our disney plan

[jthornton94]

Be aware you need ADRs for Be Our Guest, even the quick service option.

 

[mrzrich]

Day one, any way you can flip Mickey FP WIth Pooh?

Only asking because Mickey is right at park entrance, the way it stands you have to back track through the Main Street crowds

 

[mrzrich]

Day 2, none of the things you have planned at AK require a FP. Even the safari, since you are arriving thee first.

I know you are iffy about DHS, but you can FP The frozen sing along, and I know you said you dd wasn't into TSMM, but it is a ride on a day when you aren't riding much, so she might actually like it

 

[mrzrich]

Day 3, Epcot. I actually would FP soarin', the character spot and something else to your liking

Then ride non headliners at Mk that night

 

[mrzrich]

On one of the days that you
Have not yet made an ADR, maybe consider a place with Mommy and Daddy in mind, you have plenty of character meals lined up.

 

[ariane37]

Day 3, Epcot. I actually would FP soarin', the character spot and something else to your liking

Then ride non headliners at Mk that night

I was thinking the same thing just b/c of Soarin', but if you plan to get there for RD just head right to Soarin' and you should be fine. The other things you mentioned - character spot, turtle talk- don't normally need a FP and if I understand correctly you'll be doing them in the morning. Maybe just head to character spot right after Soarin'.

On one of the days that you
Have not yet made an ADR, maybe consider a place with Mommy and Daddy in mind, you have plenty of character meals lined up.

I do have to agree with this . All the restaurants (except V&A) are fine for kids to be at so pick something for yourself! Trying to think of something to suggest that won't take you out of your way that night........you're going back to MK so a monorail resort restaurant would be a good choice. Or a WS restaurant in EPCOT if you don't mind going there just to eat and then going back to MK from there........kind of a hassle I know but gives you more choices *edited to add I'm thinking of Thurs. the 14th here*

 

[Disney Mom 7272]

Thanks. I suspected as much. It has been really frustrating trying to plan a good trip from the "left-overs."
We will be dropping Chef Mickey's. Will need to debate at H and V. Daughter will greatly enjoy the Disney Jr Characters.
Our big reasoning for Fantasmic on Tuesday rather than Thursday was so that we could see the fireworks on our last night. . . but maybe it's not worth it? Hmm....several things to think about...
Any other tips?

If your daughter likes Disney Jr characters then Hollywood and Vine is a good one. My girls love getting to meet Doc and Sophia!!

 

[Disney Mom 7272]

I'm not sure if I'm the only one that does this but we never park hop. We spend all day in the same park and try to do most of our dining reservations at that park. We usually will start out at a resort for breakfast and then on Animal Kingdom day we always go to Ohana for dinner. I feel like if you park hop then you don't get to do a lot at each park and you spend a lot of time traveling from park to park. Does the park hopping thing work for a lot of people??? Just curious about people's views on if it's worth it or not!

 

[mrzrich]

I'm not sure if I'm the only one that does this but we never park hop. We spend all day in the same park and try to do most of our dining reservations at that park. We usually will start out at a resort for breakfast and then on Animal Kingdom day we always go to Ohana for dinner. I feel like if you park hop then you don't get to do a lot at each park and you spend a lot of time traveling from park to park. Does the park hopping thing work for a lot of people??? Just curious about people's views on if it's worth it or not!

On my upcoming 5 night trip, I will be eating in epcot for 3 of those night. So we often hop. The traveling thing, doesnt matter to us because we take mid day breaks, so we would have to travel anyway. We have beem AP holders for many years, so I'm sure our touring style is different from most. We take a very relaxed approach.

 

[dkrauss]

First off I suggest don't get worked up about any of this stuff......this is DISNEY!!!! Its suppose to be FUN!!! There's been a ton of great advise given here and your updates are better. Some things to keep in mind.......your daughter is 3.......I'd look for 1 big keeper moment a day where you see the joy in her face.........if its a character M&G, first meeting with Mickey!.......a special ride, like Winnie the Pooh.......or just a family photo in front of the castle. Keep it simple. Anything beyond that is gravy......and there's no pressure!

Remember you'll have a pregnant momma with you......she's going to be impacted by long days too.......so plan rest.......each day.....every day. That can be accomplished by going back to your resort at lunch......or sleeping in and taking the morning by the pool. The pool at POR (hope I remembered that right ) is great for kids. You can also return to the resort early in the evening for the nightly movie.......I believe most resorts do a movie under the stars.....weather permitting.

