Disney Vacation (8 Viewers)

[Usual21]

Just called one last time to see if I could upgrade any restaurants or find ones we wanted in case someone dropped a reservation. I was able to get Chef Mickey's for Christmas dinner. My son is gonna go NUTS.Here's my updated plans.12/25 Magic Kingdom/Chef Mickey 7:00 pm12/26 Hollywood Studios/Brown Derby 6:20 pm12/27 Animal Kingdom/Tusker House 6:15 pm12/28 Legoland/'OHANA 9pm (just me and Mrs. Usual!)12/29 Epcot/Kona Cafe 7:05 pm12/30 Magic Kingdom/1900 Park Fare 6:00 pmI haven't been this excited for a vacation in a LONG time.

After talking with my wife and reading about the crazy crowds at MK on Christmas Day, we changed things around:12/25 is now Hollywood Studios instead of MK. Chef Mickey stays =)12/26 is now Epcot instead of HS. Brown Derby was changed to Le Cellier. Just called and can't believe they had a reservation. I'm STOKED!12/27 is now Magic Kingdom instead of AK. Dinner will be at The Wave instead of Tusker House.12/28 is still LegoLand and 'Ohana12/29 is now Animal Kingdom instead of Epcot. Kona stays.12/30 is still MK with 1900 Park Fare.So yes...I'm getting both 'Ohana AND Le Cellier this week.

 

[Premier]

Man those are the top two places at the park IMO.

I would also recommend the Wave for breakfast if you can/want to fit it in. Was very very good.

 

[parasaurolophus]

Ohana reservation set for January 29th.

Sanaa on the 27th

 

[Usual21]

Just called one last time to see if I could upgrade any restaurants or find ones we wanted in case someone dropped a reservation. I was able to get Chef Mickey's for Christmas dinner. My son is gonna go NUTS.Here's my updated plans.12/25 Magic Kingdom/Chef Mickey 7:00 pm12/26 Hollywood Studios/Brown Derby 6:20 pm12/27 Animal Kingdom/Tusker House 6:15 pm12/28 Legoland/'OHANA 9pm (just me and Mrs. Usual!)12/29 Epcot/Kona Cafe 7:05 pm12/30 Magic Kingdom/1900 Park Fare 6:00 pmI haven't been this excited for a vacation in a LONG time.

After talking with my wife and reading about the crazy crowds at MK on Christmas Day, we changed things around:12/25 is now Hollywood Studios instead of MK. Chef Mickey stays =)12/26 is now Epcot instead of HS. Brown Derby was changed to Le Cellier. Just called and can't believe they had a reservation. I'm STOKED!12/27 is now Magic Kingdom instead of AK. Dinner will be at The Wave instead of Tusker House.12/28 is still LegoLand and 'Ohana12/29 is now Animal Kingdom instead of Epcot. Kona stays.12/30 is still MK with 1900 Park Fare.So yes...I'm getting both 'Ohana AND Le Cellier this week.

Just added Hollywood & Vine for Lunch on Christmas Day. Character lunch with his favorite cartoon character, Jake.

 

[harryhood]

Got some planning done for our trip and unfortunately I'm a pretty big noob at this. Over the next four to five years I anticipate more visits so this thread will be a huge help. Let me know thoughts and advice is always welcome. Taking our three and five year old daughters and my wife will be running in the Disney half marathon. I'm bummed about the lack of reservations I have right now but that was due to our booking process and things out of my control. Tough to complain when we got such a great group rate.

Staying at Coronado springs and have a three day park pass with no park hopper. First trip ever while stying there for more than just a day.

Thursday 1.10 - MK all day with no reservations for any meal. Options for breakfast lunch and dinner reservations look to be either Crystal Palace or Liberty Tree Tavern along with a few other $$ categorized places. Planning on spending the day here until the kids are ready to call it a night so would like to get a sit down meal for either lunch or dinner.

Friday 1.11 - pool day with the kids at Coronado springs. It would be a short park day since we have a recognition dinner event in the late afternoon with the group participating in the race. The girls were fired up when they saw the sight of the CS pool.

Saturday 1.12 - Hollywood studios with dinner at 50s Prime time cafe.

Sunday 1.13 - Animal Kingdom with breakfast reservation at Tusker House.

Monday 1.14 - Flight leaves at 6pm and I have no clue on what to do this day. We could add a another park visit but I don't want to compromise getting out of Orlando. I'd guess we would have to head to the airport by three, no?

Also order a grab bag of mouse pins online and I think the girls will like doing that while at the park. Definitely doing a snake draft to disperse them when they arrive....feel like an auction format will be too much for them.

 

[AcerFC]

Harry, kids will love late dinner/early lunch at crystal palace. Has Winnie the Pooh, tigger, eyeore and piglet with a decent buffet.

 

[Godsbrother]

Your plans are fine, I gave some comments below. I based the park recommendations to minimize crowds but this is the off-season so you'll probably fine no matter what you decide.

Thursday 1.10 - MK all day with no reservations for any meal. Options for breakfast lunch and dinner reservations look to be either Crystal Palace or Liberty Tree Tavern along with a few other $$ categorized places. Planning on spending the day here until the kids are ready to call it a night so would like to get a sit down meal for either lunch or dinner.

