Dining Dilemma. Which would you choose?

[Mickey Fliers]

Made all of our ADR's for our Nov. trip and now good friends are also coming the same week. I gave her a list of our ADR's and she tried to match them the best she could. The only one she couldn't get was Akershus. Now I have to decide to stick with my original plan or make some changes. Party is DH, DS15, DS13, DS10, DD4 and myself (Akershus really being for DD4).

Option 1 - Stick with original plan and DD4 gets first Princess meal. We have never done Akershus and my boys will probably be "meh" about it. I think DD will love it, but who knows. Won't have dinner with friends.

Option 2 - Cancel Akershus and book both families at Beirgarten. We have been to Beirgarten before and I know everyone will have a good time. But, we won't have a princess meal.

Option 3 - Cancel Akershus, book Beirgarten, and change our last morning breakfast to 1900 Park Fare instead of Ohana. Still get dinner with friends and DD gets a semi-princess meal.

WWYD??

 

[debbiedoo]

Does the other family have smaller girls as well? Split for the princess thing for the girls. And the older kids/adults go to another restaurant close to area.

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[JavArmy]

I vote option 1. I do like the sugguestion put up by the pp to swap some kids if they have girls. Good luck!

 

[MouseMomx2]

Does the other family have smaller girls as well? Split for the princess thing for the girls. And the older kids/adults go to another restaurant close to area.

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This is what I was going to suggest as well.

 

[mommy2paisley]

I'd still take her to Akershus for dinner and skip that meal with your friends!!! You could do the choice 3 of doing Biergarten and then doing 1900 Parkfare, but that's usually Alice/Madhatter, Pooh/Tigger and Mary Poppins (at least the times I've been). She would have fun at Biergarten, though, as you know! My DD LOVED that place and requested it for this trip as well!!!

OR your friend can do like me and call/get online every.single.day like a crazy person until you get the ressie you want! LOL

 

[JimmyV]

If there is any way to split up the group with the younger kids and girls going to Akershus and the older kids and boys going elsewhere, that is what I would do. I think that your DS15, DS13, and DS10 will be way beyond "meh" on Akershus.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

I would stick with Akershus - we love the Princess meals. 1900 for breakfast isn't princess at all.

Also I don't see the harm in eating separately for one TS

 

[lilasmom]

I would choose option 1 also. My DD is 3 and she loved Askerhaus last May, I loved getting DS8 pics with princesses too.

 

[purple figment]

I would keep Akershus and recommend to your friend that she start checking online multiple times a day to see if an Akershus res for her family comes up. With the cc guarantee requirement people will cancel so they aren't charged the financial penalty. She could also subscribe to the Nov cancellation thread.

For the reservations your friend made, did she make them just for her family or for the total number of people in both families? If they are separate be prepared to be seated at separate tables, hopefully close by. CMs will try their best to seat all of you together, but it sounds like you'll be a larger group and many of the restaurants don't have a lot of large tables.

If being seated together is important, you might want to try calling to see if any of the reservations can be modified for the larger number. If not, you can check online to see if any reservations come up for your whole group size.

 

[jh997300]

We have reservations on 11/13 for 5 that we may cancel.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

We have reservations on 11/13 for 5 that we may cancel.

That's funny. We are on the 12th.

Right now, DH thinks we should go to Beirgarten. Other family is staying a day longer than us and is doing Akershus the day we leave. I mentioned the splitting up (as they have 2 young DD's and a DS4) but she really wants the whole family to go.

So now I have to decide between option 1 and 2 with a DH and 3 big boys who would prefer option 2. I may see if I can get a lunch or something just for the two of us.

 

[Quin]

So now I have to decide between option 1 and 2 with a DH and 3 big boys who would prefer option 2. I may see if I can get a lunch or something just for the two of us.

If you need to do this, there are a couple of options at the GF to check out: an afternoon Tea service and the Princess tea. Good for some mother/daughter time. Or at least a BBB makeover for her one morning.

