Newbie needs help

[mamahope1]

I had no idea about the level of planning that my Disney World trip would require. I honestly thought we would show up and "play it by ear". So now I need help.

Let me explain. I am a 62 yo grandma who is taking my two grown children and my grandson to DW on Oct 28- Nov 1. We have NEVER had a family trip and have saved two years for this one.

I would like to share what we have planned so far (mostly by other peoples suggestions) and then have you tell me if this sounds good or not. Please feel free to make suggestions. Keep in mind that I am not up for going 7 Am to 10 PM every day and neither is my grandson.

We are staying at the Carribean Resort. we have one room with two queen size beds and I have been freaking out, wishing I could afford a type of arrangement where I had a bedroom with a door I could close. Apparently this accommodation does not offer it.

We booked through AAA and the dining plan plus comes free.

We will be getting to our hotel about 4 PM on 10/28 and thoughts we would spend the evening at Hollywood Studios. We were planning on having a quick service meal that evening.

the next day we will have breakfast at Ohana and then go to the Magic Kingdom. We will be there all day. Will we see fireworks? We are having a quick service late lunch somewhere and dinner at the Captains Grille at 7 PM.

On Fri 10/30- the big adult kids are going to Universal and I am taking my grandson to the Animal Kingdom. We have a reservation at Donald Safari Tusker house (?). I am told to get a fast pass for the safari there.

Oh by the way, we have park hopper passes but not fast passes thus far.

I thought when we got tired we would just play back at the resort.

On Sat 10/31 (Halloween) we thought we would do Epcot will the 6 yo like it?). My daughter is taking him to the not so scary Halloween party at 5, leaving my other daughter & I at Epcot to check out more adult things (?). We have dinner plans at Teppan Edo.

On the last day we have until about 2 pm so thought we would go to Downtown Disney. That is it for now. My grandson wants to see fireworks. Is that the same as the light show?

What would you change? What would you keep the same?

I would be very grateful for any advice or guidance you can offer.

 

[danny1649]

Welcome to board and the Dis.To see fireworks at MK you will have to check calender but you will have to be there in evening no fireworks or light shows during the daytime.Fantasmic is great light and fireworks show at DHS,Illuminations is great light and fireworks attraction each night at Epcot.As I said before all these shows are in the evening.Disney combines fireworks and light show in same presentation.You will love Teppan Edo but unless you are a party of 8 you will be seated with some other folks to make up table around grill.DW and I have done this often and always enjoyed meeting and talking with other guests.I would advise you to look at guide book and decide what you most want to see at each park and get fast pass for those rides.AK park is huge and requires a pretty good walk to get to do different attractions.Safari is a great attraction I'm sure you will enjoy.Please visit our Dining Board those folks on that Board are a wealth of information on dining that will be very helpful in your planning.Plus I'm sure more folks will post suggestions here on this board, Danny ps Don't be afraid to ask questions until you have good idea that you have plan that suits you. Danny

 

[mamahope1]

DHS? Hollywood Studios. Cool- that is where we will be our first night.

 

[Ladyfish77]

You should probably swap your Universal day and your Magic Kingdom day. Oct 29th is a Halloween Party (MNSSHP) and if you don't have event tickets, you will have to be out of the park by 7. We are there the same time. We are doing MK on the 30th because it's open late and will have the evening parades and fireworks (we are doing MNSSHP on Nov 1).

 

[maryandtyson]

I'm not sure I understand eating at Captain's Grille on your MK day. This restaurant is located in the Yacht Club resort. To get there, you will need to bus from MK to YC. When you leave, you will need to exit thru a park to get the bus to your resort. Or, you could take a cab. A better choice might be dining in MK or at a resort restaurant that is closer to MK: Polynesian, Contemporary, Grand Flordian on the monorail or Wilderness Lodge by boat, or Fort Wilderness by boat. That way, you can easily get back to MK to catch the CBR bus home.

