The Redemption Reunion Tour - Mar 2025 (+2024 PTR) - (Updated 3/7 - Lightning Lanes)

[TaraWasHere]

Welcome - I’m so glad you stumbled over! When is your trip?

I may go a tad overboard with the meals, but frankly, I’ve done it this way for the last four trips and really like touring this way and enjoy the restaurants. I feel like I still have plenty of time for attractions and appreciate the forced break (and free refills). Thankfully my family is not used to a certain way of touring so I can plan it as I’m used to. That said, we may scrap some of it and go for more QS meals instead if the multiple meals are too much.

M is such a funny one when it comes to rides - she reminds me a lot of my younger sister Anika as a kid. Both of them are cautious and perhaps a bit nervous about new things - but 9 times out of 10 they love something once they try it. She practically flies down the street on her scooter and I can spin her like crazy on the tire swing… but she was NOT a fan of the family-friendly coaster at our amusement park this summer. (It was probably most comparable to BTMRR, but with less exciting scenery.)

I agree that SDMT is a great starter coaster (I’ve not been on SDD yet, but certainly read the same). M is excited about the “easy” rides like Dumbo, IASM, Nemo, and Journey into Imagination but is also VERY excited about MMRR and Soarin’. She’s also interested in Flights of Passage (perhaps because I’ve described it as “flying”) - so, basically anything that’s not a roller coaster. She is also not excited about Haunted Mansion but is willing to try it once as her mommy LOVES that attraction. (Although, interestingly, she’d LOVE to go on the Nightmare Before Christmas version available at Disneyland during the holidays… kids! )

I think my plan at this point is to make some general attraction “plans” and adapt as we go. I think that’s all you can do with kids, anyway! Thank you so much for your feedback and insight.

We will be there May 18-25th at Beach Club CL. I really like the sit downs too, but have developed a bit of a fondness for the F&G booths in recent years. F&W obviously has the advantage with all the ethnic options, but I still love the "garden grazing" If I tried to do 3 sit downs, there is no way we could hit the booths. Still I always suggest Cape May Breakfast, and Garden Grill lunch on any trip with little ones. You get Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Mickey, Chip, Dale and Pluto all in two fair priced and fairly easy to obtain meals. It's even better when you are staying on the Epcot resort side.

Our must do meals every year are Garden Grill, and CRT. I guess they have just become tradition for us. We also do the dessert party at MK, and as of late the Epcot fireworks meal package. The planning is always so much fun, Especially with little ones the age of your oldest daughter. I look forward to reading about your planning process. It is after all half the fun!

 

[pixiedust33]

Hi!

ETA: Hit send way too early as I was trying to insert some quotes. Obviously, I'm new here haha. I found my way over here after I saw your signature line about planning a first family trip after you commented on my birthday meal dilemma. We're also planning our first family trip as a family of 3 with my 2.5 year old son and have a similar dynamic (I love Disney and have been many times, but not in 5 years and my husband is sort of along for the ride ) I also LOVE the planning aspect. I now can't see how to insert quotes in an edited comment, so going to comment again with some thoughts on what you've posted so far, and a couple of questions!

 

[pixiedust33]

One of my favorite parts of Disney planning is planning our Disney schedule. I know one reason people don’t like Disney is the amount of planning involved… but I LOVE it. The park plans, the must-dos, the ADRs… creating lists and dreaming of the food I can eat is my idea of a good time.

This is SO my Disney planning style too! I love planning out the agenda and also love TS meals. Really struggling with our Feb/March trip though because my toddler very much does NOT love sitting at a table. He's tall and out of his high chair at home, so he usually wanders around at mealtimes and swings by for bites. I am hoping character interactions and other "fun" Disney details at some of the TS restaurants will keep him entertained, but also prepared to start canceling ADRs if things go badly.

Where I’m really stumped is airport transportation.

Where, oh where, is the Magical Express?!

This is also the most troubling part of the planning for me, because I feel like there is really no good answer if you have young kids and car seat safety is important to you! The Magical Express going away is my number one gripe with Disney, even above the price hikes. I would pay for it! Just bring it back and let me not worry about my luggage and be able to start the Disney magic from my own home airport!

Our (seemingly best?) option is booking a town car service. This would accomplish three things:

This is where we're leaning, too. I've seen good reviews of Cast and Crew and Happy Limo, but the prices are giving me sticker shock and they seem to keep climbing and have had more negative reviews lately. I'll be following to see if you find an option you're happy with and happy to also report back on what we end up doing, since our trip is first

D - Sci-Fi Dine-In or 50’s Prime Time (HS - Fantastmic Dinner Package)

I deeply LOVE both of these restaurants and have since I was a kid (in my late thirties now), and always try to go to one every trip. I think we're going to be doing Sci Fi because our son loves cars/vehicles/anything with wheels, and he also loves milkshakes, so I think he will be entertained enough by this environment for us to actually enjoy a meal. I also like it just a little bit more than 50s Prime time myself because I have a real soft spot for drive in movies. Still salty they stopped having the servers use roller skates though, but also fully understand it was probably a huge hazard. Happy to report back on how this goes!

