180 Day Mark Coming Up .... How's this Lineup Sound ?

[jcvalenti]

Got my 180 mark rapidly approaching for a somewhat hastily planned trip. The wife and I started planning a 20th Anniversary trip and once we started crunching numbers to go to Napa or Florence or the like, we decided since our oldest is going into his Senior Year, this is really our last chance to do 2 things we never did before - go to Disney with just our family (we usually travel in a pack of 16-20), and go down to see the park at Christmas time. Better yet, we're going to make it a total surprise ... telling them were flying to Chicago for a couple days, and BAM - boarding the plane for 8 days at Disney. They'd never expect their mean parents to yank them out of school for a few days to see the parks when it isn't scorching hot and packed. The way the calendar is working out, we get one night at MVMCP, 1 full day at AK, and only a 1/2 day at DHS.

Anyway, since we're doing a bunch of "firsts" we want to visit some of the supposed classics we've never really eaten at before. The places with asterisks (*) are basically "first time" destinations for the kids. My sons are both very adventurous eaters, and my oldest is a HUGE Disney history fan, so he'd appreciate mixing it up.

Because we are splitting our stay (5 nights at BWV, 2 nights at PVR), I have to make one set of ADRs for the first group, and then do a few more for our last two days.

Right now - here's what I'm thinking, ranked in order of the priority for making the ADRs once we hit the 180 mark. Anyone think I have these in the wrong order ? Since Mickey's VM Christmas Party is going on that week, we're really hoping the night we want to do Liberty Tree we can get a dinner ADR for just before the party starts ... but from what I can tell 'Ohana is the toughest of these ADRs to get (although it's on the last night of our first "group", so I am hopeful we can get a good time and be able to wander to the beach to watch the fireworks).

Here goes:

First Group of ADRs

1. 'Ohana (Dinner) *
2. Liberty Tree Tavern (Dinner) *
3. Beaches & Cream (Dinner)
4. Teppan Edo (Dinner)
5. Yak & Yeti (Dinner)
6. 50's Prime Time Diner (Lunch)
7. Boma (Early Pre-AK Breakfast) *
8. Flying Fish (Dinner) *
9. Morimoto's (Lunch) *

Second Group of ADRs

1. California Grill (Dinner)
2. Plaza Restaurant (Lunch) *
3. Kona Cafe (Breakfast)

From what I can tell about the new system, I'm kind of missing the old days where you have to call for each ADR 180 days prior ... seems like it was a lot easier to get some of these back when we planned our last big trip in 2015.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

You can still call...
Those all look great!

O'hana-haven't done dinner yet...breakfast here is yummy.
Liberty Tree Tavern- LOVE it!! Have had lunch and dinner here several times.
Beaches and Cream-have only popped in here for ice cream, but very good.
Teppen Edo-dinner is awesome, have dined here several times. I actually have a reservation again in July.
Yak & Yeti-This is a must do at AK, and I love it every time.
50's prime Time-Meh, just ok...
Boma-Trying this for the first time in July and very excited!
Flying Fish-On my short list...
Morimoto's-very disappointed. Had a late lunch here last July and wasn't impressed...
California Grill-One of my favs!!!! We are having brunch here in july.
Plaza-LOVE it! Again, have lunch ressies in July
Kona Cafe-Love it for dinner, not so much for breakfast...Try Olivia's at OKW, truly a hidden gem...

 

[Ben23A]

You can still call...
Those all look great!

O'hana-haven't done dinner yet...breakfast here is yummy.
Liberty Tree Tavern- LOVE it!! Have had lunch and dinner here several times.
Beaches and Cream-have only popped in here for ice cream, but very good.
Teppen Edo-dinner is awesome, have dined here several times. I actually have a reservation again in July.
Yak & Yeti-This is a must do at AK, and I love it every time.
50's prime Time-Meh, just ok...
Boma-Trying this for the first time in July and very excited!
Flying Fish-On my short list...
Morimoto's-very disappointed. Had a late lunch here last July and wasn't impressed...
California Grill-One of my favs!!!! We are having brunch here in july.
Plaza-LOVE it! Again, have lunch ressies in July
Kona Cafe-Love it for dinner, not so much for breakfast...Try Olivia's at OKW, truly a hidden gem...

O'hana dinner is one of the best if not the best meals on Disney property for me. I totally agree with all of your other comments! I haven't tried morimotos or Olivias however.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

O'hana dinner is one of the best if not the best meals on Disney property for me. I totally agree with all of your other comments! I haven't tried morimotos or Olivias however.

O'hana is on my short list...I had high hopes for Morimoto. It was actually the restaurant I was most looking forward to last July and the biggest disappointment. Hopefully, we were just there on an off day...Try Olivia's!!!!! You won't be disappointed!

 

[Mr & Mrs DD]

O'Hanna - Make sure your good & hungry (lots of food). We enjoyed it.
Liberty Tree Tavern - I am a big turkey & dressing fan. So I really like this place. They have good dessert too.
50's Prime Time - We go here on every trip. The fried chicken dinner is really good and you get plenty to eat.
Teppan Edo - We had a good meal there. Not as good as our local Japanese steakhouse, but it was good. We enjoyed it.
Yak & Yeti - You got to try the fried wonton for dessert. The waiter talked me in to trying it and it was really good.

