dining debacle

[linda9681]

on my arrival day we are doing the Christmas Party and skipped getting a park ticket. We arrive at 12:30 ( so I guesstimate we will get to hotel NLT 2pm) we have a lunch scheduled around 2:40 at the hotel.
I have a BOG dinner that night slated for 5:30, and I just scored a CRT for 4pm...my question...
CRT or BOG??? I know I will never be able to score either one again, hahahah!
We don't care if we miss a bit of the party upfront...we wont be standing in line to meet characters, just hitting the rides and parade
we have Askershus for bfast the next morning.... our party has a 4 yr old girl and my mother who has never been before!

 

[Karebear]

Hmm..that is a tough call! I would say skip your late lunch and do CRT. My daughter loves CRT because you eat inside the castle--when she was little she thought that the princesses lived upstairs above the restaurant. Also, this would give you a bit more time for the party since you will be done with dinner earlier. Have a great trip!

 

[KonaKaiTom]

Another vote for CRT. With a 4 year old and a grandma, it won't get any better!

Tom

 

[HopperFan]

Take the CRT, it would be a great way to kick off the party. Great memory for your DD and Grandma to eat in the Castle.

BOG is a good dinner but after eating there for all three meals .... it really felt like BOG quick service but with a server. I didn't feel it was very special.

 

[dansdad]

Another vote for CRT.

 

[jpeden]

You should know that you will most likely be late to your CRT. Party tickets allow entry at 4:00PM so I highly doubt you'd make your CRT (not sure what time they consider you a "no-show"). Just a thought.

 

[ariane37]

I also vote for CRT and cancelling your 2:40 lunch. This way you'll miss less of the party

You should know that you will most likely be late to your CRT. Party tickets allow entry at 4:00PM so I highly doubt you'd make your CRT (not sure what time they consider you a "no-show"). Just a thought.

Valid concern; we've been to 4 parties and they've always begun letting party guests in around 3:45 even though they don't advertise that. I haven't read any reports from this year as to whether that's happening or not, and of course it's not guaranteed to happen every night even if it happens on some. So I would plan on being to MK by 3:30-3:40, ready to go in. That way if they let party guests in early you're fine. If they make you wait until 4:00 you'll have to really book down Main St., although they do give a small window for making your ADR.

 

[HopperFan]

You should know that you will most likely be late to your CRT. Party tickets allow entry at 4:00PM so I highly doubt you'd make your CRT (not sure what time they consider you a "no-show"). Just a thought.

Didn't pick up on that, true concern. While there have been times of folks let in at 3:45 you never know. I would be waiting at the turnstile at 3:40 at the latest in case they do. What I have found each time is the line to get in to CRT when they first change over to the new meal. You have the advantage that there will be plenty of folks in line before you so if you arrive a few minutes after you should be fine.

But best option is to keep trying for something around 4:15 or later.

 

[wdwrich]

Whether you decide to do CRT or BOG for dinner, I would cancel the lunch ADR. If you have any travel delays (airline, DME) at all, you're most likely going to miss the lunch ADR and get charged the $10 pp no-show fee. I'd plan for a counter-service lunch instead.

 

[Lynne M]

Moving to the Restaurants board.

 

[LJSquishy]

I would do CRT for an awesome start to the trip. However, I would cancel your 2:40pm meal and just do a lighter counter service meal as soon as you get to your resort...unless that's what you have planned and you meant you would have lunch "around" 2:40pm and not an actual reservation. Or, just eat a snack even and save your appetites for 4pm. That's probably the best scenario.

 

[LJSquishy]

I would do CRT for an awesome start to the trip. However, I would cancel your 2:40pm meal and just do a lighter counter service meal as soon as you get to your resort...unless that's what you have planned and you meant you would have lunch "around" 2:40pm and not an actual reservation. Or, just eat a snack even and save your appetites for 4pm. That's probably the best scenario if you can get everyone on board with just enjoying a snack.

 

[LJSquishy]

I would do CRT for an awesome start to the trip. However, I would cancel your 2:40pm meal and just do a lighter counter service meal as soon as you get to your resort...unless that's what you have planned and you meant you would have lunch "around" 2:40pm and not an actual reservation. Or, just eat a snack even and save your appetites for 4pm. That's probably the best scenario if you can get everyone on board with just enjoying a snack.

 

[starsweeper]

I'd absolutely cancel lunch and keep CRT.

 

[Sarahbelle341]

I will go against the grain here. I would do be Our Guest since you have Akershus the next morning. Its almost the exact same princesses. I have done both CRT and Be Our Guest and felt Be Our Guest had better food. Plus you get a photo with the Beast! You should wrap up your dinner in time for the party to start or not miss too much of it at any rate.

 

[jpeden]

Plus you get a photo with the Beast!

Not to be a Debbie downer again, but this is not guaranteed. We went in September for dinner and the Beast was not there.

 

[fairy oma]

Defintely CRT...it is the best way to begin a WDW vacation no matter the age.

 

[bumbershoot]

What food sounds better to the adults?

If BOG sounds better, food-wise, for the adults, will the 4 year old be able to handle it if you're seated in the, hmm, well the scarier room? There's the big main ballroom (where we were seated for dinner), there's, what, the library? I read of one little girl who had watched the movie VERY carefully and freaked out the whole time that Beast was going to catch them there? or something like that...some place where they weren't supposed to be?), and there's the room with the rose. Can she handle ANY of those rooms?