Trip Plan -- Any advice appreciated!

[Lydia91]

This is what we're currently scheduled to do during the trip (myself, DH and two 4 year old girls). We are staying at Ft. Wilderness and have the free meal plan option. I would love any thoughts or advice!

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14

1 PM Reservation for Lunch at Sanaa (Note: not using meal plan for this meal)
3 PM Check in at Fort Wilderness
Nap for Girls
7:45 Reservation for 1900 Park Fare (Character Meal with Cinderella, Prince Charming, Stepmother and Stepsisters).
[TRYING TO MOVE THIS EARLIER IF A RESERVATION OPENS UP.]

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 15

Day’s Itinerary at DHS
Breakfast in room
Make 8 am rope drop at Disney Hollywood Studios
1:45 Reservation for Hollywood & Vine (Character Meal with Jake and the Neverland Pirates)
Return to hotel after lunch for pool time/nap
Dinner at Quick Service Restaurant (at Resort, the Boardwalk or Downtown Disney)

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 16

Day’s Itinerary at MK
Breakfast in room
10:30 My Disney Girl Tea Party (Character Meal with Princess Aurora) for ladies. (Note: not on meal plan.) K to relax/have lunch in room.
Girls nap at Fort Wilderness (goal time for nap is 12:30).
Wake up around 3:00 to go to Magic Kingdom at 4:00 for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Quick service meal around 5 at Park.

MONDAY NOVEMBER 17

Day’s Itinerary at MK
Breakfast in Room
Magic Kingdom at rope drop
Quick Service Lunch (hopefully BOG)
Afternoon Nap for Girls
Hoop De Doo Musical Revue at 4.
Chip N’Dale Campfire Sing-a-long.
[Time to be confirmed but likely 7 PM]
If up late consider catching the Electric Water Pageant from the Fort Wilderness beach.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 18

Day’s Itinerary at EP
Breakfast in Room
Pool time at hotel or check out pony rides and petting zoo area at Fort Wilderness.
Snack in Room instead of lunch.
Arrive at the World Showcase at Epcot by 1:00 and tour Epcot World Showcase, staying for Illuminations.
Quick Service Dinner at Tangerine Grill

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 19

Day’s Itinerary at MK
Breakfast in Room
9:00 – 9:15 Arrival at Grand Floridian for the Pirate Adventure for the girls; departs Grand Floridian Marina at 9:30.
9:45 Spa Appointment at Grand Floridian Spa; Lunch/Snack at Grand Floridian for adults (not on meal plan).
Back to Hotel for Nap/Pool Time
Return to Magic Kingdom by 5:00 for 5:35 reservation at Cinderella’s Royal Table (Character Meal with Cinderella, Ariel, Jasmine and Sleeping Beauty)
Tour MK in evening/can also do Electrical Parade and Wishes if desired.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20

Day’s Itinerary at EP
Breakfast in Room
Epcot around 10 am, touring areas other than World Showcase
Quick Service Lunch at Sunshine Seasons.
Return to hotel for nap or pool time.
Consider a Quick Service Dinner at Downtown Disney or at Resort

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21

Day’s Itinerary at MK
Breakfast in Room
Magic Kingdom for 9 am rope drop
11:50 am Pirate’s League Appointment
Quick Service Lunch
7 PM Dinner at Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary (Character Meal with Mickey, Minnie and Friends)

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 22

Day’s Itinerary at AK
[8:00 am reservation at Tusker House (Character Meal with Donald Duck and Friends)][CONSIDERING CANCELLING]
Tour Animal Kingdom
Transfer to DHS to arrive no later than 5:00 for Osborne Dancing Lights Lighting Ceremony.
Quick Service Dinner at DHS
Consider staying for Fantasmic

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 23

Day’s Itinerary
Check out of hotel
8:15 Reservation for 1900 Park Fare (Supercalifraglistic Breakfast Character Meal)
All parks are recommended, let girls choose to which park they wish to return.
Late lunch/early dinner quick service meal before heading to the airport.

 

[SlickWilly]

We did a trip in June with our DS5&8 and included some of the same activities you are planning. Your schedule will probably overwhelm you all, especially your 4 year olds. It wiped us out with slightly older kids. But you'll have fun - just be flexible.

Do you have a car? If not, you need to plan long travel times between FW and other places. Assume more than an hour by the time you wait for FW shuttle, WDW bus, travel, bag check at the park, turn styles, and finally walking to your destination. In particular you will probably find it hard to get from FW to Tusker House for an 8 am ADR. Consider O'Hana instead - our DS8 went there when he was 4 and loved it. It will be easier to get to from FW.

Also, keep in mind how your fast pass+ times will affect your plans. Once you get them scheduled, you may rethink your times for returning to the hotel or other activities. Definitely get a FP+ for BOG at lunch. You don't want to wait in line.

 

[cpburgess]

Only thing i would say is that Ft Wilderness doesnt have a real QC place (trails end is a to go counter or there is the snack bar)
So if you are going to DTD on the 15th, save your QC for there and it Earl of Sandwich or Wolf Gang Puck

 

[ajwolfe]

We've done a few of the activities you have planned just not all on the same trip. Personally, I think you have too many activities, meals and naps planned. I don't see a lot of park time. Granted we have never been an afternoon break family but I just don't see how this plan won't completely overwhelm you.

 

[Lydia91]

I agree that there may be too many meals listed -- we may very well only do our table service meal each day. They are listed because we have free dining and I wanted to try to give good consideration to our usage of the meal plan so we get the best benefit out of it we can. If we don't eat as much, we don't eat as much.

My daughters are not thrill riders, so trying to get on Space Mountain 10 times during the course of our time in the park is not really a big goal for us.
They are much more into the characters and imaginative play, so getting dressed up as Gus-Gus and meeting Cinderella at Park Fare or putting on pirate attire and completing a pirate adventure are much more engaging for them.

When we went last year, we spent 6 days at the park, made rope drop and were back to the room for nap by 1 or 2 in the afternoon most days. We also rarely went back to the parks in the evening. However, it felt like we covered MK, Epcot and DHS pretty well. So I'm feeling like the park time will be adequate. Obviously, we can always drop something in favor of park time if we start to feel shorted.

We will have a car, so that will make transportation a bit easier for us.

Anyway, we live within a reasonable driving distance of Cedar Pointe so rides are something we can do pretty easily. The entertainment and character options however are what makes Disney special to us and can't be duplicated elsewhere -- that is part of the reason for our focus.