July 09 schedule help please

[BrerMichael]

Hey folks.

We are planning a 7 day trip from July 7 through the 14th. I am hoping that while Disney hasn't announced the park schedules publicly that someone with access to the cast members' Hub intrasite or maybe anyone out there might have an idea on the Extra Magic Hours schedule for that week.

I've been put in charge of the planning and since we have picked out where we want to eat (we're trying the dining plan this time around since we are bringing my girlfriend's 7 year old son with us and we need to have more of a regimented schedule) so I'd like to start making priority dining arrangements ASAP, especially for things like Cinderella's Castle.

So, any chance anyone can provide a little help. Disney's phone operators told me I wouldn't be able to make reservations or even get the July schedule to May, which seems REALLY out of character for the resort, even with all the cutbacks in the current economy.

I just want to start laying out plans as we want to make it a really fun trip for her and her son, right down to not cluing him in where we are going until we head for the airport so I want to be on the ball and get things in order as soon as I can....any ideas or suggestions in regard to schedules?

Thanks!

Mike

 

[mousefan1972]

Dining ADR's have been changed to a 90 day booking window. It was previously 180 days. If you are arriving on July 7, you can make dining reservations 90 days prior to that (April 8, according to the online calculator I just used). So you likely won't see park hours, EMH, etc until around April 1st. :wave:

 

[BrerMichael]

Thanks - usually I am just ready to hit the parks and wander but going for the first time with my girlfriend and her son, I'm more about wanting to figure out a plan of attack for touring, dining, when to go where, etc. I just want it to be perfect for them. I've ridden everything 1,000 times so my goal for the week is to make sure they get the most out of our trip.

 

[Rob562]

Thanks - usually I am just ready to hit the parks and wander but going for the first time with my girlfriend and her son, I'm more about wanting to figure out a plan of attack for touring, dining, when to go where, etc. I just want it to be perfect for them. I've ridden everything 1,000 times so my goal for the week is to make sure they get the most out of our trip.

Trust me, and I'm speaking from experience... Your travel mates will have just as good of a time (if not a better time) if you *don't* over-plan. Don't go into the park with an itinerary. Rather, go in with an idea in the back of your mind of a few key things that you want to accomplish, and few key strategies for how to handle the crowds and lines, perhaps dining reservations, and then just go with the flow.

The easiest way to a stressful Disney trip is to go in with a structured plan and the desire to make sure that your travelling companions see *everything* and get their money's worth...

-Rob

 

[Fe Maiden]

^^^ I agree. We're bringing my MIL down for her first ever visit in August and I have to keep reminding myself not to overplan.

We bought her the Birnbaum guide and told her to pick a few restaurants she'd like to eat at and write down the attractions she doesn't want to miss, we'll fill in the rest. Between that and hitting all the attractions her two grandsons want to go on she'll have a great time even if she misses some things.

One other thing we're going to try for the first time is NOT doing the dining plan. We've been relatively happy with it before, but there have been times where we stop having fun to go eat. I don't mind doing that but with the dining plan you have that guilt factor of wasting credits if you don't use them. This time I'm going to make all our ADR's just like we normally would and if we skip a meal so be it.