Opinions/Criticism Welcome!

[jcemom]

What do you think? This trip will be DH, myself, DS 10, DS 9, and DD 1 1/2. This is the first time to WDW for the kiddos!

Tue 2/4 - check in at AKL around 3:00, explore the resort, go to the grocery store, whatever
Wed - Magic Kingdom, 11:30 PS Crystal Palace, hopefully Wishes will show tonight
Thurs - MGM, 4:30 PS Holly & Vine (Fantasmic pkg), Fantasmic
Fri - no specific plans
Sat - Animal Kingdom, 8:15(?) PS Donald's Breakfast
Sun - Epcot, afternoon break, back to Epcot, 5:00 PS - not sure where yet, Illuminations
Mon - no specific plans
Tue - 10:00 PS Boma, Disney Quest, Cirque du Soliel 6:00 show
Wed - Magic Kingdom, 11:30 PS Cindy's Castle, 4:45 PS Liberty Tree Tavern, hopefully Wishes will show tonight
Thu - enjoy our last morning at AKL, 11:30 PS Chef Mickey's to say goodbye to Mickey, then off to the airport

So, any opinions, ideas, suggestions? I have a week before making PS's, plenty of time to change everything around again...
...and again, and again! lol

What would be your suggestion for an Epcot dinner that's "kid friendly?"

 

[goofy4tink]

You plan the same way I do!! I like to have at least one ps a day. Sometimes two! I think you'll find that most of the Epcot restaurants are pretty kid-friendly. We ate at 'Garden Grill' in August and liked it. My dd, 10, found she could find something that her 'discriminating palate' would like for food there. You have a lot of good spots already. Just remember to take the time to 'stop and smell the roses' so to speak. Don't get caught up in the have to see it all, do it all mentality. Have each one of the kids make a list of the top 5 things in each park they really want to do. Then, combine the lists and see what shakes out. Don't forget that all important 'down time'. Our family does much better with some of that built in. Looks like you do too. Have a great trip. And have a good time making those ps's!!

 

[jerseydizdreamer]

I love playing critic! Opinions? Oh, I've always got one! LOL

Anyway... it looks like a really great itinerary to me. You've been very smart and left yourself days with no specific plans, meaning you can do whatever you want on those days.

My one suggestion, especially as this is the first time for the kids, would be this: Don't make the Magic Kingdom the first park they visit. In fact, I'd push it back as far as possible. Let's face it... the Magic Kingdom is the park most kids are gonna go crazy for. if you start them there, they might find themselves expecting that same level of rides/attrations/characters/magic in every park. And as much as I love both Epcot and the Animal Kingdom, neither is going to keep a kid as entertained as will Magic Kingdom. So I'd be afraid that once they've seen the Magic Kingdom, they might then find themselves wandering through, say, Epcot saying "where are the flying elephants? Where is the haunted mansion?"

As for kid-friendly eats in Epcot, I've seen a lot of families having a really great time at the Rose & Crown. Or you can get fish & chips to go at the takeout window next to the Rose & Crown, then go over into the park and listen to a band or let the kids play in the park.

I've also read a lot of family-friendly reports about the Garden Grill over in The Land.

Richard

 

[XStAnt]

I like your itinerary. I also think MK on the first day is a must/tradition. It will be what the kids want to do any way, so why fight it. Plus, you have MK for your last day as well, so they go home after having been to their favorite(?) park.

What type of admission ticket will you have. You have a number of days off (which is good). If you have an UPH you can always go to a park on one of those off days for a couple of hours or for a meal. If its a PHP you can try one of the water parks if the weather is good.

If you only have a five day PHP and don't want to do the water parks on an off day you may want to consider a day at one of the "other" parks in Orlando. I'd play it by ear and see how tired/bored your kids are. If they are not too tired or were not too bored on your Friday off day, I'd consider going on Monday, since your Tuesday is pretty light and your kids could rest a lot that day. Try Sea Worls, Universal Studios, or IOA. If you don't want to do another park, try mini golf, resort hop, ride the monorail;, rent a water mouse, etc. Lots to do.

For a meal at Epcot, I'd recommend one of the more unusual restaurants such as at Norway, Japan, Morocco, or germany. As long as your kids are not fussy eaters I think it's a great chance to expose them to something different.

Have fun.

 

[jcemom]

My one suggestion, especially as this is the first time for the kids, would be this: Don't make the Magic Kingdom the first park they visit.

DH said the exact same thing! I'll have to give that some more thought. I was trying to avoid crowds as much as possible, and since Wednesday is supposed to be the least crowded day...

As for kid-friendly eats in Epcot, I've seen a lot of families having a really great time at the Rose & Crown. Or you can get fish & chips to go at the takeout window next to the Rose & Crown, then go over into the park and listen to a band or let the kids play in the park.

DS 9 has specifically requested fish & chips, so this would be a very good idea. Maybe if we do the takeout for lunch, we could go somewhere else for dinner. Or some other counter service for lunch and Rose & Crown for dinner? Decisions, decisions! lol

You plan the same way I do!! I like to have at least one ps a day.

I thought since the parks close early and we are not planning on afternoon breaks (except for Epcot), the kids may be ready to sit down for awhile by dinner time. DH disagrees and thinks we should eat counter service for all meals! (He is definitely getting overruled on this one!)

 

[jcemom]

We have 7 days PHP's. I also have no problem with using up a day off our passes by only going to a park for a few hours, if it works out that way.

On the days with no plans, we wanted to fit in a "tour" of Orlando and surrounding areas to show the kids where DH and I used to live before they came along and we moved "up north"...lol. That would probably take up the better part of a day.

Otherwise, they're flexible.

 

[XStAnt]

JCEmom,

A 7 day PHP--sounds like a great itinerary then. With the extra days on your passes and lots of off days you don't have to rush through everything at each park that day. You can take one of your off days and hit the parks to do things you missed or want to do again. Enjoy your "tour" of Orlando and I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding something to do with the rest of your time on non-park days.

 

[drcmk]

We are going to MK on our first full day, too. I expect that my girls (5&7) will find lots that they enjoy at all of the parks, but MK really represents Disney for them, so that is what we all want to do first. I just can't imagine spending a day at Epcot or AK being a letdown for them. Last time we went they actually preferred those parks, probably becuase they were less crowded than MK.