9 Nights on DxDDP..is this a DD? REVISED w/ UR suggestions!

[DISNEY1975]

Im asking for advise..

I dont normally throw my plans out on these boards, but Ive been second guessing myself for 120ish days now. Maybe another opinion may help! (hubby has no interest)

Ive been to Disney many many times and always return to my favorite spots. With one child in college and another on his way in a year, I think this may be our last trip to the world (at least deluxe style) for a while. With that said, I want to make sure, during this trip, I am trying as many new (to me) restaurants as possible. Unfortunately, new to me, are the least popular restaurants on these threads!! Am I heading towards a Dining Disaster?

We are staying at the Poly during Epcots F&W Festival. It will be me, DH and DD6

Here are my plans... (anything with *** is new for us)

Day 1
12:00pm - Grand Floridian Cafe ***
8:00pm - Spirit of Aloha

Day 2
9:00am - Cindy's Castle *** (my older boys never had interest!)
6:00pm - Mickeys Backyard BBQ

Day 3
8:20am - Hollywood & Vine
4:00pm- 50's Prime Timem (changed time from 2:30pm)
8:30pm -Cancelled LTT dinner (MNSSHP)

Day 4
8:05am - Chef Mickeys had to keep this time, no ressies available later
BLIZZARD BEACH DAY
6:15pm - Biergarten ***

Day 5
8:15am - Akershus (I dont like the food and dsont plan on eating a lot here!!)
2:05pm- Via Napoli*** Changed from Nina Dragons
7:45pm - San Angel Inn (though Im going to try to change to Hacienda)

Day 6
8:20am - Crystal Palace
7:45pm - Rose and Crown ***

Day 7 (pool day, or maybe a couple hours at TL)
8:00am - Kona ***
2:00pm - The Plaza ***
7:15pm - HDDR ***

Day 8
8:30am - Tusker House
4:00pm - Yak & Yeti

Day 9
8:20am - Cape May ***
6:00pm - Cali Grill (changed from Ohana)

Day 10
9:00am - Ohana

Our flight is at night, so we may have lunch at DTD..no ressie, but we have an extra credit to use. Also, on our DHS day, Im not sure we will be up to 3 meals, so may have another credit from there.

Will I regret no California Grill, Le Cellier, Chefs de France and Narcoosees??? This trip is mostly for my daughter..trying to squeeze in this trip before shes old enough to realize Mickey is just some guy in a costume!!!

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

 

[baler31]

I know it is for your DD but I would take out either HDDR, Spirit, or BBQ and replace with one of your favorites. I would try to switch to Hacienda and I myself am excited to try Via Napoli.

Also, is your DD okay with so much time spent dining ?

 

[guitarob]

My experience tells me that the only changes that I would make to this itinerary, were it mine, would be to dump the Rose & Crown and instead do the California Grill. I understand it's an extra TS, but I would get creative (for instance doing a breakfast OOP) so that I could afford it.

You can't go wrong with the Kona Cafe for breakfast.

Nine Dragons (unless it's changed in the 4 years since I've been there) is Chinese Food, nothing more, nothing less. If you're just looking for a good no frills Chinese meal, you will be quite happy.

 

[DISNEY1975]

I know it is for your DD but I would take out either HDDR, Spirit, or BBQ and replace with one of your favorites. I would try to switch to Hacienda and I myself am excited to try Via Napoli.

Also, is your DD okay with so much time spent dining ?

Which in particular would you take out? We've done SoA before, but thought since we are staying at the Poly, this would be convenient. I would be up to taking one out (and getting my Cali Grill fix!!)..just thought with all the MNSSHPs going on while Im there and MK closing at 7, we could be entertained at night with these shows ??

Now Via Napoli sounds good! Where do I squeeze that one in???!!!! Should I take out Nine Dragons?? The Plaza ?? Ive never been to these.

TIA

(OK..just saw Guitarob's post. I guess trading Nine Dragons for Via Napoli will be in the cards!)

