Obsessive planning for 1, make that 2, now 3 trips

[scoot241]

Sorry to hear about the cell phone issues.

I didn't get Le Cellier and I called in at 7AM my first day. It was all booked up for the entire week already.

Not too worried about it though; doing Teppan Edo instead, and I did get CRT, Ohana and Chef Mickey's.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

Sorry to hear about the cell phone issues.

I didn't get Le Cellier and I called in at 7AM my first day. It was all booked up for the entire week already.

Not too worried about it though; doing Teppan Edo instead, and I did get CRT, Ohana and Chef Mickey's.

My cell phone very rarely drops a call. Just my luck , the one call I didn't want it to drop.

I can't believe how popular Le Cellier is. I guess we will have to try again next trip. I hear great things about Teppan Edo, we ended up substituting Coral Reef which I am looking forward to. I think DD will love it, although she has done something similar with Sharks at Sea World. Sounds like you got great dining reservations. The adults must be taking Disney over when it is easier to get into CRT than Le Cellier.

I am heading over to check out your PTR now.

 

[Lynn5700]

HEY!!! I'm here!!! First your DD is adorable!!!

Second, I'm sorry about the ADR drama! That stinks about Le Cellier, but trust me, you can get a steak just as good at The Wave. Honestly, I think Le Cellier is a little over rated, maybe because I have been a couple times, so I don't feel like it is as special anymore. I do have to say though that they have the best mashed potatoes. But, they were the only reason I went there lol!

You will be fine without it, maybe next trip you can try it.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

HEY!!! I'm here!!! First your DD is adorable!!!

Second, I'm sorry about the ADR drama! That stinks about Le Cellier, but trust me, you can get a steak just as good at The Wave. Honestly, I think Le Cellier is a little over rated, maybe because I have been a couple times, so I don't feel like it is as special anymore. I do have to say though that they have the best mashed potatoes. But, they were the only reason I went there lol!

You will be fine without it, maybe next trip you can try it.

So glad you stopped by. Thanks for saying my DD is adorable, I certainly think so.

I don't think the Le Cellier thing would bother me so much if I hadn't had it until the call got dropped. Oh well. We are so close to Disney I am sure we will eat there eventually. I am sure we will have plenty of good steak on our trip! I am looking forward to the Wave. I think your review really sealed the deal for me, we were already considering it because of the location but I know you and Tim loved it and I had read some mixed reviews so I figured we'd give it a try.

I think I will post an update tomorrow with all of our ADRs.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

So here are the ADRs we were able to get:

9/26 - Dinner at Kona Cafe
9/27 - Dinner at The Wave
9/28 - Early dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe
9/29 - Dinner at Raglan Road
9/30 - Dinner at Ohana
10/1 - Early dinner at Coral Reef
10/2 - Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House - before park opening

The Wave, Ohana, Coral Reef, and Tusker House will all be new for us this time. DD wants breakfast with Donald and I don't really think you can go wrong with a breakfast buffet. One character meal a trip is enough for us adults. I am looking forward to all of our meals this trip, so glad I have sold the family on the dining plan!

I will post our itinerary on Monday and then I will spend the next 2 months obsessing about whether I've got it right or not.

 

[Disney Dork in DFW]

I think it's somewhat ironic.

Obviously, Le Cellier is ridiculously popular, and so my wife and I figured that we wouldn't be able to get an ADR for our upcoming anniversary trip. Instead, we decided we were going to try the Rose and Crown pub at the UK Pavilion instead. We called back in May to ask for a noon reservation there on 7/31, and they said it was booked. I asked the reservationist if maybe Chefs de France or San Angel Inn was available.

She says, "No, I am sorry but it looks like the only reservation I can make is for Le Cellier at 12:00 noon." I nearly dropped the phone! What was even more surprising is that it was for noon, and not some bizarre time like 11:21 or something.

So that is our story for how we backed into reservations at the most popular restaurant in Epcot. Like my dad always says, I'd rather be lucky than good!

Have fun on your trip!

 

[KAMKIM]

I'm in!!! Cant wait to read more!

Please check out my PTR too http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2225117 we leave in 3wks!!!!!

 

[KAMKIM]

I have decided to give a pre trip report a try.

Just a little bit of background, my first trip to the Magic Kingdom came in 2001 (I think). My DH and I had been married for a few months and friends of ours were Disney addicts: annual passes, MNSSHP, MVMCP, multiple trips each month; so they talked us into a trip. We enjoyed it, I had previously been to Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland so to me it was a little bit similar. What I most noticed on our trip was parents not watching their kids, dragging miserable kids around, and pushing strollers with kids not nearly old enough to be enjoying themselves. Isn't it amazing how much we know about parenting before we become parents? And how much it all changes when we become parents? Anyways, I decided then that when we had kids we would wait until they were old enough to really enjoy WDW before we went.

