Too Worried To Sleep!

[tiki23]

I'm stressing about our itinerary and we still have over 4 months to go.

Here's what I have so far; please post comments and suggestions - thanks!

We're arriving in Orlando late on Thursday, 11/9 but because we want to see KSC and miss some of the NJ Week/F&W/SSW crowds at WDW, our first night onsite will be Saturday, 11/11. So no worries about being travel weary our 1st day, 1st time ever!

Complicating matters is the fact that my DH, 2 DS (16, 15) and DD (13) are all night owls. There is no getting around it, we will be at the evening EMH, so I'm trying to plan around it.

So here's what I have so far - please comment!

Thur 11/9 arrive MCO 8:00 PM, rent car, go to hotel, eat, swim

Fri 11/10 KSC all day (suprise for DH - Lunch with an Astronaut!), dinner, swim, bed

Sat 11/11 check into POP asap, AK all day, Boma for dinner, possible trip to DTD or DisneyQuest otherwise just swim and bed

Sun 11/12 MK rope drop, return to POP for nap (hopefully), drop off rental car, WCC for dinner, back to MK for EMH (Tues nite is for Spectro & Wishes) We know we might not be able to do many rides, but we'll get to see the MK at night.

Mon 11/13 EP -we probably won't make rope drop! - lunch, nap (I hope!) MGM for EMH and dinner at 50's PT

Tues 11/14 TL in the AM, MK in the afternoon/eve for Spectro and Wishes
Still deciding on food options for this day; lunch will probably be at TL but dinner is a puzzler. LTT before Spectro? DTD after Wishes? Argh!

Wed 11/15 EP for Dolphins in Depth tour for me and DD, lunch at EP, then on to the Contemporary for Parasailing for both DS. Dinner at Ohana, then kids go on to DQ, DH and I go to the AC but in bed early enough for rope drop tomorrow!

Thu 11/16 AK in the AM, then on to MGM. Maybe late lunch/early dinner at Sci-Fi then Fantasmic, back to POP for snack and swim

Fri 11/17 (last night :cry: ) Kids' choice park in AM; EP in the afternoon with dinner at LeCellier and Illuminations.

Sat 11/18 Check out, on to MK, table service lunch somewhere (help?) then catch Magical Express about 3 PM; fly home...sigh.

So....suggestions are welcome; thank you!

 

[theflowerladee]

you sound like you have a pretty good plan, I would recomment LTT for
character thanksgiving style dinner, we really enjoy it everytime we go.
and good luck and the nap thing..we have never been able to do that.

 

[blestmom]

It sounds like you've put a lot of time into planning. That's great! I'm glad you have some time to rest after traveling. Jet lag is no fun. I don't have any specific recommendations, just passing on something I've learned. I've taken 3 trips in the last 3 years with my 5 kids. DH stayed home. The last trip was when they were 16, 14, 12, 9 and 7. I really needed to learn how to "read" my kids and know when enough was enough. A couple of times I pushed them past their limit, which wasn't good.

For example, one time we went around the holidays, and I "planned" everything. ADR's, party tickets, Candlelight, etc. While it was fun, it was also somewhat stressful. We always had to "be somewhere" at a certain time. Just last September we went again, and while we loosely planned what park to go to on what day, we had a real relaxed schedule. I have to say, it was my favorite trip. We did NOT do free dining (long story!) and just did counter service, so we didn't need to plan meals.

My kids are night owls, too. So am I! Every so often I let the boys stay back at the hotel and watch ESPN (since we don't get it at home, it was a "treat") In a way, it may seem like a waste of time and money when on vacation, but every now and then the kids needed time to just "be", then they were much more pleasant later on. Does that make sense? Sorry for rambling.

Anyway, you know your kids and your family, so all I can say is "be flexible" and HAVE FUN! I just know you'll have a great trip!!!

P.S. Stop worrying and GET SOME SLEEP!!

 

[Eljay]

Great job you have done on your itinerary! The only thing I think is that you haven't allowed enough time for Epcot. The World Showcase section alone is a full day.
On your last day, lunch at Tony's might be nice. Here's the menu.
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_ttl.htm

Have a Magical time! You picked a great time of year to go!

 

[Mariaºoº]

Sounds like great plans to me! As Eljay says above, make sure you have enough time for Epcot. My family and I could spend several days just in World Showcase alone. Don't forget that each country has their own show or attraction to check out as well as shops. For counter service meals in MK I would suggest Columbia Harbor House, Cosmic Rays and the Lunching Pad.

 

[tiki23]

Thanks for your replies!

theflowerladee - We'll see on the naps. I know DH and I will probably want to take one or two (or three!), but not so sure on the kids.

blestmom - I'm going to try not to be a Disney commando! I did that on our first trip to Disneyland and the whole family got fed up with me.

Eljay and Maria - Thanks for the dining tips and you are definitely right about Epcot; I know my DH and I could probably spend 3 days in that park! I may have to do some tweaking of the schedule, but that Friday morning DH and I may head straight to Epcot while the kids head off (together) to their choice.

One of the biggest advantages for us of staying on property - and using Disney transportation - is allowing our kids a little freedom to go off on their own once in awhile.

Thanks again!

"I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it.."

 

[Mariaºoº]

Thanks for your replies!

theflowerladee - We'll see on the naps. I know DH and I will probably want to take one or two (or three!), but not so sure on the kids.

blestmom - I'm going to try not to be a Disney commando! I did that on our first trip to Disneyland and the whole family got fed up with me.

Eljay and Maria - Thanks for the dining tips and you are definitely right about Epcot; I know my DH and I could probably spend 3 days in that park! I may have to do some tweaking of the schedule, but that Friday morning DH and I may head straight to Epcot while the kids head off (together) to their choice.

One of the biggest advantages for us of staying on property - and using Disney transportation - is allowing our kids a little freedom to go off on their own once in awhile.

Thanks again!

"I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it.."

Oh it's definitely nice staying on property and allowing the kids to go in one direction while you and hubby go another! I miss the children being little, but them being teenagers does have some advantages (I don't care for teen years...LOL).

 

[Vickie46]

sounds great and you will love BOMAS!!!! Its awesome!!! The best meal in the whole place!

 

[Gradar1]

Your plans look great! And I think it's great that with your kids being teenagers, you and your DH get some time alone--I always enjoyed it when my parents let my sisters and I do the park together--it gave us time to just be sisters and have fun. And have fun at KSC--we went there last year before our first family cruise (Carnival) and it was amazing! Definitely get the tickets that let you take the bus tour--it takes you as close to the launch pad as civilians can get, and we all had a blast--we were there last year a few weeks before Discovery launched, and we've got some great pictures.

 

[tiki23]

Maria - Teen years are tough; I miss my sweet little darlings! But there are some advantages, lol.

Vickie46 - Definitely looking forward to Boma's and checking out the AK Lodge.

Gradar1 - Thanks for your comments on KSC. We're really excited to visit.