Princess Phoebe's Pre-WISH-Trip Report (arriving in MK 4/17/10)

[StefaniLyn]

What does everyone think about getting reservations? Do you feel like they are too restricting on time? they can be disruptive to a Disney day if you are on a mission to accomplish every ride. However, remember that you have front of the line access so you will be saving time there. Maybe just one special meal is enough for the week? One a day? I would say two or three for the whole week would suffice. Which meal? I'm just wondering how each of you decide whether or not to do a reserved restaurant meal and if so which ones and why.

Dh is thinking lunch would be too early, and we won't want heavy tummies when we go on rides. I am thinking lunch is a bit cheaper, and getting the reservation over with early frees up the rest of the day for the inevitable change of plans.

Here are the ones I think our family would like -

Cinderella's Royal Table (in the castle) - just to add to the once in a lifetime experience. Tessa loves the princesses, and Phoebe truly is a princess.
(if not in the castle, then also 1900 Park Faire or Askershus with the princesses)This is an incredible experience and I would suggest that if you have the opportunity GO FOR IT! My DDs love dining here and they are turly treated like princesses. If you go, I suggest breakfast or lunch as this is when the princesses are there. Dinner will get you the fairy godmother and mice.

T-Rex (DTD) - Casual, places for Phoebe to get out of her chair and move, Tessa's fave show right now is PBS' Dinosaur Train.
I don't know anything about this one.
Tusker House (AK) - might sound silly, but I'd love to experience Africa in a more "human" aspect to expose our whole family to a little African culture. Tessa is half black and although she's very young I hate to pass up the opportunity.
I think this is a great idea. But again, I cannot speak to it.
Biergarten (Germany) - the band would really be fun for Phoebe, who loves music and normally falls asleep during meals because it takes so much energy to eat! Also, DH and I both have German ancestry and I'm obviously a sucker for the whole "family history" aspect of World Showcase. The one problem is that the band only plays during dinner I believe, and I don't know if we will be at Epcot the entire day.

House of Blues (Sunday Gospel Brunch at DTD) - again, the music aspect for Phoebe, and the southern gospel aspect for Tessa, and just think it would be so cool in general.

Other thoughts are -
Teppan Edo (in Japan, where they cook right in front of you)
Ohana ? (is this the luau?)this is not the same as the luau. O'hana is a meal with Lilo, Stitch, and some of the Fab 5 dresssed in hawaiian clothes. It was LOT of fun for my girls. We did breakfast and it was a great kick off to the day. The food is served family style and is delicious. The characters come around to your table and they also form a line with the kids and dance their way around the room.
Coral Reef (where you are sitting by the aquarium)

Share your experiences and thoughts please!!!

Chef Mickey's is also popular if the girls like Mickey and the gang. Akershus is a good alternative if you cannot get a ressie for the castle. The princesses are there as well. It is in Epcot. However, the food is not the most kid friendly so you may want to check the menu before making a ressie. There is a Play and Dine with Playhouse Disney Characters (Little Einsteins, JoJo's Circus) at Hollywood Studios. It is a buffet and the food was really good. And of course, there is Crystal Palace with Pooh and Friends. Also a buffet, and a lot of fun.

 

[pipersmom]

Good morning! Not sure what to tell you about the ADRs hon, but I can tell you what we're planning to do...probably Akershus for lunch on Epcot day, and then California Grill or something comparable for either late lunch or early dinner. That one is more if my mom can come with us, as sort of a thank you for her. If she can't come and it's just the two of us, we'll probably either do Chef Mickeys or Park Fare for lunch. I can't bring myself to pay the bucks for breakfast when I know GKTW does a nice one. Poor Piper having a thrifty Mommy, lol. Of course, once I see what (if any) spending money we get, all bets could be off !!

 

[maroo]

I wanted to get some opinions about the sit-down restaurants and ADRs. I always knew that at Disneyland the Blue Bayou (overlooking Pirates) restaurant required reservations but I had no idea there were character meals etc. I would probably never splurge on them normally, but I figure this is a once in a lifetime trip so why not?

