*****Official (??) June 2014 Thread -- Party Like It's Hot!*****

[sbrown29]

Yikes- only 194 days out from our trip! Where do I even begin with planning? I know I'm only 2 weeks away from meal reservations... what's the best way to figure out where I want to go on what day? All this planning is so overwhelming!!

I should add--- first "real" Disney trip I have planned- this is only my second time there- spent one day there after graduation from high school many, many years ago!

 

[rainydayplay]

Yikes- only 194 days out from our trip! Where do I even begin with planning? I know I'm only 2 weeks away from meal reservations... what's the best way to figure out where I want to go on what day? All this planning is so overwhelming!!

I should add--- first "real" Disney trip I have planned- this is only my second time there- spent one day there after graduation from high school many, many years ago!

We plan to go during our birthday week -- my birthday is June 24, and my DD's is June 25. So I get to pick the park we go to on my birthday, and DD picks where we go for hers. After that, we just decide what order we want to go everywhere, pick a day to be a "down day," and go from there. There was one year that, with the way we planned, we missed ALL of the EMH. Which, isn't necessarily a bad thing, since the EMH parks tend to be the most crowded.

On the other hand, a lot of people want to see park hours first, and plan around those EMH's. Like...if you want to go to MK and be in the park at 8am and (maybe) be one of the first to get to rides and such when the park opens at 9, then you don't want to play that CP or CRT breakfast on an AM EMH day at MK. Or maybe you want to leave the park for a meal at a nearby resort on an evening EMH day so you don't feel like you are missing as much.

Mom (eeyore344) and I try to look over the lists and see what places we haven't been to that we want to go to, then plan out where all we want to go. Right now (this may change) we are down as QSDP, and we've chosen a few TS restaurants to pay for OOP. California Grill, Tusker House (and/or Kona...), and the Afternoon Tea at the Grand Floridian. It's kind of nice to not think about having to make more than a few ADRs, and we'll definitely have to sit down and plan out our QS meals, but that can mostly be done in the days leading up to the trip (although if anyone has any advice on the FP for BOG...would love to hear it!)

What do you REALLY need to know about planning out those TS ADRs?

1. Certain restaurants must be booked at the 180 day mark. CRT, especially if you want a breakfast ADR, BOG (dinner), CM, LC, CG... (Anyone else know some that need to be added?)
2. If you are staying on-site, use your 180+10 option (at 180 days from check-in, you can book all your ADRs for the next 10 days).
3. Most of those other restaurants will still have open reservations 60+ days out. Some will even have open ADRs when you are there. Marrakesh in Epcot usually has openings, some of the resort restaurants (wouldn't say this for monorail resorts) may have a wait, but you may still be able to get in.
4. Don't reserve two ADRs for roughly the same time because you can't decide which one. Can't remember if they cancel one or both, but they did start canceling reservations if you double-booked.
5. Didn't get something you really wanted? Keep trying! There are always people who reserve but cancel when they change their minds or find something else they'd rather do. Or decide they can't go on their trip after all.
6. Don't have a reservation? Walk up and ask on day of, anyway. There could have been a cancellation.
7. But, if you really, really have your heart set on a certain restaurant...make that ADR!

[/LIST]

 

[tinkerbell615]

[*]If you are staying on-site, use your 180+10 option (at 180 days from check-in, you can book all your ADRs for the next 10 days).

So if we are staying onsite, when we reach the 180 days for the first day of check in, we can book for days the rest of the time we are there? I did not know this. Can you do it online from the WDW website or do you have to call for these?

 

[kalee45]

You can do it online but I like to call cause its less work for me, and I get to talk to someone about Disney plans!

 

[rainydayplay]

Hi! I'm still debating, but thinking about take a trip, just DS5 and myself, in June. My big kids will be gone ALL SUMMER! I feel bad going without them, but at the same time, they are going to be traveling and vacationing with family for 2 months straight!

I'm not sure WHICH week yet, trying to look back on YES classes and when the first one in June has been historically before I decide. Probably the 2nd for 3rd week. So... I'm hoping for a RO discount this go round.

Personally...if they're going to be gone all summer having fun, no reason the two of you shouldn't do something for some fun.

