Revised Xmas Week Park Choices/ADRs

[Deleted]

Less than two weeks to go until I can put in my ADRs and Disney has released the park hours. Instead of picking every meal like I tried to do last time I am going to give my TA a list of the parks we want to prioritize for each day and then some desired TS choices.  I used WDW Prep School's Calendar and Touring Plans to come up with this:

See previous thread pandce.proboards.com/thread/533822/tentative-dining-park-plan-xmas

And here is my new plan:

12/23

Arrive at MCO.  Check into CBR early afternoon.

Park: None

ADR: Early TS Dinner (between 4 and 6 pm) at a resort restaurant where we can walk around and see decorations before/after: 1. Ohana 2. 1900 Park Fare 3. Whispering Canyon Cafe

Back to CBR

12/24

Xmas Eve

Park: HS

ADR: Minnie's Holiday Dine at Hollywood and Vine earliest dinnertime that qualifies for VIP Fantasmic seating (if we can't get that then do Hollywood and Vine for breakfast with Disney Jr. instead)

12/25

Xmas

Park: None 

ADR: Early dinner at Chef Mickey

12/26

Park: EPCOT

ADR: Pre-opening breakfast at Garden Grill; Adult dinner (for two) at World Showcase restaurant at or after 8 p.m.

Babysitter night

12/27

Park: MK

ADR: Breakfast or lunch at Be Our Guest or Crystal Palace (or both if you can get them!)

Pirate Makeover

12/28

Park: AK

Tusker House: Breakfast or lunch 9 a.m. or later

12/29

Park: MK
ADR: Breakfast or lunch at Be Our Guest or Crystal Palace (depending on what we got for 12/27)

12/30

Departure day

[bronxgirl]

sounds fun!

[curbsideprophet]

I would prioritize the list for your TA so they know which ones to try for first. I would also try to book them myself since you are going at such a busy time. I would have as many people in your group who can book trying to book things.

[huskymom]

Are you early risers? That many pre park planned breakfasts might exhaust me. Are you set on Chef Mickeys for Christmas dinner? The character interaction is great but the food....is not.


But the plan itself looks great! La hacienda in Mexico was really great if you are looking for WS recs.

[Deleted]

Jun 13, 2016 7:14:17 GMT -5 huskymom said:

Are you early risers? That many pre park planned breakfasts might exhaust me. Are you set on Chef Mickeys for Christmas dinner? The character interaction is great but the food....is not.


But the plan itself looks great! La hacienda in Mexico was really great if you are looking for WS recs.

No we aren't but from everything I've read it seems like getting to the park the minute it opens (or earlier) is the only way to survive Christmas week.

And no, not set on Chef Mickey. Definitely open to suggestions. I thought it would be nice to have dinner at a Deluxe and walk around and see all the decorations and I wanted someplace that feels special to the kids where I won't be embarrassed if they throw themselves to the floor.

[ribollita]

I'm a food snob and was pleasantly surprised by CM. We ate there last year while staying at Contemporary and everything tasted good and was fresh.

ETA: we had brunch

[was5]

Jun 13, 2016 8:22:45 GMT -5 @notquiteblushing said:

Jun 13, 2016 7:14:17 GMT -5 huskymom said:

Are you early risers? That many pre park planned breakfasts might exhaust me. Are you set on Chef Mickeys for Christmas dinner? The character interaction is great but the food....is not.


But the plan itself looks great! La hacienda in Mexico was really great if you are looking for WS recs.

No we aren't but from everything I've read it seems like getting to the park the minute it opens (or earlier) is the only way to survive Christmas week.

And no, not set on Chef Mickey. Definitely open to suggestions. I thought it would be nice to have dinner at a Deluxe and walk around and see all the decorations and I wanted someplace that feels special to the kids where I won't be embarrassed if they throw themselves to the floor.

When I asked about 1900 Park Fare, I got positive comments about the dinner there with Cinderella's step sisters. I think the GF would be really pretty decorated for the holidays. I don't know if your DS would be as into a Cinderella CM as he would Chef Mickey though. My extended family did Chef Mickey for Easter dinner (it's been several years) and they really liked it. Maybe they up their game on holidays?

ETA: I don't know if it was clear but the people who mentioned the 1900 Park Fare dinner really liked it.

[huskymom]

I've heard CM is fine for breakfast (i'm assuming it's similar to H&V? Standard breakfast/brunch fare) but I was really unimpressed by the dinner food.

Our favorite meals were 'Ohana and Sanaa (but guessing AKL might be tough to get to?) The Boardwalk area might be fun for Christmas Day/decorations? Or Disney Springs? Does anything close down that day?

So while it's definitely best/awesome to get there right when the park opens - when we had early breakfasts (8:10 H&V, 8:25 CRT) we did not get out of the restaurants prior to park opening, so we did much better the days we aimed for rope drop. So maybe aim for the earliest reservation if that's your goal.

[Deleted]

I'm not sure if we will rent a car or not. I am the kind of person who, when I want to leave someplace, wants to leave NOW, so the idea of waiting for busses scares me with two kids. Plus our massive stroller. Deciding things 180+ days in advance is tough!

[huskymom]

We rented a car (we were technically on property but not a Disney hotel - but right next to CBR!) I would definitely take the bus for MK. I hate parking there - it was an hour ordeal most days, the monorail never seemed to be running from T&TC, and we would get stuck waiting for the boat, or stuck on the boat waiting for the other boat to leave the dock at MK, but maybe it was just bad luck during our trip).

It was so easy to get back to that area from HS or Epcot though - they are right down the road. I think we were back at our place within 15 min of Illuminations ending. Though Waze was sometimes a little funky - once it took us to Cast Member parking at Epcot.