Newbie first timer questions

[KippyKip]

Hi!

This coming Thanksgiving, my family of 4 (2 adults and 10 & 3 yo girls) will be staying (6 nights) at the Riviera. We have never stayed at DVC before because we are new to DVC and with Covid, so we just never used it. It has been about 4 to 5 years since we have been to WDW.
We have a 2 bedroom with preferred view (my in-laws just decided not to come). I noticed in another post that you can requests location of rooms. How do I do that? Is that an online request or a phone call?
Since I have never stayed at a DVC before, I don't really know what to expect in terms of house keeping. Is it more like an Airbnb where I throw the trash away and clean the dishes as I use them? And I can just go to a grocery store and get snacks and drinks and put them in the fridge? I have read about coffee pots or Keurig. Does anyone know what is at the Riviera? If it is Keurig, do I provide my own pods? In terms of towels, I figure we just reuse them during our stay. What if I need more towels? Can I request more towels? Are there towels to be used at the pool area or do we bring towels from the room?
We have park reservations for 3 days of the 5 days that we will be there. Hollywood Studio is optional. My 3 y.o. is way too active and won't sit still for meals so we won't do any type of table service with wait stall. I think we will focus more on buffets; then my 3 y.o. running around will blend in more when I go after her. Are there other buffets or suggestions you would recommend?
Sorry for all the questions as I really don't know what to expect. Thank you for any help you can provide.

 

[crisi]

Making a request - call or do it online. Make it general and set your expectations low for getting exactly what you want.

Housekeeping - they remove trash daily and will come in after four days to do a cleaning. But you need to do your own dishes. Its a timeshare. You will have a pretty good kitchen - a full fridge, stove, etc. We have groceries delivered, but if you have a car you can make a grocery run. The on site store will have a small selection of (overpriced) basics - frozen pizza, spaghetti and sauce, milk, cereal.

I'm not sure what RIV has in terms of coffee makers - but you'll only get enough coffee for one day - bring your own coffee.

We wash towels - bring your own detergent - there is a washer dryer in the room. You can request more, but the washer/dryer is right there.

The pool will have towels, please do not bring them to your room - they are different towels and get processed differently by the staff.

Personally, we discovered buffets to be hell with an active three year old - there are a lot of people moving around, with food, who do not want your active three year old underfoot - and Disney packs their tables together, there isn't a lot of room - I found the experience mortifying and stressful (that three year old is 23 now and sits through meals fine). Fast food if your kid won't sit through a meal.

 

[Disdreaming479]

Housekeeping will bring coffee, missing kitchen items, more towels if you call and ask.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Hi!

This coming Thanksgiving, my family of 4 (2 adults and 10 & 3 yo girls) will be staying (6 nights) at the Riviera. We have never stayed at DVC before because we are new to DVC and with Covid, so we just never used it. It has been about 4 to 5 years since we have been to WDW.
We have a 2 bedroom with preferred view (my in-laws just decided not to come). I noticed in another post that you can requests location of rooms. How do I do that? Is that an online request or a phone call?

this can be done through the chat function, or via a phone call. This is assuming that you own dvc and made the reservation. (If these are rented points, only the owner can make specific requests; otherwise you can make general requests after linking your reservation through MDE. OR you can ask the owner nicely if they would make a request for you.) The touringplans room finder tool is a great way to figure out what kind of request you want to make.

Since I have never stayed at a DVC before, I don't really know what to expect in terms of house keeping. Is it more like an Airbnb where I throw the trash away and clean the dishes as I use them?

yes. There are daily room checks (this is for security purposes) and IME they will take full trash bags out when they do these. Housekeeping (towels, bedding, etc.) happens on the 4th and 7th days of a stay. A small amount of soap is available in the room to start.

And I can just go to a grocery store and get snacks and drinks and put them in the fridge?

yes. This is one of the best things about 1 and 2br stays. There will be a full-size kitchen available to you.

I have read about coffee pots or Keurig. Does anyone know what is at the Riviera? If it is Keurig, do I provide my own pods?

Some pods are provided upon check in. You can bring your own (if you were going to the grocery store anyway) if you want. You can request more if you use them all up.

In terms of towels, I figure we just reuse them during our stay. What if I need more towels? Can I request more towels? Are there towels to be used at the pool area or do we bring towels from the room?

Yes. You can request more towels. Pool areas have towels available, there is absolutely no need to bring your own or any from the room.