Exactly!

What does everyone think about getting reservations? Do you feel like they are too restricting on time? Maybe just one special meal is enough for the week? One a day? Which meal? I'm just wondering how each of you decide whether or not to do a reserved restaurant meal and if so which ones and why.

This totally depends on your goals. We really spent most of a day with Lauren doing BBB and a Castle lunch. In hindsight, we would have done something different...but hindsight is 20/20. She didn't really enjoy those as much I thought she would in my mind.

Depends on your goals for the trip - are you going to do all of the rides? Are you going to just have a relaxed sort of trip? Which are her favorites? What does she really want to do?

Dh is thinking lunch would be too early, and we won't want heavy tummies when we go on rides. I am thinking lunch is a bit cheaper, and getting the reservation over with early frees up the rest of the day for the inevitable change of plans.

Most of the rides at Disney won't upset your tummy...the big ones (roller coasters, etc) might...but you would be wise to do those in the morning anyway, because the lines get longer as the day goes on (even with the button, you will most likely be in the Fast Pass line). Lunch is definitely cheaper.

Here are the ones I think our family would like -

Cinderella's Royal Table (in the castle) - just to add to the once in a lifetime experience. Tessa loves the princesses, and Phoebe truly is a princess.
(if not in the castle, then also 1900 Park Faire or Askershus with the princesses)

The Castle is a once in a lifetime thing - make sure you get an ADR as soon as you can! It is very hard to get one later. (Trust me - I have tried for Bella with no luck. )

The GOOD thing about doing 1900 Parke Fare is that it is at a Resort...which means you could do it on a "non" Disney day...Not use one of your tickets and therefore have extra time for it. So...you could go to Sea World or Universal (whichever one you think you will spend the least time doing) and then have Dinner that night at 1900 Parke Fare. You would just drive to the Grand Floridian for that one and not have to buy a ticket. (Show your button and you should get free Valet parking - otherwise that is expensive.)

T-Rex (DTD) - Casual, places for Phoebe to get out of her chair and move, Tessa's fave show right now is PBS' Dinosaur Train.

This restaurant is really loud...just to warn you. But many kids really love it!!

Tusker House (AK) - might sound silly, but I'd love to experience Africa in a more "human" aspect to expose our whole family to a little African culture. Tessa is half black and although she's very young I hate to pass up the opportunity.

Another consideration would be Boma. This restaurant is at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and has real African natives as servers. It is a buffet with GREAT food. This is another one that you could do on a non-Disney day, since you just drive to the resort and eat. And the Animal Kingdom Lodge is cool to see. If you have time, you can go check out the animals on the Savannah, too. A real African experience.

Biergarten (Germany) - the band would really be fun for Phoebe, who loves music and normally falls asleep during meals because it takes so much energy to eat! Also, DH and I both have German ancestry and I'm obviously a sucker for the whole "family history" aspect of World Showcase. The one problem is that the band only plays during dinner I believe, and I don't know if we will be at Epcot the entire day.

I heard the band at lunch when I was there in Sept? Not sure if that is normal or not? But it is a fun restaurant!

House of Blues (Sunday Gospel Brunch at DTD) - again, the music aspect for Phoebe, and the southern gospel aspect for Tessa, and just think it would be so cool in general.

This is one that I have really wanted to try and another one that would not waste your "Disney" time since it would be off property.

Other thoughts are -
Teppan Edo (in Japan, where they cook right in front of you)

This is like any regular Hibachi restaurant you would have at home...I would skip if this is a wish trip.

Ohana ? (is this the luau?)

There is a separate Luau. And this is a cool choice, too!

Coral Reef (where you are sitting by the aquarium)

Great atmosphere...and may be great if your kids like that sort of thing. NOT very Wheelchair accessible...at least when I was there. The "ramp" was broken and Lauren would not have even been able to get down to the aquarium wall. And the food is only average, honestly. I would skip it.

