Our week of gluttony in review.
First off I want to state how much we LOVED the DDP.
We really debated whether or not to do it, whether or not we'd save. We did save. Quite a bit. But as important or more, all our meals were paid for. ahead of time. No mentally adding throughout the week to see how we were doing on the budget. No changing of where we were going to eat because we'd over spent the night before. We had ADR's, a new concept for us. Scrooge had really really worried that a daily ADR anchored us too much and didn't give us enough flexibility. That couldn't have been farther from the case. It actually ended up being something everyone looked forward to each day and I loved NEVER having to deal with the..
What do you want to eat?
I don't know, what do you want to eat?
What sounds good to you?
I don't know, what sounds good to you?
No, that doesn't sound good
No, I don't have a better idea
I want mexican
but I want pizza
but I really want a steak
what about fish mom?
I could let the kids have a treat every day without mentally adding up just how much I was spending on Mickey Bars, smoothies and popcorn. I like to treat my kids, I do. I do not however let them get something like that as a general rule every day on vacation! Once or twice, maybe even three times, sure. But not every day. The kids thought they were in heaven.
But first...
a Garden Grocer review
We worried it wouldn't be enough food and so I'd had our cabin stocked with about $200 worth of groceries. We didn't need that much. I bought stuff to make hot breakfast in addition to cold cereals, yogurt, fruit and poptarts. I'd skip that next time. I overbought on the dinner items a little but was able to pack it back home so it wasn't an issue. I mis-ordered one item but that was all me. Ideally on the next trip we will time it so there is no need for more than cold breakfast items, beer, wine and snacks! Although with MIL and her DH along...may need to do rum and coke lol!
That said I was incredibly pleased with Garden Grocer. There seems to be quite a debate between GG and WeGo. As I am not from the area, all our stores are different, so for me to specifiy to WeGo exactly what brand of everything I wanted just seemed nightmarish. Several of our normal brands would be hard to find or non existent and just the idea of making the list bugged me. It sounded like work! I figured I could actually end up spending more if I wasn't careful. And, in looking at the GG site I really didn't see most items as being horribly overpriced.
Our items were not only delivered on time, they were early. Which bugs some people but as the cold stuff was already put in the fridge (except for the beer which would have been really appreciated when we go there lol) I can't complain. Scrooge had been dreading the idea of getting the groceries from check in, into the cabin, and it was already handled!
My only issue is both a plus, and a minus, for GG. We were able to order beer and wine. Which, arriving at almost midnight to our room (but 9pm Seattle time) was a very very good thing! However you can't put it on your order, you email them separately and then when they actually get it they call you with the additional amount. Which means it doesn't count towards your order total and I'd assumed it would. Which meant I didn't get free delivery despite spending enough. I'd still use them again. The delivery fee was far cheaper than renting a car and as, or more important, I didn't spend the first few hours of an actual vacation, at the grocery store! Which is what usual happens. And feels like work. This made it feel like a vacation, right away. We did pack a few items on the dry goods and condiment side and I'd do that again (like GOOD coffee), that worked really well. I would probably do a bit more of it next time. But, compared to my original plan which had been packing almost all our food, and thus another bag to check, this worked better and I don't think cost us much more in the end. What we saved in time, stress and baggage fees more than outweighed it and made our late night arrival relatively painless.
And now,
a trip dining recap
On this trip we went to
ALL new places, both for TS and CS.
We dined at
Table Service
- Biergarten
- Teppan Edo
- Kona
- Boma
- HDDR
- PTC
- HOB (OOP)
Counter Service
- Cosmic Rays
- Yak and Yeti Local Foods
- Gasparilla Grill
- Roaring Forks
- Tangerine Café
- La Cantina De San Angel
- Starring Rolls
- Toluca Turkey Legs
If we had to rank our favorites for our sit down meals (and we did) it would be
Table Service
Me:
1-Kona
2-PTC
DH:
1-Biergarten
2-Boma
Kids:
1-Teppan Edo
2-HDRR
Dinner Show
Probably a show down between the HDDR and Teppan but PTC is right up there for me! DH didn't get to see as much so he can't vote lol. Out of these only the HDDR technically counts as a show (and the 2 TS credits to pay for it) but I really think Teppan, PTC and Biergarten all count as having "shows"!
Which means all of our ADR's were someone's 1st or 2nd favorite so I'm pretty darn pleased! Interesting how different our tastes are but everyone liked every place, just had a different line up of favorites. I am surprised that buffets were DH's fav's. I knew we'd all like the food but I had no idea he liked buffets that much! Kind of fun to be surprised like that!
Top Snacks
No surprises here!
- Yak and Yeti Egg Rolls!
- Mickey Bars
- Goofys (espresso for me, yum!)
- Main Street Confectioners
I know a lot of people love Sunshine Seasons for both food and snacks, we were not overwhelmed. On that note....here are my thoughts by park.
Epcot
#1 in TS options
#1 in CS options
#4 for snacks. We had a hard time with snacks here. Partially b/c we'd left the WS. Or at least I think that's the reason. Also could simply be it was early in the trip!
MK
#4 in TS options
#3 in CS
#1 for snacks
DHS
I'm actually going to give this a #2 in TS. While there aren't a ton of options, I think PTC and SciFi are good enough to be repeaters and for in the park dining that's pretty important
#4 for CS (even though we liked Starring Rolls)
#3 for snacks
AK
I'm going to give this a #3 in TS b/c of Yak and Yeti and Tusker House. Even though we haven't eaten at either, they are on my someday maybe list which is more than I can say for a single sit down in the MK.
