What do I leave out????

[WDWCPAlumni]

HELP!!!
My DFamily of 4 has always vacationed with my mother and her husband. My kids are still young 3 and 5 both boys.
Usually we spend the whole trip together, this year we are going before them and then they are joining us.
We have all decided there are our favorite things to do, I am talking resteraunts and the Luau, and that we want to add new things to keep it fun.
Now, we have so much stuff I want to fit in!!! We need to cut back somewhere, with only one table service a day.....plus I do not want our trip to be all chaos HOW do I decide what to keep and what to cut and on top of that how do I decide what my mom will join us on and what she will miss out on???!!!!
Here is the list of what we want to do.
Chef Mickey
Donalds in AK
Cape May, we are staying at BC
Garden Grill
Ohana
Luau
Somewhere in Japan, not too picky
Crystal Palace
Mama Melrose (fantasmic)
H&V new breakfast

we will be there 5 days then my mom will join us for 5 days.......which do we do without her, and why.
Thanks

 

[liamandcaili]

Based on your choices, if I were traveling with my parents or my in-laws, I would do the character meals without them. I would definitely save Mama Melrose for when your mom is there. I haven't eaten there, but it seems like it would be a great place for a big family meal, plus then you have the enjoyment of Fantasmic after. I would also do the luau with mom because that is a fun, big family event, although when we went, I only found the food okay. That was a long time ago though. My in-laws love Teppanyaki in Japan, so if I were eating there, I would definitely include them. That leaves Ohana, Garden Grill, H+V breakfast, and Cape May. I would do Ohana and H+V breakfast solo, and Cape May and Garden Grill with mom. Why? Because Cape May and Garden Grill both lend themselves to time spent in Epcot, and that is the place both my parents and in-laws enjoy the best.

I guess I can't offer more advice because I don't know your mom and what she enjoys. I can only comment on what I would do if I were making the same decisions.

 

[WDWCPAlumni]

thanks for your input, Ohana we plan on dinner though, not breakfast. I should have said that.
My mom loves character meals with the kids, she loves to see them! So I hate to cut them all out.
The LUAU we are definately doing all together.

 

[seven dwarfs]

I would first try to plan which days you plan to be at which park to help deside which place you will eat. Then let her see the menus at each place to pick the ones she would like visit. I would do at least one character place so see can see the kids reaction. It would be nice for her to deside what she would like to do to take the pressure off you. And when you make the choices don't second guess yourself. I have had a time in the past going back and forth. Drive myself crazy. This next trip I booked, planned and I am not looking back. Good luck!