From the WDW Countdown iPhone app
I can’t believe it’s just 11 days until we leave for Disney to celebrate our son’s short life and heal as a family. I can’t wait to see that welcome sign.
I am a planner. I made these awesome spreadsheets for the trip last May and a really awesome planning notebook for the first trip until it was stolen! But I have done NOTHING for this trip. So I thought I would let y’all experience the planning with me.
As it stands, we are leaving Birmingham on January 1st and driving most of the way to Disney World (we usually drive straight there but the hotel rooms are $$$$ that night). We will arrive to Disney World on January 2nd.
January 2nd –
Jason will be doing his driving experience at Disney Speedway from 3 – 5 pm that day. My plan is to take the kids to Downtown Disney and hopefully meet up with some of my followers while we are there. Last time we met in front of Earl of Sandwich and the kids played in the fountain area. I think it’s going to be too cold for the fountains this time. Where would you meet up?
That night we are going to go to Hollywood Studios to see the Osborne Lights Spectacular. It is going to be busy but we are just going to go for the lights and maybe dinner.
They are having Fantasmic which we aren’t planning on seeing, so maybe we can see all the lights while others are seeing the show. What time do the lights turn on when Fantasmic is playing? Anyone know?
Where would you eat? We have only eaten at Pizza Planet and 50s Prime Time Cafe there.
Park planning –
We are not having park hoppers this trip. We also want to do 3 days at Magic Kingdom and 1 day at each of the other parks. I am a huge fan of Touringplans.com. They tell you which parks is the best parks to go to on which days. They know their stuff! My secret to not standing in line is by following their guidelines.
Trip Plan:
Even though we usually do the Magic Kingdom on our first full day in the parks, I really want to experience super low crowds on this trip. So I am trying to go where the crowds aren’t.
Monday – Epcot – Open 9 am to 9 pm
Tuesday -Magic Kingdom – Open 9 am to 8 pm
Wednesday – Magic Kingdom – Open 9 am to 8 pm
Thursday – Animal Kingdom – Open 9 am to 5 pm
Friday – Hollywood Studios – Open 9 am to 7 pm
Saturday – Magic Kingdom – Open 9 am to 9 pm plus Electrical Main Street Parade at 7 pm (we have not seen this yet!)
So what do you think? I’d love some input!
Kathy says
Sure hope your family has a great time at DisneyWorld. We just returned this week from a special trip there with our family. It was crowded but we used fast pass as soon as we entered the park and never waited too long for any rides. We have eaten at Backlot Express, just hamburgers & hot dogs and they were ok. Our food court (French Qtr) was as good as any counter service in the parks with the portions so big we could easily split them. The Electric Umbrella at Epcot was also very good. The Osborne Family lights are amazing and come on around 6pm. The weather was cool/cold last week, but I believe it is expected to be warmer when you go. Hope you are able to enjoy your visit and have good memories of your sweet little one.
tina allen says
I would not is hs at all I would take the boat over to one of the hotels and eat then take a nice boat road back that is what we did
Dana says
Just got back on 12-18. We didn’t wait more than 10 minutes for ANYTHING including characters (she filled her autograph book w/24 characters). We ate at Hollywood & Vine and Pizza Planet at MGM. My 3yo loved both and I really liked the healthier options at H&V. We also didn’t do naps either except in the stroller and found that we could get in and out quicker skipping the buses and taking our own car to the parks. We didn’t mind the few extra minutes walk, though. Have a magical trip, Kristin!
Laurie Allen says
My 16 year old daughter and i went to magic kingdom for a day. We went the second week in January in 09. With the guide from “The unofficial guide to Disney”, we were able to see it all in a day! The guide lets you cris-cross through the park at particular times to miss crowds and lines. It was GREAT! We never waited in line and rode most every attraction.
amanda says
Dont forget to rest! Take some brake time and enjoy your family! Have fun and be safe
Megan says
We are taking our kids to DW for the first time in 51 weeks. (Yes! I am counting!!!) Instead of an autograph book I am getting them park t-shirts to have signed. The characters will sign anything as long as they are not wearing it. I figure these will be fun for them to wear after the vacation is over.
