Need some inspiration to fill the gaps! First family trip to WDW in 38 days

[AMG82]

So we go on our first ever family trip to WDW on the 17th Oct. We are staying onsite at POR and have upgraded to DDP, My concern is i haven't got the best out of the DDP or the days at Disney. I am a complete novice and need some inspiration. This is my plan up to now (we are a family of 5, 2 adults 3 Kids 13,11 and 6) all we have is disney tickets.

17th Oct - Travel day- land at 16.00pm- transfer to POR (Package booked with Virgin) Plan to check out the hotel and get familiar with our surroundings prob get food at hotel- Bed!

18th Oct-7.50am Booked Minnie's Beach Bash Breakfast @ Cape May Cafe
Head to Epcot FP @ 10.55am Test Track
PM- ?


19th Oct - Mk - FP Buzz Lightyear 9.25am + The Barnstormer 10.40am
ADR Chef Mickeys for Brunch at 11.45am
FP Splash Mountain 12.50pm
PM- ?

20th Oct -Epcot- ADR Chip n Dales Harvest Feast Breakfast at Garden Grill 9.05am
FP - 10.50AM Soarin
PM - WATERPARKS

21st Oct - HS- Mama Melrose Lunch Fantasmic 1st Show @ 11.50am
FP - Beauty and the beast live on stage 13.30pm
R n R @ 15.45PM
T O T @ 16.5PM

22nd Oct - MK-
FP - Under the sea- 12.45pm
Tomorrowland Speedway 13.50pm
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
No ADR booked?

23rd Oct - Shopping Day
NO ADR booked?

24th Oct - AM head to Disney Springs look around
PM - Head to AK
FP's 11.40am Na'vi River Journey
12.45pm Kilimanjaro Safaris
15.00pm UP! A great Bird Adventure
ADR 19.30PM RainForest Cafe

25th Oct - Lazy Morning/ Waterpark?
Head to MK
FP'S 14.35pm Monsters Inc
15.50pm Space Mountain
17.00pm Pirates of Caribbean
Then PM MNSSHP
No ADR booked?

26th Oct - Lazy Morning
Head to Epcot
FP'S 14.40pm Frozen Ever After
15.40pm The Seas With Nemo
17.15pm Spaceship Earth
ADR 19.30PM Via Napoli
21.00pm Illuminations

27th Oct- Daughters Day
Head to Disney Springs- BBB For daughter booked 13.00pm
after head to MK
FP'S 15.05PM Its a small World
16.40 Enchanted Tales with Belle
17.40pm Meet Cinderella and Elena
ADR - The Crystal Palace at 15.45pm

28th Oct - Head to HS
FP's 12.20pm Slinky Dog
14.35pm Star Tours
NO ADR booked?

29th Oct - Head to AK
FP's 10am Dinosaur
11.15am FOP
12.30PM Expedition Everest
Lunch then Waterpark in afternoon
ADR Booked at 20.00pm for Cinderellas Happily Ever After Dinner at 1900 Park Fare

30th Oct- MK-
ADR- Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade Dining Package @11.35am
FP's 13.35pm Haunted Mansion
15.05pm Big Thunder Mountain
16.35pm Peter Pan's Flight

31st Oct - Travel home day- No fp's booked or ADR's?
Flight Time 19.45pm.

So this is my plan? I am overwhelmed by it all there are so many shows/parades/firework displays that i don't want to miss but don't know which ones to watch and the ones to skip! Booking ADR's in advance is a gamble as i won't know for sure whether we will be hungry at those times or not until we get there?!
Any Help would be Fab-u-lous! Thank you very much!

[GALE88]

I see what you mean about not fully using your DDP. If I were you I would book something for most days otherwise you may not use up all your credits. You can cancel with 24 hours notice without charge and I believe others have used a loophole to get out of being charged whereby you change your ADR to another day and then cancel. As it's now more than 24 hours away you don't get charged. I haven't actually used this myself, just heard of it on here.
What about booking one or two places at Disney Springs? As you are staying at POR you can get the boat there. This could work well on your shopping day as you'll probably be back by the evening?
I don't know if it's your thing by Hoop Dee Doo Revue is a great show (I like the food too). I think this is two credits each so would use up quite a few, plus it's not just food so if you aren't hugely hungry you are still getting a show out of it. This might work well on 22nd Oct as you can get the boat from MK to Fort Wilderness.

