first time disney. lots of questions

[Shay]

:blush: We have planned our trip and are going the last week of September. Staying at the Polynesian and purchased the magic your way plus dining. Ok, here comes all of the questions. Where should we eat? I know I need to make reservations for dining. Do I make reservations for any shows that we want to take our 3 yr old daughter to see? Please, I need some good feedback. I am a working Mom that works to much and I really want this trip to be perfect. Thanks!!! :confused:

[wdw_bound]

With a 3yo, I'm assuming character overload isn't a problem :mickey: At that age we found that character meals were the way to go - one on one character time in a non-stressful environment. Also, I'm assuming you are not trying to get maximum value (ie the most expensive meals) from the DDP. Many people will tell you that eating buffets doesn't maximize your credits, but to me the value of the plan is more about eating in places my kids LOVE and will remember for years afterwards. So here are my recommendations:

We loved 1900 Park Faire for supper, but I'm not sure if it's going to be in refurb during your dates. Another good Princess option in Princess Storybook Breakfast at Akerhus (Norway in Epcot). I haven't tried lunch or dinner because DH is very picky and the menu is fairly adventurous.

Liberty Tree Tavern is good food (think Thanksgiving meal) and features Minne, Goofy and Chip and Dale in the MK.

Chef Mickey (Contemporary) has been hit-or-miss for us. DS got very overstimulated with all of the noise. If you can get an early ADR you should be ok. Typically here you'll see Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald.

Ohana at the Poly isn't a character meal, but the food is good and your DD might enjoy the coconut races and hula lessons.

Crystal Palace, featuring Pooh and friends (MK) is also on our list of favorites. We've gone for breakfast, and have a dinner ADR for our next trip.

If you do get tired of characters, Coral Reef (Epcot) has some great adult food (kids choices pretty good too), and you are dining next to a giant aquarium.

While you don't need show reservation in the parks, just check showtimes near the park entrance, here are a few that our DD loved at that age:

Storytime with Belle (MK) - get there early for a good seat.

Beauty and the Beast (MGM)

Playhouse Disney Live (MGM) - saw this 3 times in one trip!

Lion King (AK) - AMAZING

It sounds as though you will be there during Little Ones Extra Magic Hour. Plan on utilizing this perk. Fantasyland will open on certain days an hour early. We went during this time last year and it was wall to wall characters. DS played hide and seek with Pooh and the gang, and catch with Minnie and Daisy. DD rode the teacups with Alice and the Madhatter, Captain Hook and Peter Pan played Red Light Green Light (Hook cheats!).

One final tip and I'll stop rambling :blush: You've picked a great hotel, be sure to spend plenty of time enjoying it - don't push yourselves to do everything - take midday naps and enjoy the resort.

[sassafras]

Another show she might enjoy is Mickey's Philharmagic..done in 3D complete with food scents. I definitely would not take her to the Drew Carey show... loud noises and mostly done in total darkness. The Muppet show might be a good one too, especially if she likes the muppets. Like the previous post said, take midday naps and enjoy the resorts, there's so much to see and do, you can never do it all in one trip anyway. Have a great vacation!!!!

[Maleficent's Dad]

:welcome: To Intercot!

With a 3 year old, you made a great choice to stay at the Poly - location, location, location! :lei:

The Poly has a character b'fast right in the resort at O'hana's. It's convenient and very good!

Many other options are listed above. But since you're at the Poly, you may want to dine with Mickey over at the Contemporary (Chef Mickey's - which is, shall we say, a bit on the stimulating/loud side!). Grand Floridian is a walk/monorail stop away - 1900 Park Fare has characters as well for you to enjoy. The MK - also a short ride away, has 3 character meals.

For a complete list of character dining options, click here! (http://intercot.com/infocentral/characters/charactermeals.asp)

Your resort is perfect for travel with a little one. Read up on it as well as keep abreast of all new and current info here on Intercot!

Good luck and have a great trip! :mickey:

[ibrowse17]

Sounds like you are off to a great start already with your resort. I would second the vote for Chef Mickey's and Liberty Tree. Check out CM's for breakfast or lunch, and LTT for dinner.:thumbsup:

[Shay]

:thumbsup:
Sincerely appreciate the feedback. Keep it coming. Trust me, I need all the help I can get.
:D

[Lily]

We received great help from the CMs when we called to make dining reservations for our first trip. Have your list from above ready when you call, but be flexible for times and days. You can book dining reservations 180 days in advance so there is a chance that your first choice will not be available at this late date. Don't worry, though. There are a lot of options and the CMs know exactly how to help you. You will have a great time!

[RaRaRoundTheWorld]

Our DD was 3&1/2 when we went for the first time since my DH and I were kids ourselves. She loved:
- Cinderella's Royal Table for lunch (all the girls dressed up, the kids were in heaven, however, DH & I felt this meal was very rushed, oh well, it's for them)
- Crystal Palace (where the kids did a "conga line" around the restaurant with the characters)
- Jojo & Einsteins at Hollywood & Vine (Jojo colored with her for 15 min. & DH and I were ready to ask her to leave so we could eat : ) + they ask the kids up to dance)
- 1900 Park Place for both breakfast & dinner (characters spent a lot of time at each table, the children around the room were dancing together, again, mostly in costume)

I scheduled a lot of early lunches. Next time, I'm going to stick with breakfasts and dinners. By 11, our kids found it very hard to sit still for long and really needed to head back to the hotel for naps.

Have a wonderful first trip! It will be magic!

[snifflesmcg]

I voted MK.

[pixiesmimi]

The tent at Toon Town is another place to see a lot of characters although you might have to wait in line. We got to see a lot of princesses, Mickey, Donald and Daisy and Minnie here.

