Forget about your worries and your strife… Please review my trip plans

Walt Disney World
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Hi Liner Friends! We are finally under 100 days from the trip I have been planning since 2019!

Like everyone else, we have had a crazy, stressful, exhausting 2 years. We were supposed to go in May 2020, we had our FP’s booked and everything, but obviously that didn’t happen.
Since then, every time life has thrown us a curveball, I just add something new to the trip, it’s what has kept me going through some rough times. So we went from 4 days at Boardwalk to an 8 day split with the Polynesian and Boardwalk, regular rooms to club level, WAT, cabana rental, the hits keep coming and I keep adding on. We are all vaxxed and DH, DS and I are boosted. DH tested positive for COVID yesterday - it’s probably just a matter of time for the rest of us in the house. Hopefully the pandemic will give us a break and May will feel like a safe time to travel.

I was hoping I could drop our plans here and you could give me some feedback:
Dates: 4/29 - 5/7, traveling with DH, DS18, DD9 and myself

Do these plans look realistic? Do I need to adjust my expectations? Is my timing looking OK or is it wildly inaccurate?

I have 5 TS meals for 8 days, should I add any? I like the idea of having 1 nice sit down meal per day, but I wasn’t sure we could fit a TS in every day.

The days we are eating QS, I have written down what I think we will have, if you have other suggestions for meals or snacks please let me know!

This is only our second trip, so although I have been reading and researching for literally, years, I don’t have much actual experience and I appreciate your expertise and opinions.

Friday 4/29: Arrival day/MK

Arrive at MCO at 11:12am - Quicksilver to Polynesian arrive around 12:30/1pm

  • Check bags with bell service (if room is not ready).
  • Check out the club level lounge, but from what I understand, lunch is sparse in the lounges, so we will probably eat at Captain Cook’s.
  • Check out the resort, have a swim, hopefully check into our room.
  • Head to MK around 3:30/4pm: hopefully we will have LL’s lined up for Peter Pan, BTMRR, and HM when we arrive. We will also try to ride Small World, Little Mermaid, the Carousel and the people mover. We want to stop by Sleepy Hollow and Gaston’s for dinner/snacks, or Cosmic Ray’s/Gaston’s, or maybe CHH/Gaston’s (any suggestions for what would be best for dinner?). Head back to the hotel when we are tired… I’m guessing around 8:30 - we will probably go to bed early, because we are always tired after traveling.

Saturday 4/30: MK day

  • We don’t rope drop, I will try to book us our first LL for 9:30ish
  • Have breakfast at the resort
  • Head out to the park around 9
  • Get a waffle with fruit at Sleep Hollow
  • Use our LL’s and focus mostly on Adventure Land, Frontier Land
  • If HDDR is open (fingers crossed) we will head out around 2:30/3pm to the boat to Fort Wilderness for the 4pm show.
  • ADR: If HDDR is not open, I will try to get us an Ohana dinner reservation around 4/4:30
  • Depending on tiredness levels - back to MK or an early night at the resort.

Sunday 5/1: AK/MK

  • Our earliest day: 8:45am WAT I’m assuming we will want to take a Lyft to the park to make it in time? What time should we leave?
  • 8:45am - 11:45am WAT
  • Leave WAT, walk through Africa, let the kids get a snack if they want one - I need to research snacks in AK.
  • Walk over to Asia, stop at Royal Anandapur Tea Company so DH and I can grab a frozen Chai tea.
  • Mosey over to Pandora, ride FOP (ILL).
  • Take the bus back to the Poly, eat lunch, rest, let DD8 swim
  • Head over to MK
  • Casey’s for QS dinner
  • All of the MK attractions we haven’t been able to do and re-ride any favorites. I plan to stack LL’s earlier in the day.

Monday 5/2: Typhoon Lagoon/Epcot

  • Sleep in a little, breakfast in the lounge.
  • Head to Typhoon Lagoon - planning to take a Lyft around 9:45/10
  • This is our relaxing day, we are hoping to rent a cabana
  • Take a Lyft back to the resort sometime in the 3-4pm range
  • Change clothes take monorail to Epcot
  • ADR: Hoping to get dinner reservations for Space 220, if not we will get San Angel Inn reservations
  • If they are following the same schedule, Epcot may have extended evening hours. Stay until we are tired, head back to resort.

Tuesday 5/3: Epcot/AK

  • Check out of the Poly, bags to bell service for switch to Boardwalk

  • Eat breakfast in the lounge, monorail to Epcot

  • Explore more of Epcot

  • Eat snacks/QS at Epcot

  • Walk over to Boardwalk, check out the resort, hopefully check into our room.
  • Head to AK around 4 (haven’t decided if we will take the bus or Lyft)
  • LL for Dinosaur, check out It’s tough to be a bug because DD8 thinks it’s hilarious.
  • ADR: Dinner reservations at Yak and Yeti
  • Plan to book LL for Navi and ILL for FOP for close to closing so we can hopefully see Pandora at night - DS18 really wants to see that.

Wednesday 5/4: HS/MK - May the fourth be with us

  • 7am DH and I login into MDE one of us gets LL for MFSR, one tries for ROTR (try to get these for as early as possible)

  • Walk to HS, ride Star Tours, check out Galaxy’s edge

  • DS18 wants a reservation for Savi’s and DH wants a reservation for the Droid Depot. I was planning to get these for 2pm and 3pm with a reservation at Oga’s around 4pm.

  • DD8 and I will do our own thing while they are doing this - I was thinking we could catch the Frozen sing along, walk around the boardwalk and have a nice swim break.

  • We will meet up with DS and DH around 5/6 have dinner somewhere (unsure where) and head to MK if they are having extended hours this night

  • I don’t know where to eat lunch and dinner this day, any suggestions?. I had originally wanted to get a reservation for Sci Fi just to have the experience and a cool place to relax for lunch, but I’m worried we will have reservations for Droid Depot, Savi’s and Oga’s and it will make finding a time for ROTR and other LL’s too difficult if I add another reservation.

Thursday 5/5: DS/HS

  • Lyft to Disney Springs around 10/10:30
  • ADR: Lunch at Homecomin’
  • Explore Disney Springs (we’ve never been) - for sure check out the Lego store, the big Disney store, look at one of the big candy stores, check out Lefty’s because DH and DD are both left handed and it would be fun to get a cheesy souvenir from there.
  • Lyft back to the resort, take a break
  • Around 5 head to HS for the evening. Hopefully we will have LL’s for SDD and TSMM and ILL for MMRR. DS and I want to ride TOT.

Friday 5/6: ?/Epcot

  • ADR: The only plans we have are to get reservations for the Rose and Crown fireworks dinner. DH really wants to end the trip with a fireworks show and the kids voted to check out Epcot’s since we have never seen any fireworks at Epcot.
  • What would you do with this day?

Saturday 5/7: MK

  • Check out of The Boardwalk, bags with bell service.
  • Right now kids and DH think they want a quick goodbye tour of MK
  • Get picked up at Boardwalk between 2:30/3pm for a 5:25 flight home.

Thank you for any feedback!

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And if you do go to Epcot that ? Day you can do some of the Flower and Garden activities. There is a bee scavenger hunt, a tea scavenger hunt and a food booth one. There are live performances and it’s fun to find all the topiaries. There is a neat butterfly garden too. And some other cool ones like a Chinese zodiac one

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I did not mean to delete my post.

Honestly it’s super reasonable. I would love to travel with you!

I would personally choose the Epcot fireworks over the MK ones I enjoyed doing it from R&C. This will be your perspective with not a soul in front of you and lots of comfy space to spread out

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Here’s the menu and you get one app, main and a dessert trio plus all the drinks (alcohol included from that list).

