PTR - Seaworld, DCL, WDW in October 2014

[dabecs]

I decided rather than several threads asking questions and trying to keep track of my plans I would write my first pretrip report! So the details so far... After returning from our 'Once in a lifetime' trip to WDW in December 2012 it only took a week before I was secretly planning our return In fact I might have started on the plane ride home! On our trip in 2012 (link to the blog trip report I wrote is in my signature) we spent 16 nights in WDW at Saratoga Springs before flying to Washington DC for 4 nights then Amtraking up to NYC for 7 nights. My parents joined us for our trip and we all traveled well together, spending almost all of our WDW trip together but spending our days apart in Washington and NYC. So when we started planning this trip the question of my parents came up and we decided to ask them to join us again. They have decided to leave Melbourne about a week after us and they are planning on spending a week in San Francisco and surrounds (they are hoping to do a 4/5 day tour which touches on LV, the Grand Canyon and Yosemite if anyone can recommend one) and they will then fly to Orlando to meet us at WDW. My husband, myself and our two girls who will be 7 and 8 when we go (and have not idea this trip is even happening!) plan's look like this:

October 14th - leave Melbourne on a United flight, arrive in Orlando at 10pm. Flights booked and paid for!

October 15th - Renaissance hotel at Seaworld, spend the day enjoying the pool and getting into the time zone. Hotel boooked.

October 16th - visit Seaworld. Stay at the Renaissance hotel.

October 17th - visit Discovery Cove. booked. Stay at the Renaissance hotel.

October 18th - Shuttle/Limo (thinking a surpirse Limo would be pretty fun!)our way to Port Canaveral to board the Fantasy for our 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise. October 18th - 25th - DCL Fantasy. Cat 08A. Have not organised any excursions yet. Cruise is booked but not paid for in full

October 25th - shuttle our way to WDW. Check in to AoA. Hotel booked!

October 26th - spend the day shopping at DTD. Might go to MNSSHP. Stay at AoA

October 27th - check into 2 bedroom villa at Old Key West. My parents will arrive in the evening. This will be a total surprise to the girls! Hotel and park tickets etc booked but have not paid in full.

October 27 - November 12 - WDW. Have not decided which parks on which days or anything yet, but will update this post once I plan it We will also spend time at one of the water parks and spend a day at the outlets shopping!

Any comments/suggestions welcome, I am obviously still in the early planning stages with only a few things actually booked so I am sure there will be lots of changes over the next few months as I lock things in. I have to say I love this stage of the trip - planning the fun bits like accommodation and excursions. I would love to hear what you think of the plan so far

 

[gogo65]

Sounds fantastic
I think that's a great outline so far, I haven't visited sea world yet, we might do it one day on our upcoming trip.
I'm sure the kids will be so excited when they find out, did you book OKW by renting points?

 

[dabecs]

did you book OKW by renting points?

No we booked a package including tickets and dining. Sharing a 2 bedroom villa with my parents (they will have the master and ensuite and we will have the 2 Queens and second bathroom) keeps the cost reasonable. After watching Blackfish I feel sorry for the Orcas at Seaworld but I also really want to see them..

 

[PrincessInOz]

Congrats, dabecs! Good for you for scheming another 'once in a lifetime' trip.

Your plans look great; and I'm totally envious. Looks like you're hitting some of the other theme parks other than Disney or Universal. I'd love to see what you think of discovery cove. It looks amazing.


Just a question about arrival....any reason why you're not heading straight to the Renaissance when you get in at Orlando? I assume that you would have hubbed in via LAX and would have cleared customs by then; so it should just be a matter of grabbing bags and getting to the hotel?

 

[dabecs]

Just a question about arrival....any reason why you're not heading straight to the Renaissance when you get in at Orlando? I assume that you would have hubbed in via LAX and would have cleared customs by then; so it should just be a matter of grabbing bags and getting to the hotel?

We might, last time I was seriously dead on my feet when we got to Orlando (don't sleep well in the lead up to a holiday and don't sleep well on planes) so I thought it would be easiest to crawl straight into bed right there at the airport.

