[ak172]

We are going to WDW in December with a group. We want to plan a few things but most of all we dont want to have to worry about ADR's or anything that is really planned because none of us have ever been and we dont know where are children are going to want to be... We have chosen not to do the Dinning plan. We are staying in a 2 bedroom villa at the Board Walk Inn and we plan to eat breakfast there in the room.

So here is what we are looking at and need your opinions here....

December 20th- Arrive at WDW around 1pm. Go to Epcot for the day and make sure to catch the illumiations fireworks at 9:30.

December 21st- Go to AK in the morning and make sure to catch the jungle parade. After AK head to DS for the remainder of the day and make sure to catch Fantasmic Fireworks.

December 22nd- MK day. We plan to eat breakfast at the castle with the char. and do the Christmas Parade this day and catch the firework show that night.

December 23rd- MK day. We plan to catch the spectro magic parade that day.

December 24th- MK day.

December 25th- Breakfast at Chief Mickey's and hang out at DTD before we leave. We will be leaving WDW around 4pm so we plan to just hang out this day and hit DTD.

Questions:

1. Any ideas that you can give me will be great but do you think this schedule will allow us to feel free from time crunches? We can move anything around but the breakfast with char.

2. Since our children are younger and have never been to WDW we have been told not to take them the MK until they have been to the other parks. Do you think this is the right thing to do?

3. Do you think that Epcot on the first day there is the best park out of AK, EP or DS to go to. I do not think that we will spend a entire day at DS and wanted to get more time in at EP and AK. I also heard that going to AK in the morning is the best time to go because the animals will be out more in the morning hours.

4. We were thinking that if we went to the parks the day we got there that it would give us more time then going to the parks on the day that we left. Should we not go to the parks the day that we get there and go on Christmas the day that we leave? I saw that the 25th is very busy and that is why we were thinking of using that as the day to explore and go to DTD.

5. What are the first things you do or see when you enter each park?

6. Can anyone give me the best locations to be at and what time to get there to get great seats for the fireworks and parades?

Thank you for all your help.

[iluvwdw]

Originally Posted by ak172

We are going to WDW in December with a group. We want to plan a few things but most of all we dont want to have to worry about ADR's or anything that is really planned because none of us have ever been and we dont know where are children are going to want to be... We have chosen not to do the Dinning plan. We are staying in a 2 bedroom villa at the Board Walk Inn and we plan to eat breakfast there in the room.

So here is what we are looking at and need your opinions here....

December 20th- Arrive at WDW around 1pm. Go to Epcot for the day and make sure to catch the illumiations fireworks at 9:30.

December 21st- Go to AK in the morning and make sure to catch the jungle parade. After AK head to DS for the remainder of the day and make sure to catch Fantasmic Fireworks.

December 22nd- MK day. We plan to eat breakfast at the castle with the char. and do the Christmas Parade this day and catch the firework show that night.

December 23rd- MK day. We plan to catch the spectro magic parade that day.

December 24th- MK day.

December 25th- Breakfast at Chief Mickey's and hang out at DTD before we leave. We will be leaving WDW around 4pm so we plan to just hang out this day and hit DTD.

Questions:

1. Any ideas that you can give me will be great but do you think this schedule will allow us to feel free from time crunches? We can move anything around but the breakfast with char.

2. Since our children are younger and have never been to WDW we have been told not to take them the MK until they have been to the other parks. Do you think this is the right thing to do?

3. Do you think that Epcot on the first day there is the best park out of AK, EP or DS to go to. I do not think that we will spend a entire day at DS and wanted to get more time in at EP and AK. I also heard that going to AK in the morning is the best time to go because the animals will be out more in the morning hours.

4. We were thinking that if we went to the parks the day we got there that it would give us more time then going to the parks on the day that we left. Should we not go to the parks the day that we get there and go on Christmas the day that we leave? I saw that the 25th is very busy and that is why we were thinking of using that as the day to explore and go to DTD.

5. What are the first things you do or see when you enter each park?

6. Can anyone give me the best locations to be at and what time to get there to get great seats for the fireworks and parades?

Thank you for all your help.

OK, I have a few questions for you. Do you at least have ADRs for Chef Mickeys and CRT breakfast? Since you are going during the busiest week of the year, I cannot stress enough how IMPORTANT ADRs are to make. You can always cancel them. But unless you plan on eating counter service for every meal, you really should add a couple more ADRs to your plans.

As for your questions, here are my opinions:
1. Any ideas that you can give me will be great but do you think this schedule will allow us to feel free from time crunches? We can move anything around but the breakfast with char. Seems like you're spending a lot of time at MK and not a lot of time at the other parks. Which is GREAT if you have little kids! But don't feel pressed to stick to an EXACT SCHEDULE when you are there, especially since this is your first time.

2. Since our children are younger and have never been to WDW we have been told not to take them the MK until they have been to the other parks. Do you think this is the right thing to do?
I personally never stick to that school of thought. I have a 5 year old and a 1 year old. I never had a problem going to other parks after being to the MK. Each one is EXCITING for them!