We have park reservations for 3 days of the 5 days that we will be there. Hollywood Studio is optional. My 3 y.o. is way too active and won't sit still for meals so we won't do any type of table service with wait stall. I think we will focus more on buffets; then my 3 y.o. running around will blend in more when I go after her. Are there other buffets or suggestions you would recommend?

Many of the buffets are also character meals, which can be significantly more expensive. Buffets also require a reservation, so your best bet is to use the MDE app or disney website and filter the restaurants to buffets and look at the types of food they have at them what what will appeal the most to your group.

 

[KippyKip]

Making a request - call or do it online. Make it general and set your expectations low for getting exactly what you want.

Housekeeping - they remove trash daily and will come in after four days to do a cleaning. But you need to do your own dishes. Its a timeshare. You will have a pretty good kitchen - a full fridge, stove, etc. We have groceries delivered, but if you have a car you can make a grocery run. The on site store will have a small selection of (overpriced) basics - frozen pizza, spaghetti and sauce, milk, cereal.

I'm not sure what RIV has in terms of coffee makers - but you'll only get enough coffee for one day - bring your own coffee.

We wash towels - bring your own detergent - there is a washer dryer in the room. You can request more, but the washer/dryer is right there.

The pool will have towels, please do not bring them to your room - they are different towels and get processed differently by the staff.

Personally, we discovered buffets to be hell with an active three year old - there are a lot of people moving around, with food, who do not want your active three year old underfoot - and Disney packs their tables together, there isn't a lot of room - I found the experience mortifying and stressful (that three year old is 23 now and sits through meals fine). Fast food if your kid won't sit through a meal.

Thanks for the tip about bringing my own detergent for the washing machine! Great to know there are towels at the pool already. Thanks for all your great information!

 

[KippyKip]

this can be done through the chat function, or via a phone call. This is assuming that you own dvc and made the reservation. (If these are rented points, only the owner can make specific requests; otherwise you can make general requests after linking your reservation through MDE. OR you can ask the owner nicely if they would make a request for you.) The touringplans room finder tool is a great way to figure out what kind of request you want to make.

yes. There are daily room checks (this is for security purposes) and IME they will take full trash bags out when they do these. Housekeeping (towels, bedding, etc.) happens on the 4th and 7th days of a stay. A small amount of soap is available in the room to start.

yes. This is one of the best things about 1 and 2br stays. There will be a full-size kitchen available to you.

Some pods are provided upon check in. You can bring your own (if you were going to the grocery store anyway) if you want. You can request more if you use them all up.


Yes. You can request more towels. Pool areas have towels available, there is absolutely no need to bring your own or any from the room.

Many of the buffets are also character meals, which can be significantly more expensive. Buffets also require a reservation, so your best bet is to use the MDE app or disney website and filter the restaurants to buffets and look at the types of food they have at them what what will appeal the most to your group.

Thanks for all the great information! Riviera is our home Resort and it is our DVC. So, I will try the chat function.
What's IME? And when you say a small amount of soap is available, do you mean dish soap or shower/ shampoo soap?
I will probably pick some pods up from the store since we are planning to rent a car anyway.
My 3 y.o. haven't been to a character meal so it might be fun for her. The reservations will be challenging. lol. But all I can do is try my best to get reservations. If not, meat balls and pasta at the room!
Thank you all so much for your help. I just didn't know what to expect or do.

 

[crisi]

So Disney has never had great coffee. They'll bring you more. But if you are a coffee snob, you may want to bring your own. (We are coffee snobs, so we bring our own grounds because the grocery store won't have the "right" kind, and our own Aeropress, and don't use the drip coffee maker or Keurig - because coffee snobs. As in "we won't drink Starbucks and have our beans shipped from Tanzania" coffee snobs - well, that's my husband - I'll drink Starbucks in a pinch - but not drip or from a Keurig.)