 

[DonaldTDuck]

I lkove your plan. DHS day may be a bit much food, but what the hey. You will regret missing some faves, but if you switch now, you'll regret that too. Now do you want to regret not doing the same thing again, or missing something new. And I absolutely love R&C,

 

[purple figment]

I would not schedule an 8:30 dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern during the MNSSHP.

Considering the cost of the tickets, I would use the time to enjoy all of the special party activities - the Boo to You parade, the Hallowishes fireworks, the unique meet and greets with characters you don't see at any other time, the trick or treat trails, the stage shows and dance parties.

Since you have a 2:30 lunch at Prime Time perhaps you could do a CS dinner around 6:30 just before the start of the party.

 

[jojomoore]

On day 7, since this is a pool or water park day. I would not plan to eat lunch inside MK after eating a TS breakfast and planning on doing HDDR.
I would cancel the Plaza ADR. If you really were wanting to eat at plaza, maybe you could cancel Rose and Crown and try to get a plaza reservation for Dinner Day 6. This will also reduce travel time on Day 6 if it is your MK day.

Also, I know your daughter will love chef mickey's but its possible that your DD will need to sleep in a little on Day 4 after the MNSSHP the evening before. And she will get to meat all the characters that are present at Chef Mickeys at Tusker House and Cape May.

If you have never experienced CRT, I would definately keep this reservation and your daughter is at the perfect age to enjoy it. So Magical.

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

we enjoyed our meals at Grand Floridain Cafe and my son loved Cape May. We tried R&C 2x and both meals was not great...I would replace it with one of your favorite place.

 

[baler31]

I would not schedule an 8:30 dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern during the MNSSHP.

Considering the cost of the tickets, I would use the time to enjoy all of the special party activities - the Boo to You parade, the Hallowishes fireworks, the unique meet and greets with characters you don't see at any other time, the trick or treat trails, the stage shows and dance parties.

Since you have a 2:30 lunch at Prime Time perhaps you could do a CS dinner around 6:30 just before the start of the party.

This is a good point about the party, we usually have an earlier dinner (try for a 4:30-5 ressie) to get more party time. We also go twice but we love the MNSSHP characters.

 

[baler31]

Which in particular would you take out? We've done SoA before, but thought since we are staying at the Poly, this would be convenient. I would be up to taking one out (and getting my Cali Grill fix!!)..just thought with all the MNSSHPs going on while Im there and MK closing at 7, we could be entertained at night with these shows ??

Now Via Napoli sounds good! Where do I squeeze that one in???!!!! Should I take out Nine Dragons?? The Plaza ?? Ive never been to these.

TIA

(OK..just saw Guitarob's post. I guess trading Nine Dragons for Via Napoli will be in the cards!)

Other than the BBQ for character interactions my kids did not care for the shows. The food is a bit of a repeat at HDDR and BBQ so I would drop one of those for sure. If it were me just because of our experiences and knowing the kids did not care about it I would also drop SOA and replace with something else. If you are staying at Poly, the CG is just a monorail away.

We love the Plaza for a simple meal, especially if it is hot a lighter meal is sometimes nice. We also have been happy with Rose & Crown but we stick to pub type food there. I am anxious to try Via Napli, got a ressie for our Oct. trip. I also hope Hacienda will be open by then, the rumors are for an announcement at the end of Aug.

 

[makelab]

i was on the DxDDP a few years back. i would say reserve as many 2 credit meals as you can, for dinner, that you would enjoy (california grill, narcoosee's, citrico's, etc.) 3 TS meals a day is tough. if you get hungry mid-day, order an adult meal at a counter service place, and share with the kids, or use a snack credit for yourself, or to get an extra drink, etc.
i think as long as you use your credits, you will get at least the value of the plan. also, adding an occasional counter service meal can reduce the OOP expenses...gratuities, etc.