Thursday is an Extra Magic Hours at the MK. The park opens an hour early (8:00 AM) which is great if you can be there at opening. If not I would avoid MK and do it on Saturday or Sunday instead. Personally I would do EPCOT in the AM to ride Test Track, Soaring, etc. and head back to the hotel for R&R in late morning. Then come back in the late afternoon for dinner and the Illuminations in the World Showcase. However if you don't think your family would enjoy EPCOT then you might want to consider Animal Kingdom today.As far as MK dining goes, the CP and LTT are fine but you also have the option of leaving the park around 3:30 or so and hop on the monorail or boat to one of the restaurants at an MK resort for dinner. Then take the boat or monorail back to the MK for the evening. I have not been to Be Our Guest or Gaston's Tavern so I can't give you a recommendation on those.

Friday 1.11 - pool day with the kids at Coronado springs. It would be a short park day since we have a recognition dinner event in the late afternoon with the group participating in the race. The girls were fired up when they saw the sight of the CS pool.

Having a pool day during the vacation is a great idea. Another option would be to go to the Animal Kingdom on this day because if you go at opening you'll probably be ready to leave there by 2:00 (see Sunday comments).

Saturday 1.12 - Hollywood studios with dinner at 50s Prime time cafe.

Again this is an Extra Magic Hours Morning for DHS. Make sure you get there prior to opening or you might want to avoid it. It probably won't be quite as bad as normal because the previous night was an Extra Magic Evening for DHS and lots of people got their fill but definitely get there early if you can.I like the Prime Time but prefer the Sci Fi -- the atmosphere is cooler and I prefer the sandwiches & shakes at the Sci Fi verses the "comfort food" of the Prime Time. Just my opinion though...

Sunday 1.13 - Animal Kingdom with breakfast reservation at Tusker House.

A lot of people hit the safari and Everest, a couple of shows and then are done with AK by early afternoon. The AK can be a full-day park but you have to want to do all of the shows, trails, etc. Since you don't have park hoppers you might feel as though you are wasting half a day of touring if you leave the park by 2:00 or 3:00.If you do stick around for lunch or dinner eat at the Flame Tree BBQ.

Monday 1.14 - Flight leaves at 6pm and I have no clue on what to do this day. We could add a another park visit but I don't want to compromise getting out of Orlando. I'd guess we would have to head to the airport by three, no?

Yeah, 3:00 would a good time to head to the airport. I would sleep in then do Downtown Disney for a little shopping and lunch. I recommend Ragland Road or Wolfgang Puck though the kids would probably enjoy T-Rex. If you want to eat on the cheap go to Earl of Sandwich.

 

[Usual21]

'Ohana in T-minus 97 minutes. Kid is asleep, mom is staying here to watch him. Its just the wife and I.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

'Ohana in T-minus 97 minutes. Kid is asleep, mom is staying here to watch him. Its just the wife and I.

Nice.

 

[harryhood]

Got some planning done for our trip and unfortunately I'm a pretty big noob at this. Over the next four to five years I anticipate more visits so this thread will be a huge help. Let me know thoughts and advice is always welcome. Taking our three and five year old daughters and my wife will be running in the Disney half marathon. I'm bummed about the lack of reservations I have right now but that was due to our booking process and things out of my control. Tough to complain when we got such a great group rate. Staying at Coronado springs and have a three day park pass with no park hopper. First trip ever while stying there for more than just a day.Thursday 1.10 - MK all day with no reservations for any meal. Options for breakfast lunch and dinner reservations look to be either Crystal Palace or Liberty Tree Tavern along with a few other $$ categorized places. Planning on spending the day here until the kids are ready to call it a night so would like to get a sit down meal for either lunch or dinner. Friday 1.11 - pool day with the kids at Coronado springs. It would be a short park day since we have a recognition dinner event in the late afternoon with the group participating in the race. The girls were fired up when they saw the sight of the CS pool. Saturday 1.12 - Hollywood studios with dinner at 50s Prime time cafe. Sunday 1.13 - Animal Kingdom with breakfast reservation at Tusker House. Monday 1.14 - Flight leaves at 6pm and I have no clue on what to do this day. We could add a another park visit but I don't want to compromise getting out of Orlando. I'd guess we would have to head to the airport by three, no?Also order a grab bag of mouse pins online and I think the girls will like doing that while at the park. Definitely doing a snake draft to disperse them when they arrive....feel like an auction format will be too much for them.

Added a couple more reservations to fill out the trip. Really excited for the girls, and the Sunday dinner.Added Crystal Palace for Thursday's Dinner.Sunday trip from AK to the Grand Floridian for dinner with Cinderella, at 1900 Park.

 

[Premier]

We went yesterday for dinner at Epcot. Since we had annual passes for a year and only hit Animal Kingdom once, we figured we would try again.

OOF. Park was overly full. I don't know much about Disney park space, but AK seems like the smallest park to walk around and we got there mid-parade. Once that sucker let out you seriously could not walk around for an hour. Then Expedition was closed so we decided to go to Epcot for our dinner plans.

We were told the park was almost at max capacity.

Dinner was set for 830 at Via Napoli and so we decided to book it over there early to see if they would take us at 6. Fortunately they did, because then it started to downpour. I have no idea where all those people went, because you could barely walk around the world at Epcot and I've never had that problem.

Dinner was over at 715 and we high-tailed it home. GB anybody in one of those parks on New Year's Eve.

 

[Usual21]

Just got back. Had a blast. Still have those pork pot stickers with that Sweet & Sour sauce from 'Ohana on my mind.

The best moment of the entire trip however was this:

 

[AcerFC]

Just got back. Had a blast. Still have those pork pot stickers with that Sweet & Sour sauce from 'Ohana on my mind.

