PTR - Seaworld, DCL, WDW in October 2014

[zanzibar138]

Congrats on BOG

 

[PrincessInOz]

Great looking ADRs. Congrats on BOG! That's great news.

 

[CJ2001]

It's 180 day

I just managed to book:

Olivia's dinner(staying at OKW with a daughter named Olivia this was an easy choice!)
Chef Mickeys breakfast
Teppan Edo dinner
Chefs de France dinner
Tusker House breakfast
Raglan Road dinner
HDDR dinner
BE OUR GUEST dinner (this is the one I am most excited about!)
Sanaa dinner
Akershus lunch
Sci Fi lunch

I have more to do over the next few days as the window opens up but to be honest once I got BOG the rest is gravy

This trip is getting really real

Ours was today too, we must be arriving there the same time!

I'm so confused with these ADR's I've got a list of places to book from all the info that all you lovely people have posted about, but I have no idea how to organise my days around bookings.

The only thing I'm sure we are doing will be the MNSSHP on the 30th (if I can get the tickets) so not sure how to base where we will be for the day of bookings for restaurants. We want to see fireworks, shows & do EMH - how do I find all the times our for these things as I have checked the disney world website under my bookings & they don't show all of the times for these yet.

So overwhelmed with all this planning, it's not like just going to Gold Coast!!!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Great job getting all the ADRs you wanted.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Ours was today too, we must be arriving there the same time! I'm so confused with these ADR's I've got a list of places to book from all the info that all you lovely people have posted about, but I have no idea how to organise my days around bookings. The only thing I'm sure we are doing will be the MNSSHP on the 30th (if I can get the tickets) so not sure how to base where we will be for the day of bookings for restaurants. We want to see fireworks, shows & do EMH - how do I find all the times our for these things as I have checked the disney world website under my bookings & they don't show all of the times for these yet. So overwhelmed with all this planning, it's not like just going to Gold Coast!!!

This might help.

http://media.disneywebcontent.com/staticfiles/parkhours/wdwtravelagent_october.pdf

Just change the month in the web address to get different months.

I also recommend consulting crowd calendars to plan out your days. For example, if you're there during the Food and Wine Festival, avoid Epcot during the weekend and Friday nights.

It would be a good idea to make your ADRs asap. The rumor is that free dining will be announced in the next week or so. Once that happens ADRs get snapped up extremely quickly.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

By the way, it is daunting at first. But once you get your head around things the planning is actually quite a bit of fun.

Also, if you are planning to book family into Pirates League or BBB on the afternoon of the Halloween party, do this asap. These bookings get snapped up extra quickly. I can't recommend Pirates League enough.

 

[dabecs]

Ours was today too, we must be arriving there the same time! I'm so confused with these ADR's I've got a list of places to book from all the info that all you lovely people have posted about, but I have no idea how to organise my days around bookings. The only thing I'm sure we are doing will be the MNSSHP on the 30th (if I can get the tickets) so not sure how to base where we will be for the day of bookings for restaurants. We want to see fireworks, shows & do EMH - how do I find all the times our for these things as I have checked the disney world website under my bookings & they don't show all of the times for these yet. So overwhelmed with all this planning, it's not like just going to Gold Coast!!!

Yay!

I have looked at crowd calendars to help me decide park days, I also have the benefit of having been before so I knew which parks we would want to visit more than others and which restaurants we plan to repeat. We are staying 16 nights so we will not visit parks on weekends when it's more crowded (those will be shopping/relaxing days).

My tip would be to at least plan if you want to eat at Be Our Guest or any character dining to book them in. Then you can work your days around those bookings. Be Our Guest, Cinderella's Royal Table and others WILL BOOK OUT! Some are not as popular and bookings can be made a few weeks out, or if you choose less popular times (11am for lunch, 5pm for dinner).

It is totally daunting but it will start to fall into place. And if you book restaurants and in a month you change your plan you may be able to change the restaurant booking.

Making ADRs is my biggest WDW tip. We saw so many hungry tired families walk up to the podium and be turned away. That could really spoil your day. And I loved knowing we had one meal a day booked somewhere that meant I didn't have to think.

My aim for tonight is to book Crystal Palace before MK opens. I haven't checked opening hours yet so that is on my list today

 

[dabecs]

By the way, it is daunting at first. But once you get your head around things the planning is actually quite a bit of fun. Also, if you are planning to book family into Pirates League or BBB on the afternoon of the Halloween party, do this asap. These bookings get snapped up extra quickly. I can't recommend Pirates League enough.

I think we will book pirates league for the Halloween party, it would be great fun and would mean I wouldn't need to ore plan costumes for the party I need to wait a few more days till my 180 opens up fir BBB so I will try to make both bookings with the one phone all We are planning to do the Halloween party on Tuesday 28th so hope it is a less busy ) I'm also still tossing up if the girls should do one of the pirates cruises they have at a few resorts - it's hard to balance all the fun activities without feeling totally rushed. Oh what a wonderful dilemma to have!

My iPad autocorrects have made this post very interesting to read but I can't be bothered fixing them - sorry!

 

[dabecs]

Congrats on BOG

Thanks! I'm so happy!

 

[dabecs]

Great looking ADRs. Congrats on BOG! That's great news.

Only here do you all understand this feels like winning the lottery!

 

[CJ2001]

This might help.

http://media.disneywebcontent.com/staticfiles/parkhours/wdwtravelagent_october.pdf

Just change the month in the web address to get different months.

I also recommend consulting crowd calendars to plan out your days. For example, if you're there during the Food and Wine Festival, avoid Epcot during the weekend and Friday nights.

It would be a good idea to make your ADRs asap. The rumor is that free dining will be announced in the next week or so. Once that happens ADRs get snapped up extremely quickly.

Thanks so much for all that info, this is becoming a full time job - I'm doing it my work time way too much!

Thanks for the tip about free dining will definetly sit down tonight and go through everything. I havent booked my Disney tickets yet, we are staying at Port Orleans Riverside for 5 nights if I purchase my tickets from undercover tourist and link them to my booking before free dining would I then be eligible to ring and ask them to apply the free dining?

 

[CJ2001]

I think we will book pirates league for the Halloween party, it would be great fun and would mean I wouldn't need to ore plan costumes for the party I need to wait a few more days till my 180 opens up fir BBB so I will try to make both bookings with the one phone all We are planning to do the Halloween party on Tuesday 28th so hope it is a less busy ) I'm also still tossing up if the girls should do one of the pirates cruises they have at a few resorts - it's hard to balance all the fun activities without feeling totally rushed. Oh what a wonderful dilemma to have!

My iPad autocorrects have made this post very interesting to read but I can't be bothered fixing them - sorry!

What is the Pirates league? Would it be really busy on the 30th for the Halloween party?

I have done 2 ADR's now - Sci-Fi lunch for 29th and Raglan Road on 30th for dinner - oops thought I did that for the 28th we might end up going to the Halloween party on the 29th instead. What time does the Halloween party start?

 

[dabecs]

What is the Pirates league? Would it be really busy on the 30th for the Halloween party? I have done 2 ADR's now - Sci-Fi lunch for 29th and Raglan Road on 30th for dinner - oops thought I did that for the 28th we might end up going to the Halloween party on the 29th instead. What time does the Halloween party start?

The party starts at 7pm but you can use your ticket to go into the magic kingdom anytime from 4pm. If you are already in the park that day you will see cast members at various points around the park to show your tickets to and get a special wristband. I'm not sure what nights the party is on, but it will say in the link Wanderlust posted

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I think we will book pirates league for the Halloween party, it would be great fun and would mean I wouldn't need to ore plan costumes for the party I need to wait a few more days till my 180 opens up fir BBB so I will try to make both bookings with the one phone all We are planning to do the Halloween party on Tuesday 28th so hope it is a less busy ) I'm also still tossing up if the girls should do one of the pirates cruises they have at a few resorts - it's hard to balance all the fun activities without feeling totally rushed. Oh what a wonderful dilemma to have! My iPad autocorrects have made this post very interesting to read but I can't be bothered fixing them - sorry!

