Did Somebody Say Free Dining? - Sept 2014 at Beach Club **FP+ and Touring Plans**

[jiminykrikkit]

*crickets chirping*

I guess I've lost everyone! Sorry I'm so boring haha.

I think the plan for now is to cancel Pirate's League the day of LT's bday. That day is just too jam-packed to not end in disaster. If we cancel Pirate's League, we will be able to celebrate at Chef Mickey's and do Future World in the AM, then take a nap at the resort, then head back to MK in the afternoon for MNSSHP. It'll still be a super awesome day.

We have soooo much time to figure that out, so I'm keeping all the reservations. But that just seems like the most logical plan. He's not that into pirates and he doesn't even know about PL at this point, so he won't be disappointed. We're thinking of just letting him pick out a costume to buy in the park to wear that evening. That is if we don't come up with some sort of family costume

 

[kerriemiller]

my baby who is now 4 1/2, she had just turned 3 the last time we went, slept in her stroller every day with out any issue. Some times we would take turns sitting in a quiet spot with her while she slept. She even slept thru our CRT lunch, it was a 2:15 ADR but she missed the whole thing. She fell asleep under the table at afternoon tea at the GF one day. And on an Epcot day she fell asleep on a bench by the elevators in the land pavilion.

 

[jiminykrikkit]

my baby who is now 4 1/2, she had just turned 3 the last time we went, slept in her stroller every day with out any issue. Some times we would take turns sitting in a quiet spot with her while she slept. She even slept thru our CRT lunch, it was a 2:15 ADR but she missed the whole thing. She fell asleep under the table at afternoon tea at the GF one day. And on an Epcot day she fell asleep on a bench by the elevators in the land pavilion.

Adorable!!!

I've got pics just like that with characters from Hollywood and Vine from last April. I actually do think he will sleep in the stroller (hoping and praying!) so we don't have to trek all the way back to POR every day. But I wanted to keep the middle of the day open just in case though!

I think it will play out like this: he will fall asleep in the stroller and my mom will hang out with him in a quiet place while me, hubby, and stepdad go on rides (mom doesn't do rides!). That's how it happened in 2011 when we went for his first bday. We'll see!

 

[hokieinpa]

Up bright and early this morning.

We got everything we wanted!


We've got:

Saturday: Dinner at Raglan Road
Sunday (Anniversary): Dinner at Rose & Crown late enough to catch Illuminations from the patio
Monday: Dinner at Be Our Guest
Tuesday (LT's bday): Breakfast at Chef Mickeys
Wednesday: Fantastmic! Dinner Package at Mama Melrose's

I was surprised at how many tables I had to chose from for Be Our Guest. I originally wanted BOG for our arrival night and that didn't happen, but since MK is closing early that day for Night of Joy, we will just go to DTD and have Raglan Road by special request from my stepdad.

I used the website, and it was a little laggy, but I was done making like 8 ADRs (before cancelling some) within 30 mins. I found it was faster and easier to search by selecting my date and time then finding a table and scrolling through all the available restaurants to find what I was looking for. When I tried to choose the restaurant first and then pick the date and time from the restaurant page, it kept getting stuck.

I tried to run the MDE app on my phone at the same time and it wouldn't let me pick any dates past my arrival date.​

So happy your got all your ADRs!!! I'm going to play around on the site tonight just so I'm ready. It's only 40 days out!

We have a similar plan for the day of MNSSHP too. Park until after lunch, back to AOA for a nap/swim, and then back to MK for the party. I know it will be a late night so we'll all need the extra rest!

I'm still on the fence about taking an afternoon break the rest of the days. I think we will play it by ear. If the boys seem fussy we can go back and everyone can rest/swim/play. We'll be out late most nights so I know we'll have time in the evening to get more stuff done. It's just hard to think of missing several hours of park time (about 3 hours when you think about it!) each day. But fussy kids are no fun at Disney either!