Share your experiences and thoughts please!!!

There ya go!

 

[yinyanggirls]

Thanks for the thoughts on the restaurants. I hope others who stop by will share as well!
I have a new subject to get opinions on, not Disney related but you all know who is going on the trip, the purpose of the trip, and when we are going. It also seems that there are proportionately more easterners than westerners here and I think you are more likely to have experience...
For the extended portion of our trip we have not decided what we are doing yet. I know that most people add on extra days at Disney but I think we will leave Orlando. Phoebe has very low energy and I really don't think she could handle more than the one week, in fact I'm not sure she'll make it through the week at all! I do plan to incorporate breaks in the wish lounges and possibly naps at "home" if needed, but it will still be a taxing week for her.
Dh has lots and lots of vacation time saved (because we never want to spend the money it would take to go somewhere!) so we asked for almost a week extension. I assume we are checking out of GKTW on Saturday April 24th and don't fly home until sometime on Friday the 30th.
I was looking at the map and started thinking it could be really fun but also relaxing to go to Savannah, Hilton Head, Charleston areas. What do you think? I also considered the keys, and a cruise but I'm afraid the cruise might cost too much and the keys might not have enough to do. None of us have been further (south) east than Shreveport and I really like the idea of sightseeing, beachcombing and just soaking up the atmosphere. Thoughts? Opinions? Ideas?

 

[maroo]

I missed some updates above...not sure how I managed that??

You do get a very generous discount from PhotoPass and the PhotoPass folks have said that won't be available directly through GKTW until after Jan...so...if it isn't there when you get there yet, then I will send you a code. It really will save you a bundle.

Make sure you let me know when you get back... Did I get you a planner????

Thanks for the thoughts on the restaurants. I hope others who stop by will share as well!
I have a new subject to get opinions on, not Disney related but you all know who is going on the trip, the purpose of the trip, and when we are going. It also seems that there are proportionately more easterners than westerners here and I think you are more likely to have experience...
For the extended portion of our trip we have not decided what we are doing yet. I know that most people add on extra days at Disney but I think we will leave Orlando. Phoebe has very low energy and I really don't think she could handle more than the one week, in fact I'm not sure she'll make it through the week at all! I do plan to incorporate breaks in the wish lounges and possibly naps at "home" if needed, but it will still be a taxing week for her.
Dh has lots and lots of vacation time saved (because we never want to spend the money it would take to go somewhere!) so we asked for almost a week extension. I assume we are checking out of GKTW on Saturday April 24th and don't fly home until sometime on Friday the 30th.
I was looking at the map and started thinking it could be really fun but also relaxing to go to Savannah, Hilton Head, Charleston areas. What do you think? I also considered the keys, and a cruise but I'm afraid the cruise might cost too much and the keys might not have enough to do. None of us have been further (south) east than Shreveport and I really like the idea of sightseeing, beachcombing and just soaking up the atmosphere. Thoughts? Opinions? Ideas?

I have no idea...

But my friend has this to say...

The Keys are more interesting to an adult than a child...lots of clubs, etc. There are some family things, but honestly not where she would go. They do have a Port for the HUGE ships - so that is interesting.

Savannah, GA - More of an adult place, too. Old homes, etc.

Hilton Head is a beach resort area. Which sounds relaxing to me!

*This was all from my friend*

Anyway..I (Maroo) have no idea! But hopefully you will get some input!

 

[yinyanggirls]

I missed some updates above...not sure how I managed that??

Ummm, I think maybe you had a busy week!

You do get a very generous discount from PhotoPass and the PhotoPass folks have said that won't be available directly through GKTW until after Jan...so...if it isn't there when you get there yet, then I will send you a code. It really will save you a bundle.

Thanks so much for spearheading that change. I am one who probably would have skipped it due to cost, but I think it will be worth it to have add'l pics.

