PNO4TE
02-08-2008, 09:29 AM
I am not going to change my initial posts because they will show how this trip has evolved. Updates follow over the next page or so...
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This is going to be long and if you are not interested in reading my brainstorming, please feel free to skip the rest of this post! My feelings will not be hurt in the least!! Besides, I think this is what you all lovingly call a pre-trip report! So, on with the show...
When and Where: We usually go during the Food & Wine Festival because we like to FoodAndWineAndBeer... This trip we are once again staying at AKL. Dates are September 27-October 1, 2008.
The Eaters and Drinkers: DH (Bob): 58, Disney Veteran because we drafted him and he had no pre-existing conditions that allow him to be exempt. WDW is not his favorite place to be, but he knows it is mine and has found delight in being allowed to spend time alone in the resort reading and downing a few mugs of suds.
Me (Elin): 57, Lover of all Disney Parks and resorts, but especially WDW and all it has to offer. We are celebrating our 35th anniversary on this trip, albeit a couple of months after the fact. We were at DL last year for our 34th and just cannot get away to Florida this year in July. We don’t really WANT to be in Florida in July, but that is another story…
We are AP holders. I have been to WDW more than 50 times. Bob and our DDs, ages 29 and 21 (who are not going this trip), have been more than 30 times.
The Story: I have been playing around with my DlxDDP credits for our trip. I rapidly came to the realization that there are waaaay too many restaurants that we want to try!
Our flight does not get in until 2:50 p.m. on our first day but does not leave until 7:30 on our last day. So that gives us 4 1/2 full days of park/eating time. Since this trip is more about the gastronomic pleasures of WDW restaurants and festivals we will probably be spending more time on the eating and drinking part than on the thrill ride aspect. We are not (at this time) planning any special events at the F&W Festival. I have done many of them in the past but none of the wine pairings or things like Party for the Senseless events would make Bob happy. If the Beermaker's Dinner thing-y happened to be the weekend we are there, I would probably book that for him as a surprise. I, of course, would be “forced” to tag along on that one. Otherwise, if there is something that just jumps out at me when the special events are announced, I would book it for myself and Bob would happily stay at AKL and drink another beer... er... I mean read another book.
I sat down and determined what each of us would probably order to eat at all the restaurants we want to try. I figured the costs using DDE alone and also using the DlxDDP Option with DDE used for add-ons (like any sides or alcohol). We come out about even with our choices so we opted to do the DlxDDP since it will allow us to have pre-paid most of our food costs for the trip. We also debated the new Disney Dine & Wine add-on. But, at $40 a night it is not a smart option for us. There is a set wine list to choose from which changes AND you have to use 2 credits at any signature restaurants. As you will see, those are the bulk of our prospective dinners so I would use up $80 for one bottle of wine and I know I can get a decent wine for a lot less than that.
We have 24 TS/CS credits and 16 snack credits to play with. Snack credit use is a no-brainer... we will use them up easily at the F&W Festival. It is how to utilize those 24 TS/CS credits that is causing the headaches! It will probably come as no surprise to any of you that we are not using them as CS credits! :rotfl:
The Plan: BigBreakfast for Bob every morning. We both love breakfast. For goodness’ sake, 35 years ago we were married at 10:00 a.m. so we could have a sit down breakfast for our reception! So, one TS credit each day will consist of Boma or an appropriate substitute like Kona Café or Spoodles, both of which we also like. We, so far, are not planning lunches. We will haunt the F & W Festival mid-day. Dinner will be a Signature Restaurant most nights, although there are 1 credit locations we also like the sounds of and will happily attach to the ColorCodedMatrixOfFun. Here are the choices we have to work with (the numbers in parentheses are the required credits needed for that meal):
SIGNATURE DINNERS
Citricos (4)
California Grill (4)
Jiko (4)
Yachtsman Steakhouse (4)
TABLE SERVICE DINNERS
Chefs de France (2)
Tutto Italia (2)
Coral Reef (2)
Boma (2)
Spoodles (2)
Kona Café (2)
If you add those up you come to 28 credits. We only have 24 to spend. :sad2: So we have to whittle away at this list and see what we can do to make this work out. We have never eaten at Citricos or Tutto Italia, so those probably need to stay on the list unless someone has a really good reason to eliminate them. We ate at Jiko last October and it was the best meal of our F&W Fest trip. We usually eat breakfast at the last three restaurants on the list so we will keep them there, untouched.
We have eaten both lunch and dinner at Coral Reef numerous times and have had good/bad service and wait times but always a good meal. It has been 11 or 12 years since we last ate at Chefs de France and we both enjoyed that meal, but our DDs did not, hence the lagtime between visits. Our Christmas Eve 2006 dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse was one of our best meals ever on WDW property. That brings us to California Grill. This used to be our favorite restaurant. But 5 years ago we had such a bad experience there that we vowed it would be a very long time before we came back. We know that the wait time for a table will still be long (hopefully NOT 3 hours past our reservation time like in December 2002) and the offending server is probably not there anymore. ;) So, we decided to put it on the list this trip and possibly give it another try.
