Realistic????

[earthur0915]

Here is our plan of attack for our upcoming Disney trip (myself, DH, DD-21 mos old):

24th -arrive in the evening, check in, then head to DTD for dinner
25th - breakfast @ 1900 Park Fare; head to AK for the morning, then lunch at Yak & Yeti before heading back to CBR for a nap; head to MK for some evening fun, then dinner at Maya Grill
26th - breakfast @ Crystal Palace; lunch @ Pinocchio's then go back to CBR for a nap; hang around CBR then head to POLY for Ohana!
27th - breakfast @ Akershus Royal Banquet spending the morning/early afternoon at EPCOT; head to CBR for lunch at the resort (& nap); head to MK for dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern
28th - breakfast @ Chef Mickey's; head to the Studios for lunch at Catalina's Eddie then back to CBR for naptime; dinner @ LeCellier
29th - breakfast at Cape May Cafe; then head home

Let me know what you think!

 

[crisi]

Here is our plan of attack for our upcoming Disney trip (myself, DH, DD-21 mos old):

24th -arrive in the evening, check in, then head to DTD for dinner
25th - breakfast @ 1900 Park Fare; head to AK for the morning, then lunch at Yak & Yeti before heading back to CBR for a nap; head to MK for some evening fun, then dinner at Maya Grill
26th - breakfast @ Crystal Palace; lunch @ Pinocchio's then go back to CBR for a nap; hang around CBR then head to POLY for Ohana!
27th - breakfast @ Akershus Royal Banquet spending the morning/early afternoon at EPCOT; head to CBR for lunch at the resort (& nap); head to MK for dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern
28th - breakfast @ Chef Mickey's; head to the Studios for lunch at Catalina's Eddie then back to CBR for naptime; dinner @ LeCellier
29th - breakfast at Cape May Cafe; then head home

Let me know what you think!

Not remotely realistic if you are dependant on Disney transportation, only slightly more realistic if you have a car. When do you intend to see attractions? I see time to nap, eat and travel.

 

[I Love Thumper]

Not remotely realistic if you are dependant on Disney transportation, only slightly more realistic if you have a car. When do you intend to see attractions? I see time to nap, eat and travel.

I would have to agree. Your exuberance is wonderful! When my DH and I first started going to WDW, I went overboard on booking dining arrangements. We found we always seemed to be rushing from one restaurant to another, and we weren't even hungry! My recommendation would be to plan/book one or two dining events per day, and do snacks or CS to fill in. Choose the places where you really, really want to dine, and do the park that's in that vicinity. You don't want to spend all of your time traveling from one place to another. That's exhausting. I see you are building in nap times for the little one each day. I have seen many, many small children happily napping in their strollers while mom and dad get to continue enjoying the park they are visiting. That would cut down on back-and-forths to your hotel, and give you more quality time in the "World."

 

[earthur0915]

Allow me to clarify the nap situation....

We were only planning to return to the resort for naps if DD wouldn't nap in the stroller (which has never been a problem before!) so we were planning to enjoy the park while she napped!

 

[twinklebug]

Wow - you must have a super-high metabolism not only to take in all that food (and I'm betting not gain an ounce) but to make it to all those places.

IF food *is* your vacation I say yes it's realistic for you. I could never do even half of what you're planning.

Just promise us to take plenty of pics to post

 

[earthur0915]

I am starting to wonder if we should just get some groceries for breakfast to keep in the room (if there is a refrigerator) and cut out the breakfast stops....I have NEVER done 3 meals at Disney...usually early lunch and later dinner...but I have also never done Disney with a toddler!

So new idea....cut out breakfast (except maybe 1)...so can someone give me some ideas for character dinners....I would like to have a princess meal, a Pooh meal, and possibly a Mickey meal...

HELP!

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Here is our plan of attack for our upcoming Disney trip (myself, DH, DD-21 mos old):

24th -arrive in the evening, check in, then head to DTD for dinner
25th - breakfast @ 1900 Park Fare; head to AK for the morning, then lunch at Yak & Yeti before heading back to CBR for a nap; head to MK for some evening fun, then dinner at Maya Grill
26th - breakfast @ Crystal Palace; lunch @ Pinocchio's then go back to CBR for a nap; hang around CBR then head to POLY for Ohana!
27th - breakfast @ Akershus Royal Banquet spending the morning/early afternoon at EPCOT; head to CBR for lunch at the resort (& nap); head to MK for dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern
28th - breakfast @ Chef Mickey's; head to the Studios for lunch at Catalina's Eddie then back to CBR for naptime; dinner @ LeCellier
29th - breakfast at Cape May Cafe; then head home

Let me know what you think!

You will spend so much time running around you'll be too tired to eat. This is what I would recommend:

24th~ check in, DTD

25th~ breakfast at Tusker House at AK ( 8am seating or last breakfast seating) You can see Mickey, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy here. We love this restaurant. One of our faves!