Make sure you let me know when you get back... Did I get you a planner????

No, not yet.... j/k!

I have no idea...

But my friend has this to say...

The Keys are more interesting to an adult than a child...lots of clubs, etc. There are some family things, but honestly not where she would go. They do have a Port for the HUGE ships - so that is interesting.

That's kind of what I figured. My family went when I was a teen and I remember the long bridges, the hundreds of cats at Hemingway's House, and some bar we ate burgers at. That's it. I don't think the girls will remember anything if we went there. The water and beaches look gorgeous but I don't think it would be worth the drive.

Savannah, GA - More of an adult place, too. Old homes, etc.

That's what I'm finding online, but I think walking around a little might be fun. Phoebe loves to just be out doing things. So after a long drive, where she will most definitely sleep, I think it would be some low key fun to walk around an old town. Not thinking of multiple days in one spot, just a "drive by" type of visit. My biggest worry with Savannah would be if it is wheelchair friendly - often "old" does not equate to "accessible".

Hilton Head is a beach resort area. Which sounds relaxing to me!

I definitely plan to hit a beach somewhere...or multiple. Phoebe enjoys it but not for a whole day. I guess because she can't get up and play and do what other kids like to do at the beach. So she gets bored if we're in one spot too long. I have seen pics of several lighthouses, forts, plantations etc along the coast and even though those things would be boring to the kids, they would break up the day. Give us something to look at for a while. There is one place in particular called Cumberland that is intriguing. The island has limited daily access and is very natural. Hardly any civilization. There are wild horses running around, sea turtles during certain times of the year, etc. Again, not sure about accessibility but worth looking into.

*This was all from my friend*

Tell your friend thanks, and thank you for sharing!

Anyway..I (Maroo) have no idea! But hopefully you will get some input!

I have spent so much time researching the GKTW week, I've just scratched the surface of possibilities for the other week!

 

[yinyanggirls]

I have been trying to get ressie's for House of Blues Sunday brunch through the Disney website and it says they are not available. When I go to Ticketmaster it appears that they are, but they tack on a bunch of fees, so I kept trying Disney's site. In the meantime, I asked my dad if they had eaten at the one in Downtown Disney in CA and he said they had. He said the food was okay, the entertainment good but loud and he didn't think the kids would like it. So I'm leaning away from that one now. It's not unique to Disney, as they have multiple locations, such as the CA DD. Since all the grandparents live in CA we tend to go there at least once a year and could try it on one of those trips if we wanted.

Next, I've got a confirmation number for T-Rex, lunch, on the day I was thinking of doing Sea World.

I've got a pre=paid conf. number for Cinderella's Royal Table, lunch, on Monday but I want to change it to Weds, as I think that is the day we will want to do MK (based on crowd calendar).

I've got a conf. number for Park Faire, dinner, but it's for the night we are supposed to have already checked out of GKTW. I don't think we need to do two princess meals, and I got this when our dates were not yet confirmed, just in case. I don't want to let it go yet, just in case I can't switch the Mon Castle res. to Weds. If that happens I have to decide if I want to switch the plan just for a res.

I'm still deciding between Boma, and Tusker House. I'd like to do one of them but need to figure out the logistics. If it's better to eat IN AK, or outside the park at AKL and on which day...

Oh yeah, also, I think the girls would get a kick out of that "used to be the world's largest McD's". It appears to be right next to the interstate that goes up to Universal and Sea World, so I'm thinking of adding that in. Only if we are there on a weekday though, because I've read that it can be crazy busy and I don't think it would worth a long line...Anyone been there?

 

[yinyanggirls]

I was just at Sea World's website to try and find showtimes (apparently not posted very far in advance, grrrr) and I saw photos of Sharks Underwater Grill. It looks like this has way more window seating than the one at Epcot and the menu looks a little more kid friendly. Down side - you can't make reservations until after 10am on the day of your visit. Seriously??? That bites. (No pun intended)

 

[maroo]

I missed some updates above...not sure how I managed that??