The best moment of the entire trip however was this:

I'm sure it's awesome BUT it's private. Can't see anything

 

[Usual21]

Just got back. Had a blast. Still have those pork pot stickers with that Sweet & Sour sauce from 'Ohana on my mind.

The best moment of the entire trip however was this:

sorry bout that. Should be good now.

 

[AcerFC]

Just got back. Had a blast. Still have those pork pot stickers with that Sweet & Sour sauce from 'Ohana on my mind.

The best moment of the entire trip however was this:

Sweet. My son was too young this time around. Maybe next. We had to stop every time we walked by that show.

 

[glvsav37]

Pretty much booked. July 29-Aug 8th, Bay lake tower. I know summer sux but wife is a teacher so that's the deal

1st time using our new Disney Vacation Club purchase, so I'm looking forward to seeing how that works out

Got our premium annual passes already. DVC was running a discount, $399/per--that's with all the water parks and stuff. Don't have to activate it until the trip, so we can get next vacation out of them too. That is $300 off each ticket.

Next is dining ressies. A lot of what has been mentioned here is on the list already.

 

[glvsav37]

Disney Time Sweepstakes

Diz is giving away a trip everyday in January. Check it out.

 

[The Ref]

Pretty much booked. July 29-Aug 8th, Bay lake tower.

I just wrote Daves Vacation Rentals to inquire about renting points so I can stay at the Bay Lake Tower in February. I like the location of this place alot.

 

[glvsav37]

Pretty much booked. July 29-Aug 8th, Bay lake tower.

I just wrote Daves Vacation Rentals to inquire about renting points so I can stay at the Bay Lake Tower in February. I like the location of this place alot.

If you have small kids, this place is the best. We are DVC members at another resort, but stay here while the kids are young.walk right to the MK, no waiting on monorails or bus lines. This is awesome during peak times and right after the fireworks. Not many people realize that you need to fold up strollers on the WDW buses. Being able to walk back to the resort when the kid is asleep in the stroller is a godsend. So no matter where we are, we usually end our day at the MK. Easy access to monorail where you can get to Epcot and then (if you want) take a boat to Diz studios (no need to fold up strollers on either monorail or boats) if you get the theme park view, you can watch the fireworks from the room, they even pipe in the music on a special channelthe only down side is no place to grab food inside the resort (except at the pool when open), so you need to hike over to contemp to grab grub. Not a huge deal, but more of an annoyance. otherwise, one of the best 'convenience' resorts there is.

 

[AcerFC]

Just booked 3 nights and 2 day park hopper for Disney in July. Staying in Paradise Pier.

I have never stayed on property in California. Anything special about the hotels, places to eat?

I think we are going to the concierge thing that was mentioned. Thanks for that heads up on that Buddy Ball. Never heard of it before (at least that i can remember)

 

[schlesinj]

Pretty much booked. July 29-Aug 8th, Bay lake tower.

I just wrote Daves Vacation Rentals to inquire about renting points so I can stay at the Bay Lake Tower in February. I like the location of this place alot.

If you have small kids, this place is the best. We are DVC members at another resort, but stay here while the kids are young.walk right to the MK, no waiting on monorails or bus lines. This is awesome during peak times and right after the fireworks. Not many people realize that you need to fold up strollers on the WDW buses. Being able to walk back to the resort when the kid is asleep in the stroller is a godsend. So no matter where we are, we usually end our day at the MK.

Easy access to monorail where you can get to Epcot and then (if you want) take a boat to Diz studios (no need to fold up strollers on either monorail or boats)

if you get the theme park view, you can watch the fireworks from the room, they even pipe in the music on a special channel

the only down side is no place to grab food inside the resort (except at the pool when open), so you need to hike over to contemp to grab grub. Not a huge deal, but more of an annoyance.

otherwise, one of the best 'convenience' resorts there is.

We stayed at the Contemporary (MK park view) last October with our 4 kids in 1 room (the youngest was just under 2, so we were allowed 1 room). Had a blast and loved the convenience. We started looking for our 2nd trip. Disney recently opened large value themed resorts farther away but bigger rooms that are themed with Nemo, Cars and Lion King. Has anyone stayed at them and how did the trip go given the distance. Ultimately, we may look to to Towers, but wanted to compare. I believe the value is a few thousand cheaper for a weeks stay, so I wanted to at least get some feedback.

 

[glvsav37]

Pretty much booked. July 29-Aug 8th, Bay lake tower.

I just wrote Daves Vacation Rentals to inquire about renting points so I can stay at the Bay Lake Tower in February. I like the location of this place alot.

If you have small kids, this place is the best. We are DVC members at another resort, but stay here while the kids are young.walk right to the MK, no waiting on monorails or bus lines. This is awesome during peak times and right after the fireworks. Not many people realize that you need to fold up strollers on the WDW buses. Being able to walk back to the resort when the kid is asleep in the stroller is a godsend. So no matter where we are, we usually end our day at the MK.

Easy access to monorail where you can get to Epcot and then (if you want) take a boat to Diz studios (no need to fold up strollers on either monorail or boats)

if you get the theme park view, you can watch the fireworks from the room, they even pipe in the music on a special channel

the only down side is no place to grab food inside the resort (except at the pool when open), so you need to hike over to contemp to grab grub. Not a huge deal, but more of an annoyance.

otherwise, one of the best 'convenience' resorts there is.

