Critique my Disney Bachelorette plan?

[5onsat]

Thanks for any feedback on this plan of attack for a Disney bachelorette! I am the maid of honor and have been planning a trip for 6 ladies in their late 20's. I have not been to Disney in over 10 years so I've made a plan based on research I've been able to do, but would love some feedback from more experienced Disney-goers.

Attendees: 1 bride and 5 bridesmaids in late 20's. One has been to Disney quite a few times, and the others have not been in a while.
Context: Bride has been to Disney Land but not Disney World. She chose Disney for her bachelorette because her fiance is not interested in going, but is not a "Disney fanatic" (does not want to wear ears or have a Disney-themed room. Wants to have a more adult experience.). The group is fairly budget-conscious (some more than others).
Bride's asks: She sees this as her one chance to go and wants to do as much of Disney and Universal as she can. Would like to do four nights and three park days. Interested in riding rides and not interested in shows.
Dates: Saturday, April 18 - Wednesday, April 22
Stay: Fort Wilderness six-person cabin (I understand that it may be small and spaced out, but this is the best budget-friendly option I could find that wasn't geared towards kids). We are flying in from out of town so thought it made sense to stay on Disney property.
Plan: This is as far as I've gotten. I guess for FastPasses I will try to go for the biggest/most famous rides in each park.

Edited Plan - V4
Day One
Arrive at airport - plan to use Uber/Lyft the whole time
Check in at Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort
Dinner at Disney Springs (got a reservation at the Boathouse)
Try to call it an early night!

Day Two
Early morning breakfast at Be Our Guest (before park opens)
Rides at Magic Kingdom
Mid-day break, lunch at hotel
Rides/fireworks at Magic Kingdom
Monorail bar crawl or Jellyrolls

Day Three
Sleep in/pool time, pack up stuff
Rides at Epcot (Uber)
Eat and drink around the world (Flower and Garden Festival)

Day Four
Up early, check in at Universal's Royal Pacific
Both parks at Universal
Dinner at City Walk
Karaoke at Rising Star Karaoke

Day Five
Check out and leave

Edited Plan - V3
Day One
Arrive at airport and pick up rental car
Check in at Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort
Dinner at Disney Springs (got a reservation at the Boathouse)
Try to call it an early night!

Day Two
Get up early, drive and park at Universal
Rides at Universal (both parks)
Karaoke at Rising Star Karaoke

Day Three
Sleep in/pool time
Rides at Epcot (Uber)
Eat and drink around the world (Flower and Garden Festival)
If not tired, after party at Jellyrolls dueling piano bar

Day Four
Up early for character breakfast at Magic Kingdom
Rides
Go back to the resort ~ 3-5 p.m., maybe have dinner
Rides and fireworks
Monorail crawl of Trader Sam's Grog Grotto, Enchanted Rose
(Alternatively, sleep in again and stay out all day)

Day Five
Check out and leave

Edited Plan - V2
Day One
Check in at FW and get settled
Dinner at Disney Springs (Ragland Run or Boathouse)
Try to call it an early night!

Day Two
Extra magic hour and morning at Hollywood Studios
Rides
Quick lunch or snack
Take boat to Epcot
Rides at Epcot
Eat and drink around the world (Flower and Garden festival)
After party at Jellyrolls dueling piano bar

Day Three
Sleep in!
Bus to Magic Kingdom and rides
Quick lunch
Dinner at Be Our Guest (4:45)
Monorail crawl of Trader Sam's Grog Grotto, Enchanted Rose and/or the Wave (depending on how much energy, maybe just check out these resorts if not getting drinks everywhere)

Day Four
Uber to Universal and visit both parks
Night: Universal CityWalk (Rising Star Karaoke and Red Coconut Night Club)

Day Five
Check out and leave

Original plan - V1
Day One
Check in at FW and get settled
(Rent a pontoon boat if there is time?)
Dinner at Disney Springs (The Edison, Ragland Run or Boathouse)
Walk around/bar hop at Disney Springs