Ummm, I think maybe you had a busy week!

That is an understatment. lol

You do get a very generous discount from PhotoPass and the PhotoPass folks have said that won't be available directly through GKTW until after Jan...so...if it isn't there when you get there yet, then I will send you a code. It really will save you a bundle.

Thanks so much for spearheading that change. I am one who probably would have skipped it due to cost, but I think it will be worth it to have add'l pics.

You are very welcome! I was glad to do it and quite excited that it will help you guys all keep your memories!

Make sure you let me know when you get back... Did I get you a planner????

No, not yet.... j/k!

Ruh Roh! Ok...send me your info in a PM... I need to know your dates, flight times, favorite Disney parks, what night time activities you want to catch... and how long you plan to stay at Sea World and Universal. Then I can make one.

But...we may want to wait until you get closer? The park hours may change between...

I have no idea...

But my friend has this to say...

The Keys are more interesting to an adult than a child...lots of clubs, etc. There are some family things, but honestly not where she would go. They do have a Port for the HUGE ships - so that is interesting.

That's kind of what I figured. My family went when I was a teen and I remember the long bridges, the hundreds of cats at Hemingway's House, and some bar we ate burgers at. That's it. I don't think the girls will remember anything if we went there. The water and beaches look gorgeous but I don't think it would be worth the drive.

Savannah, GA - More of an adult place, too. Old homes, etc.

That's what I'm finding online, but I think walking around a little might be fun. Phoebe loves to just be out doing things. So after a long drive, where she will most definitely sleep, I think it would be some low key fun to walk around an old town. Not thinking of multiple days in one spot, just a "drive by" type of visit. My biggest worry with Savannah would be if it is wheelchair friendly - often "old" does not equate to "accessible".

Hilton Head is a beach resort area. Which sounds relaxing to me!

I definitely plan to hit a beach somewhere...or multiple. Phoebe enjoys it but not for a whole day. I guess because she can't get up and play and do what other kids like to do at the beach. So she gets bored if we're in one spot too long. I have seen pics of several lighthouses, forts, plantations etc along the coast and even though those things would be boring to the kids, they would break up the day. Give us something to look at for a while. There is one place in particular called Cumberland that is intriguing. The island has limited daily access and is very natural. Hardly any civilization. There are wild horses running around, sea turtles during certain times of the year, etc. Again, not sure about accessibility but worth looking into.

*This was all from my friend*

Tell your friend thanks, and thank you for sharing!

I will tell her!

 

[yinyanggirls]

Ruh Roh! Ok...send me your info in a PM... I need to know your dates, flight times, favorite Disney parks, what night time activities you want to catch... and how long you plan to stay at Sea World and Universal. Then I can make one.

But...we may want to wait until you get closer? The park hours may change between...

Well, that brings up a question I have been thinking about. Disney and Sea World have their park hours listed but not Universal. And none of them have a list of shows/parades and times. At least not that I can find. Do you know if those are listed anywhere? I could look on YouTube to see what the shows are like but I don't think I can remember all the names. I've heard you guys talking about them but I can't remember which one is at which park even! Or are we just too far out to plan those details? (4 1/2 months doesn't seem that long to me!!!)

 

[yinyanggirls]

On the GKTW schedule they show horse rides on two days from 8-11. Phoebe will smell the horses from a mile away and hyperventilate! She loves horses!!! I was planning to let her ride both mornings but was worried about the timing. Is there a long line for this activity? Not sure why the character greets are 60 mins and the horse rides are 3 hrs.... I just want to be prepared if there will be a line and plan our day accordingly!

 

[yinyanggirls]

Okay, here's what I have so far, based on our confirmed dates, but no flight times, and the touringplans.com crowd calendar. I just wanted to have something, even though we're still months away, to make sure I got all the reservations we wanted put in place. This is totally flexible, except for probably Weds, because of the castle reservation for lunch. As we get closer that one will get harder and harder to change.