Also, no quote for this, but I see that you're doing a split stay and we also debated this (we're staying only at the Poly), but I was worried about how I would handle my son's midday nap. I'm curious what your plans are for that (and for naps in general).

 

[SimplyGoofy]

We will be there May 18-25th at Beach Club CL. I really like the sit downs too, but have developed a bit of a fondness for the F&G booths in recent years. F&W obviously has the advantage with all the ethnic options, but I still love the "garden grazing" If I tried to do 3 sit downs, there is no way we could hit the booths. Still I always suggest Cape May Breakfast, and Garden Grill lunch on any trip with little ones. You get Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Mickey, Chip, Dale and Pluto all in two fair priced and fairly easy to obtain meals. It's even better when you are staying on the Epcot resort side.

Fun! Our second set of possible dates was May 18th-26th and we would’ve been at the BCV (hopefully!) from the 23rd-26th. I’m happier with our booked dates as we have an additional day, but it would’ve been fun to cross paths!

I’ve only been to one festival (F&G back in 2016) and I agree the food booths were GREAT! I enjoyed one lunch grazing the food booths and loved it. The only downside to the food booths is most of them involve eating outside in the heat and you have to wrangle a table - I had no trouble as an adult but am unsure if I want to plan a booth “meal” with two young kids. However, I’m absolutely trying a few food booth items (that Violet Lemonade is calling my name!) and would love to visit during a cooler time of year to eat at more booths (perhaps Festival of the Arts?).

We may try the Cape May Breakfast on our departure day (but I’m still crossing my fingers that the Bon Voyage Breakfast at Trattoria al Forno comes back!). We are absolutely planning a meal at Garden Grill but I can’t decide if we should try breakfast (I wish they still had the cinnamon roll skillet!) or go for lunch instead. I’m really looking forward to the character interaction at Garden Grill!

Our must do meals every year are Garden Grill, and CRT. I guess they have just become tradition for us. We also do the dessert party at MK, and as of late the Epcot fireworks meal package. The planning is always so much fun, Especially with little ones the age of your oldest daughter. I look forward to reading about your planning process. It is after all half the fun!

Would you believe despite my many trips (8!) I’ve never been to CRT?! I’ve always bypassed it for other things (such as Crystal Palace for breakfast or Akershus for the princess interaction) but I’m excited to finally try it on our upcoming trip. Our five-year-old will LOVE it (and heck, I probably will, too!).

My must-dos (or at least those I’ve done on each of my last four trips) include Crystal Palace breakfast, Via Napoli, 50’s Prime Time, and ‘Ohana dinner. I also LOVED the a la cart lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern (that cheeseburger! ) and the non-prix fixe menu at Be Our Guest (their mussels were phenomenal!) - but alas, the changes make those spots less appealing. I did the MK dessert party on my last three trips and LOVED it, so that’s a must-do as well.

The planning for Disney is absolutely one of the best parts for me! It’s fun to think of the possibilities and create a unique trip for your group. Thanks so much for your suggestions and comments!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Hi!

ETA: Hit send way too early as I was trying to insert some quotes. Obviously, I'm new here haha. I found my way over here after I saw your signature line about planning a first family trip after you commented on my birthday meal dilemma. We're also planning our first family trip as a family of 3 with my 2.5 year old son and have a similar dynamic (I love Disney and have been many times, but not in 5 years and my husband is sort of along for the ride ) I also LOVE the planning aspect. I now can't see how to insert quotes in an edited comment, so going to comment again with some thoughts on what you've posted so far, and a couple of questions!

Hello! I’m so glad you came over - welcome!

My husband is definitely along for the ride as well! My best conspirator is my older daughter - she’s starting to influence some of our plans thanks to all the YouTube videos we’ve been watching. My husband is less “enthusiastic” about Disney World than me, but I hope to create trip that he enjoys so we can go again (and again!).

This is SO my Disney planning style too! I love planning out the agenda and also love TS meals. Really struggling with our Feb/March trip though because my toddler very much does NOT love sitting at a table. He's tall and out of his high chair at home, so he usually wanders around at mealtimes and swings by for bites. I am hoping character interactions and other "fun" Disney details at some of the TS restaurants will keep him entertained, but also prepared to start canceling ADRs if things go badly.

Planning our meals is one of my FAVORITE parts of planning! I visited a few TS restaurants on family trips with my parents, but it was a few dinners rather than multiple meals. I’d never had a park breakfast or eaten at a resort until my trip with my sister in 2012. We tried the Deluxe Dining Plan (SO MUCH food but a lot of fun!) and my ADR obsession was born.

