The Jedi Turns 5/Our FIRST trip! December 2017 Pre Trip Report

[laraashley4]

I am planning our very first Disney trip for December 2-9, 2017. My husband and I both last went to Disney as kids roughly 25-30 years ago, so this is essentially a first trip for everyone. It is me, my husband, our 2.5 year old daughter, and our son who will turn 5 a few weeks after our trip. Our 180 day mark is on June 5th and I'm really getting stressed about ADRs and such. Any advice and guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

Dates: December 2-9, 2017
People: Me, Husband, 2.5 yr old daughter (petite for age), 5 yr old son (tall for age)
Resort: Polynesian, Standard room
Tickets: 7 day, no park hopper (Still debating getting the hopper, but planning with park hopping stresses me out or would it be easier to park hop because we are planning on going back for naps everyday?)
Dining: Standard Disney Dining Plan
Other important info: Plan on midday breaks for naps at the Poly every afternoon. Kids are typically early risers (between 6-6:45am) and go to bed around 7-730 (daughter) and 8-830 (son), but we will be coming from CST to EST.

• Day 1 - Sat, Dec 2 - Arrive MCO at 935, take ME, hopefully check in, lunch at Capt Cooks, monorail to MK, do a few rides, see Festival of Fantasy parade @ 2pm, would LOVE to get BOG dinner this night but realize that may be hard, play it by ear on how long we stay based on tired kids, back to Poly relatively early, maybe do some resort activities, watch fireworks and electric water pageant from beach or just crash

• Day 2 - Sun, Dec 3 - AK - quick, easy breakfast in room, bus to AK, Flame Tree BBQ for lunch, back to poly for naps, back to AK or AKL for dinner (Tusker House or Sanaa???...definitely not sure about this one), would like to see Pandora at night time, may or may not stay for ROL (if it is even offered this night)

• Day 3 - Mon, Dec 4 - MK- PPO BOG breakfast, use snack credits/bring in PBJ etc for lunch on our way out of MK for midday nap, maybe 1900 park fare for dinner? Would like to see the gingerbread house at GF and we could do this on the way back in to MK for the night, but I've heard varying things about 1900 Park Fare. Ended up picking it because we don't have any other "princess" dining scheduled and maybe our son would have fun with Prince Charming and the step sisters. Back to MK for Castle Lighting, Happily Ever After, late night with the full nighttime MK experience

• Day 4 - Tues, Dec 5 - EP - sleep in (as best as my kids will in a hotel), breakfast in room, to Epcot, explore world showcase and get snacks/qs something for lunch, back for nap. Here is a big question in my planning...thinking about taking this afternoon/evening off to just relax (no park), would like to see the Christmas decor at Wilderness Lodge. IF we do that, I was thinking boat to Wilderness Lodge and dinner at either Whispering Canyon or Geyser Point. Early night for bed because next day will be an early morning

• Day 5 - Wed, Dec 6 - HS - PPO breakfast at Hollywood & Vine with fantasmic package, sign up for Jedi Training, snacks/PBJ for lunch, back for nap, quick service at poly or maybe contemporary for dinner, back to HS for Fantasmic or Star Wars fireworks (fingers crossed they have them in December!)

• Day 6 - Thurs, Dec 7 - EP - Sleep in again, quick snack/breakfast in room, to Epcot, late brunch at Garden Grill with CP package (will pay OOP for this one so we don't use 6 credits for 1 meal), world showcase snack/qs for lunch, back for nap, back to Epcot, CP, dinner at Tutto Italia (or another Epcot TS...open for suggestions here), Illuminations

• Day 7 - Fri, Dec 8 - MK - may or may not rope drop MK this day (depends on the night before), snacks for breaks, qs for lunch, try to push nap back just a bit because we won't go back to MK after nap, MK closes at 6 bc of MVMCP, dinner at Ohana, watch Christmas fireworks from beach, pack

• Day 8 - Sat, Dec 9 - Breakfast at Kona, board ME for 1245 flight home

Concerns:
I tried my best to balance late nights and early mornings. Of course without knowing park hours/stuff available each night, I'm sure this could get completely turned upside down and totally not work. Or this may be way too much moving and going and I need to schedule more downtime. I want to enjoy the poly because we are paying to stay there, but there is just so much I want to see and do too! I may have missed a restaurant that you think is a MUST!

I don't have plans to rope drop Epcot, should I make that a priority one morning? We will have at least 1.5 days at Epcot.

After doing all this, I realized we don't have any time at Disney Springs. Do we need to add it in? I'm not sure that the shopping really appeals to us, but I have heard that Disney Springs is fun. There just seems like so much to do in the parks and at the resorts that we don't really NEED to go.

That was a lot for a first post! Any help is appreciated!

 

[laraashley4]

ADR UPDATE:

We reached 180 days this week and I think we got every ADR we were hoping for. Anything you would change?

Day 1: BOG Dinner @ 505pm
Day 2: Tusker House @ 535pm
Day 3: BOG PPO Breakfast @ 820am, 1900 Park Fare @ 535pm
Day 4: Whispering Canyon Cafe @ 530pm
Day 5: Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic Package (PPO) @ 805am
Day 6: Garden Grill @ 1005am, Tutto Italia @ 630pm
Day 7: Ohana @ 520pm
Day 8: Kona Cafe @ 8am

What do you think? I'm still on the fence about Whispering Canyon and Tutto Italia.

 

[snowwhite84]

These plans sound great, you are going to love it all!

I know personally, I can take or leave Whispering Canyon. And it Italy, I prefer Via Napoli. Since you are at the Poly, have you considered Ohana breakfast? It is a great character meal.

Try not to get overwhelmed, you don't want to burn out and you can't do it all in one trip. Just a good reason to go back!

 

[laraashley4]

I know personally, I can take or leave Whispering Canyon. And it Italy, I prefer Via Napoli. Since you are at the Poly, have you considered Ohana breakfast? It is a great character meal.

I had picked whispering canyon bc Wilderness Lodge decorations were on my list of fun Christmas things to do. I thought the kids may also enjoy the boat ride over there. What do you think? We are really open to doing anything this evening. Just want to keep it an early night since the next day is a PPO ADR at HS.

I'm also open to any other TS in Epcot. I honestly just picked Tutto bc we didn't have anything else like that foodwise during the week. What are your favorites?

I know ohana gets rave reviews for breakfast, but (and I may get struck down by Disney gods for saying this) Lilo & Stitch is one of the worst movies we have ever tried to watch. I keep hoping the Poly will move to a Moana theme soon! My son would go crazy to meet Maui!

 

[snowwhite84]

Oh, WL is beautiful for decorations, I can understand wanting to visit. Artist Point is a really great restaurant, but maybe too quiet for little ones. WCC is totally fun, I'm sure you'll enjoy it either way.

In Epcot, I like Le Cellier and Via Napoli. I also really love getting a pint in the Rose and Crown pub (actually in the pub, not at the outside stand.) If you go earlier in the afternoon, it is not too crowded for kids. The wine bar in Italy and margarita bar in Mexico are also great! Really, there's so much to choose from, you can't really go wrong. You'll find your own favorites, I'm sure!

Oh, and on the Ohana front, I'm pretty sure you also get Mickey at breakfast, unless they changed. Not a Stitch fan either! It's just really a great character meal, one of the few where the food is brought to you, instead of you having to get up an get it, which can be difficult with young kids to keep an eye on. And it's at your hotel, that's why I mentioned it! We are staying at Contemporary, and will monorail over for it. You also might consider Chef Mickeys. Kids love it!

ETA: I think you also get Pluto at Ohana.