Review Our DxDDP Plan

[Duckkie]

First off -- Remember I'm going with 5 first-timers that want to see, taste, touch, do EVERYTHING in 8.5 days at Disney and 1 day at Universal to see HP. Five of our Seven are FOODIE TEENAGE GIRL SCOUTS! The girls designed the order of which to do things with very little input from me. Luckily MY daughter owns a 2011 Unoffical Guide and has guided them through a lot of Disney insider knowledge. (Thank G-d!) We are staying at SSR's THV's and have 8 nights of DxDDP. We will have a rental mini-van and plan on using that for 99% of our transportation.

29-May Day 1 - Arrival in FL day. Arrive Tampa 10:41am. Grab rental van, find a drive-thru for brunch, drive to Melbourne, check into H.I.E and jet off to our surfing lesson. Beach time, dinner, and back to H.I.E by 9pm.

30-May Day 2 - Disney Arrival Day! Breakfast (free) at H.I.E and head for SSR and our THV home for 8 nights/9 days. Check in hopefully by 10am -- if lucky our THV will be ready, if not we will change in the ladies room and head off to Blizzard Beach. Back to SSR to shower and change by 4pm and head to DHS (PM/EMH per Disney) Ride ToT, RcknRc then 7:30pm ADR at Sci-Fi. No interest in TSM surprise miniBack to THV's approx 11pm and BED!

31-May Day 3 - LEADERS CHOICE DAY! AM/EMH per previous Disney so we are working off that for the next few days. 8a AM/EMH at MK. 8a - 9a MK time. 9:30a ADR Crystal Palace. EPCOT WS Scavenger Hunt (badgework) and Snacking around the World 11a - 7p. Tent. Biergarten ADR 7:30p. Illuminations 9pm

1-June Day 4 - Snacks for Bfast brought back from EPCOT day before. Snacks in car on way to Harry Potter! Universal Dining Plan this day so no DxDDP credits used. Park hours are only until 9pm so if a PM/EMH is available for something the girls want to do, we'll do it. -- Can you say 5hr Energy by the case this trip?!?

2-June Day 5 -- Someone's 16th Birthday! earliest possible 1900 Park Faire Bfast. MK free day for girls. CS or snacks for lunch. Dinner at CRT 8pm ADR . Pick up SC breakfast items from MSB on way out that night.

3-June Day 6 - Bfast Snacks from MSB. TL morning then back to THV to shower/change for AK for shows/parades. Lunch at Y&Y 2pm-ish. Stay until closing then over to SOA Luau. Now, this I'm conflicted on. Three of us have been to a real luau and are less than lukewarm about going to this. Comments? We may book it for those that want to go and the rest of us (that were out voted originally) go to dinner at Cali Grill instead.

4-June Day 7 - earliest possible Chef Mickey Breakfast ADR. EPCOT FW in the morning then back to MK for afternoon/evening. Late lunch at LTT (2pm) then latest dinner possible at WCC

5-June Day 8 - RD at AK, ride EE, KS, KRR, Dinosaur. 10:30am breakfast at Donalds Safari. Everyone splits up and goes back to their favorite park. Daughter and I have Le Cellier planned for lunch (OOP probably) for her 16th birthday lunch. Everyone else will probably snack or do CS lunches. Dinner at O'hana latest sitting possible.

6-June Day 9 - Norway Princess Breakfast (time depends on who has AM/EMH) Beaches & Cream for lunch - no ADRs accepted so time is pretty flexible - Back to MK for afternoon/evening. Girls have LTT or Tony's for dinner depending on ?? I have no idea.. availability maybe? (btw I HATED Tony's!).

7-June Day 10 - Departure Day crying miniEarliest possible Breakfast at O'hana. DTD Day for final shopping. Lunch at EoS, spend hopefully very few remaining SC's at Goofys and leave for Tampa by 2pm for our 6pm flight back to CA.

 

[Duckkie]

Any one? ::Taps Mic:: Is this thing on?

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I have no input on the girls' plan, but I laugh since this'll be me with my Teenage Girl Scouts in a few years!!! Good luck!!!!

 

[Colleen27]

Wow, that looks exhausting but really fun.

