PART THREE! *December 2012 Roll Call* Holidays, FLE & MVMCP!! A very, merry thread!

[tofubeast]

Realistically the only must do on our agenda is the birthday dinner. Everything else is wide open lol. We'll be getting in early on the 2nd so I'm thinking of tackling a quieter type park to settle from the jet lag. I would consider doing 2 days at MK with the kids since we will most likely have to take a break.

I really need to step up my research game and get it figured out. We're actually leaving on the 8th to go to a Philadelphia Eagles game down in Tampa then heading back to Orlando. My wife thought it would be neat to stay at the new Princess Tiana rooms since its my youngests favorite princess.

I'll have to sift through the remainder of this thread, as lengthy as it is.

Welcome! I highly recommend checking out www.easywdw.com. Check out his December crowd calendar and go with the parks he recommends for the day. It will how with dealing with crowds. Another great site is allears to see menus and so forth.

 

[Devi8or]

What type of meals are you looking for? Are you looking at going to resorts or stay in the parks? Are you looking for sit down meals or quick meals?

I guess realistically it would most likely be more quick type meals for lunch etc. I could only really picture us sitting down for a regular place at dinner time. I think there's gonna be too much to explore to stay at a table service for a few hours each meal.

I would consider going to resort restaurants if there is any unique experiences at them I guess. We're not personally staying at a resort, I don't know if that factors in though

Welcome Jason!

When we went in June, I picked places that had variety like buffets. Most of the kids menus are ALL.THE.SAME. It stinks because chicken nuggets and mac and cheese can only be done so many times. Buffets allow you to have a variety. We enjoyed Liberty Tree Tavern (LTT) at Magic Kindgom (MK), Crystal Palace (CP) at MK, Ohana at the Polynesian. These were all great and the kids weren't confined to the basic kids menu.

Look up family style meals (or something like that) and you'll see more options.

Another two I'd heard good things about is Cape May and Hollywood and Vine.

Have a great trip!

Cool, I'll have to put those on my list of places to check out. The kids would definitely love the buffet versus chicken nuggets and Mac all day lol

Ok...do you have the dining plan? Do you want sit down table service (TS) meals? Are you looking for character meals? Lots of people love to get an ADR (advanced dining reservation) before a park opens for breakfast, for empty park pictures and jump on lines. Give us some more info, we can help. My plans are pretty set, so playing with someone else's should be fun! If you don't have the dining plan and don't want to be tied to TS, we can help with counter service too.

Like I mentioned to an earlier poster, I could really only see us doing TS for dinner most of the time. I would probably do lunch TS a time or 2, but mainly at dinner. In all honesty, we are not a breakfast eating family lol. We tend to eat a light breakfast then hold our stomachs for lunch and dinner lol.

I've got the CRT as a character meal, not sure oif I want to spring to do another with the higher cost...if I were, which would you recommend?




tofubeast: thanks for the info, I'll check those things out when I get home!

 

[cara76]

Apparently I'm making up for the time lost on these threads today but now I want some opinions on my arrival day.

I had planned on doing DTD once we got there, our flight lands at 1:20pm so I was thinking at Pop by 3:30pm at the latest. We were going to have dinner at T-Rex, look around, do a little shopping, etc. Then I realized a lot of the reviews talked about how loud T-Rex is & decided my youngest would probably not do well. So, change of plan to Earl of Sandwich, yum!

But now I'm thinking maybe heading to the MK & having a QS dinner & looking around a bit. Granted it's a MVMCP night so the MK will close at 7pm. Would it even be worth it? Or should we stick to DTD?

I would stick to the DTD, I wouldn't waste a ticket for 2-3 hours at MK. If you were doing the party it would be worth it, but if no, it's not. That's just me.

 

[Maddie's Nana]

I've got the CRT as a character meal, not sure oif I want to spring to do another with the higher cost...if I were, which would you recommend?

