Thoughts on my Itinerary?

[Disney Dining Dad]

I booked my restaurant reservations a couple of months ago and now just had the chance to select my FastPass+ options for when my wife, four-year-old daughter and I go to Disney World in July.

Here's what we have planned. I was hoping to get some feedback as someone who hasn't been to WDW in about 15 years.

Sunday:
1:35pm - Lunch at Be Our Guest
3:20pm - Soarin' Around the World
4:30pm - Check into Wilderness Lodge
6:15pm - Dinner at Artist Point

Monday:
9:25am - Breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table
11:40am - Peter Pan's Flight
3:00pm - Enchanted Tales with Belle
5:20pm - Dinner at Ohana
7:45pm - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Tuesday:
10:00am- Kilimanjaro Safaris
12:00pm - Lunch at Yak & Yeti
1:50pm - Na'vi River Journey
3:25pm - Kali River Rapids
6:15pm - Dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse

Wednesday:
9:55am - Toy Story Mania
10:55am - Voyage of the Little Mermaid
12:30pm - Lunch at 50's Prime Time Cafe
3:00pm - For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
7:00pm - Dinner at Flying Fish

Thursday:
9:20am - Breakfast at Chip 'n' Dale's Harvest at Garden Grill
11:40am - The Seas with Nemo & Friends
1:50pm - Frozen Ever After
3:05pm - Spaceship Earth
6:15pm - Dinner at Monsieur Paul

Friday:
9:20am - Breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe
10:30am - Pool time at Wilderness Lodge until departure

A few things to note:
- I realize that many of the popular "thrill ride" attractions such as Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Haunted Mansion, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Flight of Passage, etc. are missing, but that's either because my daughter won't be tall enough or might be too scared.
- I got most of my FastPass+ options but had to settle for Seven Dwarfs in the late evening (and after a big dinner at Ohana) and didn't get Slinky Dog Dash at all, instead having to settle for Toy Story Mania as my Tier 1 option at Hollywood Studios.
- The one choice I am having some doubts about is the river rapids so close to a fancy anniversary dinner on Tuesday. I think we will have time to dry off and possibly even return to our resort, but enjoying steak while still being damp isn't ideal. Also, my wife has some vertigo issues so I hope the rafts don't spin too much. I originally had Festival of the Lion King as my third FP option at AK but then read that it's not worth using a FP on a show unless you have a need to have front row (or close to it) seats.
- You'll see that I only chose one FastPass option on the first day, even though I still have two at my disposal, but after waking up at 3:00am to fly to Orlando from Pittsburgh, that day may be a bit of a blur. I just hope we're still standing at dinner. I chose Soarin' because that was our close second Tier 1 selection at Epcot, but it will obviously require hopping from MK to Epcot to Wilderness Lodge.
- We don't have tickets to a park or meals left on our last day so we plan to just chill at the resort until it's time to go. Lunch at Geyser Point is likely as well, but everything will be out of pocket.

If anyone has any comments, criticisms or other feedback, it is highly welcomed and appreciated. Thanks very much.

 

[nickys]

I booked my restaurant reservations a couple of months ago and now just had the chance to select my FastPass+ options for when my wife, four-year-old daughter and I go to Disney World in July.

Here's what we have planned. I was hoping to get some feedback as someone who hasn't been to WDW in about 15 years.

Sunday:
1:35pm - Lunch at Be Our Guest
3:20pm - Soarin' Around the World
4:30pm - Check into Wilderness Lodge
6:15pm - Dinner at Artist Point

Monday:
9:25am - Breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table
11:40am - Peter Pan's Flight
3:00pm - Enchanted Tales with Belle
5:20pm - Dinner at Ohana
7:45pm - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Tuesday:
10:00am- Kilimanjaro Safaris
12:00pm - Lunch at Yak & Yeti
1:50pm - Na'vi River Journey
3:25pm - Kali River Rapids
6:15pm - Dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse

Wednesday:
9:55am - Toy Story Mania
10:55am - Voyage of the Little Mermaid
12:30pm - Lunch at 50's Prime Time Cafe
3:00pm - For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
7:00pm - Dinner at Flying Fish

Thursday:
9:20am - Breakfast at Chip 'n' Dale's Harvest at Garden Grill
11:40am - The Seas with Nemo & Friends
1:50pm - Frozen Ever After
3:05pm - Spaceship Earth
6:15pm - Dinner at Monsieur Paul

Friday:
9:20am - Breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe
10:30am - Pool time at Wilderness Lodge until departure