Dining with small children is tough! Our older daughter can be more challenging than our younger one (at least for now), but we’re lucky that both are pretty good at restaurants. Do you do a lot of dining out at home? I’ve perfected what to bring along to entertain the older one (favorites include crayons or markers, a small unlined notebook, a small magnetic “create a monster” puzzle, and a reusable drawing/writing tablet). The younger one only requires snacks.

Despite my usual style, I think I’m going to try to keep myself to two ADRs per day. I may make an exception on MK day (I REALLY want to try Skipper Canteen!) but I’m (mostly? ) willing to cancel as well if things go poorly.

This is also the most troubling part of the planning for me, because I feel like there is really no good answer if you have young kids and car seat safety is important to you! The Magical Express going away is my number one gripe with Disney, even above the price hikes. I would pay for it! Just bring it back and let me not worry about my luggage and be able to start the Disney magic from my own home airport!

Absolutely! If rental car rates weren’t ridiculous (and the car would be used more than it would be parked) we’d go with that, but I don’t think the cost makes sense since we can monorail/boat/or walk to three of the four parks.

This is where we're leaning, too. I've seen good reviews of Cast and Crew and Happy Limo, but the prices are giving me sticker shock and they seem to keep climbing and have had more negative reviews lately. I'll be following to see if you find an option you're happy with and happy to also report back on what we end up doing, since our trip is first

Right now I’m leaning heavily toward Cast and Crew Transportation. I joined their FB page and they seem like a nice group of people. As a bonus, they also offer a City Mini double stroller for rent so I could kill two birds with one stone which would be great. I’m okay with the cost as it’s a heck of a lot less than the rental car. I’d love to hear about which options you’re contemplating as well as your experience! At least for C&C, you can’t book until 60 days out so I have plenty of time to make a decision.

I deeply LOVE both of these restaurants and have since I was a kid (in my late thirties now), and always try to go to one every trip. I think we're going to be doing Sci Fi because our son loves cars/vehicles/anything with wheels, and he also loves milkshakes, so I think he will be entertained enough by this environment for us to actually enjoy a meal. I also like it just a little bit more than 50s Prime time myself because I have a real soft spot for drive in movies. Still salty they stopped having the servers use roller skates though, but also fully understand it was probably a huge hazard. Happy to report back on how this goes!

I didn’t even have Sci-Fi on my radar until my older daughter spotted it on a YouTube video. I ate there in 2015 and enjoyed it, but between the darkness and the fact that my younger one will still be in a highchair, I’m less enthusiastic about it for this trip. I think we’ll end up at 50’s Prime Time but I’d love to go back to Sci-Fi on a future trip!

(Also, I didn’t know they used to be on roller skates! That is so fun!)

Also, no quote for this, but I see that you're doing a split stay and we also debated this (we're staying only at the Poly), but I was worried about how I would handle my son's midday nap. I'm curious what your plans are for that (and for naps in general).

Most days I’m planning for us to leave the park and take a break at the resort. The younger one will nap and the older one can explore or swim with the other parent - or perhaps we’ll all rest! The only days this may be tough is our AK day (I’d LOVE to go to AKL and it would be easiest to take our “break” there before dinner) and our resort switch day. The day we switch I’m planning on Epcot in the morning so we can ride the Epcot monorail and then walk through the International Gateway to our resort (BCV) when we need a break. I’m hopeful our room will be ready, but that’s less likely with a DVC resort. I’m hoping L will nap in the stroller if we don’t have our room (which she did when we visited the State Fair this summer), but we’ll do the best we can. I have zero problems sitting in the BC lobby while she rests.

My husband was also questioning the split stay, but I loved the thought of being able to walk or boat to Epcot and HS. It also makes it easy to try Epcot-area restaurants without a Minnie Van (darn that need for a car seat!). I planned a sleep in/resort day the day after we switch, so hopefully the relaxed day will relieve any stress from the day before.

 

[pixiedust33]

My best conspirator is my older daughter - she’s starting to influence some of our plans thanks to all the YouTube videos we’ve been watching.

Love this! I've been planning this trip basically since my son was a newborn (we almost went in 2022, and 2023, too) and my husband has been very skeptical of taking him so young, so I've been slowly working on getting my son into all the characters and showing him videos so he's excited about it! And it's working! He ran over the other day to show my husband a video on my phone of Chip and Dale having a picnic in Epcot and was so excited about it and laughing at their antics. My husband asked "would you want to meet them?" and he replied "YES! Now?!" He's currently carrying Woody around and feeding him snacks and loves Buzz, too, so I can't WAIT for him to see Toy Story land.