[DisneyDaffodil]

Buffets may be a good way to use your ts credits if you aren't sure when you want meals. That way each member of the party can eat as much or as little as they want. Plus character meals are great fun for the children in your group. There is a wide choice of buffets, we are visiting 1900 Park Fare in Grand Floridian resort for evening meal with Cinderella and Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine and the step-sisters. We have previously had breakfast here with Alice and Mad Hatter, Mary Poppins, Pooh and Tigger which was very good. We are also having Biergarten buffet in Epcot which is German beer festival themed with sausages and German fayre. Previously we have eaten breakfast at Crystal Palace in MK with Winnie the Pooh characters too.

We are also at MNSSHP on the 25th October 😀. We are eating our main meal at lunchtime that day so we will have lots of time for the parades, shows and fireworks (and treats 😀 ) at the party later

[DisneyDaffodil]

I just checked and you do seem to have included quite a few of the buffets I have mentioned. You are actually eating at 1900 PF the same evening as us, although our booking is earlier at 4.15pm.

You seem to be looking for places to eat in MK. We always find this the hardest park to eat ts in which is why we are visiting Grand Floridian. Maybe Ohana's at the Polynesian may be a good option. Or Skipper's Canteen or Liberty Tree Tavern in MK itself.

I would also look at options in Disney Springs, especially for your evening after shopping. Lots of choice there including Chef Art Smith's Homecomin or T-Rex or Planet Hollywood would suit your family

[Gev]

I can’t recommend Teppan Edo at Epcot enough! Your family would love it and you could go to Epcot on an evening of a rest day? From MK, I would try something like ‘Ohana at the Poly, The Wave at Contemporary, Grand Floridian Cafe or 1900 Park Fare at GF or Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge.

[chippyminton]

My tips would be

Don’t underestimate the time it takes to get around and to get into parks if you are using WDW transport. WDW is huge! Alllow 5 -10 minute sto walk to a POR bus stop, then you may wait up to 20 mins for a bus, plus travel time 15 mins or so, plus queuing for security and park entry. Hollywood Studios is a particularly long trek from the bus stop due to construction. I like to allow an hour to be sure of making an ADR or FP on time. The boat to Disney Springs takes about 20 minutes plus waiting time. Both water parks entail a change of bus (at AK for B.B. and DS for TL). We used the Lyft app, like Uber, and found it very good and cheap. You can book an XL size for 5 of you. Your early ADR at Cape May would be a good time to use it, as it will be very difficult to get there otherwise.

Read up on the best rides to FP ( try Touring Plans). They tend to recommend rides over shows.EG on 25th swap Laugh Floor for something else, like Jungle Cruise or Buzz Lightyear. Then look at where rides are located. Eg the parade viewing area for Tony’s is at the flagpole just outside the restaurant. Haunted Mansion is the other side of the park, so you would be better making that after the parade, to avoid rushing across the park and back. If you time to kill after lunch you could circuit the park on the railroad for zero effort!

Think about how you want to structure your days eg what time is Fantasmic when you eat at Mamma Melrose (great choice, the steak is really good), do you want to go back to hotel for a swim or freshen up before returning for the evening? Will you stay for Rivers of Light after the Rainforest Cafe? The water parks don’t open till 10 am, so if you are having fun will you want to drag yourselves away to MK?

ADRs, you have a lot of breakfasts and early lunches, so look at QS options that would be good for teatime, in the parks and DS. The POR and POFQ food courts are a good choice if you find yourself heading back to the hotel. We like Wolfgang Puck Express and Deluxe burger at DS. Disney Food Blog has some good videos showcasing all the choices at each park and resort, and look at menus too. Try and get a breakfast or lunch reservation at Be Our Guest in MK, great use of a QS, as the evening is 2TS! Pizzafari at AK was trialling a family style QS meal that can be booked in advance, haven’t tried it but worth a look.

Max out your snack credits too. Starbucks, ice cream sundaes, magic cookie bars at POR etc., Goofys Candy Store etc.

Also, POR is a gorgeous resort, particularly the main pool and the quiet pools. Lovely place to relax and recharge the batteries.

[bigshaz]

POR is lovely and you will enjoy it as a report.

What time do you normally eat in a day and what time do the kids go to sleep - can they sleep in the afternoon for a break?

I would suggest you book a few more ADRs - timing and where depends on the answers to the above really. You can move them forward and back an hour or so on the day if there is availability - we did this a few times last week/week before. But its good to have an idea for the kids to know when and where they will be eating.

Any fussy eaters?