A few things to note:
- I realize that many of the popular "thrill ride" attractions such as Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Haunted Mansion, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Flight of Passage, etc. are missing, but that's either because my daughter won't be tall enough or might be too scared.
- I got most of my FastPass+ options but had to settle for Seven Dwarfs in the late evening (and after a big dinner at Ohana) and didn't get Slinky Dog Dash at all, instead having to settle for Toy Story Mania as my Tier 1 option at Hollywood Studios.
- The one choice I am having some doubts about is the river rapids so close to a fancy anniversary dinner on Tuesday. I think we will have time to dry off and possibly even return to our resort, but enjoying steak while still being damp isn't ideal. Also, my wife has some vertigo issues so I hope the rafts don't spin too much. I originally had Festival of the Lion King as my third FP option at AK but then read that it's not worth using a FP on a show unless you have a need to have front row (or close to it) seats.
- You'll see that I only chose one FastPass option on the first day, even though I still have two at my disposal, but after waking up at 3:00am to fly to Orlando from Pittsburgh, that day may be a bit of a blur. I just hope we're still standing at dinner. I chose Soarin' because that was our close second Tier 1 selection at Epcot, but it will obviously require hopping from MK to Epcot to Wilderness Lodge.
- We don't have tickets to a park or meals left on our last day so we plan to just chill at the resort until it's time to go. Lunch at Geyser Point is likely as well, but everything will be out of pocket.

If anyone has any comments, criticisms or other feedback, it is highly welcomed and appreciated. Thanks very much.

I don't think you can possibley get from MK after BOG to Epcot and Soarin and be back at WL by 4:30!

Let's break,that down.

Lunch at BOG, arrive 15 mins earlier (they won't let you in any earlier than that). Even by pre-ordering, you will still want to take time and look around BOG. There's 3 rooms, plus a "mural" that everyone wants a picture taken in front of as you leave (there'll be a queue there too). So a minimum of an hour Imreckon with a 4 year old.

So at around 2:20/2:30 you walk back to MK monorail, go to TTC, switch monorail lines for Epcot. Go through security, get to Soarin and ride. It could be 4pm by the time you get off. Are you really going to just walk straight to Soarin and out again? No oohing and ahhhing at SSE and photos?

Back out to the front and either bus or Uber back to WL.

And having been up at 3am, won't the little one be done for by dinner time?

I would skip Epcot that day, head over from MK to WL by boat when you're ready, have a rest or swim before dinner. Much more relaxing!

Go to Soarin right after GG breakfast instead is my suggestion.

 

[BraveGirl]

All looks good except that first day - BOG to Soarin will be crazy. What time is rope drop on your Epcot day? Is it 9? Then run right to Soarin and you'll be done in time for your reservation at GG. Or head back there right before closing, as long as you don't mind missing Illuminations. The line will be less than 20 minutes at either of those times.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

• Skip Soarin' on arrival day and go there before your Garden Grill breakfast. Honestly, skip everything on arrival day. You're going to be exhausted and starting a Disney trip exhausted is a recipe for disaster.
• That's a lot of signature dining with a four year old. Not worth the time or the money in my experience (six trips with a child under 4)
• You need mid-day breaks. It's going to be hot and crowded and everyone will get cranky. You should be leaving the park around lunch time and coming back in the late afternoon.
• Can you cluster any of your FastPasses earlier in the day? Ideally, you'll be done with your first three by lunch time so that you can make same-day reservations for additional attractions.
• If your budget allows it, consider adding another night (or two or three). I've done the parks a number of different ways and the most effective itinerary I've found with small children involves long stays of 7 or 8 nights combined with reasonable bed times and early afternoon naps. People usually think that short trips are less draining on little kids, but I find the opposite to be true. The shorter the trip, the more you feel pressured to cram as much as possible into every single day.

EDIT: To add to my last point, I'd (much) rather have eight nights at a Moderate resort than five nights at a Deluxe resort.

 

[Disney Dining Dad]

Thank you all for your very helpful feedback. I have used it to create what I believe is a tighter, more practical schedule. When my FastPass+ access first opened up this week, I admittedly was just trying to secure certain attractions without really looking at times or maps. Here's what I have now:

Sunday:
10:50am - Jungle Cruise
11:50am - The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
1:35pm - Lunch at Be Our Guest
3:05pm - Tomorrowland Speedway
4:30pm - Check into Wilderness Lodge
6:15pm - Dinner at Artist Point

Monday:
9:25am - Breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table
11:40am - Peter Pan's Flight
12:40pm - Enchanted Tales with Belle
5:20pm - Dinner at Ohana
7:45pm - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Tuesday:
10:00am- Kilimanjaro Safaris
12:00pm - Lunch at Yak & Yeti
12:50pm - Kali River Rapids
1:50pm - Na'vi River Journey
6:15pm - Dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse

Wednesday:
9:55am - Toy Story Mania
10:55am - Voyage of the Little Mermaid
12:30pm - Lunch at 50's Prime Time Cafe
2:00pm - For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
7:00pm - Dinner at Flying Fish

Thursday:
10:00am - Breakfast at Chip 'n' Dale's Harvest at Garden Grill
11:05am - The Seas with Nemo & Friends
12:25pm - Spaceship Earth
1:50pm - Frozen Ever After
6:15pm - Dinner at Monsieur Paul