We stayed at the Contemporary (MK park view) last October with our 4 kids in 1 room (the youngest was just under 2, so we were allowed 1 room). Had a blast and loved the convenience. We started looking for our 2nd trip. Disney recently opened large value themed resorts farther away but bigger rooms that are themed with Nemo, Cars and Lion King. Has anyone stayed at them and how did the trip go given the distance. Ultimately, we may look to to Towers, but wanted to compare. I believe the value is a few thousand cheaper for a weeks stay, so I wanted to at least get some feedback.

I have not stayed at the new animation resorts, but a few people I know did and loved the experience. the room are def bigger and cheaper, but like you said, its further away from the action (compared to a CR or BLT). I think a lot of the resort distance issue is more at play during heavier times. If it is slow season, you can get on a bus easily and take the ride. Busier times you may need to wait for 2-3 buses at closing time and that sucks. For us, right now, its less inconvenience/kid meltdowns over $

 

[Redwes25]

When is the best time to go to avoid the crowds? Was thinking late October or early November. Thanks

Whole column about crowds/crowd level and other stuff like pricing here for 2013.http://yourfirstvisit.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/2013-Disney-World-Week-Rankings-v21.jpg

very cool

Looks like if you are willing to let your kids skip school at the beginning of the year September is the best time to go.Edit: right after Thanksgiving there's low crowds and the Christmas events.

We do Thanksgiving day through the next week or so every year. Best time of year save the food and wine festival. Down time of year so the lines aren't that bad at all - we did Kali River 4 times in a row without getting off of the raft and only stopped because we were simply too wet to not get up and move around; did splash mountain 5 times in a row with similar results. Walk on to almost everything except the newest thing - New Fantasyland is packed and Toy Story Mania is as well - which I still just don't get. The ride isn't that good but maybe that's just me.

What are the temps like? Thinking of flying down the Friday or Saturday after thanksgiving and spending the weekend with family then staying at the park from Monday or Tuesday until Sunday and flying home. I think we will want to do a pool day or two and wondered if it was still warm enough. We are New Yorkers so imagine your NJ view will give us an idea.Thanks

 

[Loan Sharks]

Well, here we go. The triplets are going to be 5 and I think that is a good time to take them. I used to go to DW a lot when I was a teenager but I haven't been there in 25 years. I just read the last couple of pages and see a lot of Ohana talk. When I was a kid we did the Polynesian village dinner on the sand with the fire baton twirlers and the hula dancing is this the same thing or is Ohana a different? We will be using my parents Marriot Hilton Head condo week which we swapped for a resort near Disney so we will have a short drive but a top notch resort to chill at. Looking at three day park hoppers, and then spending some time doing other Florida stuff and resort stuff for the week. We will have a rental car. Looking to book tickets now for mid July, I know it will be hot and crowded but the dates can't be helped. Any ticket recommendations? to get started. I was thinking a day at Epcot and then two at MK would be the way to go.

 

[AAABatteries]

Trip #1 of the year is booked. Staying off-site for 7 nights - April 8-14 and according to TouringPlans crowds will be decent all week. Previous week seems to be main Spring Break week and crowd levels looked horrible. Will be getting season pass before we go. Reservations at 'Ohana (x2), Le Cellier, Akershus and Tusker House - kids asked for Chef Mickey's but I'm tired of it and picked Tusker House instead. Cap, The Wave sounds promising for breakfast, I may add that on your recommendation.

 

[AcerFC]

Loan, you are thinking of the luao. It's different than Ohana

 

[Loan Sharks]

Loan, you are thinking of the luao. It's different than Ohana

3 5 year olds which would be better? I still remember the luao 38 years after.

 

[Dragons]

Loan, you are thinking of the luao. It's different than Ohana

3 5 year olds which would be better? I still remember the luao 38 years after.

Probably the luau, it appears to have more entertainment. Although, it seems quite a bit different* from the luau I attended in Hawaii when I was ~10.https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/polynesian-resort/disney-spirit-of-aloha-dinner-show/*the entertainment seems like it is probably similar overall, but the Hawaiian luau was more like an outdoor picnic than an assigned seating event/show.

 

[glvsav37]

Well, here we go. The triplets are going to be 5 and I think that is a good time to take them. I used to go to DW a lot when I was a teenager but I haven't been there in 25 years. I just read the last couple of pages and see a lot of Ohana talk. When I was a kid we did the Polynesian village dinner on the sand with the fire baton twirlers and the hula dancing is this the same thing or is Ohana a different? We will be using my parents Marriot Hilton Head condo week which we swapped for a resort near Disney so we will have a short drive but a top notch resort to chill at. Looking at three day park hoppers, and then spending some time doing other Florida stuff and resort stuff for the week. We will have a rental car. Looking to book tickets now for mid July, I know it will be hot and crowded but the dates can't be helped. Any ticket recommendations? to get started. I was thinking a day at Epcot and then two at MK would be the way to go.

IMO with 3 5 year olds, I would stay way from Epcot as a full day, I just don't think there is that much for them to enjoy. I would opt for animal kingdom. Many people say it is only a 1/2 day but i disagree. It can easily be a full, early day that could give the 5 yr olds a good early night wrapped between 2 longer days at MK. The other opt would be Diz Studios. I think you can run through that pretty quickly with attractions that would interest 5 year olds (Get Fastpass's for Toy Story Mania 1st thing), then maybe hop over to Epcot (you can take a boat over, they are very close) and do some of the attractions and Illuminations over there. Just be careful of parking. Epcot generally closes later the Studios, so make sure you can get back to your car easily.