When my DGD was the age of your girls she loved the Garden Grill at Epcot. The characters are great (Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale), the food is served family style and I don't think it is as expensive as other character meals. The Crystal Palace in MK is also good but it always seems a little over-crowded for me. At the Garden Grill you don't seem to notice it as much. She also adored the Cinderella dinner at the Grand Floridian. We went there every year from when she was age 5 to age 9. It is also a buffet as is the Crystal Palace

 

[Valgoof]

Yay! My luggage arrived today and the charge finally showed up. Glad I didnt order it again.

Taaren--I am very impressed you are reading and replying to all that you missed.

Devi8or--Welcome!! We love to plan trips and give our opinions on others' trips. I would pick your park days and then see which reservations you can get in each park. We can definitely help you narrow it down.

 

[SAT887]

I guess realistically it would most likely be more quick type meals for lunch etc. I could only really picture us sitting down for a regular place at dinner time. I think there's gonna be too much to explore to stay at a table service for a few hours each meal.

I would consider going to resort restaurants if there is any unique experiences at them I guess. We're not personally staying at a resort, I don't know if that factors in though

Cool, I'll have to put those on my list of places to check out. The kids would definitely love the buffet versus chicken nuggets and Mac all day lol

Like I mentioned to an earlier poster, I could really only see us doing TS for dinner most of the time. I would probably do lunch TS a time or 2, but mainly at dinner. In all honesty, we are not a breakfast eating family lol. We tend to eat a light breakfast then hold our stomachs for lunch and dinner lol.

I've got the CRT as a character meal, not sure oif I want to spring to do another with the higher cost...if I were, which would you recommend?

tofubeast: thanks for the info, I'll check those things out when I get home!

As far as a resort meal we enjoy Boma (Animal Kingdom Lodge) 'Ohana, but will be hard to get (Polynesian) the deluxe resorts have beautiful Xmas decorations. We go back to these two every year.

Epcot has great food all around both table service and quick service. We love eating in the world showcase. We ate in every country one year getting snacks and splitting entrees between the 4 of us, our favorites were morocco and France. We also have enjoyed Coral Reef (it's like an aquarium) and garden grill (both a long time ago, but the ambience in both is great) the land also has great quick service.

 

[cara76]

This is what I have for ADRS , the only ones I am happy with are Whispering Canyon and 1900 Park Fare for Dinner. I could live with Trail's End but would like to change it for Chef Mickey's if possible. Excuse the semi-colons , my shift key is broken.

Trail's End - 12/10 4;30 pm

1900 Park Fare - 12/11 5;10 pm

Cape May - 12/12 9;15 am

Whispering Canyon - 12/13 12;05 pm

1900 Park Fare - 12/14 10;35 am

Akershus - 12/15 - 10;30 am

I don't know what I was thinking when I booked these crazy times. I was on a we're going to Disney World high apparently. But these late breakfasts especially at Akerhus will not work. We've BTDT and felt rush because they were setting up for lunch. I will keep it if I have to, but would prefer to move it earlier. This is going to be fun.

 

[PrincessAurora27]

I don't know what I was thinking when I booked these crazy times. I was on a we're going to Disney World high apparently. But these late breakfasts especially at Akerhus will not work. We've BTDT and felt rush because they were setting up for lunch. I will keep it if I have to, but would prefer to move it earlier. This is going to be fun.

That's what I was afraid of when I almost took a 1900PF late breakfast. I'm worried we'll be rushed or won't get character time.

 

[wdwmaw]

I guess realistically it would most likely be more quick type meals for lunch etc. I could only really picture us sitting down for a regular place at dinner time. I think there's gonna be too much to explore to stay at a table service for a few hours each meal.

I would consider going to resort restaurants if there is any unique experiences at them I guess. We're not personally staying at a resort, I don't know if that factors in though
Cool, I'll have to put those on my list of places to check out. The kids would definitely love the buffet versus chicken nuggets and Mac all day lol
Like I mentioned to an earlier poster, I could really only see us doing TS for dinner most of the time. I would probably do lunch TS a time or 2, but mainly at dinner. In all honesty, we are not a breakfast eating family lol. We tend to eat a light breakfast then hold our stomachs for lunch and dinner lol.
I've got the CRT as a character meal, not sure oif I want to spring to do another with the higher cost...if I were, which would you recommend?
tofubeast: thanks for the info, I'll check those things out when I get home!