 

[rainydayplay]

So if we are staying onsite, when we reach the 180 days for the first day of check in, we can book for days the rest of the time we are there? I did not know this. Can you do it online from the WDW website or do you have to call for these?

You can do it online or call, whatever works best for you.

 

[rainydayplay]

::weclome to andyman8, Tink0513, MOpGrad2013, tinkerbell615, jester161, Cinderella16, alan_renfroe, larie21, & beautybelle!! (And anyone else I may have missed....)

I have updated everyone's info on post #1...please check and PM me if I have missed you or if something in your info has changed and I missed the change!

To the first post, I added some links to several planning spreadsheets, links to an ADR calculator (so you can be sure you know WHEN to start booking things!), links to the menus posted at WDWinfo.com and allears.net. AND...the link someone here posted to the June Hours. (I should probably go back and get May and July, too...)

Is there anything else you all would like to see here?

I'll try to keep up here a little more often this week -- I'm off ALL WEEK! (Although I am determined to see Catching Fire tomorrow, and must cook Wednesday and Thursday....but I'll be here one way or the other!)

Can you believe it's just a little more than a month to 2014?? Then we can all say WE ARE GOING TO WDW THIS YEAR!!!

 

[tinkerbell615]

You can do it online or call, whatever works best for you.

Thank you so much! This is info that I never knew!

 

[alan_renfroe]

::weclome to andyman8, Tink0513, MOpGrad2013, tinkerbell615, jester161, Cinderella16, alan_renfroe, larie21, & beautybelle!! (And anyone else I may have missed....)

I have updated everyone's info on post #1...please check and PM me if I have missed you or if something in your info has changed and I missed the change!

To the first post, I added some links to several planning spreadsheets, links to an ADR calculator (so you can be sure you know WHEN to start booking things!), links to the menus posted at WDWinfo.com and allears.net. AND...the link someone here posted to the June Hours. (I should probably go back and get May and July, too...)

Is there anything else you all would like to see here?

I'll try to keep up here a little more often this week -- I'm off ALL WEEK! (Although I am determined to see Catching Fire tomorrow, and must cook Wednesday and Thursday....but I'll be here one way or the other!)

Can you believe it's just a little more than a month to 2014?? Then we can all say WE ARE GOING TO WDW THIS YEAR!!!

Thank you VERY much rainydayplay! Thanks for starting this thread!

I need to give a bit more information:
Who: The Renfroe family (myself, Alan, 48 at time of travel, DW42, DS17, and DD14.) (We had fantastic WDW trips in 2008 and 2009 but have not been back since then...so we are super excited! Our previous trip report links are in my siggie.)
What: Third full-on trip to WDW!
When: May 30-June 5, 2014
Where: POFQ or POR (we've previously stayed at CSR and loved it, but we want to try a different experience this trip)
Why: Several reasons: (a) my wife and I are celebrating our 19-year wedding anniversary! (b) our son will be moving into his senior year of high school and we anticipate this may be our last WDW trip with our kids intact. (next year he will be a high school graduate and plans to go on a cruise with his friends.) (c) we all LOVE WDW! and it will have been five years since our last trip, so we cannot wait!
How: Good planning and our family's prioritizing!

All in all, we are very much looking forward to our 2014 to WDW!

 

[kalee45]

Hello, Team Renfroe! We stayed at POFQ for my daughter's 18th birthday weekend in 2011 and I loved the resort! It was so nice to have queen beds. At the time we went (September) the busses were sharing with POR and were kinda spotty so we ended up driving to the parks instead. I also found, I knew more about Disney stuff than the CMs there did For example, when we got tired of waiting for the MK bus and decided to just drive, the POFQ busstop CM said "Well you'll have to pay for parking then!", which of course we do not, as resort guests (as I informed him). The resort had just completed a soft refurb at that time and everything was clean & fresh. I also really liked the "streets" layout and all the greenery. The pool was small but the one at POR is bigger, and guests of either can use both

 

[Meriweather]

Me!! First solo trip.....so excited.
May 31-June 7 at OKW

 

[alan_renfroe]