Day Two
Extra magic hour and morning at Hollywood Studios
Rides
Quick service lunch
Take Skyliner to Epcot via Caribbean Beach Resort
Rides at Epcot
Dinner at Biergarten Restaurant
Drinks around the world

Day Three
Extra magic hour at Animal Kingdom (depends on how everyone feels - might skip to sleep in)
Bus to Magic Kingdom and rides
Quick service lunch
Dinner at Be Our Guest (4:45)
Monorail to Trader Sam's Grog Grotto for drinks/dancing

Day Four
Uber to Universal and visit both parks
Night: Universal CityWalk (Rising Star Karaoke and Red Coconut Night Club)

Day Five
Check out and leave

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

We had family stay in the FW cabins once and we went over there one night and checked them out. They are very nice...but 6 girls and only 1 bathroom seems like bad math. I would consider getting 2 or 3 rooms at either a Disney value resort or a Disney Springs partner hotel that has access to the 60 day fastpasses. The DS hotels can usually be somewhat cheap. Even Saratoga Springs 2BR is around $2800 which spread across 6 people over 4 days is $116 per day.

As far as rides, I'd familiarize yourself with the fastpass system. There are some great threads in the Theme Park section of Disboards that will help you figure that out. Having a good understanding of the fastpass system can save you hours per day....both in the pre-trip planning stage and while you are inside the park.

Drinking around World Showcases is one of my favorite things to do. There are so many good drinks and food to try you guys will have fun there. The Flower and Garden festival is going on during your time so there will be food booths similar to the Food and Wine festival. I would look at the food booth menus and consider eating your way around the world while you are drinking around the world. And as far as Extra Magic Hours the next morning...good luck with that

Day 3 looks good except be aware Trader Sam's can many times have an hour wait. It's not really a place for dancing either. I personally love it, but I'm a nerd for tiki bars. If you do go, I'd also head over to the Grand Floridian and check out their new lounge Enchanted Rose. It's a great spot. If you are looking for a more adult time Jellyrolls (dueling piano bar) and Atlantic Dance Club are more that speed. They are both located at Disney's Boardwalk.

 

[Carolyn Louise]

My only question is whether a group of 20-somethings would want to wake up early for any morning extra magic hours, especially after a night of bar hopping.

I would also suggest to reverse the activities of Day 3 and 4 for two reasons—one, I think it’s always nice to end a trip in the WDW bubble and MK is one of my fave last day parks (though this may not matter as much for your group) and second you could have a full day and late night at the nightclub and need some downtime the next day—TS is fun but more relaxed, build in some packing time etc.

 

[richmo]

It all sounds fun...but, before you go too much further, you might want to start adding up the cost of all this and see if everyone is "in". While you're not on the high end of everything, your plans defnitely aren't "budget". Disney definitely isn't cheap and if some of your group is "budget conscious", as you say, I wouldn't be surprised if they balk at how much this is going to cost.

 

[GoofyDad_4427]

take the boat from DHS to Epcot, will be much quicker than the Skyliner.

 

[BrianL]

You have a LOT crammed into 3 days. I might suggest less hopping and concentrating on the parks you like best. The DHS to Epcot though is pretty easy with the Skyliner though (that has traditionally been the easiest hop because they are the closest. Waiting for buses may detract time from being in park, so just keep that in mind.

 

[RunningGamer]

Are you planning on being on the Dining Plan? If so then the QS lunch with TS dinner is fine but if you are going out of pocket, then you are going to stretch your dollars further doing your TS for lunch and QS for dinner, plus it can be a nice break in the day from the heat and humidity to sit down in air conditioning for an hour or so.