Friday:
9:20am - Breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe
10:30am - Pool time at Wilderness Lodge until departure

- Our flight is scheduled to land in Orlando around 8:00 on Sunday morning so I'm not sure what time that puts us in the park. Thus, the first FP is for late morning.
- I realize the rides that I'm using FPs for on the first day probably aren't the best and may not even require them, but my wife think this is what my daughter will enjoy the most and feels strongly that she won't do Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (which selfishly would have been my three choices). Other options we are considering that day are Dumbo the Flying Elephant, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh or Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid, but we can likely do those without FPs. Plus, this is the first day when we will likely be very exhausted.
- Due to the proximity of Yak & Yeti and the River Rapids, I moved Kali to right after lunch. This will provide us with a nice break between Animal Kingdom and our anniversary dinner that night. I just hope the spinning rafts after all that Asian food isn't a bad idea.
- I don't know much about the boardwalk, but you'll see that we will have some time to kill between Hollywood Studios and a 7:00 dinner time. So, hopefully it's a nice place to walk around and experience before our meal.
- I'm hoping that we can do Soarin' at Rope Drop, as was suggested. That's why I pushed back the breakfast reservation. I also rearranged the activities so that we don't have to go into World Showcase and then back out to Future World.
- I realize there are some concerns about the number of sit-down meals, but we have a deluxe plan so we thought we should attempt to eat well, with two table service credits each day. The breakfasts and lunches should keep my daughter entertained, and we are hoping that she is well behaved during our more upscale dinners.

Thanks again for the feedback, and please feel free to provide more after seeing the updated itinerary.

 

[DisneyDaver]

Other options we are considering that day are Dumbo the Flying Elephant, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh or Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid, but we can likely do those without FPs.

Wouldn't your daughter prefer her first taste of WDW to be Dumbo, Pooh and Little Mermaid instead of Jungle Cruise, Alladin and Speedway? I am taking my to be 3.5 y/o daughter for her first WDW trip this fall and will be planning our arrival day to include a short MK visit with the former. I also think that first day will be a very long day for your daughter if you are getting up at 3 am. I would be careful about pushing her too hard the first day and having her be exhausted and miserable the second day. I'd suggest making sure you are in a position to check-in to the resort as soon as your room is ready so she can nap even if that means skipping a ride or two.

Last week I took a driving trip to Milwaukee for the day with my 3 y/o daughter to see Disney Junior Dance Party on Tour. She loved it and was a trooper staying up late the night of the show ... but the next day she was exhausted and not herself. After that 1 night trip, I told my wife, we are going to have to cut back on our planned long days at WDW this fall because she is not ready for that. We will see less than we hoped, but I think what we do see will be more enjoyable. Every kid is different, but I can tell you my daughter is not a napper and is used to a later side bedtime of 8 pm and she still has a hard time with the long day.

 

[ljransom]

I think it would be a lot better to plan all of your fast passes as early as possible rather than staggering them through to mid afternoon / evening. Gives you a chance to pick up additional fast passes once done.

 

[nickys]

I think it would be a lot better to plan all of your fast passes as early as possible rather than staggering them through to mid afternoon / evening. Gives you a chance to pick up additional past passes once done.

I agree. Or if you decide you're all exhausted and just want to head back for a swim and a rest, you're not wasting those FPs. Or if DD just says "I want to go swimming"!

 

[DisneyDaver]

• If your budget allows it, consider adding another night (or two or three). I've done the parks a number of different ways and the most effective itinerary I've found with small children involves long stays of 7 or 8 nights combined with reasonable bed times and early afternoon naps. People usually think that short trips are less draining on little kids, but I find the opposite to be true. The shorter the trip, the more you feel pressured to cram as much as possible into every single day.

I wish I could do this. I'm taking my young kids (they will be 1 and 3.5 in the fall when we go) and we are staying at Bay Lake Tower for 5 nights. Budget-wise, we could swing the 7 or 8 nights, but I can't be away from work any more than the 5 nights already planned. My wife and I have realized that our initial plan (read: cram) is not going to work so we are cutting back and removing things like MVMCP and probably Fantasmic. My oldest will not nap so that complicates things too. The good news is that we plan to return to WDW once a year so if we miss stuff this time, there will be opportunities in the future.

 

[marcella]

#1) I wouldn’t bother with Jungle Cruise or Speedway but that’s me.
#2) you can split up the fast passes if you want Big Thunder or Space Mountain while your wife and daughter do a different one.
#3) you get an hour window on the fast passes so remember that when fitting in rides with short waits. Make sure you download the app.
#4) Don’t forget Fantasmic at HS! This is a great evening show.
#5) MK evening light & fireworks show - make sure to position yourself for that! I usually do the first one down I. The crowd by the castle then walk up Main Street and watch the 2nd at the train station platform. That way you can avoid the throngs of people.