please, Please, PLEASE critique my ADRs and Itinerary (newbie here)!

[kimkim]

Thanks again for everyone who responded! I realize my original itinerary was WAY WAY too much. I've taken alot out and put the changes in red below. Sadly, I think there is no way I can fit HDDR in without cutting into R&R time. So we'll save it for another trip. I will have to decide if Pirates & Pals is worth it for our last night as well.

I just started planning my Sept. trip a few weeks ago. I am a total newbie and this will be my first trip since the 90's and the first trip for DD9 and DS7 (no DH going, so I'm a single parent that week). I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR THIS BEING A VERY LONG POST!

I have asked so many questions on these boards and have learned so much! The more I read these boards, the more ideas I get (HDDR, Pirates & Pals, CRT, etc) and the more I try to fit in. So what started out as a 5 night trip with no DDP has now turned into a 7 night DxDP trip! We are staying at Beach Club because my original intention was to have most dinners at Epcot (my kids are huge geography buffs and love all types of food). But, the more 'other stuff' I add, the more I am taking away from our 'Epcot time' and also our 'down time' at the BC pool!

My fear is that I'm trying to do too much though. So, PLEASE critique my ADRs and park plans. Am I just fitting too much in too few days? If so, what should I 'cut out'? I really don't know what is best for Days 2 & 7 with regards to HDDR and P&P. My parks days are non-EMH (except day 7 if we go to MK EEMH) and are mostly 'recommended' from UG. We will have hoppers.

Day 1
Arrival MCO at 2:30 PM, after check-in head over to MK for Spectro at 9 and Wishes at 10 (this will be the only Spectro night in the whole 7 days, so these plans are FIRM!)
Dinner: Crystal Palace at 8:00 (will try to get an earlier ADR or have a very quick dinner to get out in time for Spectro).
Will cancel CP and do QS tonight. Really want to see Spectro and this is the only night it's running. We will not be getting up early to catch a flight this day, so I think this is 'doable'. If the kids are tired after Spectro, we'll go back to the hotel and save Wishes for the another night

Day 2 (and where I need help, in conjunction with Day 7)
DHS in morning, Epcot or HDDR for dinner???
Breakfast: CS or snack since last night was a late one!
Lunch: Sci Fi booked for 11:50
Dinner: Right now I have an ADR at 7:45 at Rose & Crown to eat and hopefully watch Illuminations from a good spot!
POSSIBLE CHANGE: I can get Cat2 at HDDR at 5:00, should I do that instead? The only other night for HDDR is Day 7, but I was thinking Pirates and Pals for that night
Will NOT to HDDR at all this trip. Just too much to plan into the itinerary. So for Day 2 we'll hit DHS when we wake up (won't try to get to RD if we're not up). Will go back to hotel after lunch for swimming in the afternoon. Will either stay at hotel for dinner or go to Epcot that night, but for an earlier dinner and not stay for Illuminations. Make sure this is an early night

Day 3
Epcot and BIG FOOD day (with an afternoon break at hotel since we are close)
Breakfast: Akerhaus, 8:20 Will cancel Akerhaus so we can be at RD and not eat so much this day!
Lunch: Coral Reef, 12:50, will try for a little earlier ADR since no Akerhaus will go back to hotel in afternoon for a long break
Dinner: Le Cellier, 7:35 (yea for me for getting that one!). Stay for Illuminations keeping this for now and think we'll be OK for the late night

Day 4
AK & Fantasmic day
Breakfast: Tusker House, 8:15 Will cancel this
Lunch: Tusker House, 1:05 w/ Nemo package (I know twice in one day, but I think we'll like this more than Y&Y plus the Nemo package may be nice?)
Will make an earlier TS lunch ADR and not be tied into Nemo show. Will try to get back to hotel mid-afternoon to rest before F!
Dinner: CS at DHS while waiting for the 8:30 F! show (I do NOT have the F! pkg) Will grab QS at Beach Club Marketplace and head over to DHS around 7:00 to wait in line. Not trying to get the best seats, just trying to get seats! If kids are really tired, we'll just skip F! all together (we could even go on Sunday if I don't do Pirates & Pals)

Day 5
DHS again because my parent's are joining us and want to go this day (we'll probably go back to the hotel in the mid-afternoon for some pool time!)
Breakfast: possibly H&V before park opening, or no H&V, just QS/snack
Lunch: QS with my parents because they will only have DDP
Dinner: Cape May Clam Bake with parents because they won't have park hoppers and I think it will be better than going back to DHS

Day 6
MK day & Epcot night (another BIG FOOD day)
Breakfast: Crystal Palace at 8:15
Lunch: CRT at 12:55
Dinner: Biergarten in Epcot at 7:30 & Illuminations (my parents are going to Epcot this day and not MK, so we'll all eat dinner there)
Keeping all this. I know it's a lot, but I think it will be OK. I will try to schedule Biergarten at 7:00 though so we'll be out for Illuminations. MK closes at 6:00 both this night and the one before. So going back to MK isn't an option