Hello, Team Renfroe! We stayed at POFQ for my daughter's 18th birthday weekend in 2011 and I loved the resort! It was so nice to have queen beds. At the time we went (September) the busses were sharing with POR and were kinda spotty so we ended up driving to the parks instead. I also found, I knew more about Disney stuff than the CMs there did For example, when we got tired of waiting for the MK bus and decided to just drive, the POFQ busstop CM said "Well you'll have to pay for parking then!", which of course we do not, as resort guests (as I informed him). The resort had just completed a soft refurb at that time and everything was clean & fresh. I also really liked the "streets" layout and all the greenery. The pool was small but the one at POR is bigger, and guests of either can use both

Hi kalee45! We are really excited about Port Orleans! I read on another thread that last year POFQ offered a 5% discount for our time period in late December, but POR offered a 20% discount. We are going to wait and see if they do that again this year. If so, we'll be staying at POR!

Our plan on transportation will be this: drive to AK and DHS. On the days we want to go to MK or Epcot, we will just take the first bus to either, then hop on the monorail. Also, we will take the boat to DTD! (Looking forward to eating at Raglan Road again! hmmmmm, that bread pudding is amazing!)

 

[kalee45]

You are so totally right about the bread pudding! I told DH, "Next time we eat here, I'm only having a beer and appetizer so I can eat more bread pudding." I was so full from dinner, I couldn't finish it!

 

[rainydayplay]

Thank you VERY much rainydayplay! Thanks for starting this thread!

I need to give a bit more information:
Who: The Renfroe family (myself, Alan, 48 at time of travel, DW42, DS17, and DD14.) (We had fantastic WDW trips in 2008 and 2009 but have not been back since then...so we are super excited! Our previous trip report links are in my siggie.)
What: Third full-on trip to WDW!
When: May 30-June 5, 2014
Where: POFQ or POR (we've previously stayed at CSR and loved it, but we want to try a different experience this trip)
Why: Several reasons: (a) my wife and I are celebrating our 19-year wedding anniversary! (b) our son will be moving into his senior year of high school and we anticipate this may be our last WDW trip with our kids intact. (next year he will be a high school graduate and plans to go on a cruise with his friends.) (c) we all LOVE WDW! and it will have been five years since our last trip, so we cannot wait!
How: Good planning and our family's prioritizing!

All in all, we are very much looking forward to our 2014 to WDW!

You're welcome! I feel like I may not have been the BEST person to have started this because I tend to be busy during the week, but at least it's here.

We have stayed 3 times at POR and 2 times at CBR, but never at POFQ. I don't really like the way it looks... but CBR and POR are spread out, and POFQ is much more compact. Plus, when there is a line for the buses at the parks and such that is just for POFQ, it is waaaay shorter than POR. In fact, one night last summer, we were coming back from MK. We would have had to wait through the queue at least 3 times for POR before we would have been able to get on a bus. We were tired (I was getting sick...), and there were, like, 6 people in line for POFQ. We chose that bus, then walked back to our room at POR. We were in Magnolia Terrace, so it was about a 10 minute walk, and we were there.

If you wind up going for POR, I can't say which side is better than the other because they both have their charms. I think if we go there again while DD is small, we'll go for the Alligator Bayou side, but my travel party is Mom, DD, and myself, and DD liked the novelty of her own bed with the pull down, so I got the bed to myself for a change. Really, check out http://portorleans.org/ to get a good rundown of the differences between the two.

 

[rainydayplay]

Me!! First solo trip.....so excited.
May 31-June 7 at OKW

::welcome Meriweather! I'm so jealous that you get to stay at OKW! Last year, we took a day to resort hop and see what else was out there. When we went to OKW, we stopped in the store and told the clerk what we were up to, and she encouraged us to go ask for a tour. We saw a 2 bedroom suite and fell in love! If we could get my DB and his wife to go with us again, I think we'd try to work it out so we could stay there!

Hi kalee45! We are really excited about Port Orleans! I read on another thread that last year POFQ offered a 5% discount for our time period in late December, but POR offered a 20% discount. We are going to wait and see if they do that again this year. If so, we'll be staying at POR!

Our plan on transportation will be this: drive to AK and DHS. On the days we want to go to MK or Epcot, we will just take the first bus to either, then hop on the monorail. Also, we will take the boat to DTD! (Looking forward to eating at Raglan Road again! hmmmmm, that bread pudding is amazing!)

