Too Many Sit Downs for family? Post-Fireworks Party instead?

[Mardigras2025]

Hello! I was wondering about my optimistic dining thoughts and what I should prioritize or remove. I am a little worried I may be taking away too much park time? What would you remove, add, or move if you were a family with a DS 4 and DD 6, plus grandparents? We are staying at Poly.

MK night 1
- Liberty Tree Tavern

HS:
- fantasmic dining - 50s Prime Time
(not too excited about the restaurant, but buying it for fantasmic seats for our young kids. worth it? Or just do quick service at docking bay?)

Resort day:
- considering GF Cafe for breakfast, or just Poly quick service, or making the trip to Boma (worth the travel on a resort day?)
- slightly considering Storybook for dinner or just staying at Poly. Really wanted hoop Dee doo, but they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Epcot:
- Garden grill

AK
- none (Quick service only)

MK final day/night:
- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (assuming won’t be able to get reservation on first MK day)
- Cinderella’s Royal Table
- this one is tough - we are staying for Happily Ever After on our final night, but not our first night. Is the post-fireworks dessert party worth it for a four year old and six year old? Should we do that instead of CRT or LTT?

Departure day:
Topolino’s

I am wondering if this plan has too many character meals, too many sit downs, or too much comfort food. I also don’t think it would be feasible to do the post-fireworks dessert party on top of dinner reservations. Do you think the dessert party would be worth it instead of one of the MK dinners? Or in addition? Or not worth it, just get to the hub 90 minutes before the show?

Planning quick breakfasts with groceries before leaving, packing snacks, going back to the room, and quick service and snacks in the parks for other meals.

 

[NotUrsula]

That's a lot. As a general rule, young kids tend to hate doing sit-down dinners at WDW, especially inside the parks, and depending on their degree of tiredness or excitement, might not hesitate to make sure it's obvious.

My first target from your list would be Prime Time. If the only reason you are doing it is to get decent seats for Fantasmic, then it makes more sense to do a Fantasmic Picnic instead. Bring a soft lunch cooler and some ziplocs in your baggage, then order sandwiches and desserts wrapped to go from your hotel that you can pick up on your mid-day break and pack in the cooler to take to the park.. Go into the theatre 90-60 minutes early & picnic in the stands, letting your kids bop around the empty space around you before the stands really begin to fill, or rest, as their preference takes them, while the adults chat.

Also note that Fantasmic has been known to scare the pants off younger kids, and the closer you are to the stage, the more likely that is to happen. First-time at Fantasmic with younger kids tends to work best from a bit further back.

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

Personally I would skip the dessert party after the fireworks on your departure eve, with a 4 & 6 year old. Especially if you want the departure day Topolino ressie the next morning. Just too much to pack and organize before leaving for breakfast/lunch on departure day.

 

[Mardigras2025]

Personally I would skip the dessert party after the fireworks on your departure eve, with a 4 & 6 year old. Especially if you want the departure day Topolino ressie the next morning. Just too much to pack and organize before leaving for breakfast/lunch on departure day.

Thank you! We wanted to do happily ever after at least one night. Maybe just with the 6 year old? It seemed like the last night would be better than the first, with no park day the next day. But maybe we will consider it for the first night instead as a magical start. And sounds like the party is not worth it for the kids our age, so that is super helpful.

 

[jillt2ph]

I know I’m in the minority, but I would definitely not go out of my way for Boma. But I am also not a fan of the quick service at Polly. I would suggest either Kona or grand Floridian Café or even steakhouse 71 for a relaxing sit down breakfast at an affordable price.

 

[Mardigras2025]

I know I’m in the minority, but I would definitely not go out of my way for Boma. But I am also not a fan of the quick service at Polly. I would suggest either Kona or grand Floridian Café or even steakhouse 71 for a relaxing sit down breakfast at an affordable price

Great advice, thank you!

 

[starry_solo]

My comments in bold & italicize

MK night 1
- Liberty Tree Tavern
This sounds good, depending on what time you arrive at the resort and how far you've traveled.

HS:
- fantasmic dining - 50s Prime Time
(not too excited about the restaurant, but buying it for fantasmic seats for our young kids. worth it? Or just do quick service at docking bay?)
I would do quick service at docking bay and get seats for free, if you're willing to line up for them early (I believe you can line up 90 minutes early, but unless you really care where you sit, you should be okay 30 minutes before the show).