Do you do a lot of dining out at home? I’ve perfected what to bring along to entertain the older one (favorites include crayons or markers, a small unlined notebook, a small magnetic “create a monster” puzzle, and a reusable drawing/writing tablet). The younger one only requires snacks.

We do not do much dining out at home for this reason, but you have me thinking maybe we should try to do more to acclimate him a bit and try out some strategies. We recently went out for my aunt's birthday dinner and we brought out ALL the stops to try to occupy him for the 1.5 hours. And it did work, it was just also exhausting and we had lots of other people helping us entertain him too.

My husband was also questioning the split stay, but I loved the thought of being able to walk or boat to Epcot and HS. It also makes it easy to try Epcot-area restaurants without a Minnie Van (darn that need for a car seat!).

Yes, I love this idea too! The car seats make everything so much harder. I was contemplating a Poly/Boardwalk split for the same reason. Not as nice as Beach Club, but cheaper to offset the outrageous rate I'm paying at the Poly

 

[TaraWasHere]

The planning for Disney is absolutely one of the best parts for me! It’s fun to think of the possibilities and create a unique trip for your group. Thanks so much for your suggestions and comments!

This is why so many of us have our next trip booked by the time we leave the current one. Planning the next trip eases the Disney depression/withdrawal that always follows a trip.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

91 Days and Counting...
a.k.a. DOUBLE DIGITS!

Hello all!

The middle part of planning a Disney trip is so dull... once you make the major decisions (dates, resorts, flights, etc.) there's so little to do until you're closer to the 60-day mark. Now that we're getting closer to that (91 days to go - double digits, baby!) it's time to get back into planning mode.

Our biggest update is we now have park tickets! I purchased 7-day park hoppers during Undercover Tourist's latest sale. It was exciting to upload our tickets into MDE - buying tickets is such a fun (but expensive! ) step!

One slightly goofy thing is my MDE is prompting me to make park reservations? I know park reservations are no longer required for date-based tickets and our tickets from Undercover Tourist are date-based tickets. I've never had issues with UT, so I'm hoping it's either a "just-in-case" prompt for all people or that Disney IT hasn't updated their system to recognize outside tickets in their planning process (which wouldn't be a surprise!).

Does anyone have any insight? Should I make park reservations anyway (although I hate to take spots from others if we don't need them!) or should I assume our tickets are fine? I just don't want to be taken by surprise when we arrive, especially since we'll be there over the busy Memorial Day weekend!

Our other not-as-big update is Disney threw a wrench into our plans by shortening the Flower and Garden Festival. I LOVED F&G when I last visited and was looking forward to showing M the topiaries and both girls the butterfly house. I also wanted a few drinks and snacks from the food booths. Our prior daily plans had us visiting Epcot the day after F&G finishes... seriously Disney, why?! I realize many of the topiaries will still be there, but I hate to miss out on the extras and the food. I'm reworking the schedule to put us in Epcot early... stay tuned for an updated schedule plan!

My most anticipated planning day is just around the corner... only 31 days until DISNEY DINING DAY! Thanks to those of you who already provided feedback on my first attempt at dining plans, I plan to tweak a few things. I'm excited about my latest plans and will share them soon for additional feedback!

Now I'm off to read TR updates I've missed during my absence (and start several new reports - you guys have been on a roll!).

Up Next: Disney Schedule Take 2

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Love this! I've been planning this trip basically since my son was a newborn (we almost went in 2022, and 2023, too) and my husband has been very skeptical of taking him so young, so I've been slowly working on getting my son into all the characters and showing him videos so he's excited about it! And it's working! He ran over the other day to show my husband a video on my phone of Chip and Dale having a picnic in Epcot and was so excited about it and laughing at their antics. My husband asked "would you want to meet them?" and he replied "YES! Now?!" He's currently carrying Woody around and feeding him snacks and loves Buzz, too, so I can't WAIT for him to see Toy Story land.

That's so sweet! Honestly, showing my oldest (she's 5) the YouTube videos has really added to her excitement. I hope your son LOVES everything!

(And I can't blame your excitement about Toy Story Land - I'm really excited to see Toy Story Land!)

And help remind me... I know your trip was before mine, but I can't remember your dates. Did you go this month or is it next month that you're going?

We do not do much dining out at home for this reason, but you have me thinking maybe we should try to do more to acclimate him a bit and try out some strategies. We recently went out for my aunt's birthday dinner and we brought out ALL the stops to try to occupy him for the 1.5 hours. And it did work, it was just also exhausting and we had lots of other people helping us entertain him too.

Dining out with littles can be really tough - it gets so much easier as they get older! I'm very lucky that both our kids are good at restaurants. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are going with their family to WDW a month before us and their son is NOT a fan of sitting in his high chair. I'm learning about their meal plans when I see my SIL next week, but I hope they have good luck and manage to get him to (mostly) sit through a few meals.