CAROL says
Have a fantastic magical trip. Can’t wait to hear all about your trip!
Laura says
Hubby and I love Sci-Fi…if you’ve never been, try it! The waitress was super friendly and offered to take everyone’s picture in the car in her seating area. We love it and last time we went you didn’t need an ADR to get in because it wasn’t that busy. Hope ya’ll have fun! The parade is going to be a blast! We like to watch it from inside the Main Street Bakery while eating cheesecake :)
Lauren says
Hi- new reader but I wanted to give you some advice about the parade at MK. I live here in Orlando and if you wait until the second parade Fontierland is ALWAYS empty. Plus you can hop on rides during the first parade. Just make sure the kids get a good nap. :)
Also, if you feel like a change of pace Wishes is beautiful when viewed behind the castle in Fantasyland. You don’t see everything but it is different. My favorite spot for the fireworks is waterfront in Frontierland. You don’t see everything but it is like having the show to yourself!! (plus it isn’t as loud)
Mama Melrose is great at MGM!
Laurie says
We just got back from Disney December 19th. While at the studios we tried the Backlot Express restaurant for the 1st time and we really liked it. We also love starring rolls cafe. The sandwiches are huge and the desserts are decadent. The lights at the studios were always crowded, but breathtaking. My dream is to walk through them with few people…don’t see that happening, but I can dream. If you are interested in seeing the new Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder meet n greet(where Storytime with Belle used to be) at the Magic Kingdom we were told to get to the Magic Kingdom early and get in line for the 10:00 show. That didn’t work out for us and we stood in line a very long time. If you want your children to be able to participate in the interaction portion of the meet n greet with the characters you need to be in the front of the line. We were part of the second half of the line and my children did not get to participate in the interaction part, but only were able to do the meet n greet. They were disappointed after seeing the other children play with Rapunzel and Flynn before meeting them. I hope you have a great time!
Brandy says
THanks for posting this–dd has seen this movie twice and keeps asking to go again–I was just waiting for Rapunzel to arrive and glad to hear they are at MK.
Erica says
I do hope you have the Dining Plan.
You have to eat at Sci-Fi. The movie will keep the kids entertained. If you do go you have to try their milkshakes. They are amazing.
I agree with Amy. We went the first week of Jan. last year and it was crowded. Though not nearly as crowded as when I went Thanksgiving week.
Even though it will be less crowded MAKE ALL OF YOUR DINING RESERVATIONS RIGHT NOW! The longer you wait you will find that everything is already booked.
Daniel says
I was at studios earlier this month, and at least then there was at least one day a week the lights weren’t on, I think it was Wednesday, so you should call ahead to make sure they’ll be lit up.
Cheryl says
HS: It is a MUST to be there at rope drop or your lines automaticly triple the rest of the day! Your kids are just the right age for the Star Wars JEDI TRAINING . I cannot recomend this enough! My boys age 7 and 10 think this is the best thing at all of Disney.
Our game plan is simple. At rope drop one parent goes right to Toy Story Mania and gets in line for the fast passes. The other parent takes the boys left to get in line for the first Jedi Training session,. It usually starts at 9:45 but the line fills up quickly. They kids get to go onstage, wear jedi robes, train with a Jedi Master and then fight Darth Vader himself to prove they will not go over to the Dark Side. A Disney photographer is there and does wonderful pictures. It is true Disny Magic! By the time you’ve finished it is time to go back to TSM.
I am a Disny veteran and passholder. We live an hour away and I have been over 200 times.