I like laundry detergent sheets for travel - they pack really well and I don't worry about the pods exploding. I use the Breezo brand and get them on Amazon. I actually use them all the time because there isn't the heavy plastic packaging that makes me feel guilty when I put it in the recycling - just some cardboard. (Helps offset the carbon footprint of having those coffee beans shipped )

(there is always plenty of dish detergent for both the dishwasher and some liquid for handwash, don't worry about that. Also basic cleaning supplies - a broom, a vaccuum, paper towels - so you can get the Cheerios off the floor after your three year old eats. I haven't been to WDW recently enough to know what the shampoo/conditioner situation is - last I heard they were putting in dispensers - we bring our own of that as well....special coffee, special hair. Oh, and all this packing - we almost always check luggage so we don't have to worry about liquids - and when the kids were little, could get through the airport with a minimum of luggage. Don't forget sunscreen! Some DVC owners get an "owner's locker" - which is an independent company that will give you a rubbermaid bin for your stuff you use every year https://www.ownerslocker.com/how/ I wouldn't bother for your first trip, but after you go, you might say "I really want to have a crockpot when I'm there").

 

[Herding_Cats]

Thanks for all the great information! Riviera is our home Resort and it is our DVC. So, I will try the chat function.
What's IME? And when you say a small amount of soap is available, do you mean dish soap or shower/ shampoo soap?
I will probably pick some pods up from the store since we are planning to rent a car anyway.
My 3 y.o. haven't been to a character meal so it might be fun for her. The reservations will be challenging. lol. But all I can do is try my best to get reservations. If not, meat balls and pasta at the room!
Thank you all so much for your help. I just didn't know what to expect or do.

IME= in my experience

They have little bottles of dish soap in the rooms. And a few dishwasher pods/tablets as well. If you think you’ll be doing a lot of dishes pack a couple of dishwasher pods/tablets.

Body wash/shampoo/conditioner are all wall-mounted bottles in the resorts now.

 

[KippyKip]

so you can get the Cheerios off the floor after your three year old eats).

LOL. Yesterday, she was eating Cheetos and her fingers were full of cheese. I told her I’m going to clean her up and she sticks her hand into her mouth to lick her fingers. She pulled out her hand and said, “It’s clean!” Lol. I said no.

 

[Micca]

Welcome Home! I hope you'll love being a DVC member! The kitchen and laundry facilities are awesome conveniences. No need to pack tons of clothing, you can wash your stuff and re-use. With the kitchen you can store and re-heat leftovers, and/or buy some stuff from a grocery store and save $$ by having breakfast and snacks in the room.

If you're going 2 or more times per year, please consider Owners Locker. I am in no way affiliated, just a user and fan of their product.
https://www.ownerslocker.com/

 

[KippyKip]

IME= in my experience

They have little bottles of dish soap in the rooms. And a few dishwasher pods/tablets as well. If you think you’ll be doing a lot of dishes pack a couple of dishwasher pods/tablets.

Body wash/shampoo/conditioner are all wall-mounted bottles in the resorts now.

Thanks for the info. Not sure how much dishes I’ll be doing, depending on success(es) with dining reservations. lol. I would like to do Be Our Guest or other places but with my 3 y.o. it is just too rough.
At least I don’t need to pack much liquid other than toothpaste and maybe some lotion.

 

[KippyKip]

So Disney has never had great coffee. They'll bring you more. But if you are a coffee snob, you may want to bring your own. (We are coffee snobs, so we bring our own grounds because the grocery store won't have the "right" kind, and our own Aeropress, and don't use the drip coffee maker or Keurig - because coffee snobs. As in "we won't drink Starbucks and have our beans shipped from Tanzania" coffee snobs - well, that's my husband - I'll drink Starbucks in a pinch - but not drip or from a Keurig.)

I like laundry detergent sheets for travel - they pack really well and I don't worry about the pods exploding. I use the Breezo brand and get them on Amazon. I actually use them all the time because there isn't the heavy plastic packaging that makes me feel guilty when I put it in the recycling - just some cardboard. (Helps offset the carbon footprint of having those coffee beans shipped )

(there is always plenty of dish detergent for both the dishwasher and some liquid for handwash, don't worry about that. Also basic cleaning supplies - a broom, a vaccuum, paper towels - so you can get the Cheerios off the floor after your three year old eats. I haven't been to WDW recently enough to know what the shampoo/conditioner situation is - last I heard they were putting in dispensers - we bring our own of that as well....special coffee, special hair. Oh, and all this packing - we almost always check luggage so we don't have to worry about liquids - and when the kids were little, could get through the airport with a minimum of luggage. Don't forget sunscreen! Some DVC owners get an "owner's locker" - which is an independent company that will give you a rubbermaid bin for your stuff you use every year https://www.ownerslocker.com/how/ I wouldn't bother for your first trip, but after you go, you might say "I really want to have a crockpot when I'm there").