Paying out of pocket most prices are going to be high during this time of year. Sit down lunch meals will be a little cheaper than dinner and will also be easier to book. Try cheaper eateries to help. Look into
Rainforest Cafe (call directly if you can't get anything online), there is one at Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney, use this for discount on kids meal
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=46413440&postcount=8

We also love Sci-Fi Dine in Theatre, great burgers and the kids love the cartoons on the screen. Its like your setting in a drive in. It's neat and on the cheaper side if you order right.

Trails End Buffet- all the staples and always consistantly good hearty food (fried chicken is really good). If you time it right they have wagon rides (first come first serve for $8 each person, used to be this price) nice ending for the busy holidays.

The Plaza in Magic Kingdom is also a good choice on the cheaper side.

You can find all these here
http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm


Just a few to think about besides what others have posted and hope to save you some money and have a great meal.

 

[bellaally]

55 days woohoo love that my ticker says 1 month 3 weeks and so many days, Disney stores have a great sale and free personalization( free shipping when you buy any Disney parks exclusive with parkfree. I was tempted to get some villains stuff because of the 25% off, but I know it will probably come down again. Those long sleeve thermals are tempting too but I already got a red one for me and DH. I am really thinking about booking the new Segway tour it seems like a great deal. Better jump on that first thing tomorrow! Does anyone know of a recent review or trip report.

In other news apple is suppose to be coming out with a new mini iPad........I thought that was an iPhone

 

[cara76]

Ok I just called Hotels.com and switched my 8th and 9th stay at Hawthorn Suites to just the 9th. I figure since we are right outside DTD we could go there for a bit that night, get something to eat, look around etc.

Now I need to figure out where to stay on the 8th or if we are going to leave early early morning like 4/5 am on the 9th and drive straight through. I asked the owner of DD'S dance team how long the parade lasted and she said we should be done by 3. So that means if we leave as soon as it's over we could be on the road no later than 4. We could stop in Crestview, FL which is about 5 hours away and spend the night. There is a Hampton Inn there we could stay at.

Decisions Decisions...

 

[cara76]

Does anyone know what Disney Junior characters are around DHS for autographs? Our TV is always on Disney Jr these days and well I have a request to find and meet Doc McStuffins and Jake and the Pirates.

 

[1stvisit0909]

Does anyone know what Disney Junior characters are around DHS for autographs? Our TV is always on Disney Jr these days and well I have a request to find and meet Doc McStuffins and Jake and the Pirates.

Kenny the pirate has an app for character meet and greets.

 

[ksromack]

That made me laugh out loud!!

Mine is 11 - overall I cannot complain she is actually (for now) a very good kid BUT she now has a bit of an attitude, with me only of course, and I tease her about how I'm sure she's gonna be a Goth with the whole 'the sky is falling' attitude I just know its only gonna get worse

Mind you, whats really bugging me now is her whole 'straight' attitude, I wanted to take her to get a purple streak in her hair and she said no her other friends are begging for them.

Oh, and she says I'm not allowed those legwarmers She's so bossy

I haven't received email confirmation of payment from Disney but I can see they have taken the money ... how long did everyone elses take?

My account showed a 0 balance right away....but I didn't get the email for several hours......

 

[houstonmama]

Hi everyone! My name is Jason and I Just signed up and am happy to confirm our dates as 12/2-12/8. I'll be traveling with my wife and 2 girls, ages 6(7 when we're there) and 4. We're taking a family trip for the first time to DW. My wife and I had been there back in 2001, but not since. We're coming all the way from Alaska for my Daughters 7th birthday.

Basically I have no plans except for her birthday dinner. We made ADR for CRT on her birthday. Other then that I'm totally lost on what we need to do without coming home feeling like we missed out.

