1st WDW Trip and 1st holiday as a 5! October 2018

[Milpston]

Originally Posted by smithlane

Oh wow, your plans sound amazing!
We did 3 weeks last year and it has well and truly spoilt us now. I don't think I could go back to a fortnight now
Looking forward to reading all about it

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Thank you. I'm sure I am probably running before I can walk making my first family trip quite complicated but I'm sure it will all go smoothly... and if it doesn't I'm sure we'll survive

... I'm just starting your trip report from last year! Not sure how far I'll get with the kids hanging off me the next couple of evenings though

[Milpston]

Originally Posted by Gabsnoot

I didn’t realise there was so little difference, I might change ours from 14 to 21 day tickets too, thanks

I really enjoyed your pre Trippie. You have packed loads in to your holiday, a bit of chill out time at the beach sounds great. We are doing a similar holiday, 1 week in a villa (our first time in a villa in Orlando) and then 2 weeks at the Beach Club.

We booked the Yacht Club originally but had to alter our dates slightly and there was no longer availability at the Yacht Club...keeping our fingers crossed for a full balcony at the Beach Club

We’re looking forward to staying at an Epcot resort, handy for the Food & Wine festival and some really good restaurants.

Our ADR day is coming up soon and I will be at work so I am going to have to get DH trained up for the task... fingers crossed.

Enjoy the rest of your planning

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Thank you. I kind of wish we had gone for two weeks on site too although I think maybe for a our first visit a week's taster may have been the sensible move... especially with the 5 of us in a room.

You're very brave leaving the DH to do the ADR's! I think I'd rather throw a sickie than leave them to Sally

[Milpston]

Originally Posted by a11mark

Youll have a great time at MNSSHP, bag full of candy, I was so upset once we brought the bag home and all the candy had gone... we went cold turkey from it with the disney blues on top of that (can you imagine it)

MNSSHP is an experiance, Im glad we did it and got to see things that are not there all year round

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Haha. Believe it or not I have a three year old that doesn't eat sweets. She will give them a lick then put them back. More for me us I suppose

[Milpston]

So yesterday was ADR day. We had been really undecided on our ADR choices. I had got to the point where I had stopped looking as I kept changing my mind and was going around in circles. A couple of days ago Sally and I sat down for 5 minutes and produced our final list. There are a couple that were certainties right from the start that didn't make it on. I've always fancied Teppan Edo but just think Emma and Benjamin will not get as much out of it. I also thought we would want a Crystal Palace breakfast too but from what I understand there is no real early entry advantage and I just went off it so that one got binned too.

Fortunately ADR day fell on a day that Sally was off work and I wasn't due in until the evening so that made things a bit easier. I popped my card details on the MDE the day before and just checked the process of actually booking them as I hadn't really looked. I started looking at dummy bookings for Tusker House and couldn't find hardly any availability for a table for 5 in the week leading up to our stay even though there was loads of choice of times for 4. I started to think I should put a back up list together in case I had real issues getting reservations.

Sally woke me up (I'd been working a half night) and I was poised at the lap top and with phone in hand at 10:45. I scribbled a list out in date order and the starting pistol went bang on 11:00. So we have booked the following:

Arrival Day - Friday 12th October 2018

No ADR booked - We will see what happens and grab a CS or something. If lots of energy may head to Disney Springs for a Blaze Pizza or something. No firm plans. Hoping to do a flying visit to a Walmart for snacks, juices, beers wine for the room on the drive across from Tampa.

Day 2 - Saturday 13th October 2018

We are hitting Animal Kingdom on the first day so have booked Donald's Dining Safari at Tusker House for 09:15. I'm sure we will have to have a light bite in the room beforehand as no doubt we will be up from the middle of the night. This will be the first of many character hits for the kids.

Food for the rest of the day we will just play by ear depending on energy levels etc.

Day 3 - Sunday 14th October 2018

A fairly early start today as we have a another early breakfast at Be Our Guest at 08:10. It looks like it's a 09:00 opening at the moment so it will be nice to have a quietish Main Street but no doubt they will change the opening time before we go to ruin it. I have to say the breakfast and lunch menus here never really appealed but want to experience the restaurant and didn't want to use table service credits on it so this was a compromise.

We will see how long we manage today and then wanted a restaurant closer to home for dinner. This was an ever present on our list so we have booked 17:50 ADR at The Yachtsman Steakhouse.