26th~ If you're going to MK, this a good day to eat at Crystal Palace, You can see Pooh at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Again, if you are going to do breakfast I would try to make a ressie for first thing in the morning or the last seating.

27th~ Epcot, have breakfast or lunch at Akershus and you'll be able to see the princesses.

28th~ Go to the Studios and head to Le Cellier for dinner.

29th~ If you want to do a character breakfast you can go to Cape May or Chef Mickey's. We like Kona Cafe at the Poly for breakfast so that's an option if you're all buffeted out.


BTW~ If you're paying out of pocket, you might want to do breakfasts and lunches because they're cheaper.

 

[Colleen27]

I am starting to wonder if we should just get some groceries for breakfast to keep in the room (if there is a refrigerator) and cut out the breakfast stops....I have NEVER done 3 meals at Disney...usually early lunch and later dinner...but I have also never done Disney with a toddler!

So new idea....cut out breakfast (except maybe 1)...so can someone give me some ideas for character dinners....I would like to have a princess meal, a Pooh meal, and possibly a Mickey meal...

Crystal Palace, Akershus, and Chef Mickey are all available as character meals for dinner too.

Personally, I'd stick to meals in/around your park for the day. If you're going to be at MK, that's the day to do 1900 Park Fare or Chef Mickey. I wouldn't bother with Cape May breakfast. Getting there without a car would be a real hassle, and the characters can all be found elsewhere. Likewise with Maya Grill for dinner; it doesn't get good enough reviews to justify the hassle of getting to/from CSR just for dinner.

Since you're used to two meals a day at Disney, I'd stick to that and encourage your DD to use the lunch as "quiet time". I know my kids always slept well in the stroller with a full stomach!

My suggestions on your original plan, in pink:
24th -arrive in the evening, check in, then head to DTD for dinner - no changes
25th - breakfast @ 1900 Park Fare; head to AK for the morning, then lunch at Yak & Yeti before heading back to CBR for a nap; head to MK for some evening fun, then dinner at Maya Grill - skip 1900 Park Fare and save the transportation time. Stick with Yak & Yeti for lunch or get a late seating for the Tusker House character breakfast. Dinner at one of the monorail resorts for easy transportation back to CBR, or at the TS at CBR
26th - breakfast @ Crystal Palace; lunch @ Pinocchio's then go back to CBR for a nap; hang around CBR then head to POLY for Ohana! - This day looks good, but I'd skip Pinocchios and just have snacks between breakfast & dinner.
27th - breakfast @ Akershus Royal Banquet spending the morning/early afternoon at EPCOT; head to CBR for lunch at the resort (& nap); head to MK for dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern - If you're going to split the day, this looks good, but why a half day at Epcot on this morning and then on the next afternoon? Why not make it a full Epcot day, with Akershus and Le Cellier and again save some travel time if your DD ends up not needing the break? Also, since Liberty Tree no longer has characters, this might be a good place to fit in Chef Mickey instead
28th - breakfast @ Chef Mickey's; head to the Studios for lunch at Catalina's Eddie then back to CBR for naptime; dinner @ LeCellier - Chef Mickey adds a lot of travel time to this day. A better plan might be CS at the Studios in the morning. Also, as I mentioned above, I'd swap this afternoon with the day before, so that you're at Epcot all day on the 27th and split the 28th between Studios and MK.
29th - breakfast at Cape May Cafe; then head home - There are easier breakfasts to get to/from if you want a character breakfast on your last day. 1900 Park Fare, Chef Mickey, or Ohana would all be easier on Disney transportation

 

[catne]

wow - agree with the others that you'll spend all your time in restaurants & getting to & from restaurants with that schedule. First, I would skip all of the breakfasts entirely, unless you're used to having a giant breakfast every day. For us that's a bad way to start an active park day. I'd say go with cereal bars or some such in the room, especially if you've never tried to eat 3 meals a day at Disney. Occasionally we use a snack credit for a breakfast pastry, but most of the time we just eat a cereal bar -- often we're still full from the day before. We do the dining plan & eat just counter service for lunch- can't beat the flexibility factor - eat when you want, where ever is convenient. I wouldn't try to nail down exactly where you'll eat lunch every day...just have a list of places you'd like to try and go which ever place appeals then & there. Then do the table service meal with reservations for dinner, after your afternoon break (I'd suggest taking that break whether or not daughter naps in the stroller -- you'll all feel better with a break, especially if it's hot when you're there.)

Character meals...I'd skip the princess meals at this point...wait until your princess is a bit older and will get more out of it for those. I'd go with Chef Mickey's for dinner one night, and Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh another night. For the other dinner choices, go with what you & hubby would prefer - all the restaurants are kid-friendly so even the steak houses are o.k. for taking your toddler - and the non-signature places will get you in & out in under an hour usually, especially if you take an early dinner ADR (between 5 & 6:00 p.m.) By the way, Liberty Tree is not a character meal anymore, and dinner there is just the "thanksgiving dinner" served family style so I wouldn't go there unless you really like that meal.

