Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just booked for a week in Disney in the spring and I'm completely overwhelmed by the options, the million websites with more options, etc. I've searched the forum for tips because I'm sure they exist but I'm not coming up with anything - I'm sure it's user error. I'd appreciate any advice - best way to plan character meals, which are best, timing tips, getting around etc. my next assignment is to figure out how the fast pass operates. If relevant, we are staying at the Floridian (so on monorail line), and have 3 girls - age range 4-8, so princesses are a plus. Thanks in advance for any help!

I would be embarrassed to go to Disney after they have been firing american workers and replacing them with H1B guest workers. Really, you can't find some other place to support?????

Instead, about 250 Disney employees were told in late October that they would be laid off. Many of their jobs were transferred to immigrants on temporary visas for highly skilled technical workers, who were brought in by an outsourcing firm based in India. Over the next three months, some Disney employees were required to train their replacements to do the jobs they had lost.

“I just couldn’t believe they could fly people in to sit at our desks and take over our jobs exactly,” said one former worker, an American in his 40s who remains unemployed since his last day at Disney on Jan. 30. “It was so humiliating to train somebody else to take over your job. I still can’t grasp it.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/04/us/last-task-after-layoff-at-disney-train-foreign-replacements.html?_r=0

Looks like you only got part of the story.

Anonymous wrote:We just booked for a week in Disney in the spring and I'm completely overwhelmed by the options, the million websites with more options, etc. I've searched the forum for tips because I'm sure they exist but I'm not coming up with anything - I'm sure it's user error. I'd appreciate any advice - best way to plan character meals, which are best, timing tips, getting around etc. my next assignment is to figure out how the fast pass operates. If relevant, we are staying at the Floridian (so on monorail line), and have 3 girls - age range 4-8, so princesses are a plus. Thanks in advance for any help!

I would be embarrassed to go to Disney after they have been firing american workers and replacing them with H1B guest workers. Really, you can't find some other place to support?????

Instead, about 250 Disney employees were told in late October that they would be laid off. Many of their jobs were transferred to immigrants on temporary visas for highly skilled technical workers, who were brought in by an outsourcing firm based in India. Over the next three months, some Disney employees were required to train their replacements to do the jobs they had lost.

“I just couldn’t believe they could fly people in to sit at our desks and take over our jobs exactly,” said one former worker, an American in his 40s who remains unemployed since his last day at Disney on Jan. 30. “It was so humiliating to train somebody else to take over your job. I still can’t grasp it.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/04/us/last-task-after-layoff-at-disney-train-foreign-replacements.html?_r=0

I have been with and without the dining plan. It was fun to have and made things easy but it isn't worth the money. It is if you actually eat like it wants you to (multiple courses for each person plus lots of snacks) but who does? If you want to splurge, get it. It is fun! You will have SOO many snack credits left so you will come home with lots of Mickey rice crispy treats!

Definitely make the reservations 6 months in advance. Figure out which park you want to do which day and make your meals based on that. The best pieces of advice I got worked beautiffully - we went twice when my girls were 3 and 5 and again when they were 5 and 7. Do the meal plan - don't use it for breakfast - eat breakfast in your room (get cereal and milk) so you can get to the park at opening time. Make reservations at the castle for dinner the day you are at Magic Kingdom. Make reservations for Chef Mickey's for dinner - a great character meal as well - you can also watch the fireworks from the balcony there and they pipe in the music! Make reservations for O'hanna at the Polynesean hotel for dinner - you can watch the fireworks on the beach there and they also pipe inthe music (and you can see the electric water parade from there.
If you get there when the parks open, you can go straight to the rides like Dumbo, and Peter Pan that usually have long lines. Get your fast passes for later in the morning for the rides like Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain. Have an early counter lunch on your meal plan - go to Be our Guest - it is fabulous for lunch. By around 2, thekids will be tired and start to drag. Go back to your hotel - especially since you are at GF - go to the pool and relax and enjoy. It will refresh them for later. Then you can do showers and everyone is refreshed for dinner and park for the evening. If you do the meal plan, you will end up having counter service lunches and sit down dinners (if you plan it right) and you can plan your days based on that. Also, you will have snack credits and my kids always like having mickey waffles one day for breakfast. If you have enough time to enjoy a whole day at the hotel. that could be the day you go for a nice breakfast. For fast pass reservations - check out allears.net - they have reviews of all restaurants and rides and lots of good tips. Good luck! I love Disney!!