3. Do you think that Epcot on the first day there is the best park out of AK, EP or DS to go to. I do not think that we will spend a entire day at DS and wanted to get more time in at EP and AK. I also heard that going to AK in the morning is the best time to go because the animals will be out more in the morning hours.
If you want to spend more time at Epcot, then I'd say GO FOR IT. According to Touring Plans, Epcot and Animal Kingdom are the best parks to go to that day. GO FOR IT!!!!

4. We were thinking that if we went to the parks the day we got there that it would give us more time then going to the parks on the day that we left. Should we not go to the parks the day that we get there and go on Christmas the day that we leave? I saw that the 25th is very busy and that is why we were thinking of using that as the day to explore and go to DTD.
I would DEFINITELY stick to your plan. The crowds will be HORRENDOUS on Christmas Day! It is THE MOST CROWDED DAY OF THE YEAR! You will DEFINITELY get more done if you go to a park on the first day of your trip. Spend your last day exploring DTD or the Boardwalk for a nice relaxing day before your trip home.

5. What are the first things you do or see when you enter each park?
EVERYONE will have different answers for you. For my family, our "FIRSTS" are as follows:
MK - Walk down Main Street and take a left towards Adventureland. If we get there early enough in the morning, we will try to do Fantasyland before the crowds come
AK - Tree of Life...It's Tough to Be a Bug. After that, we make our way to the Harambe Safari!
DS/MGM - Tower of Terror and RnR! Of course, the kids can't do these (well, my 5 year old CAN to ToT!) but as we walk past BATB, we check out the next time and plan to go to that show
EPCOT - We usually bypass Spaceship Earth as we walk in...we find the crowds to be NON EXISTENT later on in the day. We spend our first hour or two exploring Innoventions East and West. The kids ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT in there!!! We could easily spend half the day here!

6. Can anyone give me the best locations to be at and what time to get there to get great seats for the fireworks and parades?
I usually don't go to many daytime parades, so I can't help you there. And I won't go stake out a place to sit an hour or two before fireworks start...I just can't do it! My son has ADHD and definitely CANNOT stand the wait. So we usually just wing it. I can tell you that at Epcot, we usually watch the fireworks from the back of Cantina de San Angel, behind the souvenier store between the Mexico and Canada pavillions or in England.

HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME....AND MAKE SOME ADRs!!! YOU WON'T BE SORRY! (and you can ALWAYS cancel if you want to)

[Dopey]

Originally Posted by iluvwdw

OK, I have a few questions for you. Do you at least have ADRs for Chef Mickeys and CRT breakfast? Since you are going during the busiest week of the year, I cannot stress enough how IMPORTANT ADRs are to make. You can always cancel them. But unless you plan on eating counter service for every meal, you really should add a couple more ADRs to your plans.

As for your questions, here are my opinions:
1. Any ideas that you can give me will be great but do you think this schedule will allow us to feel free from time crunches? We can move anything around but the breakfast with char. Seems like you're spending a lot of time at MK and not a lot of time at the other parks. Which is GREAT if you have little kids! But don't feel pressed to stick to an EXACT SCHEDULE when you are there, especially since this is your first time.

2. Since our children are younger and have never been to WDW we have been told not to take them the MK until they have been to the other parks. Do you think this is the right thing to do?
I personally never stick to that school of thought. I have a 5 year old and a 1 year old. I never had a problem going to other parks after being to the MK. Each one is EXCITING for them!

3. Do you think that Epcot on the first day there is the best park out of AK, EP or DS to go to. I do not think that we will spend a entire day at DS and wanted to get more time in at EP and AK. I also heard that going to AK in the morning is the best time to go because the animals will be out more in the morning hours.
If you want to spend more time at Epcot, then I'd say GO FOR IT. According to Touring Plans, Epcot and Animal Kingdom are the best parks to go to that day. GO FOR IT!!!!

4. We were thinking that if we went to the parks the day we got there that it would give us more time then going to the parks on the day that we left. Should we not go to the parks the day that we get there and go on Christmas the day that we leave? I saw that the 25th is very busy and that is why we were thinking of using that as the day to explore and go to DTD.
I would DEFINITELY stick to your plan. The crowds will be HORRENDOUS on Christmas Day! It is THE MOST CROWDED DAY OF THE YEAR! You will DEFINITELY get more done if you go to a park on the first day of your trip. Spend your last day exploring DTD or the Boardwalk for a nice relaxing day before your trip home.

5. What are the first things you do or see when you enter each park?
EVERYONE will have different answers for you. For my family, our "FIRSTS" are as follows:
MK - Walk down Main Street and take a left towards Adventureland. If we get there early enough in the morning, we will try to do Fantasyland before the crowds come
AK - Tree of Life...It's Tough to Be a Bug. After that, we make our way to the Harambe Safari!
DS/MGM - Tower of Terror and RnR! Of course, the kids can't do these (well, my 5 year old CAN to ToT!) but as we walk past BATB, we check out the next time and plan to go to that show
EPCOT - We usually bypass Spaceship Earth as we walk in...we find the crowds to be NON EXISTENT later on in the day. We spend our first hour or two exploring Innoventions East and West. The kids ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT in there!!! We could easily spend half the day here!

