Week After Turkey Day Shenanigans

[Meeko5]

Is this stuff made of gold??

LOL! It oughta be for the price. But they feel amaaaaaaazing. It's like not wearing pants...but in a good way

 

[JamieOak]

Last year at HS we skipped BATB, Frozen sing along, all but 1 mickey greet, the little mermaid show, muppets, one man's dream, and Disney Jr and still filled a whole day.

Man how did we do that?! haha!

Wow! I'm interested to see how it turns out in Touring Plans for 2 half days. I do have flexibility in how many hours a "half day" is too.

 

[Meeko5]

Wow! I'm interested to see how it turns out in Touring Plans for 2 half days. I do have flexibility in how many hours a "half day" is too.

You'll be much more efficient - my kids held us up! This trip I plan to slow down a little and take more time to relax as well.

...ha.

 

[GoldenOwner]

Trying to plan my last morning (Monday 12/5). We have an 8:05 CRT and I want to be in the parking lot at about noon. I'm planning to hit a few Fantasyland rides before we leave. So far in my touring plan, I'm planning to start with Peter Pan. Touring Plans says there will be a 25 minute wait if we go there first? That seems long for right off the bat. If that seems right, I guess I'll do a FPP for it and go through Pooh standby since the kids can play in that queue (I'd FPP Pooh too but I'm hoping for Seven Dwarves and I can't fit all three in!).

 

[plumsiren]

I edited it. Can you see them now?

Late reply, but yes!

 

[plumsiren]

Ugghhhhhhh I hope it pops up again soon for you!

It did! Set a TP Reservation Finder thing and got it an hour or two later!

 

[plumsiren]

(sorry for 3 posts in a row!)

Still a ways to go, but I've done some big editing to my (very sad-looking) plan, if anyone's curious! I know it's going to be borderline chilly, but I need more pool time, dangit!

I'm also doing my touring plans. MK is...going to be a nightmare, so I'll come back to that, but I think my EPCOT Future World one is done. Will have to split up so dad can do Test Track while I do Soarin (I am NOT giving up Soarin) but we should make it to World Showcase with a good 5 hours before our Spice Road Table ressie, which sounds like a lot but we need to pack in the ride in Mexico, American Adventure, multiple character meets, touring every country, a light dinner, and touring of the Boardwalk area...plus walking/bathroom/etc. and time for me to take about 30,000 pictures!

Our DHS plan right now consists of exactly 5 things: MuppetVision, Indiana Jones, TSMM, lunch at PizzeRizzo, and a character picture. Pathetic. And to think this was my favorite park back in the day!

AK...I have no idea. I really don't know how much time to allot for the trails. I don't know how many characters I can pack in. I don't know if I'll feel like doing Kali, or be brave enough to go on EE. Sigh.

 

[heath92681]

Trying to plan my last morning (Monday 12/5). We have an 8:05 CRT and I want to be in the parking lot at about noon. I'm planning to hit a few Fantasyland rides before we leave. So far in my touring plan, I'm planning to start with Peter Pan. Touring Plans says there will be a 25 minute wait if we go there first? That seems long for right off the bat. If that seems right, I guess I'll do a FPP for it and go through Pooh standby since the kids can play in that queue (I'd FPP Pooh too but I'm hoping for Seven Dwarves and I can't fit all three in!).

I feel like if you don't go to 7dmt at rope drop then you go to Peter Pan. So I think 25 min right off the bat is pretty accurate especially since it's a slow loading ride. The que is pretty cute though if you're a Peter Pan fan! I would choose that over Pooh if you have to make a choice, but that's just my preference!

 

[JamieOak]

(sorry for 3 posts in a row!)

Still a ways to go, but I've done some big editing to my (very sad-looking) plan, if anyone's curious! I know it's going to be borderline chilly, but I need more pool time, dangit!

I'm also doing my touring plans. MK is...going to be a nightmare, so I'll come back to that, but I think my EPCOT Future World one is done. Will have to split up so dad can do Test Track while I do Soarin (I am NOT giving up Soarin) but we should make it to World Showcase with a good 5 hours before our Spice Road Table ressie, which sounds like a lot but we need to pack in the ride in Mexico, American Adventure, multiple character meets, touring every country, a light dinner, and touring of the Boardwalk area...plus walking/bathroom/etc. and time for me to take about 30,000 pictures!