 

[jcvalenti]

Thanks for the thoughts, all. The wife and I have been to the ones with no asterisks before. The kids have been to Teppan Edo and 50's Prime Time (which they both absolutely love).

We haven't been to Yak & Yeti for years, so we're excited to go back - I was thinking maybe Jiko or Tiffins this night, but we might be pressed for time as this is our one day at AK ... so I thought Y&Y would be fun and a little quicker, and keep us in the park. I was just at Jiko in January, so I can wait until next summer to go back.

I'm excited for Liberty Tree, but we basically can only fit it in 4 days after Thanksgiving ... it might be a little overkill, but we're treating it like our leftovers. I'm just worried about whether we can get dinner at a time that will allow us to get out and enjoy MVMCP. Plus we actually will be eating lunch this day (the oldest and I are doing the Keys to the Kingdom tour that morning) .. so I hope that's not too much food !

We loved our one lunch at Morimoto's, but I will say it mostly for the cocktails and appetizers. My son is very interested to try it, and I will never go to Disney Springs again without going to Morimotos for the rib and the slider appetizers alone, both of which are fantastic. That's our arrival day, and I'm thinking we've got 4 - 5 hours at Disney Springs. Beaches and Cream is that night, so we might just use our ADR there for ice cream once we check in at BWV, and then stroll Disney Springs and do Morimotos, Polite Pig or the outdoor bar at Boathouse for a long lunch.

Nothing better than thinking about what and where you're eating in 6 months, especially when you've been on essentially a zero carb diet for 6 weeks, lol. Got to drop another 25 pounds so I can enjoy putting it back on again this fall !

 

[jcvalenti]

50's Prime Time - We go here on every trip. The fried chicken dinner is really good and you get plenty to eat.

Always enjoyed it as well - though I hate that they replaced the collared greens with green beans. I think I've spent at least half of the time I've ever been in DHS sitting at this place - either in the restaurant or waiting out vicious thunderstorms at the Prime Time Lounge. One of the greatest bartenders in Disney works there.

Teppan Edo - We had a good meal there. Not as good as our local Japanese steakhouse, but it was good. We enjoyed it.

When I first went here in 1982, it was totally unique and super cool. Now, thanks to Benihana, everyone has tried a local Japanese steakhouse ... but I still love Teppan Edo. This is on our last Epcot night, and one of our traditions is going to store, having some saki, eating at Teppan Edo, and then enjoying a fabulous Tokyo Sunset just before staking out our spot to watch our last Illuminations of the trip. I've never been disappointed in Teppan Edo, and usually, the waitresses and chefs are a ton of fun. This one is on the list just for the 11 year old ...it's his absolute favorite and we didn't make it here last summer, so we owe him a trip. He'll be a jerk and get the filet, I can just feel it

 

[Mr & Mrs DD]

lways enjoyed it as well - though I hate that they replaced the collared greens with green beans

The first time we ate there, they had the collard greens, which I really enjoyed as well. The last two times I have been, they didn't have any green vegetable at all. They gave us chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cobb.

 

[FelisLachesis]

I had high hopes for Morimoto. It was actually the restaurant I was most looking forward to last July and the biggest disappointment. Hopefully, we were just there on an off day

Oh this is very concerning. I went to Morimoto in Philadelphia for my mom's 60th birthday, and the food there was fantastic! One of the best meals I've ever eaten, period. I was hoping the food in Disney would be similar.

 

[jcvalenti]

Oh this is very concerning .... I was hoping the food in Disney would be similar.

It might have been an off day. We were there last October, and really enjoyed our lunch there. Fantastic cocktails, and the appetizers were out of this world. Service was great, atmosphere was great ... all around good experience. I did like the appetizers more than my actual lunch, but basically because we got an order of the Morimoto Spare Ribs, which everyone agreed were out of this world. The sliders were also really good. That's not to say I didn't like lunch - I did very much - but the appetizers alone make this a destination for me.

The ribs were so good, I already made a special stop at Disney Springs in January just to get some (They serve them at the outdoor window too).

 

[jcvalenti]

Well, 180 Day Mark was today. Nothing like getting up at 5:30 in the morning on a Holiday to arrange for where you're eating dinner in 6 months. Ugh.

Anyway, went pretty well - got everything I wanted in the first group.

I had a 7:05pm 'Ohana onscreen as soon as I logged in, but after I clicked "reserve" it told me the time was no longer available ... had to reload and start over and by then all that was left was 3:50 pm or 8:05pm. WTH ? I was making that at 180+5 too. Hopefully something slightly earlier opens up ... I'd like to be able to enjoy dinner and then wander to the beach to watch fireworks (though not sure what time they might do them that night, as it is a MVMCP night).

I did get a 4:50PM Liberty Tree Tavern for the night of our MVMCP - I figure that will be perfect. Probably the last seating, and we should finish up just as the party is starting.

Beaches and Cream I made for exactly 180 days out - nothing but 8:50 PM, but that's our arrival day and it should work perfect as we have a 1:30 PM lunch at Morimotos, and then have to go check in to the BWV. Figure even if people snack and don't want dinner that late, what's a better way to start a vacation than eating a massive amount of ice cream right before bed when you have to be at MK by 8am the next day for an all day death march of fun.