Need help, advice, ADR concerns do I have to many

[tracylynn]

Hello Disney Family- I have been the organizer of our group and now those that have not participated much less had to be on hold with Disney Dining wants to change our plans. So here goes... we are both single moms and or daughters are best buddies, both girls are 12.5. My DD is very girly girl and the other DD is all about sports. The other mom has not done any of the planning or research and has left everything up to me. Our trip is not until Aug 12-23 and now she is gripping about her budget. We have been planning since Jan 09. We are stayin at the Pop Century and I agreed to share a room to help her with expenses. But here is the problem.... She is clueless about the Dining aspect to Disney and I refuse to inform her anymore and she has decided not to read any emails I have been sending. Today I get a call from her and she wants to cancel many of our ressies. I decided that I would get the most for my buck and have my daughter experience the most since we will not do Disney again or at least anytime soon after this trip. I got a part time evening job to cover all of our Disney trip.

Some of our dining we are paying out of pocket and now I am second guessing myself about our dining plans. Could you please tell me if we have t much or what is not worth paying out of pocket. Mind you I have already purchased all souviners for DD and I plan to let my daughter find 2 to 3 gifts on her own. I got her some really cool stuff.

All of our out of pocket dining comes to about $300. I am open t suggestions if any one has any.

Sunday
CRT- Out of Pocket ($84)
California Grill (2 TS)

Monday
Rainforest- Gift Card

Tuesday
Crystal Palace-Out of Pocket ($40)
Fantasmic Package (1 TS)

Wednesday
50's PrimeTime (Dessert Only) Out of Pocket
Mama Melrose Out of Pocket
Spirit of Aloha (2 TS)

Thursday
LeCellier (1 TS)
Rose and Crown (Out of Pocket)

Friday
Wonderland Tea Party (Out of Pocket) $43
1900 Park Fare (1 TS)

Saturday
Coral Reef (Dessert Only) Out of Pocket
Planet Hollywood (Gift Card)

Sunday
Chef Mickeys(Out of Pocket) ($48)

[Kimberle]

It's your vacation, you should eat where you want to eat. You don't have to eat all meals together. If your friend doesn't want a certain meal, eat seperate and hook up later. You are all going to be together a lot, so some alone time would be nice too. If you made the ADR's for 4, and only 2 come, that's ok. You'll be seated at a smaller table.

Be sure to budget for tips as they are not included in the DDP.

[justcruisin]

On Wednesday you will spend quite a bit of time eating, Lunch at Mama Melrose, Desert at PT, then Spirit of Aloha.

Don't forget about your snack and CS credits - perhaps skipping desert at Coral Reef and using a CS at SunshineSeasons.

I would offer a general plan of where you and DD will be each day, they can meet up with you if they'd like.

Tell her you and your daughter are looking forward to the restaurants as part of your vacation and let her know there are CS options available for her.

Consider not allowing room charging privileges on the KTTW card for you and your daughter --- no surprises upon checkout.

You can't make her take your advise, so offer up an option, smile and enjoy your vacation.

[wezee]

I think you could defiantly utilize your CS more effectively and avoid so much out of pocket expense. Like having CS fish and chips instead of Rose and Crown. I think the added expense of tips and tax could greatly increase your spending. Since you are planning mostly TS, when and where would you use all your CS credits??

[brymolmom]

I know you want your dd to 'experience it all' but I don't think that food is really what is the most important to experience at WDW. I guess what I'm saying is that I think she can really experience it all without a bunch of those reservations. First of all, with the dining plan - there are already a lot of desserts - CS dessert, TS dessert, snack can be used for many dessert options - We find that we don't even WANT any other desserts - so I think you are very safe cutting out the dessert only reservations.

Also - for the CP estimate, you say $40 - are you doing breakfast? That is $19 per adult (is there an additional fee during that time) - but don't forget to add in tip. Not sure if you didn't add it into other estimates. Also - even with the 1TS options - you might want to estimate your tip amounts that will need to be paid OOP too!

We have done the dining plan a few times and it is a lot of food. I don't think there is any need for most people to pay anything OOP for any meals when on the plan. That being said - I know you want to do a couple extra things. Maybe sit down with your daughter and identify which meals you both consider 'too special to miss' - and then cut out the rest of them.

[Mickey country]

I would stick to one credit TS meals and then you also have a counter service meal everyday + snack. Your daughter is 12.5 if I read correctly, and the wonderland tea party is fun, but mainly for maybe 8yrs. and younger. They only offer 1 game and a cupcake w/ juice + it is only 1 hr. Totally your choice, but I think your money could be spent better else where.

[tracylynn]

Hello All - I have updated our ressies and I think we are going to upgrade our free dining to Deluxe Dining for $448, I was going to pay $600 in OOP expenses. Before I thought to upgrade I was going to pay $290 in character events and other events.