 

[earthur0915]

Good thing is we will not be relying on Disney Transportation on the last day....we can hit a breakfast and go home!

 

[earthur0915]

OK....so can someone give me a good place to eat @ the Studios????

 

[I Love Thumper]

Hands down, it's Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. You will LOVE it!

 

[bwilcox]

Hollywood and Vine has a Playhouse Disney character breakfast if your daughter is into that. Also, my 2 toddlers LOVE spaghetti, so they were pretty happy with Mama Melrose.

 

[squirrel]

Sci-Fi or 50's Prime Time.

I didn't eat any CS meals at DHS-we also spent two days there and only had one TS meal each day. I have no idea what else we ate while at DHS.

 

[CubanaMama]

I would recommend something a little different…yes, go down to only 2 restaurant meals a day; but, do Breakfast and Dinner instead of lunch & dinner. Little kids need a mid-day break! Use lunchtime to go back to your hotel and rest (even if your daughter can sleep in the stroller I would still recommend going to the resort to cool down and relax- it gets horribly hot outside during the peak sun hours and the heat alone can make a baby/toddler very cranky (not to mention an adult)! I would also plan my dining ADRS to be closer to where you’re going to be visiting that day. For example…it takes up too much of your time getting to GF for 1900 Park Fare breakfast from CBR and then to go all the way to the opposite side to AK (would suggest getting into Tusker House character breakfast instead).
We are doing 2 TS meals a day for the 5 days we’re there with our 1yr old daughter; but, they are for breakfast & dinner (around the times she usually eats meals at home 9:30am and 7:00pm) during lunchtime, we’re going back to the resort for maybe a quick dip in the pool and a nap to get refreshed and then plan to return back to the park at 3:00pm for the second half of the day.
For DHS, I would recommend the Playhouse Disney character breakfast @ Hollywood & Vine (for the characters, not so much the food) and 50’s primetime for dinner (the waitresses will probably gush all over her). The Sci-fi might scare her a bit since it’s kind of dark in there and they play old Science Fiction flicks on the screen (not very toddler-friendly); but I guess that depends on every individual child.
I hope this helps.

 

[crisi]

If it were me, I'd start your planning from the other direction.

I'd start by figuring out what time everyone can be expected to go in the morning, what time your daughter generally naps, and what time you expect to be in bed. Be realistic about this - you are pretty likely to find you are just as ready for early bedtimes as your daughter after pushing a stroller around.

Then I'd look at the time remaining - you might be able to get in some grown up child swap attractions while she sleeps in the stroller - but you are going to want to have her get through some stuff. Try and prioritize your time - is Dumbo high on your list? Character meals? Seeing the Nemo show at the AK? Start filling in some of your priorities into your remaining time. Remember to add plenty of travel time if you are using Disney transportation - ESPECIALLY if you are getting to other resorts. Reduce transportation time as much as you can - its the least fun part of the trip - by planning your meals as close to what you are doing that day as possible, and limiting movement between parks and resorts as much as you can (although if you benefit from a return to the room for a nap or swim - its definately worth the time and travel - we didn't have room nappers so for us it was an exercise in futility).

If your priority is eating - then your schedule is probably doable, but you might not get much done with your daughter other than character meals - that wouldn't be my choice with Disney, but different people have different ideas of what makes for a great trip.

I wouldn't arrive "in the evening" and then take a toddler to DTD for a meal. We arrive mid-afternoon and have dinner at our resort, then head to bed early - sometimes we fit in a little pool time. Travel is exhausting for our family, and arriving at Disney and getting our room always takes a lot longer than I hope. For us, its better to all be heading to bed early and able to get up to hit that first day at opening, than it is to try and accomplish anything on arrival day - other than a swim.

 

[earthur0915]

Ok...so some changes to the original plan....DD usually has breakfast (at home) around 10:00....whenever we go out of town (usually to my mom's in NC), she is up at 9! We are going to get some breakfast food for her to keep in the room (breakfast while Daddy is getting ready!) We are going to do 1 park per day (cut down on travel times)...if we need to go to back to the resort for a nap, then we will! We will have our car with us, so resort to resort travel won't be a problem.

I can't wait for our trip...I can book ADRs in 3 days!

 

[AnastasiaTremaine]

Ooh, can I pipe in here with a DHS dinner rec? WIth three of you - particularly one of you who probably needs a high chair, I would *not* do Sci-Fi...unless there is a seating configuration in some cars that I am not aware of, you're sitting in a car with 2 or 3 rows of two-seaters. So one of you will sit with your very cute kiddo while the other sits alone!

Try 50's Prime Time. Easier with little ones and PLENTY for her to look at in there! Either way, good luck and have fun!