On the other hand it means we would already be at the Renaissance when we woke up with no need for early check in.. Might have to push myself that little bit further I think we would probably taxi it from the airport.

Will keep that on my undecided list!

 

[PrincessInOz]

We might, last time I was seriously dead on my feet when we got to Orlando (don't sleep well in the lead up to a holiday and don't sleep well on planes) so I thought it would be easiest to crawl straight into bed right there at the airport.

On the other hand it means we would already be at the Renaissance when we woke up with no need for early check in.. Might have to push myself that little bit further I think we would probably taxi it from the airport.

Will keep that on my undecided list!

See how you go. It should only take 20 minutes or so to get to the hotel from the airport. And then you're right there without having to move from hotel to hotel the next day.

 

[dabecs]

See how you go. It should only take 20 minutes or so to get to the hotel from the airport. And then you're right there without having to move from hotel to hotel the next day.

You are swaying me!

 

[dabecs]

BIG W Clearance Sale! I bought 2 black and white spotted sequinned Minnie Mouse dresses reduced from $30 down to $9! So that is the girls sorted for formal night on the cruise

I also bought a red Minnie Mouse top for my youngest which was $17.88 reduced to $5. And bought them each shorts and leggings for the trip. Love a good sale

 

[PrincessInOz]

BIG W Clearance Sale! I bought 2 black and white spotted sequinned Minnie Mouse dresses reduced from $30 down to $9! So that is the girls sorted for formal night on the cruise

I also bought a red Minnie Mouse top for my youngest which was $17.88 reduced to $5. And bought them each shorts and leggings for the trip. Love a good sale

OOH! Thanks. I might hit the city store tomorrow.

 

[WAMUMOF4]

for having it all planned those once in a lifetime repeat trips
I'm with PIO I'd try go to the hotel you plan on being at for the next few nights so much easier than moving

 

[zanzibar138]

Sounds great! But I'm with the others, would definitely head straight out to the hotel

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I'm notorious for needing stopovers to wind down from long flights, but even I have to agree with the others and say go straight to your hotel. That way your holiday will begin properly the next day rather than waking up and wasting precious holiday time packing up and moving (essentially down the road).

 

[dabecs]

I'm notorious for needing stopovers to wind down from long flights, but even I have to agree with the others and say go straight to your hotel. That way your holiday will begin properly the next day rather than waking up and wasting precious holiday time packing up and moving (essentially down the road).

Ok I'm sold!

Has anyone stayed at the Seaworld Renaissance? The pictures look nice and the location is great, it's just always nice to get a personal recommendation

 

[dabecs]

I've been looking at some of the fun parts (ie dining!) and have started a list of dining locations at WDW which will be new to us:

- BOG; it was a few weeks off opening when we were there so this is a top priority. Ideally I think I'd like to try both CS lunch and TS dinner.

- Saana; we didn't see AKL at all last trip and with an animal loving 7 year old I think this would be fun

- Teppan Edo; couldn't fit it in last time so this time it's a must.

- Columbia Harbour House; voted one of the best CS meals in a recent Disney Food Blog survey I really like the look of the salmon dish.

- Flame Tree BBQ; voted number 1 CS meal in the above survey, and that gorgeous EE view.

- breakfast at 1900 Park Fare is a maybe. Last trip we did the a Happily Ever After dinner which we loved, not sure if we should stick to what we love or try something new...

Definite Repeats:

- HDDR; we loved this and have to do it again!

- Chef Mickey breakfast; one of my husband's favourites and a great way to meet the main mouse.

- Raglan Rd; loved everything about our meal here.

- Donald's Safari breakfast; perfect start to an AK day (and our family love of the breakfast buffet becomes apparent,)

- Cinderella's Royal Table; the girls would kill me if this was not on the plan. We will probably BBBoutique in the morning then have lunch in the castle.

So some restaurants are planned, but we are on the dining plan so will need to choose some more. HS is looking overlooked and will need another Epcot choice too.

Suggestions welcome!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Yay! I loved that part of the WDW planning process.

