'm a bit stressed about this as I usually have longer to plan and it's such a different set-up.

Any thoughts or ideas are very much welcome! I'm sure I'll have many more questions in the next few months.

It's great you are going in March, but when is your last-minute trip?

You have plenty of time to map out what you want to do. WDW is huge and takes time to move around. You are likely only going to scratch the surface of what's available, even with a weeklong trip, so focus on a few things you really want to do.

Leave time to just enjoy yourself and relax. Many people try to cram in too much and become miserable. You will be walking miles a day, don't be surprised if you are tired.

Just have fun!

 

[kikismom]

We are going the last week of March.

 

[LA Poolboy]

Don't even think about trying to do everything in one trip. We have been twenty-something times so far and still haven't done it all, but we keep going back to do what we know we enjoy. With so many choices of restaurants at your disposal, if you don't get the exact one you want there will be some great second choices. It's different for everybody but I don't feel like we have really been to WDW until we get to Magic Kingdom. The trip from which we just returned that was Day 3. But it's okay, we made up for it by going several times before time to leave. You are going to have a blast!!

 

[Marthasor]

Hey all. My husband asked me if I wanted to go to a conference with him in Orlando at the end of March. I know it will be crazy busy but I feel like I can't pass up the free hotel, flight for him, and his food.

We are DLR experts but haven't ever been to DW so this is a bit overwhelming. Especially because our 60 day dining reservations have already started.

Here is our tentative plan:.

Sunday - AK, this is the one park he is looking forward to. Dinner reservations at DS, Trattoria al Forno at 7. I figure this is late enough seeing the park and getting there won't be an issue.

Monday - Epcot for my daughter (9) and I, husband will meet up after his day. We have Coral Reef booked for 7:55.

Tuesday - MK for our park. Nothing was really available late enough for him to eat with us so we'll head to DS for dinner at the Boathouse at 8.

Wednesday - Hollywood Studios
Thursday - Magic Kingdom
Friday - Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios has the most rides we are interested in as a family. His conference is over Wednesday evening. We may switch out to Epcot for Thursday as that is the other park he is interested in.

Any thoughts on other places to eat? I'd love to do a breakfast buffet with my daughter, husband doesn't do buffets. We normally do Plaza Inn and Goofys Kitchen at DLR, is anyone familiar with a comparable one?

We will be getting Genie+ and we've never used it so I need to study that. We are staying off-site at the convention hotel, it said it's a 20 minute ride to MK but I guess there is also a dedicated shuttle for conference people.

I'm a bit stressed about this as I usually have longer to plan and it's such a different set-up.

Any thoughts or ideas are very much welcome! I'm sure I'll have many more questions in the next few months.

If you want a character meal, eating at Tusker House in AK would be convenient on your AK day or you could go to Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary prior to one of your MK days.

 

[MulanMom]

We've done quite a few trips under the 60 day mark and have still ended up with awesome restaurant reservations. You just need to keep checking and jump on a reservation when you see it...it will get snapped up quickly...as in it may not be there an hour or a day later. Character meals can be a little more challenging but openings pop up all the time. If you search the restaurant threads, there's information about reservation finder services available that can assist. But honestly, I've searched at odd times during the day and at night and have happened upon pretty good ones.

Have a wonderful first trip to DW!

 

[kikismom]

Thanks all! Keep the info coming.

I've gotten some good reservations. I missed Chef Mickey this morning because I fell asleep right before the 3 am start time.

I'm feeling pretty good about the trip at this point. I've been studying Genie+ and quick service restaurants.

I am very excited because we told my daughter we are going to Florida but we haven't told her we're going to DW yet. She's excited just to to to Florida and will freak when she knows we're spending our time at DW instead of just hanging at a hotel while DH is at his conference.

 

[cjlong88]

We ate at Trattoria earlier this month and really enjoyed our meal!