I would love to get some suggestions thoughts.



Sun

CRT - 8am (2TS)

California Grill- 7:35pm (2TS)



Mon

Rainforest Cafe 1:30pm (Gift Card)

Coral Reef 8:55 (1 TS)



Tues

Crystal Palace 9:10am (1TS)

Fantasmic Hollywood Brown Derby3:30pm (2TS)

50s Primetime 7:05pm



Wed

Mama Melrose 12:40pm (1TS)

Spirit of Aloha 8pm (2TS)



Thur

Lecellier 2:50pm (1TS)

Rose and Crown 6:55pm (1TS)



Fri

Wonderland Tea 2pm (1TS)

1900 Park Fare 7pm (1TS)



Sat

Chef De France 12pm (1 TS)

Planet Hollywood 9:15pm (1TS)








Hello Disney Family- I have been the organizer of our group and now those that have not participated much less had to be on hold with Disney Dining wants to change our plans. So here goes... we are both single moms and or daughters are best buddies, both girls are 12.5. My DD is very girly girl and the other DD is all about sports. The other mom has not done any of the planning or research and has left everything up to me. Our trip is not until Aug 12-23 and now she is gripping about her budget. We have been planning since Jan 09. We are stayin at the Pop Century and I agreed to share a room to help her with expenses. But here is the problem.... She is clueless about the Dining aspect to Disney and I refuse to inform her anymore and she has decided not to read any emails I have been sending. Today I get a call from her and she wants to cancel many of our ressies. I decided that I would get the most for my buck and have my daughter experience the most since we will not do Disney again or at least anytime soon after this trip. I got a part time evening job to cover all of our Disney trip.

Some of our dining we are paying out of pocket and now I am second guessing myself about our dining plans. Could you please tell me if we have t much or what is not worth paying out of pocket. Mind you I have already purchased all souviners for DD and I plan to let my daughter find 2 to 3 gifts on her own. I got her some really cool stuff.

All of our out of pocket dining comes to about $300. I am open t suggestions if any one has any.

Sunday
CRT- Out of Pocket ($84)
California Grill (2 TS)

Monday
Rainforest- Gift Card

Tuesday
Crystal Palace-Out of Pocket ($40)
Fantasmic Package (1 TS)

Wednesday
50's PrimeTime (Dessert Only) Out of Pocket
Mama Melrose Out of Pocket
Spirit of Aloha (2 TS)

Thursday
LeCellier (1 TS)
Rose and Crown (Out of Pocket)

Friday
Wonderland Tea Party (Out of Pocket) $43
1900 Park Fare (1 TS)

Saturday
Coral Reef (Dessert Only) Out of Pocket
Planet Hollywood (Gift Card)

Sunday
Chef Mickeys(Out of Pocket) ($48)

[caroline1851]

If you're on the same reservation (sharing the same room), don't you have to be on the same meal plan? If so, you guys will have to sit down and decide what you want to do together. Though deluxe sounds great, it seems liek a lot of your time is oging to be spent eating and getting back and forth to meals. Why not just stick with the regular DDP and have some CS and just 1 TS/day. I would think a 12 year old would rather be enjoying the parks, but i may be wrong, just guessing. my kids are younger than that.

The meals are heavy. i don't think, for example, that you'll be able to eat at Le Cellier and then follow that up with Pub and Crown.

I would do basic ddp, save the money, and have more time to enjoy the attractions/rides more.

[katindis]

I've read that most TS meals take about an 90 mins., or longer (less for buffets). I know my daughter (around the same age) would get bored (and very full) doing TS for 3 hours a day.

I know these decisions are difficult, my ADR date is a few days away and I'm having a hard time wanting to do everything.

I also agree with a post about the Wonderland Tea. I've seen pictures from the tea and it looks like mostly pre-schoolers (maybe that's exagerating, but young girls nonetheless). Here's a link, but I saw another review that showed a whole table of girls that were very young: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2135600&highlight=wonderland&page=8

[NLD]

Tues

Crystal Palace 9:10am (1TS)

Fantasmic Hollywood Brown Derby3:30pm (2TS)

50s Primetime 7:05pm


What time is Fantasmic that evening? Wouldn't a 50s PT ressie at 7:05 potentially mess up your seating for Fantasmic?

[tracylynn]

Hello- The Fantasmic show does not start until 9pm, in order to get the Fantasmic package you have to have dinner between 3:30 and 4:45. I will probably cancel 50s it was really more so for dessert and to pass time. I am open for suggestions.



What time is Fantasmic that evening? Wouldn't a 50s PT ressie at 7:05 potentially mess up your seating for Fantasmic?