Day 1: You might get more out of the experiences available if you go to Raglan Road for dinner (dance show during with the inside bar getting pretty crowded pretty quickly) and then hit The Edison for drinks later in the evening (after 10pm) for their specialized entertainment (burlesque, aerial trapeze artists, etc.).
Day 2: You may want to consider just grabbing snacks at HS rather than QS as HS is not well known for its QS quality. Plus, as others have pointed out, with the Flower and Garden going on, there are going to be a LOT of food booths that will have a lot of different foods you guys could all try and even share to make a meal across multiple booths trying various different things. (Note you can exchange QS credits for snack credits). Different drinks too. If you're looking for a table service dinner that is going to be more adult (or at least tend to have fewer kids), you might be better off at someplace like La Hacienda de San Angel, Spice Road Table, Restaurant Marrakesh, or Tokyo Dining. Although if you are willing to take the +2-3 hours out of your day and are interested in a more intimate and refined meal then Takumi-Tei is an awesome (though pricey) dining experience with great food, drinks, and superb service.
Day 3: You may want to consider grabbing your QS at Animal Kingdom instead of MK. AK has much better QS and more varied options than MK. It is also one of the longest bus rides in WDW so you may want to take that in to consideration. Do have to second, regarding Trader Sam's, it is not a dance venue and if that is the kind of entertainment your party is looking for then the Boardwalk is a much better place to be for Jellyrolls and the Atlantic City Dance Hall.

 

[KMarston]

I second Jellyrolls rather than Trader Sams. It does have a cover..$15 I think but the dueling pianos are great and they always make a fuss over the bride and bachelorette party! Be there before nine to get a seat!

 

[stsomewhere]

I would do Epcot the day of arrival,

 

[cedricandsophie]

Having been to DW with girlfriends although not nearly as young, I’d say this is definitely ambitious and expensive. Has each person approved a budget? The Tickets alone for Disney and universal are a few hundred dollars each . Dinners out and drinks are going to add up fast. A pontoon boat isn’t cheap. With airfare and extras this is definitely close to 1000 a person. And six in a room with one bathroom? I travel at least once a year with three dear friends. We always get either a house or two suites, so we get our own room and bathroom. There is just no way you will get everyone ready and out the door for early entries unless you are willing to get up around 530 or 6 to start the bathroom, shower and makeup rotations. I don’t mean to rain on your parade but having traveled with girlfriends for many years now, it’s really important to get budgets and willingness to conform to a tight schedule approved well ahead of time. Or let the *****ing begin now.

 

[5onsat]

Thanks everyone for all of your helpful feedback! It is definitely an ambitious plan, just not sure where to cut out. To me it looks like no pontoon ride (time would be tight anyway) and no Animal Kingdom. Any other suggestions? I noticed that we are having drinks every night haha so I think one of those can be cut out. I heard Trader Sam's was a must do (not for dancing I guess but just for the atmosphere), but maybe we could just call it a night after Magic Kingdom. We could definitely hit up Jellyrolls on night 1.

The issue with housing is challenging because bride told me she wanted 1) everyone in one suite, not separate rooms 2) she didn't like the Disney-decorated rooms of Art of Animation. So we were left with FW or something twice as expensive like Saratoga Springs (or staying off site, which we thought wasn't worth it with the airport Uber rides being expensive). When I looked into DVC rentals, they didn't seem to save a lot of money. That being said, maybe it would be worth paying extra for another bathroom. We are not the most high maintenance but it would definitely be a struggle.

I did show the girls a sample budget of about $1,400 total and they were okay with that. However, I would like to stretch our money as much as we can reasonably. I heard the food and wine booths would get a lot more expensive than the Biergarten restaurant ($42 buffet), but maybe not. Also, I think I could change Be Our Guest to lunch instead of dinner for some savings. Any other suggestions welcome

Thank you!

 

[stsomewhere]

If you change BE Our guest to lunch, be aware that The Beast is only available for dinner. We stayed at Wyndam Bonnet Creek. It was very affordable. We had a 2 bedroom unit King and 2 full beds plus pull out couch, full kitchen,and two bathrooms for about $200 a night, It was $8 Uber ride to The Boardwalk.