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The night you were aiming for a Sci Fi dinner I don’t think we’ll be too much as long as you pace out your reservations. It’s a very relaxing meal. But if you want something quick the Boardwalk has a pizza window and it’s just lovely eating out there on the boardwalk. That’s one of my favorite resorts for that Boardwalk and it’s proximity to Epcot and DHS plus the theming except for these scary things

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Last thing I mentioned was a possible date night at Flying Fish if teen will watch 9yo

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How is the rose and crown viewing? Last time I tried it some woman almost broke my finger as she was trying to shove my seat out of the way to get a better view :see_no_evil:

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Oh my gosh was that the paid one? Or before when it wasn’t a special meal? Now you have the entire outside to yourselves. Mom and I went down to the patio further down to watch the show when it started because our table was in the back corner behind someone else’s all the way in the back of the top deck so there was an awning in our view. Our server who called us honey everytime lol told us we could go to the lower patio to watch the show and that it was only for those of us eating there. Most people stayed at their tables that had better views so only a few tables of people went down there. It was extremely Covid safe let along break your finger safe.

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For your May 4th day, eat one of your meals at Docking Bay 7. We liked the food and it will fit with the rest of your experience.

Snacks in AK - I love the egg rolls at Yak and Yeti Outpost (because they remind me of the ones I had growing up) but in the Africa area you can get baked goods at Kusafiri or dole whips at Tamu Tamu. Also Flatbread at Tera Treats.

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Wow! Thank you! That’s the ultimate compliment from a liner!

Thank you for the R&C pictures, DH is a huge fish and chips fan so this will be perfect. Did you feel like you were missing out on anything by not being able to see into the main circle (not sure what it’s official name is)?

I hadn’t even considered a date night, but I love the idea, thank you!

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Oh that sounds much, much better. It wasn’t a special event, we were just eating there. I also got kicked by a woman just before World of Color started in the dining package area. I said “I’m sorry - I don’t know if you realise, but you’re actually kicking me”… She said “yeah, you’re in my way”. I’m such a wimp.

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You cannot see into the star gate but no I didn’t feel like the show was less because of that. I heard one liner say they actually watched the fireworks because they weren’t staring into the star gate so I think they are just different. For me the comfort is more important than the star gate but I don’t handle packed crowds well with my ptsd. They can induce panic in me so I have a preference for avoiding that always. Lol. I was gonna try Spice Road next to see if you can see in the back of it next Dec if it’s still doing that.

*also the scotch egg and cheese platter were delicious and the sheperds pie was good but heavy. The desserts were just okay to me but I liked the strawberry trifle the best. British do savory better than sweet lol. My boys got the fish and chips and I tried them. They are pretty standard. The fries are good but I’m super picking about fish cuz I’ve been to the British places in NZ where you can choose your batter and your fish and now I’m spoiled but the boys liked them.

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Thank you, adding Docking Bay 7 to my plans for lunch.

Thank you for the AK snack suggestions, I like having so many ideas, we will probably stop at a few places.

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That sounds like a pretty great plan to me. On your MK day with Gastons/?? just make sure you check the hours bc I think both Gastons and CHH close earlier than other places. Also another to note is that either G+ it can be a mess and you might not be able to get so many in the morning hours if you’re only planning to use it for a few hours in the morning before hopping somewhere else. Speaking of G+ I definitely think it will be difficult to use in HS on May 4th if you have too many reservations so I’d probably just do DB7 or another qs that day.

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Wow. You have some luck. What is wrong with people?!? I don’t like World of Color viewing area. It’s always packed. Last time I just watched sideways from our gc balcony to avoid it. Also being 5’4” I can never see unless I’m in the front row of the splash zone. DH does not have that problem but I miss half the show cuz of my height and when my kids were little I’d walk away with a sore back from them being on my shoulders for so long. Ha ha. They definitely couldn’t see a thing without me doing that though.

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I prefer Woodys Lunchbox to DB7 for DHS quick service. Pop tarts! And tater tots! Lol

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Me too 100%! I just wish there was more shaded seating and it was policed more. Every time I’ve tried to eat there it’s been a total pita with lots of table taken up by people not eating and just waiting on others on rides or whatever.