I've read mixed reviews of the luau, but I would think it would be fun with a big group like that. Although, California Grill is really fabulous and the view is amazing. That's a tough choice.

On the 6th where you have LTT or Tonys for dinner, maybe you should bring up the idea of a monorail resort restaurant (Kona, Grand Floridian Cafe, The Wave?) instead. LTT is good but twice in one trip seems like overkill, and you said you hate Tonys. Getting to a resort on the monorail is no big deal transportation-wise, and it would give you some better options to consider for that night.

 

[mcd2745]

Looks like a tough schedule to pull off with all the park-hopping...but best of luck to you.

 

[Duckkie]

I have no input on the girls' plan, but I laugh since this'll be me with my Teenage Girl Scouts in a few years!!! Good luck!!!!

This is my second go-round with Teenage Girl Scouts (and my last!) and it has its challenges but I must say I'll take a group of Cad-Am's over Daisies ANYDAY!!

 

[Duckkie]

Wow, that looks exhausting but really fun.

I've read mixed reviews of the luau, but I would think it would be fun with a big group like that. Although, California Grill is really fabulous and the view is amazing. That's a tough choice.

Those are my general thoughts too but I really haven't read anything fantastic about the Luau and I know from experience that California Grill is something most of us will love. I guess it will come down to which ADR I can secure since they are both 2TS it doesn't matter how "expensive" one or the other is

On the 6th where you have LTT or Tonys for dinner, maybe you should bring up the idea of a monorail resort restaurant (Kona, Grand Floridian Cafe, The Wave?) instead. LTT is good but twice in one trip seems like overkill, and you said you hate Tonys. Getting to a resort on the monorail is no big deal transportation-wise, and it would give you some better options to consider for that night.

Good idea! I'll bring that up to the girls. They love the monorail idea for traveling between resorts anyway. I've never tried GFC or The Wave so maybe I'll go check out some menus

 

[Duckkie]

Looks like a tough schedule to pull off with all the park-hopping...but best of luck to you.

It will be exhausting but they will have fun with it. Our family is used to renting a car and hopping a lot so I guess it doesn't seem like too much to me. If all else fails I can use the handy-dandy iphone to find a reservation close to where we are. Our girls are foodies and not too picky for the most part so we are pretty lucky there!

 

[ccrosner]

Wow! Sounds exhausting but fun. I have teens and would probably want to schedule at least one morning where they will sleep in or you may have a revolt on your hands

Pardon my ignorance.....but what is H.I.E. and do you really need to go to Melbourne? Tampa to Melbourne to WDW seems like a roundabout bit of driving.... I'm guessing it has to do with cheaper flights to Tampa.

We drove from Poly to Disney's Vero Beach (next to Melbourne) back in the 90's and I remember the drive taking longer than I thought. 2 hours, I would guess.

 

[Duckkie]

Wow! Sounds exhausting but fun. I have teens and would probably want to schedule at least one morning where they will sleep in or you may have a revolt on your hands
Well, all our teens are used to getting up for zero period (6:15am class) so I don't think sleeping in will really be a problem but I'll broach it at our final meeting before making ADRs

Pardon my ignorance.....but what is H.I.E. and do you really need to go to Melbourne? Tampa to Melbourne to WDW seems like a roundabout bit of driving.... I'm guessing it has to do with cheaper flights to Tampa.

Sorry... It's Holiday Inn Express (I've been using abbreviations for months automatically) in Melbourne. The reason for Tampa flight/Melbourne/Orlando route is flights to TPA were about $130/ticket less plus the rental mini-van was $350 less! Then we have goal of swimming in the Gulf as well as the Atlantic (none of our attendees with the exception of my daughter have been in another ocean but the Pacific. We have a Surf lesson scheduled in Melbourne which will tick that off their Wish List plus plan on at least visiting the Gulf on our departure day since our flight doesn't leave TPA until 8pm.

We drove from Poly to Disney's Vero Beach (next to Melbourne) back in the 90's and I remember the drive taking longer than I thought. 2 hours, I would guess.

Good to know. We budgeted 1hr 45min for driving time so I'll bump it up a bit for good measure. Of course traveling with teens EVERYTHING takes longer than you expect.