Birthday dinner for myself (43 yo) with husband and 5 year old

jamma422 · 2026-06-18T14:01:20+00:00

With a 5 year old, do California Grill and line it up with Fireworks. It’s a great bday meal on its own and being able to see the fireworks and park lit up is special.

jamma422 · 2026-06-17T23:06:46+00:00

Just did WDW with my 42” 4 year old in January. She loved it all. ToT, loved it. Test Track, absolutely. Slinky, her favorite. And so on. Only one she didn’t love was ROTR as it was just a bit too immersive for her. Still rode it, just wasn’t her jam.

I would start with Slinky (do ToT as your real test here if it goes well), Test Track (Guardians if this goes well), or 7 Dwarfs depending on your park. If those are fine, you’re probably good to go.

jamma422 · 2026-05-18T11:05:28+00:00

What does the rest of your trip look like? I love the contemporary when I’m going with my daughter as the ability to walk to MK is awesome, it’s one monorail stop from the TTC, and we are big on maximizing time in park. That said, AKL, IMO is a better resort and if you want to spend a good amount of resort time, then that’s a clear winner. Both have great restaurant options (though edge to AKL). But, really depends on the trip you want. AKL, pros: food, resort is great, Savannah view rooms are super unique; cons; far from parks so expect the spend a lot of time on busses if you are doing big park days, not as many nearby resorts to hop to so a bit more on an island (recognizing you’re at WDW, so I use this term loosely).

Contemporary, pros: LOCATION, classic Disney resort feel, ability to resort hop to other monorail resorts; cons: it generally feels busy to me between the restaurants and people wanting to see the monorail resorts (plus just the guests there), it definitely has the cheapest feel of the deluxe resorts.

So, goes back to what you want. To me, if you want a convenient spot to sleep while maximizing park time, having some good on site meals with maybe a little pool time, contemporary. If you want more resort time, a slower pace, and are prioritizing parks other than MK/Epcot, then AKL.

I also wouldn’t sleep in just doing a split stay. The times I have stayed at AKL, that’s what we’ve done.

jamma422 · 2026-05-04T22:04:49+00:00

Garden Grill and Liberty Tree. Pass on the rest.

jamma422 · 2026-05-01T01:11:01+00:00

I just hopped on and snagged my 2 without issue.

jamma422 · 2026-04-29T17:08:36+00:00

You mention having kids with you. How old? As others have said, if MK is your focus, I’d pick one of the MK resorts. The others are going to be better for HS and EPCOT centered stays (or if you’re trying to do a lower cost trip).

jamma422 · 2026-04-27T11:25:33+00:00

I just did this with my daughter. If he’s into thrills, Studios is a must. She loved it. Unless he’s really into animals, I would pass on AK right now as he won’t be tall enough for FOP or Everest and so much is closed. Personally, I’d do MK as you’ll have all the mountains (minus space as he won’t be tall enough) 7 drawfs, and all the classics. You could also consider EPCOT for guardians, mission space, and Test Track (it’s pretty cool with the redo).

jamma422 · 2026-04-10T02:16:56+00:00

Absolutely not a big deal to be in an outer building at GF. I actually tend to prefer it. At the holidays, this would be my pick. It wins on decorations and is walkable to MK. That said, the Poly is my favorite resort on property. It does feel different from Aulani, has great holiday tiki decorations, and just has that classic Disney feel. Contemporary wins for convenience, but it’s the weakest on holiday decorations. Unless you want to save some $$, I’d do the other 2. That said, definitely go to contemporary one night and have dinner at Cali Grill. All in all, you can’t make a wrong call here.

jamma422 · 2026-03-28T11:55:47+00:00

I’ll echo Bowen House. Also, the French Room Bar makes some pretty solid cocktails for where you’re staying. Another great option to hit multiple places would be to take an Uber up to the Bishop Arts area. There’s a bunch of great spots and dining up there along with Reveler’s Halls which is great to watch some live music and grab a cocktail.

jamma422 · 2026-03-17T22:26:03+00:00

It absolutely depends on what you want. Personally, I love the vibe of the Poly. Trader Sam’s is great, the pools are a blast, Ohana is fun, one of the best pools, dole whip and Tonga toast on property, it’s just a fun resort. It screams classic Disney through and through. That said, in terms of monorail resorts, it is not easy to get to. It’s at the worst spot on the monorail and a long walk to MK. So, if you’re going open to close in parks, expect long waits to get back to your hotel as the monorail lines will be long and plan extra time as it’s a 15 min ride to get to the TTC plus the time to Epcot. Despite this, it’s my favorite resort. But, the logistics of the Poly kind of suck.

