Overbooking ADRs?

[rosysubmarine]

I wasn't sure which forum to put this in, so I apologize if it's in the incorrect spot.

In September I am taking my cousin and my eight year-old niece to WDW, it will be my niece's first time. We're staying 5 days/4 nights, and I have an ADR scheduled for four out of those five days. My family is worried that I'm "overbooking" and we won't have time to really enjoy ourselves and we'll just tire my niece out.

Here's what I have planned:
9/20 (arrival day): Spirit of Aloha Luau
9/21: Chip 'n' Dale's Harvest Breakfast Feast
9/22: Mama Melrose Lunch + Fantasmic! VIP (Fantasmic! is our favorite show so we want to get really good spots)
9/23: Be Our Guest Lunch (we're also going to MNSSHP)
9/24: None, we're headed out that afternoon

The thing is, two of the events (Luau + Mama Melrose) is because my cousin really enjoyed them and wants to do them again (especially the Luau). I want my niece to experience a character breakfast and we love The Land (haven't tried out Garden Grill yet though). 9/23 is my birthday and I refuse to give up BOG (plus I know my niece will love it, huge Beauty and the Beast fan).

I just want my niece's first trip to be magical, she's wanted this for so long. I don't want to make her feel like she's on a strict schedule, but I think these events would be so much fun. What do you all think?

 

[minnie mum]

Do what YOU want to do. If your family isn't going, or paying, they don't get a say.

I'm assuming you're not doing a park on your arrival day? SOA pretty much means you won't be spending any evening time in a park.

GG has gotten pretty good reviews for their character meals. But I'd only do breakfast if it was PPO, or was later in the morning. You don't want to spend the first hour or 2 of a park day, when wait times are lowest, eating.

MMs at lunch gives you time for a relaxing and airconditioned break in the middle of the day. AND it gives you reserved seating so you aren't waiting in a long standby line. What could be wrong with that.

BOG lunch: it's CS and you can pre order your meal to cut the waiting time. I don't see any way that this can be a waste of time.

One ADR a day hardly constitutes a strict schedule. When I read your thread title I thought you were one of those DxDP fans with 3 ADRs every day. No THAT, IMO, is too much.

 

[rosysubmarine]

I'm assuming you're not doing a park on your arrival day? SOA pretty much means you won't be spending any evening time in a park.

Thank you so much for your response! We're arriving in the morning and will be going to MK until we can check in at POR (or, depending on the time, we'll check in at POR and then head over to MK). EITHER WAY, we'll be spending the evening at the Poly. It also makes sense because that's a MNSSHP night, so it'd be closing early anyway. We love the Poly, so it's a win-win!

That's a really good point about breakfast, and one that I hadn't thought about. With the tiered FP+ system in EPCOT, what you're saying makes a lot of sense. I'll definitely talk to my cousin and niece about it.

I'm so excited about MM. I get nervous about the price (I'm always nervous about the price, this is the first WDW I'm financing myself AHHH.) I just have to tell myself the price would be the same even if I didn't do the package. We need to eat, and my cousin and I loved MM when we went there a few years ago.

BOG is the one I refuse to cancel, ha! I scheduled this trip after the 180 day thing so I was scrambling to get reservations. Plus, I just... the thought of my niece seeing her favorite castle and being able to eat inside it, it just sounds so magical.

You know, I feel a lot better now. I'm glad that one ADR a day doesn't sound crazy, I just want her (and me, let's be honest) to have a "fantasmic" experience!

 

[Accident]

I think your list is very reasonable actually. I like to do 1 sit down and some days more than 1 makes more sense.. You can't always fit in everything and I personally prefer to enjoy the parks and not look at them from the window while eating all day long..

 

[Duckiedee]

I'm one of the crazy ones one of the last posters warned you about!!! lol!!! 3 TS most days! So I think 1 per day is super doable!!!!

 

[Ashley Martin]

Girlfriend there is no such thing! You guys can totally rock that! (We are going in October and have 11 booked over 6 days)
You got this! - I say you gotta make the most of your trip and the dining experiences are part of that! Good job snagging those bookings!

 

[rosysubmarine]

Thank you all so much! I'm a little proud of snagging BOG, I kept on checking it and didn't give up! YEAH! Ahaha, sorry, this is my first time planning so I'm really happy.

I'm really reassured to hear that this isn't 'crazy'. Whew!

 

[Hikergirl]

My family is worried that I'm "overbooking" and we won't have time to really enjoy ourselves and we'll just tire my niece out.

But the things you have booked are things you know you will enjoy so don't listen to them

 

[serenitynow]

We visited WDW with a large, multi-generational (somewhat argumentative) group. Here's what we did. I posted a schedule of events, mainly ADRs that I had made and fireworks I planned on attending, on the back of the resort room door. Told everyone that these were the places I had planned to eat and that everyone who wished to were welcome to join me (I made ADRs for the whole group but I didn't tell them this) but that they were free to attempt ADRs of their own or just eat QS if they so wished.

