More 1st-Timer Planning: Character Experiences/Dining

[MHofeners]

I am trying to get a Wish List together of things I want to use my FP+ and ADR's for and just a general game plan. Considering the ages of my kiddos - all boys 7,4 & almost 3 yrs in August. Can you help?

Things on my large starting point list include:
Character experiences/special events
---Chef Mickey Bfast (is any other meal offered for this?)
---Tusker house bfast with Donald & friends before park opens (we won't have AK tix - can we do this?)
---Hollywood & Vine Bfast w/Disney Jr characters (again, can we do this if we dont have HS tix?)
---Cape Cafe May bfast w/Goofy & Friends
---1900 Park Fare Bfast (or skip due to mostly girly characters?)
---The Crystal Palace bfast (or skip since my kids aren't hugely familiar with/crazy over Pooh & friends?)

---BOG Dinner (or maybe just the FP+ lunch)
---Mickey's Backyard BBQ
---Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue dinner
---Lunch or Dinner at T-REx on a non-park day

---Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party

Other Character experiences if we can make it happen:
---Jack Sparrow Pirate Tutorial
---Incredibles Super Dance Party
---Meet Buzz in Tomorrowland
---Pete's Silly Sideshow
---Mickey at Town Square Theatre
Or should I not even try to plan these things and just let them happen if they happen???

Talk to me about parades & fireworks if you will.

And/or other boy-ish activities that I am overlooking (that don't require entry to parks other than MK)

Thanks again in advance!!!

 

[MHofeners]

Adding to that:

---Meet Toy Story friends near Splash Mountain (or impossible in busy early August?)

---Move It Shake It Dance & Play It Street Party

Rope drop ceremonies? We are early risers! But thinking we may be tied up with bfast plans?

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

I am trying to get a Wish List together of things I want to use my FP+ and ADR's for and just a general game plan. Considering the ages of my kiddos - all boys 7,4 & almost 3 yrs in August. Can you help?

Things on my large starting point list include:
Character experiences/special events
---Chef Mickey Bfast (is any other meal offered for this?) The OHANA breakfast at hte Polynesia Resort has great characters, too
---Tusker house bfast with Donald & friends before park opens (we won't have AK tix - can we do this?) No you cant. You have to enter the AK park to do this...worry!
---Hollywood & Vine Bfast w/Disney Jr characters (again, can we do this if we dont have HS tix?) No you cant, YOu have to enter the HS park to do this
---Cape Cafe May bfast w/Goofy & Friends Sounds great...no park tickets are needed to do this
---1900 Park Fare Bfast (or skip due to mostly girly characters?) this is pretty girlie
---The Crystal Palace bfast (or skip since my kids aren't hugely familiar with/crazy over Pooh & friends?) If your kids arent into these characters, look at Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge Resort (no park entry required)...its a very boy oriented place I think.... Our family loves it

---BOG Dinner (or maybe just the FP+ lunch) all of these are fun
---Mickey's Backyard BBQ
---Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue dinner
---Lunch or Dinner at T-REx on a non-park day

---Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party can be hard to get a reservation...book it soon...for a first timer trip, Id skip this...

Other Character experiences if we can make it happen: All sound great!
---Jack Sparrow Pirate Tutorial
---Incredibles Super Dance Party
---Meet Buzz in Tomorrowland
---Pete's Silly Sideshow
---Mickey at Town Square Theatre
Or should I not even try to plan these things and just let them happen if they happen??? Id try to plan it and then plan to be flexible...that is usually the approach I take....at least we know when and where things are going on but itf we dont make it all, we dont stress

Talk to me about parades & fireworks if you will.

And/or other boy-ish activities that I am overlooking (that don't require entry to parks other than MK) Have you looked int Pirates League where they can get pirate makeovers? very fun!!!

Thanks again in advance!!!

Look for my responses with the smiley faces

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

Adding to that:

---Meet Toy Story friends near Splash Mountain (or impossible in busy early August?)

---Move It Shake It Dance & Play It Street Party

Rope drop ceremonies? We are early risers! But thinking we may be tied up with bfast plans?