#2 in CS
#2 in snacks. Say it with me. Yak and Yeti local foods egg rolls!
Speaking of snacks. DHS, AK and MK did a FABULOUS job of having those nice little snack credit icons on the menus. Epcot flunked that one. Big time. I didn't see a single icon on any menu, the entire trip. They are very very helpful! Even if you have your wonderful DIS list, which was a godsend for snacks1
It's going to be hard next time to balance all these wonderful experiences with trying new places!
We had late ADR's (7:30-9:30). If memory serves there was something going on with booking windows on ADR's that was different then (shorter?) than it is now. I was NOT tracking that at all before the trip. Despite planning the trip for in truth, about 18 months (as it kept moving dates) I didn't look into dining until it really seemed like we were actually going! Which meant I started looking the day after we paid off our balance lol! So I booked all our ADR's about 42 days out.
Other than LeCellier, despite the insane crowds of the week, got everything I wanted. I am sure a lot of it had to do with my mostly 8pm slots. And I am a bit of a loss as to how to fix that next time. The reality is we never eat before 7:30 at home anyway. So 8:30 on vacation feels perfect to us given the time difference, even a little early. BUT it did impact fireworks. In a big way. And I have to say that I don't trust park hours. I booked all of my ADR's around them, and showtimes, and they all changed. So that's frustrating but I will try to figure it out!
And so
that brings me to my....
hypothetical ADR list for my mythical 2010 trip.
LOL! I know the kids will want to go back to some of their favorites (just like they want to stay at FW again) but I also know DH and I would prefer to try new places. So my gut is we will do 100% new places again for our sit downs but at a bare minimum, get some egg rolls for a snack!
Here are my thoughts at present, a wish list for the future. This plan assumes we are at THV. If we stay elsewhere, the plan will change!
Dinner Top Choices:
- Turf Club
- California Grill
- Les Chefs
- Ohana
- Olivias
- Sanaa
- Tokyo Dining
- anywhere I get in on a fantasmic package!
Dinner Second Choices:
- Raglan Road
- Narcosees
- Citricos
- The Wave
- Coral Reef
- Yak and Yeti
- Teppan Edo (yes, this breaks the all new rule)
Breakfast:
- Chef Mickeys
- Kona
- Cape May
Counter Service
If it works out I'd like to try
- Columbia Harbour House
- Boulangerie Patisserie (which we wanted to go to but no one wanted to hike back to France)
- Flame Tree BBQ
- Earl of Sandwich
But CS isn't something we are going to really plan. It works better that way.
I'd love to try Beaches and Cream some day but just don't see it as a good use of TS credits as they don't take reservations but...could be an option for a late night dinner at DHS.
And Yes. I am planning to do breakfast. I might be crazy. We might end up with only half of the crew making it out of bed to go but I love breakfast. I never get to go out to breakfast. I'm always the one making breakfast. It's going to be "my" thing this next trip.
As with this trip all of our lunches will be CS and the remaining breakfasts in our room or CS. We (quite) often didnt really eat 3 meals on the last trip so Im going to make myself relax about those CS credits! I look forward to staying somewhere that has CS there! I have more places on my list than will be covered by our plan so either I will have to whittle it down or pay OOP. Right now my plan is for one signature and to do it OOP. I am hoping to make it an 8 night trip so this time we really get 7 full days with how much time the travel takes from here. Breakfasts will have to be OOP or, if I really want breakfast, do a CS dinner or two.
We will not really do 3 sit down breakfasts, especially since 2 are buffets, so will need to choose between the 2 character ones. MIL will be into breakfast though so that's ammo for me. Weve never done a Character meal and I think it must be a rule to do at least one in your lifetime! Plus I think MIL and her DH would get a huge kick out of it. Tink too though shed act otherwise.
If I cant get a fantasmic package Im not sure. It is helpful eating at DHS though plenty of things are relatively close. MIL would love going to the Brown Derby but Im not sure thats where I want to spend 2 credits or go OOP, just think there are better choices for that. Weve done PTC and SciFi, liked them both. DH would vote for Mama Melrose as he LOVES Italian but the reviews are generally so bad
.I dont know. Might well end up out of the park that night. Ill eat anywhere if its a fantasmic package. Maybe Im over thinking that but we didnt get to see it this trip and the trip before, the wait and the crowd was INSANE! Granted, in August it may well be a totally different world. But the time we saw it was early Nov, not still Halloween, Not yet xmas or thanksgiving decorations so you wouldnt have expected it to be as insane as it was. Dh would eat at Big Time Brewery again but its not on the DDP. So
I dont know! I do know there is a new place happening on the Boardwalk so maybe that will be my fantasmic backup.
Oddly enough, though I've seen tons of lunch reviews for Yak and Yeti, it doesn't seem anyone eats dinner there but....we're just not into sit down lunch, especially as late as we get to the parks.
Feel free to weigh in on my imaginary list and year away over thinking!!
Next, park summary, what we liked/didnt like and will do again (or not, or different) next time!
Ok, melodrama over, but I sincerely loved reading all about your trip. You write really well and I related to your perspective on things Disney. 
for you guys because of Steven's poor choice on the homework front. He probably doesn't even realize the ramifications for your family and future vacations. August, although hot, will at least mean no school work to have to over see.
Have a few more thoughts! Still to come
It's not for everyone. But I do encourage a visit! HDDR, Mickey's Backyard BBQ, ride the horses, Segwey tour, rent bikes, petting zoo...SO much to do! 
I've really enjoyed reading it!!
Anyway, we never minded our August trips-even if your teens can't make the early hours they will love staying up til 1:00 or 2:00 a.m!