It was funny, before the trip some people claimed they would not be that hungry, never eat at X, too much scheduling just to eat, yada yada and I just smiled and said great, whatever you want, my plans are on the door. Yet on the day, everyone, for the most part, showed up on time at the ADRs that I had made. A couple of times I got a text that someone was stuck in line at Toy Story, 7dmt and they couldn't make it. I just let the restaurant know before we were seated that we were 2 people short, no big deal.

It was a great relief from our usual trips in which where to eat "discussions" wait until someone gets hungry, then they spend 30 minutes arguing over where to eat. By that time, everybody is mad, tired and starving. Although sometimes I think they just like the drama of arguing.

 

[wilkeliza]

You have 1 TS per a day. In no way is that crazy or over scheduling. I actually think that is the right way to do Disney because you guarantee yourself time to sit down and relax. So for the breakfast one you can plan your day at breakfast. Talk about what you are excited for and really set the tone for the day. The others are a good way to relax and just be in the middle of the day or towards the evening.

 

[Nancyg56]

Does your family not eat????

Seriously, I think you are fine. We book ADR's. Lots of em. WE like to know we are eating when we like to eat where we like to eat, so I book our meals.

MM at lunchtime is a favorite stop for us. We usualy have late lunch and book Fantasmic package. It is a nice break.

WE also enjoy SOA, and had done that one on an arrival night. I know some folks do not enjoy this dinner show, but we do.

BOG at lunch? Why not?

I have never understood why some people feel the need to disparage plans that they did not make. If this plan looks good to your group, that is all that matters. My DH cousin took her family and never booked one meal. I would cringe, but they had a blast and they ate.

 

[Aliceacc]

We find that one table service meal a day gives us time to just stop... and be. We sit as a family and talk about our day.

I don't think you've overbooked at all.

 

[Nancyg56]

We find that one table service meal a day gives us time to just stop... and be. We sit as a family and talk about our day.

I don't think you've overbooked at all.

My family always liked that dinner ts meal. We are busy all year long, and while we manage to spend time together we like vacation to really just relax. Dinner time for us is family time. No rushing out to get to an attraction. No "squeezing" a certain meal in just to dash out. This is our time to talk about the day, reminisce about previous trips, and like your family, just be.

 

[Disneylover99]

It looks good to me.
Meals are an integral part of the magical experience. Enjoy!

 

[jo-jo]

The only thing I would be concerned about is the breakfast. What time is it and how are you getting there? Will you be dragging people out of bed to catch the bus early enough???

I've never done it myself, but many people use a taxi to get to early morning ADRs.

But I do like the thought of a character meal as part of your list.

 

[rosysubmarine]

Does your family not eat????

Quoting this post because it gave me a good chuckle first thing in the morning, thank you.

Thank you so much, everyone. Thinking about it now, I'm not sure what my mother was thinking. Well, I do. She sees TS meals as taking multiple hours out of vacation time, but... I see it as a part of the vacation time.
My cousin said that SOA was the beast meal she's ever had in her life (I think she has nostalgia glasses on, but I didn't have the veggie entree so who knows) and she said that she would love to do it again. I think it'll be even more magical with her daughter there this time.

It is a good time to sit down and just breathe. The attractions will still be there when we're done.

(Plus, I think my niece would be happy if we just rode the Haunted Mansion the entire time so... )

 

[rosysubmarine]

The only thing I would be concerned about is the breakfast. What time is it and how are you getting there? Will you be dragging people out of bed to catch the bus early enough???

I've never done it myself, but many people use a taxi to get to early morning ADRs.

But I do like the thought of a character meal as part of your list.

Whoops, just saw this!

Our breakfast is at 9:20 and we'll be taking the bus there. EPCOT opens at 9:00 so it shouldn't be a problem (though I'm trying to get an earlier one so I can tell my niece we get to go in before the park opens).

I'm sorry for the accidental double-post. I'm still getting used to the board mechanics!

 

[Nancyg56]

Whoops, just saw this!

Our breakfast is at 9:20 and we'll be taking the bus there. EPCOT opens at 9:00 so it shouldn't be a problem (though I'm trying to get an earlier one so I can tell my niece we get to go in before the park opens).

I'm sorry for the accidental double-post. I'm still getting used to the board mechanics!

The reason the poster was concerned about your meal time is that while others are getting the most popular attractions done before the crowds pick up, you will be eating. If you cannot get an earlier ADR, I would suggest a later one. Get to the park for rope drop, take care if the popular attractions that you do not have a FP for, and then break for a late breakfast. These meals are not cheap, you don't want to rush them to get back out.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

I wouldn't call this overbooking at all. At Disney you HAVE to book certain experiences if you want to get them. My parents took me many times when I was little and I was WAY too excited to be tired.

 

[andiraye]

I don't think your list is too much. The ADR's are often a welcome break from the heat, noise and crowds. And the BOG lunch is a pretty quick meal, especially if you order in advance.