 

[scdak]

Your daughter and grandson should be able to enter MK at 4pm for the party, I would recommend them being there then if possible to get the most hours out of a 6 year old possible LOL - its always me that peters out but my nephews last til midnight. The party starts at 7pm, fun trick or treating at a number of places and its really good candy - not cheap stuff He can see fireworks that night at the park called "Hallowishes" or something similar. Tusker House is an awesome breakfast, I am going again Sept 26th and can't wait. As far as Epcot - lots for kids in my opinion so I am sure he will have fun. Have a great trip, what a great thing to do for your family.

 

[myrtleturtle]

If your daughter is taking your grandson to MNSSHP on Halloween, I personally wouldn't worry about seeing the fireworks on your Magic Kingdom day. I'm sure he will enjoy parts of EPCOT, but I might let him take it easy so he can really enjoy the party.

 

[englanddg]

FYI, she's got another thread going with this as well...dunno if she wants them merged? But, I wanted to let everyone else know.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/newbie-needs-help.3425619/

To the OP, good luck! You guys are gonna have a great trip!

 

[mamahope1]

You should probably swap your Universal day and your Magic Kingdom day. Oct 29th is a Halloween Party (MNSSHP) and if you don't have event tickets, you will have to be out of the park by 7. We are there the same time. We are doing MK on the 30th because it's open late and will have the evening parades and fireworks (we are doing MNSSHP on Nov 1).

My daughter & grandson already have tickets to the Halloween party on 10/31. My two daughters already have tickets to Universal on 10/10/30.

 

[mamahope1]

FYI, she's got another thread going with this as well...dunno if she wants them merged? But, I wanted to let everyone else know.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/newbie-needs-help.3425619/

To the OP, good luck! You guys are gonna have a great trip!

I am sorry if I have more than one thread going. Let me know if I can do something to not take up so much space. OP?

 

[englanddg]

I am sorry if I have more than one thread going. Let me know if I can do something to not take up so much space. OP?

It's no concern at all! Just wanted to point it out so that people could weigh in on the advice given on both threads.

OP = Original Poster

It means you! <grin>

 

[mamahope1]

I'm not sure I understand eating at Captain's Grille on your MK day. This restaurant is located in the Yacht Club resort. To get there, you will need to bus from MK to YC. When you leave, you will need to exit thru a park to get the bus to your resort. Or, you could take a cab. A better choice might be dining in MK or at a resort restaurant that is closer to MK: Polynesian, Contemporary, Grand Flordian on the monorail or Wilderness Lodge by boat, or Fort Wilderness by boat. That way, you can easily get back to MK to catch the CBR bus home.

Thanks, will have to change that.

 

[LoveThatMouse!]

I am sorry if I have more than one thread going. Let me know if I can do something to not take up so much space. OP?

Mamahope1,
Don't you worry about taking up too much space or asking too many questions. The folks on the Disboards are awesome at answering any and all questions you will have. They are pros, so keep posting and asking! No question is too dumb. Every once in awhile, you may run across someone who's a little blunt or cranky, but that's probably because they're needing a trip to see Mickey themselves. You are a rockstar for planning this trip for your family.

 

[mamahope1]

Mamahope1,
Don't you worry about taking up too much space or asking too many questions. The folks on the Disboards are awesome at answering any and all questions you will have. They are pros, so keep posting and asking! No question is too dumb. Every once in awhile, you may run across someone who's a little blunt or cranky, but that's probably because they're needing a trip to see Mickey themselves. You are a rockstar for planning this trip for your family.

That is the nicest thing I have heard all day. Thank YOU!!!!!

 

[LoveThatMouse!]

We are staying at the Carribean Resort. we have one room with two queen size beds and I have been freaking out, wishing I could afford a type of arrangement where I had a bedroom with a door I could close. Apparently this accommodation does not offer it.

I was just thinking of your room situation...
This might be an option if you would be willing to change hotels... You may be able to book two rooms at one of the value hotels...Pop Century, or All-Star Movies or All-Star Music or Sports for very close to the same price as one room at Caribbean. We've stayed at Caribbean Beach(moderate level) and at several of the Value, and our family would rather have 2 rooms and 2 baths at a Value than one nicer room at a Moderate. We just returned from a week at Pop Century and it was clean and comfortable and super cute. Your grandson would probably love the themes at the Value Resorts too.

