We're First Timers: Critique our Itinerary.

[kyle3423]

My Father, my aunt, my uncle, and I are all going to WDW for our first time ever in late Feb/early March. I figured I'd have some Disney vets critique our itinerary. What better place than the Dis boards. Here is a little background info about us. We are going more for the shows and food rather than the rides (although we may ride a few things). We are not in to fancy dining aka sushi, seafood, not for us. We put sauce on our steaks . We like to have a beer or two with our meals. We don't eat a whole lot of dessert, but will probably try some since we're on vacation. We (well 3 of us) are also old and slow, so we will probably have to skip a lot of things. Hopefully you can point us in the right direction. Anywho, without further adieu, here is the schedule I've hammered out for us so far. Critique away!

Sunday Feb. 28 - Arrive at 8pm - Magical Express to POR - Explore resort the remainder of this night. Perhaps have a drink at the bar on Ole' Man Island. (or water taxi to DS if we get crazy)

Monday Feb. 29 - Animal Kingdom (AM Extra Magic Hours) - Return to POR that evening and take Water Taxi to Disney Springs (ADR at T-Rex Café at 8pm)

Tuesday Mar. 1 - EPCOT (PM Extra Magic Hours) - ADR at Via Napoli 6:30pm

Wednesday Mar. 2 - Magic Kingdom (PM Extra Magic Hours) - ADR at Whispering Canyon 5:00pm (have been told to leave for this at least one our early)

Thursday Mar. 3 - Universal Studios (both parks) - someone recommended we take a towncar to Universal as it would be roughly the same price as a cab and much more comfortable. Any other recommendations?

Friday Mar. 4 - Hollywood Studios (PM Extra Magic Hours) - ADR at 50's Primetime Café at 6:05pm (almost thinking I should move this up as I hear we probably won't need a full day for this park). Then back down to Disney Springs one last time to close out the trip.

Saturday Mar. 5 - Depart 8:30am

So that's it. Would you recommend we get the dining plan? ANY tips or helpful hints or edits/changes...PLEASE be brutally honest.

Thanks,

 

[Kimosabe]

Will you have park hopper tickets? Doesn't look like it, which is fine, but I'm asking due to your Hollywood Studios question. I could spend all day there, but lots of people wouldn't. Rather than moving your ADR earlier, you might just consider sleeping a little later, going to Disney Springs for a late breakfast or early lunch and then heading to the Studios in the early afternoon. Ride what you want to ride (honestly, FPs likely a little easier to get if shooting for afternoon rather than early morning), hit dinner and then maybe Fantasmic if so inclined. I'd rather finish up a WDW trip with a big show like that on the last night rather than shopping (assuming you've had ample time earlier in the day or the trip overall to do some of that). I suppose that with your self-proclaimed "old and slow" group, the question might also come up as to whether any of those three would be riding Tower of Terror or Rock 'n Roller Coaster. If not, then your day at the Studios will be even shorter. Study a park map in advance, just to make sure you feel like there is enough to do for your particular group to justify using a full day's ticket there. Again, I love it (at 45) but my wife is not a fan of either (at 42) and, until the Studios gets its new stuff in a few years, it will be like pulling teeth to try to get her to go to the Studios unless we have hoppers.

As for POR, try to stop by River Roost Lounge late Thursday or Friday night to hear Yehaa Bob. Fun show that typically goes pretty late (and there is beer).

In general, it looks like you've got some good ADRs planned. Only potential change might be T-Rex. It is a fun atmosphere, but will the "old and slow" group be into dinosaurs enough to make it worth eating there over somewhere else at the Springs? Food is OK, but not the greatest.

Consider Mythos as a lunch or dinner option at Islands of Adventure. It has won lots of "best theme park restaurant" awards over the years and is pretty good....or look at a City Walk guide at all the restaurants available there...there are several good ones.

 

[kyle3423]

We have 4 day magic your way tickets....so no park hopper.

 

[401Disney]

I think you have a solid plan for what you already stated that you like to do. If rides aren't your motive then I don't see any problem with your itinerary. If you guys are already going to go at a slow pace I don't anticipate you guys needing mid day breaks but I do suggest taking some mid day rests. I'm 27 and I still have to go back to the room around 2pm for a quick hours nap after hitting RD and running around the parks like a mad man. After the rest my wife and I will usually go to a different park at night but if you don't have a park hopper then you can still go back to the park you were already at.

 

[DisneyDude71]

Only thing I can think of is your 6:05 at HS if you are there for the shows see if you can make that one into a Fantasmic Dinner Show. You would get preffered seating for Fantasmic.
Went and checked Prime Time is not one of the Fantasmic Dinner Show options. Oh well you should still stay to see Fantasmic!

 

[wdwrich]

OP- On arrival night, the Muddy Rivers Pool Bar (Ole Man Island) will likely be closed by the time you get to the resort. As a pp mentioned, hit the River Roost Lounge instead.