This is just my 2 cents...we have done several trips. We have learned that it is very beneficial to arrive early to avoid crowds and heat (especially in August). Schedule character dining, or any reservation dining for that matter, for lunch or dinner to give yourself a break from heat and crowds.....otherwise you loose a lot of great "park time" eating eggs and biscuits

 

[MHofeners]

oh good tip! Thanks! And here I was thinking we do bfast with the characters Can you tel me which of these do lunch with characters or where I can find that info?

 

[MHofeners]

I have heard of the Pirates' League thing! Thanks for the reminder! Can you use FP+ for this? And even if so, do you still pay $?

 

[DopeyDame]

My responses in red. (My 5.5 year old boy has been to WDW three times, so that's where I'm coming from...)

I am trying to get a Wish List together of things I want to use my FP+ and ADR's for and just a general game plan. Considering the ages of my kiddos - all boys 7,4 & almost 3 yrs in August. Can you help?

It sounds like you're just doing Magic Kingdom, right? One day in the parks? How many days at the resorts? It sounds like you have a lot of non-park stuff on your list (which is great!) but you're definitely missing some pretty awesome experiences in the other parks.

Things on my large starting point list include:
Character experiences/special events
Just one character meal is probably sufficient. They're expensive and unless you're searching out a specific character, one experience is pretty much all we need.
---Chef Mickey Bfast (is any other meal offered for this?) Probably your best option with your group, assuming you aren't going to Animal Kingdom.
---Tusker house bfast with Donald & friends before park opens (we won't have AK tix - can we do this?) Hands down my favorite character meal, especially for boys. The food is great and the experience is really fun! Sadly, you do need a park pass to get into the park and restaurant
---Hollywood & Vine Bfast w/Disney Jr characters (again, can we do this if we dont have HS tix?) Miserable experience here. And probably a little babyish for your crew. Skip it.
---Cape Cafe May bfast w/Goofy & Friends I haven't been to this one, but we've stayed at Yacht Club, and walking by it always seems lovely - not to crowded or crazy. Probably a good choice.
---1900 Park Fare Bfast (or skip due to mostly girly characters?) Haven't done this one.
---The Crystal Palace bfast (or skip since my kids aren't hugely familiar with/crazy over Pooh & friends?) If you can get a reservation before the park opens, this could be great. I looooove walking down a nearly-deserted main street. The breakfast itself is fine.

---BOG Dinner (or maybe just the FP+ lunch)
We did the FP+ for lunch, and it was lovely. I can't tell if you're staying on site or not. FP+ for BoG is only available to those onsight. I haven't done dinner there, but I'm sure it would be great.
---Mickey's Backyard BBQ Of everything on your list - keep this! I know it gets mixed reviews, but we love it! And your boys are great ages for it.
---Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue dinner I was there when I was young, but haven't been recently. I haven't taken my kids yet - wanted to wait until they were just a tad older. I'm sure the 7 year old would be fine, but the younger two would worry me. I'd hate to spend all that money and then have them get antsy and want to run around. (That's the beauty of Mickey's Backyard BBQ - unlimited "run around" potential!)
---Lunch or Dinner at T-REx on a non-park day Should be fun!

---Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party I haven't done this.

Other Character experiences if we can make it happen:
---Jack Sparrow Pirate Tutorial We've watched a show. DS was way to shy to participate. Looks like fun though! Just be prepared to have your kids not be willing to do it, and don't get upset.
---Incredibles Super Dance Party haven't done that. Not even sure what or where it is.
---Meet Buzz in Tomorrowland Absolutely! And ride buzz no fewer than 8 million times
---Pete's Silly Sideshow Haven't done this
---Mickey at Town Square Theatre Wait and see how your kids react to the characters. We did this once, and it sooooooo wasn't worth the time or effort, because DS freaked out and wouldn't say hi or anything to Mickey. (He was 4 at the time). Since you're doing a character meal, that's probably a better place to meet the characters. More relaxed for the kids.
Or should I not even try to plan these things and just let them happen if they happen???
Plans are good - just be prepared to change them and go with the flow!

Talk to me about parades & fireworks if you will.
What in particular? The fireworks are amazing! The parades are worth doing at least once.


