taxes ruined adr's so help with good cs's!!

[Pats Dragon]

Just got a nasty surplrise when I did my taxes and our 9 day Christmas trip will be mostly counter meals. Anyone have advice?

 

[ses1230]

We really like Columbia Harbor House in MK, Flame Tree in AK and Tangierine Cafe at Epcot. They are a nice break fom burgers and fries. Some of the combos at Cosmic Ray's are big enough to share, also.

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

Wolfgang Puck Express in DTD doesn't feel like CS at all. You get a real plate and napkin and a server who refills drinks and brings desserts to you. I had read about it but I was really pleased when I experienced it and the pizza was outstanding!

 

[Pats Dragon]

Thanks! Sounds good.

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

Sunshine Seasons in Epcot was nice and had lots of variety too.

I know that pizza can be a hot topic too but if you're paying out of pocket we found picking up a full pizza at the CS at the resort was a good option for us. At POFQ it was under $20 and fed three of us easily. For Disney that's cheap eatings for three though the pizza was Disney pizza.

 

[bitohoney]

Maybe consider making it a 7 or 8 night trip instead of 9? I'd rather cut it short a night or 2 than not eat TS each day. Plus, if you're going during the acutal Christmas break, all the CSs will be nuts!

 

[Best Aunt]

Tangierine Cafe at Epcot.

The food is a step above the usual counter service stuff. If you eat an early lunch, it's really nice and relaxing to sit outside there.

 

[crabbygal902]

I had to post here when I saw the subject line. My now DH and I had to cancel our Disney honeymoon 16 years ago because of taxes we owed. We have since been on 5 trips, so I think we made up for the lost honeymoon.

Anyhow....you can definitely do CS without feeling deprived. Here are our favorites:

DTD Wolfgang Puck...it's hard to believe that this is CS
Epcot Tangierine Cafe...I would rather go here than just about any TS
MK Pecos Bills...not bad, love the fix-ins bar
DHS Starring Rolls....try the chocolate peanut butter cupcake
AK flame Tree...pretty good BBQ (I'm from NC and picky!) and a gorgeous setting

Have a great trip!

 

[yakkin' yeti]

MK -- we really like Columbia Harbor House. It's a nice break from burgers, and was quiet when we sat upstairs.

Some people go the CS places at the Contemporary and the Poly since they're close, and it looks like both have some neat options. (Flatbreads, sandwiches, cupcakes at Contempo and self serve Dole whips at Poly.)

Epcot -- the Boulangerie in France has a few yummy lunch offerings, as well as the amazing desserts. Also, second the Sunshine Seasons and Tangierine Cafe ideas.

DTD -- Wolfgang Puck Express and Earl of Sandwich.

DHS -- don't have any great ideas for this one. We ate at Pizza Planet, and it was OK. My favorite thing at DHS is the carrot cake cookie from the Writer's Stop, but that's not exactly nutritious.

AK -- Flame Tree Barbecue.

Have a wonderful time!

 

[Pats Dragon]

Great ideas! thanks. I'm making a list.

 

[Quin]

Spend a lot of time looking at ALL the menus on AllEars. Figure out whether you would really be better off without any dining plan at all. We sometimes get locked into the 'CS meal' mentality when it might be more fun to just nosh from the carts - an egg roll here, a turkey leg there, a shared funnel cake a few hours later. For a sit-down dinner, there are some CS locations in the parks and at the resorts that offer pretty big meals: salmon, half chicken, ribs. I would especially recommend planning a dinner at each of the Moderate resorts' food courts, just as a change of pace. Build your own pasta at POR. All the unique Mexican/Southwestern offerings at Pepper Market.

 

[JJsmama]

Starring Rolls! Love the sandwiches and the cupcakes and the patio. Go early. They do run out before dinner, I am told. We love the Contempo Cafe at CR and Captain Cook's at Poly. Last year mom and I even got a little 2 serving bottle of wine at Captain Cook's and enjoyed the patio.

 

[MYD714]

We love the following:

MK:
We like almost all CS in MK.
Columbia Harbor House
Pecos Bill's
Cosmic Ray's--we love when Sonny Eclipse is out to entertain.

Epcot:
Sunshine Seasons--typically, I won't eat pre-made sandwiches, but I love the ones they serve here. Everything here seems fresher and tastier than other CS places.

The CS places around World Showcase usually offer something different than the normal park food, and we've always enjoyed them.

DHS:
Pizza Planet

AK:
Flame Tree
Pizzafari

DTD:
Wolfgang Puck Express--YUMMY!!!!

 

[Reese2]

Woflgang Puck Express at DTD is a must! Great food. We also love Tangerine Cafe and Columbia Harbour House. Also the CS in Japan and England are very good. Flame Tree BBQ and the Pizza Place at Animal Kingdom are good and The Mara at the AKL. You will still have a wonderful trip!

 

[Wadecool]

Sunshine Seasons in Epcot was nice and had lots of variety too.

I know that pizza can be a hot topic too but if you're paying out of pocket we found picking up a full pizza at the CS at the resort was a good option for us. At POFQ it was under $20 and fed three of us easily. For Disney that's cheap eatings for three though the pizza was Disney pizza.

Can I ask why pizza would be a hot topic?

 

[The Hendies]

Now see, I have no problem with counter service! Think about it, you don't really have to plan where you will be on what days 6 months in advance, you aren't spending up to 2 hours at a TS, you'll save money AND you can have variety if you try some of the different CS's around EPCOT. In fact, we have used 3 CS by getting one meal at Tangerine Cafe, one at China and one at Mexico ~ split each one and we have had a full meal (and more!) and tried lots of different foods!
That isn't to say, we haven't had the DDP, or eaten at many of the TS in WDW, but just pointing out that it really isn't a bad thing! Enjoy!

 

[MWDisneyFan]

Flame Tree Barbecue in AK is always a must-do. DH and DD love it.

We also like Columbia House in MK, Pizza Planet in HS, and Sunshine Seasons in Epcot.

These are the 4 we always go to in the parks.

I have had good luck at most Counter Service at Disney. Sure, some are better than others but they are all pretty good.

Sorry about the taxes. I dread ours as well.

 

[brymolmom]

How about getting grocery delivery? For about $50 or so - you could get all your breakfasts, snacks and a bunch of drinks and/or a few sandwiches to bring to the park. You could easily get by with 1 CS a day or 2 on some days. It's by far the easiest way to save on food, IMO - and bonus is that you don't have to wait in line and you can eat healthier.

 

[Pats Dragon]

thank you thank you all. I am beginning to feel a lot better

 

[WantToGoNow]

I was actually planning to do all CS on our upcoming trip but then my oldest dd convinced me to do the regular DDP. I think you can have a good variety of CS and I actually like the burgers and pizza at WDW.