 

[AcerFC]

Loan, you are thinking of the luao. It's different than Ohana

3 5 year olds which would be better? I still remember the luao 38 years after.

Ohana is a sit down brazillian style place. My kids did not like it. They enjoyed the luao a lot even though I was very disappointed with the food. It was a lot of money and was one of the worst places I have eaten in Disney. But you are paying more for the entertainment. My son was 2 weeks away from turning 3 and he still pretends he is throwing the fire torches in the air. Im sure your kids will love it. I agree with glvsav37 about Epcot. My kids did not like it much outside of the Nemo and Figment rides. They would be much happier at AK or HS. Ill ask my kids when I get home which one they would want to go back to if we only had one day. Daughter is 5 and son is 3PM me her or :sj: if you need anything

 

[Godsbrother]

Loan, you are thinking of the luao. It's different than Ohana

3 5 year olds which would be better? I still remember the luao 38 years after.

Ohana is a sit down brazillian style place. My kids did not like it. They enjoyed the luao a lot even though I was very disappointed with the food. It was a lot of money and was one of the worst places I have eaten in Disney. But you are paying more for the entertainment. My son was 2 weeks away from turning 3 and he still pretends he is throwing the fire torches in the air. Im sure your kids will love it. I agree with glvsav37 about Epcot. My kids did not like it much outside of the Nemo and Figment rides. They would be much happier at AK or HS. Ill ask my kids when I get home which one they would want to go back to if we only had one day. Daughter is 5 and son is 3PM me her or :sj: if you need anything

If you are going to pay for a dinner show go to the Hoop Dee Doo. Better food and better entertainment.

 

[AcerFC]

Loan, you are thinking of the luao. It's different than Ohana

3 5 year olds which would be better? I still remember the luao 38 years after.

Ohana is a sit down brazillian style place. My kids did not like it. They enjoyed the luao a lot even though I was very disappointed with the food. It was a lot of money and was one of the worst places I have eaten in Disney. But you are paying more for the entertainment. My son was 2 weeks away from turning 3 and he still pretends he is throwing the fire torches in the air. Im sure your kids will love it. I agree with glvsav37 about Epcot. My kids did not like it much outside of the Nemo and Figment rides. They would be much happier at AK or HS. Ill ask my kids when I get home which one they would want to go back to if we only had one day. Daughter is 5 and son is 3PM me her or :sj: if you need anything

If you are going to pay for a dinner show go to the Hoop Dee Doo. Better food and better entertainment.

So I have heard. Unfortunately, there were no shows during the time we were there

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Loan, you are thinking of the luao. It's different than Ohana

3 5 year olds which would be better? I still remember the luao 38 years after.

Ohana is a sit down brazillian style place. My kids did not like it.

If you ask your server, they'll make something off-menu for the kids. They made a triple-decker grilled cheese sandwich that was really good for mine. She liked it so much, she asked the server at Kona if they could make the same thing (They did. I can't recall if it was on the menu there or not. I'm not sure we even looked). We have a 1 bite rule, so she had to try the other things they brought to the table as well. She also liked the chicken wings and the bread pudding, but not enough to make a meal of them. Of course, you're overpaying for their meal in that case, 'cause they're going to charge you the $16 or whatever it is for kids to eat there. If it's worth it to have a good adult meal and overspend for what the kids are getting, this is a worthwhile approach. Or if you're on the dining plan, which we were. I'd say if your kids are picky eaters, you might want to skip it. If they're pretty good about trying new things, give it a shot.

Also, the two times we've been there it's been later in the evening and they've had a woman who entertains the kids. She'll call all the kids in the restaurant over and have a few games for them to play or a limbo contest or teach them a dance or whatever. I'm not sure if that's a once a night thing or if they do it throughout dinner service.

 

[Dragons]

By the way, our second night at 'Ohana, we discovered that they have an alternative menu for kids at no additional charge. The first waiter didn't mention it. Our kids pretty much only ate bread the first night, but enjoyed chicken nuggets and french fries the second night.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

By the way, our second night at 'Ohana, we discovered that they have an alternative menu for kids at no additional charge. The first waiter didn't mention it. Our kids pretty much only ate bread the first night, but enjoyed chicken nuggets and french fries the second night.

lolProbably the source of the grilled cheese. Our waitress never showed us a menu. She just said, "Would she rather have something more kid-friendly, like a grilled cheese sandwich?" It makes sense, though. These people know their target demographic.

 

[AcerFC]

By the way, our second night at 'Ohana, we discovered that they have an alternative menu for kids at no additional charge. The first waiter didn't mention it. Our kids pretty much only ate bread the first night, but enjoyed chicken nuggets and french fries the second night.

lolProbably the source of the grilled cheese. Our waitress never showed us a menu. She just said, "Would she rather have something more kid-friendly, like a grilled cheese sandwich?" It makes sense, though. These people know their target demographic.

Im not blaming my guy, because we didnt specifically ask, but it would have been nice to know. Thanks Sac and Dragons for next time

 

[AcerFC]

Just booked 3 nights and 2 day park hopper for Disney in July. Staying in Paradise Pier. I have never stayed on property in California. Anything special about the hotels, places to eat?I think we are going to the concierge thing that was mentioned. Thanks for that heads up on that Buddy Ball. Never heard of it before (at least that i can remember)

Sorry, bump for those that do Cali often

 

[Bob Sacamano]

By the way, our second night at 'Ohana, we discovered that they have an alternative menu for kids at no additional charge. The first waiter didn't mention it. Our kids pretty much only ate bread the first night, but enjoyed chicken nuggets and french fries the second night.