I hope you were able to get in more practice!

Yes, I love this idea too! The car seats make everything so much harder. I was contemplating a Poly/Boardwalk split for the same reason. Not as nice as Beach Club, but cheaper to offset the outrageous rate I'm paying at the Poly

Ugh, car seats! I'm thrilled that we'll be able to eliminate much of the hassle with easy walks or transportation straight to many of our resort meals. It will be so much easier when we can take Uber/Lyft and not worry about car seats!

Also, YES the rates are nuts, aren't they?! I'm sure you'll appreciate being in one spot since you don't need to repack twice and don't have to interrupt any naps. I think our switch day will be a little hairy, but we'll do our best!

This is why so many of us have our next trip booked by the time we leave the current one. Planning the next trip eases the Disney depression/withdrawal that always follows a trip.

YES, isn't that the truth?! I'm pretty sure I can thank the DISboards for my 2013 and 2016 trips - it's tough to hear about Disney constantly without having a trip to look forward to!

I hope your planning is going well - less than 100 days to go for you, too!

 

[SEAGULL59]

I'm also going over Memorial Day and debating if I want to change my Epcot plans too. So many decisions!!

 

[pixiedust33]

The middle part of planning a Disney trip is so dull... once you make the major decisions (dates, resorts, flights, etc.) there's so little to do until you're closer to the 60-day mark. Now that we're getting closer to that (91 days to go - double digits, baby!) it's time to get back into planning mode.

Welcome back to planning mode! The middle part is the worst! Excited to hear what you end up doing with your dining with the Epcot shuffle!

One slightly goofy thing is my MDE is prompting me to make park reservations? I know park reservations are no longer required for date-based tickets and our tickets from Undercover Tourist are date-based tickets. I've never had issues with UT, so I'm hoping it's either a "just-in-case" prompt for all people or that Disney IT hasn't updated their system to recognize outside tickets in their planning process (which wouldn't be a surprise!).

So, I was getting this prompt too as part of their planning checklist, even though I bought directly from Disney as part of a package and they're date-based tickets. It bothers the type A planner in me that it's showing I haven't completed a step, but I think it is just out-of-date Disney IT that doesn't personalize to the type of ticket you have.

And help remind me... I know your trip was before mine, but I can't remember your dates. Did you go this month or is it next month that you're going?

We leave next weekend!! So I'm big in anticipation mode over here and currently working on packing/planning outfits and poring over the recently released festival menus. We last minute decided to add the dining plan after doing some math and realized we actually came out slightly ahead, so my current planning task is further maximizing the dining plan, figuring out the best value snacks and waiting for the festival to actually start next week so I can get some intel on what festival snacks count for a snack credit on the DDP.

I hope you were able to get in more practice!

We have done more restaurants and the extra few months has actually made a difference too! He is at least now old enough to be bribed/cajoled to chill out for a little bit, and he's gotten even more into the characters in the lead up to this trip so I can't WAIT to see his reaction to th characters.

I have to go back now and look at what your dining plans were, because I think we had some overlap and I'm happy to report back! I think you were also debating a car service, if I remember right, and I ended up booking with Cast and Crew Transportation, which is a private car service, because they both provide a car seat and a stroller rental, and it seemed like the most convenient way to get the stroller rental. Happy to provide a review of that, too, if you're still debating that point!

 

[pkondz]

Hello all!

Well hi there stranger.

(91 days to go - double digits, baby!)

Our biggest update is we now have park tickets!

Woot!

Disney threw a wrench into our plans by shortening the Flower and Garden Festival.

Not cool Disney!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

It's so nice to be back on the DISboards! I'm working my through trip reports (both existing and new!) and it's taking longer than expected as you've all said A LOT since I was last here! If I haven't commented yet, I will soon!

Onto comments!

I'm also going over Memorial Day and debating if I want to change my Epcot plans too. So many decisions!!

It definately caught me off guard - but I'm sure it's the first of several pivots I'll have to make before (and during) our trip. I think I've come up with a solution for us and I hope you do, too!

Welcome back to planning mode! The middle part is the worst! Excited to hear what you end up doing with your dining with the Epcot shuffle!

Thank you! It's nice to be back and I'm thrilled you're still here!

So, I was getting this prompt too as part of their planning checklist, even though I bought directly from Disney as part of a package and they're date-based tickets. It bothers the type A planner in me that it's showing I haven't completed a step, but I think it is just out-of-date Disney IT that doesn't personalize to the type of ticket you have.

Thank you for this reassurance! If date-based tickets purchased directly from Disney are also prompting the park reservation, that makes me think it's an IT issue. Darn you, Disney, for adding additional stress to my vacation planning! Get your IT department together*!

Do let me know if you have any ticket issues, but I really appreciate your response.