Sat. April 17th -
fly from AZ to FL
expecting this to take most of the day and arrive in the evening
might be in time for Mayor Clayton's bday Party in PM

Sun. April 18th -
crowded day for Disney so I'm choosing Sea World
open 9-7, no show times posted yet
thinking of reserving Sharks' for a meal
Candyland Game at GKTW in PM

Mon. April 19th -
Disney character greet at GKTW in AM
Universal Studios, hours not posted yet
largest McDonald's for dinner?
Discovery Cove at GKTW in PM?

Tues. April 20th -
Nick character greet at GKTW in AM
Universal IOA, hours not posted yet
Margaritaville dinner, Univ. City Walk?
Fun night at GKTW in PM?

Weds. April 21st -
Horse rides at GTKW in AM
Magic Kingdom, hours 9-9
Lunch at the Castle, 12:55pm
Planning to stay 'til close (assuming there is a show?)

Thurs. April 22nd -
Disney characters at GKTW in AM
Epcot, hours 9-9
GKTW Winter Wonderland party goes til 8:30, expecting to be back in plenty of time.

Fri. April 23rd -
Universal characters at GKTW in AM
Animal Kingdom first, hours 9-6
reservation for lunch at Tusker House, 12:30pm
afternoon switch to DHS, hours 9-8:30
Pirate and Princess party at GKTW in PM

Sat. April 24th -
Horse rides at GKTW in AM
check out of GKTW
lunch reservation at T-Rex, Downtown Disney 11am
drive off to ??? for part two of trip

 

[Momofwishkid]

Your plans look good so far. Your amazing, I dont even have a plan as far as what to do on what days.

 

[SueM in MN]

When we went to Disneyland we got a GAC from Guest services for Phoebe's wheelchair - it allowed her to enter through the exits and thereby take her chair all the way to the ride, rather than leave it with the strollers outside. Do you get this with the packet at GKTW or do you still need to go to Guest Services when you arrive?

Disneyland is much less accessible than WDW and has more attractions where the only accessible way in is the exit.
At WDW, most attractions have lines that are fully wheelchair accessible - or most of the line is accessible and there is a wheelchair 'pull off point' close to the regular boarding point. You don't need a Guest Assistance Card (GAC) at WDW to use the accessible lines and bring a wheelchair all the way to the ride.
GACs are taken care of for WISH guests at GKTW and you will be able to get a GAC there that will allow you expidited access (as a guest on a MAW trip, not because of having a wheelchair). If Phoebe's wheelchair looks more 'stroller-like', you may also get a sticker placed on her wheelchair that identifies it as a stroller being used as a wheelchair. This will avoid CMs thinking it is a stroller and asking you to park it with the strollers. If her wheelchair is not likely to be mistaken for a stroller, you won't need the sticker.

 

[yinyanggirls]

Disneyland is much less accessible than WDW and has more attractions where the only accessible way in is the exit.
At WDW, most attractions have lines that are fully wheelchair accessible - or most of the line is accessible and there is a wheelchair 'pull off point' close to the regular boarding point. You don't need a Guest Assistance Card (GAC) at WDW to use the accessible lines and bring a wheelchair all the way to the ride.
GACs are taken care of for WISH guests at GKTW and you will be able to get a GAC there that will allow you expidited access (as a guest on a MAW trip, not because of having a wheelchair). If Phoebe's wheelchair looks more 'stroller-like', you may also get a sticker placed on her wheelchair that identifies it as a stroller being used as a wheelchair. This will avoid CMs thinking it is a stroller and asking you to park it with the strollers. If her wheelchair is not likely to be mistaken for a stroller, you won't need the sticker.

