Please review this first-timers tentative plans

[dandelion garden]

Only 1 wk till I can make my ADRs. Just want to make sure I'm on the right track. TIA for any & all comments/suggestions.

WHO: Me, DS & DS8
WHEN/WHERE: Jan27-Feb3, POR, 7 Day hoppers, MYW + Dining
NOTES: DH is not a Brkfast kinda guy, we'll prob'ly do coffee & lt brkfst in the room most days. I know park & EMH hrs may change but that's ok- I'll get to start planning all over again!

So here goes....

Fri: CK in POR, cs @ MK, Wishes

Sat: AK for EE, Donald's ~10:00, Resort/pool time in afternoon, HDD 7:15 show reserved

Sun: MK, cs for lunch, dinner @ Concourse ~7ish (or Ohana, or WhispC, or LTT...I JUST CAN'T DECIDE! )

Mon: DS CHOICE day AM= Mom & son alone time (he's leaning towards spending his long-saved disney $s at DTD) , lunch POR Afternoon= Dad & son alone time (they'll prob'ly do something "manly" like fishing or rent boats)
EVE: MK for dinner at CRT ~6:00 & Spectro

Tue: EP day, SanAngel for lunch ~1ish, LeCellier for Dinner ~7ish,
Illuminations

Weds: DS day, 50's PTC for lunch ~11:00, Mama Melrose for dinner ~4:30, Fantasmic

Thurs: MK in AM, Crystal Palace for Brkfst ~ 10:00, pickup rental car @ Dolphin, maybe drive to DTD for last min souvies & late lunch @ EOS?

Then we travel to the coast to visit family for 3 nights!

So, what do the experts say?

 

[ScoJo15]

Looks pretty good!

Love the built in "alone" time with just you and DS!

You may want to look at your time at AK. My daughter (7) and I spent from 9-5 there in September with no crowds and did not get to see everything. I don't think a half day will do it justice. Just my opinion though!

Good luck with the ADR's!

 

[Noelle]

May I suggest that you look into Whispering Canyon for Dinner. It's a "fun" dinner. My kids really enjoyed the Cast Member interaction, especially the bandana hats. My kids loved the fact that Mom and Dad had to wear the silly bandanas on our heads!

 

[ssdeverell]

While DH and I loved Concourse, I would suggest LTT for you. I do not think our DS8 would have liked Concourse, especially with Chef Mickey antics going on within sight.

Also, 50's is a lot of food, and your dinner ressie is going to be awfully close. Is that because you want the Fantasmic dinner package? I am not sure how much that would really be needed at the end of January, as I have never been there at that time. However, when we were there in Sept (also slow time), you could just walk in and get a seat about 20-30 min. prior to the show.

You have picked some great places to eat. Many of my favorites. Have fun!

 

[jann1033]

agree with the ak lack of time...we spent a day and a half and could have spent more time there( marathon crowds partly to blame but i still would allow at least a whole day and a partial for us)

you have a lot of time at mk for not that long a trip so i might take the check in day for pool time( or depending on how long mk is open maybe go to mk for the evening) or between "shifts" on ds choice day or the last day before you leave and then do ak for the whole ak day. you probably ould see wishes when you see spectro as usually if spect is on so is wishes( not sure if wishes is every night now or not that time of yr.)

you could change your ts from 50 to Ohana or wcc and go on check in day and maybe get a glimpse of wishes from ohana( although it's much better in the park imo). 50 and mm is a lot of eating...even 1 big ts a day gets to be a lot by the end of the trip and we never eat more than 2 meals a day, we just get to full!

 

[dandelion garden]

You may want to look at your time at AK. My daughter (7) and I spent from 9-5 there in September with no crowds and did not get to see everything. I don't think a half day will do it justice. Just my opinion though!

Thanks ScoJo for your reply

I've ready in so many places the importance of scheduling down-time in the afternoon. I really didn't think that this would be practical for our crew seeing as how when DH gets somewhere he puts down roots.
But, I thought that maybe for our first day we'd pace ourselves & swim &/or rest before the "journey" to Hoop Dee Doo.
If we do AK on an EE day & stay till after the parade, do you think we'll be able to do the park justice?

 

[dandelion garden]

May I suggest that you look into Whispering Canyon for Dinner. It's a "fun" dinner. My kids really enjoyed the Cast Member interaction, especially the bandana hats. My kids loved the fact that Mom and Dad had to wear the silly bandanas on our heads!