I’m not a coffee snob. I’ll drink anything. But I do try to avoid Disney coffee since they are from Jofferies (at least at Disneyland anyway). Nothing is really wrong with it; is just I have it too often.

I tried the laundry sheet last month when we did the a cruise and it worked well enough. I’ll remember to bring a couple.

I’m thinking of just doing checked luggage also when we fly and just have minimal carry on since we have to chase after the 3 y.o. Lol

I think the locker is a great idea but I don’t think I’ll need it yet.

Thank you so much for the insight and suggestions.

 

[KippyKip]

Welcome Home! I hope you'll love being a DVC member! The kitchen and laundry facilities are awesome conveniences. No need to pack tons of clothing, you can wash your stuff and re-use. With the kitchen you can store and re-heat leftovers, and/or buy some stuff from a grocery store and save $$ by having breakfast and snacks in the room.

If you're going 2 or more times per year, please consider Owners Locker. I am in no way affiliated, just a user and fan of their product.
https://www.ownerslocker.com/

Thanks for the warm welcome! When I told my wife that there will be a washer and dryer in the room, she was blown away. We recently did a 3 weeks trip and laundry was definitely something we thought about constantly. lol

I feel with how hard it is to make reservations, I’m setting expectations of some cooking but probably lots of take out, maybe at Disney Springs.

Sadly, we are from California and we will probably only go to Disney World maybe once every 5 years so we won’t need the locker but I think it is a great idea.

After our last trip, we decided to only do cruises for the next three years when my 3 y.o. calms down a little. At the cruise, it was just easier taking care of her even though she is not potty trained yet but no cooking was beneficial. I will try to make reservations or we will just do take out or something.

The reason we are doing this trip is because we reserved it already with the intent of my in-laws coming but they just decided last weekend to not come. It’s ok, the children will enjoy Riviera.

We will probably try to hit Aulani with our points next time it gets to the time to use them.

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

Thanks for the warm welcome! When I told my wife that there will be a washer and dryer in the room, she was blown away. We recently did a 3 weeks trip and laundry was definitely something we thought about constantly. lol

I feel with how hard it is to make reservations, I’m setting expectations of some cooking but probably lots of take out, maybe at Disney Springs.

Sadly, we are from California and we will probably only go to Disney World maybe once every 5 years so we won’t need the locker but I think it is a great idea.

After our last trip, we decided to only do cruises for the next three years when my 3 y.o. calms down a little. At the cruise, it was just easier taking care of her even though she is not potty trained yet but no cooking was beneficial. I will try to make reservations or we will just do take out or something.

The reason we are doing this trip is because we reserved it already with the intent of my in-laws coming but they just decided last weekend to not come. It’s ok, the children will enjoy Riviera.

We will probably try to hit Aulani with our points next time it gets to the time to use them.

So, welcome home! Riviera is our home resort, too, and we love it. It's a bummer you're stuck burning the extra points, but c'est la vie.

So you will get starter soap/detergent for the dishwasher and laundry in the room. Under the kitchen sink is the drying rack and starter dishwasher packets. There's coffee packets and a few Creamora things and sugar/sweetener in the cupboards. In the laundry closet there's laundry detergent, no fabric softener or bleach. Unless you're dedicated to a certain brand, we just call housekeeping when we need more of any of that stuff. They're always super helpful and bring bags of supplies to replenish.

Myself, I do a load of laundry every night. We pack only carry-ons, and the more often I go, the less we pack for clothes as we're getting the hang of what we need. If you or your wife can throw a load in every night, yes, it's fabulous to always have enough socks, underwear, PJs, and T-shirts. It's no big deal, IMO.

As for groceries, I do Amazon Prime Now and have my grocery list ready to go (make sure you update the address to Riviera so you don't get groceries delivered back home!) and the second our plane lands MCO, I hit the "buy now" button and usually have groceries waiting for us within an hour of checking in and unpacking.

For reservations, Topolinos character breakfast is WONDERFUL. The food is great, it's RIGHT THERE, and they're very fast at serving the food since it's pretty much a foregone conclusion what the kids are going to eat. Even if you can't score a breakfast reservation, the walk-up availability is supposed to be decent. I'd definitely try for at least that one.

Primo Piatto is the QS restaurant at Riviera, and they have a very good (but limited) menu. What IS nice is they have Mickey waffles for the kids and other yummy breakfast items. They also do a flatbread pizza (kinda crappy, but kids don't seem to mind,) plus some other stuff. Check it out online.

