Final Trip questions

[bumblebeeonarose]

About this time last year I was asking questions about our first trip. Now the time for our last trip is quickly aproaching. We won't be renewing our passes this year. We may get another trip in before then, but our last trip will be June 11-13th. We'll be driving up on Sunday the 10th and staying at HOJO. Currently it is just DH, DD, and myself going.

My first questions are about breakfast with Minnie. I did a few searches online and in the forum, but I couldn't find exactly what I wanted.

The breakfast is open during MM, but does it open at the begining of MM? If MM is at 7, will breakfast open at 7? Or does it not open until 7:30 or so? DD's birthday is the Tuesday, which should be a MM. I would like to do breakfast with Minnie on her birthday. The tips I found online said to choose the first time slot available. Also, I thought that during MM would be a good time for breakfast as we cannot have MM, but we would be in the park and ready to go, rather than waiting until 8 and losing that hour.

Also, how long does breakfast take usually? About an hour? Is there a set time limit where you must leave after so long?

I got the impression that Minnie is often accompanied by Pooh and friends. That would make DD happy as she is a big Pooh fan. Is he usually there? I got conflicting information on this, are there character photographers or not?

Finally, is the reservation window 30 or 60 days out?

Thanks for all of your help.

[disneyobsessed]

We have done breakfast with Minnie's twice now, both during MM. If MM is at 7 AM, then the first seating for Minnie's is at 7:10 AM. There is a special line that you get into to get into the park. It's all the way over at Gate 1, and there will be a Minnie and Friend's breakfast sign and a CM or two there to make it more obvious. We love going during early entry since we too have APs and do not normally have access to MM. The time limit for character meals is 90 minutes. I don't think we would ever have needed to stay longer. We got really close to our 90 minute time at Goofy's once when the boys were much younger, but we never felt rushed or forced out. As for how long Minnie's takes us, when we go for our 7:10 reservation, we are usually done eating just before 8 AM, but that's us. Minnie and Friends by far has the most characters I have seen at a single character meal. During one visit we saw Minnie, Chip, Dale, Max (Goofy's son), Pooh, Tigger, Eyore, Fairy Godmother, Captain Hook, and a couple other characters that I can't remember right now. You will not see princesses, but since I have boys this is considered a positive rather than a negative by my kids. The reservation window is 2 months out. So if you are going on June 12, then your reservation window should open on April 12.

[CariBelle]

disneyobsessed said pretty much the same thing I was going to say, we had a 7:10 ressie when the park opened at 8. We were able to get done eating at 7:55 (two adults) and get right into the park and enjoy our day. I actually really liked the food at Plaza Inn and I'm not a huge breakfast or buffett person. TONS of character interaction, being so early there were only two other parties in the whole place at 7:10 but it did start to fill up closer to 8.

[candles71]

We, too, have always had Pooh and friends, as well as Alice and Hatter. We waited more than 90 minutes (without anyone pushing us to leave) once for Alice to find her way all the way over to us, she kept going the other way and they spend more time it seems like at each table than the non-face characters. We usually have Gepetto added to Disneyobsessed's list. We have seen Rabbit as well as the ones she listed.
60 day window for dining reservations. The 30 day window seems to be show-related (F! for example) and tours.

[TTFN92]

Thank you for bringing this up. We've never done character dining at DL but did at WDW. It was a lot of fun. I think I'll talk to DH about doing that this summer. How much is it?

[candles71]

Last I heard, $28 ish per adult. (over 9)

[disneyobsessed]

Thank you for bringing this up. We've never done character dining at DL but did at WDW. It was a lot of fun. I think I'll talk to DH about doing that this summer. How much is it?

When we went last summer the price was $27.99 for adults, age 10 and older, and $13.99 for children, ages 3-9. That is peak pricing which is what you will experience during the summer. AllEars.net reports current off-peak pricing as $23.99 per adult and $11.99 per child. Under 3 is free.

[bumblebeeonarose]

Thanks for the answers. That is exactly what I wanted to know. I'm excited for this! 7:10 is a pretty good time, as long as I can get DH up and going.

[candles71]

You do get an AP discount. You used to get AAA, but not anymore.

[bumblebeeonarose]

Is the AP discount 10% like at other restaurants? I really like the discount because it's just enough to cover taxes, so the meal comes out to what you were expecting in the first place. What about the Disney Visa? I know I have the AP now, but there was some speculation that that may go away. Is that one of the places the Visa gets a discount?

[candles71]

No, I don't believe they are on the list. But, it nevers hurst to ask. Yes, I believe it is the standard 10%.

[CariBelle]

Yes, character dining is the 10% discount.

[bumblebeeonarose]

For our last trip we are staying at HOJO, but we are considering going the first week of April. Probably M-W. That is Spring Break here in Nevada. I haven't booked a hotel yet though, and I noticed that prices are getting high. In a recent thread, I read that some people stay off site but use Disney parking shuttles to get to the park. Which hotels must these guests be staying at? I'm assuming they would be on the back side of the park, instead of the front. We used the ART our trip last June, and I really prefer to walk.

[tea4two]

If I remember correctly, people were staying at hotels near the Toy Story lot, walking to the lot, then taking the shuttles to DL. I think some of the hotels near the TS lot are the Red Lion, Sheraton Park, Portofino, etc. Any hotel near by and south of the Harbor and Katella intersection should be OK for this.

[bumblebeeonarose]

I guess I'm not familiar enough with the area. It doesn't matter though. We booked the Ramada on Harbor and Katella, so we'll just walk.

[candles71]

The ones on Ball road behind Mickey and friends sometimes use the Mickey and friends tram. We walk usually.

[bumblebeeonarose]

I'm curious how Toon Town madness affects the crowds in Toon Town. We want to take our daughter on Gadget's Go Coaster. Generally lines are shorter during the morning, but I was wondering if the "crowd" of Toon Town Madness folks might make the line longer.

[bumblebeeonarose]

Still wondering when the best time to visit Toon Town is if we want to ride the coaster...

[ogold72]

For our last trip we are staying at HOJO, but we are considering going the first week of April. Probably M-W. That is Spring Break here in Nevada. I haven't booked a hotel yet though, and I noticed that prices are getting high. In a recent thread, I read that some people stay off site but use Disney parking shuttles to get to the park. Which hotels must these guests be staying at? I'm assuming they would be on the back side of the park, instead of the front. We used the ART our trip last June, and I really prefer to walk.

Hey - me and my fam will be in the park that week too! We are from LV as well and are taking advantage of Spring Break. Maybe we will see each other around!

[bumblebeeonarose]

A few of my students have told me they will be there too. I asked them who was going to watch the baby so I could go on a coaster with DH. They all volunteered. Silly!

[bumblebeeonarose]

Does anyone know when peak season starts for dining prices?
I'm wondering if we'll be paying the 23.99 for Breakfast, or a higher off season price.

[TTFN92]

Does anyone know when peak season starts for dining prices?
I'm wondering if we'll be paying the 23.99 for Breakfast, or a higher off season price.

I didn't know they had different prices.