Well, DD is now 3 and we spent last year breaking her in on our Sea World annual passes so now she is a theme park pro. We decided instead of renewing our Sea World passes, zoo passes, and Alligator Farm passes, we would spring for a trip to Disney this year. My DH and I were discussing the trip over dinner one night and he suggested we invite my parents to join us - it was his idea! As long as it meant I didn't have to bring my MIL I was good with it and my husband assured me we didn't have to invite her.

So, I invited my parents and they were happy to join us. We ended up with 6 day hopper passes, dining, and 7 nights at FWC in April. We had such a great time we updgraded to seasonal passes and booked a return trip for September before leaving! I also managed to sneak in a weekend trip before our passes were blacked out for the summer 2 weeks ago.

So now, September hours are out and I still have 2 weeks until I have to book my ADRs, regular dining plan, so I am trying to decide on which parks to visit on which days. That is what inspired me to start a pre-trip report, I need help! We require a break each day at midday. The other adults asked for more downtime on this trip. Epcot is the adults favorite park. Last time we neglected DHS, only ate at 50's Prime Time and saw an American Idol show before we called it a night. So this is what I am thinking:

Sunday 9/27 - MK
Monday 9/28 - DHS
Tuesday 9/29 - off morning, MNSSHP
Wednesday 9/30 - off morning, Epcot evening
Thursday 10/1 - AK morning, Epcot evening
Friday 10/2 - Epcot morning, MK evening

Here are my concerns -
9/27 - MK has evening EMH which we will not want to stay out for, so should we spend the evening elsewhere to avoid the crowds?
Will we have enough time at MK during the week? Not sure if we will be able to do candy, shows, parades, characters, and rides at MNSSHP. We plan on getting there as close to 4 as possible.
Do we have enough Epcot time during the week, as this is everyone's favorite? Even DD3.

Let me know your thoughts. I will post my ADR ideas next.

As long as it meant I didn't have to bring my MIL I was good with it and my husband assured me we didn't have to invite her. ------that is the best part of this post and I can totally relate, my mom is coming along with us in August but if it was my MIL - ah I might have been tempted to book her flight one way

 

[lovedonaldduck]

I think it's somewhat ironic.

Obviously, Le Cellier is ridiculously popular, and so my wife and I figured that we wouldn't be able to get an ADR for our upcoming anniversary trip. Instead, we decided we were going to try the Rose and Crown pub at the UK Pavilion instead. We called back in May to ask for a noon reservation there on 7/31, and they said it was booked. I asked the reservationist if maybe Chefs de France or San Angel Inn was available.

She says, "No, I am sorry but it looks like the only reservation I can make is for Le Cellier at 12:00 noon." I nearly dropped the phone! What was even more surprising is that it was for noon, and not some bizarre time like 11:21 or something.

So that is our story for how we backed into reservations at the most popular restaurant in Epcot. Like my dad always says, I'd rather be lucky than good!

Have fun on your trip!

That is ironic. Enjoy your trip! Happy early anniversary. How many years?

I'm in!!! Cant wait to read more!

Please check out my PTR too http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2225117 we leave in 3wks!!!!!

3 weeks will fly by! I see this is your first family trip, how exciting! Your princesses will love it!

As long as it meant I didn't have to bring my MIL I was good with it and my husband assured me we didn't have to invite her. ------that is the best part of this post and I can totally relate, my mom is coming along with us in August but if it was my MIL - ah I might have been tempted to book her flight one way

If my MIL was coming, I would probably be staying home. I'm not sure there is enough pixie dust to make that an enjoyable trip. I am so jealous of women that have wonderful relationships with their MILs, I wish that could be me, but unless I get a new husband or DH gets a new mother, I don't think that will be happening.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

I am finally getting around to posting our itinerary. With our ADRs set, I don't expect it to change too much between now and the trip but I am a little indecisive (that might be a slight understatement ) so things may change. With our group, we will be taking a mid-day break back at the resort each and every day. My DD is not very pleasant without a nap and we all enjoy getting out of the heat and having a beverage before resuming our evening activities. I've even been known to take a little nap myself, I mean DD likes someone with her when she falls asleep, and since I am already there

One thing about planning that has driven me nuts this time is timing our dinner ADRs at a time that allows for a midday break and some evening park touring. It seems no restaurants serve dinner before 5 which leaves almost no touring time at all if we are heading back out from our rest around 3 (just my best guess). Also, my parents tend to eat dinner early so I couldn't push back our meals too much. Hopefully my schedule will give us enough park time and feed everyone on a schedule to minimize crankiness. We'll see.