Walking distance to Riviera is Sebastian's at Caribbean Beach. Family-style meal, good food, reasonable (for WDW) prices, and a short walk (do the walk, not the Skyliner. It brings you to the furthest end away from the restaurant.)

If you're looking for buffets, try making a reservation around fireworks at MK for Crystal Palace! The food was delicious, characters were adorable and very responsive, and while it's not a dead-on view of the castle, they let you walk out to their front porch, away from the hub madness, and watch from there. That's plenty of fun for the kids, gets you a quick in and out of great food and characters, plus bonus of fireworks without a party upcharge.

Boma at Animal Kingdom is DELICIOUS. No characters, but great food all around, and even my fussy kids ate a ton there.

Haven't done Tusker House for character lunch, but everyone in my family raves about it. That's at AK, too.

Every WDW pool provides towels and a return bin to throw them in on the way out. Bar Riva at Riviera has really good food/pub food and drinks. The gelato cart poolside is great, too!

I think Riviera's main pool is ideal for kids. Park yourself near the hot tub and you're close to the slide to watch the 10 YO and can walk over to the splash pad (S'il vous plait.) and the bathrooms and bar/gate.

I would leave money/space to buy/bring the awesome Riviera robes for the hot tubs! Swimming after the parks close is our favorite family activity, and we didn't love being wet and sloppy in suits and towels on the elevator with everyone dressed nice for Topolinos. Plus, it gets COLD, but hitting the hot tub and a quick dip always makes everyone sleep better. You'll want the robes for to/from room.

There's Le Petite Cafe in the lobby by La Boutique (gift shop) that has pastries/cookies/macarons and coffee in the morning and adult stuff at night. They do seasonal special desserts in there the kids will love. La Boutique has the robes and great Riviera/DVC gear and basic sundries/medicine to get you through the day.

At night, we take the Skyliner with the kids over to AofA and POP to check out the gift shops and for something to do to let them wind down. It's such a pretty ride over at night!

If you need a playground, walk over to Caribbean Beach and you can use theirs.

You can request a pack and play if you think your little one would like it for napping in the spare bedroom for total quiet.

The Fab 5 often come to the lobby and the little balcony to say hi. Don't be surprised to see Pluto!

We've had fabulous bus service to MK/DS/AK from Riviera, usually -10 minutes.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I understand the challenge of an active 3 year old, but please don't let you child run around at a buffet. It is aggravating for other diners, causes issues for the waitstaff, and is dangerous for the child and for anyone trying to walk with a plate of potatoes and gravy.

 

[KippyKip]

So, welcome home! Riviera is our home resort, too, and we love it. It's a bummer you're stuck burning the extra points, but c'est la vie.

So you will get starter soap/detergent for the dishwasher and laundry in the room. Under the kitchen sink is the drying rack and starter dishwasher packets. There's coffee packets and a few Creamora things and sugar/sweetener in the cupboards. In the laundry closet there's laundry detergent, no fabric softener or bleach. Unless you're dedicated to a certain brand, we just call housekeeping when we need more of any of that stuff. They're always super helpful and bring bags of supplies to replenish.

Myself, I do a load of laundry every night. We pack only carry-ons, and the more often I go, the less we pack for clothes as we're getting the hang of what we need. If you or your wife can throw a load in every night, yes, it's fabulous to always have enough socks, underwear, PJs, and T-shirts. It's no big deal, IMO.

As for groceries, I do Amazon Prime Now and have my grocery list ready to go (make sure you update the address to Riviera so you don't get groceries delivered back home!) and the second our plane lands MCO, I hit the "buy now" button and usually have groceries waiting for us within an hour of checking in and unpacking.

For reservations, Topolinos character breakfast is WONDERFUL. The food is great, it's RIGHT THERE, and they're very fast at serving the food since it's pretty much a foregone conclusion what the kids are going to eat. Even if you can't score a breakfast reservation, the walk-up availability is supposed to be decent. I'd definitely try for at least that one.

Primo Piatto is the QS restaurant at Riviera, and they have a very good (but limited) menu. What IS nice is they have Mickey waffles for the kids and other yummy breakfast items. They also do a flatbread pizza (kinda crappy, but kids don't seem to mind,) plus some other stuff. Check it out online.