 

[dr&momto2boys]

We did DxDDP on a split stay for 3 nights (spread over 4 days) and then regular DDP for 5 nights. It was fun and I'm glad we did it, but I really felt like we spent so much time dining! And it took all the fun out of using the snack credits because we were never hungry. I was actually relieved when we were back to the regular DDP. 9 nights is a long time for DxDP. Is there anyway to split you reservation to use DxDDP part of the time?

Two sit down meals a day is quite nice for us, but three got to be annoying. Especially with appetizers, entrees, and desserts. If we did DxDDP again, I would do a 2TS meal every day so that we didn't have any days with 3 big meals. We've decided what works best for us is regular DDP and adding a couple extra TS meals OOP. Actually, right now, we are AP holders and bought the TIW card so we're not on any DDP, but plan 2 big meals most days, and 1 on some days.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[bellefromboston]

Out of all your new choices, the only I can comment on are Cinderella's Castle, Rose and Crown, Kona, and Cape May. I can honestly say that all are wonderful! Fantastic choices. Cinderella's Castle has been, by far, the most magical meal I have ever experienced at WDW. This is an experience that everyone should try at least once. The food, atmosphere, and service were all terrific! I constantly recommend Rose and Crown to people. The food here is some of the best in the world showcase! We try to go on each trip. Kona is good. I do not love it as much as others, but it is a tasty breakfast. Cape May is one of my favorite character meals in all of WDW! The food is delicious and the characters are so fun. It is also less chaotic then the other character meals. I think you will be very pleased with your choices. Have a wonderful vacation!

 

[GatorLady]

I would not schedule an 8:30 dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern during the MNSSHP.

Considering the cost of the tickets, I would use the time to enjoy all of the special party activities - the Boo to You parade, the Hallowishes fireworks, the unique meet and greets with characters you don't see at any other time, the trick or treat trails, the stage shows and dance parties.

jojomoore
Also, I know your daughter will love chef mickey's but its possible that your DD will need to sleep in a little on Day 4 after the MNSSHP the evening before. And she will get to meat all the characters that are present at Chef Mickeys at Tusker House and Cape May.

I happen to like a lot of your "new" restaurant choices, but everyone's opinion is different when it comes to food! I do however agree with the above Dis'ers
on these scheduling points.

What ever you decide, hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[Jeanieblue114]

First, umm...what do you mean Mickey is a guy in a costume?????

Second, I definitely second the thought of not doing a sit down during the Halloween party. I've gone here twice and there's so much to do with seeing characters (long lines), rides (no lines), WONDERFUL parade, castle show, fireworks, dance parties, trick or treating everywhere...just grab something earlier or get quick service during the party and split something. There will be candy to enjoy afterall!

I am doing something similar in Sept. We got the deluxe plan for the first time (eventhough i'm not a dining plan fan) so we have an excuse to try a lot of the signature places. We are only there 5 nights but I'm pretty sure we will be too full by day 3. So expect half way through the trip to not be caring about the meals as much and just go to stuff that seems fun! By then you will probably already have the value of the plan at a break even point.

Happy dining!

 

[DISNEY1975]

Thanks everyone for the replies!

I read through everything and cancelled/added online tonight. (Revised plan on first post).

Guitarob
My experience tells me that the only changes that I would make to this itinerary, were it mine, would be to dump the Rose & Crown and instead do the California Grill.
I did add Cali Grill! I also kept Rose & Crown, mostly because I bought DD6 the most adorable Union Jack sundress I planned on her wearing there!!!


Purple Figment
I would not schedule an 8:30 dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern during the MNSSHP.
You're right..cancelled!