Sanaa is great, but do make your booking for the earliest time possible. From memory it opens at 5. Get there no later than 4:45 and be one of the first to check-in and request a window table. We did that and got a great table by the window. By 5:10 there were no window seats left. There are many tables in the restaurant with no views of the animals whatsoever. Don't order the rice pudding for dessert. In the words of my husband "This tastes like sweaty socks".

At HS, I tried 50's Primetime and Sci Fi Diner. Liked Sci-Fi, loved 50's Primetime.
The problem with the Sci Fi one is that it feels so anti-social - almost like eating takeaways on the couch at home while watching TV. The atmosphere is pretty cool, I just didn't enjoy eating with my back to my husband
50's Primetime on the other hand was a fun lively experience I'll never forget. We had the most wonderful young male server ('cousin') who had us laughing from the minute we arrived. The food was just okay, but the experience made it my favourite meal at WDW. The chocolate peanut butter shakes were also pretty special.
I should mention, that while our server was brilliant, others in the restaurant weren't so lucky. There was a slighty older woman who was 'growling' her customers ('nieces and nephews') so loudly and abrasively you could see them recoiling a bit in fright. If I find the pic I took of our server it might show his name tag. If you're interested, you may be able to request him.

At Epcot, I only tried the indoor Mexican restaurant (it's name fails me), Biergarten, and plenty of the F&W stalls. I thought the Mexican one was okay and Biergarten was fabulous. Again, it was the atmosphere, not the food, that won me over. If you book here, do research the band times. They play at set times and it pays to check in about 20-30 minutes before they start. That way you have time to settle in, get a plate of food, and a stein of beer (for toasting) before settling in to enjoy the atmosphere and entertainment.
The F&W places were mixed. Some were delicious (Singapore), others were downright awful (the NZ stall and the lobster one - most tasteless dry lobster I've ever tried).

I ate in 12 Table Service places and my top 4 were 50's PrimeTime, Biergarten, CP (before park opening), and Yak and Yeti. Yak and Yeti was the only one of the four that I pick because of the food.

Anyway, I hope that long rant is of some help

 

[dabecs]

Yay! I loved that part of the WDW planning process. Sanaa is great, but do make your booking for the earliest time possible. From memory it opens at 5. Get there no later than 4:45 and be one of the first to check-in and request a window table. We did that and got a great table by the window. By 5:10 there were no window seats left. There are many tables in the restaurant with no views of the animals whatsoever. Don't order the rice pudding for dessert. In the words of my husband "This tastes like sweaty socks". At HS, I tried 50's Primetime and Sci Fi Diner. Liked Sci-Fi, loved 50's Primetime. The problem with the Sci Fi one is that it feels so anti-social - almost like eating takeaways on the couch at home while watching TV. The atmosphere is pretty cool, I just didn't enjoy eating with my back to my husband 50's Primetime on the other hand was a fun lively experience I'll never forget. We had the most wonderful young male server ('cousin') who had us laughing from the minute we arrived. The food was just okay, but the experience made it my favourite meal at WDW. The chocolate peanut butter shakes were also pretty special. I should mention, that while our server was brilliant, others in the restaurant weren't so lucky. There was a slighty older woman who was 'growling' her customers ('nieces and nephews') so loudly and abrasively you could see them recoiling a bit in fright. If I find the pic I took of our server it might show his name tag. If you're interested, you may be able to request him. At Epcot, I only tried the indoor Mexican restaurant (it's name fails me), Biergarten, and plenty of the F&W stalls. I thought the Mexican one was okay and Biergarten was fabulous. Again, it was the atmosphere, not the food, that won me over. If you book here, do research the band times. They play at set times and it pays to check in about 20-30 minutes before they start. That way you have time to settle in, get a plate of food, and a stein of beer (for toasting) before settling in to enjoy the atmosphere and entertainment. The F&W places were mixed. Some were delicious (Singapore), others were downright awful (the NZ stall and the lobster one - most tasteless dry lobster I've ever tried). I ate in 12 Table Service places and my top 4 were 50's PrimeTime, Biergarten, CP (before park opening), and Yak and Yeti. Yak and Yeti was the only one of the four that I pick because of the food. Anyway, I hope that long rant is of some help

I will make a mental note about Sanaa, we would head there after an AK day and we are early eaters so that would work perfectly. Were there big tables with a view or only 4 tables? When we went to Coral Reef there only seemed to be small tables against the glass and as a group of 6 we had to sit in the middle tables..