Thanks for clarifying Sue! Her wheelchair is a traditional looking chair, so no chance of confusion. I was wondering if we needed to plan for the extra time to obtain the GAC when we arrived, or if we would already have it, so thanks! When we went to DL on a Saturday last March it took us almost 45 mins just to go through the line to get the GAC. Worth it, but we weren't prepared to take so long to get INTO the park.

 

[yinyanggirls]

As I reflect back on our visit to DL, I thought I'd share our experience with a GAC. When we went to Guest Services to obtain a GAC, Phoebe was with me and they saw her chair. I also inquired about a system that could save our place in line because some rides might scare Phoebe visually, if we are standing in line next to it and it is moving quickly. (Imagine watching Dumbo on acid) We didn't feel the need to cut out waits, just not wanting to stand next to some rides while waiting. I guess I was mixing up Fastpass with GAC options. The CM said no problem, I'll stamp her card with this arrow which will allow her to the front of the line, no wait. We were thrilled, but also committed to only using it when needed, such as described above. To my surprise none of the CMs allowed us to the front of the line, ever. We did have a short wait often, because of the wheelchair access through the exit, but on some rides there would be a line for wheelchairs as well and we were not asked to come to the front even when we showed the card. Finally, during a very long line for Pirates, which had no separate W/C line, we asked a passing CM what her card meant, secretly hoping he'd say You're supposed to go to the front!, but no luck. So either the girl at Guest services put the wrong stamp on, or CMs don't understand the cards and really look to the MAW or GKTW buttons for the front of the line privilege.

(Sue, how interesting that WDW has better access, when MK was built shortly after DL. I guess they just had more land to work with?)

 

[maroo]

On the GKTW schedule they show horse rides on two days from 8-11. Phoebe will smell the horses from a mile away and hyperventilate! She loves horses!!! I was planning to let her ride both mornings but was worried about the timing. Is there a long line for this activity? Not sure why the character greets are 60 mins and the horse rides are 3 hrs.... I just want to be prepared if there will be a line and plan our day accordingly!

Those are all times when those things are available...the character meets may take just a few min. There is sometimes a line for Mickey and Minnie, but not usually...and the other characters are usually just out on the courtyard. It may take you 20 min or so to take pics and hang out with them. And could take almost no time if you guys are in a hurry.

The horseback riding is in a small corral...if she is REALLY into horses and rides big ones, she may be underwhelmed by these? I think they usually chose smaller horses and do very carefully guided rides where they don't take their hands of the child. I don't think they usually have lines and this can also be completed in a lot less time than the 3 hours...those are just the times they are available.

Okay, here's what I have so far, based on our confirmed dates, but no flight times, and the touringplans.com crowd calendar. I just wanted to have something, even though we're still months away, to make sure I got all the reservations we wanted put in place. This is totally flexible, except for probably Weds, because of the castle reservation for lunch. As we get closer that one will get harder and harder to change.

Sat. April 17th -
fly from AZ to FL
expecting this to take most of the day and arrive in the evening
might be in time for Mayor Clayton's bday Party in PM

Perfect! Enjoy GKTW!

Sun. April 18th -
crowded day for Disney so I'm choosing Sea World
open 9-7, no show times posted yet
thinking of reserving Sharks' for a meal
Candyland Game at GKTW in PM

Another great plan. I highly recommend the Backstage at Believe lunch. Not too expensive, the food was GREAT and they have a full "background" show with Shamu. I have pics in my TR (pink link) below if you are interested in checking that out.

Mon. April 19th -
Disney character greet at GKTW in AM
Universal Studios, hours not posted yet
largest McDonald's for dinner?
Discovery Cove at GKTW in PM?

What is the largest McDonalds? Sounds very interesting.

Let us know how Discovery Cove is...I have not seen many reports on this.

Tues. April 20th -
Nick character greet at GKTW in AM
Universal IOA, hours not posted yet
Margaritaville dinner, Univ. City Walk?
Fun night at GKTW in PM?

Margaritaville - I gotta check that out one day. This is a great plan. Harry Potter should be open by then...which would be cool to see.

Weds. April 21st -
Horse rides at GTKW in AM
Magic Kingdom, hours 9-9
Lunch at the Castle, 12:55pm
Planning to stay 'til close (assuming there is a show?)

Hopefully there will be Spectro and Wishes...if not, and you really want to see it, you can always park hop back to the MK - LOTS of people will be doing that.

Thurs. April 22nd -
Disney characters at GKTW in AM
Epcot, hours 9-9
GKTW Winter Wonderland party goes til 8:30, expecting to be back in plenty of time.

Awesome. Best tip I have heard for the Christmas party is to get in line for Santa early - to beat those lines. That is the longest line you may wait in.

Fri. April 23rd -
Universal characters at GKTW in AM
Animal Kingdom first, hours 9-6
reservation for lunch at Tusker House, 12:30pm
afternoon switch to DHS, hours 9-8:30
Pirate and Princess party at GKTW in PM

Woo Hoo!

Sat. April 24th -
Horse rides at GKTW in AM
check out of GKTW
lunch reservation at T-Rex, Downtown Disney 11am
drive off to ??? for part two of trip

I can't wait to see what you decide to do for the trip extension.

Thanks for clarifying Sue! Her wheelchair is a traditional looking chair, so no chance of confusion. I was wondering if we needed to plan for the extra time to obtain the GAC when we arrived, or if we would already have it, so thanks! When we went to DL on a Saturday last March it took us almost 45 mins just to go through the line to get the GAC. Worth it, but we weren't prepared to take so long to get INTO the park.

You will get your special GAC at GKTW when you have orientation. You won't have to go to Guest Services for that. You will get the GAC and the button when you do orientation and will be able to go straight to the fun in the parks.

 

[yinyanggirls]

Here is a link to the McDonald's. http://www.mcfun.com/
I guess it isn't technically the world's largest anymore (not sure where the new winner of that title is?) but it was for a long time and still is the largest Playplace. It also has the staple menu items as well as some gourmet varieties. It's located pretty close to Sea World and along the route to Universal. Figured it was worth a pit stop if we're not too tired.

 

[yinyanggirls]

I haven't done much research on Universal yet (well, any) but I have been trying to decide on dining reservations for the week, since the Disney ones needed to be made asap. I really wanted to add in a southern, or Caribbean "local" color type place. Was thinking House of Blues would be good but it appears they are sold out (the Gospel Brunch) even before the castle?!? Since there is one in CA we may try that some other year. The Bob Marley place caught my eye, but it didn't look as entertaining as Margaritaville. They have a "beach" for the kids to play in, live music and even a new plane bar (Jimmy Buffett's actual plane???). It looks like a fun place and the menu is just unique enough that I think it will fit the bill for local color. http://www.margaritavilleorlando.com/index.php

 

[yinyanggirls]

Today was Tessa's birthday. Since last year she had a "Princess Tea Party"...

(Notice even the dog is dressed as a Princess...)

She was really into it...

Playing musical chairs...

One year ago...

I am against having big, fancy, expensive, stressful parties every year. But for 364 days she has been telling everyone it's her birthday. She really had a fun time at her tea party, and having a big party for Phoebe a few months ago helped embed the idea in her head. I was worried that she would get mad that today was sweet and simple.

A Wall*E cake (her choice) enjoyed in the morning with daddy before he left for work (he's gone all night so she wouldn't see him again later).

And one present from mom and dad...

She loved it and told every neighbor, dance class student and even Phoebe's bus driver that it was her b-day (some of them didn't believe her because she's cried wolf 364 times before!). I had already invited neighborhood friends to the park on Friday (if I had known how happy she'd be with today I wouldn't have bothered) so we will have one more cake (homemade with her assistance) on Friday, but very low key. I forgot to get one good smile shot of her today, so here is one from Monday when I took our Cmas card pics. She's grown so much!

and Phoebe, so sweet...

Aren't my girls beautiful?