Our DHS plan right now consists of exactly 5 things: MuppetVision, Indiana Jones, TSMM, lunch at PizzeRizzo, and a character picture. Pathetic. And to think this was my favorite park back in the day!

AK...I have no idea. I really don't know how much time to allot for the trails. I don't know how many characters I can pack in. I don't know if I'll feel like doing Kali, or be brave enough to go on EE. Sigh.

Looking good! We'll be at MK with you on 11/29 before the party and 11/30 PM EMHs. Are you doing EMM at MK on 11/29?

Oh man that's a short list at HS! I wondered why you only had a morning scheduled for HS. None of you are into Star Wars I take it?

 

[CCxmas]

I'm having second thoughts about H&V lunch. My kids are 4.5 and 2.5. They LOVE Jake and know Doc and Sophia (they don't know Handy Manny). I've currently got a lunch reservation for our HS day, but I also have a BOG dinner ADR on that day (just in case). I have been planning on probably dropping the BOG, but now I'm second guessing myself. Seeing the Beast would be fine, but isn't really a big draw for us. But if we already see all the Disney Jr characters do we really need that lunch? But we do have BOG lunch later in the week so it's not like we won't eat there if we do do the H&V lunch.

We did H&V dinner last year and it was fantastic. The food was good and the characters were fun. It was the very first thing we did last year. Of course the dinner is Mickey/Minnie/Donald/Goofy/Daisy. DD3 knows of the Disney Jr. Characters but doesn't love them. We did BoG dinner last year. It was really good food and we got to meet Beast. DD had never actually seen Beauty and the Beast other that short clips. She fell in love with Beast. Ran to him and had a look of joy on Christmas morning. It was one of the highlights for me. You can actually order wine at BoG too. We didn't do a BoG lunch. Of course its all in perspective but a friend of mine did lunch there and wasn't all that impressed. She's doing dinner there this year. Lunch is completely different food and ambience.
Good luck with your decision. It is hard to make choices but know that either one will be filled with great memories!!

 

[GoldenOwner]

I feel like if you don't go to 7dmt at rope drop then you go to Peter Pan. So I think 25 min right off the bat is pretty accurate especially since it's a slow loading ride. The que is pretty cute though if you're a Peter Pan fan! I would choose that over Pooh if you have to make a choice, but that's just my preference!

I think I'm going to leave PP first thing. We won't have gone through the regular queue (planning on FPP it the other times). I reworked my touring plan last night and it will still work if it takes that long in the line. I'm not sure we'll end up liking Mine Train anyway - the 2.5yo probably won't make height and not sure that the 4.5yo will like it.

 

[CCxmas]

Well I'm not getting anywhere just looking at this myself right now, so I figured I'd share for opinions. All comments welcome! I still seem a long way away from being done. I'll post my chart first and then my thoughts below.

View attachment 196134

View attachment 196135

Arrival day: I was planning to stay at Universal longer originally, but we'll have already had 2 full days in Universal. So I think we'll just need enough time to go around and hit our favorites again (definitely the Harry Potter stuff). But I want to leave any early afternoon plans loose so we can play it by ear and stay a little longer at USO if we want.

Day 1: I hope they extend AK hours more. I put Epcot in there with a ? because I think we'll be too exhausted after AK. But you never know. We need to get to bed early this night. I'm not sure of my dining yet either. I need to plan another meal and maybe move the Yak & Yeti later. All depends on the dang ROL schedule!

Day 2: I'm pretty happy with this day. It's a long day for us, so we may want a longer break between parks, or we'll just push through it with the help of caffeine.

Day 3: Um I have no dining at all planned, but otherwise it looks good so far!

Day 4: Ahhh, sleep in day! MVMCP! Not sure what to do beforehand. We could either resort hop or hit up Disney Springs.

Day 5: It seems odd to me that day 5 is our first time at HS! I planned the entire day here to make up for that.

Day 6: AK/HS day to redo our favorites or catch what we've missed. Timing is very loose right now. AK is first due to AM EMH and HS last due to SW fireworks. later evening is open for some late-night entertainment. Maybe Jellyrolls on the BW?

Day 7: MK/EP day to redo our favorites or catch what we've missed. Timing is very loose right now. Since it's a party night at MK I put it first on the agenda, so we'll end our WDW time in Epcot.

So there isn't much to comment on dining-wise, but how is my planned park time looking? Is this a decent breakdown of days per park for 2 adults?

I liked AK but only spent 1/2 day there last year. DD loves all animals. She couldn't ride Dinosaur or Everest. Only thing we did was Safari, Animal Trek, met Up characters and had lunch at Flame Tree BBQ. It was an easy day for us last year. We took our time and enjoyed the park. I'm not sure I would want to spend 2 days there even though you probably could. Sunday will be a long day for you with EMM. It looks like a solid day though esp for 2 adult. Just see how you feel mid day. Take a break if needed or just power through. We're doing MVMCP too but on Sunday so a long break in between is a must for us. Even with EMM it is easy to spend more days at MK because there is so much to do. I've got 3 days there this year but I also have a DD3. But it's so much fun for even adults. It's hard to plan HS without plans for SW. Epcot in evenings especially for adults will be great. Illuminations is really amazing. HS/Epcot are easy access since you are at BW. Super short walk to both.

Since you're staying at Boardwalk, I highly suggest Trattoria al Frono for breakfast. We ate there 2x for breakfast last year. We were Beach Club last year and this year too. It was amazing and you didn't need ADR. We showed up for late breakfast though. Creamy polenta with house made sausage gravy & poached egg = OMG Fantastic. They had mickey GF waffles for DD and the Frittata was excellent as well.

 

[CCxmas]

I've always said maybe I should've been a nurse instead!

I get the best of both worlds since I work in a childrens hospital!! Although, I don't get summers off. Summer and and school breaks are our absolute busiest time in the operating room.

 

[CCxmas]

That seems so silly - yes it isn't super popular but it IS an attraction that people do. either keep it open or close it down altogether and put something in its place Why disney, whyyyyy?!

I read that they are remodeling it to a wreck it ralph ride...

 

[JamieOak]

I liked AK but only spent 1/2 day there last year. DD loves all animals. She couldn't ride Dinosaur or Everest. Only thing we did was Safari, Animal Trek, met Up characters and had lunch at Flame Tree BBQ. It was an easy day for us last year. We took our time and enjoyed the park. I'm not sure I would want to spend 2 days there even though you probably could. Sunday will be a long day for you with EMM. It looks like a solid day though esp for 2 adult. Just see how you feel mid day. Take a break if needed or just power through. We're doing MVMCP too but on Sunday so a long break in between is a must for us. Even with EMM it is easy to spend more days at MK because there is so much to do. I've got 3 days there this year but I also have a DD3. But it's so much fun for even adults. It's hard to plan HS without plans for SW. Epcot in evenings especially for adults will be great. Illuminations is really amazing. HS/Epcot are easy access since you are at BW. Super short walk to both.

Since you're staying at Boardwalk, I highly suggest Trattoria al Frono for breakfast. We ate there 2x for breakfast last year. We were Beach Club last year and this year too. It was amazing and you didn't need ADR. We showed up for late breakfast though. Creamy polenta with house made sausage gravy & poached egg = OMG Fantastic. They had mickey GF waffles for DD and the Frittata was excellent as well.

Thanks for the feedback. I wanted to schedule in another 1/2 day at AK late in our trip, but if after our first day we don't want to go back then we can change our plans. I feel like those last 2 days are likely going to be changed around while we are there. My touring plan for AK has us busy for a full day there and we are even skipping a few minor things. In general I find it hard to decide now that any park is a "one and done" park. They all sound so fabulous. The only one I'm kind of thinking that on is HS just because it's so small!

If we are getting tired at MK after EMM, we can definitely cut out earlier and take a break at the resort before Epcot late night. Our touring plan has us doing Fantasyland, then over to Liberty Square, Frontierland, Adventureland...then skip back over to Tomorrowland. We could easily leave after Frontierland and save Tomorrowland for the next day at PM EMHs.

Are you suggesting we may want more MK time than I currently have scheduled?

I'll have to look up Trattoria al Frono. So far I have been planning to make breakfast in the resort or have something we can eat on the go most morning. That was part of my reasoning for justifying splurging on a 1 bedroom villa! But who really wants to cook on vacation? haha.

 

[DisneyGB]

Here's where I'm at with a rough schedule for my Fast Pass plans... thoughts? I've tried to mark those that are "priority" so I will go after those first.

(Don't worry - I also maintain a spreadsheet, I just have no idea how to link it here lol)

Sunday 11/27 - Animal Kingdom (arrival - hoping 3pm latest, flight lands 10:30 am)
- Kilimanjaro Safari, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. (for sunset) - Priority Reservation!
- Expedition Everest, 4:00 p.m.
4:20pm Tusker House Dinner (other option at 5:50, but thinking 4:20 is best to enjoy nighttime entertainment)
- Rivers of Light - Priority Reservation (if available!!)

Monday 11/28 - Universal Studious / Islands of Adventure Day
5:55pm 1900 Park Fare Dinner

Tuesday 11/29 - Epcot
9:45am Garden Grill Breakfast
- Test Track, 11:00 - 12:00 p.m.
- Spaceship Earth, afternoon
- Character Spot, afternoon
3:45pm Via Napoli Dinner
{Candlelight Processional 6:45}

Wednesday 11/30 - Magic Kingdom
9:25 am Whispering Canyon Cafe Breakfast
- Peter Pan, 11:00 a.m.
- 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, 12:00
- Space Mountain, 1:00
{meeting VIP tour guide at 1:30}

Thursday 12/1 - Epcot & HS
- Epcot FP - Frozen Ever After - Priority Reservation, mid-morning (not too early as Wed will be late night)
- Epcot FP - suggestions for others?
{meeting VIP tour guide at 1:30 at HS}

Friday 12/2 - Magic Kingdom
- Morning open - may just do MK all day
2:15pm Crystal Palace Lunch
- Haunted Mansion - 4:00 -- Priority Reservation!
- Peter Pan 5:00 pm
- Big Thunder Mountain or 7DMT 6pm
{MVMCP 7-midnight}

Saturday 12/3 - Hollywood Studios & Epcot
- Toy Story Midway Mania - 10:00 am
- Tower of Terror - 11:00 am
- Star Tours - 12:00 pm
{Magical Express to airport 3:45pm}

Also, did anyone watch Blackish last night on ABC? The family went to Disney - so fun to watch!!

 

[JamieOak]

Friday 12/2 - Magic Kingdom
- Morning open - may just do MK all day
2:15pm Crystal Palace Lunch
- Haunted Mansion - 4:00 -- Priority Reservation!
- Peter Pan 5:00 pm
- Big Thunder Mountain or 7DMT 6pm
{MVMCP 7-midnight}

My only comment is that I've read that on party nights, FP time windows cannot go past 6:30pm or they will likely get cancelled by the system. So you should shoot for 3:30-4:30, 4:30-5:30, and 5:30-6:30 for those three FPs. Looks like a great plan otherwise!

 

[DisneyGB]

My only comment is that I've read that on party nights, FP time windows cannot go past 6:30pm or they will likely get cancelled by the system. So you should shoot for 3:30-4:30, 4:30-5:30, and 5:30-6:30 for those three FPs. Looks like a great plan otherwise!

I had no idea about that - thank you! Are Fast Passes not allowed during the party?? (I am attending the party.)

 

[missnikki411]

I had no idea about that - thank you! Are Fast Passes not allowed during the party?? (I am attending the party.)

There are no FPs during the party but you won't need them. When I went all the rides were walk on, or 15 minutes max.

 

[DisneyGB]

There are no FPs during the party but you won't need them. When I went all the rides were walk on, or 15 minutes max.

That's awesome!!