Itinerary with DVC resort questions...

MichiganDVC

Can barely see my Kool-aid bath with these Rose-co
Joined
Sep 1, 2010
Note, I posted this in another thread, but since I am staying at two DVC properties (one is new to me) I thought I could post here as well. Need the most help with Kidani and how to navigate their buses, evening resort activities, etc...

Critique my itinerary!
Background info: It’s just the two of us, both 35 and no kids. We’ve been to WDW 8 times in the last four years (and I’ve been roughly 22 times in my life,) so there’s nothing we HAVE to see or do during any given trip. Having said that, each trip has a theme. Our November trip is, obviously, Food and Wine. This trip was booked because we had DVC points burning a hole in our pockets, recently purchased and activated PAPs, and we must go every 6 months or we get nervous and itchy!
Our theme this trip was using the PAP to its fullest extent. This means, Blizzard Beach, DisneyQuest, etc… Getting our money’s worth!
We’re flying in Wednesday night and leaving late the following Tuesday. Staying at Kidani (studio) for 4 nights, and BLT studio for the last 2 nights.

Wednesday: Arrive at MCO 8:30PM, at AKL-Kidani by 10:00pm hopefully. Planning on having an early morning, so check-in and go to sleep!

Thursday: HS at rope drop. Run (brisk walk) to TSMM so I can finally ride this thing! (It better be good!!) I’d like to get a FP and ride immediately. Apparently, I should get to HS at least before 8:30 if not earlier for a 9:00am opening? If I want to be at HS gate by 8:30, what time should I be at AKL-Kidani bus stop?

I chose HS this day because MK has early EMH, so I assume the crowds might be a little bit lighter?
Apparently, my better half wants to do to the Backlot Tour? So we’ll be fitting that in. I’d like to leave HS by 1:00pm at latest, as we have a 2:00pm lunch reservation at Via Napoli. (I’ll be sad to take the boat through, not “to,” the Boardwalk.)

(It’s at this point that I should say that I think you’ve been to WDW too many times when your itinerary reads like a trip report.)

Epcot trip this is not, so our time there will be limited, much to our disappointment. Yes, 6 hours in 6 days is "limited."
We have a 7:20 reservation at Jiko, so we’ll need to leave Epcot no later than 5:30.

Dinner should take an hour and a half, max. Perhaps we’ll be so exhausted from the day that we’ll need to go to bed. OR hang out in the lobby. OR back to Kidani for campfire? What is there to do at night at AKL, Jambo or Kidani?

Friday: AK in the morning, pool in the afternoon, then Sanaa at 5:25. Evening to relax at the resort. Maybe we’ll go to the Jambo House pool in the evening or just hang out in the lobby.

What time do I need to be at the AKL-Kidani bus stop in order to get to both AK and Blizzard Beach roughly when they open?


Saturday: Blizzard Beach during the morning and early afternoon, then DTD for the evening. Fulton’s reservation at 5:30, then plan to hit up DisneyQuest and Splitsville for the night.

Sunday: Check out of Kidani at 11:00am, head to Epcot. Wander the World Showcase (or go on SE, Nemo, etc..) until I get the text that the BLT room is ready. Or until 3:00pm. Whichever comes first. Will we sneak over to Beaches and Cream for lunch? :scratchin No Way Jose!
Dinner at the Wave :wave2: at 5:00pm, then MK for evening EMH.

Monday: Kona (Poly) for breakfast, MK afternoon and evening. Will take mid-day break for BLT pool. Lunch WILL be that darn waffle sandwich from Sleepy Hollow!

Tuesday: Pack, check out, head to MK for morning/afternoon. Not-so-Magical Express should arrive at 3:00pm. Fly home.

My spreadsheet:
 
All of those WDW vacations and you still do rope drop and all of that planning?

Wake me up for lunch, I'm on vacation. :cloud9:

:earsboy: Bill
 
They've been letting people in at DHS as early as 8:30 some days recently I believe, so you should get there earlier.
 
