8 Nights in Jan on the free DDP. Can I get feedback on my plan?

[BillyBuckner]

We are a party of 5 (4 plus an infant): Me, DW, DD8, DS6, DS(11mos.).

This is our 3rd trip, our last trip was 13 nights at Pop Century in Nov 2009. This time we are 8 nights at Coronado Springs on the free DDP. Both of our last two trips we spent way too much time in MK and not nearly enough in Epcot, so we hope to fix that this year.

We are doing a mix of repeat restaurants that we liked along with some new ones.

Our plan is:

Jan 28: Arrive MCO late morning, Check in, Go to Epcot around 2pm, Dinner at Teppan Edo..

Jan 29: Epcot for rope drop, Lunch at LeCellier, finish touring Epcot and then dinner at Cape May Cafe.
(NOTE: I think this may be too much food in one day, and I can't remember why I did it this way. this. It may have been because there are so many Epcot area restaurants that we like that we didn't want to tie up EVERY day being near Epcot

Jan 30: Original plan was Magic Kingdom, but may switch to Hollywood Studios based on Crowd Calendar. I have 1900 Park Fare scheduled for Dinner, but I will probably cancel that because DD8 said she doesn't really like the food there. I think (especially with the little one) we may decide to make this an easier day so we could do whatever park we do for half day then take a rest and then DTD for dinner.

Jan 31: Plan is MK with Dinner at 'Ohana.

Feb 1: Plan is DHS with Dinner at Kouzzina

Feb 2: Plan is Epcot in mornind, Lunch at Coral Reef, could go to MK later in day

Feb 3: Plan is probably MK, although would like to remain flexible, and could make it a relaxing day or a DTD day if we are getting tired. Have Lunch Reservation for Whispering Canyon Cafe.


Feb 4: Last FULL DAY in WDW. Plan is MK because we usually like to finish up there. Have early Dinner Reservation for Crystal Palace. I know the food's not great, but its DS6 favorite character meal (I think).

Feb 5: Check out, then enjoy ourselves somewhere until Magic Express picks us up. We have 8:00 pm flight, so I guess we probably have until at least 3pm? Have a breakfast reservation for Chef Mickey's but probably won't keep that. (It's really a contingency in case somethine else falls through).

If I scratch Chef Mickey's then I have exactly the number of reservations I need. I think I might like to get one more in case DW and I decide to share at LeCellier or Coral Reef or Kouzzina and end up with an extra credit in the bank.

A couple notes before you ask:

1.) Animal Kingdom is not on the list because DS6 has animal allergies which cause skin rash and sometimes bumps. Last trip we did it but he was on Benadryl for 36 hours. (ETA: DW thinks that if we avoid the Safari maybe DS6 would be ok. Still pondering that one).
2.) Boma was purposely avoided because DW believes she had an allergic reaction to something there last time and also we didn't think it lived up to the hype.

ETA: Coral Reef, Kouzzina, and 'Ohana are new for us this time. The others (LeCellier, Teppan Edo, Crystal Palace, Whispering Canyon Cafe, and Cape May Cafe) are repeats from our last trip.Thanks.

 

[sharonabe]

If you're using Magical Express to the airport, they won't pick you up until 5:00, so you really have another day there to do a park if you want. I would play it by ear, as you can always add another day to your ticket during the trip if you want to do that.

Your ADRs look good to me. If you decide to cancel 1900 Park, you could put Cape May there so you don't have "too much food" on the day before.

 

[nkereina]

I personally think kids might enjoy one of the restaurants inside DHS rather than Kouzzina. Sci Fi is one of our favorite restaurants on property and the experience is so unique - only something you can do at Disney. Same goes for 50's PT. It would just be easier to stay in DHS and probably more kid-friendly, IMO.

If you space out Le Cellier and Cape May appropriately, it might be doable. When we do two TS meals in one day, we like to do breakfast and dinner but that wouldn't be feasible for you here. Don't stuff yourselves space them out well if you can.

I think the rest of your choices are good. I wouldn't do Teppan Edo once, especially not twice, because we have some very good hibachi style restaurants locally. It wouldn't be unique and their menu is limited compared to local hibachi places. I don't think Teppan Edo even has fried rice, which is a staple at most hibachi places. Just my opinion on that though.

 

[Edgehopper]

With only one DHS day and two elementary school kids, I agree with the previous poster who suggested 50s PTC or Sci-Fi over Kouzzina on your DHS day (unless your kids are real foodie types who would rather go to Cat Cora's restaurant than see their parents embarassed for their table manners, but I think those kids only exist in the New York Times Lifestyle pages).

Maybe move Cape May to your last day if you don't really want to do Chef Mickey's, or drop Cape May altogether in favor of some other restaurant you want to do on the last day if you've had enough of the Epcot area? All your Epcot days have a big meal for each half day in them, so there's no real room for other World Showcase snacks.

 

[dizkrazkate]

I personally think Le Cellier and Cape May in one day is too much. Too much food, and too much time sitting in restaurants for one day. Can you space them out? Maybe do Cape May on a Hollywood Studios day?

I kinda like the food at Crystal Palace.

 

[BillyBuckner]

With only one DHS day and two elementary school kids, I agree with the previous poster who suggested 50s PTC or Sci-Fi over Kouzzina on your DHS day (unless your kids are real foodie types who would rather go to Cat Cora's restaurant than see their parents embarassed for their table manners, but I think those kids only exist in the New York Times Lifestyle pages).