Keep in mind while Character meals are fun......there's a cost........in dollars. For character M&G there's also a cost.........time. Im 53 and I love Character meals.......personal favorite is Cape May Cafe......If Mickey is your target he can be had at MK and HS without spending money on a meal.... For other meals......what we try to do is tie are ADR's to where we are at the time........and that includes resorts...... In Sept we stayed at Wilderness Lodge and planned our lunch after a morning in the MK at our resort at Whispering Canyon Cafe. To me its all about coordination......as I said I'm 53 and I need my naps too..........

I don't mean this to be mean but your little one is 3......she's not going to remember this trip. Its about making memories......taking pictures.........and just enjoying the moment. Don't shove it all in on this trip...........they'll be time for that as your family grows. Stop and smell the roses.........and the other smells that make WDW the wonderful family experience it can........and will be!

Have a great trip.........

Doug

 

[Rosebud123]

I think you should skip the nap most days and do 3/4 days. Don't park hop, just do RD - 3. Come back to you hotel and swim and early to bed. Maybe do Wishes one night, but that's all. Do 2 or 3 character meals and call it a day. IMO, your plans are too complicated.

 

[mshanson3121]

Just a note: I am a "verbal processor." I am not angry at nor disagreeing with the advice provided. Just trying to wrap my head around it and how it fits with what I've already worked out. . .

I am starting to feel a bit frustrated and overwhelmed. Maybe this trip wasn't a good idea. I just don't know if we'll get our money's worth out of it. Like I said between fast pass and ADR I feel like all we will be doing is going from one appointment to another with no time for any unplanned fun or exploration. And yet if we don't use ADRs and or fast passes we won't see characters and we'll be stuck in long lines . . .

We will have to go back to the resort for nap times. She won't nap in a stroller. Some days she won't even nap in her quiet dark room! So that is another several hours out of the day . . .

What worked well for us last trip (no children in 2008), was to get up and go to rope drop... spend the morning in whichever park we were at. We would head back to the resort somewhere around 2:00. We would rest for a while hang out at the pool and then head back into a park for evening entertainment. We had hoped for a similar plan this time, but it just doesn't seem to be working. Meal times are all too early or too late. Fast pass times are all taken for the mornings. . . . .

Thanks for your help, I will see what I can do. . . .

Ooooh... been here. And recently too. Trying to plan a trip for 6 people which includes a set of in-laws going along with us. My DH was feeling the same as you - exhausted just looking at the plans. He far prefers a vacation where you can just relax and it doesn't have to be appointment to appointment. I too was at the point where I wanted to cancel the whole thing and just go sit on a beach somewhere and relax.

As for my thoughts on these new plans:



Monday May 11- - 3:15 arrive in Orlando take Magical Express to POFQ

Head to Magic Kingdom for exploration

Quick Service meal

Fastpass: Pooh Ride 6:10-7:10 (Optional)

Fastpass: Meet Mickey

Parade and Fireworks (FP) (if tolerated)

1. You said your daughter doesn't do well without her nap. But what about bedtime? Does she handle late nights well? Where are you flying from? How far do you have to drive to the airport, how long is your flight? Has she ever flown before? I think you're underestimating the toll that a day of traveling is going to take on a 3 year old (who probably is not going to nap on the plane) and a pregnant woman. Realistically, you need to plan on not arriving at POFQ until pushing 5. Then by the time you get turned around and actually INTO the park, it will be pushing 6:00 - with a 3 year old who is nearing bedtime and hasn't napped. Honestly? I would not attempt a park this night. I would just relax in the hotel and give everyone a chance to rest, go play in the pool. If nothing else, I would plan a nice character dinner (I think your Chef Mickeys would have been great), and have that be IT for this night. That way it at least gives you little girl a "start" on the excitement.


Tuesday May 12— Go to Animal kingdom for morning

Fastpass: Safari 9:25-10:25

ADR: Tusker House (Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Daisy) 10:35

Fastpass: Festival of Lion King 11:30-11:50 (Appears to be right near Tusker?)

