Newbie seeking advice

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2006
Newbie seeking advice
6
Fri, 04-28-2006 - 12:00am

OK, I am a newbie and have been researching your sight (i.e. lurking). I am loving all the great info. I am trying to plan a trip for June 11-16. We are staying at the POP. Me, DH, DS age 4 and DS who turns 2 the day we arrive at Disney. My parents are also traveling with us. We don't have hoppers. (My parents are graciously paying for our lodging and tickets and I didn't want to run up the cost. Plus, both my boys need naps and I just can't see us making it to more than one park a day with them.) We have tickets for 5 days, but because of travel days will likely use the extra ticket to "hop" parks one day. My hubbie and I went to DW on our honeymoon 7 years ago without any planning (yikes!) but had a marvelous time. This will be our first trip with kids. I am trying to get a basic itinerary and am currently on my 3rd version-lol. I have already put more effort in this vacation than I did my entire wedding and honeymoon!

Here are my questions:
1. I originally planned to try to make every park's early EMH, but now am rethinking that because we live in central time zone and the time change is going to be hard on the boys (and parents-lol). I would still like to do EMH for MK and AK. Is it worth it?

2. I know we will need to take a break around 1 for nap and some pool time which means we will not be able to see every parade at every park. Which ones are a must see?

3. And a couple of dining questions: Any place sell PBJ (DS#1 is picky), any tips for traveling DW with a kid who has food allergies (DS#2 allergic to milk)?

4. and do they require proof of birthdate for special treatment? I'd like to do a character meal for DS 2nd bday, but rather do it on the day we leave as opposed to hauling 2 cranky boys to sit down after a 10 hour car drive on the day we arrive which is his actual birthday.

Sorry for the long post. "Speechless" is a foreing concept to me-lol.

Thanks

Charis

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 04-28-2006 - 7:25am

Hi Charis!

I know what you mean about all the planning, I can't believe we even made it to WDW for our honeymoon, ALL we had was a resort ressie and tickets, and nothing else, no research or anything! I found this board and a wealth of info for our 2004 trip, and DH was amazed at how much easier things were! Enough about me.

First, you won't be able to use your extra ticket day to hop to another park. When you scan the ticket, it will just show that it has already been used that day and it will only let you back in the same park you already went to that day.

1. EMH--We've never gone to EMH. I'm planning to do MK's morning EMH on our next trip, I think that would definitely benefit us because most (if not all) of Fantasyland is open at that time. MGM definitely did not, I don't know about AK. One other thing, if you aren't going to the EMH, you might want to avoid that park later that day at least until the afternoon, as they typically become crowded after EMH.

2. We have two little boys (4 and 2 on our last trip) and they require a nap, so we've never seen any of the parades either. I would love to see all 3, but in this order if I had to choose: MK's afternoon parade, MGM's parade, then AK. I looked at the schedule for this May, and you may be able to do MGM's. It's is listed for 5 pm, so you could return to MGM again after the nap and see that one. AK is listed at 4, but that park usually closes around 5 or 6 unless it's the evening EMH there, so you'd be running out there for the parade then it would be almost time to leave again.

3. Almost all, if not all, of the counter service restaurants have Uncrustables pb&j on their menu. I'm not sure about the milk allergy, but i have read that WDW is wonderful about food allergies, you just have to tell them.

4. They don't require proof of birthday for special treatment, but they don't always do anything special either. Sometimes it's up to the server, and it just really varies from experience to experience.

Hope this helps, I'm off to work but someone else will be along with more info!

Steph

Avatar for cl_ktbugsmom
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 04-28-2006 - 8:33am

Welcome to the board Charis!


Stephanie already told you that you can't use the extra day on your ticket to hop because of the way they are scanned. What you can do is upgrade your tickets when you get to the park if you would like to.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2005
Fri, 04-28-2006 - 10:27am

Welcome to the board! You've received lots of wonderful info already. I just wanted to add my two cents. :)

Val, Co-CL Disney Vacations

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2006
Fri, 04-28-2006 - 12:40pm

Thanks for all the great advice and tips. I will eventually get my schedule set. I am thinking of upgrading to hoppers because I have a terrible feeling that I will get all my schedule all fixed and then need to change at the last minute because of weather, crowds, cranky kids. Knowing that I can't use the "extra" ticket to see 2 parks in one day really changes all my plans and I am very glad I found out now instead of on the last day of WDW.

Thanks also for your opinions of parades and EMH. I feel reassured in my plans to visit some of the parks for EMH, but not worry about them all. Now, if I could only find a way to see all the parades......lol.

Hopefully, I am getting closer to deciding about the bday meal. I am so wishy washy :D Right now I am thinking breakfast at Chef Mickey's on departure day. I really want to do dinner there the day we arrive, but DH is pretty set against it since our boys don't do so great in a restaruant on a good day. He is often the voice of reason that keeps me grounded...and spoils my dreams of the perfect vacation LOL.

I am sure you'll hear from me later as my departure date gets closer.

Thanks again,
Charis

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 04-28-2006 - 7:44pm

We love the breakfast at Chef Mickey's. We've done it the last two years on our last day, and it just sets the tone. So much fun! I would recommend making your ADR as soon as you possibly can, the restuarants have been filling up very quickly, and you can make ADR's at 180 days out now.

If you can possibly upgrade to park hoppers, I would recommend it strongly. We went to MK one morning to find it soo very crowded (in September, mind you!) that we didn't want to stay. If we wouldn't have had hoppers, we'd have been stuck.

Please stick around, jump in and post when you feel like it and ask all the questions you need to!

Steph

Avatar for bekahjosie
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 04-29-2006 - 12:38pm

Here are two things I don't think were mentions. If you are in MK for the day (or day after, they don't check ID or anything) of the birthday, go to Town Hall (think that's it - to the left before you walk down Main Street, by the Fire Station) and you can get, free of charge, a "It's My Birthday" button. Most CMs make a big deal out of it (standing in line, meals, walking around, etc).


Second, my kids

Bekah

Mom to loving siblings, Josie (1.9.99) and Jake (10.23.01)