It makes sense, though. These people know their target demographic.

This just reminded me...When we went 2 years ago, my daughter wasn't fond of the bread pudding. There was a little girl sitting at the table behind us with her parents, and she had this gigantic brownie topped with chocolate sauce and ice cream and sprinkles and whipped cream and god only knows what else. My daughter (5 at the time) saw her dessert and asked if she could have one of those. We stopped the waitress and inquired, but she said the little girl had some food issues, so the chef had just made that one for her. It wasn't something they actually had. Not that that's specific to Disney when it comes to food service, but they really do bend over backwards for people when they can. The little girl's parents apparently heard us inquire, because a few minutes later the dad walked over to our table with a bowl. He had cut the daughter's dessert in half and brought it over for ours. When we thanked him, he was like, "Are you kidding me? Did you see the size of that thing? I was trying to figure out how to get her to not eat it all." Nice people.

 

[Premier]

Has anybody here done a Disney cruise? We just booked one for October.

 

[Disco Stu]

Well, here we go. The triplets are going to be 5 and I think that is a good time to take them. I used to go to DW a lot when I was a teenager but I haven't been there in 25 years. I just read the last couple of pages and see a lot of Ohana talk. When I was a kid we did the Polynesian village dinner on the sand with the fire baton twirlers and the hula dancing is this the same thing or is Ohana a different? We will be using my parents Marriot Hilton Head condo week which we swapped for a resort near Disney so we will have a short drive but a top notch resort to chill at. Looking at three day park hoppers, and then spending some time doing other Florida stuff and resort stuff for the week. We will have a rental car. Looking to book tickets now for mid July, I know it will be hot and crowded but the dates can't be helped. Any ticket recommendations? to get started. I was thinking a day at Epcot and then two at MK would be the way to go.

I don't think three days is enough. What is the other "Florida stuff" that is better than more days at the parks?Have you looked at the ticket options? Adding the park hopper to 3 day passes is going to cost you about $300. Adding two additional days instead would only cost about $100.

 

[Dragons]

By the way, our second night at 'Ohana, we discovered that they have an alternative menu for kids at no additional charge. The first waiter didn't mention it. Our kids pretty much only ate bread the first night, but enjoyed chicken nuggets and french fries the second night.

lolProbably the source of the grilled cheese. Our waitress never showed us a menu. She just said, "Would she rather have something more kid-friendly, like a grilled cheese sandwich?" It makes sense, though. These people know their target demographic.

Im not blaming my guy, because we didnt specifically ask, but it would have been nice to know. Thanks Sac and Dragons for next time

To clarify a little bit, our waitress the second night mentioned the alternative menu and walked away before we could discuss it. The next time she came around, we said we'd like to see it. She never actually gave us a menu, just rattled off some choices. So it sounds like it's more informal like Sac mentioned. We didn't know to ask either, fortunately the waitress offered it to us.

 

[FBGirl79]

Well, here we go. The triplets are going to be 5 and I think that is a good time to take them. I used to go to DW a lot when I was a teenager but I haven't been there in 25 years. I just read the last couple of pages and see a lot of Ohana talk. When I was a kid we did the Polynesian village dinner on the sand with the fire baton twirlers and the hula dancing is this the same thing or is Ohana a different? We will be using my parents Marriot Hilton Head condo week which we swapped for a resort near Disney so we will have a short drive but a top notch resort to chill at. Looking at three day park hoppers, and then spending some time doing other Florida stuff and resort stuff for the week. We will have a rental car. Looking to book tickets now for mid July, I know it will be hot and crowded but the dates can't be helped. Any ticket recommendations? to get started. I was thinking a day at Epcot and then two at MK would be the way to go.

I don't think three days is enough. What is the other "Florida stuff" that is better than more days at the parks?Have you looked at the ticket options? Adding the park hopper to 3 day passes is going to cost you about $300. Adding two additional days instead would only cost about $100.

Totally agree. At 5...I can't really think of anything that would be better than Disney for them. A 3 day park hopper for an adult/child is $299/$283. A 6 day park hopper is $335/$317. You are talking $36 per adult/$34 per child. Divide that by the 3 extra days of tickets and you are talking ~$12 per day, per person for an entire day of entertainment. Not sure what else you had in mind in the area but you can't touch Universal, Wet & Wild, Sea World, Lego Land, ect. for $12 per day per person. Another thing to consider since it will be July is that Disney has now made it around ~$27 to add on the Water Park & More option to your tickets so you could also hit up the water parks and Disney Quest since it will be so hot. A nice option with the park hoppers and more days is that in the heat of July, a good strategy is to get to the park at rope drop and then do what you can by noon, leave for lunch, go to a water park, take naps, etc. then go back to another park after dinner for shows, rides at night, fireworks, etc. You can avoid the heat of the day, meltdowns (adults and children alike), and the massive crowds from people who only have 1 or 2 days and want to see it all. Adding extra days also means adding extra food expenses but at Disney, you can bring in anything you want except for alcohol and glass bottles so you could easily pack a lunch & snacks that way you are only paying for the snacks/food you really want (might I suggest a Dole Whip at Magic Kingdom!). Where is your resort? You said you swapped it for something closer so I was wondering which one. We are heading down to Bonnet Creek resort in April and it is right in the middle of Disney property.Ohana should provide plenty of entertainment for your kids while giving you a nice meal out. They have someone who teaches them to hula, do the limbo, does a little parade around the restaurant, etc.ETA...Since you will be off property you will have to pay to park but once you pay in the morning, you can go to any other park for the day and not to have to pay again.