Maybe move Cape May to your last day if you don't really want to do Chef Mickey's, or drop Cape May altogether in favor of some other restaurant you want to do on the last day if you've had enough of the Epcot area? All your Epcot days have a big meal for each half day in them, so there's no real room for other World Showcase snacks.

I appreciate the sentiments about 50's PTC. It was on our list to consider and I think it was the last restaurant we cut, so putting it back is reasonable.

I am trying to find a way to come up with two mornings at DHS (to get more rides on TSM). I was thinking that if we go to DHS twice there isn't enough to keep us busy till dinner time. Is 50's PTC a good lunch experience or is dinner better?

 

[nkereina]

I appreciate the sentiments about 50's PTC. It was on our list to consider and I think it was the last restaurant we cut, so putting it back is reasonable.

I am trying to find a way to come up with two mornings at DHS (to get more rides on TSM). I was thinking that if we go to DHS twice there isn't enough to keep us busy till dinner time. Is 50's PTC a good lunch experience or is dinner better?

The experience is good for either although the menu differs slightly, depending on what you want. We always make a stop at Sci Fi for lunch when we're there also.

 

[natesmommy]

We love coral reef. The ambiance is so much fun with kids. Teppan Edo is also one of our favorites. So many great choices at EPCOT.

 

[BillyBuckner]

Thanks for all of the input regarding my previous question.

Based on this feedback and other developments I have reworked the plan over the last couple weeks.

Here is where we currently stand:

Jan 28: Le Chefs de France (D) [arrival day / Epcot around 1pm]
Jan 29: Le Cellier (Lunch - 11:40a) [Epcot day]
also Jan 29: Cape May Cafe (Dinner - 5:15p) [Epcot day]
Jan 30: 50's Prime Time (L) [Studios day]
Jan 31: 'Ohana (D) [Magic Kingdom day]
Feb 1: Kouzzina (D) [flexible day - resort/RELAX or AK or DTD or Boardwalk]
Feb 2: Coral Reef (L) [Epcot day, may leave early if we finish everything]
Feb 3: Whispering Canyon (D) [MK day]
Feb 4: Crystal Palace (D) [Studios Morning (for TSM repeat), MK evening]
Feb 5: no ADRs, checkout, then go to any park until Magic Express picks us up for 8 pm flight.

If you counted, there are 9 ADRs for an 8 night stay and I still have LeCellier and Cape May on the same day.

I don't really like LeCellier and Cape May on the same day, but I haven't figured out how to 'fix it'. More on that in a subsequent post.

I welcome more feedback.

P.S. I got all my ADRs made before the CC guarantee policy started, so I am hesitant to change any/many of those that now require CC. I fully intend to make it to all the ADRs, but I am traveling with 3 kids (from 9 months to almost 9 years) so I could miss one if "stuff happens"

 

[BillyBuckner]

If you counted, there are 9 ADRs for an 8 night stay and I still have LeCellier and Cape May on the same day.

I don't really like LeCellier and Cape May on the same day, but I haven't figured out how to 'fix it'. More on that in a subsequent post.

For those wondering:

My rationale for 9 ADRs instead of 8 is that everyone knows that Disney Dining is a lot of food, and on our last trip (13 nights in Nov 2009) we went to LeCellier twice and the second time somebody shared (can't remember if it was one the adults or the kids that shared, but we ended up using the odd credit at ESPN Club on our last night with rest of party paying OOP).

This time we are doing more "order from the menu" places in lieu of "all you can eat" places, so I have this nagging idea in the back of my head that if we each share twice we can get 9 meals with 8 credits per person.

So it really boils down to figuring out if sharing at 2 of the Table Service meals is reality. Alternatively, I think that 50's Prime Time and Kouzzina have some entrees that are cheap enough that if I had to pay for one meal OOP to balance the fact that we only shared at one other dining venue then I could live with that outcome.

The Table Service where we could potentially share include:

Le Cellier @ lunch
Coral Reef @ lunch
50's Prime Time @ lunch
Chefs de France @ dinner
Kouzzina @ dinner
Whispering Canyon @ dinner (only if we don't order the skillet)

From that list I have had Whispering Canyon, I have had LeCellier (but for dinner not lunch), and I've never eaten at the others. So the question is whether the places I have are practical for sharing.

If sharing is out then I can resolve this really easy by deleting Kouzzina or Chefs de France and sticking Cape May Cafe in place of it.

If sharing is in play then I need to look for creative solutions that keep my OOP options late enough in the week that I know how sharing worked out at other places.

Assuming I can move reservations around, some of my ideas that involve sharing are:

(1) flip/flop Cape May Cafe with either Kouzzina or Les Chefs de France. Potential benefit is that it puts two potentially shareable meals on the same day, although its still a lot of sitting time on that day.

(2) move Kouzzina or Les Chefs de France to the same day as 50's Prime Time Cafe, with intent to share at both meals on that day. Cape May Cafe would then move into the vacated dinner slot.

(3) ditch Kouzzina or Chefs de France and try to get lunch somewhere on the last day. Depending on where we expect to go on the last day lunch options could be Kona Cafe or something in Epcot. Trying to avoid this so that we are flexible on the last day, but wonder if its the best solution.

Any thoughts on whether sharing is even practical and what are the best ways to configure for sharing.

NOTE: A wild card that hasn't been factored in is that a friend of the family that is retired in Florida wants to get together with us for (lunch?) one day. But my wife doesn't have any specific info on that so I'm ignoring it when planning but have awareness that a wrench could get thrown in the plan at any time....