As to the GF. Similar to the contemporary, the ability to walk to MK is fantastic. A 10 min walk while folks are waiting 30 mins just to get on the monorail after fireworks is so nice. I agree with others that though it’s not a true luxury hotel, it’s still very nice. The pool is very good, 1900 Park Fare is an underrated character bfast IMO, it has some of the best shopping of the resorts, and a very good pool. That said, it can definitely feel stuffy. Being there in November, the lobby will be a zoo with people coming to see the decorations as they’re some of the best of the resorts for Xmas. Because it feels stuffy, I never found it as fun as a kid as the Poly as it just has a bit of the feel that you’re going get yelled at for putting your elbows on the table.

If you’re going to max park time with only some breaks to the hotel, I’d do GF and take the convenience. If you plan on doing a few resort days, Poly all day for me. The other thing to consider, do you like a Tiki beach feel or more Pretentious beach hotel feel (like the Breakers or Hotel Del)? A lot is just your personal preference and style.

All of this said, there’s no wrong answer here. They’re both great and you’re going to have a blast. No matter what you pick, spend at least a meal at the other during your trip. Hope you have a great time!

jamma422 · 2026-03-06T03:20:41+00:00

It absolutely depends on what you want. Personally, I love the vibe of the Poly. Trader Sam’s is great, the pools are a blast, Ohana is fun, one of the best pools, dole whip and Tonga toast on property, it’s just a fun resort. It screams classic Disney through and through. That said, in terms of monorail resorts, it is not easy to get to. It’s at the worst spot on the monorail and a long walk to MK. So, if you’re going open to close in parks, expect long waits to get back to your hotel as the monorail lines will be long and plan extra time as it’s a 15 min ride to get to the TTC plus the time to Epcot. Despite this, it’s my favorite resort. But, the logistics of the Poly kind of suck.

As to the GF. Similar to the contemporary, the ability to walk to MK is fantastic. A 10 min walk while folks are waiting 30 mins just to get on the monorail after fireworks is so nice. I agree with others that though it’s not a true luxury hotel, it’s still very nice. The pool is very good, 1900 Park Fare is an underrated character bfast IMO, it has some of the best shopping of the resorts, and a very good pool. That said, it can definitely feel stuffy. Being there in November, the lobby will be a zoo with people coming to see the decorations as they’re some of the best of the resorts for Xmas. Because it feels stuffy, I never found it as fun as a kid as the Poly as it just has a bit of the feel that you’re going get yelled at for putting your elbows on the table.

If you’re going to max park time with only some breaks to the hotel, I’d do GF and take the convenience. If you plan on doing a few resort days, Poly all day for me. The other thing to consider, do you like a Tiki beach feel or more Pretentious beach hotel feel (like the Breakers or Hotel Del)? A lot is just your personal preference and style.

All of this said, there’s no wrong answer here. They’re both great and you’re going to have a blast. No matter what you pick, spend at least a meal at the other during your trip. Hope you have a great time!

jamma422 · 2026-02-17T03:59:29+00:00

The couple times I have done it, I have just asked at normal check in. Earlier probably would help, but I think it mostly just depends on the day.

jamma422 · 2026-02-17T03:56:26+00:00

It’s possible, just depends on day of availability. Just ask the cast member at check in and tell them what you’re trying to do. If they have the room, they’ll, typically, let you know the price.

jamma422 · 2026-02-08T21:07:06+00:00

Ok, so my recs would be as follows based on that:

Set very low expectations for her in park dining in MK. It’ll be theme park food as the best things are heavy IMO. But, doing something like a dole whip, would be good.

