What needs to be done early?

[papercut]

I'm making my first trip to WDW this November, and I'm trying to figure out what needs to be done early. Like what PS's to make and such. What restaurants require a PS to get into when you want? What other things do you need pre-ordered tickets for? Thanks.

 

[Nansafan]

Hi and welcome to the boards. On the www.wdwinfo.com website (link below), there is a great PS calculator. You enter date you want to eat and it will give you the earliest date you can make your PS. It is a great help. If you call too early (95 days as opposed to 90 days), the dining people will tell you that you can't make the PS yet.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/pscalc/dispscalc.html

Since your trip in is November, now is a good time to start reading up on the restaurants to decide where you want to eat and to get your personal dining plan in order. Our family likes to have an agenda for each day. Basically which park to visit in the daytime and which at night if we're park-hopping. I have heard of people planning their days to the exact order they will ride attractions. We don't get that detailed. We also try not to schedule 2 sit-down meals in a day because we don't want to be running around trying to get from one PS to another PS.

We find that the important thing is to check out the menus for the restaurants so that most in your group will be happy. www.allearsnet.com has a great menu database.

Outside of the Cirque du Soliel, I don't know of any other thing you need pre-ordered tickets for unless you will be there for an event like the Halloween party or the Christmas party.

Hope this helps.

 

[papercut]

Thanks for the quick reply. We will be there for Halloween actually. I've already made the reservation for the AKL from Oct. 30-Nov.5. I plan on going to the Cirque show and noticed the earliest you can get tickets for that seems to be 45 days.

Do all the sit down restaurants require PS to get in to? I've been reading on here that character meals definitely need a PS made 90 days prior.

 

[Master Yoda]

They don’t require it in all cases but it is a good idea to make PS arrangements at any and every restaurant that does it. Otherwise you will find yourself waiting quit a wile to get in. Another thing you will want to do is sign up for the Disney Dinning Experience. You will need to be a FL resident or Annual Pass holder to qualify. It costs $50 but it will save you 20% off your tab (including alcohol) at nearly every table service restaurant on property. It takes 4-6 weeks to get your card but they will send you a confirmation e-mail that will work until you get your card. It seems like you are planning a lot of sit down meals and that card can save you a bundle.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Thanks for the quick reply. We will be there for Halloween actually. I've already made the reservation for the AKL from Oct. 30-Nov.5. I plan on going to the Cirque show and noticed the earliest you can get tickets for that seems to be 45 days.

Do all the sit down restaurants require PS to get in to? I've been reading on here that character meals definitely need a PS made 90 days prior.

Hi and welcome to the boards. I plan very similar to Nansafan as well. I agree about the dining thing. AKL is a great resort. I adored Boma for breakfast, probably one of the nicer buffets on property. No Characters at that one though but the food and atmosphere are excellent. prepare to leave VERY full!!!! I also have done Boma for dinner and the food was a bit too exotic for my tastes but many people here seem to love it. Have you looked into the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party?? That is one of the items to plan ahead on!!! Keep an eye both here and on WWW.allearsnet.com for when these tickets come out. This is a hard ticket event meaning it is not included with any package and must be purchased seperately. Oct 31st is ALWAYS sold out so that is one of the things I would tell you to do ahead of time. As far as Priority seatings. generally the only one that needs to be done 90 days in advance at 7 am is breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table. That is the hardest PS to get on property, followed by the Princess Storybook Breakfast in Norway in EPCOT. The vast majority of the other restaurants are usually not too bad in terms of a PS. I would recommend making one anyhow. My theory on that is if you make one and it is crowded when you get there and they are turning people away, you will get in!!! If it is not corwded you will still get in at the time you wanted to!!! Either way it is a win win proposition. For now Id say start looking at all of the menus for all of the restaurants and see what rocks your socks. From there chart out when you will be near that restaurant. You wouldnt want to have to go to Boma's for dinner at 7 and the run over to Magic Kingdom for fireworks at 9, for example you will never make it!!! If there is a fireworks show in that park, plan for two hours prior to the show. For example Illuminations is the firework show at EPCOT. It is 90% of the time done at 9pm. Id plan dinner at one of the World Showcase restaurants for no later than 6:30 or so, unless you want to eat in the Rose and Crown which is the only restaurant that faces the fireworks display location ( middle of the World Showcase Lagoon). Are you going to be driving to the parks or taking the free shuttles? That may make a difference in trems of timing for dinners as well. Hope this helps and I can help you more as it gets a bit closer, as we may have th hours of the parks and fireworks showes to work around!!! Belle

 

[papercut]

You guys are so helpful!!

I got the Dining Plan that comes with the MYW, so I'll have a table service meal for each of us everyday we're there. I'm trying to do all of this and keep it a suprise for my girlfriend because it is her anniversary present, so I'm trying to make sure we're able to do all the things she might want to do.

 

[magic minnie]

Just a cool anniversary idea . . . I've heard you can reserve a boat by the Boardwalk to watch Illuminations on the water! We plan on doing this next time we go back because Illuminations is our favorite show. I think it's like $100 but it fits 8 people, so pairing up would bring the cost down.

Also, check www.mousesavers.com for discounts leading up to your travel date . . . it looks like you have everything under control, but for future reference, we have saved a ton of money by buying an Annual Pass (with the hotel discounts, etc). The discount codes are on mousesavers.

Have fun!

 

[wannabeBelle]

You guys are so helpful!!

I got the Dining Plan that comes with the MYW, so I'll have a table service meal for each of us everyday we're there. I'm trying to do all of this and keep it a suprise for my girlfriend because it is her anniversary present, so I'm trying to make sure we're able to do all the things she might want to do.

Good call on the Dining package. I always do a sit down meal at minimum for dinner and often for breakfast as well. Anything I can do to help, let me know!!! Belle