And/or other boy-ish activities that I am overlooking (that don't require entry to parks other than MK)
It looks like you're focusing a lot on "extras". In general, I'd tone that down and just focus on having fun and riding the rides and doing the "normal" stuff. Buzz Lightyear ride will be a huge hit with the boys. They're probably all tall enough for barnstormer and 7DMT, and maybe for BTM. Tom Sawyer Island is perfect for little kids to run around and have some fun.
Again, let us know a little more about your trip and we can probably offer some better advice.

Thanks again in advance!!!

Have fun!!!

 

[DopeyDame]

Adding to that:

---Meet Toy Story friends near Splash Mountain (or impossible in busy early August?)

---Move It Shake It Dance & Play It Street Party

Rope drop ceremonies? We are early risers! But thinking we may be tied up with bfast plans?

Getting to the parks early is great! For the really little ones (maybe your almost 3 year old), though, we've found that getting there about 5 minutes after the rope drop ceremony is a better strategy. The crowd and crush of the initial rope drop was just too much for our DS when he was younger.

 

[natashag76]

Strongly recommend Cape May breakfast! As for your schedule, you'll be there at one the most crowded times of the year. How long are you visiting? That's a lot of sit-down, food based stuff, and your boys will probably want to do rides, too. A character meal will take roughly 45 min MINIMUM to guarantee to get a nice visit with all the available characters, photo ops and eating. If you are determined to do a lot of character visits, do only one a day, regardless of whether it's a meal or not. There's so much stuff to do! and of course, whatever you don't fit in now, you can always do on a 2nd trip

 

[MHofeners]

So sorry! I should have included more bground info!

We've never been to WDW; I've doe DL 1x as a teen years ago and my DH has not been to WDW for many many years, so we are pretty much clueless other than the research we have done to date. We have 3 boys who will be ages 7, 4 & almost 3 when we travel. They are fairly well traveled little sports. Our trip is the beginning of August - while we realize this isn't ideal timing, we will already be in Ft. Lauderdale for a business trip(DH)/beach (me&boys) for 3-4 days, then will arrive in Orlando on a Wednesday afternoon. We only plan to do MK this trip - thinking MK Thurs & Sat with a down day on Fri. (We'll for sure be back for a longer trip to experience more!) We plan to stay on-site.

And, I realize this list is long and don't plan to do nearly all of it! I was just trying to gather boy-ish ideas aside from rides so I can start making a game plan

 

[MHofeners]

I'm not concerned about early wake up times FYI - we have EARLY risers! No matter what lol!

As it stands now, we will only probably actually 2 character meals, one TS meal at T-Rex the night we get it I think for a total of 3TS (then will have our 3 snacks & 3 QS).

I really want them to experience the characters since my younger 2 LOVE mickey & friends and they all love Toy Story, Incredibles, pirates. Plus, I was worried about the younger 2 not being tall enough for rides - should i not be?

 

[MHofeners]

Would you all be willing to help me with my general outline of the trip? I feel like if we know when we are eating & where and which characters we will experience at those meals, I can plan the other stuff... Or would you all suggest a better way to plan our days?

My current thought is that we will be there early: at RD or just after one day (or both) and/or maybe beforehand for a character bfast at least one of the days. Or save a character bfast for our rest day? Head to do rides early & other park stuff (clueless on those at this point he he), back to the room to rest around 1 or 2p maybe, then dinner/more park fun thru parade or fireworks (with our next day being a down day). One our 2nd day in the park (after a day of rest), I was thinking we could stretch it longer, doing a TS lunch to get out of the heat, then stay thru Festival of Fantasy parade at 3p, maybe even longer, then leave the park & headed to airport hotel for our last night before heading home in the morning (closer & save costs vs staying in the park the last night).

We will have 3 nights worth of meals so 3 each of snack, QS, TS - or at least that is what I was thinking. I was thinking of using 1 TS for Trex the night we get there, and the other 2 for character meals??? GAH! Now I am re-thinking all that lol! Perhaps I need more TS???