Jojomorre
On day 7, since this is a pool or water park day. I would not plan to eat lunch inside MK after eating a TS breakfast and planning on doing HDDR.
Our breakfast is at our resort and if we go to the pool, the Plaza is a quick monorail trip away for lunch. I didnt decided on TL until I read that ticket prices were going up and decided to add the WP and Fun to our existing ticket, considering I did have BB planned and it was only a matter of a few dollars between adding now or paying when I got there. Im not sure Im going to like the food at HDDR (I dont do bones!!), so I kind of want to keep the (new) lunch

Jojomorre
Also, I know your daughter will love chef mickey's but its possible that your DD will need to sleep in a little on Day 4 after the MNSSHP the evening before
Excellent point! I didnt even think of that!! As of a couple of hours ago, nothing was available for Chef Mickeys at a later time, but I will check every day..or maybe just cancel. Thanks so much for this reminder!!

BellefromBoston
Kona is good. I do not love it as much as others, but it is a tasty breakfast.
I thought it would be a nice change from our buffet breakfasts. I dont like bananas, so Tonga Toast will be out for me! Worth a try, and I dont have to travel far!!


Thanks again everyone!!!

 

[MollyMcDaniel]

The only comment I have is give Akershus a fair try. We had the best meal there this past March. The cold salad board was excellent and I had the mushroom ravioli which I'm still dreaming about.....yummy!

 

[baler31]

I agree you most likely will not care for the food at HDDR. We genuinely like The Plaza, it is a good simple meal.

Glad you were able to include CG, it is important for kids to see parents do something for themselves. They will enjoy it because you do if nothing else.

 

[Jeanieblue114]

The HDDR has the exact same food as next door at the Trail's end buffet.
All made in the same kitchen. (I knew a former manager there.)
Difference is that HDDR has their own salad dressing and has strawberry shortcake, but if you are celebrating something at Trail's end, they will bring you out a special strawberry shortcake that is the same.
Also, Trail's end has more selection in addtion to the HDDR menu at Dinner including peel and eat shrimp, pasta fish/salmon, carving station, pizza, dessert bar with rice krispy treats, cookies, brownies, ice cream.

It's nice to experience the corney HDDR once, but if you like it for the food, go next door. Dinner is $22 instead of $60.
Plus, trail's end has more options for dinner without bones...lol.
There are also $5 pony rides next door to the restaurant and a horse barn to see the Disney horses..with a little mini disney horse museum as well.....even have a 45 min. wagon ride around Ft. wilderness in the evenings. It's about $10. Kids and you might enjoy all of this entertainment and the food better than doing the show.

Just a thought to help confuse things more....lol.
ENJOY THE TRIP!

 

[DISNEY1975]

The HDDR has the exact same food as next door at the Trail's end buffet.
All made in the same kitchen. (I knew a former manager there.)

There are also $5 pony rides next door to the restaurant and a horse barn to see the Disney horses..with a little mini disney horse museum as well.....even have a 45 min. wagon ride around Ft. wilderness in the evenings. It's about $10. Kids and you might enjoy all of this entertainment and the food better than doing the show.

Just a thought to help confuse things more....lol.
ENJOY THE TRIP!

Thanks a lot! Yes, now Im stressing more. I want my my DD6 to go on a pony ride! Maybe instead of that extra pool day, we will go find that pony! We will have a rental car, so time and transportation are not that important.

As for HDDR, Im not going for the food! I just thought a little sitting down entertainment, corny or not, might be nice. DD6 (and hubby) laugh at almost everything, while I sit straight faced. But I do laugh at hubby and kids when they are laughing at stupid stuff..so I guess we all have a good time! I just cant imagine being on vacation and going to bed t 8:00pm, so I tried to find things to do (especially off our feet!)

As for the food...I am the pickiest eater in the world! I mentioned I dont like bones or bananas and to your post..I dont like strawberries either, so no shortcake for me! Surprisingly, I have never been anywhere where there is not ONE thing I like..and at Disney, there is always another meal (and Ice Cream Mickey Ears) in the near future!! Everyone else in my family eats anything and everything. I tried to not teach my bad habit to the kids! They love bananas, seafood and yogurt..Blechhh