 

[tlmadden73]

My suggestions:
1) on your AK day .. if it is just adults .. eat somewhere else beside T-Rex café. It's cool for kids .. but nothing special for the price. If you want that "style" of food/entertainment .. just eat at the Rain Forest Café right there at Animal Kingdom (or at Disney Springs) and save some time. There are plenty of other neat restaurants at Disney Springs that aren't "fancy" and have some excellent food.

2) On your MK day. I wouldn't waste time to go over to Wilderness Lodge for dinner. Just eat dinner at the MK. Plenty of great restaurants there. You'll save a ton of time you can use to do other things at the park.

3) If you have never been to DHS you definitely will be able to take a full day there and not be able to do it all. There are enough shows to see (that are worth seeing) that spread out the day. Plus Fantasmic is a fun night show. And I think that DHS is one of the coolest looking parks after dark.

4) Honestly, unless you really REALLY want to go to Universal, I would skip trying to fit that in and just do another day at WDW (probably MK).
One day wont' be enough to do it at all Universal, plus the cost of the tickets + transportation is MUCH more expensive than a 5th day at WDW. There is so much to do at MK, that doing it in one day will be tough ..especially for your first time.

 

[kyle3423]

The tickets to Universal have already been purchased. We know we have no chance of "seeing it all." But I'm hoping this will make my traveling companions want to return. We take a vacation every year. The past 3 years we have gone to Vegas. I talked them into WDW and Universal this year. I'm trying to put together an experience for them that will make them say, "we have to go back next year."

 

[holden]

I'd check out Uber for transportation to Universal. You can download the app and get a fare estimate before you commit. We used Uber for the first time last weekend (at home, not Disney) and were very happy with how it worked.

 

[Cleaverdisney]

As holden said try Uber. My sister used it from WDW to US and it worked really well and was significantly cheaper than a cab.

 

[vicb]

So here's my 2 cents.... I think for not having park hoppers you have a good basic plan. When I go we do grab and go for breakfast (usually food from our room) to save time. Then we do sit down for lunch and dinner. Never underestimate the restorative power of sitting down for an hour mid-day. At AK we like Yak and Yeti, at MK we like The Plaza and Liberty Tree Tavern (LTT), at Epcot we like almost everywhere!, at HS we like Sci-Fi best. For dinners we usually eat outside the park unless it is Epcot. Via Napoli is a good pick. My family has never used the dining plan, seems like soooo much food. Sometimes at lunch we share or order light but sitting down is always a welcomed part of our day.

Dinner at WC at WL will take a lot of time out of your MK day, you would be better off to schedule two ADR's in the park, that gets you off your feet twice to eat but you don't lose any transportation time.

I think of T Rex as a kiddie restaurant (just my opinion) and there are better choices available. I agree with the person who said do RFC at AK instead if you want that themed experience.

Don't rule out the many interesting and good restaurants at resorts as an alternative to Disney Springs every night. The resorts are fun destinations in and of them selves. We usually cab to the resort and take disney transport back if workable or cab.

 

[DizMomAndWife]

So that's it. Would you recommend we get the dining plan? ANY tips or helpful hints or edits/changes...PLEASE be brutally honest.

Thanks,

It sounds to me like your plan is solid. Just be prepared for crowds to be higher on Extra Magic Hours days. Have you checked out easywdw.com ? Josh is my go-to on planning.

As far as your question about the meal plan, I always recommend it! For us, its more about enjoying the experience without having to worry about how much we're spending on food. You might end up paying just a tad more (depending on how much and what you eat) but it's worth it in my opinion. For example: without the meal plan I usually order everyone a water and no dessert, we might even split an entree (at a quick service restaurant). With the meal plan we order whatever we want and don't have to worry. Our table service bill she been in the upper $80 range, but we had already bought the plan so it did't bother us. Hope you have a blast!!

 

[Vernie822]

Look in to Uber for your ride to Universal. You can click 'UberXL' for an SUV - I think UberXL is something more than 5 seats - for more room. Not sure how much your ride will be, but I was recently in ATL with some friends and even across town our rides were never more than $20-25.

I agree with a different restaurant at Disney Springs other than T-Rex. Or perhaps explore one of the resorts for dinner! We love Ohana at the Polynesian - nothing too fancy or upscale but the food is really good. Also, Yak and Yeti at Animal Kingdom is really good for a table service. Also at Disney Springs is Raglan Road, Wolfgang Puck (the Cafe is a quick service and really good value on the dining plan, or even if you're not on it still good value) and so many more.

I second the leaving MK to go to Whispering Canyon. You only have one day there which is fine, but I would not leave the park if I were you. Check out the Plaza, Liberty Tree Tavern, etc. for dinner there.

I really enjoy 50's Prime Time. Maybe have an earlier ADR in case you want to leave and come back? As a first timer there is a lot to see there, for us who go often not so much. Fantasmic is great too.

I suggest the dining plan maybe to have an all inclusive feel - maybe your family would really enjoy it!