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Yes agree that seating needs shade and more tables. Last time we took it to go and ate inside ABC Commisary

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I was going to put this as a snack option. Pop Tarts and Tater Tots are always in our list!

Docking Bay 7 has a cool atmosphere. I like the ronto wraps which they also offered there, and DD liked the chicken and Mac and chese (and Broccoli! Always a win when you can get a QS vegetable)

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Thanks for the tip about checking the hours of Gaston’s and CHH, I wouldn’t have even thought about that.

I agree so much of G+ is unpredictable, and isn’t easy to get LL’s in the order and times hoped for. I have a secret and probably unrealistic hope that they will tweak or change G+ in time for spring break after seeing how it worked for the holidays and it will be easier to navigate… I know it probably won’t happen, but it’s a nice dream :wink:

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I was able to successfully get everything I wanted except RnRC which was having some issues right before I got there so I think they may have been being stingy with releasing LLs at that time because it ran out when SDD did. But I still only waited 25 min for it standby because the days I ended up going though predicted to be 10s were 5-7s. But if you’ve seen the giant Genie+ thread…you don’t have to read it all the way thru but I followed the order of precedent there aka

  • MK: JC > PPF > BTMRR > Splash > HM > WtP > PotC > (everything else)
  • AK: KS/NRJ > DINO > FotLK > FFiF > ITtbaB
  • HS: SDD > MFSR > RNRC > ToT > TSM > AS2 > (MV3D, ST, Shows)
  • EP: TT > Soarin > MS > (TTwC, Seas, SE, LwtL, Imag, Pixar)
    and I was able to ride everything i wanted…everything I got a LL for was literally a walk on or no more than a 5 min wait (which half of that was walking thru the line). There were only a handful of things I waited for at all and they were in the 15-18 min range of waits (like PhilharMagic, Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor so shows where you have to wait for a full show usually anyway). I have full confidence you can rock the system with preparation!
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Awesome, thanks! I am getting so excited to finally be going! I appreciate you sharing your experiences and advice!

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Thx for advice on G+ prioritization. Very helpful!

Q1: On a 2pm “park hop” MK arrival where you plan only to stack G+ for second park, wondering if the below strategy is feasible. It will be a high CL day.

Q2: : Is it better to monitor (and make MK primary) and watch RTs progress, or more effective when MK is Park Hop and times advance automatically past 2? We have options as we won’t actually be going to EP in the AM, just planning on tapping in if that is smarter strategy, so I could pivot and make MK my primary park.

Q3: Curious if there are MK drops to consider?

Is the below LL grab at MK unrealistic given current state (knowing Tron isn’t knowable!)
7am: ILL Tron (if open by our trip) for 4-5
7am: JC, ideally 2-3 (is an RT beginning at 2 even offered to Park Hoppers?) if MK was primary, how fast does JC advance in 7am timeframe?
7am: ILL Space (if still on paid tier) for 4-5
11am: BTMRR, ideally 2.30-3.30
1pm: Splash, ideally, 3.30-4.30
3pm: PoC, ideally from 5.30-6.30 (what kind of RT can I expect when booking at 3? Is 5.30 an unrealistic RT for PoC on a high CL level day?
5pm: Aladdin Carpets (what kind of RT can I expect booking at 5?)

Ideal Touring plan: Enter at 2pm
LL JC (2-3 RT)
LL BTM (2.30-3.30 RT)
3pm: watch Parade from Frontierland at start
LL Splash (3.30-4.30 RT)
ILL Space (4-5 RT)
IlL Tron (4-5 RT)
Dinner: Columbia Harbor: (4.45-5.30)
Hall of Presidents (5.30-6) (filler while waiting for/working around RTs, slot in any order)
LL PoC: RT 5.30-6.30
Tiki Room (filler while waiting for/working around RTs, slot in any order)
Country Bear (filler while waiting for/working around RTs, slot in any order)
Swiss Tree House (optional filler while waiting for/working around RTs, slot in any order)
LL Aladdin (RT 6.30-7.30)
Leave park around 7.