Day 7, again need help with this one, this will be our LAST NIGHT
Relaxing morning at hotel. My parents are flying out early afternoon (quick trip, crazy! I know). So I am keeping this open for hanging by the pool or DTD/BW area for a 'brunch' type meal.
OPTIONS for rest of day
1. Go to 5:00 HDDR if not on Day 2. Head over to MK afterwards for EEMH. Watch Wishes at 9 and stay as late as the kids can handle it (I actually have this HDDR booked already, but then started thinking Pirates & Pals would be nice for our last night there and we could move HDDR to Day 2)
2. Pirates & Pals. First go to Epcot mid-afternoon for a few rides and early dinner (like Marrakesh around 4:40). Then head over to Contemporary for P&P which starts at 7:45 that night. Watch 9:00 Wishes on boat (and hopefully Electrical Parade). If we're not too tired, head to MK for E EMH afterwards.
3. Go to 5:00 HDDR then head directly over to MK by boat in time for 7:45 P&P. This seems like WAY too much on one day though!!
Will only consider Option 2 and keep all morning/early afternoon free. Will schedule 'brunch' at hotel or a BW place. Definitely won't do HDDR and I'm going to cancel my reservation. I'll have to really think if Pirates & Pals will be worth it or not. We could just get to MK early evening and enjoy the EEMH and Wishes there. F! is also on this night at 8:00 so if we don't do P&P we could do it here if we didn't make it to F! on Day 4

Day 8
Leaving day ME will probably pick us up around 2:00
Breakfast: CS or snack since night before was a late one!
Epcot to do as much as we can in the morning
Lunch: Chefs de France if we can before heading back to hotel to catch ME (I know this will be tight, but I can get a lunch ADR when they open)
Will change to QS for lunch. I am not trying to get to Epcot RD, just trying to get there in the morning for a few last rides.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?? Hopefully this looks alot better!!TIA!
Kim

 

[Tricia1972]

Day 1
Arrival MCO at 2:30 PM, after check-in head over to MK for Spectro at 9 and Wishes at 10 (this will be the only Spectro night in the whole 7 days, so these plans are FIRM!)
Dinner: Crystal Palace at 8:00 (will try to get an earlier ADR or have a very quick dinner to get out in time for Spectro).

Looks good, and I agree, you really should try for an earlier Crystal Palace reservation. You don't need to only count on being out of the restaurant in time for Spectro, you need to be out 45minutes earlier than the parade time in order to find a place to sit. Your best bet, not camping out on a curb over an hour ahead of time, is to sit in Liberty Square or Frontier Land where the crowds are historically lighter.

You may want to do a late lunch (3-4pm) at Crystal Palace, and then grab a QS bite to eat for dinner close to parade time.

Day 2 (and where I need help, in conjunction with Day 7)
DHS in morning, Epcot or HDDR for dinner???
Breakfast: CS or snack since last night was a late one!
Lunch: Sci Fi booked for 11:50
Dinner: Right now I have an ADR at 7:45 at Rose & Crown to eat and hopefully watch Illuminations from a good spot!
POSSIBLE CHANGE: I can get Cat2 at HDDR at 5:00, should I do that instead? The only other night for HDDR is Day 7, but I was thinking Pirates and Pals for that night

Are you using Disney transportation? If you are, I'd stick with Rose and Crown and I'd skip HDDR this time. That's a LOT of travel for one day. DHS to Epcot to Fort Wilderness. You could be looking at close to 3 hours on the Disney busing system if you hop three places, and it's only your second day. Save your energy and stay at Rose and Crown.

This is also my advice if you are renting a car, but it's not as strong of a caution in the case of you driving yourself.

Otherwise, since you are doing Illuminations tomorrow, how about sticking at DHS for most of the day, going back to the hotel for a late afternoon break, and then busing to HDDR and calling it a night? Disney is a marathon, not a sprint.

Day 3
Epcot and BIG FOOD day (with an afternoon break at hotel since we are close)
Breakfast: Akerhaus, 8:20
Lunch: Coral Reef, 12:50
Dinner: Le Cellier, 7:35 (yea for me for getting that one!). Stay for Illuminations

This looks great, and having a long Day 1 and long Day 3, I am more convinced that you skip Epcot entirely on Day 2

Day 4
AK & Fantasmic day
Breakfast: Tusker House, 8:15
Lunch: Tusker House, 1:05 w/ Nemo package (I know twice in one day, but I think we'll like this more than Y&Y plus the Nemo package may be nice?)
Dinner: CS at DHS while waiting for the 8:30 F! show (I do NOT have the F! pkg)

I'd skip Tusker House at 8:15, and sneak in a visit to Boma at AKL. You should be able to get a 7:30 reservation there and still make it to Rope Drop at Animal Kingdom. Going to the same buffet twice in 5 hours is a lot, even if you really like it. JMO though, YMMV

Day 5
DHS again because my parent's are joining us and want to go this day (we'll probably go back to the hotel in the mid-afternoon for some pool time!)
Breakfast: possibly H&V before park opening, or CS/snack
Lunch: CS with my parents because they will only have DDP
Dinner: Cape May Clam Bake with parents because they won't have park hoppers and I think it will be better than going back to DHS

Looks good to me. Maybe make that Cape May Clam Bake reservation a little earlier in the evening, so the rest of your evening is open to do what you want. Maybe sneak back to DHS, or even head to Downtown Disney for a little Retail Therapy

Day 6
MK day & Epcot night (another BIG FOOD day)
Breakfast: Crystal Palace at 8:15
Lunch: CRT at 12:55
Dinner: Biergarten in Epcot at 7:30 & Illuminations (my parents are going to Epcot this day and not MK, so we'll all eat dinner there)

Personally it's a lot of food for me in one day here, but CRT is more about the experience than the food anyway.

