How does my September itinerary look?

[L-Harper]

Background- This will be our first ever Disney vacation! It will be me, my DH, and our 2 boys who will be 2 & 4 when we go. We will be staying at Pop Century from September 7-14.

Day 1-(W 7) - Arrival Day; Check-in; Magic Kingdom; Dinner at Chef Mickey's; Wishes

Day 2-(Th 8) - RD Animal Kingdom; lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue; dinner at Boma; tour around AKL

Day 3-(F 9) - RD Magic Kingdom; lunch at Pecos Bill; mid-day break; evening on The Boardwalk; dinner at Cape May Cafe

Day 4-(S 10) - RD Magic Kingdom; lunch at Cosmic Rays; mid-day break; evening in Epcot; dinner at Les Chefs de France

Day 5-(Su 11) - Rest Day; lunch at Everything Pop; evening in Downtown Disney; dinner at Raglan Road

Day 6-(M 12) - RD Epcot; lunch at Le Cellier {hopefully!}; mid-day break; evening in Magic Kingdom; dinner at Main Street Bakery; Main Street Electrical Parade & Wishes

Day 7-(Tu 13) - RD Hollywood Studios; lunch at Starring Rolls; mid-day break; evening in Epcot; dinner at Ohana

Day 8-(W 14) - earliest breakfast we can get at Crystal Palace; ride a couple rides in MK if we have time; Departure

Do any of you have any tips, opinions, suggestions, advice?

[Janine]

What a great age! I'm taking my soon to be 5 y/o for her first time in May.

I assume you haven't made your ADRs for meals yet, since the window hasn't opened. Just a tip - I would aim for around 6pm for dinners. You won't have to wait as long for a table and you're out early enough to make it back to your resort at a reasonable time for RD the next morning (I assume 90 minutes for a TS meal and 60 minutes for travel time, each way - if using WDW transportation).

What time are you arriving on the 7th? Or more importantly, what time are you getting up that morning? May be a long day trying to do a park and staying late for wishes. Unfortunately, I'm sure you want to start with MK (as I do with my 5 y/o) and MK isn't usually recommended on Thursday's. So I do understand why you had it on arrival day. How about doing the park, but not going back to MK after dinner for wishes - you're seeing it later in the week anyway. Otherwise, you'll be starting your vacation already tired.

Day 4: I haven't checked the crowd calenders, but I didn't think Saturday's were usually recommended for MK, because of the local crowd.
Day 7: HS is a very important RD (because of Toy Story Mania), so you'll want to be there for 8:15. Might tough with the late night the night before? I love 'Ohana, but that's a lot of traveling (HS to resort/resort EP/EP to Poly). If you do do earlier dinners, you probably won't have time to go to EP anyway (break 1-5?), then make it to 'Ohana. May consider skipping EP, since you're going there the night of day 4 - or if you really want to go to EP, just eat there again.

[vatmark]

Is that AK day all day in AK and then bus to AKL for dinner? If so that is a long day. Been there and done that exact same thing on our first trip and wouldn't do it again. By the time the end of dinner came we were wiped and then had to deal with transportation getting back to our resort. There are no resort to resort buses so you have to take a bus to a park and then get another bus to your resort.

Wishes on arrival night is probably not the best idea. It will make for a late night and then you have a RD the next morning. I would call it a night after your dinner at Chef Mickeys.

Day 6-you have a late night followed by a RD the next morning. Probably not a good idea.

Day 7 is way too much jumping around. If you want to spend the evening in Epcot maybe try for an ADR in Epcot.

Oops didn't mean to be redundant. I must have been typing while Janine posted.

Ann

[Janine]

I'm just happy that you ageed, Ann. :RpS_smile:

[L-Harper]

Thank you so much for your advice! You captured my thoughts exactly for our very first night. My son is SO excited about seeing "the grand finale fireworks over Cinderella's Castle". We will be getting up fairly early {around 6:00} on the day we leave. I'm thinking that I'll just "pencil" Wishes in and see how we feel that night, especially since we'll be up early for rope drop the next morning.

As for MK on Saturday, Touring Plans has it listed as a .3 and EasyWDW and Tour Guide Mike both have it as a green day. So, it sounds like the best option. That night is Night of Joy in MK also.

You also make a very great point about Day 7 and it being a lot of travel. My options seem to be either changing it to eating Ohana for dinner on Day 4 so doing MK in the morning, mid-day break, go straight to Ohana for an early dinner then to Epcot for the evening then having Les Chefs de France on Day 7 for dinner. -OR- We could drop Ohana all together and just eat at a restaurant in Epcot on Day 7.

[L-Harper]

Is there any place to rest and relax in AK or AKL mid-day? I hadn't planned on a mid-day break this day, but we totally could. Would that be wise?

