14 days on the Dining Plan. Can you please take a look at my choices?

[lovemy4sweeties]

I debated back an forth whether or not we should do the dining plan. It seems like A LOT of food, but in the end, I think it will save us money. I plugged in all our TS restaurants into a Dining plan spreadsheet (thank you Tricia) and even without any of the counter service meals, we're already saving money. This is our first trip to Disney, so I'm going on the advice of all the posts I've read. I know we want to do some character meals (not too many breakfasts). We're staying at Fort Wilderness, and it's easy enough to have toast, yogurt cereal fruit etc at our trailer before heading to the parks. We have 4 dc (oldest is a girl, 3 youngest are boys) who will be 6, 5, 3 and 20 months at the time of our trip in November. These are my current choices:



Character Meals

Hoop Dee Doo (2TS credits)

1900 Park Faire Dinner

Ohana's Breakfast

Chef Mickey's Dinner

Garden Grill

Crystal Palace



Non-Character Meals

Coral Reef

Le Cellier

Chefs de France

50's Prime Time

Mama Melrose (Fanstasmic Dinner Package)

Sci-Fi Dinner Theater

Whispering Canyon Cafe

Boma

Raglan Road





I have 2 too many in there and I'm not sure what to take out. I'm thinking of taking out Sci-Fi and eating there oop. I really want to go, b/c I think my boys would love to eat in a car. I'm not totally set on Garden Grill, although I've heard good things. Other places I've considered and removed from our list are Tusker House (character breakfast AND for dinner), Kona Cafe, Mickey's Backyard BBQ, Libery Tree Tavern. I'm going to pay oop for dd (6yo) and I to go to CRT (If I'm lucky enough to get reservations). Is Tusker House and Boma (both for dinner) similar since they're both listed as African food?



Does anyone have any advice for a first-timer?


btw, is this where I'm supposed to be posting this, or should I be posting it on the Disney Restaurant Board?

 

[sherabby]

My son really enjoyed the Garden Grill. He was 7 last year when we visited for dinner. The characters came around almost 3 times! He also enjoyed the moving restaurant. He did like the Sci-Fi as well and we are going back again in July. He has allergies and could not eat off the kids buffets so some of the dinners that we ate buffet he did not enjoy. Crystal palace was one of them. I think he ended up eating rice and sorbet for dinner that night!

 

[beroh2253]

WOW 14 days and great selections, are all the ADR's made? We are doing 14 days but 7 days in June and 7 in Sept. I have to diet between the 2 trips. You won't beleive how much food there is on the DDP.

 

[jcemom]

My kids do like Sci Fi, but with kids the ages of yours I might consider doing the Hollywood and Vine character meal instead. It is buffet, which is a big negative in my book with small children (parents don't get to enjoy their meals that way, IMO) but the Playhouse Disney characters are terrific for little ones. We had a late breakfast there last fall and are planning to return this September. Both food and character interaction were good. I haven't been to 50's PTC so that's probably the one I would replace since my kids actually request Sci Fi and the whole atmosphere of 50's PTC doesn't appeal to half my family (they don't consider being reprimanded during dinner a fun thing, LOL).

Garden Grill is wonderful. We really enjoy that one and do it every couple of trips. Chef Mickey's and Crystal Palace are regulars for us, every trip. We're trying 1900 PF for the first time in September. HDDR is another we do every two or three trips. We've done 'Ohana breakfast once and enjoyed it, just haven't returned because it isn't convenient to our itinerary. We do fit in 'Ohana for dinner each trip, we like that one though the constant menu changes are annoying.

Boma is good. Haven't done Whispering Canyon yet but it always seems to come highly recommended for kids so it sounds like a good choice to me. Ditto for Coral Reef.

Le Cellier has good food. My little one doesn't sit well through meals with nothing to keep her entertained though, yet, so I wouldn't take her there. Hopefully she'll outgrow that stage soon. Ditto for Chefs de France.

ETA: Here's my ADR list for our September trip (me, DD5, my mom -- mom doesn't go into the parks so it leaves me with extra credits to try to use up, rather challenging really, seems like way too much food to me but I'm sure I'll survive, just may need elastic-waisted pants, LOL):

Akershus Princess breakfast, Crystal Palace breakfast, Hollywood and Vine breakfast, Garden Grill lunch, Chef Mickey's dinner, 'Ohana dinner, Sci Fi dinner, Hoop De Doo Review, 1900 Park Fare dinner, Liberty Tree Tavern dinner, Boatwright's (staying at POFQ), then we'll leave DD at Neverland Club during Citrico's dinner and Kona Cafe dinner

 

[Hiram_Hill]

IMO, I'd drop Sci-Fi and Boma.

The idea behind Sci-Fi is cool. And it's cool to say you've done it. However, the 'movies' are short clips, like previews, and they cycle more than once in the time it takes to get your food. And the food's just normal burgers and fries and chicken fingers type stuff. It's counter service food at a TS price. Sure, they'll serve it on a frisbee (ufo), but it is what it is.

Boma... maybe I had my expectations up for this one. The food was just 'eh'. People often confuse a lot of food for good food. Or lots of choices for good food. Boma is just okay. Nothing to write home about. The coolest thing about Boma is saying that you ate at a place called 'Boma'. And at the risk of offending everyone who loves the AKL, I don't get into being greeted with the smells of a freshly fertilized savannah, if you know what I mean. Not appetizing in the least.

Sounds like you've got your heart set on Sci-Fi, so I'm going to say to go just so you can prove me wrong. You'll regret that you didn't try it out if you don't.