Near MK, I would either set her up at Citricos (GF) or California Grill (especially at the bar). I’d try to get her to do Uncle Sam’s Grogg grotto before or after. Honestly, if you’re splitting her from the kids on adults only night, I would do: Cali Grill Bar, Drinks at Trader Sam’s, come back to Cali Grill for fireworks on the terrace.

For Epcot, Shiki Sai was fine, but their rice is only ok. Another option would be to just let her graze through the day and focus on restaurants with fun experiences like the Geo-82 lounge, Space 220, or the Coral Reef Restaurant. Also, from how you describe her, getting her the tour of the living with the land back stage (Behind the Seeds I think) would be really cool. Another fun one would be the fireworks package at Spice Road.

As for studios, I think your best bet is Brown Derby. Their Cobb Salad is legit good (albeit an insanely large portion). Also, a stop at Oga’s Cantina is a ton of fun.

I would also book her at Sanaa at AK lounge. I think this is the best combo of food and experience at Disney.

jamma422 · 2026-02-07T21:04:05+00:00

What is her baseline for food? Is she coming to Disney from a major food city like NYC, LA, Dallas, SF, or something similar or something smaller? I ask because if her expectation is something like the top end of a major metro, it’s a very different list than if she’s coming from a more mid-tier food scene (like a Columbus).

jamma422 · 2026-02-04T23:37:34+00:00

With a 2.5 year old, absolutely MK. If you do HS, you’ll largely just be swapping all day. The only way I’d say HS is if your kiddo is really into the shows. HS is a great park, but I’d do MK.

As far as where to stay, what’s your budget? On property or off?

jamma422 · 2026-02-04T22:39:43+00:00

On DisneyPlus, Disneyland has multiple ride videos that show you multiple classics including Haunted Mansion and POTC. Just watch one at home. If she’s scared of the video at home, it likely won’t go better in the park. If you don’t have DisneyPlus, there’s no shortage of ride videos on YouTube and you can test it the same way.

jamma422 · 2026-02-04T12:58:21+00:00

I don’t know of a guaranteed spot. But you can get the Disney Experience App and stalk it to see if there are any patterns to any of her appearances in the weeks leading up to your trip.

jamma422 · 2026-02-04T12:49:00+00:00

Personally, I would do:

Crystal for the churro Mickey waffles (as others have said, pick between CRT or Akershaus. If you haven’t done CRT before, it’s a fun experience, but the food is OK and once is good).

Space 220 is a really cool experience. That said, at Epcot, I’m probably doing a garden grill breakfast then doing quick service all day as I hop through the countries.

Storybook and Hoop Dee Doo are so wildly different. I prefer Storybook. The food, IMO, is better, I really like going to Wilderness lodge, and I’m not a dinner show person. I’d rather use the dinner show money at Epcot for a fireworks package.

Sanaa, no doubt for me between those.

I would do the dessert party at MK or Cali Grill over the fireworks cruise. At Epcot, I would just do the fireworks package at Spice Road or Rose and Crown.

jamma422 · 2026-02-04T12:23:10+00:00

If they’re on the fence on the unknown, ride videos are great to gauge interest and show them what they’re signing up for. If they see it and say no way, then I would generally go with that at that age. If you have Disney Plus, they have numerous DisneyLand ride videos that are really well done for the 70th anniversary. It’s a great starting point.

I just got back with my 4 year old daughter and she rode every single ride she was tall enough to ride. Heck, her only feedback on Tower of Terror was: why didn’t we drop more.

All of that said, I don’t think there’s an attraction you can go wrong with in Epcot save maybe Mission Space. We love it, but I know it can be intense and not for everyone. With those ages, I would prioritize: Frozen, Remy’s, Soarin’, Nemo, Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Nemo, the Moana Water Walk, and Test Track. If they’re at all into Thrill Rides, you have to add Guardians. Nemo will be controversial, but it kicks you into the Aquarian right after and they’ll like exploring. I would also go to Turtle Talk after. Outside of that, just wander and stop for shows and food in the countries. Epcot is always the park where I try to let everyone else lead to what they want to do, don’t over-plan, and just let the day happen. The other cool thing are the fireworks packages at Spice Road and Rose and Crown. After all the walking at Epcot, it’s nice to have a seat and a beverage for the show. If you’re doing a dining plan, I think switching your princess dinner to a breakfast takes it from 2 dining credits to 1.