Resort day:
- considering GF Cafe for breakfast, or just Poly quick service, or making the trip to Boma (worth the travel on a resort day?)
- slightly considering Storybook for dinner or just staying at Poly. Really wanted hoop Dee doo, but they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
You're at the Poly. Their quick service - Captain Cook's - is pretty ok. If you drink coffee or soft drinks, I suggest at least one or two refillable mugs for your family of 6 and sharing.

Epcot:
- Garden grill
Never eaten here, so no comments

AK
- none (Quick service only)

MK final day/night:
- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (assuming won’t be able to get reservation on first MK day)
- Cinderella’s Royal Table
- this one is tough - we are staying for Happily Ever After on our final night, but not our first night. Is the post-fireworks dessert party worth it for a four year old and six year old? Should we do that instead of CRT or LTT?
Worth it is subjective, so it depends on what you want for your money. A nice area to stand in or dessert. There's a nice area to stand in (sit for a while, til they tell you it's time to stand up). if you can manage to be at the front, where the grass meets the little fences, then yes, it's a great area

I would try for HEA on the first night, again, depending on what time you get there, but not as a dessert party.

Departure day:
Topolino’s

If you do HEA on your final night, then I wouldn't plan anything other than a quick service breakfast. If you must do Topolino's, consider going to do this on your resort day and doing the Poly quick service on departure day.

 

[Marthasor]

Hello! I was wondering about my optimistic dining thoughts and what I should prioritize or remove. I am a little worried I may be taking away too much park time? What would you remove, add, or move if you were a family with a DS 4 and DD 6, plus grandparents? We are staying at Poly.

MK night 1
- Liberty Tree Tavern

HS:
- fantasmic dining - 50s Prime Time
(not too excited about the restaurant, but buying it for fantasmic seats for our young kids. worth it? Or just do quick service at docking bay?)

Resort day:
- considering GF Cafe for breakfast, or just Poly quick service, or making the trip to Boma (worth the travel on a resort day?)
- slightly considering Storybook for dinner or just staying at Poly. Really wanted hoop Dee doo, but they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Epcot:
- Garden grill

AK
- none (Quick service only)

MK final day/night:
- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (assuming won’t be able to get reservation on first MK day)
- Cinderella’s Royal Table
- this one is tough - we are staying for Happily Ever After on our final night, but not our first night. Is the post-fireworks dessert party worth it for a four year old and six year old? Should we do that instead of CRT or LTT?

Departure day:
Topolino’s

I am wondering if this plan has too many character meals, too many sit downs, or too much comfort food. I also don’t think it would be feasible to do the post-fireworks dessert party on top of dinner reservations. Do you think the dessert party would be worth it instead of one of the MK dinners? Or in addition? Or not worth it, just get to the hub 90 minutes before the show?

Planning quick breakfasts with groceries before leaving, packing snacks, going back to the room, and quick service and snacks in the parks for other meals.

Night 1 - I would consider doing fireworks this night. Park days can get quite tiring for younger and older people and, if you really want to see the fireworks, I might do it when everyone is fresh and ready for the trip. LTT is nice, but even consider QS if you would rather have a more relaxed day. If you really want to do a dessert party with younger children, I would do the pre-party.

HS - if you would rather not stand in a long line to get seats at Fantasmic, I would keep the package.

Resort day - I wouldn't travel anywhere for breakfast. I'm not a huge fan of Storybook - I found the food to be mediocre and the atmosphere a bit chaotic. If you want to travel to WL, consider Whispering Canyon. If you'd like a character buffet, consider 1900 Park Fare at GF. Personally, I would probably go to 'Ohana and watch the fireworks from the Poly beach. You might even consider going to Trader Sam's when it opens at 3 pm (get your name on the list at 2 pm) - the special effects inside are pretty cool, they have great apps and fun mocktails for kids (or adults who don't want alcohol). Poly is such a great resort, I would really take advantage of your day here and just stay put.

EP - Garden Grill is nice. If you would prefer to only do one character meal, I would keep Topolino's and skip GG, however. EP has a ton of great QS - consider Regal Eagle if you would like to keep this day more fluid. You might also consider doing Topolino's this morning and then taking the Skyliner to EP. You don't say what time you leave on departure day, but if it's on the early side, you may want to just hang around Poly departure morning.

AK - if you really want to do Hoop, consider doing it this night. AK typically closes early and you could go directly to Ft. W from AK if need be.

MK - BBB/CRT - you could do the fireworks if you didn't do them your first night. I would not do the dessert post-party with young children.