 

[glvsav37]

Just booked 3 nights and 2 day park hopper for Disney in July. Staying in Paradise Pier. I have never stayed on property in California. Anything special about the hotels, places to eat?I think we are going to the concierge thing that was mentioned. Thanks for that heads up on that Buddy Ball. Never heard of it before (at least that i can remember)

Sorry, bump for those that do Cali often

B/c you bumped and I don't want you to feel left out with all the Fla talk, i'll help as much as i can. I have not been to DL since 2001, so I'm not really up on the latest other then i hear the New Car's land is pretty cool and they recently revitalized Calf Adventure park.What I can tell you, and if you are even a semi-regular at WDW, is that DL is soooooo much smaller, but IMO in a better, more intimate way. That said, with the exception of the Grand Californian, the hotels are note real exciting. They do their best to add Disney Touchers, but if I recall, the DL Hotel and PP were both regular hotels that Diz bought and re-themed. If I remember correctly, the PP is slightly off property where as it is the furthest from the parks and you need to walk over an overpass to get to the action. The DL hotel is kind of dead center in the resort area and has a little more buzz. Plus it is steps away from DownTown Disney where there is cool restaurants and shopping.I can't say I know what is good to eat there, but I hope the House of Blues is still there. I'd say go pick up[ a giudebook. I use to design this one, so I know it is pretty trust worthy.wish i could have been more help,

 

[AAABatteries]

Trip #1 of the year is booked. Staying off-site for 7 nights - April 8-14 and according to TouringPlans crowds will be decent all week. Previous week seems to be main Spring Break week and crowd levels looked horrible. Will be getting season pass before we go. Reservations at 'Ohana (x2), Le Cellier, Akershus and Tusker House - kids asked for Chef Mickey's but I'm tired of it and picked Tusker House instead. Cap, The Wave sounds promising for breakfast, I may add that on your recommendation.

Updated Dining:Saturday - T-Rex (Lunch), Beaches 'n Cream (Dinner)Sunday - Sci-Fi Drive-in (Lunch)Monday - Akershus (Girls Breakfast), Whispering Canyon (Boys Breakfast)Tuesday - 'Ohana (Dinner - Adults only)Wednesday - 'Ohana (Breakfast)Thursday - Tusker House (Breakfast); Le Cellier (Dinner - Adults only)Friday - Somewhere at Hollywood???Some questions:1. We decided to split up for Akershus breakfast. Me and my two boys are going to go to Whispering Canyon. Is there anything at Akershus that the boys will miss out on (ages 11, 7)? I'm looking at a $50 difference between the two for the three of us. I got a really early breakfast at Whipering Canyon and plan to get straight to Epcto to meet up with the girls and do some rides while we wait. 2. Suggestion for Hollywood for Friday? - we've done Hollywod & Vine and Pizza Planet too and were not overly impressed. Is there any kind of Star Wars themed meal - thinking counter service most likely? Both boys are HUGE SW fans so that would be a nice treat.3. I noticed that using the online reservation system it wouldn't give me early times but when I called they had some. Is that just the system pushing folks to those times or did I just luck out that one opened up while I was waiting on the line? If I can call and get some of these moved up I'd like to but haven't heard anyone say that happens (unless I missed it).

 

[AAABatteries]

Bump for day crowd.

 

[AcerFC]

Trip #1 of the year is booked. Staying off-site for 7 nights - April 8-14 and according to TouringPlans crowds will be decent all week. Previous week seems to be main Spring Break week and crowd levels looked horrible. Will be getting season pass before we go. Reservations at 'Ohana (x2), Le Cellier, Akershus and Tusker House - kids asked for Chef Mickey's but I'm tired of it and picked Tusker House instead. Cap, The Wave sounds promising for breakfast, I may add that on your recommendation.

Updated Dining:Saturday - T-Rex (Lunch), Beaches 'n Cream (Dinner)

Sunday - Sci-Fi Drive-in (Lunch)

Monday - Akershus (Girls Breakfast), Whispering Canyon (Boys Breakfast)

Tuesday - 'Ohana (Dinner - Adults only)

Wednesday - 'Ohana (Breakfast)

Thursday - Tusker House (Breakfast); Le Cellier (Dinner - Adults only)

Friday - Somewhere at Hollywood???

Some questions:

1. We decided to split up for Akershus breakfast. Me and my two boys are going to go to Whispering Canyon. Is there anything at Akershus that the boys will miss out on (ages 11, 7)? I'm looking at a $50 difference between the two for the three of us. I got a really early breakfast at Whipering Canyon and plan to get straight to Epcto to meet up with the girls and do some rides while we wait.

You will not miss anything. I thought that was one of the worst places to eat. The only hook they have is the princess angle. If you dont care about missing your daughter with the princesses, the boys will not be missing out. Whispering Canyon is on my list for the next time we go. Canceled last time to eat at Be our Guest

2. Suggestion for Hollywood for Friday? - we've done Hollywod & Vine and Pizza Planet too and were not overly impressed. Is there any kind of Star Wars themed meal - thinking counter service most likely? Both boys are HUGE SW fans so that would be a nice treat.



There is no Star Wars meals. You have Sci Fi already. The only other place you may want to try is the Italian place (Mamma something). I usually do breakfast with the Disney characters in the morning and gran a turkey leg for lunch from Tulucas

3. I noticed that using the online reservation system it wouldn't give me early times but when I called they had some. Is that just the system pushing folks to those times or did I just luck out that one opened up while I was waiting on the line? If I can call and get some of these moved up I'd like to but haven't heard anyone say that happens (unless I missed it).

