Newbie in need of dining suggestions. *Edited to add Poll (in text)*

[MissBritt]

(Reposted from another area where I didn't get many responses.)

Hello! I am in the process of planning a vacation package for December. This is the first time I have planned such a trip, and my first time staying onsite. I think I have a good chunk of my details ironed out, but I have a few questions for the WDW pros.

My husband and I originally planned to visit over NYE for our third wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, when we got married on NYE, we didn't realize that vacations are the most expensive at that time of year! The Western Carribbean cruise over our first anniversary and our cabin stay in the Smoky Mountains over our second anniversary were both twice the price they would have been any other time of year, and we wanted to spend a little less money and stay closer to home this year.

I started planning a trip for this December online. I like the look of POR, Mansion side. So I calculated the price for us to stay 3 nights at POR, starting on NYE, doing 4 days at the parks, no park hopper and no water parks, with the DDP. It would have been over $1860. After seeing ads for free DDP through 12/17, I called WDW's line to get a quote for the same stay and details during that time, and inquired about the DDP promotion and FL resident discounts. I was informed that promotions are not stackable, but that I would save more with the FL res discount with DDP added at regular price. If I stayed 12/15-12/18, the cost was basically halved- $985! Plus, as DH's birthday is 12/18, we will get $79 on a Fun Card for goodies in the park.

After scouring multiple sites and boards for dining options, ratings, and reviews, and calculating how few meals we would have to spread over 4 days at the park, and how many more we would be buying out of pocket, I decided to upgrade to DXDDP. We like to have 3 meals a day, and the extra snacks and refillable mugs for the resort made a lot of sense. So we have 18 meals and 12 snacks to spread over 4 days at the parks, rather than 12 meals and 6 snacks. In addition, I really want to do the Le Cellier dinner and Candlelight Processional package at Epcot, and I was informed by a CM over the phone that the package will be 2 TS credits this year.

Right now this is my tentative plan: (EDITED)

12/15- Drive to Orlando, check in to POR, head to the park before lunch.
Hollywood Studios.

Lunch (?)
Dinner @ 50's Prime Time (2 TS credits)
Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.


12/16-
Epcot.

Shared breakfast @ Sassagoula Floatworks (1 CS credit)
Lunch @ Tangierine Cafe (2 CS credits)
Dinner @ Le Cellier and Candlelight Processional (4 TS credits)


12/17-
Animal Kingdom.

Shared breakfast @ Riverside Mill (1 CS credit)
Lunch @ Flame Tree BBQ (2 CS credits)
Dinner @ Tusker House (2 TS credits)


12/18- Check out before leaving for park, head home when the park closes.
Magic Kingdom.

Breakfast @ Main Street Bakery on SCs
Lunch @ The Plaza (2 TS credits)


Sooo, my questions are...

1) When can I access park hours for the time we are staying?
2) Where do I find the shuttle schedules and charts?
3) How do I use up our 6 remaining meal credits to cover lunch at Epcot and Animal Kingdom AND lunch at HS and breakfast at MK? I don't want to leave the parks to eat at resorts, so are there any restaurants at the parks that are good and have nice portions for sharing, so that we can both eat all 4 meals on 6 credits? Should I book all 3 lunches at TS places and do breakfast the last day at Main Street Bakery on snack credits?
4) Are there any other shows or events during our stay that are included in admission that we shouldn't miss? We don't want to spend $100+ on MVMCP as we have both seen it before.

Thank you all for any help you can offer! I am sooo excited I can hardly stand it!


So, the poll is (can't edit to add a formal poll!):

On arrival day, which will be spent at HS, which option sounds best?

Late Breakfast @ WPE in DTD, Early Dinner @ 50PT
Late Breakfest @ WPE in DTD, Early Dinner @ SciFi
Early Lunch @ SciFi, Early Dinner @ 50PT

Thanks!!!

[FANTASMIC TEXANS]

12/15 Lunch Sci FI
Dinner Brown Derby 2 TS
12/16 Lunch Bistro di Paris
12/17 Lunch Flame Tree Barbeque ( yes i know it is a CS) But it is soooo good.

[amzking]

I would not rule out outside-the-parks places to eat, there are a lot of places at the resorts right outside the parks that do not take a lot of extra time to get to. If I had the Deluxe plan I would spend it more at the signature dining places and spend my snack credits for breakfast at the resort, that way you can do 1 TS and 1 signature place per day in addition to snack credits for breakfast. You can easily find what you need for breakfast using a snack credit and your refillable mug. When we did the DDP we found that we ate so much there was little need for a between-meal snack, every meal comes with a dessert!

From MK you can hop on the monorail to GF, Poly, or Contemporary. All have signature restaurants and Ohana at the Poly is wonderful. From AK you could jump over to the lodge and eat at Jiko for 2 ts credits, or do the buffet at Boma for 1. From Epcot, you could walk over to BC/YC and eat there, I know there is at least one signature place there. Don't think that because you want to stay in the parks you can't consider these places, they are worth the little extra time and make a nice break from the park action without getting in your car or a bus.

I also found the restaurant review site on www.allears.net to be extremely helpful. Have fun planning!

[MissBritt]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will keep them in mind.

About the mugs- they are only good for refills at my home resort, correct?

[MissBritt]

Can anyone tell me more about the whole SciFi dining experience? Thanks!

[Babsydoodle]

Well......when you are seated you are in a convertable car, simulating being at a drive in theatre. Two people sit in front, two in back. Very dim in restaurant, movies are projected on a big screen, cheesy 50's black and white on a continuous loop so you see the same thing at least three to four times depending on how long you are there. Kinda fun, and you should experience it at least once. Food ok, service good. Hope this helps!

[MissBritt]

Thank you. I'll check out the reviews on that one.

Can anyone tell me more about Bistro de Paris? It's not listed on the DDP sheet I printed from WDW, so I'm not sure it's covered?

[MissBritt]

Which of these sounds like a better plan for lunch and dinner on the HS day?

L@ SciFi, D@ 50'sPT
L@ WPE, D@ 50'sPT
L@ WPE, D@ SciFi

[MissBritt]

Edited OP. Thanks.