Brandy says
When we went during SW weekends they changed this to more of a fast pass type thing-kids/parents lined up along the American Idol exp. and were given a fast pass like ticket to come to Jedi Training–they said the plan to do it this way from now on–DS was able to do it during SW weekends and we havne’t gone back to do it again for dd–have to be 4 so we will go in April–but during SW weekend the kids were given a SW action figure. —
Angela says
If you have the time and want a wonderful character breakfast experience, go to the beach club resort (short friendship boatride from HS). We did the breakfast before going into the park twice now and have loved the food and the atmosphere both times. I will email you more later….
Crystal says
For counter service, we ate at the ABC Commissary and it was good food and reasonably priced (well, as far as Disney prices go anyway!). We went in around 11 for lunch and it wasn’t crowded at all.
If you are looking for a sit-down, we did the Hollywood & Vine character meal for lunch one day. I think it’s one of the least crowded ones, so you may be able to go without an ADR. (we did do an ADR, but we did it the night before from our hotel room). I had originally shyed away from this one because my kids aren’t really into Little Einsteins, but they liked this one a lot – it is very interactive and the food was really good. They call the kids up to the front to dance along with songs from Imagination Movers and my son danced with Handy Manny and loved it. Plus it moved quickly so we weren’t there all day. I heard that they replaced JoJo with Special Agent Oso – I hope so, because my kids had no idea who JoJo was and like most people, they are creeped out by clowns :)
Have fun!
Brandy says
We are locals and love HS during Star Wars weekends. We usually bring our little cooler and eat at the quick service restaurant right next to the Star Tours ride. They have the soda’s as self service so we see it as the only place in HS to get free refills. In Epcot the same is true at the Electric Umbrella and in AK the Dinorama restaruant. We haven’t found anyplace like this at MK but like to eat at Pecos Bills or Cosmic Rays because one of us will get a burger and there are tons of fixings -our kids love tomatoes and pickles–so it’s a snack for them too. When you are ready to do a fancy meal the princess meal at Norway is a must–we stayed on property in late Jan. last year and were able to get the disney meal plan too- One of our meals was at Norway- we had a great time-saw almost all the princesses and they gave our free photos too—our other table meal was at liberty tree and it was all family style-just not as cool as the princess meal.
Amy says
I think you would really enjoy Sci-Fi Dine-in. I know you said your son is a handful. I have a little boy like that too :) He did wonderful at Sci-Fi. We didn’t hear a peep out of either of our kids during the whole meal. You should really give it a try!!
I hope you have a wonderful time on your trip. Just know that it will be a bit crowded. We went during that time before and thought it would be low crowds. We were surprised at how crowded it was. But if you think about it it is Christmas break for a lot of families so that is why it is so crowded.
As far as planning we never plan. We get up that morning and decided where to go. I have been going to Disney since I was little (been more times than I can count) so I have learned how to avoid long longs and such.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful trip! You are going to enjoy all the Christmas decorations. Can’t wait to hear all about it when you get back :)
Dana says
Kristin,
Glad to hear you will be enjoying WDW again so soon. We are going in 21 days. Surprising the kids on Xmas morning, but telling them we are going in May. On the actual day in January I’m waking them up and telling them we’re going to WDW instead of school that day. We have to fly, so this is a pretty big deal! I’m the Master Planner anyway, so it should go off okay. Wishing you a magical time!
Jess O says
The only 2 places we’ve eaten in HS is ABC Commissary (for fast food) we had the dinning plan and 2 adult meals came with alot of food, and Hollywood & Vine character lunch/breakfast the food is ok but the best part was that it kept our 15 month old very entertained. We had reservations to the Sci-Fi drive-in but then ended up going to Le Cellier instead since its now going to be a signature resturant (which was delicious).
Tonya says
So, you aren’t making ADRs this trip?
Like a few other people who have already posted, we really enjoyed the Sci-Fi cafe at lunch. It made me super addicted to cherry cokes for months! (Although none were as good as the one at Sci-Fi!)