(*Pipe dreams, I know. )

We leave next weekend!! So I'm big in anticipation mode over here and currently working on packing/planning outfits and poring over the recently released festival menus. We last minute decided to add the dining plan after doing some math and realized we actually came out slightly ahead, so my current planning task is further maximizing the dining plan, figuring out the best value snacks and waiting for the festival to actually start next week so I can get some intel on what festival snacks count for a snack credit on the DDP.

NEXT WEEKEND!!!



I bet you're so excited!

The dining plan works for many people and certainly relieves some stress during the trip. I don't remember if you've used the dining plan previously, but make sure you check your credits on the receipt at each meal to make sure they took the proper credits. They don't often make mistakes, but dining plans being absent for several years I'd worry servers are out of practice!

Good luck on your intel! I know most drinks are usually a poor use of a credit, minus perhaps some festival drinks as well as the Blue and Green Milks in Galaxy's Edge (which are a GREAT use of snack credit as they're each $8.00). Beyond that, I think anything over $6.00 is a good use of a snack credit? I haven't used the dining plan in so long that Disney Food Blog may be your best resource for figuring out maximizing snack credits.

Also, where did you choose to eat on your birthday?

We have done more restaurants and the extra few months has actually made a difference too! He is at least now old enough to be bribed/cajoled to chill out for a little bit, and he's gotten even more into the characters in the lead up to this trip so I can't WAIT to see his reaction to th characters.

That's great! A few months can make a big difference. At least Disney is SO child-friendly that I don't think you'll have any problems even if it's a rough meal. I hope his interactions with characters are magical!

I have to go back now and look at what your dining plans were, because I think we had some overlap and I'm happy to report back! I think you were also debating a car service, if I remember right, and I ended up booking with Cast and Crew Transportation, which is a private car service, because they both provide a car seat and a stroller rental, and it seemed like the most convenient way to get the stroller rental. Happy to provide a review of that, too, if you're still debating that point!

My goodness, a report on Cast and Crew would be wonderful! Thank you!

I'm 95% sure I'm going to book with them - their reviews seem solid and their Facebook group is so positive. I'd also love your feedback on both the carseat and the rental stroller as we'd likely request both. Amazingly, rental car rates decreased by several hundred dollars (!) but would still be twice the price of C&C... so they're looking like my best option! I plan to fill out the request form 60 days out for our arrival day and hope to hear back from them shortly in case they're booked. How did the booking process go for you?

I've finagled with the schedule and think I've figured it out. I'm more thrilled with the result than our original plan... so, thank you Disney for messing with my plan?

Well hi there stranger.

Hi, Pkondz!

Not cool Disney!

I couldn't believe it! HOW did they shorten Flower & Garden for the first time in years when we were finally going to be there?!

Nonetheless, I think I've come up with a good solution... and honestly, I like our plan better than my original!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Our Disney Schedule, Take 2

Thanks to Disney shortening the Flower & Garden festival I rearranged our schedule.

My initial grumbling led to much excitement - our new plan is AWESOME. It solves several problems I had (or that some of you pointed out) with our original schedule, including:

1. Most importantly, we're going to make it to Epcot before the end of the Flower & Garden Festival!
2. We're not trying to squeeze in a huge meal like Boma before rushing to the dessert party. Although my reason for getting a party ADR is not the desserts, I still want to eat them!
3. This gives us great flexibility at the end of our Animal Kingdom day! We'll either go to AKL for Boma, to Epcot for dinner and Luminous, or to Hollywood Studios to enjoy more attractions. We'll have already visited both parks so we can choose what makes us most excited!
4. I think we'll eat a "brunch" at Crystal Palace instead of an early seating to maximize attraction time, especially since our other MK morning will start with the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
5. We still have a chance to eat at Skipper Canteen, which is a great choice before the dessert party as it's neither a price fixe nor an all-you-can-eat. We'll have stomach room for desserts!
6. I found a great spot for Beaches and Cream - hooray! It seems foolish to stay at the Beach Club and not eat here.
7. Going into Epcot for dinner on our "resort day" (an easy walk from Beach Club) allows us more park time AND makes it easy for me to get to MK for EMH.

Honestly, the only potential negative is we'll have to use one additional bus (to Hollywood Studios). Our original schedule allowed us to skip the busses for all parks other than Animal Kingdom.

TS restaurants are noted in red and QS in black if they're the same restaurant and time as the prior schedule. New daily park plans are in purple and new meal choices or times (both TS and QS) are in blue.

Here’s my updated daily plan:

Day 1 - Thursday, May 23rd
Travel to Orlando/Check in to Polynesian/Resort Time
B - Home/Airport
L - Captain Cook’s (Poly)
D - Chef Mickey’s (Contemporary)

Day 2 - Friday, May 24th
Magic Kingdom (morning and evening)
B - Capt. Cook's/In room
L - Crystal Palace (MK)
*Moved from breakfast to lunch; replaced Skipper Canteen
D - 1900 Park Fare (Grand Floridian)
*Hooray, this is reopening! I'll miss the Tremaines but M is VERY excited for the character line-up.