Just so you know, I made my Pirate League Booking using 180 + 10. It was actually about 185 days prior to the Halloween Party when I booked and times had already been taken. The bookings around 4-5pm on Halloween nights get taken really quickly because people don't want to get the make over done in the morning and have it starting wear off before the party.

I highly recommend it. My 2 favourite WDW memories are of DS doing Pirates League and Jedi Training. So special.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Thanks so much for all that info, this is becoming a full time job - I'm doing it my work time way too much! Thanks for the tip about free dining will definetly sit down tonight and go through everything. I havent booked my Disney tickets yet, we are staying at Port Orleans Riverside for 5 nights if I purchase my tickets from undercover tourist and link them to my booking before free dining would I then be eligible to ring and ask them to apply the free dining?

No. You must buy the tickets through Disney as part of a package to be eligible for the free dining.

If free dining is offered for your dates, you will need to ring up and essentially cancel your POR booking and rebook it as part of the Dining Package. Be aware that only a certain amount of rooms at each resort are eligible for the package, so if you want to ensure that you get POR you will need to book quite quickly.

The rumor is that in the next few days, free dining will be offered to Disney Visa holders for select dates between Sep and December. The same offer will then be released to the public about a week later. Keep checking the WDW website over the next few days, and if and when the Visa offer is released you will be able to get an idea if the dates apply to you. If they do, keep checking for the public release and be prepared to call Disney that day.

 

[CJ2001]

The party starts at 7pm but you can use your ticket to go into the magic kingdom anytime from 4pm. If you are already in the park that day you will see cast members at various points around the park to show your tickets to and get a special wristband. I'm not sure what nights the party is on, but it will say in the link Wanderlust posted

Thanks for that, sorry yest I found the dates on the link from Wanderlust

 

[WanderlustNZ]

What is the Pirates league? Would it be really busy on the 30th for the Halloween party? I have done 2 ADR's now - Sci-Fi lunch for 29th and Raglan Road on 30th for dinner - oops thought I did that for the 28th we might end up going to the Halloween party on the 29th instead. What time does the Halloween party start?

Pirates League is essentially a Pirate Makeover. My son got it done on the day of MNSSHP so he could be a Pirate for the party. The experience was quite magical for my son. He was made to feel so special.

I recommend having a quiet morning on the day of MNSSHP. It will be a long day otherwise and your family will struggle to make it to midnight. That was one of the best pieces of advice I got prior to my trip.

 

[dabecs]

Just so you know, I made my Pirate League Booking using 180 + 10. It was actually about 185 days prior to the Halloween Party when I booked and times had already been taken. The bookings around 4-5pm on Halloween nights get taken really quickly because people don't want to get the make over done in the morning and have it starting wear off before the party. I highly recommend it. My 2 favourite WDW memories are of DS doing Pirates League and Jedi Training. So special.

I just can't decide if my girls will want to be pirates for Halloween or if they would prefer to be princesses.. Decisions like this are where surprise trips are hard! They both love the latest Tinkerbelle movie with the pirate fairy, but I plan on buying them a few new princess costumes while there which they might want to wear...

Decisions decisions!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Thanks for that, sorry yest I found the dates on the link from Wanderlust

Just so you know, those dates are for media release and are subject to change. I used them to organise my trip last year and they ended up being completely accurate. But unfortunately I make no promises that these dates won't change. The good thing is knowing when the extra magic hours are so you can either take advantage of them or avoid those parks completely. Don't plan to visit a park on an EMH day unless you plan on taking advantage of the extra hours. In general these will be the busier parks.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I just can't decide if my girls will want to be pirates for Halloween or if they would prefer to be princesses.. Decisions like this are where surprise trips are hard! They both love the latest Tinkerbelle movie with the pirate fairy, but I plan on buying them a few new princess costumes while there which they might want to wear... Decisions decisions!

That is a tough one. I don't have a girl, so I'm a bit biased towards the Pirates League. But I think either would be great. Which is the cheapest? I think that's the way I would lean given that they would have a blast either way.