I love your plans! I'm going to make a similar chart with our general daily plan, ADRs, special events, FP, etc. And then keep a list of the rides/attractions we want to do in each park. I'm trying not to overplan and just want to be able to enjoy the moment!

 

[Austinsmom068]

Hello I'm joining in. I saw your leaving on the 6th and so am I. I'm planing on doing MNSSHP on the 9th also with my son who will be celebrating his 4th birthday. We have a 3:45 pirates league appointment for that day. He's going to be Jake only because that's a pirates league package and I found a cute costume on Etsy that's shorts. We went this past September and he was three. It was very hot. We always ended up going back to the hotel for about 2/3 hours to take another shower/nap/swim. We stayed at POR last September and I will give you a warning.... I went into the kiddy pool with my son and I bent down to lightly splash water on him playing around. Well when i looked up this little boy was naked. His mother was letting him run around the the kiddy pool with no clothes on. I was horrified! It was just awful because when I looked up he was right in front of me. So I took my son and hurried
back to the regular pool. All I could think of was what if my son was a girl?! And saw that dinky! I would not want to explain that on vacation. You will have fun though.

 

[bless7ings]

Hi, We are going in September too. I love planning too, but this time...well I sheepishly admit that because of our big crew it is going to cost more than our past trips because my parents can't fit in our room. ( or should I say two rooms) We max out two rooms of 5! I need to update my signature, but I can't remember how!?! Well anyways as I was saying, I am a bit wondering if we should really go. For the first time I am thinking about what I still want to get done with our house and how much that would finish one big project! So, I am behind on my planning...

Thought I would love to hear all about your planning!

 

[puppydawg]

Hi there, Kristan.

I am paying close attention to your PTR, as I am heading out there a couple weeks behind you, also staying at POR. I am also hoping that free dining gets announced for that time period - I have heard rumors that there may be news at the end of march, but would be very interested in hearing anything if you know otherwise.

My troop consists of myself, my girlfriend, her sister and her 2 kids. The kids will be 7 and 10 when we go, so hopefully it's a good age for them to get a lot out of the experience.

I will show the others your packing list, so we have some idea of what to bring to deal with Florida weather. We have *no* idea lol

Thanks for all the ideas

 

[jiminykrikkit]

Hello I'm joining in. I saw your leaving on the 6th and so am I. I'm planing on doing MNSSHP on the 9th also with my son who will be celebrating his 4th birthday. We have a 3:45 pirates league appointment for that day.

Welcome! What a small world. We are probably going to cancel Pirate's League. I'm waiting a little longer before I do it, just in case, but it just makes more sense to cancel it for now.

Hi, We are going in September too....Thought I would love to hear all about your planning!

Hi and welcome!

Hi there, Kristan.

I am paying close attention to your PTR, as I am heading out there a couple weeks behind you, also staying at POR. I am also hoping that free dining gets announced for that time period - I have heard rumors that there may be news at the end of march, but would be very interested in hearing anything if you know otherwise.

My troop consists of myself, my girlfriend, her sister and her 2 kids. The kids will be 7 and 10 when we go, so hopefully it's a good age for them to get a lot out of the experience.

I will show the others your packing list, so we have some idea of what to bring to deal with Florida weather. We have *no* idea lol

Thanks for all the ideas

Welcome! I hadn't heard that about March! I read July. But I'll definitely be paying attention, as it's the end of March now!

As for the weather, it's very hot/humid. I'd stay away from denim, even shorts. I have jeans on my list, but really they're chambray pants (so lightweight cotton that looks like denim) and I probably won't even wear them. The lighter weight the fabric, the better. Anything tight is going to stick to you. And wicking fabrics are your friend! If you have an outlet mall near by, check out Columbia. I've been picking up some things (tops and a dress) that are wicking and have UV protection.

Oh, and bring extra shoes and socks. Alternate your shoes daily, and change your socks when they get wet from rain/rides.