I'm looking at MVMCP and was strongly considering that. It's probably a dumb question, but is it worth it? I'm assuming it is as I know the kids would love it.

What tips do you guys and gals have that I can make my daughters birthday there one she'll always remember?

Hi Jason!! Welcome!

My first trip ever to Disney is this December 8-16. I don't post too much as I'm learning but I keep up with the thread and have read a lot! Everybody on this board is very nice and helpful. When I started planning I didn't even know the name of the other parks except for Magic Kingdom. This thread has been invaluable .

If I were you I would start with planning what days you'll go to each park. Like tofubeast mentioned there is a crowd calendar at easywdw.com that can help you. He also has restaurant information.

As far as places to eat, you have CRT which is going to be wonderful for your daughter. We're going that too and to make it extra special you might want to try to make an appointment at BBB (bibbidi boppity boutique). They get a princess makeover! It might be hard to get right now but you never know. They also have a special birthday package called "her royal highness package" that includes a fancy cake, princess balloon, a tiara I think and something else I can't remember at the moment but theres more info on The Disney Food Blog.

Other popular character meals: Chef Mickeys at Contemporary Hotel with the Fab Five. Food is meh (from what I've read) but kids seem to love it. Ohanas at Poly Resort with Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and some others?. Characters are at breakfast only. Crystal Palace at MK with Winnie the Pooh gang. Tusker House at Animal Kingdom with Donald and others. Askershus at Epcot with princesses. People say the interaction with them is really great at this restaurant. 1900 Park Fare and Grand Floridian with Cinderella, Prince Charming and the step sisters. Hollywood & Vine at DHS with June, Jake, Oso and 1 other Disney JR. character. We're going to this because my daughter really loves Jake

There also lots of restaurants that don't have characters (obviously). Ohanas at Poly resort for dinner (super popular). Be our Guest at MK. This is brand new as part of the new Fantasy Land and its very very difficult to get an ADR but the good news is that its counter service for lunch. Le Cellier, Biergarten, Tutto Italia, Rose and Crown at Epcot. Liberty Tree Tavern (MK), Yak & Yeti (AK), Just throwing out some names for you based on whats popular.

For Rapunzel, there is a meet a greet at MK but I'm pretty sure she isn't at any of the restaurants.

Tofubeast has info on the special christmas shows at the beginning of the thread. Another show thats at DHS is Fantasmic!

A lot of info but you'll have a great time planning!

 

[wdwmaw]

Does anyone know what Disney Junior characters are around DHS for autographs? Our TV is always on Disney Jr these days and well I have a request to find and meet Doc McStuffins and Jake and the Pirates.

Use this to keep up with character meet and greets and show times. This site is updated every Monday and stays currant.I loaded Hollywood Studios but you can click any park at the top.

http://wdwent.com/

 

[cara76]

Ok I give up on moving ADRs around, I just can't figure it out so I'm just going to work with what we have. So now I need help figuring out which park to go to what day. I have day one figured out, I know MK is not recommended that day but it's our first day and we have to do MK for the first day.

Monday 12/10

• MK after an early check in before our room is ready
• Lunch at MK
• Back to FW about 1:30/2 to unpack, quick store run etc
• ADR - Trail's End - 4:30 pm
• Back to MK after dinner for EMH

Tuesday 12/11

• ADR - 1900 Park Fare - 5:10 pm

Wednesday 12/12

• ADR - Cape May - 9:15 am

Thursday 12/13

• Whispering Canyon - 12:05 pm

Friday 12/14

• 1900 Park Fare - 10:35 am

Saturday 12/15

• Akershus -10:30 am

 

[tofubeast]

Looks like the Character Spot in EPCOT will be closed during our visit to WDW.

 

[1stvisit0909]

Looks like the Character Spot in EPCOT will be closed during our visit to WDW.

I just read that too.

 

[mom2travel]

Looks like the Character Spot in EPCOT will be closed during our visit to WDW.

Hmmm I wonder where they will be relocated to?

I'm excited to see the refurb! Changing up the backgrounds of our pics will be good :