6. Can anyone give me the best locations to be at and what time to get there to get great seats for the fireworks and parades?
I usually don't go to many daytime parades, so I can't help you there. And I won't go stake out a place to sit an hour or two before fireworks start...I just can't do it! My son has ADHD and definitely CANNOT stand the wait. So we usually just wing it. I can tell you that at Epcot, we usually watch the fireworks from the back of Cantina de San Angel, behind the souvenier store between the Mexico and Canada pavillions or in England.

HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME....AND MAKE SOME ADRs!!! YOU WON'T BE SORRY! (and you can ALWAYS cancel if you want to)

Wow Kim, you did a really nice job/a lot of work here.
What can I add==you even go through all the parks like we do very

[iluvwdw]

Originally Posted by Dopey

Wow Kim, you did a really nice job/a lot of work here.
What can I add==you even go through all the parks like we do very

You know what they say...GREAT MINDS!!!!!!!

[ddoll]

iluvwdw is absolutely correct: even though you hate the idea of being tied down to a schedule by having ADR's, you are going to need them. Seriously. Without them you will either roam from place to place looking for an opening in a restaurant, or get real sick and tired of counter service.

If you have any plans to do character meals, ADR's are a must.

As for fireworks, Wishes is designed to best be seen from Main St. Go and stake out a spot nice and early. Put down a towel or something to keep your spot free, and take turns walking the kids around until it's time. Same goes with the parades. The curbs on Main St are good spots to sit, but those are popular.

Another option is the train station. But you still need to have one adult save the spot while the other keeps the kids busy.

[iluvwdw]

Originally Posted by ddoll

iluvwdw is absolutely correct: even though you hate the idea of being tied down to a schedule by having ADR's, you are going to need them. Seriously. Without them you will either roam from place to place looking for an opening in a restaurant, or get real sick and tired of counter service.

If you have any plans to do character meals, ADR's are a must.

ABSOLUTELY. I CANNOT stress this enough. For Christmas week, you will NEED ADRs in order to have a sit down meal at a reasonable hour, if at all.

[ak172]

We have ADR's for the two Char. Breakfast already and then a couple for night. I went ahead and made them just in case we are not busy and want a nicer meal. I went with one italin food and one steak house but cant remember what their names are. ( I did this as soon as I could and now doen remeber the names but have them written down) I did this a long time ago. I just figured that for the lunchs we would not want to be pressed with time for ADR's

Thanks so much for your help.

[Erin]

Oh, wow. Kim pretty much summed it up, perfectly!

One thing - IllumiNations is at 9, right? Not at 9:30?

Also, steaking out parade spots - That's insanity waiting to happen, but I heard infront of the Train Station at MK, near Flametree BBQ at AK, and at EPCOT you can eat at the Cantina in Mexico, and get a nice outside table. If not, the bridge near Mexico is a FABULOUS spot.

:c)

[leslieh]

I can't top Kim's great advice, but I will add that you might want to check out the park hours schedule:

Walt Disney World Resort - Magic Kingdom Park Monthly Hours

We always go Christmas week (we'll be there at the same time you are!) ADRs are a must- like everyone else has suggested.

[iluvwdw]

Originally Posted by Erin

Oh, wow. Kim pretty much summed it up, perfectly!

One thing - IllumiNations is at 9, right? Not at 9:30?

Also, steaking out parade spots - That's insanity waiting to happen, but I heard infront of the Train Station at MK, near Flametree BBQ at AK, and at EPCOT you can eat at the Cantina in Mexico, and get a nice outside table. If not, the bridge near Mexico is a FABULOUS spot.

:c)

IllumiNations is at 9:30 in December. (actually starting 11/24) And Erin, like I said in my Original Post, I LOVE watching from Cantine de San Angel!

[ak172]

Thanks so much guys.

[ddoll]

Oh, you didn't want ADR's for lunch. I can see that. As long as you can get one good meal (sit down) a day, you're all set.

[BDavis932]

Good Job, Kim!

We travel in groups almost every trip. Try to plan your park around your ADR. Make a quick trip plan of where your ADR's are and then choose that park for that day. It's so hard to stop an entire group to change parks (between leaving the one you are in, taking the bus/monorail, everyone going through tickets and security and then treking to the restaurant, you are looking at a minimum of an hour (probably 90 mins).

Don't be surprised if the kids like MGM, Epcot, or AK as well as MK!

[jenbarnwell]

Kim pretty much got it all covered, WOW! Sounds like you are gonna have a great time. I do recommend more time at the other parks because they are all great! BTW I LOOOVE your avatar!