 

[jiminykrikkit]

It's been a while since I last updated, but nothing has happened!

Today I called to add the Memory Maker to my reservation. We think it is worth it for us, because we really like those ride pics, but never buy them because wow, they are pricey.

I also added Crystal Palace breakfast at 805 am before the park opens to our MK day. Just for fun.

And I requested a ground floor room at POR since we'll have a stroller. I just happened to read somewhere (can't remember now!) that not all the buildings have elevators.

Now I'm off to research cabs for transportation to our early morning ADRs. Hoping they're inexpensive and lots faster than the buses. We only have two mornings to worry about, so it shouldn't be a deal breaker!

 

[Emilyswish]

I really love that bag!! Thanks for the link!

 

[jiminykrikkit]

I really love that bag!! Thanks for the link!

No problem! It's a super great bag. You will love it!

 

[jiminykrikkit]

I said I wasn't going to overplan this trip, and I really don't want to. But I got to thinking that I had no idea which FP+ I'd need to try to book, so as I started looking into it, I realized I needed to have at least a general time frame in mind for the days. Enter Touring Plans. I have the subscription, so I started playing around with the personalized touring plan builder.

DAY 1 - MK (Tomorrowland only) & DTD
Arrive at MK at 1 PM.
Buzz (1 PM FP+ return time).
Space Mountain (1:15 PM FP+ return time).
Tour Tomorrowland
Festival of Fantasy Parade )2:45 PM FP+ return time).
Leave MK immediately after parade, go to DTD.
ADR for Raglan Road at 6:45 PM.

DAY 2 - AK & EPCOT World Showcase
Arrive at AK at 9 AM.
Kilimanjaro Safaris (9:10 AM FP+ return time)
EE at 9:42 and 9:48 <--no FP+ needed according to TP (only 2 min wait), but I'm getting one anyways since I have an extra allotment
ITTBAB at 10 AM
Meet Russel & Dug
Boneyard
Dinosaur (11 AM FP+ return time)
Lunch at Flame Tree BBQ, then leave AK
Arrive at EPCOT around 1 PM, go to World Showcase, start in Mexico
Gran Fiesta Tour
Maelstrom
Tour WS until dinner
Soarin' (if time)
ADR for Rose & Crown at 7:15 PM
Illuminations

DAY 3 - MK
Cab to CR, walk to MK Early ADR gate
ADR for 8:05 AM at Crystal Palace
Straight to 7DMT after breakfast
Tour Fantasyland
Haunted Mansion
Lunch at CS (in MK or POR), then resort time (nap, swimming, etc)
Return to MK around 4 PM
Splash Mountain (4:10 PM FP+ return time)
BTMRR
POTC (5 PM FP+ return time)
Jungle Cruise (5:15 PM FP+ return time)
ADR for BOG at 7:15 PM
Return to POR after dinner

DAY 4 - EPCOT Future World & MNSSHP
Cab to CR
ADR for Chef Mickey's at 7 AM
Arrive at EPCOT around 8:45 AM
Spaceship Earth
Sum of all Thrills
The Seas with Nemo (9:30 AM FP+ return time)
Soarin
Livin with the Land
Test Track (10:45 AM FP+ return time)
Mission: SPACE Green (10:55 AM FP+ return time)
Lunch at CS (in EPCOT or POR), then resort time (nap, swimming, etc)
MK for MNSSHP after 4 PM (still need to figure out characters we want to meet and if it's worth lining up early)

DAY 5 - DHS
Arrive at DHS around 10 AM
Tour Sunset Blvd area (ToT and RnRC)
Tour Animation Courtyard (Disney Junior show, etc)
Indiana Jones
Pizza Planet for lunch
Lights Motor Action
Star Tours (1:55 PM FP+ return time)
Toy Story Mania (3:20 PM FP+ return time)
ADR for Mama Melrose's at 4:55 PM
Fantasmic! (dinner package seating)

DAY 6 - FREE DAY
Do whatever we want until we have to be back at POR at 2:45 PM for DME back to Airport

We'll see what happens by September with the new FP+ news allowing hopping and extra FP+, but I'm happy with the plan. According to Touring Plans we shouldn't have to wait in line more than 11 minutes for anything, and that's for 7DMT first thing in the morning. How awesome would it be if that's accurate?

 

[Riles_and_Gabe]

Hi I am joining in! We are staying in POR this year for the first time too. We will be going in August. I look forward to hearing more of your plans!

 

[KelleyK75]

Just found your post and am now following along.

Your plans sound great! Can't wait to hear how it goes. We went in Sept a few years ago and loved it.

Just got back last week from staying at POR and I know Alligator Bayou specifically definitely does not have elevators, so first floor is a good choice, esp with a stroller. I hadn't thought about that, and when we checked in the CM told us our room number and said it was on the second floor. I cringed thinking about going up and down those stairs, esp with a stroller, but we had a little pixie dust because when we got to the building our room was actually on the first floor! We were in Building 39. The resort is beautiful, you'll love it! I wish we would have had more time to do everything the resort has to offer. Save a little time to do that if you can.

 

[jiminykrikkit]

Hi I am joining in! We are staying in POR this year for the first time too. We will be going in August. I look forward to hearing more of your plans!

Welcome!!

Just found your post and am now following along.

Your plans sound great! Can't wait to hear how it goes. We went in Sept a few years ago and loved it.

Just got back last week from staying at POR and I know Alligator Bayou specifically definitely does not have elevators, so first floor is a good choice, esp with a stroller. I hadn't thought about that, and when we checked in the CM told us our room number and said it was on the second floor. I cringed thinking about going up and down those stairs, esp with a stroller, but we had a little pixie dust because when we got to the building our room was actually on the first floor! We were in Building 39. The resort is beautiful, you'll love it! I wish we would have had more time to do everything the resort has to offer. Save a little time to do that if you can.

We hope to have time. We've a couple of mid-day breaks planned, hoping to get to the pool one of those days. Do they do movies outdoors there? They did at POFQ when we stayed there, but never made it back in time to see one. What about s'mores or something like that? They did that at Boardwalk but we missed that too. Wasn't sure if that was all resort specific.

 

[Li Li]

Hi, joining in. My DH and I will be there around your dates, but at POFQ. We stayed at POR last October and it was great. The main pool was especially fantastic!

 

[benji2012]

Joining in! I glad I'm not the only overplanner!

 

[jiminykrikkit]

Hi, joining in. My DH and I will be there around your dates, but at POFQ. We stayed at POR last October and it was great. The main pool was especially fantastic!

Hi and welcome! We loved POFQ, it was very pretty.

Joining in! I glad I'm not the only overplanner!

Haha, I promise I'm trying to reign it in for this trip LOL Welcome!

 

[KelleyK75]

Welcome!!



We hope to have time. We've a couple of mid-day breaks planned, hoping to get to the pool one of those days. Do they do movies outdoors there? They did at POFQ when we stayed there, but never made it back in time to see one. What about s'mores or something like that? They did that at Boardwalk but we missed that too. Wasn't sure if that was all resort specific.

Yes they had a list of outdoor movies they were showing throughout the week. This was another thing we didn't get to do. They also have horse drawn carriages, renting bikes (and those 2-4 person bikes, not sure what they are called), taking the boat to DTD, fishing, etc. There is really a lot to do but we were so busy in the parks we didn't get to take advantage of any of it.

 

[lauren_elizabeth]

Hi Kristan! My roomie in college was the only other person I've seen spell it that way, so I knew I'd like you right away!

We'll be there in September, too but arriving on the 13th! Your plans sound awesome and it's so cool you got a BOG ressie! I didn't schedule one because I was afraid my crew wouldn't like the food choices, but I'm hoping we can do lunch there on one of our MK days!

Looking forward to joining along!