Departure day - Topolino's or just stay at Poly.

 

[CynBeth]

I would keep 50’s PTC. We love it have dinner there every trip and can be so much fun depending on the server.

 

[Mardigras2025]

My comments in bold & italicize

MK night 1
- Liberty Tree Tavern
This sounds good, depending on what time you arrive at the resort and how far you've traveled.

HS:
- fantasmic dining - 50s Prime Time
(not too excited about the restaurant, but buying it for fantasmic seats for our young kids. worth it? Or just do quick service at docking bay?)
I would do quick service at docking bay and get seats for free, if you're willing to line up for them early (I believe you can line up 90 minutes early, but unless you really care where you sit, you should be okay 30 minutes before the show).

Resort day:
- considering GF Cafe for breakfast, or just Poly quick service, or making the trip to Boma (worth the travel on a resort day?)
- slightly considering Storybook for dinner or just staying at Poly. Really wanted hoop Dee doo, but they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
You're at the Poly. Their quick service - Captain Cook's - is pretty ok. If you drink coffee or soft drinks, I suggest at least one or two refillable mugs for your family of 6 and sharing.

Epcot:
- Garden grill
Never eaten here, so no comments

AK
- none (Quick service only)

MK final day/night:
- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (assuming won’t be able to get reservation on first MK day)
- Cinderella’s Royal Table
- this one is tough - we are staying for Happily Ever After on our final night, but not our first night. Is the post-fireworks dessert party worth it for a four year old and six year old? Should we do that instead of CRT or LTT?
Worth it is subjective, so it depends on what you want for your money. A nice area to stand in or dessert. There's a nice area to stand in (sit for a while, til they tell you it's time to stand up). if you can manage to be at the front, where the grass meets the little fences, then yes, it's a great area

I would try for HEA on the first night, again, depending on what time you get there, but not as a dessert party.

Departure day:
Topolino’s

If you do HEA on your final night, then I wouldn't plan anything other than a quick service breakfast. If you must do Topolino's, consider going to do this on your resort day and doing the Poly quick service on departure day.

Thank you! We actually arrive the day before MK day one, in the afternoon. So we have a full park day.

Great advice on the refillable mugs, thank you!

I was mostly wondering if the party was worth it vs. waiting around, especially kids. But I was not excited about the desserts or cheese. It sounds like we would do better to wait at a spot on whichever night we choose to do HEA. I am now leaning towards first night with the excitement of the trip, but worried about park day the next day, especially if we need to stay to do another ride or two while the crowd disburses. If we plan for it and it doesn’t work, we have another shot at it on our last MK day. Thank you!

We are departing later in the day on our final day, so I am hoping to be able to fit a breakfast reservation in at Topolino’s. I am more worried that it will be booked up earlier in our trip, but will consider it for our rest day if it seems to hectic to do it on departure.

 

[Brob2132]

I know this is a lot fence sitting, but a lot of it depends on what you want and how your kids do at sit down restaurants.When my wife and I have gone, we really enjoyed sit down meals and would do 1-2 per day. It was part of the vacation.

However, when we did our first trip with my then 1 1/2 year old daughter, she hated sitting at meals. This was true at home, and just as true at Disney. The only exception is the characters did give her much more patience than at home.

One thing I will say is that you mentioned comfort food. We chose our meals carefully. For trekking around the parks, this can really be a dicey proposition in hot weather.

 

[Mardigras2025]

Night 1 - I would consider doing fireworks this night. Park days can get quite tiring for younger and older people and, if you really want to see the fireworks, I might do it when everyone is fresh and ready for the trip. LTT is nice, but even consider QS if you would rather have a more relaxed day. If you really want to do a dessert party with younger children, I would do the pre-party.

HS - if you would rather not stand in a long line to get seats at Fantasmic, I would keep the package.

Resort day - I wouldn't travel anywhere for breakfast. I'm not a huge fan of Storybook - I found the food to be mediocre and the atmosphere a bit chaotic. If you want to travel to WL, consider Whispering Canyon. If you'd like a character buffet, consider 1900 Park Fare at GF. Personally, I would probably go to 'Ohana and watch the fireworks from the Poly beach. You might even consider going to Trader Sam's when it opens at 3 pm (get your name on the list at 2 pm) - the special effects inside are pretty cool, they have great apps and fun mocktails for kids (or adults who don't want alcohol). Poly is such a great resort, I would really take advantage of your day here and just stay put.