Day 1
Arrive at the resort around 3pm and check in (we will be using online check in, I love this option )
Dinner at Kona Cafe - 7:05 pm

Day 2
Epcot rope drop
Lunch at either Cantina de San Angel or Sunshine Seasons
Break
Magic Kingdom afternoon
Dinner at The Wave - 7:20 pm
Magic Kingdom has EMH until 11pm so hopefully we can take advantage of a little extra touring time - my parents are not night owls so we will see

Day 3
DHS rope drop
Lunch at Starring Rolls Cafe (not sure about this one, we have never had any counter service at DHS so I am not sure which is best, I may spend some more time checking menus )
Break
Dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe - 4:20 pm
DHS evening

Day 4
Sleep in - no morning plans
Nap
Dinner at Raglan Road - 4 pm
MNSSHP - we are going to tour as long as DD is having fun. She is going to be a pirate . She is too cute in her costume.

Day 5
Sleep in - no morning plans (hopefully we will have been out until midnight the previous night )
Nap
Magic Kingdom afternoon
Dinner at Ohana - 7 pm

Day 6
Magic Kingdom EMH
Early lunch at Cosmic Rays
Break
Dinner at Coral Reef - 4:10 pm
Epcot evening

Day 7
Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House at 8:05 am (before park opening )
Animal Kingdom morning
Lunch at Flame Tree BBQ
Break
Epcot afternoon/evening

Day 8
Departure day

Let me know what you think.

 

[KAMKIM]

I am finally getting around to posting our itinerary. With our ADRs set, I don't expect it to change too much between now and the trip but I am a little indecisive (that might be a slight understatement ) so things may change. With our group, we will be taking a mid-day break back at the resort each and every day. My DD is not very pleasant without a nap and we all enjoy getting out of the heat and having a beverage before resuming our evening activities. I've even been known to take a little nap myself, I mean DD likes someone with her when she falls asleep, and since I am already there

One thing about planning that has driven me nuts this time is timing our dinner ADRs at a time that allows for a midday break and some evening park touring. It seems no restaurants serve dinner before 5 which leaves almost no touring time at all if we are heading back out from our rest around 3 (just my best guess). Also, my parents tend to eat dinner early so I couldn't push back our meals too much. Hopefully my schedule will give us enough park time and feed everyone on a schedule to minimize crankiness. We'll see.

Day 1
Arrive at the resort around 3pm and check in (we will be using online check in, I love this option )
Dinner at Kona Cafe - 7:05 pm

Day 2
Epcot rope drop
Lunch at either Cantina de San Angel or Sunshine Seasons
Break
Magic Kingdom afternoon
Dinner at The Wave - 7:20 pm
Magic Kingdom has EMH until 11pm so hopefully we can take advantage of a little extra touring time - my parents are not night owls so we will see

Day 3
DHS rope drop
Lunch at Starring Rolls Cafe (not sure about this one, we have never had any counter service at DHS so I am not sure which is best, I may spend some more time checking menus )
Break
Dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe - 4:20 pm
DHS evening

Day 4
Sleep in - no morning plans
Nap
Dinner at Raglan Road - 4 pm
MNSSHP - we are going to tour as long as DD is having fun. She is going to be a pirate . She is too cute in her costume.

Day 5
Sleep in - no morning plans (hopefully we will have been out until midnight the previous night )
Nap
Magic Kingdom afternoon
Dinner at Ohana - 7 pm

Day 6
Magic Kingdom EMH
Early lunch at Cosmic Rays
Break
Dinner at Coral Reef - 4:10 pm
Epcot evening

Day 7
Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House at 8:05 am (before park opening )
Animal Kingdom morning
Lunch at Flame Tree BBQ
Break
Epcot afternoon/evening

Day 8
Departure day

Let me know what you think.

Looks awesome! I dont know if we'll be taking advantage of the EMH - although since school let out I guess my kids have been sleeping in alittle later...we'll see.

What are you plans for dinner on day 7?

 

[lovedonaldduck]

We didn't get to any evening EMH on our last trip, the rest of the group just doesn't have the stamina I do. Morning EMH work well for us, we were able to see a lot with smaller crowds and I am really the only one in the group who really likes to sleep in but I don't mind sacrificing that for park time.

Dinner our last night will probably just be snacking around World Showcase since we will be there for the Food and Wine Festival. I love the pretzels in Germany but they are really filling so I'm happy to not have dinner plans this night. I can get my pretzel and maybe find some new favorites.

 

[wsushocker]

My mom threw a wrench in the Labor Day plans this weekend, she does not want to go to Epcot on this trip.

That is not a wrench, that is the entire workshop!

How can anyone go to Disneyworld and NOT go to EPCOT?

OK, I will keep reading and hopefully the news will get better!

