New here.....

[aoffhaus]

and I dont know where to even start.

My DH and DS are planning a trip to Disney in Feb 2012 for my DS third birthday. I am so excited for him...and can not wait to see his face when he sees Mickey Mouse for the first time. He loves him! Anyway, I need suggestions as to where to start as far as dining plans. Where do I go to get information on the restaurants, etc? If this is not a good place for this post please let me know. Thanks so much!!

 

[mommycrawford]

Welcome!...and what a nice birthday plan! Mickey Mouse is at Chef Mickey's, The Garden Grill,and Ohana (for breakfast, with Lilo and Stitch.)

All character meals "do not guarantee all the characters appear," but I cannot imagine him not appearing at a restaurant that bears his name!

Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom will probably be the most amazing parks at his age....There is so much to take in, and you cannot do it all, so don't try...just have fun making memories together!

If you arrive just before the parks open, there is a little show with characters arriving to open the parks, and opportunities for autographs and photos then.

Just an aside...some children are frightened by masked characters, so does he like Chuck E Cheese (the mouse in costume?) I just am asking so that you don't go to great trouble to do character meals and are disappointed that he is not terribly excited....It can be overwhelming for some.

Do you have any specific questions? Are you familiar with Disney yourself?

PM me with any specific things if you like and I will try to help.

 

[adibenedetto]

That sounds like a great plan. I would suggest Crystal Palace for a meal at Magic Kingdom. Its a character buffet with the Winnie the Pooh characters (Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger). Chef Mickeys is also good, and I'm pretty sure the main Disney characters arrive.

Another idea to make the trip extra special (my parents did this for me last year for my 21st birthday) is the in-room surprise that the Disney florist offers at Disney resorts. It includes a happy birthday banner, a tinkerbell "hidden" in the room, happy birthday mickey ears, an autograph book, minnie and mickey picture/autograph in a frame, a plush mickey and a bunch of other stuff. They have different birthday packages at different price points, but I was completely surprised and made the trip extra special.

dining plans can be done through the official disney website or by phone. If you can't find what you want (time/restaurant wise) keep checking back because people cancel and re-arrage their itinerary on a constant basis.

Have a great time!

 

[Metro West]

 

[Aliceacc]

HI and welcome!

THIS is where you probably want to start:
http://www.mousesavers.com/wdw.html

I would like to make a small suggestion: go a week early. If your son is 2 years old, you wont have to buy him a park ticket; you'll save some serious money!

Take a look at www.allears.net to find resort reviews and dining reviews.

Can we assume you've already booked a resort and are staying on site? To get Disney's dining plan, you'll need to be onsite.

 

[mdadinnj1]

Hi, and welcome! As aliceacc said, mousesavers and allears are great sites for just about anything you need to know. You might also want to pick up ac copy of Birnbaum's Unofficial guide to WDW. It's not associated with Disney, so it gives unbiased explanations about the parks, resorts, dining, etc. Good luck and have a great trip!!

 

[Boo Bear]

 

[Disneydonnam]

Welcome