 

[mamahope1]

I thought of that an

I was just thinking of your room situation...
This might be an option if you would be willing to change hotels... You may be able to book two rooms at one of the value hotels...Pop Century, or All-Star Movies or All-Star Music or Sports for very close to the same price as one room at Caribbean. We've stayed at Caribbean Beach(moderate level) and at several of the Value, and our family would rather have 2 rooms and 2 baths at a Value than one nicer room at a Moderate. We just returned from a week at Pop Century and it was clean and comfortable and super cute. Your grandson would probably love the themes at the Value Resorts too.

I thought of that as well and apparently if we change now, we lose the free dining.

 

[LoveThatMouse!]

oh boo...
I'm looking at a brochure that says 'Get a free dining plan' and your dates are included. It says to visit disneyworld.com/magicaloffers or call 407 827 7162. Perhaps you could call and see if they could offer you something comparable if you cancel with AAA...although I understand you may wanting to stay loyal to AAA. We've never had the free dining plan as we usually book discounted rooms and that disqualifies the dining package. I'm probably in the majority, but food is not a high priority for me (haha). I would rather have my own bed and an additional potty... I can get a bit cranky if I don't get sufficient sleep. haha

I bet there may be other folks that could offer better advice on this topic too.

 

[maryandtyson]

On your AK day, what time is your breakfast? You may not need to FP the safari.

Be sure to see some shows at AK. They are all terrific! Festival of the Lion King is located in Africa, close to Tusker House. Flights of Wonder is located between Africa and Asia. Live birds. It's really well done and has a great message. Finally, Finding Nemo, the Musicsl is on the walkway from Asia to Dinoland.

You will have time after AK, so hit the pool or, since you've park hoppers, head to another park. Both EPCOT and MK have fireworks at night. But, MK may have a Halloween party that night. Not sure.

A great resource is WDW prep school, or www.easywdw.com. Ask away with your questions. Happy to help!

 

[bbjunkie]

On your AK day, what time is your breakfast? You may not need to FP the safari.

Be sure to see some shows at AK. They are all terrific! Festival of the Lion King is located in Africa, close to Tusker House. Flights of Wonder is located between Africa and Asia. Live birds. It's really well done and has a great message. Finally, Finding Nemo, the Musicsl is on the walkway from Asia to Dinoland.

You will have time after AK, so hit the pool or, since you've park hoppers, head to another park. Both EPCOT and MK have fireworks at night. But, MK may have a Halloween party that night. Not sure.

A great resource is WDW prep school, or www.easywdw.com. Ask away with your questions. Happy to help!

I agree with this. What time is your Tusker House ADR? Here is a morning plan that might work with your GS:

At rope drop head to the Safari...no wait.

You may want to stop and pick up the Wilderness Explorer booklet on your way. It is a free activity, where your Grandson can collect stickers (badges) in a nice, souvenir booklet with activities and info inside as he rides and perticipates in attractions. It's free and is just fun...not necessary to complete it.

After, go see the Festival of the Lion King. (Awesome show, you will not need a FP in the morning)
If your breakfast is at 10:30 or later, you are right next to the Tusker House coming out of FOTLK. (Also, as a little bonus, if you are at the late end of the Tusker House breakfast, they start putting out the lunch food at 11:00, you can eat from both for the breakfast rate. I know you have a dining plan, but others may benefit from that info)
If your breakfast is before 10:30, eat first, then do FOTLK. You won't regret it!

Between the safari, the show, and breakfast, that is almost 3 hours of activity and will take a significant chunk of your morning.

Meander through the Discovery Island trails and paths, maybe visit Russell and Dug at their meet and greet, see Flights of Wonder in Asia, and head down to Finding Nemo. The Boneyard playground is a fun novelty. I suspect you will have a relaxing, nice day to cherish with your Grandson at AK!

 

[ElsasFan]

I would like to give you a bit of encouragement about the room situation. I went to WDW last fall with my husband and three young children. I also wished that we had two rooms so we could have a bit of "down time" from the kids. Turns out that after the first day, we were all so tired that everyone fell asleep almost immediately every night. Try not to worry about that, too much.

Also, if you don't have a guide book, I recommend the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. Reading a guidebook helped me get my head around all of the info that is helpful to know, and it also helped us to get excited about our trip. Have fun!