EP - Garden Grill is nice. If you would prefer to only do one character meal, I would keep Topolino's and skip GG, however. EP has a ton of great QS - consider Regal Eagle if you would like to keep this day more fluid. You might also consider doing Topolino's this morning and then taking the Skyliner to EP. You don't say what time you leave on departure day, but if it's on the early side, you may want to just hang around Poly departure morning.

AK - if you really want to do Hoop, consider doing it this night. AK typically closes early and you could go directly to Ft. W from AK if need be.

MK - BBB/CRT - you could do the fireworks if you didn't do them your first night. I would not do the dessert post-party with young children.

Departure day - Topolino's or just stay at Poly.

Thank you! Good thought about doing Happily Ever After on the first night! I guess I was worried about doing it with another park day the next day, vs. doing it on our last night. But very possible everyone is exhausted by final park night.

I feel like with the Fantasmic package, we will spend just as much time waiting vs. eating, so it could definitely be worth it if it could fit in on a busy Hollywood studios day.

Thank you for the resort day advice! I think since we are only planning on one, it makes total sense to take advantage of the area and not consider going further away to Boma or Storybook. Might still consider GF Cafe for a sit down breakfast, but makes total sense to just soak in the Poly for the rest of the day.

Interesting thought about HDD on AK day - I never considered it! I want to try Hoop Dee doo so bad, and trying to think of any way to fit it in without compromising the schedule completely. Honestly thought maybe Satuli Canteen early dinner, and calling it an early night before another park day, maybe the oldest spending some time at the pool before bed or mom and dad stopping at Tambu Lounge or something.

Sounds like post-party is a no with a 6 and 4 year old, so I am happy that everyone helped me settle that!

Late departure, so hoping for a reasonable Topolino’s reservation as a nice send off. But maybe soaking in the Poly for our last few hours would be nice!

 

[Mardigras2025]

I would keep 50’s PTC. We love it have dinner there every trip and can be so much fun depending on the server.

Thank you! My wife and I have been there multiple times and love it. Worried the kids wouldn’t be super excited, too much comfort food, and also cramming sit down into a busy HS day. But it really seems like fantasmic dining could be worth it if we are committed to going. I don’t think my kids would be scared to be seated close, and they have also peeked at a few YouTube videos of the show, so they are super excited.

 

[leebee]

My feelings on HEA/dessert party. DD was 18(?) when we did HEA and we swore never again. People are packed into the hub and Main Street area literally shoulder to shoulder. To us, the crowd was terrifying. I also don't know how little ones can see much of the castle projections; there are just So Many People! While we weren't thrilled with the dessert party offerings, they were fine, and it was worth the money to have breathing space to see HEA. We snacked, sat on the lawn and chatted with the other families present, watched the show, and took our time leaving (so we weren't caught in the teeming swarm of humanity trying to exit the park after the show). We will probably never again see a MK fireworks show from inside the park without doing the dessert party, just to keep us out of the crowds.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Only thing I’d skip is Boma, too much effort on a resort day. The great part about TS is it forces you to take a long break, in the AC and out of the elements. Kinda gives you a system reset time.

I like the post fireworks dessert party idea. You can wait out the post fireworks Wave Of Humanity exiting the park that way.

 

[Mardigras2025]

I know this is a lot fence sitting, but a lot of it depends on what you want and how your kids do at sit down restaurants.When my wife and I have gone, we really enjoyed sit down meals and would do 1-2 per day. It was part of the vacation.

However, when we did our first trip with my then 1 1/2 year old daughter, she hated sitting at meals. This was true at home, and just as true at Disney. The only exception is the characters did give her much more patience than at home.

One thing I will say is that you mentioned comfort food. We chose our meals carefully. For trekking around the parks, this can really be a dicey proposition in hot weather.

Thank you! Food has always been a big part of our Disney trips (or any trips) as well, but this is our first with the littles. They are hit or miss at restaurants, to be honest. But I figure if there’s any place to give it a shot, it’s Disney with a bunch of other kids.