Kristin from Couponing to Disney says
We aren’t doing any restaurants that need ADRs. ;) We tried that on our first trip and it wasn’t for us right now. My son is still at that age where he is a handful to take to a restaurant.
Lauren says
In January you should be able to walk up to most restaurants. Just ask at the podium. I bet you will be seated with very little wait! :)
Valerie says
I’m sure tons of people are telling you this, but you will have fun at Hollywood and Vine. Make sure you make your reservation for lunch. They don’t have the characters at dinner. We were just there a couple week agos, and they have added new characters. You still have June, Leo, and Handy Manny, but now OSO IS THERE!!! My daughter loves OSO, so that was great. There is a little show every few minutes where the characters sing and dance, and kids are invited to dance with them. By the way, we LOVE the Osbourne light show. I think we are going back one day next week so Katie can see it again.
I know your daughter has already recovered from her surgery, but if you can get your doctor to write you a note, you can get a medical pass that works like a fastpass for every ride. Just have him write something about how you need to use alternative entrances because she can’t catch any infections. Take it to guest relations at any park and they will give you the pass that is good for the length of your stay. We always use the pass for Katie. Two weeks ago, when it was crazy busy, we still didn’t wait longer than ten minutes for a single ride. That includes the Woody ride at HS. If you don’t have a medical pass, make sure you go get your fastpass for Woody as soon as you hit the park. They go fast and waits for that ride can be an hour or more even when the park isn’t super-busy.
I think someone else was writing about the electric lights parade at MK. It is definitely worth the hassle. I’ve seen all these shows and parades about a million times, but that is the one I still enjoy. It’s that good. They added some new floats this year!
I hope you have a wonderful vacation. You definitely deserve it :)
Tracie says
I almost forgot …when we were at Hollywood this past trip we were waiting for The ABC commissary (SP) to open when we noticed a server walk out and sort of look around?We waited paitiently for the doors to open and she approached us asking if we were eating there at the restaurant?We were starving and of course said “Yes!”To our surprise she gave us what she called a magical moment! We were saluted with flags as we walked in being announced and then seated at a set table.It’s just a table service type place with trays but the Magical Moment was pretty cool.We were waited on and ate from real plates etc….we were still charged but we felt like royalty and it was a magical memory for us! So maybe snoop around at about 11:00 am if your looking for a lil something fun :o)
The children will most likely get a charge out of it!
Tracie
Susan says
At HS, my 2nd favorite (1st fave is 50’s) restaurant is Mama Melrose’s. It’s a great little italian place tucked away in the back of the park. Make sure you take the little guy (Jacob?) to see Lights, Motor, Action! near the Osborne lights. It’s a stunt show that shows car chase scenes as they appear in the movies. It’s AWESOME! I believe the lights turn on sometime around 6pm.
If you want a less crowded meeting place at DTD, I suggest near the Cirque tent in the Westside. There’s a grassy area where the kids can run and play.
Character Meet & Greet Tips:
-The only place you can see Sorcerer Mickey is in the Animation Courtyard at HS.
-The only place you can see Jiminy Cricket is in Rafiki’s Planet Watch at AK.
-If you have a Disney Visa (or Debit Visa), you can get special Meet & Greets at Epcot.
The good news is, once the New Year passes, the crowds really die down. The parks should become less crowded around the 3rd or 4th when most guests leave to get their kids back to school.
If you want a really good iPhone app, check out Undercover Tourist. It gives you all the wait times for every ride (they’re pretty accurate, too!) AND give you a forecast of how busy each park will be each day! We got it for free when the had a promo going, but I think it’s only about $3 or $4. Cheaper than the app that Disney put out!!! :)
Let me know if you need any other information! I hope to meet up with you while you’re here!