With our little ones, we did breakfast at Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey, O'Hana's, and The Princess Breakfast at Norway. They loved this. Some of it was early morning hours and at the Princess Breakfast at Norway, we got in before the park opened and it was nice not having crowd around and getting some good pictures. We also did a breakfast at 1900 Park Faire with Alice, the Mad Hatter and Mary Poppins. We, also, found it better to do the characters in the morning while the kids were in a good mood. Seeing so many in this kind of setting saves a lot of standing in hot lines. (Wish we had known this the first trip with DGDs).

Take lots of breaks in cool dark rides where they can take naps if needed or if you don't go back to the resort midday.

Go to Tinkerbelle's Treasures just on the other side of the castle in Fantasyland first thing in the morning and see if you get to wake up Tinkerbelle. The first ones in the gift shop that ask, I believe, get to wake Tink up and see her fly around the shop.:tink:

[jenfriend]

We also did the dinning plan (loved it) for 8 days in 2006. Here were our favorites for characters Ohana Breakfast (at Poly), Norway Dinner, Crystal Palace Dinner. We also enjoyed dinner at Whispering Canyon (Wilderness resort), Chefs de France (France). So-so Boatwrights (Port-RIverside) and a buffet in Disney Studios.

[LibertyTreeGal]

Ditto on Storytime with Belle! It is the biggest secret in MK, and wonderful, take your camera and try to get your daughter picked if she isn't too shy. My twin boys were both in the play when they were four and it was our absolute favorite memory!

[Mickey91]

If you are just starting your plans, you need to make those ADRs now! There is slim possibility of getting into most of the fun places. In the MK, try making ADRs on non MNSSHP nights. LLT is awesome. The characters are out for Dinner. I'm not sure about lunch. Crystal Palace has characters all day. Don't forget to go to the Toon Town Hall of Fame. The lines for characters can be long, but it is inside and air conditioned. Also, check out front as you come in the gate and right inside town square. There are different characters here throughout the day. Check at City Hall for locations all over the park where characters will appear. Don't forget to catch the show in front of the castle. Have a great trip!!!:mickey:

[BritCody]

I would have to agree with most of the other posts. Liberty Tree Tavern, Crystal Palace, 1900 Park Fare, Chef Mickey's and O'hana (Character Breakfast) are all a must. I have 2 teens and we still do these every trip.

[KAT1811]

:welcome: To Intercot! :welcome: I think you're going to like it here!!!

We love the Crystal Palace for both the food and the characters. With a 3 yo Pooh and friends is a great choice. The food is fabulous (we don't usually care for buffets but LOVE CP breakfast) and the characters make the rounds quickly. We like to be in the parks for character dining the character interaction seems to get everyone so excited we like to be able to go right out and hop on the rides.

With a DD CRT is also a must. Nothing better for a princess to eat in Cinderella's castle.

[LibertyTreeGal]

With a DD CRT is also a must. Nothing better for a princess to eat in Cinderella's castle.

That being said, don't plan on going this trip as CRT generally needs to be booked 6 months in advance and I see that your trip is in September. If you REALLY want to go there, start trying now, and call every day to see if they have cancellations.

[ccnykamp]

Chef Mickeys is good.

We really enjoyed Liberty Tree Tavern and the princess breakfast at Norway in epcot.

[January-2007]

I voted for the resorts because we really liked both Chef Mickey's and 'Ohana for their character breakfasts. Very convenient for you, being the on the monorail line. Happy planning!! :mickey:

[epceddie]

I highly recommend the Coral Reef at Epcot. I took three of my nephews when they were little and they had a blast. We had a table right next to the aquarium and there were hundreds of fish swimming past us the entire time.

Chef Mickey's is also good for kids and Crystal Palace in the MK features Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and Eyeore. The buffets are also pretty good.

The best tip I can give you is take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours in the morning. Stay in the park until 11 or so and then head back to the Poly for a nap or a swim. The break will do all of you good. Then you can head out to dinner and visit another park if you have the Park Hopper tickets.

Try and get tickets for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party if you can. Little kids are encouraged to dress up in a costume and they can trick or treat in the MK. There's also a great parade and the fireworks are among the best I've ever seen.

Also, make sure to visit Toontown in the MK and get your picture taken with Mickey Mouse himself!

Have a great trip. Relax and take your time. Disney World can overwhelm you at times.

[KAT1811]

That being said, don't plan on going this trip as CRT generally needs to be booked 6 months in advance and I see that your trip is in September. If you REALLY want to go there, start trying now, and call every day to see if they have cancellations.


Didn't think to take that into consideration but the Norway Princess Breakfast is a good second if CRT isn't avaliable. Keep trying and I'm sure something will open up somewhere along the way. Many of the September packages have their final payments due about now so anyone that is going to cancell will most likely do so soon. Keep trying back every day or so until something opens up.

[pook@wdw]

:congrats: Your 1st WDW trip!! How exciting! Boy,I remember our 1st magical journey...oh, but I'm getting off track, sorry!!:D Just being in WDW w/your family is just about perfect. Everything else is gravy!!:thumbsup: All that being said, I would recomend ADRs for any dinner shows you plan on attending, any character dining your wanting to do, and any specialty restaurants your interested in. Other than that, don't try and plan too much and you'll avoid more rushing than necessary!!:thumbsup: Just remember w/a little planning and some :mickey::pixie:, you too will have a Magical Journey!!:cloud9:

[Shay]

Thanks so much to all of you. I sincerely appreciated the feedback.
Thanks for helping, and making us feel secure
:party: