I’m trying to construct custom TPs for our WDW trip in late September. One day of our visit is my daughter’s 10th birthday and she requested visiting EPCOT that day but having her birthday celebration dinner at T-Rex. Once the park selection is made, the restaurant choices coincide with those located in that specific park.
How can I get TP to identify that dinner location choice while still building a custom TP for that day?
Although I’m convinced her dining choice will consume a massive portion of time to travel to DTD and back to EPCOT, time has come for this Dad to recognize I’ve lost that appeal for sanity to prevail. Since this is our family’s first visit to WDW, can someone roughly estimate how long that round-trip will take assuming a 6 PM dinner reservation?
Ohhh that’s a tough one. You’ll have to take a bus to a resort and then another bus to DTD. Or you could bus to POR or SS and take the boat. You’ll be going at a time with a bit heaver traffic and dealing with construction so I would guess you should leave Epcot by 4:30 at the very latest. With an average wait time to be seated for your ADR, 60-90 mins for dinner and around an hour back to the park you would probably get back just a bit before Illuminations.
The more costly but must more time friendly option would be to take a cab in both directions. That way you are going direct to park and vice versa, cutting your travel time down to more around 30 minutes or less.
You could also walk out the International Gateway and take a bus to DTD from one of the Epcot area resorts. Beach Club is closest, I think. I’d still leave yourself an hour travel time, just in case. You won’t be able to put activities or meals outside of Epcot in your TP, so just have the hours for the plan end an hour before your ADR at T-Rex.
I second walking out the IG and taking a bus from BC or BW. If you are planning on returning to EP after dinner, then schedule a break in your TP that takes into account the total time you will be out of the park. I would say 5-8 PM would be the minimal amount of time to allow. Is EP open late that night? If it closes at 9, it’s almost not worth the hastle of going back - unless it’s specifically to see Illuminations… If you use a cab, the window would probably be 5:30 - 7:30.
I know that it is “her” day, but I also think there is a time when parental “guidance” is appropriate. Personally, I would pair DTD with a day at AK (something I do quite often, actually) - or even DHS. If you have multiple days at EP planned, then cutting one short at 5 is not big an issue - but if it’s your only day, it will SEVERELY limit how much of EP you can see.
@SallyEppcot and @bswan26 are right about the bus from Beach Club probably being the quickest way back/forth to Downtown Disney from Epcot. On a related note regarding T-REX, if you’re not already a member of the Landry’s Select Club, then you should consider joining. Membership costs $25, but includes a $25 credit first time you use the card (so sign up ahead of time). More importantly, however, the Landry’s restaurants (including T-REX) offer priority seating to club members. I visited T-REX once without the card and waited an hour to be seated, and that will really take a chunk of time out of your day.