Wed late afternoon - arrive at WDW from Ft. Lauderdale (3 days at beach/business conference) [TS#1]
Thursday - MK [bfast in room, pack snacks, QS #1 for lunch, rest, TS#2 for dinner in park or before heading back to park, snack #1 if needed, stay for parade/fireworks]
Friday - rest day, pool, maybe DTD [TS#3 for character bfast or save TS#3 for next in park day to get out of heat at lunch time? snack #2, QS#2 or even just do OOP meals this day?]
Saturday - MK, to airport hotel in the evening [bfast in room, snacks #3, TS#3 for lunch to get out of heat if we havent used it at bfast day prior, QS#3, stay thru FoF or even longer if they can handle it, head to airport hotel]
Sunday - fly home

Suggestion o' experts?

 

[DopeyDame]

Oops - sorry! Didn't realize you were the same poster as the resorts question. I should really learn to read names.

Anyway...

Some thoughts:
First... DEEP BREATHS! I know it's all overwhelming at first, but millions of people have successful trips - you will too

Second, character meals cost two Table Service credits on the dining plan. Given your plans, it might not be worth doing the dining plan - just pay OOP for everything.

This is what I would do if I were you, based on my experiences and what you've said. Clearly, this is all TOTALLY opinion, but figured it would give you some things to think about. I'm sure others will jump in too.

Resort: Stay at Wilderness Lodge. It will give you easy access to the Magic Kingdom and Fort Wilderness, and is just a fun place. Any other magic kingdom hotels would be great choices too, just depending on what floats your boat (Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Poly). Assuming money isn't a real concern, stick with one of those. The only reason to go for moderates or values is to save money. You don't have a long trip, so the closer to MK you can be, the better.

Magic Kingdom day 1:
180 days out, book the earliest Crystal Palace reservation that you can get. (TS credit #s 1 and 2)
60 days out, Get fast passes for Buzz and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at 60 days. Your third fastpass will depend on the height of your kids and whatever you all are most excited to ride. Some good options are any of the mountains (depending on height), Peter Pan, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Haunted Mansion.

Get to the park about half an hour before your reservation. Once they let you in, relish being on Main Street without huge crowds. Take pictures. Look around. Get excited. Enjoy breakfast.

After breakfast, hit the most popular rides for which you don't have FP+s.

When you all feel like you are about to melt or kill each other (whichever comes first), take a break. For this, you have a few options, but the important thing is to not make everyone miserable - get out of the heat and crowds for at least an hour or so in the middle of the day. You could hop the monorail and go have lunch at one of the monorail resorts (quick service is fine, since you've had a big breakfast). If your little ones still nap, maybe split up and give the 7 year old some pool time while the little ones rest. Ride the boats back and forth. Whatever, just take a break and get lunch at some point early to mid afternoon. You're going to have a long night Don't worry about the parades on the first day. [Snack credit #1 and OOP]

After your break, head back to the park feeling refreshed and rearing to go. Continue riding rides and seeing shows. Quick service meal for dinner (my favorite is Columbia Harbor House). [QS Credit #1]

Stay for castle show and fireworks, and probably electrical light parade (or whatever version there is in August).

Day 2:
180 days out (or so - not necessary to be on the dot), make a reservation for Mickey's Backyard BBQ. [Pay OOP]

I honestly wouldn't do downtown Disney, but if you really want to go to TRex, go there for an early lunch. It's shopping and dining - not exactly huge draws for young boys. They do have a lego store, which my son enjoyed for as long as we let him.

Sleep in as much as you can (you were up late last night.) Play at the pool and enjoy the other resort activities. Do the monorail hop and let the kids play in the sand at the other resorts. [QS Credit #2 for lunch]
Go to Fort Wilderness a few hours before the BBQ is supposed to begin. Play at the playground, check out the stables, do a pony ride or carriage ride. Have a great night at the BBQ. After the BBQ, linger, take pics with Mickey and Minnie, and the play at the playground. Watch the Electrical Water Pageant from Fort Wilderness beach, depending on the timing.
Get as good a night sleep as you can.

Day 3:
Before your trip, make FP+ for Be Our Guest [QS Credit #3]
60 days out, FP+ for Buzz (trust me on this one! - you can always chance if it for some strange reason your kids don't like it), and whatever two other rides you didn't book on Day 1.