Since you have CP this morning, does the menu at LTT appeal to you at all? If you did dinner at LTT that first night, then you'd be in a better location to quick sneak out and see Spectro. It gets crazy around the hub.

Day 7, again need help with this one, this will be our LAST NIGHT
Relaxing morning at hotel. My parents are flying out early afternoon (quick trip, crazy! I know). So I am keeping this open for hanging by the pool or DTD/BW area for a 'brunch' type meal.
OPTIONS for rest of day
1. Go to 5:00 HDDR if not on Day 2. Head over to MK afterwards for EEMH. Watch Wishes at 9 and stay as late as the kids can handle it (I actually have this HDDR booked already, but then started thinking Pirates & Pals would be nice for our last night there and we could move HDDR to Day 2)
2. Pirates & Pals. First go to Epcot mid-afternoon for a few rides and early dinner (like Marrakesh around 4:40). Then head over to Contemporary for P&P which starts at 7:45 that night. Watch 9:00 Wishes on boat (and hopefully Electrical Parade). If we're not too tired, head to MK for E EMH afterwards.
3. Go to 5:00 HDDR then head directly over to MK by boat in time for 7:45 P&P. This seems like WAY too much on one day though!!

Option 2 sounds the best to me. a lazy morning. A few last minute favorites and a quick meal in Epcot (maybe Tutto Italia?) Pirates and Pals, Wishes, and then listen to the group to see how they are feeling.

Day 8
Leaving day ME will probably pick us up around 2:00
Breakfast: CS or snack since night before was a late one!
Epcot to do as much as we can in the morning
Lunch: Chefs de France if we can before heading back to hotel to catch ME (I know this will be tight, but I can get a lunch ADR when they open)

Sounds good to me. You'll be tired, but you can sleep on the plane.


I suggest building in as much time for breaks as you can. You don't need to take them, but personally I think it's a lot more fun to say "I don't need this break, I'm going to...." Rather than "Man am I exhausted, I can't handle another ..... I need to go back and rest"

 

[jreed1920]

I think it looks like a really good itinerary if your primary reason for visiting WDW is to enjoy the food and fireworks. I will say with a schedule this packed with dining and hopping you won't be able to enjoy much as far as rides, attractions and shows in any of the parks. This may not be an issue for you but I think as first time for the kids they may be disappointed if it feels like your days are primarily focused on WDW restaurants.

 

[kimkim]

Otherwise, since you are doing Illuminations tomorrow, how about sticking at DHS for most of the day, going back to the hotel for a late afternoon break, and then busing to HDDR and calling it a night? Disney is a marathon, not a sprint.

Thanks for all the good advice Tricia!

Yes, for Day 2 I would do either HDDR or Epcot but not both. I'm just having a hard time wondering if HDDR will be worth the hassle of getting there from DHS or from Beach Club. It will definitely take a big chunk of travel time on our second day.

Again, I just feel like I may be trying to do too much of the 'other stuff' as the PP said. I really appreciate all your comments and suggestions!

Kim

 

[Tricia1972]

Then I would definitely skip HDDR this trip. It is a lot, and it'll be a comfort to be within walking distance of your resort on that second night. You can make the call whether you are up to Illuminations or not, and if you aren't, just walk 'home'.

 

[kimkim]

This may not be an issue for you but I think as first time for the kids they may be disappointed if it feels like your days are primarily focused on WDW restaurants.

Thanks Julie! I think you hit the 'nail on the head' of my worries.

I know this is a way over-planned and over-scheduled itinerary. For the meals, I don't mind cancelling a breakfast here and there if I need to. I'm not so worried about the others because the kids were really excited about eating in the different places (and me being the only adult, doing TS more will just be easier on all of us!).

However, I do fear that I'm taking too much 'park' time away doing the 'experience' things. The kids have been to Disneyland Paris (several times) which has alot of the same rides as MK. So I don't feel like we'll spend alot of time doing Fantasyland and some of those rides that they've done before. I'm also REALLY hoping that the crowds will be OK in September and we'll be able to do alot of the 'park' stuff in the morning.

But again, I don't want them to feel like we did too much of the 'other stuff' and not enough parks and swimming. They won't know what they are missing if we don't do HDDR, Pirates & Pals, etc. However everyone seems to have great experiences there and they are different. So it's hard not to try to fit them in as well.

Thanks again for your comments!
Kim

 

[jreed1920]

It might be worthwhile to chekout RideMax and plug everything in that you want to do with your ADRs and see what it truly looks like. It might give you a better idea of what to plan where to be able to fit it all in. You may look at the schedule that pops out and say this is totally doable or holy cow, somethings got to change.