 

[KAMKIM]

We didn't get to any evening EMH on our last trip, the rest of the group just doesn't have the stamina I do. Morning EMH work well for us, we were able to see a lot with smaller crowds and I am really the only one in the group who really likes to sleep in but I don't mind sacrificing that for park time.

Dinner our last night will probably just be snacking around World Showcase since we will be there for the Food and Wine Festival. I love the pretzels in Germany but they are really filling so I'm happy to not have dinner plans this night. I can get my pretzel and maybe find some new favorites.

I see - I have to get up early everyday to go to work but when I have the option of sleeping in its really hard to convince me to get up early unless its black Friday or christmas morning

 

[lovedonaldduck]

That is not a wrench, that is the entire workshop!

How can anyone go to Disneyworld and NOT go to EPCOT?

OK, I will keep reading and hopefully the news will get better!

I know, Epcot is my favorite. Or is it Magic Kingdom? I love them both. For the Labor Day trip, we will only be in Orlando overnight so we are only going to hit two parks: DHS and AK. The good news is we will be back the last week of September for the whole week and I am scheduling lots of Epcot time for that trip.

I see - I have to get up early everyday to go to work but when I have the option of sleeping in its really hard to convince me to get up early unless its black Friday or christmas morning

I don't do black Friday, can't deal with the crowds.

I find it much easier to get up early in Disney than I do to get up and go to work each morning. Maybe if I could work at Disney that would help my motivation on workdays.

 

[jenjolt]

OY no EPCOT...that just aint right!! However you will have a lot of fun at the two parks you did choose!!!!

Subbing in!! Can't wait to hear more!!!

 

[lovedonaldduck]

We were able to spend a weekend at MK and Epcot in May so I am okay with missing Epcot this time. It helps that we will be back 3 weeks later.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

I have a confession, I can be a little bit of a park touring commando. However, the longest line we waited in last trip was 20 minutes for Dumbo, so I do believe in touring plans. This trip I am hoping to balance the best of both worlds, I will have a touring plan but I will be flexible if others don't want to follow it exactly. I love having direction - when we get off of a ride I want to know which ride is next so we can keep moving. So, with that in mind, I am going to post my tentative touring plans for each day.

First full day

• Rope drop at Epcot
• My mom and DD will head for fastpasses at Test Track while my dad, DH, and I will head to ride Soarin' (Mom won't ride Soarin', she doesn't like motion simulators)
• We will meet up after Soarin' and ride Living with the Land
• We may try Journey into the Imagination with Figment - I am trying to figure out why I avoided this last time? I feel like I either read somewhere that it was boring, or might be scary for DD?
• After Figment, we will use our Fastpasses to ride Test Track
• Let DD play in the fountains for about 30 minutes - some of the adults will head to World Showcase to bring back beverages while we watch her play
• I am thinking by now we will be hungry for lunch, either at Cantina de San Angel or Sunshine Seasons
• I would like to ride Gran Fiesta Tour, we haven't made that one yet
• By this point it should be time to head back to the resort for our daily rest, hoping to be at the resort by 1
• We should be up from our rest and on to Magic Kingdom by 4
• I think we will start off with a ride on the train - although, now seeing this in writing, I don't think I can forgo Main Street and the castle so I think we will be saving the train for later
• See the Country Bear Jamboree
• Ride or fastpass Thunder Mountain for the adults, not sure if mom will do this one or not
• Check out the Hall of Presidents (DH's request, I'm not that interested and don't know how DD will do)
• Maybe ride the Riverboat
• If there is time, maybe check out Carousel of Progress - I don't think any of us have ever done this one
• Then we will head out to dinner at The Wave - 7:20 reservation
• MK is having evening EMH tonight so if anyone is feeling up to it we may head back out, but I will probably be the only one who wants to keep going

So there is day one. I can never tell if I am trying to put too much in or if I am not putting enough in and will end up getting through the list before it is time to move on. I try to err on the side of having too many things to do, we can always pick up on the list when we return to the park. At Epcot, my one deadline will be to have DD in the fountain by 11am at the latest so she can have time to do what she wants to do before we all get too hungry and cranky.

At MK we are hitting a lot of smaller things because I want to try to hit everything that will not be open for MNSSHP.

Let me know what you think.

 

[KAMKIM]

Wow you are so detailed - maybe I should do the same thing with our trip?? I'd hate to miss anything but the thought of making a touring plan scares me - seems like a lot of work and well, I'm kind of lazy now that the trip is 2wks away. Do you think I should have a touring plan with 3 kids in tow??

 

[KAMKIM]

My other fear (other than just being lazy) is that I haven't been there since I was 12 so I dont really know whats there and I'm afraid if I plan too much we'll miss stuff