I might advise against that monorail option. There was one trip we sat for over 30 minutes waiting on an EP bus while 2 and 3 or more of the other buses passed us by. We finally opted to hop on a MK bus and take the monorail to EP...it took FOREVER. We had an 11 am lunch ADR, left the room at the resort at 8:30 or earlier, and we had to rush to the ADR as soon as we got off the monorail.

 

[Meriweather]

::welcome Meriweather! I'm so jealous that you get to stay at OKW! Last year, we took a day to resort hop and see what else was out there. When we went to OKW, we stopped in the store and told the clerk what we were up to, and she encouraged us to go ask for a tour. We saw a 2 bedroom suite and fell in love! If we could get my DB and his wife to go with us again, I think we'd try to work it out so we could stay there!

We've stayed in a 2 bedroom once when there were 5 of us and plan to again in Dec. 2014 when there will be 7 of us. Love OKW, so peaceful.

 

[sbrown29]

We plan to go during our birthday week -- my birthday is June 24, and my DD's is June 25. So I get to pick the park we go to on my birthday, and DD picks where we go for hers. After that, we just decide what order we want to go everywhere, pick a day to be a "down day," and go from there. There was one year that, with the way we planned, we missed ALL of the EMH. Which, isn't necessarily a bad thing, since the EMH parks tend to be the most crowded.

On the other hand, a lot of people want to see park hours first, and plan around those EMH's. Like...if you want to go to MK and be in the park at 8am and (maybe) be one of the first to get to rides and such when the park opens at 9, then you don't want to play that CP or CRT breakfast on an AM EMH day at MK. Or maybe you want to leave the park for a meal at a nearby resort on an evening EMH day so you don't feel like you are missing as much.

Mom (eeyore344) and I try to look over the lists and see what places we haven't been to that we want to go to, then plan out where all we want to go. Right now (this may change) we are down as QSDP, and we've chosen a few TS restaurants to pay for OOP. California Grill, Tusker House (and/or Kona...), and the Afternoon Tea at the Grand Floridian. It's kind of nice to not think about having to make more than a few ADRs, and we'll definitely have to sit down and plan out our QS meals, but that can mostly be done in the days leading up to the trip (although if anyone has any advice on the FP for BOG...would love to hear it!)

What do you REALLY need to know about planning out those TS ADRs?

1. Certain restaurants must be booked at the 180 day mark. CRT, especially if you want a breakfast ADR, BOG (dinner), CM, LC, CG... (Anyone else know some that need to be added?)
2. If you are staying on-site, use your 180+10 option (at 180 days from check-in, you can book all your ADRs for the next 10 days).
3. Most of those other restaurants will still have open reservations 60+ days out. Some will even have open ADRs when you are there. Marrakesh in Epcot usually has openings, some of the resort restaurants (wouldn't say this for monorail resorts) may have a wait, but you may still be able to get in.
4. Don't reserve two ADRs for roughly the same time because you can't decide which one. Can't remember if they cancel one or both, but they did start canceling reservations if you double-booked.
5. Didn't get something you really wanted? Keep trying! There are always people who reserve but cancel when they change their minds or find something else they'd rather do. Or decide they can't go on their trip after all.
6. Don't have a reservation? Walk up and ask on day of, anyway. There could have been a cancellation.
7. But, if you really, really have your heart set on a certain restaurant...make that ADR!

[/LIST]

Thanks for all the advice! Yes CRT (breakfast) and BOG (dinner) are on my list of places to hit! I had no idea I could make all 10 days worth of ADRs at the 180-day out mark. Good to know as we are staying at BC!!

 

[Loftin716]

0fficially in 100s!! 199 days!!!

 

[NMDisneyMom]

So tomorrow is ADR day! I'm really not looking forward to the 6 am wake-up call to get on my computer. Since I'm doing a split stay, I only get to make the first half of my reservations. And I'm still planning my schedule. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

 

[rainydayplay]

So tomorrow is ADR day! I'm really not looking forward to the 6 am wake-up call to get on my computer. Since I'm doing a split stay, I only get to make the first half of my reservations. And I'm still planning my schedule. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

I would think you would be able to make your ADRs through June 7. Attach to Reservation 1, pay with DDP (if you're using that) for Reservation 2. And if not using DDP, still shouldn't be a problem.

And remember.... Unless it is a hard to get ADR, you still have time!