We did both prime time and Sci Fi last trip, I agree Sci Finis cool but hard to talk and my oldest daughter who is a total rule follower felt very uneasy at Primetime. She couldn't enjoy herself because she was so worried about being in trouble Our server wasn't hard on us but I think it works better for certain personality types and maybe slightly older kids. I'd love to go back there though..

Thanks for the Biergarten suggestion, I think my hubby and dad would both think it was fun and the show sounds great!

We only tried a few F&W booths last time, being on the dining plan we always seemed to be so full! I think we will try to eat more from the booths this year. I'll take your advice and avoid NZ!

We are at CP for dinner and it wasn't a favourite but it was MVMCP night and it was crowded, and Tigger never made it to our table I love the idea of the quiet of the morning and as I said we love our breakfast. I think this is a great suggestion

Thanks for all of your input, to me the dining is one of my favourite components of WDW. Each restaurant has such amazing theming and is unlike anything we have here. In the end I guess a lot of the choice comes down to which park we will be in on the day, and anywhere we don't get to this trip will be added to the 'next time' list

 

[Brisbanemum]

Sounds like a great trip!!! You guys will love Seaworld We took the boys to the one in San Diego and it was amazing! I would definitely recommend doing the 'Dining with Shamu' experience for dinner at the end of your day. They are so beautiful and it was the highlight of our Seaworld adventure

 

[PrincessInOz]

I've been looking at some of the fun parts (ie dining!) and have started a list of dining locations at WDW which will be new to us:

- BOG; it was a few weeks off opening when we were there so this is a top priority. Ideally I think I'd like to try both CS lunch and TS dinner.

- Saana; we didn't see AKL at all last trip and with an animal loving 7 year old I think this would be fun

- Teppan Edo; couldn't fit it in last time so this time it's a must.

- Columbia Harbour House; voted one of the best CS meals in a recent Disney Food Blog survey I really like the look of the salmon dish.

- Flame Tree BBQ; voted number 1 CS meal in the above survey, and that gorgeous EE view.

- breakfast at 1900 Park Fare is a maybe. Last trip we did the a Happily Ever After dinner which we loved, not sure if we should stick to what we love or try something new...

Definite Repeats:

- HDDR; we loved this and have to do it again!

- Chef Mickey breakfast; one of my husband's favourites and a great way to meet the main mouse.

- Raglan Rd; loved everything about our meal here.

- Donald's Safari breakfast; perfect start to an AK day (and our family love of the breakfast buffet becomes apparent,)

- Cinderella's Royal Table; the girls would kill me if this was not on the plan. We will probably BBBoutique in the morning then have lunch in the castle.

So some restaurants are planned, but we are on the dining plan so will need to choose some more. HS is looking overlooked and will need another Epcot choice too.

Suggestions welcome!

YAY! One of the fun bits.


We did Hollywood Brown Derby; and I thought the food was quite good there.

I liked Chef de France at Epcot.

If you like breakfast buffet, have you considered Crystal Palace? Is that going to be a repeat for you?

 

[dabecs]

Sounds like a great trip!!! You guys will love Seaworld We took the boys to the one in San Diego and it was amazing! I would definitely recommend doing the 'Dining with Shamu' experience for dinner at the end of your day. They are so beautiful and it was the highlight of our Seaworld adventure

Dining with Shamu is a definite!

 

[dabecs]

YAY! One of the fun bits. We did Hollywood Brown Derby; and I thought the food was quite good there. I liked Chef de France at Epcot. If you like breakfast buffet, have you considered Crystal Palace? Is that going to be a repeat for you?

We did CP for dinner (non plussed) but I think we might try breakfast. The girls are not Pooh fans now that they are a bit older (funny how Pooh seems to appeal to preschoolers and then teens and adults though!) I do love the idea of walking towards the castle in the quiet of the morning Chef de France is a great idea, I'd forgotten about that one!