 

[Nancyg56]

My two cents:

I would cancel Whispering Canyon in a heartbeat, as well as T-Rex. Both of these restaurants have a huge number of kids, and are not that good, IMO. I like kids, but on an adult trip I would head for something a little different. You could eat in the MK, or perhaps one of the monorail resorts. BOG is a nice place to eat, it is new and the Castle is pretty neat. It is hard to get an ADR though, but you also could look at Liberty Tree Tavern, or the new restaurant Skipper Canteen, (or something like that) which is scheduled to be opened by then.

If you want DTD, I would look at Raglan Road or maybe the Boat House. Or head over to the Boardwalk. The Epcot resorts are nice and you can have dinner at one of them or on the Boardwalk itself, but on an AK day, I would plan dinner at AKL. There are several restaurants to choose from, but my family's favorite lately is Sanaa at the Kidani Village, which is the DVC area of AKL. Boma and Jiko at AKL are really good as well, and the Lodge is stunning.

For the meal in DHS, I think it would be a good idea to think about the Fantasmic Dining Package. I like Mama Melrose. It is reasonably priced (I think 37 per person) and is good. We have been trying to book it between 1 and 4, depending on when we plan to arrive at the park. The CS choices are not great, so this makes a great lunch break, or early dinner. I have not found DHS to be a half day park, the shows alone take time.

We always purchase the DDP, but we tend to at least break even or save some. I would take a good look at the restaurants you really want to eat at, and then if you consider that you would have 6 nights, so 6 TS credits and 6 CS per person, you really would need to schedule either 2 credit meals, (which we always do) and make sure that you will stop for breakfast or lunches to add up to those credits. I did not suggest the signature restaurants, except the Boat House, but on the DDP, with you going to Universal one day, I would certainly look at them. They are nice meals and we tend to get our value from them.

 

[leebee]

I'd skip the dining plan and just pay for your meals. We find Disney servings to be generous, so we are not always "up" for 2 big meals a day. Also, we feel limited by the plan; you get an entree, non-alcoholic beverage, and dessert. Sometimes someone would rather have a salad and appetizer, but that's not possible on the dining plan. I have priced it out 3 times, and we always spend about $100 per person LESS (during a 4 day trip) if we pay for our own meals, AND we get to eat the way we like.

I also question T-Rex. Disney is full of restaurants; T-Rex is kind-of a kid's place. We are looking at Raglan Road for dinner at Disney Springs.

 

[Mikie]

Well, I'll be the voice of dissent about whispering canyon for dinner. We really enjoyed it! If you're meat-eaters and like things without too much exotic flair, it's right up your alley. The atmosphere is a bit boisterous ("whispering" is NOT an accurate name for this place!) and we really enjoy the boat ride over from MK as part of the break. I will say that you'll nowhere near "do it all" in MK in one day, especially with traveling to a resort for a meal, but if you're trying to go open-to-close this day, it would be a good break.

Be sure that if you are choosing to go to the park's with EMH, you definitely plan to USE them fully. They're great if you use them, but if not, you've just put yourself in a more crowded park for no reason. (More crowded because of others who also chose it for EMH)

I am a fan of the dining plan, but would not recommend it in your place. People who benefit from it are:
- People who are more likely to order soda than water (free) or alcohol (not on the plan)
- dessert eaters - one per person at both lunch and dinner
- people eating at fixed price restaurants such as character meals and other buffets
- people with children age 3-9 in their party (the savings is greater for kids on the plan than for adults)
At your chosen restaurants, you could probably pick the most expensive items every time and still come out financially ahead by simply paying for your food rather than having dining plan credits.

My sister eats a lot like you describe, but despite my advice, chooses the dining plan anyway. She really likes the "out of sight, out of mind" feeling of having it paid in advance and not choking over her bill at each meal.

I would not hesitate to keep your DHS day as planned. If you're new to WDW (I.e. haven't seen any of the shows already) AND show-oriented people, you can easily keep yourselves busy seeing shows in this park and soaking up the "streetmosphere".

 

[kyle3423]

Thanks for the comments. I think we're going to stick with Whispering Canyon as it is our type of food. Also, strangely, two members of our party told me to book T-Rex or Rainforest Café. I was dumbfounded by this too. But they're young at heart I guess. and I think it was Walt that said, "Adults are only kids grown up, anyway."

 

[courtneybeth]

Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are half-day parks. Would recommend getting the upgrades to park hoppers and adding extra time at both magic kingdom and epcot.

 

[amylevan]

With an older and slower traveling group who are likely to skip a lot of rides, we would not be EMH parks - especially if you don't plan to use them (and at least your HS day, it doesn't look like you are planning on using them). Go somewhere else and get away from the crowds.

 

[kyle3423]

Even being first timers you think we could knock out AK and HS in a half day each? And is it possible to upgrade just 2 days to park hopper and leave the other two as standard or do they force you to upgrade all of them?