Mary says
I would recommend the sci fi drive in for lunch in hollywood studios – just get burgers, onion rings and milk shakes though, don’t try any of their other stuff, those are the things are good and the atmosphere is AWESOME! my nieces love that place and my sister and I have wonderful memories of it as kids too! I would say don’t try raglan road with little ones, its more of a grown up place… just my opinion though. I love the Earl of Sandwich! I would also recommend the lego store as a good meeting up spot – i’m so jealous, I really want to start planning another trip, we typically go around every two years and its been a year since we last went (we live in washington, wish I could just drive there)
Dawn says
We ate at the sci-fi diner when we went to Hollywood Studios. I loved sitting in the cars while we ate and it did feel like you were at a drive in. The kids got these glow in the dark straw cups with a light up “ice cube”….they loved them!
I’ve heard mixed reviews on the sci fi but we really liked it and already have a reservation for when we go down in may 2011.
Tracie says
Our favorite place to eat at Hollywood is Mama Melrose.If you like Italian food this place is very good…Creme Limone’ with fresh berries is the absolute best for desert.I posted a lil note on your wall last week to see if you and your family were staying on property and doing a package deal.We have a Disney vacation club (DVC) and I had a few extra points that we weren’t going to be able to use by Jan 31st.Wish we could have shared them :o)
Restaraunt.com had a $50.00 voucher for House of Blues.Their food is really good and also we’ve used our vouchers at Kimono’s…lovely as well! We usually do the meal plan,but on our most recent visit experimented with the vouchers and they were a nice change.Also, I checked out the Rain Forest Cafe’ website and they have a club that you can join and on your next visit you get a % off or $ amount off.For some reason I think it’s 10.00 but not sure.I usually help out friends when they got to Disney and they were going there so I just so happened to look at their website.Also Joe’sCrab Shack is a really fun place to eat off property.They have great fre app’s if you sign up on their website and get their Joe Mail…LOL Really fun,quirky kinda place (Our kind of place) :o)
I hope you have a great time!
Tracie D
Susan says
I don’t know if this is allowed or not, but we’re locals and if you need someone to use your points, let me know! Shoot me an email if you’d like: [email protected]
sheri says
My 16 year old daughter and i went to magic kingdom for a day. We went the second week in January in 09. With the guide from “The unofficial guide to Disney”, we were able to see it all in a day! The guide lets you cris-cross through the park at particular times to miss crowds and lines. It was GREAT! We never waited in line and rode most every attraction.
Ann says
I highly recommend TourGuideMike. The best planning tool EVER! I’ve used Unofficial Guide (AKA touringplans.com) for years but TGM is much more reliable. Since using him, I’ve never stood in line longer than 10-15 min at any time ( unless I chose to against his advice). My trips have been a joy. It’s a wonderful community of Disney lovers full of invaluable info as well.
Karen A says
If you are looking for a place to meet in Downtown Disney, may I suggest the lego store? There is a playground and a place for kiddos to build and race cars, as well as benches for the adults to sit. And there is a pretty cool lego Woody statue inside!
Brandy says
I was going to suggest the lego store as well. The last time we went to DD to the lego store the slide at the lego playground had been taken down–there are still a bunch of lego playspots in this area. The McDonalds that used to be next store has been replaced by some chicken fast food place which we haven’t tried yet. Another option is to travel further in to DD and meet in the couryard area where they have the kiddie rides (train and carosel-which are NOT free). IF it is too cold, I would suggest meeting in one of the hotel lobbies-they are always nicely decorated this time of year-but it is harder to hold the kids interest in those places. I hope you and your family have a magical time.
Mandy says
We live about 1/2 hour away from Disney so we go to Downtown Disney often…if you can work it into your trip and enjoy Irish food (which I wasn’t sure I would the first time we went), try Raglan Road. I’ve only been for dinner and the food is very, very good…the restaurant is pretty loud, so maybe for lunch? You could meet up around there or there’s some benches outside of World of Disney between it and that bath store (can’t remember the name)…near the Ghiradelli.
If you haven’t been to the drive in restaurant at MGM (I haven’t been to MGM in two years, but I’m assuming it’s still there)…it’s a pretty cool experience and a restaurant not like any else. Have so much fun…the weather’s great down here right now!
