Flying in at 4:40pm. When/where to eat that night?

[Carolc]

Hi WDW Experts!

I hope you can help a gal who has never stayed onsite, used Disney transportation, made ADRs, or used dining plan... (note - while I've been to WDW twice before, I've never seen any of the Disney hotels or Downtown Disney)

The kids (11, 9, and 7) and I are scheduled to land at MCO at 4:40pm (on a Wednesday). We are staying at the POP, so will be taking the Magic Express to the hotel first.

- how much time do you think it will take to get to our hotel and checked in?

- where is a good place to eat the first night? (non-theme park table service) that is relatively easy to get to using Disney transportation?

- what time should I try to get a res for?

I know I need to get going on these ADR's... given that I can't get past the first night, I know I'm going to have a hard time with this!

Thanks!!!

 

[kcashner]

4:40 flight in.....to resort about 5:40 normally, but considering it will be rush hour, better make that 6 pm. Check in 10-30 minutes. Travel to a resort for dinner 1 hour.

I'd choose either CHef Mickey's or 1900 Park Fare for dinner. Both are character buffets with good food, anything the kids want. Make ADR for about 8 pm. If you get there early, you can always ask to be seated early--they will accomadate if they can. If not, you'll have the "flasher thing" to call you when seating is available and you can explore the hotel lobby, etc. At CM, they will take a family photo (you can purchase or not) and see a character while waiting.

CM is classic DIsney characters, 1900 is Cinderella, prince, mice.

 

[canwegosoon]

I agree with kcashner if you are not planning on going in the park and need to save a day on your tickets, but would also ask that if you are considering going into a park on your first night...make your ADR for there in the park.

If you are arriving on August 20th it is MEH at MK...I would make and ADR between 8-8:20pm at Tony's , hopefully you can get a table on the patio(polietly ask, saying you are willing to wait if possible)-Spetromagic starts at 9pm (and would be passing around 9:15-9:20 and Wishes at 10pm and the park stays open until 1am.

Or get a 7:15-7:45 adr at LTT, Plaza, Crystal Palace or Tony's and get out in time to see Spectromagic/and wishes(or better yet go on a few big rides while the parade and fireworks are on...and get back to the hotel early)

 

[Carolc]

Thank you for your suggestions...

For CM, how do we get there? Take bus to the 'hub' and take the monorail?

For 1900, same question... do we take bus to hub, then take another bus to Grand Floridian?

We are arriving Wednesday the 16th (Aug), so the park open late that day is AK. I bought us a 10 day pass (even though we could technically only use 8). I haven't decided whether to burn all the days this trip, or pay the extra money to make them non-expiring and use half. My 11yo DD (the only kid who knows about the trip so far) said she may be too tired after traveling all day to go to a park (flying from California), so I'm leaning toward DD or a hotel for the first night. She wants to know if CM or 1900 will be crowded (we are picturing Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland hotel). She also wants to know if Cap'n Jack is referring to Jack Sparrow... does the restaurant have a theme?

Thanks again!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

For both, take the bus to MK. For 1900, take the monorail over to the Grand Floridian. For CM, it's just as quick to walk from the bus stop to the contemporary or quicker as it is to take the monorail. i don't think it's all that much further a walk to the Contemporary than it is to the monorail stop.


On the way back note that the TTC is not a bus hub. So don't go there trying to get a bus back. Go to the MK bus stop to get back to Pop. Or if you're wanting to go to DTD afterwards, take a bus direct from either the Grand Floridian or the Contemporary to DTD. There's a bus from DTD back to Pop.

Enjoy.

She wants to know if CM or 1900 will be crowded (we are picturing Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland hotel).

They'll be crowded. Be sure to make those ressies or you might not even get in. When I went, I found a bit more variety at Goofy's and it was just a bit better.

Now you'll probably feel like you want to go out to DTD after CM's, 9:30 will feel like 6:30 to you. But I'd probably go back to the hotel and rest. Because if you're planning on hitting the parks for early touring the next day, 7am is gonna hit like a ton of bricks.

 

[ccalip]

Now you'll probably feel like you want to go out to DTD after CM's, 9:30 will feel like 6:30 to you. But I'd probably go back to the hotel and rest. Because if you're planning on hitting the parks for early touring the next day, 7am is gonna hit like a ton of bricks.

I agree... I really think we need to call it an early night. It will be hard to make up the 3 hour difference the first day (especially for the kids). Hopefully their adrenaline will kick in (mine always does!)

Anyway, since I don't want to be out too late, now I'm starting to wonder if DTD would be any faster for the first night (the bus is direct back and forth to POP, right)? Maybe we could eat there the first night and go to either CM or 1900 the day we go to Typhoon Lagoon (since we will be done earlier in the day). Any good suggestions for DTD (anything with a good selection for picky kids)?