Quick breakfast at the hotel [Snacks #2 and 3].
Get to the park for rope drop or just after. Ride rides, enjoy shows, etc.
Early lunch at Be Our Guest.
Use Tom Sawyers Island as the break you need mid-day, and to discuss what you need to do again in the evening.
Be back from Tom Sawyers Island in time to see the parade pass through frontier land.
Dinner at Liberty Tree or Tony's Town Square [TS #3]
Stay as late as you can manage.

You can see how the dining plan doesn't really work for you guys. You end up paying OOP for one of the character meals/shows. And you sort of have a throw-away TS credit leftover. (If you weren't on the dining plan, I'd probably suggest The Plaza for dinner the last night, but it's a terrible use of dining plan credit. It's a great little restaurant, though, and the kids LOVE having ice cream sundaes there, of course.)

Does that help at all? I'm mostly just trying to think of what we would do on a trip of your size, so this may be totally wrong for you guys.

And of course, the question of prioritizing rides is still out there!

ETA: Once you're ready for it, ask us about Baby Swap. Depending on the height of the two littles, it may come in handy occasionally so the 7 year old gets to do some "big kid" stuff twice.

 

[MHofeners]

So helpful DopeyDame!!!

This is the kid of advice I need!

Do you think get a dining plan with more TS would be beneficial??

 

[DopeyDame]

So helpful DopeyDame!!!

This is the kid of advice I need!

Do you think get a dining plan with more TS would be beneficial??

My pleasure! I love this stuff

allears.net has all the dining menus, including prices. Spend some time there and price out what you'd probably spend. If you really want to do a dining plan, and plan on doing at least two character meals, then it might makes sense to do the deluxe dining plan (which gets you 3 table service credits per day). But it might end up being more expensive then if you had done OOP.

For us, we usually go OOP now that we have kids. I like the flexibility it gives us, and i don't think we spend any more money. For kids on the dining plan, they have to order off the children's menu. I like the fleixibility of not being tied to the kids menu for my son - I'd just as soon order him a "real" appetizer as his meal than chicken nuggets yet again. We also often get an adult quick service meal and split it for the kids. Also, your almost-3 year old wouldn't be on the dining plan at all, so at places that aren't buffets, you'll have to buy him food if you want him to get something even if you're on the dining plan.

I know there are people who swear by the dining plans, but I prefer just paying as we go.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'd lose the dining plan, buy 3 day tickets, and maybe do a character meal (most are 1 credit, including Crystal Palace - like this for a late breakfast or early lunch, when we need a rest). Pick up a guide book like Undercover Tourist. You are there for such a short period of time - don't waste precious time at restaurants, especially with young kids. There is so much for all of them at the parks, that I wouldn't go looking for extras.

 

[dwbrewster]

Just to provide a correction to one of the comments above (if I read it right). Character meals are MOSTLY only 1 meal if you have the standard dining meal and above. The exception to that (in parks at least) is CRT but when you book the meal it tells you in the confirmation email how many credits it will be.
When we had character meals at: Akershus (Breakfast is fantastic!), Hollywood & Vine (only do if you have disney jr age kids), and Crystal Palace - cancelled at the last minute a ressie for Tusker House - each were only 1 credit.

If I didn't have a dining plan I would have NEVER done that many as they are a bit pricey.

 

[DopeyDame]

Eeeck!!!!!!! My bad! So sorry for posting wrong info about the character
Meals. I could have sworn I was right, but I'll defer to the other posters, as we hVent used the dining plan in our recent trips.

 

[NYMommy80]

All I can contribute, based on my own experience last week, is that 1900 is a great experience with good food and the BOG lunch is nothing compared to dinner. If you can do dinner, do dinner. Happy travels!

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

I have heard of the Pirates' League thing! Thanks for the reminder! Can you use FP+ for this? And even if so, do you still pay $?

For Pirates League.......Its inside the MK. You contact them in advance to make a reservation. Its about $30 for the cheapest package and its tons of fun! This is great to do mid day when the lines are long and you are hot and need a break. If you do this, be prepared...tehy will take a super cute photo at the end and you will want to spend more to buy it. Consider yourself warned! I think it is $10-15 and you MIGHT be able to arrange for all of your kids to get in one photo but Im reallly not sure....