Walking distance to Riviera is Sebastian's at Caribbean Beach. Family-style meal, good food, reasonable (for WDW) prices, and a short walk (do the walk, not the Skyliner. It brings you to the furthest end away from the restaurant.)

If you're looking for buffets, try making a reservation around fireworks at MK for Crystal Palace! The food was delicious, characters were adorable and very responsive, and while it's not a dead-on view of the castle, they let you walk out to their front porch, away from the hub madness, and watch from there. That's plenty of fun for the kids, gets you a quick in and out of great food and characters, plus bonus of fireworks without a party upcharge.

Boma at Animal Kingdom is DELICIOUS. No characters, but great food all around, and even my fussy kids ate a ton there.

Haven't done Tusker House for character lunch, but everyone in my family raves about it. That's at AK, too.

Every WDW pool provides towels and a return bin to throw them in on the way out. Bar Riva at Riviera has really good food/pub food and drinks. The gelato cart poolside is great, too!

I think Riviera's main pool is ideal for kids. Park yourself near the hot tub and you're close to the slide to watch the 10 YO and can walk over to the splash pad (S'il vous plait.) and the bathrooms and bar/gate.

I would leave money/space to buy/bring the awesome Riviera robes for the hot tubs! Swimming after the parks close is our favorite family activity, and we didn't love being wet and sloppy in suits and towels on the elevator with everyone dressed nice for Topolinos. Plus, it gets COLD, but hitting the hot tub and a quick dip always makes everyone sleep better. You'll want the robes for to/from room.

There's Le Petite Cafe in the lobby by La Boutique (gift shop) that has pastries/cookies/macarons and coffee in the morning and adult stuff at night. They do seasonal special desserts in there the kids will love. La Boutique has the robes and great Riviera/DVC gear and basic sundries/medicine to get you through the day.

At night, we take the Skyliner with the kids over to AofA and POP to check out the gift shops and for something to do to let them wind down. It's such a pretty ride over at night!

If you need a playground, walk over to Caribbean Beach and you can use theirs.

You can request a pack and play if you think your little one would like it for napping in the spare bedroom for total quiet.

The Fab 5 often come to the lobby and the little balcony to say hi. Don't be surprised to see Pluto!

We've had fabulous bus service to MK/DS/AK from Riviera, usually -10 minutes.

Thank you so much for the all the great information!

Today was the day we can make dining reservations. My wife really wants to go to Hoop Dee Doo. We are going to try Chef Mickey for breakfast one day. My 3 y.o. have never done a princess dining, so we are going to try the princess Storybook Breakfast at EPCOT. We won’t go to Topolino’s for dinner because of my 3 y.o. lol But will go to the Character breakfast at Topolino. And will go to Boma for dinner because it seems really popular. Is Crystal Palace at 7:30 pm a good time? I don’t know what time fireworks will be during Thanksgiving.

Thanks again!

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

Just my $0.02, but I have never heard anything good about Chef Mickey's. If you have an active 3 YO who gets overstimulated, you do NOT want to be there in the middle of the Contemporary with the monorail running above and the crowds and noise.

I know it has gotten bad press, but we just did Ohana breakfast for the first time this July and really liked it! The food comes out immediately and was delicious (we also were starving, LOL.) Only thing that was rough was it took a LONG time for Stitch to make his way over to our table for our Stitch-obsessed son. It's family style at Ohana, so no wandering 3 YO but food comes out by the platter within seconds of sitting down.

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

For Crystal Palace, Monday the 20th and Thursday (Thanksgiving) HEA is showing at 8 p.m. All other nights are Christmas parties and fireworks aren't until 10 p.m. for the parties. I would try for 7 p.m. so you have time to sit, place your drink order, eat, get some character picture time in, and then walk out for fireworks 8:00-8:15 and come back in for dessert and settle the check, thereby leaving after the first wave of craziness has hit the buses already. You can hit the second round of buses, maybe even the third. Much easier to get out of the park after the initial pig in the python has passed for buses.

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

Bonus round, Wednesday night is EEH hours (DVC extra hours) at Animal Kingdom! If your kids can hang, Animal Kingdom NEVER gets extra late closing DVC hours. That might be a great night to do Boma for around 5-6 and then do AK DVC EEH from 7-9.

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

Monday is DVC EEH at Epcot. WONDERFUL to do staying at Riviera. So cool. Make sure you all EAT beforehand and pack snacks. Almost no food is available on the late nights, and we always get hungry.