 

[duffybear32830]

It all sounds very overly ambitious to me and getting around fort wilderness will be a pain taking two buses unless you have a car. I reiterate 6 ladies and 1 bathroom is not a good idea.

You could save a lot skipping universal and parkhoppers and just doing 1 day Epcot, 1 day MK, 1 day HS.

Check out the deluxe alcove rooms at the Dolphin. Those could sleep 6 easily ( not sure technically allowed). Still 1 shower but 2 sinks.

I’d much prefer 2 connecting values over a cabin. Sounds like it’s just a place to sleep anyways.

 

[5onsat]

I just edited my original post with some tweaks to the plan based on your suggestions. I moved the "big night out" to night two (I hope it's not crazy to go out to another bar after "drinking around the world"? Part of me doubts how much drinking we will actually be doing based on the drink prices!)

If the plan is too ambitious, I think it might be possible to cut out Hollywood Studios and just do Epcot. It depends on if the bride is okay with that, because she really wants to do as much of the Disney experience as possible (but is fine cutting out AK). I can't cut out Universal as she really wants to do that. I would also consider switching days three and four. I originally chose the park days based on when extra magic hours are.

Sounds like I should really reconsider Fort Wilderness! The Dolphin looks nice but apparently you can't sneak people without messing up reservations. If I can find two connecting value rooms, that might work for us. We are staying at cabins during her wedding so that is kind of her "vibe," but it sounds like a lot of people have concerns.
Thank youuuu!

 

[Hokie2005]

For Boathouse or Raglan Road, I would go ahead and get yourself a reservation. Assuming this is the night of April 18th, Boathouse doesn't look to have anything until 9:45pm for a party of 6 and Raglan Road only has a couple of options. You can always try calling the restaurants directly and not going through the Disney site as we have had some success (and some failure) going that route before. They are both different in terms of cuisine (and atmosphere) so I would just gauge your bride and decide which option she would find better.

Also with the fast passes, since you are on property at FW you should be able to make those 60 days out. If you are trying to get on some of the more popular rides, certainly get those plans made right when they open up.

 

[starry_solo]

What is the budget per person? I agree with the others that you need to either look for two value rooms - with the understanding that connecting Rooms is merely a request and not a guarantee - or look into a Disney Springs hotel suite OR Wyndham Bonnet Creek Two bedroom (sleeps up to 8).

if you choose Wyndham Bonnet Creek, get a private transportation from the airport with a stop at the grocery store for food and snacks. Uber around to the parks (it’s not that pricey). six women need space....

 

[disuni2018]

Here's my posting for when we did my bachelorette! It was fabulous! have so much fun! We were so tired each night from our days that we didn't make it out to any bars so I can't recommend anything there. However, we opted to split a nice air BNB and it was nice to stretch out with a group of 10. We split Ubers/Lyfts everywhere and it was easy enough

 

[TeacupsForever]

You could also look at the All-Star Music suites. They sleep up to 6 (though that arrangement is designed for families with kids, so there would be bed-sharing and maybe people on sleeper sofas, FYI). BUT the big perk here is that they have two full bathrooms and are a more affordable value resort. The theming isn't the over-the-top Disney vibe like Art of Animation, but I'll admit that it's not a super sophisticated adult setting either—at least not since I was there last. Just another hotel to think about!

 

[Toolulu22]

There are some hotels near Disney that have suites with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, more space, for considerably less than Disney prices. While you would need to pay for transportation to the airport, and possibly the parks and DS, it would be worthwhile to at least do a price comparison.

Looking at your plan, it is definitely ambitious especially if you all are unfamiliar with FP+, park layout, and other nuances. I get that the bride wants to fit in as much as possible, but even people who go all the time and for longer trips don’t always accomplish everything on the bucket list. I agree with those that suggest less hopping around- because you will love Epcot and MK especially. If you have two full days at Disney, pick a few must dos (rides, eateries, whatever) and be sure to hit those. But leave time to enjoy the magic with your girlfriends. My husband and I plan the drink around the world (usually a “share drinks and food- around the world”) and have never actually made it all the way around before we were tired, it rained, we stayed in one place or something else.