I have always been able to put in any time I wanted. Maybe you just put in Breakfast and not a specific time

 

[AcerFC]

Just booked 3 nights and 2 day park hopper for Disney in July. Staying in Paradise Pier. I have never stayed on property in California. Anything special about the hotels, places to eat?I think we are going to the concierge thing that was mentioned. Thanks for that heads up on that Buddy Ball. Never heard of it before (at least that i can remember)

Sorry, bump for those that do Cali often

B/c you bumped and I don't want you to feel left out with all the Fla talk, i'll help as much as i can. I have not been to DL since 2001, so I'm not really up on the latest other then i hear the New Car's land is pretty cool and they recently revitalized Calf Adventure park.What I can tell you, and if you are even a semi-regular at WDW, is that DL is soooooo much smaller, but IMO in a better, more intimate way. That said, with the exception of the Grand Californian, the hotels are note real exciting. They do their best to add Disney Touchers, but if I recall, the DL Hotel and PP were both regular hotels that Diz bought and re-themed. If I remember correctly, the PP is slightly off property where as it is the furthest from the parks and you need to walk over an overpass to get to the action. The DL hotel is kind of dead center in the resort area and has a little more buzz. Plus it is steps away from DownTown Disney where there is cool restaurants and shopping.I can't say I know what is good to eat there, but I hope the House of Blues is still there. I'd say go pick up[ a giudebook. I use to design this one, so I know it is pretty trust worthy.wish i could have been more help,

thanks. I have been to Disney in California, just never stayed on site

 

[Godsbrother]

2. Suggestion for Hollywood for Friday? - we've done Hollywod & Vine and Pizza Planet too and were not overly impressed. Is there any kind of Star Wars themed meal - thinking counter service most likely? Both boys are HUGE SW fans so that would be a nice treat.

No Star Wars themed restaurants. 50s Prime Time is fun if you are into the interaction -- food is "home cooking": meatloaf, fried chicken, pot roast, etc. Mama Melrose is okay. Not great Italian but better than Olive Garden. The Brown Derby is also good.Personally I would suggest leaving the park when you get hungry and go to Downtown Disney. Ragland Road is my favorite but lots of good choices there -- the kids would probably like T-Rex.

 

[JShare87]

Anyone do any of the dinner shows? (Pirates,murder and mystery etc.....) Me and my wife are going in 4 days and were wondering the best one to go to and if there were any ticket deals you know about.

 

[AAABatteries]

Trip #1 of the year is booked. Staying off-site for 7 nights - April 8-14 and according to TouringPlans crowds will be decent all week. Previous week seems to be main Spring Break week and crowd levels looked horrible. Will be getting season pass before we go. Reservations at 'Ohana (x2), Le Cellier, Akershus and Tusker House - kids asked for Chef Mickey's but I'm tired of it and picked Tusker House instead. Cap, The Wave sounds promising for breakfast, I may add that on your recommendation.

Updated Dining:Saturday - T-Rex (Lunch), Beaches 'n Cream (Dinner)

Sunday - Sci-Fi Drive-in (Lunch)

Monday - Akershus (Girls Breakfast), Whispering Canyon (Boys Breakfast)

Tuesday - 'Ohana (Dinner - Adults only)

Wednesday - 'Ohana (Breakfast)

Thursday - Tusker House (Breakfast); Le Cellier (Dinner - Adults only)

Friday - Somewhere at Hollywood???

Some questions:

1. We decided to split up for Akershus breakfast. Me and my two boys are going to go to Whispering Canyon. Is there anything at Akershus that the boys will miss out on (ages 11, 7)? I'm looking at a $50 difference between the two for the three of us. I got a really early breakfast at Whipering Canyon and plan to get straight to Epcto to meet up with the girls and do some rides while we wait.

You will not miss anything. I thought that was one of the worst places to eat. The only hook they have is the princess angle. If you dont care about missing your daughter with the princesses, the boys will not be missing out. Whispering Canyon is on my list for the next time we go. Canceled last time to eat at Be our Guest

2. Suggestion for Hollywood for Friday? - we've done Hollywod & Vine and Pizza Planet too and were not overly impressed. Is there any kind of Star Wars themed meal - thinking counter service most likely? Both boys are HUGE SW fans so that would be a nice treat.



There is no Star Wars meals. You have Sci Fi already. The only other place you may want to try is the Italian place (Mamma something). I usually do breakfast with the Disney characters in the morning and gran a turkey leg for lunch from Tulucas

3. I noticed that using the online reservation system it wouldn't give me early times but when I called they had some. Is that just the system pushing folks to those times or did I just luck out that one opened up while I was waiting on the line? If I can call and get some of these moved up I'd like to but haven't heard anyone say that happens (unless I missed it).

I have always been able to put in any time I wanted. Maybe you just put in Breakfast and not a specific time

Thanks Acer. I was hoping that with the redone Star Tours that maybe some type of restaurant was opened. This will be our first time going on Star Tours since they updated it. And maybe I screwed up using the reservations but it would never give me the earlier times. That went on for several days so that's when I posted last night - this morning I just decided to call the Disney Dining line hwhile I was sitting in traffic and the guy was able to move all my breakfast times to something earlier. I should have asked him about it but didn't think to - I still maintain that the site doesn't show all the available times or maybe I'm crazy.