Day 4 Monday 15th October 2018

So today we plan a bit of a chill out at Blizzard Beach and then return back to the resort in the afternoon. We'll then have a stroll into Epcot for a 17:30 ADR for Chip 'n' Dales' Harvest Feast Dinner at Garden Grill. We had Coral Reef on the list for a long time but eventually decided on this instead.

Day 5 - Tuesday 16th October 2018

Today is a Hollywood Studios day. I have to say nothing particularly appealed to me so it was a toss up between Mama Melrose or Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic packages. I have a 16:15 ADR for at Minnie's Seasonal Dine at Hollywood and Vine.

Day 6 - Wednesday 17th October 2018

Today will be a resort and Epcot day so there could only really be one choice for Emma. We have Dinner at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at 17:25.

Day 7 - Thursday 18th October 2018

Today we are back to the Magic kingdom and decided on an 08:10 Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian first. Emma is mad on Alice and the Hatter at the moment so this edged it over Crystal Palace.

I then had to get on the phone to make our 11:00 reservation at Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. She will love this. We have booked the Castle Package.

I was really undecided about where to eat on this night. Had the Liberty Tree Tavern down at one stage but then decided the food looked really similar to Garden Grill. I had decided to book ESPN at the Boardwalk but then thought maybe that didn't fit with the whole BBB makeover so eventually went for California Grill at 18:20.

Day 8 - Friday 19th October 2018

Obviously we have well and truly busted our free credits by now! This morning we are going to have another visit to Animal Kingdom. We'll then return to the Beach Club around lunch time. I have booked a 14:00 ADR at Beaches And Cream where we'll probably just give the Kitchen Sink a try before we head off to our villa.

All in all ADR day went pretty smoothly. I got everything I wanted at around the right time. The only trouble I had was booking the Fantasmic package as although availability was showing the links to book the times just weren't working. After 20 minutes on hold on the phone it finally worked.

We have gone heavy on character meals for the kids as they are decent value on the DDP and they will love it. Hopefully it will save us the effort of queueing for too many character meets. We can then move off site for the other two weeks and have some nice meals off site. We have gone over our table service Credits. I will just pay OOP for Beaches and cream and probably one of the two signatures we have booked. I'm feeling a bit hungry now!

[Eccle]

Sounds great! I only ever seem to read positive things about Garden Grill, it's on my list to try!

I'd also really like to go to Yachtsman Steakhouse. Could you upgrade one of your children to the adult dining plan (I think you just need to pay the extra for an adult park ticket with free dining), and then pay out of pocket for the signatures for the kids?

[Cloggy37]

Your ADR’s look great, you fly out the day after us exciting.
Although our ADR is not until Weds, (as we don’t get to Disney until Mon 15th Oct) which I am dreading .
Great pre trip report.

[Gabsnoot]

ADRs looking good, glad it went smoothly .

Our ADR day was yesterday. I was at work with my fingers crossed, stressing! DH was in charge this year and had a similar experience to you, got everything we wanted at around the times we were hoping for. He had a bit of trouble with the Fantasmic dining package also, we’re going on the 22nd, but managed to get it booked when he called them.

You’re idea of having character meals to avoid so much queueing to meet them in the parks is a genius idea

All the best with the rest of your planning, lo9king forward to the next instalment

[Jen3675]

Loved reading this! Would be interested to have a running budget!

[Gill247]

Fab update and so pleased you got all the ADRs you wanted! You have made some great choices!

Our ADR day was also yesterday and got everything we wanted, although I still have a to decide and book a couple of TS. Just so many choices, but I booked the biggies.

If we don't spot you at the Beach Club we may see you at Be Our Guest on the 14th as we have the same breakfast time!

[Milpston]

Originally Posted by Gabsnoot

ADRs looking good, glad it went smoothly .

Our ADR day was yesterday. I was at work with my fingers crossed, stressing! DH was in charge this year and had a similar experience to you, got everything we wanted at around the times we were hoping for. He had a bit of trouble with the Fantasmic dining package also, we’re going on the 22nd, but managed to get it booked when he called them.

You’re idea of having character meals to avoid so much queueing to meet them in the parks is a genius idea

All the best with the rest of your planning, lo9king forward to the next instalment

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Glad you got everything you wanted too. I just hope I don't change my mind any more