Looks like you have 9 TS used.

I'd suggest 28th Oct - HS 50s Prime Time Cafe

23rd October why not go to one fo the signature rests in the evening - id recommend Citricos
it gives you an opportunity to see the Grand Floridian Hotel, they are great with the kids, and you might be able to get a table with a view of the fireworks. Remember its tailored shorts and a top with a collar for men - nice excuse to get a little more dressed up.

Other great places for the kids include Sci Fi diner in Hollywood Studios, or Whispering Canyon at Wilderness lodge.

DONT try to do everything - no one can. You can go to WDW without a plan and have an amazing time, you can plan it to within an inch of its life and have an amazing time. Im the latter and each day has a full list - but I amend it as we go.

Happy to help and share any of our plans - you will have an amazing time

[AMG82]

Hi,

Times vary as to when we eat, Say on a weekend we could skip breakfast but have lunch say 12noon then tea anytime from 6pm onwards
Weekdays kids always have breakfast cereals or breakfast biscuits/ Cooked school lunch then tea at home could be anything from cooked to just a sandwich depending on what child has what activity after school!
Kids can be hardcore when it comes to bedtime and normally out do myself and Dan! On a week night we get them in bed for 20.00pm (youngest 2) Eldest is normally 21.00pm but weekends they can be up till 22.00pm however that means the 11 year old and 13 year old will sleep in till 10am the next morning!
I love your suggestions and will look into them and get a few more ADR'S booked up!

[AMG82]

Hi,
Thank you for the reply!
So the Hoop Dee Doo Revue Show do i have to book through MDE and pay up front then get the money back through the credits used on the Dining Plan? As looking at it on the MDE they want payment up front?

[AMG82]

Originally Posted by chippyminton

My tips would be

Don’t underestimate the time it takes to get around and to get into parks if you are using WDW transport. WDW is huge! Alllow 5 -10 minute sto walk to a POR bus stop, then you may wait up to 20 mins for a bus, plus travel time 15 mins or so, plus queuing for security and park entry. Hollywood Studios is a particularly long trek from the bus stop due to construction. I like to allow an hour to be sure of making an ADR or FP on time. The boat to Disney Springs takes about 20 minutes plus waiting time. Both water parks entail a change of bus (at AK for B.B. and DS for TL). We used the Lyft app, like Uber, and found it very good and cheap. You can book an XL size for 5 of you. Your early ADR at Cape May would be a good time to use it, as it will be very difficult to get there otherwise.

Read up on the best rides to FP ( try Touring Plans). They tend to recommend rides over shows.EG on 25th swap Laugh Floor for something else, like Jungle Cruise or Buzz Lightyear. Then look at where rides are located. Eg the parade viewing area for Tony’s is at the flagpole just outside the restaurant. Haunted Mansion is the other side of the park, so you would be better making that after the parade, to avoid rushing across the park and back. If you time to kill after lunch you could circuit the park on the railroad for zero effort!

Think about how you want to structure your days eg what time is Fantasmic when you eat at Mamma Melrose (great choice, the steak is really good), do you want to go back to hotel for a swim or freshen up before returning for the evening? Will you stay for Rivers of Light after the Rainforest Cafe? The water parks don’t open till 10 am, so if you are having fun will you want to drag yourselves away to MK?

ADRs, you have a lot of breakfasts and early lunches, so look at QS options that would be good for teatime, in the parks and DS. The POR and POFQ food courts are a good choice if you find yourself heading back to the hotel. We like Wolfgang Puck Express and Deluxe burger at DS. Disney Food Blog has some good videos showcasing all the choices at each park and resort, and look at menus too. Try and get a breakfast or lunch reservation at Be Our Guest in MK, great use of a QS, as the evening is 2TS! Pizzafari at AK was trialling a family style QS meal that can be booked in advance, haven’t tried it but worth a look.

Max out your snack credits too. Starbucks, ice cream sundaes, magic cookie bars at POR etc., Goofys Candy Store etc.

Also, POR is a gorgeous resort, particularly the main pool and the quiet pools. Lovely place to relax and recharge the batteries.

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Thank you so much for the tip on the LYFT app i have downloaded it now- didn't know about this or that i would need to get a taxi on the first morning to our first ADR! See i am clueless

Sorry silly question but do i have to book QS at any other places or just be our guest?

I get your point with the water-parks doubt we will want to head to MK afterwards?! is it possible to do one of the firework shows after do you think? Sorry for the questions! Thank you for your help!