Tracie says
Basin…..lovely :o)
jennifer says
The lights start at dust…they lit up about 6pm when we were there Dec 3rd..are you going to Mickeys very merry Christmas party? We also did that. We had a great time! Have fun:-)
Susan says
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ended on December 19th. :( It’s a ton of fun though, I highly suggest that or the Halloween Party, if you’ll be coming in the fall!
Courtney says
I pray it’s a Magical Time for you and your family, you deserve the magic and joy that Disney brings! Love ya!
Renee DeWeese says
When the kids were younger we would always eat at Hollywood and Vine. There is character dinning. The characters now are Playhouse Disney’s June and Leo from Disney’s Little Einsteins and Handy Manny. We never made reservations. We would go to the restaurant as soon as we got to the park and they usually able to work us in before the lunch rush.
Hope you have a great time!
Cheryl Denise Founder says
I have been several times (most recently in May/June of this year). I find the dining at Hollywood Studios (I still want to call it MGM) subpar compared to the other parks. We usually do pizza planet for lunch and then do the Spirit of Aloha Luau at the Poly the night we do MGM. Very pricey but it is so worth it. Great interaction w the crowd and the kids get to go up and learn to hula. The fire dancer is amazing and my son told my husband that he wished the fire guy was his dad because he was “cooler and shinier than you” which cracked us up! I have never been to WDW and not done the luau! LOVE it….
I would NOT recommend Mama Melrose, tho. I love Italian food but I thought it was TERRIBLE.
Julia says
If you like BBQ – we ate at Fairefax Fare at Hollywood Studios and liked it. Portions are big enough to share. Also if you will be at Hollywood Studios when they have evening extra magic hours there is a dance party for the kids with the characters that takes place in the Playhouse Disney Stage area. I had only found out about this right before our last trip and was so glad I did. The kids loved it!
I also use allears.net and the group on facebook is really helpful with everything. Tell us more! I love Disney planning!
April says
Kristin –
Do not miss the Electric Parade – it’s one of my favorites, and I was so glad they extended it through our trip when we went in October. It’s one thing I remember from my childhood.
We saw the rope drop at Animal Kingdom (and I cried through the whole thing) – it was the first park we did and just watching my boys excitement was amazing!
We tried the nap thing ourselves and it just didn’t work for us. But my kids are younger, by the time we got to the bus they were asleep and slept all the way to the hotel and were awake by the time we got to our room :( So there were no naps for us!
Jennifer E. says
They Turn The Osborne Lights On Normally at 6 :)
Wendy S says
ENJOY the Electrical light parade, it was wonderful to have it back at Disney
CA adventure, I was sorry to see it leave. Hope you and your family have a great
and safe trip !!
Beverly says
Kristin – We went to Disney when my daughter was 2 back in the summer of 2008. We are planning another trip this summer. The best advice I can give you is to go to the park that has early opening and be there before the chain drops. When it starts to get busy, go back to the hotel and take a nap. A friend gave me this advice. And although it was hard to get up early and get there, it was well worth it. We hardly ever waited in line. And after the nap we were energized and ready to go again. My friend’s advice was that many people PLAN on making it to early open, but something happens and they don’t get up & around early enough and make it a little later. I am NOT a morning person, but this was great for us. I also use allears.net. Enjoy!
Stephanie W says
I wish I had some tips for you but I’ve only been recently in April, and we paid out the wazoo for the trip because of my poor planning. :( But I’m excited you’re going to see the Osborne lights. The Osbornes are from Arkansas, just like me, and I remember driving by their house (MANSION is more like it) every year to see their lights. Traffic was always crazy, and I think that’s why they stopped doing it in Arkansas. I’m not sure how they ended up doing it at Disney, though. I live in Tallahassee, FL now, and around this time every year I really miss seeing the Osborne lights. Have fun and PLEASE take lots of pics! :)