Minnie & Friends and early breakfast

[lizabu]

I know at WDW people will make an early breakfast reservation at Crystal Palace and one of the perks is you can get photos in a nearly empty main st and in front of the castle. Does it work the same way at DL? Can you get in a few minutes before official opening and manage to get pics without a million people in the background?

 

[Escape2Disney]

I know at WDW people will make an early breakfast reservation at Crystal Palace and one of the perks is you can get photos in a nearly empty main st and in front of the castle. Does it work the same way at DL? Can you get in a few minutes before official opening and manage to get pics without a million people in the background?

Yes. We do this all of the time!

 

[lizabu]

Awesome. I thought it would be great to see all the characters first of all but was trying to figure out if you could get in early or if they held you back until the park opened. Thanks for answering my question.

 

[GeminiAngel]

Yes you can. We just did this last Sunday morning. Great interaction!

 

[bibbidibobbidibecky]

How early before the park opens are you usually allowed a reservation? I've done CRT an hour before at WDW, so am trying to get an idea for DLR.

 

[lizabu]

How early before the park opens are you usually allowed a reservation? I've done CRT an hour before at WDW, so am trying to get an idea for DLR.

I'd be curious to know this too. It will be months before they release any dates for Dec

 

[skiingfast]

For the breakfast with Minnie and Friend at the Plaza Inn, you can make a reservation 50 minutes early on MM days, of course the MM crowds are going in with you. On non MM days 10 minutes early, and the park will be empty rarely, because there is often a rope drop on those days.

In DCA you can do the same for Ariel's Grotto, although I'm not sure of the time, but think it's 50 minutes early everyday. Though DCA opens the gates 30 minutes early for Rope Drop and you can only get some pictures on the bridge to Ariels Grotto without those people in the park.

 

[lizabu]

Thanks skiingfast. That helps sort out the best day to do the breakfast for me.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

For the breakfast with Minnie and Friend at the Plaza Inn, you can make a reservation 50 minutes early on MM days, of course the MM crowds are going in with you. On non MM days 10 minutes early, and the park will be empty rarely, because there is often a rope drop on those days.

yeah I totally do it on MM days rather than non....because you go in a separate entrance and if you skeedaddle you actually can get in with not too many people ahead of you and at least for a minute you will feel like its ALL yours....and I absolutely ♥♥♥♥ minnie and friends breakfast ...that one and Surfs Up with mickey are my absolute favorites

 

[mysteriouspnai]

On MM days, do you have to have MM for Minnie's Breakfast? And if you don't need to have MM, how do you get into the park?

 

[disneegrl4eva]

On MM days, do you have to have MM for Minnie's Breakfast? And if you don't need to have MM, how do you get into the park?

no no they go till late am so if you want to go later thats fine...ive done that too....if you dont have MM you go in when they let regular guests in and wait for rope drop

 

[lizabu]

I thought I read somewhere that if you do an early breakfast on a MM day you don't have to waste your MM just to enter for breakfast. That they will let you in for your reservation.

ETA- maybe I'm misunderstanding the previous post. Maybe you guys are referring to actually going in and riding rides when you don't have a MM but may have finished breakfast before park opening. I think I follow now.

 

[skiingfast]

On MM days, do you have to have MM for Minnie's Breakfast? And if you don't need to have MM, how do you get into the park?

no no they go till late am so if you want to go later thats fine...ive done that too....if you dont have MM you go in when they let regular guests in and wait for rope drop

When you have a preopening breakfast reservation, you go through the gate that say Character Meals, gate 1 on the far left of DL, not sure which on DCA with the construction. They ask for your party name, and look at the list of reservations. You can go in about 10 minutes before the reservation.

It does not require a MM credit on your tickets when you use that gate.

Then when you get to the restaurant they check you in again.

 

[annmarieda]

When you have a preopening breakfast reservation, you go through the gate that say Character Meals, gate 1 on the far left of DL, not sure which on DCA with the construction. They ask for your party name, and look at the list of reservations. You can go in about 10 minutes before the reservation.

It does not require a MM credit on your tickets when you use that gate.

Then when you get to the restaurant they check you in again.

What if you have a mm credit on your ticket... but you don't want to use it that day?

In other words, here is my thought... It will be our first day. MM is that day, but I would like a "pre opening" reservation. I know I can make the reservation... go to the special gate for Character meals... but since the MM will be available on that day will it be used? Or can I "bank" it for the next day?

 

[Lissame]

I have heard very mixed things from people--even though some people were told they could save their MM, it was deducted from their ticket and they had a terrible time getting it back again. Just to be safe I'd probably use my MM first and do the early Minnie's on a later day.

Also...I just saw your ticker that you're going in 2 weeks--chances are those early reservations are long gone at this point, since people could make them 60 days out. I called at 60 days exactly for mine.

 

[annmarieda]

I have heard very mixed things from people--even though some people were told they could save their MM, it was deducted from their ticket and they had a terrible time getting it back again. Just to be safe I'd probably use my MM first and do the early Minnie's on a later day.

Also...I just saw your ticker that you're going in 2 weeks--chances are those early reservations are long gone at this point, since people could make them 60 days out. I called at 60 days exactly for mine.

I know... I am typically one of those people on the phone at 7am est 180 days out for ADRs at WDW! I just wanted to know how it would work.

Thanks

 

[Lissame]

But then again, I was making my reservation for 13 people...so maybe if your party is smaller they might have room. You never know!

 

[annmarieda]

Ok...so I called... and I was quite surprised that I was able to get reservations! 7:30am is not too shabby

 

[annmarieda]

But then again, I was making my reservation for 13 people...so maybe if your party is smaller they might have room. You never know!

Yeah... pretty much I had a choice at any of the places when I asked for just 3 of us. When I added the extra 2... I was only able to get lunch at Carthay Circle. Which, I am fine with. So, I am sure that 13 was a bit harder to work with.

 

[ValpoCory]

I know at WDW people will make an early breakfast reservation at Crystal Palace and one of the perks is you can get photos in a nearly empty main st and in front of the castle. Does it work the same way at DL? Can you get in a few minutes before official opening and manage to get pics without a million people in the background?

We do Crystal Palace at 8am on the first morning of every WDW trip. We would only do an early Minnie & Friends breakfast during a Magic Morning where we didn't use a Magic Morning entry.

Being an hour early to Crystal Palace means an extra hour in the park and no missed ride time. At Disneyland, you are going to miss up to an hour of valuable ride time if you go to Minnie & Friends, unless you go on a Magic Morning without using Magic Morning entry. We are staying onsite, so we will always have Extra Magic Hour entry, so eating at Minnie & Friends will be a late brunch type thing most likely, as those early hours are key.