So, you see my puzzle here… what to choose and what to delegate to a waiting list. Any suggestions will be read with care and consideration. But the decision of the two judges will be final. I think…
* * * * * * * *
This is going to be long and if you are not interested in reading my brainstorming, please feel free to skip the rest of this post! My feelings will not be hurt in the least!! Besides, I think this is what you all lovingly call a pre-trip report! So, on with the show...
When and Where: We usually go during the Food & Wine Festival because we like to FoodAndWineAndBeer... This trip we are once again staying at AKL. Dates are September 27-October 1, 2008.
The Eaters and Drinkers: DH (Bob): 58, Disney Veteran because we drafted him and he had no pre-existing conditions that allow him to be exempt. WDW is not his favorite place to be, but he knows it is mine and has found delight in being allowed to spend time alone in the resort reading and downing a few mugs of suds.
Me (Elin): 57, Lover of all Disney Parks and resorts, but especially WDW and all it has to offer. We are celebrating our 35th anniversary on this trip, albeit a couple of months after the fact. We were at DL last year for our 34th and just cannot get away to Florida this year in July. We don’t really WANT to be in Florida in July, but that is another story…
We are AP holders. I have been to WDW more than 50 times. Bob and our DDs, ages 29 and 21 (who are not going this trip), have been more than 30 times.
The Story: I have been playing around with my DlxDDP credits for our trip. I rapidly came to the realization that there are waaaay too many restaurants that we want to try!
Our flight does not get in until 2:50 p.m. on our first day but does not leave until 7:30 on our last day. So that gives us 4 1/2 full days of park/eating time. Since this trip is more about the gastronomic pleasures of WDW restaurants and festivals we will probably be spending more time on the eating and drinking part than on the thrill ride aspect. We are not (at this time) planning any special events at the F&W Festival. I have done many of them in the past but none of the wine pairings or things like Party for the Senseless events would make Bob happy. If the Beermaker's Dinner thing-y happened to be the weekend we are there, I would probably book that for him as a surprise. I, of course, would be “forced” to tag along on that one. Otherwise, if there is something that just jumps out at me when the special events are announced, I would book it for myself and Bob would happily stay at AKL and drink another beer... er... I mean read another book.
I sat down and determined what each of us would probably order to eat at all the restaurants we want to try. I figured the costs using DDE alone and also using the DlxDDP Option with DDE used for add-ons (like any sides or alcohol). We come out about even with our choices so we opted to do the DlxDDP since it will allow us to have pre-paid most of our food costs for the trip. We also debated the new Disney Dine & Wine add-on. But, at $40 a night it is not a smart option for us. There is a set wine list to choose from which changes AND you have to use 2 credits at any signature restaurants. As you will see, those are the bulk of our prospective dinners so I would use up $80 for one bottle of wine and I know I can get a decent wine for a lot less than that.
We have 24 TS/CS credits and 16 snack credits to play with. Snack credit use is a no-brainer... we will use them up easily at the F&W Festival. It is how to utilize those 24 TS/CS credits that is causing the headaches! It will probably come as no surprise to any of you that we are not using them as CS credits! :rotfl:
The Plan: BigBreakfast for Bob every morning. We both love breakfast. For goodness’ sake, 35 years ago we were married at 10:00 a.m. so we could have a sit down breakfast for our reception! So, one TS credit each day will consist of Boma or an appropriate substitute like Kona Café or Spoodles, both of which we also like. We, so far, are not planning lunches. We will haunt the F & W Festival mid-day. Dinner will be a Signature Restaurant most nights, although there are 1 credit locations we also like the sounds of and will happily attach to the ColorCodedMatrixOfFun. Here are the choices we have to work with (the numbers in parentheses are the required credits needed for that meal):
SIGNATURE DINNERS
Citricos (4)
California Grill (4)
Jiko (4)
Yachtsman Steakhouse (4)
TABLE SERVICE DINNERS
Chefs de France (2)
Tutto Italia (2)
Coral Reef (2)
Boma (2)
Spoodles (2)
Kona Café (2)
If you add those up you come to 28 credits. We only have 24 to spend. :sad2: So we have to whittle away at this list and see what we can do to make this work out. We have never eaten at Citricos or Tutto Italia, so those probably need to stay on the list unless someone has a really good reason to eliminate them. We ate at Jiko last October and it was the best meal of our F&W Fest trip. We usually eat breakfast at the last three restaurants on the list so we will keep them there, untouched.
We have eaten both lunch and dinner at Coral Reef numerous times and have had good/bad service and wait times but always a good meal. It has been 11 or 12 years since we last ate at Chefs de France and we both enjoyed that meal, but our DDs did not, hence the lagtime between visits. Our Christmas Eve 2006 dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse was one of our best meals ever on WDW property. That brings us to California Grill. This used to be our favorite restaurant. But 5 years ago we had such a bad experience there that we vowed it would be a very long time before we came back. We know that the wait time for a table will still be long (hopefully NOT 3 hours past our reservation time like in December 2002) and the offending server is probably not there anymore. ;) So, we decided to put it on the list this trip and possibly give it another try.
So, you see my puzzle here… what to choose and what to delegate to a waiting list. Any suggestions will be read with care and consideration. But the decision of the two judges will be final. I think…