Fastpass: Finding Nemo 12:30-12:50

Return to Resort for Afternoon

Head to Hollywood Studios for Evening (if Tolerated)

Quick Service meal

Beauty and Beast or Frozen Show

Fantasmic @ 9:00

2. Do the safari first thing, as while they are only supposed to be 20-30 minutes, if an animal wanders onto the tracks it can delay the safari, and you will find yourself being late/missing your ADR. You may also be pushing it for Lion King. You need to plan generally a full hour, or more for sit-down character meals. If you're late being seated etc... Now, that said TH is buffet, so maybe it doesn't take as long, so someone else may chime in on that. Just be prepared to miss that one. Otherwise that day sounds fine, again, depending on how your daughter does with late nights.


Wednesday May 13- Head to Epcot for morning

No time bound plans at moment

Must do’s: Character Spot, Turtle Talk, Living Seas, Soarin’

Hoping for breakfast at Akershus (using Disney Dining Buddy to keep me from

checking every 10 minutes)

Return to Resort for afternoon

Magic Kingdom in evening (If I understand the advice I have received, you all

would recommend saving our fastpasses for Magic Kingdom this evening)

You will need to FP+ Soarin', otherwise you will have a long wait. So I would FP that, and then save two for your evening.


Thursday May 14- Head to magic Kingdom for morning

Quick Service: Be Our Guest 9:05 (Do you recommend breakfast or lunch here?)

Head to Resort for Afternoon

Return to Magic Kingdom for evening

(Again, if I understand the advice. . .save fast passes for evening?)

We have not yet landed on a table service meal for today.

Save the FP for evening yes, but understand that by the time you've had your breakfast and get back out into the park, you'll have missed that first prime hour when crowds are lowest. Myself, Id' rather do a sit down meal like BoG (or TH at AK) over lunch when we're really ready for a break and crowds are higher.


Friday May 15- Head to Magic Kingdom

ADR: Crystal Palace 8:45

No fastpasses at this time. Will use this day to revist favorites or catch what we missed.

Leave park 12:30

Leave resort @ 2:30

Flight home 5:40

I think your new plans sound much better than your first. The biggest "thing" will be how she handles missing bedtime every single night. My kids could NOT handle that, at all. And the more sleep deprived they would get, the less they would sleep - including naps. But each kid is different - my kids would have slept beautifully in their stroller, so there ya go. I think it's going to boil down to - what will make her the crankiest - missing her nap/having a shorter nap, or missing bedtime every night?

If you think she can handle the bedtime issue, then your current plan is great. BUT, if not, then you're probably better to try and pull a longer day in the parks, stay until around 2 instead of leaving at noon, and then just go back to your hotel for the rest of the afternoon/evening. Instead of planning morning/lunch ADRs, plan them for supper time. That way, you're not losing park time, but still get to enjoy that experience, and you can still get a nap in (albeit perhaps later or shorter), and then do a nice ADR for supper, then back for a normalish bedtime.

 

[crazylady]

I think your new plan looks great. The only thing I would consider changing is to use your FP+ at HS on the day you head to AK in the morning. Your AK stuff doesn't really need FP+ if you get there early for Safari and I think you'll find there is more for your little one to experience at HS than you think. My kids liked LM and the Disney Jr show at that age in addition to the stuff you mentioned and ToyStory is cool even if she's never seen the movie. HS is also our favorite place to see characters.

On Wed you can't split your FP+ the way the PP suggested so plan to get to EPCOT at RD to minimize your wait for Soarin' too.

Have a great trip!

 

[revwooster]

so the plan continues to evolve. . . .
May 11- Still in place, was able to swap Pooh and Mickey fast passes, considering looking at things again and trying to "chunk" our time in one section of the park. . .maybe frontier/Adventure Land. That's likely where we will head for the parade.

May 12- Still in place. . .No big changes. We tried a later ADR but that really messed up the day!

May 13- We scored a 9:40 Akershus Reservation (With a 3 year old we really wanted the princesses). Here's the question: Will a 9:40 Reservation give us time to ride say Soarin' or The Seas before we go to breakfast? Or will we need to go right to the restaurant?.

May 14- 8:30 at Chef Mickey's- then on to the park

May 15- Plans still in place.

 

[IrishNYC]

I would not attempt to ride Soarin' or The Seas before Akershus. It's a long walk to Norway from both, and Soarin takes a good chunk of time. We walked in to FP+ Soarin at around 11:15 and by the time we loaded and rode we had to race to Norway for a 12:00 ASR, and still got there a few minutes late.