As another poster mentioned there is a small sundries shop the GF and that will take care of your needs. Unless you are doing a character meal, counter service restaurants are fine for lunch at the parks. Saves time and money. For fast passes, defintily do it for meeting characters. Also for Toy Story Mania. Best ride ever!

Anonymous wrote:and this is why I am totally turned off from ever going near Disney. Who wants a "vacation" where you have to book meals 6 months in advance.

I actually do that with all the vacations I go on to make sure when I'm there I have the exact experience I want. Doing a few minutes of research and making a phone call is so worth it.

Anonymous wrote:Op here - thanks everyone! These tips are very helpful and I'm feeling like I have a direction to follow now. I'm really grateful. We are going during spring break (week after Easter), and I know it will be crowded so I'm definitely going to book and plan ahead. I can schedule meals in another week and a half or so and will do that. Three quick questions:

For fast pass, how will I know ahead of time which rides are worth it on this? Maybe asking a different way, are there anyway where you think, nah, it won't be as bad as others so don't waste your FP on that.

For meals, I am planning to make reservations basically every night - does that seem right? What about lunch or breakfast if we ARENT doing character breakfasts for those?

Third, we are staying in the villas. Is there a little convenience store where I can pick up milk, or do you know of a service where I can preorder some light groceries (milk and bread)?

Thanks!

I had a very good experience with Garden Grocer delivering groceries to my resort.

when you go on their website (or app) to select your fastpasses, they'll list all the options. don't worry. You can also use fastpasses for access to a prime fireworks viewing area, or prime seats for live shows, like the Nemo musical at Animal Kingdom.

Anonymous wrote:If you have girls who LOVE princesses, you might want to use your fast passes for character meetings instead of rides. those lines are insane.

So helpful thank you! I had no idea that was an option (ugh, just when I was catching on - lol)! Will definitely do this! Thanks!

If you have girls who LOVE princesses, you might want to use your fast passes for character meetings instead of rides. those lines are insane.

for lunch and breakfast, you'll do just fine at counter restaurants. there's Gasparilla Grill at GF, or, my favorite-- go on the monorail to Captain Cook's (also quick service counter) at the Polynesian for some Tonga Toast.

the grand Floridian has a sundries shop where you can buy some small groceries. I think there are services in Orlando that also deliver food, but for your budget and plans, I think the small shop will do just fine.

Op here - thanks everyone! These tips are very helpful and I'm feeling like I have a direction to follow now. I'm really grateful. We are going during spring break (week after Easter), and I know it will be crowded so I'm definitely going to book and plan ahead. I can schedule meals in another week and a half or so and will do that. Three quick questions:

For fast pass, how will I know ahead of time which rides are worth it on this? Maybe asking a different way, are there anyway where you think, nah, it won't be as bad as others so don't waste your FP on that.

For meals, I am planning to make reservations basically every night - does that seem right? What about lunch or breakfast if we ARENT doing character breakfasts for those?

Third, we are staying in the villas. Is there a little convenience store where I can pick up milk, or do you know of a service where I can preorder some light groceries (milk and bread)?

Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:We just booked for a week in Disney in the spring and I'm completely overwhelmed by the options, the million websites with more options, etc. I've searched the forum for tips because I'm sure they exist but I'm not coming up with anything - I'm sure it's user error. I'd appreciate any advice - best way to plan character meals, which are best, timing tips, getting around etc. my next assignment is to figure out how the fast pass operates. If relevant, we are staying at the Floridian (so on monorail line), and have 3 girls - age range 4-8, so princesses are a plus. Thanks in advance for any help!

If you're staying at the GF already, up your price point just a little more and book a Club Level room. You'll have access to a lounge with breakfast foods, snacks throughout the day, heavy hors d'oeuvres and late-night desserts. We started staying CL because it just didn't work for us having to book a bunch of restaurants for every meal. yes, it's pricey but the atmosphere is nice, it contributes to the vacationy feeling, the food is good and it allows you to be flexible without having to scurry if your park touring runs late, girls are too cranky to travel to a restaurant, etc.

If you're looking for a princess meal, there's one right in the GF.

Anonymous wrote:and this is why I am totally turned off from ever going near Disney. Who wants a "vacation" where you have to book meals 6 months in advance.

But it is so worth it if you have kids.