[off2neverland]

There is almost nowhere hotter than AK in Sept. Seriously! Boma is not usually a good choice for dinner on an AK day- seems like it would be but AK is usually a 3/4 day for us and we are toast, melting and stinky well before 3 and have no desire to go anywhere but to our AC room or pool. Maybe to DTD for a CS meal
Will you have a car?
Some of your transits will become complicated if you are relying on Disney transpo- Boma is one of them- no resort to resort buses.

Anyway- I'd put Boma on an off day or an off night. Maybe switch Raglan Road to Thurs and do Boma/visit AKL on Sun?
Or skip Boma and do lunch at TH- in the park- Boma lite

Tues Day 7- too much traveling- either eat in Epcot or do dinner at Ohana- not both.

Wed Day 8 what time is departure?- this might be a better spot for CM (or Ohana bkft)- do brunch instead of dinner on arrival- RD-brunch- leave- but depends what time departure is! Usually kind of hard to make a pre park opening bkft on departure day
Then you could do CP on arrival day- in the park less traveling that day as well

Day 6 you listed dinner at Main St Bakery- they do have sandwiches for lunch but I believe once they are gone they do not restock for dinner- so unless you are feasting on pastries you may need a diff CS option!

Don't like that you have DHS RD after MSEP/Wishes but haven't looked at calendar to see what other options you'd have.

One more suggestion!
A lot of people prefer to do TS meals at lunch rather than dinner. Kids are happier at lunch time, breaks don't need to be time constrained- no dinner ADR hanging over your head to rush back to, pms are less stressful if you only have to use FPs, do fillers, eat CS and enjoy the fireworks.
With the heat in Sept and boys 2 and 4 that might be something to consider?

[mousehelper]

Background- This will be our first ever Disney vacation! It will be me, my DH, and our 2 boys who will be 2 & 4 when we go. We will be staying at Pop Century from September 7-14.

For a first trip, I think you did a great job on this itinerary, for the most part!

Day 1-(W 7) - Arrival Day; Check-in; Magic Kingdom; Dinner at Chef Mickey's; Wishes
What itme is Wishes? This is probably a bit much on arrival daY. Maybe Mickey can be the big thing today?


Day 2-(Th 8) - RD Animal Kingdom; lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue; dinner at Boma; tour around AKL
Please put a break in here. You will be melting by around 1/2. I know Rope Drop thru Boma sound slike a good idea. But, once there, you'll see, not so much. If the cost isn't prohibitive-- you could take a cab to and/or from Akl.


Day 3-(F 9) - RD Magic Kingdom; lunch at Pecos Bill; mid-day break; evening on The Boardwalk; dinner at Cape May Cafe
Nice. I would consider a cab home. It's quite a walk from the front of Epcot to CMC, or Ds to there.


Day 4-(S 10) - RD Magic Kingdom; lunch at Cosmic Rays; mid-day break; evening in Epcot; dinner at Les Chefs de France
Will you do Illum? You could, as you have the next morning off.


Day 5-(Su 11) - Rest Day; lunch at Everything Pop; evening in Downtown Disney; dinner at Raglan Road
Fun time!!


Day 6-(M 12) - RD Epcot; lunch at Le Cellier {hopefully!}; mid-day break; evening in Magic Kingdom; dinner at Main Street Bakery; Main Street Electrical Parade & Wishes
Hmmm... Don't like this late night and the very important DS Rd tomorrow. No parade/wishes on day 3? I'm guessing no. Can you rearrange a bit so you have a day off after the fireworks? Or at least not the Disney Hollywood Studios Rd? it isn't very forgiving of being late. Animal Kingdom is though...


Day 7-(Tu 13) - RD Hollywood Studios; lunch at Starring Rolls; mid-day break; evening in Epcot; dinner at Ohana
Evenign at Epcot or 'Ohana-- not both though, okay? I'd bet big money you won't be happy with all these transitions.


Day 8-(W 14) - earliest breakfast we can get at Crystal Palace; ride a couple rides in MK if we have time; Departure
Nice.

You are so close to being great, I can taste it. Just needs a few tweaks!

[L-Harper]

Here are the changes I'm thinking of:

Day 1-(W 7) - Arrival Day; Check-in; Magic Kingdom; Dinner at Chef Mickey's; Wishes at 9:00 {if we're up for it}

Day 2-(Th 8) - RD Animal Kingdom; lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue; mid-day break; evening in Downtown Disney; dinner at Raglan Road

Day 3-(F 9) - RD Magic Kingdom; lunch at Pecos Bill; mid-day break; evening on The Boardwalk; dinner at Cape May Cafe

Day 4-(S 10) - RD Magic Kingdom; lunch at Cosmic Rays; mid-day break; dinner at 'Ohana at 5:00; Epcot for IllumiNations