Day 3 - Saturday, May 25th
Epcot (morning) and Magic Kingdom (evening)
B - Garden Grill
*Moved from lunch to breakfast
L - Flower & Garden Food Booths
D - Skipper Canteen + Fireworks Dessert Party (MK)
*Moved from lunch the prior day

Day 4 - Sunday, May 26th
Resort Day
B - ‘Ohana (Poly)
L - Captain Cook’s or Barefoot Pool Bar (Poly)
D - Artist Point (WL)

Day 5 - Monday, May 27th
Magic Kingdom (morning) with Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for M; Potential Epcot EMH for me
B - In room/Captain Cook’s (Poly)
L - Cinderella’s Royal Table (MK)
D - ‘Ohana (Poly)

Day 6 - Tuesday, May 28th
Hollywood Studios (morning and evening)/Move to Beach Club Villas
B - Capt. Cook's (Poly) and/or HS QS
L - 50's Prime Time Fantasmic Dinner Package
*Chose over Sci-Fi and Fantasmic Package at lunch instead of dinner
D - Beaches and Cream (BC)

Day 7 - Wednesday, May 29th
Resort Day; Epcot Dinner + MK EMH for me
B - Topolino’s Terrace (Riviera)
L - Hurricane Hanna’s (Beach Club)
D - Epcot TS (TBD)
*Hooray for another Epcot meal - so many great restaurants! I'll let my husband choose this one.

Day 8 - Thursday, May 30th
Animal Kingdom (morning); Option for AKL/Epcot/HS for evening
B - Beach Club Marketplace (Beach Club)
L - Tusker House (AK) or Satu'li Canteen (AK)
*I'll likely make an ADR for Tusker House and Boma, but we'll drop Tusker House and go to Satu'li Canteen if we decide to stick with Boma.
D - Boma (AKL) or Epcot TS or HS TS

Day 9 - Friday, May 31st
Epcot (morning) and Magic Kingdom (evening)
B - Beach Club Marketplace (Beach Club) or Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe (Epcot)
L - Via Napoli (Epcot)
*We would've eaten Via Napoli regardless, but this is a great spot for it.
D - Be Our Guest (MK)

Day 10 - Saturday, June 1st
Travel to Airport/Fly Home
B - Cape May Cafe (Beach Club) or Trattoria al Forno (Boardwalk)
*C'mon Disney, bring back the characters to Trattoria al Forno!
L - Airport
D - Home

I'm sure I'll continue tweaking the schedule, but I think it's at a great place. We just have to decide on a few more meals and times before ADR day next month!

Up Next: Room and Evening Activity Choices

 

[pkondz]

Most importantly, we're going to make it to Epcot before the end of the Flower & Garden Festival!

Yay!

Although my reason for getting a party ADR is not the desserts, I still want to eat them!

 

[pixiedust33]

The dining plan works for many people and certainly relieves some stress during the trip. I don't remember if you've used the dining plan previously, but make sure you check your credits on the receipt at each meal to make sure they took the proper credits. They don't often make mistakes, but dining plans being absent for several years I'd worry servers are out of practice!

Good luck on your intel! I know most drinks are usually a poor use of a credit, minus perhaps some festival drinks as well as the Blue and Green Milks in Galaxy's Edge (which are a GREAT use of snack credit as they're each $8.00). Beyond that, I think anything over $6.00 is a good use of a snack credit? I haven't used the dining plan in so long that Disney Food Blog may be your best resource for figuring out maximizing snack credits.

Also, where did you choose to eat on your birthday?

Thank you for the tips! I have NOT ever used the DDP! I have not historically wanted to sit down for meals, but, on this first trip with our son, we planned pretty much one character dining per day and planned to do QS for the other days, so the TS DDP worked well for us. For snacks, I think you're right that the rule of thumb for snacks is at least $6, but I"m aiming for $7! So far I've identified a colossal mickey cinnamon roll at AK, a Mickey pretzel and funnel cakes at ML, the blue and green milk and Wookie cookie at HS, hopefully a bunch of festival food at Epcot, and the Moana cupcakes at the Poly!

And I decided on Kona Café for my birthday! I love Poke and I thought the best gift to myself would be minimizing the likelihood of a tantrum on a day when my son's schedule will be out of whack, so staying close seemed like the right move.

We're doing a lot of the same dining as you, too! Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace, Ohana for breakfast and dinner, and Sci Fi are our TS (plus Kona).

I plan to fill out the request form 60 days out for our arrival day and hope to hear back from them shortly in case they're booked. How did the booking process go for you?