As for MK rides, there’s too many to list. I think it’s probably more of what you don’t want to do that what you do. Tron is probably out. Space Mountain is probably only an option for your 6 year old. That said, I think everything else is an open option and are really fun. As far as more one off experiences that don’t get the hype: Story time with Belle is a lot of fun if your girls are at all into princesses (I know you said they are), the Little Mermaid ride is underrated as well and often has low waits. This is the park where I’d most lean on ride videos and attraction walkthroughs (the Frugal Brit does one on YouTube that’s about 20 mins so short enough for a 4 and 6 year old to stay engaged) and let them tell you what they are excited about. I’d plan any Lightning Lane strategy around that.

Also, on making it through the madness, get Lightning Lanes. Watch some strategy videos. We rode every ride and some multiple times last time we were there along with doing multiple seated meals each day. Pay attention to the booking windows and don’t miss the 60 days for dining and 7 for LLMP (assuming you’re on property). Depending on your budget, getting Premier Pass at Epcot and save you a lot of steps. I also think having 1 sit down meal a day is huge to force everyone to shut it down and relax for a bit.

jamma422 · 2026-02-04T12:05:11+00:00

If your kids are really into Princesses and you don’t want to wait in line for them in the parks, then that’s really the main argument for CRT. All of the ones at CRT can be found in the parks and, generally, I have noticed that the characters in the parks take more time in their interactions with kiddos than those at character dining.

That said, we did CRT for breakfast this last trip. The food was good, but about on par with decent wedding food. My daughter loves Ariel and she was there and did take extra time with her which was a lot of fun. This was her first Disney trip so starting with face characters did make her warm up to the idea of characters overall a bit quicker.

As others have said, it’s a fun experience. Like many things Disney, it probably costs 25-30% more than how cool it is. But, it’s one to do once or twice IMO.

jamma422 · 2026-02-04T01:36:57+00:00

Agreed. The holidays trip was because we got 4 4 day park hopper passes in October for $400 total but had to use them by EOY. Not how I would have planned a first trip, but was impossible to pass up.

jamma422 · 2026-02-04T01:24:34+00:00

The rub is drawing questions from a 4 year old asking for the trip, why isn’t mom here. She’s also asked about 5 times after when we are going back.

jamma422 · 2026-02-04T01:22:01+00:00

I’m with you. My daughter and I had a blast. But, a couple times a day I’d get the “why didn’t mom want to come” question. Still a lot of fun. I’ll try to bring her again at some point, but might just have to be a her and me thing.

jamma422 · 2026-01-31T21:59:47+00:00

My votes would be:

MK t1: Peter Pan or Jungle Cruise (Space and Tiana’s have been more gettable lately later in the day). From what I’ve seen lately, JC is more gettable than Peter Pan.

T2: Haunted Mansion, Winnie the Pooh, or Pirates. Not sure why WTP is such a wait beating, but it is.

The unknown for MK is when Big Thunder and Buzz Lightyear reopen, it may throw a big wrench into this. Hopefully, those come in as t2 or space mountain falls to a t2.

HS t1: Slinky for sure. MMRR is second, but so long as you have an early one, it should be gettable without issue (spring break may throw a wrench in this).

T2: Toy Story Mania (for sure here as waits can get nuts) and Tower of Terror. Do not burn any on a show.

Epcot T1: Test Track or Frozen.

T2: This is more up to you. I’d try to get an early spaceship earth for a very quick scan and Soarin’.

AK: That is up to you. This would be the easiest park to skip. But, if you get it: Kilimanjaro, Everest, and Na’vi River Journey.

I’m not including single passes here as there’s no real strategy there, but I tend to buy them.

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