Day 5-(Su 11) - Rest Day; lunch at Everything Pop; evening at Animal Kingdom Lodge with dinner at Boma

Day 6-(M 12) - RD Epcot; lunch at Le Cellier {hopefully!}; mid-day break; evening in Magic Kingdom; dinner at possibly Everything Pop; Main Street Electrical Parade at 8:00 & Wishes at 9:00 (there are no other nights during our week that have both of these at these times, so this is our only option)

Day 7-(Tu 13) - RD Hollywood Studios; lunch at Starring Rolls; mid-day break; evening in Epcot; dinner at Les Chefs de France

Day 8-(W 14) - earliest breakfast we can get at Crystal Palace; ride a couple rides in MK if we have time; Departure {I don't know our departure time yet, so none of this may even happen} (Also, I don't care if we're tired, we'll sleep at home!) :RpS_lol:

How are these changes? Being a newbie is so HARD!

[Janine]

You won't get any :RpS_thumbsup: on the wishes/RD at DS combo, but you know what you're getting into. Other then that, I think it looks great.

To not have the 'all important' RD at DS after your late night, maybe move DS to the 9th, and put your 2nd MK on the 13th after the late night. A 2nd MK RD isn't as critcal as that DS RD, especially since you're most likely not doing Rapunzel at MK. Just a thought...

[L-Harper]

You won't get any :RpS_thumbsup: on the wishes/RD at DS combo, but you know what you're getting into. Other then that, I think it looks great.

To not have the 'all important' RD at DS after your late night, maybe move DS to the 9th, and put your 2nd MK on the 13th after the late night. A 2nd MK RD isn't as critcal as that DS RD, especially since you're most likely not doing Rapunzel at MK. Just a thought...

GENIUS!!! :hail: This is exactly what I'm going to do! I didn't see that they were both "green" days before. Thank you so much for all of your help!!! :RpS_thumbup:

[off2neverland]

Another option
DHS on 9/9- Yellow but honestly it's a low crowd time so Yellow is doable- but then no Wishes on arrival night.
Then AK on Thurs- Green- and that can work just fine as a later arrival day- assuming the boys won't be riding EE? You might even be able to do 11 til closing and go to Boma that night.
Of course that also means re-aligning everything else!

But Janine's suggestion is fine too!
I would rather give up a RD at AK than a RD at MK but that's me!

[josh]

Looks pretty good to me. As Christine said, I'm a little concerned about Saturday with Ohana and Epcot for IllumiNations. I would do a dining reservation at Epcot since there are plenty of excellent restaurants or perhaps skip IllumiNations and get a later Ohana reservation. You wouldn't necessarily be getting much of a break with a 5pm reservation all the way back at the Polynesian either. Just a thought. Technically, it's certainly doable. Another sort of crazy idea would be to head out to Hollywood Studios with the Fantasmic Dining Package to eat at Mama Melrose around 5pm and do a couple of the high capacity shows. I noticed you only have one morning at the Studios. With the Dining Package and knowledge that the Studios will be busy, you should still be able to have fun and see a couple of the shows - Indiana Jones, Beauty and the Beast and maybe Great Movie Ride and Backlot Tour. If you were to do that, you'd obviously need to skip Ohana. You'll be able to see IllumiNations on Monday.

Otherwise it looks good. I used your itinerary as an example in the "sticky" for this forum, so you must be doing something right :RpS_drool::RpS_drool:

[Janine]

I tried to do a plan for AK late day after the late wishes night, but I couln't make the rest of the days work? :RpS_unsure:

Thanks lharper, you made my day. :RpS_blushing:

[L-Harper]

I really cannot thank you all enough for your help! I want our first WDW vacation to go as smoothly as possible, that's why I've been trying to learn as much as I possibly can before we go.

I think you all have talked be out of doing 'Ohana and we'll just do Coral Reef. I wanted to do that one anyway because of the awesome atmosphere, but I'm bummed we won't be doing 'Ohana. I'm actually debating on doing 'Ohana instead of Chef Mickey's on our first night, but Chef Mickey's is so "Disney"! I know my boys will love it, so I should really keep it.

[vatmark]

You've got some great ADR's scheduled. Ohana will not make or break your trip. You'll just have to plan another Disney visit after this one and do Ohana.:RpS_wink:

Ann

[josh]

Chef Mickey's and Coral Reef!!!! :RpS_cursing: :RpS_flapper:

You could sleep in on the 9th, hit Magic Kingdom around noon, and head to Ohana after 7pm. It'd be easy to get back to Pop Century because Disney will be running buses for the Night of Joy all night.

[josh]

Maybe Garden Grill in Epcot on the 13th? It'd be a lot easier to get to than Cape May. The kids (and you) might get a kick out of Biergarten too. There's a lot of kid friendly food and the band/dancing is a lot of fun.