 

[Tinker*Shell*Bell]

Just a different thought...How about a meal in the Pop food court and then a swim in the pool? It may not be what you were thinking of but it would be less riding around on an already busy travel day. You could explore your resort and get ready for the next morning.

 

[cdntourguide]

IMO do not plan getting to the POP and booked into your room before 7pm.
Just getting yourself and your children off the plan and down to check in at ME in going to take you close to 30minutes (even if the plane arrives on time).
Then you will have to wait for the bus. Then there is the 45minute to an hour drive (because of "rush" hour). then of course you will have to stand in line to get booked into the POP resort.
I have never been able to do it in less than two hours on any of the occasions where I have taken the ME/shuttle to the resort.

I would suggest just having dinner at POP, having a good rest that evening and then get and go to the Park the next day.

 

[BusyMomto3]

We are flying in to MCO around 3:45pm, taking ME and staying at POR. I made ADR at CM for 8:30pm. We too have never stayed onsite before, and I hope that we have enough time as well. We are flying in on a Thursday.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Captn Jack's in DTD (Marketplace) has a wharf theme. But that is the extent of theming.

I would agree on checking in, eating at the food court, relaxing and getting to know the resort and read the materials you will get at check in.

You may also consider eating at OHana's.

If you eat around MK, maybe watch the MK fireworks from the 4th floor landing at the Contemporary.

Or eat at Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge and ride in one of their transportation boats. Or at Ft Wilderness see about attending the Hoop De Doo Review.

There are many good non park Disney restautrants and still lots to do with being in a park.

 

[mdhkitten]

What I normally do my first night is go to Downtown Disney to shop and eat dinner. Last year I got hooked on Wolfgang Puck Express and am going again this year, too. The food is great, not expensive, and it isn't a madhouse like Rainforest Cafe or another restaurant. It's really laid back, so it's ideal for a night when you just want to relax. Grab a table outside and have a great time!

Here's the menu:

http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_wpe.htm


And you can find all of the menus at www.allearsnet.com

Good luck deciding!

 

[staciepm]

The day we are driving down to the Pop we plan on staying at the resort. We have an 8 hour drive, so I know my kids will need to stretch their legs. We will let them swim or they will bug us to go swim the next day at the parks. I am thinking we might just get a pizza for the room and try to crash at normal bed time.

We are driving down Aug 12, so our dining plan and tickets do not start until the next morning

Stacie
+ =

 

[nezy]

Since OP is flying in from California, I would agree w/ others who stated they would do something more local at the resort where you are staying. That is what I always do--we like to "settle in"..

As for the 10 dayno expire passes. Why don't you go and take it as it comes. Don't force yourself to go to a park if you want to stay at the pool that day. Then if you have any days left over, get the no expire. There is so much to do and you want to enjoy it. We often will only go to a park 3/8 days. Since it will be the summer, you may also want to go to a water park and save a day on you r passes. As it is you will not be able to use the 10 days, so you might as well take your time.

There may be a day that you want to go to Hoop de do for dinner or Disneyquest in the evening. On those days I would go to the pool. I don't like to go to a park and then Disneyquest in the same day. If I am at a park I am there from start to finish-w/ maybe a pool break in between.

My hat is off to those who can go to a park everyday. My family can't seem to do that.

Have a grat trip and a safe flight.

 

[Carolc]

Thank you all very much for your help and suggestions. Can I make a reservation and then call and cancel if it looks like we would be running really late? In that case, we could just eat at the POP and save the TS for another day... I just don't want it to go to waste!

Thank you all again, very much!

 

[Hockeymommy]

We are in the same boat. Our flight arrives @ 3:30 on Aug. 26 (Sat.). We too will be taking ME to CBR. It's my sons birthday so we want to do something fun. He loved Sci-Fi last year so we thought it would be great to do again for his b-day. Our ADR's are @ 6:30, will we have time to get there, or should we try to make later reservations?

 

[TAKitty]

IMO do not plan getting to the POP and booked into your room before 7pm.
Just getting yourself and your children off the plan and down to check in at ME in going to take you close to 30minutes (even if the plane arrives on time).
Then you will have to wait for the bus. Then there is the 45minute to an hour drive (because of "rush" hour). then of course you will have to stand in line to get booked into the POP resort.
I have never been able to do it in less than two hours on any of the occasions where I have taken the ME/shuttle to the resort.

I would suggest just having dinner at POP, having a good rest that evening and then get and go to the Park the next day.

It took us about 10 minutes to get to the ME desk. We took bathroom breaks, got lost, and our plane was on the A side of things. Everytime I go it seems like it is taking forever, but it always ends up being about an hour to get to the hotel.