Booking went very smoothly! I also submitted the request right after I did my ADRs at 60 days and they got back to me the next day via text to confirm. I asked a question on the FB group the next day about the stroller rental (specifically whether it came with a kids snack tray - answer is no) and the owner replied very quickly and then the booking lead (Victoria) also followed up with me over text after seeing my name on the question. So, it seems like a very small but well run company so far. I also searched on here and other places for reviews about the car seats and strollers themselves and people seemed to say they were in good condition. Will definitely report back.

 

[Mollydolly334]

So glad to see you back on the DIS!! We will just miss each other- we're at WDW May 9-19!!! All of your plans sound amazing so far- that is quite the list of ADRS! I'm also so glad you were able to rearrange things and visit F&G- we are so excited for this and planning out all of our food booth stops already

 

[vamassey1]

I followed several mutual Dis Friends over. We follow a few of the same reports.

I'm so excited for your first family trip. I've really enjoyed reading about your planning. You have 2 great resorts books and lots of great meals planned. Have your worked out in what order you're going to try to book? I remember the excitement of planning my strategy for getting those hard to book meal. The best year was the year I had both daughters helping me. We were all logged into our MDE and had a list of what to shoot for first, divide and conquer. The last few trips we haven't had as much stress but I'm thinking it's time for another big family trip.

Looking forward to more as you get closer.

 

[ambula603]

Just found this pre-trip report but it sounds so exciting!! We LOVE sit-down meals. I mean, we don't do more than one a day but when you take longer trips it is so nice to have some good rest and good food! Mostly I just don't like the quick service table hunt situation. It makes me anxious to think I won't have a seat to eat. So I am impressed by your choices! We just did Woody's and we loved it! I think it would be so fun for the little ones.

Beach and Poly are the two my 12-year-old is begging for (we just recently stayed at Boardwalk, which I adore) so I am excited to hear which one you prefer. We typically rent DVC points from a friend or have used the websites you mentioned. So much cheaper than paying cash!

Finally, I wanted to add that we waited until my daughters were older to take our first trip (they were 4 and 6.5) and I honestly regret not taking them sooner. They just LOVED it so much. Now we go almost yearly (between WDW, DCL, and now DL next month) but my years are running out as my oldest is almost 16 and they are both super involved with school and sports. So treasure it!!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Yay!

I would be very sad to miss out - I LOVED Flower and Garden when I visited in 2016! M is also very excited about the topiaries (we’ve been looking at pictures) and the butterfly house.

Thank you for the tips! I have NOT ever used the DDP! I have not historically wanted to sit down for meals, but, on this first trip with our son, we planned pretty much one character dining per day and planned to do QS for the other days, so the TS DDP worked well for us. For snacks, I think you're right that the rule of thumb for snacks is at least $6, but I"m aiming for $7! So far I've identified a colossal mickey cinnamon roll at AK, a Mickey pretzel and funnel cakes at ML, the blue and green milk and Wookie cookie at HS, hopefully a bunch of festival food at Epcot, and the Moana cupcakes at the Poly!

You’re so welcome! As long as you keep an eye on your credits (making sure they take the right ones for the right things) the DDP should relieve some stress. I think your snack plan is solid - anything over $6-7 is a great use of a snack credit!

In case you’re a fan of cream cheese, the Cream Cheese Stuffed Pretzel at the Lunching Pad in Tomorrowland is one of my FAVORITE snacks and is currently $7.79. I’d be shocked if it didn’t count as a snack credit!

And I decided on Kona Café for my birthday! I love Poke and I thought the best gift to myself would be minimizing the likelihood of a tantrum on a day when my son's schedule will be out of whack, so staying close seemed like the right move.

We're doing a lot of the same dining as you, too! Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace, Ohana for breakfast and dinner, and Sci Fi are our TS (plus Kona).

I LOVE Kona’s breakfasts but suspect their lunches and dinners are great, too. If you have Poke I think you made an excellent choice!

And yes, we have very similar dining plans! Staying at the Poly and traveling with kids will do that.

Booking went very smoothly! I also submitted the request right after I did my ADRs at 60 days and they got back to me the next day via text to confirm. I asked a question on the FB group the next day about the stroller rental (specifically whether it came with a kids snack tray - answer is no) and the owner replied very quickly and then the booking lead (Victoria) also followed up with me over text after seeing my name on the question. So, it seems like a very small but well run company so far. I also searched on here and other places for reviews about the car seats and strollers themselves and people seemed to say they were in good condition. Will definitely report back.

That’s so good to hear! I agree that it seems like a small but well-run company - I’m part of the FB group, too! I look forward to your report on the experience.

I hope I’ve caught you before your trip - have a WONDERFUL time and I can’t wait to hear how it went! Please tell the Poly we’ll be there soon. If you’re already on your way there, then I hope your trip was awesome!