 

[party-of-five]

I would pick option 1 - stick with Akershus. The princesses do such a great job with interacting with and including the boys. I think you will all have a great time. My DD was 4 when she first went, we all loved it.

I agree with PPs suggestions to have your friends keep looking, maybe something will turn up.

If they can't get a res and they need to eat elsewhere, what if you meet them after dinner for dessert. Maybe even do a "dessert around the world" kind of thing where you could sample different desserts while still enjoying each others company.

 

[DCbride]

Wait...you are telling us that the other family already is booked at Norway but wants you to change your reservation so your little girl doesn't eat with the princesses so you can eat together but she still gets to go? That doesn't seem fair to DD. I would keep your plan and enjoy the few meals that work. The boys will find something they like since it is part buffet.

 

[DEA]

I'd say option 1, but with the suggestion that you try to expand the reservation to accommodate everyone. There have been instances of people just showing up with a greater number of people to see if the restaurant can accommodate them (known colloquially as "Testabombing" after one of the authors of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World), but that is riskier. It sounds like you'll be able to have a lot of meals in the same place, and if they're already getting a chance to go to Akershus, it definitely seems less than fair to your DD to change restaurants on her.

 

[JimmyV]

Right now, DH thinks we should go to Beirgarten. Other family is staying a day longer than us and is doing Akershus the day we leave. I mentioned the splitting up (as they have 2 young DD's and a DS4) but she really wants the whole family to go.

So now I have to decide between option 1 and 2 with a DH and 3 big boys who would prefer option 2. I may see if I can get a lunch or something just for the two of us.

Your friend couldn't get a reservation at the same time as you, but went ahead and got one of her own for her family after you leave. Good for her. But her plan of having you all eat elsewhere means that the only person who would not get to dine with the Princesses is your DD4. That does not seem right. Just how important is it for all of you to dine together at this one particular meal given that she was able to match all of your other reservations? Seems a bit much, if you ask me.

Given that your DH and sons don't want to do the Princess thing, and I can't say that I blame them, I would keep your current reservation and put as many people in those seats as care to go, and send the men to the Biergarten. If your friend and her children join you, then perhaps that means that they will have the experience twice. Or maybe after doing it once, they will decide to cancel their reservation. No harm there, as everyone who wants to see the Princesses will have done so. And if your friend opts not to join you, then you and your daughter go and have a great time. But however you configure this, I would NOT cancel your reservation if it means that your DD4 is forced to skip the experience. Ordinarily, I wouldn't feel that strongly about going out of my way for one member of the family. But after learning that your friend booked the same restaurant after you leave, my opinion is that your daughter ought to have the experience as well, even if that means that the group gets split for one meal. It would be pretty awful if, after your vacations are over, the kids get together and talk about the fun they had, and your friend's kids crow about how much they loved Akershus while your DD has ro reflect on how she missed out.

 

[mickeynut1]

I would stick with your original plans and go with option #1 and have the other family keep trying every day multiple times a day to get an ADR on the same day as you. I don't think it's fair to your DD to cancel and have her miss out on the one princess meal she would have. If your friend keeps looking and is not able to secure an ADR with you, I agree with others to split the families up and have all the girls go to Akershus and the guys go elsewhere. If your friend doesn't like this idea, I would keep the ressie for just your family and meet up with the other family later. I wouldn't cancel a meal my child wanted just to be able to eat together with another family, especially since there are other meals with everyone together (but that's just me). Good luck.

 

[Maggie Lizer]

I would probably do Biergarten, but I have a son and I am not interested in character meals (particularly not princess meals), so I cannot really put myself in your shoes, so to speak.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[B's Marie]

Option 1!!! Such a special meal for your DD. Good luck with your decision!

 

[hsmamato2]

option 1- your dd deserves that meal! just meet your friends later on for some fun your boys will be mortified,and you should get some great pics of them trying to stay away from the princesses LOL