Timing for Soarin and Garden Grill?

[wishuponastar1984]

Am I the only one who is thinking it is crazy to rush through a breakfast that you are paying big $ to eat at? If getting on rides right at rope drop is your priority why not just do rope drop and plan a later "brunch" (pick last breakfast seating) at Garden Grill. This would avoid the need for getting to the park at 7:30 when the original poster has indicated that they have a late night before already.

 

[brockash]

I have an 8:10 ADR at Garden Grill for 4 people but have been keeping an eye out for one for 6 in case my in-laws join us. There is one for 6 available at 8:40 and I didn't grab it thinking that would be way too late to eat and get to Soarin. But what you are saying is that typically as long as you are there by 8 you would get seated sooner than your ADR time? Trying to decide if I want to leave that up to chance. Hmm. I'll keep looking for an earlier time for now but I will keep this info in mind!

Right, that's always been our experience. If you booked the 840, as long as you were one of the first to check in (not hard as long as you get to the park by 720amish and the go right to Garden Grill and check in right when they allow you to enter, you should be seated quickly after 8.

 

[brockash]

Am I the only one who is thinking it is crazy to rush through a breakfast that you are paying big $ to eat at? If getting on rides right at rope drop is your priority why not just do rope drop and plan a later "brunch" (pick last breakfast seating) at Garden Grill. This would avoid the need for getting to the park at 7:30 when the original poster has indicated that they have a late night before already.

For us, not having to do the stampede with everyone else at rope drop, plus the fact that eating before noon really cuts into park time with lower crowds and honestly we don't spend a lot of time at restaurants as it is, so while an extra 10- 15 mins might be nice at times, it's not enough to outweigh the benefits for us.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Am I the only one who is thinking it is crazy to rush through a breakfast that you are paying big $ to eat at? If getting on rides right at rope drop is your priority why not just do rope drop and plan a later "brunch" (pick last breakfast seating) at Garden Grill. This would avoid the need for getting to the park at 7:30 when the original poster has indicated that they have a late night before already.

At Garden Grill the characters come around so fast that early, so you sometimes even see them twice. We spent 40 minutes at our breakfast and it was more than enough time to enjoy our food and the characters. We then headed down to Soarin and rode before the park opened. It was really great. I feel that this particular PPO is the best, because the Epcot RD crowd is awful. I've done RD from both entrances and I swear I have never seen such ridiculousness other than the FoP stampede.

 

[lisa cameron]

Thank you! That is what I have read. Rope drop with 2 little kids sounds WAY more miserable than getting up early. Even if my kids are up until 10pm, they wake early no matter what so might as well beat the mob of people which is worth the extra $$$ to me.

 

[disneylover102]

We have an 8:20 ADR for Garden Grill so plan on doing the above and heading to Soarin ASAP. We have a FP for Frozen at 1:05pm.
Question is about Test Track. We cannot do single rider because one of our kids is 5 years old. It will be Sunday of Presidents Day weekend. Will the line to TT already be an hour if we run over to it right after Soarin (assuming we get on Soarin right at 9am)? I know it is a little bit of a hike and then we will have to backtrack again to do Nemo, Land of the Living, Figment before heading to Frozen. Too much back and forth? Skip TT altogether?

You could try doing TT last and when we were there August 2016 we were able to get it as a 4th FP+. I’ve heard some people have had luck doing Soarin’ before park opening with a PPO ADR at GG so you could also try that and then try to do TT first. I wouldn’t skip TT.