All of those WDW vacations and you still do rope drop and all of that planning?

Wake me up for lunch, I'm on vacation. :cloud9:

:earsboy: Bill

Thank you! Somebody is taunting the boards with their new DVC membership. Congrats to him....but really? I'm not a DVC member. Maybe someday.....but there are things that are more important. I am an AP holder that lives in Michigan. This guy just gives Michigan a bad name. It took me 32 years to stay at the Poly....from my first visit at 6.
 


The buses at Kidani work just like at every other resort - walk out front to the bus stop, wait for the park bus you want to show up, and hop on ... :)

The buses are shared with Jambo House - but except for DTD, they pick up/drop off first at Kidani.

Plan on at least 1 hour when travelling to/from the parks on a bus (given waiting time, loading time, travel time ...) About 1/2 hour to get to AK, though - it's right down the road ...

There are activities ALL DAY at both Kidani and Jambo House - you'll get a schedule when you check-in.
 
One of my favorite things to do while staying at AKL are to take the free tours. The had an art tour at Kidani and a food tour at both Sanaa and Mara/Jiko in the afternoons while we were there.
 
Hey...I'm from Michigan and a planner too,

However, I thought your theme was food and wine...I believe you are missing a lot of activities at EPCOT, since you are only going for 6 hours? Unless you mean your own private food and wine eating experience. Also, weather could not be the greatest for a water park, you'll have to play that one by ear, while we really like the water parks and go each visit unless we're staying at BCV, there have been times where it was just too cold (low 70s)...

Careful at the BLT pool, I slipped and fell last month...people sit in the zero entry with suntan lotion and the pool floor surface was extremely slippery like ice!
 


All of those WDW vacations and you still do rope drop and all of that planning?

Wake me up for lunch, I'm on vacation. :cloud9:

:earsboy: Bill

love it! :thumbsup2
admittedly, i get up around 6AM on vacation (no alarm), but that's only to sip coffee on our balcony as the sun rises. after the pot of coffee, a walk around the BW, sitting down & chatting with newly found friends, i get back to the room around 9-10AM - after showers, some kinda food, we're usually ready to go about noon/1pm.
in years, the earliest we've managed to get to a park was about 11AM - & that was only to walk to DHS for a TSM FP (from BWV).
i'm super organized at home and work, but a WDW vacation means no more than 1 ADR in 10-14 days, deciding where we're going on a whim (e.g., getting on whichever bus is at the bus stop, smelling something tasty and deciding to eat, seeing something "ooooh...pretty" and shopping:)).

love your chart, tho :)
 
All of those WDW vacations and you still do rope drop and all of that planning?

Wake me up for lunch, I'm on vacation. :cloud9:

:earsboy: Bill

Ha, no I don't. That's the point of this trip: doing some of the things we're too lazy to get around to on a normal, shorter trip. I've never been on TSMM!! Never been to Blizzard Beach (TL once as a kid). Never been to DisneyQuest. So with this trip, the only way I was allowed to book it was if I promised we wouldn't do what we always do: wake at 9, breakfast in villa, pool by 10:30, nap, early ADR in Epcot, then DATW in WS until Illuminations. Besides...it's gonna be hot. Mid-July!! Gotta plan a bit or we're either going to be standing in the world's longest, hottest line or see nothing.
 
Thank you! Somebody is taunting the boards with their new DVC membership. Congrats to him....but really? I'm not a DVC member. Maybe someday.....but there are things that are more important. I am an AP holder that lives in Michigan. This guy just gives Michigan a bad name. It took me 32 years to stay at the Poly....from my first visit at 6.

Um, not a new DVC member. Also, not taunting. This is a DVC thread! And frankly because I've decided to invest my extra money on DVC contracts doesn't give anyone a bad name. It's not like I'm going to fly to AKL in my private jet from my yacht in the Mediterranean! The reason I listed my prior vacations, aside for the fact it's what everyone here does, is so that others can help critique my itinerary knowing I've been plenty before and I'm not "new."
 

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