I guess my advice less hopping and spend time enjoying. HS isn’t far by boat from EPCOT, so you could head to one from the other but it still would eat time from your day- probably a half hour or more door to door with waiting for a boat and then going through bag check.

If I had one day for Universal, I’d get a pass for Islands of Adventure and spend the money on the express pass, instead of a 2-park pass. You will enjoy dancing and partying at City-walk.

 

[LovesTimone]

Here are my thought in no particular order...

I think that you might be down sizing all the walking that you are going to be doing all day, then adding in the partying all night... Plus it starts getting hot in April... much warmer than most parts of the US... travel time between parks....

I think that everyone should have a very clear picture of what the cost will be.... you said that everyone is budget minded some more others less....... so when I plan trips, when you are planning for a group.... I make sure everyone know what the true cost will be... I give everyone a actual breakdown of cost.. Your part of the hotel will be x amount... and a break down of the cost... hotel, plus fees and taxes... I have had someone question me on well it show 300.00 a night so my part is only 75.00 dollars a night... nope there are taxes and resort fees, that you need to add in... make sure they know what the cost of food is going to cost, with a drink and tax... a quick service meal is this much, cocktails are this much, dinner or character dinning is X amount of dollars....

As well is the Bride paying for herself? and what are her expectations, on what you are treating her to while there... ? I would have a conversation with the other women going on this trip on what they planning on treating her to... and you can let the bride know, maybe each night someone will pick up her drinks or a drink... or we are eating at wherever and we are all treating you to dinner... It's good to have a plan so that everyone has some level of expectation off what their role is... and what their cost is going to be...

With the Bride wanting everyone to be in one suite is nice... but not realistic at all... If this is something that she really really wants make it clear to her, that it is not financially something that everyone can do... and if its soooo important to her.. she can pick up the tab for it, and it can be her bridesmaid gift to you guys...... well Sally I did research it, and its like only 800.00... that's 800.00 a night plus tax and resort fee... so 4 night would be 3,200.00 plus tax and resorts fee, Visa or Amex...

Another thought... don't be surprised if one or two drop out at the last minute...or when it's time for them to make a payment.... make sure that everyone knows when the deposit is due, and this is the true test of who's really going... as well when you need final payment... make it like 2 weeks before the real date, just trust me on this one... as well let everyone know, if they a deposit or any other payment and then drop out, unfortunately you will not be able to refund their money...

If you are planning on table service meals with ADR's, make sure that everyone understand that if you book for a party of 6 they will automatically add in the tip, as well if you make an ADR's and blow it off, and don't show up, they will charge your CC a no show fee, of 10 dollar per person... If you have a ADR for 6 and only 3 of you make for dinner, that's okay and no extra charge... you can cancel up till the day before...

There is no way I would dare even think about 6 women and one bathroom.... I would look at 2 value room, or even a family suite... with women you will need space, especially if you plan on remaining friends after this trip..

All the resorts are themed.... if you want more grown up themeing... then you are going to pay more... Poly, Grand Floridian, Contemporary have that more adult feeling...

I would not end the trip at Universal.... especially after drinking and partying all night, then trying to get 6 women up, dressed, and out the door and to the airport...maybe stick it in the middle for this...

Transportation - moving around Orlando takes time, make sure to account for this when you are heading out... Also who is going to pay for the transportation to and from Disney to Universal or where every you go ... work this out ahead of time... this way no surprise's... and everyone can still be friends...

For me I would skip Universal... and maybe do some outlet shopping... then hit Universal City walk for and evening of Dancing and Partying...

As well you might want to plan some pool time, to let everyone recuperate after all the nights out...