Narrowing it down to Liberty Tree Tavern, 50s Prime Time, Garden Grill, and maybe Hoop Dee doo (if we can), does make me worried we picked too many comfort food options. But that is the type of food grandparents like… crowd pleasing. Hopefully they are all different enough if we stick with these choices ultimately. We could switch out LTT for skipper canteen, prime time for sci-fi or quick service, garden grill for world showcase snacks, and skip hoop dee doo altogether if we feel like that’s too much fried chicken and mashed potatoes…

 

[Mardigras2025]

My feelings on HEA/dessert party. DD was 18(?) when we did HEA and we swore never again. People are packed into the hub and Main Street area literally shoulder to shoulder. To us, the crowd was terrifying. I also don't know how little ones can see much of the castle projections; there are just So Many People! While we weren't thrilled with the dessert party offerings, they were fine, and it was worth the money to have breathing space to see HEA. We snacked, sat on the lawn and chatted with the other families present, watched the show, and took our time leaving (so we weren't caught in the teeming swarm of humanity trying to exit the park after the show). We will probably never again see a MK fireworks show from inside the park without doing the dessert party, just to keep us out of the crowds.

Thank you, very interesting perspective! I was really mostly considering it to avoid waiting for 60-90 minutes only to have someone tall stand in front of my kids… but worried with dinner reservations it would be too much!

 

[Mardigras2025]

Only thing I’d skip is Boma, too much effort on a resort day. The great part about TS is it forces you to take a long break, in the AC and out of the elements. Kinda gives you a system reset time.

I like the post fireworks dessert party idea. You can wait out the post fireworks Wave Of Humanity exiting the park that way.

Great, thank you! Will definitely skip Boma and focus on our resort area during that day! Will be great to relax and enjoy it!

Very much considering fireworks party, but worried at my kids age and also worried about logistics with dinner if it’s all too much. To avoid wave of humanity, we were also just considering going all out on our last night and letting the kids ride two night rides after the show.

 

[Nancyg56]

Hello! I was wondering about my optimistic dining thoughts and what I should prioritize or remove. I am a little worried I may be taking away too much park time? What would you remove, add, or move if you were a family with a DS 4 and DD 6, plus grandparents? We are staying at Poly.

MK night 1
- Liberty Tree Tavern

HS:
- fantasmic dining - 50s Prime Time
(not too excited about the restaurant, but buying it for fantasmic seats for our young kids. worth it? Or just do quick service at docking bay?)

Resort day:
- considering GF Cafe for breakfast, or just Poly quick service, or making the trip to Boma (worth the travel on a resort day?)
- slightly considering Storybook for dinner or just staying at Poly. Really wanted hoop Dee doo, but they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Epcot:
- Garden grill

AK
- none (Quick service only)

MK final day/night:
- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (assuming won’t be able to get reservation on first MK day)
- Cinderella’s Royal Table
- this one is tough - we are staying for Happily Ever After on our final night, but not our first night. Is the post-fireworks dessert party worth it for a four year old and six year old? Should we do that instead of CRT or LTT?

Departure day:
Topolino’s

I am wondering if this plan has too many character meals, too many sit downs, or too much comfort food. I also don’t think it would be feasible to do the post-fireworks dessert party on top of dinner reservations. Do you think the dessert party would be worth it instead of one of the MK dinners? Or in addition? Or not worth it, just get to the hub 90 minutes before the show?

Planning quick breakfasts with groceries before leaving, packing snacks, going back to the room, and quick service and snacks in the parks for other meals.

I like Liberty Tree Tavern. It is a good place to dine while in the MK

I would skip Fantasmic altogether with the kids. It was brutal sitting behind a family with 2 youngsters, both burrowed into their dad's neck. I would You Tube it before booking it. I would also consider Hollywood and Vine dining package if you still want the package. It is a little pricy but the character interaction is really good

Wednesday I would not go to AKL for dinner at Boma. Its okay, but i cannot imagine that hike with so many choices closer. Storybook at the WL is really nice. The character interaction is good, and it is a TS meal rather than a buffet. IIRC, you can take the boat across to WL, and that alone is a sweet treat.

Garden Grill is a favorite of ours.

For your dessert party, i would skip it completely. The day seems long, from Bippity Boppity Boutique, to dining in the castle, the day can be pretty overwhelming for kids. If you have the party, you are now pretty obligated to go, and if the kids are tired, the entire thing may be no fun for anyone. If they are up to the fireworks display I would get an ice cream from the Plaza ice cream shoppe and find someplace to relax while waiting for the display.

For departure day, have you considered 'Ohana? Stitch and friends are there.

 

[Brob2132]

We’ve always plan our trip around meals, and it’s a huge part of my excitement and anticipation.

If there’s something that you’re really looking forward to, I’d just go for it! It’s easy for someone else to say skip this or that.