Thanks for your suggestion Noelle. WhispCanyon is at the top of my wanna-go places. I thought about breakfast there on our last morning but DH wants to see Tigger

I'm going to try again to work it in somehow, somewhere.
Ahhh, so many dining choices, so few days.....

 

[jann1033]

yes. you aren't going to see everything this trip anyway but that will give you time to get a taste

everyone is different but the down time is more inprotant when it's really hot and crowded during the busier seasons. we usually schedule a down day after we go to all the parks once ( in value season) but we have always gone from opening to closing to each park.i forget how old your child is our girls were 6 and 8 first time and they were fine. we do have a leisurely( that looks spelled wrong) lunch though and sit down then and after emh don't run around but take our time

 

[dandelion garden]

While DH and I loved Concourse, I would suggest LTT for you. I do not think our DS8 would have liked Concourse, especially with Chef Mickey antics going on within sight.

Also, 50's is a lot of food, and your dinner ressie is going to be awfully close. Is that because you want the Fantasmic dinner package? I am not sure how much that would really be needed at the end of January, as I have never been there at that time. However, when we were there in Sept (also slow time), you could just walk in and get a seat about 20-30 min. prior to the show.

You have picked some great places to eat. Many of my favorites. Have fun!

I really appreciate all the input. You guys rock!

SSDeverell,
When I printed some kids menus for DS to chose from he opted for the Concourse because of the Kids Shrimp cocktail, the Filet Mignon entree & the Painter's pallette dessert. My sophisticated little carnivore
I'm hoping that after the excitement of the park all day, he'll be ready for some quiet dining. Is Chef Mickey really that close?

Also, we chose 50's cuz hubby wants meatloaf. Meatloaf, beetloaf, blecch, I say.
Anyhow, I thought we'd just use 1 TS credit to share a "light" lunch & pay OOP for shakes all around.

Yes, I was originally thinking MMelrose for the package, but I think we'd go regardless even w/out the passes. God forbid DH & DS go a wk w/out pasta or pizza. I figure if we're not super hungry when we get there, we'll share off the regular menu & save a cpl TS credits, and get to Fantasmic a little earlier.
Doable, you think?

 

[dandelion garden]

you have a lot of time at mk for not that long a trip so i might take the check in day for pool time( or depending on how long mk is open maybe go to mk for the evening) or between "shifts" on ds choice day or the last day before you leave and then do ak for the whole ak day. you probably ould see wishes when you see spectro as usually if spect is on so is wishes( not sure if wishes is every night now or not that time of yr.)

QUOTE]

Jann, Thanks so much for your comments. I knew you all would come through

Our flight arrives around 3pm on Fri so I figure by the time we get chkd in, settled & to MK it will be late. If we get Buzz done (this HAS TO BE! DS's 1st ride) & get a burger before the fireworks, I think we'll be lucky.

I hope to do a full MK day on Sun. Then we'll just go back on Mon. for spectro & prob'ly Wishes, per your suggestion.

Thanks again.

 

[ssdeverell]

I really appreciate all the input. You guys rock!

SSDeverell,
When I printed some kids menus for DS to chose from he opted for the Concourse because of the Kids Shrimp cocktail, the Filet Mignon entree & the Painter's pallette dessert. My sophisticated little carnivore
I'm hoping that after the excitement of the park all day, he'll be ready for some quiet dining. Is Chef Mickey really that close?

Also, we chose 50's cuz hubby wants meatloaf. Meatloaf, beetloaf, blecch, I say.
Anyhow, I thought we'd just use 1 TS credit to share a "light" lunch & pay OOP for shakes all around.

Yes, I was originally thinking MMelrose for the package, but I think we'd go regardless even w/out the passes. God forbid DH & DS go a wk w/out pasta or pizza. I figure if we're not super hungry when we get there, we'll share off the regular menu & save a cpl TS credits, and get to Fantasmic a little earlier.
Doable, you think?

Well, if that is what he picked, then by all means go to Concourse. It really is yummy. Chef Mickey's is right next door with only a half wall in between. DH and I liked watching them so much, we are going to try it next time with or without DS8.

If you are going to share a lunch at 50's then that should work out great. My husband had the meatloaf and loved it - not really my thing. Now, the fried chicken - that is another story.

MM should not be a problem since you are doing a light lunch. Maybe you could get a later seating if the Fantasmic passes are not that important.

I hope you guys have a great time.