A 2009 Magical Christmas Anniversary Pre-Trip Report

[jenn-]

I have really enjoyed reading your PTR up to this point. I would have totally guessed wrong on where most of those pictures were taken. I recognized the Fantasmic seating and in front of MK, but that was it. I also had a Disneymoon back in 2003. I just wrote about it in my PTR (linked in siggie).

How does your school handle family vacations? When we went in 2007 DD had to miss the 2 days before Thanksgiving and I got a nasty gram from the truancy officer for the unexcused absences. They don't consider vacation an excused absence. I wasn't overly concerned since as of winter break that year I knew I was going to switch to homeschooling. Now we can go whenever we want .

I couldn't keep trips from my kids. I get all worked up about trip planning so they would know something is up. This time around we are doing some arts and crafts together to get us in the mood. Unfortunately I started on them already and we aren't going until May . I am going to be broke from being crafty before we get there. My lucky DD will be there in August before and after her Disney Cruise (she's going with her Grandparents), so she will be able to wear her stuff soon.

I can't wait to see where you narrow your choices down for food. I would definitely make sure everyone is interested in doing a grand gathering before planning it. You might also decide if you all want to tour together or as separate groups. I have gone in large groups before, watch for my reports of my trips to show up on my PTR soon. Keep up the great PTR.

 

[happenin2you]

We had the Deluxe Dining Plan when we stayed so that's 9 days of table service meals (we didn't go to any quick or counter) I have to try to remember to tell you about... and I made ADRs for almost all of them. Trying to plan where you're going to be and what you're going to do for 9 days in a place you've never been is a little crazy, but it worked out for us.

In no particular order this is where we ate and how we liked it.
Magic Kingdom
-Liberty Tree Tavern- lunch- The food was really good, very "home-cooked" tasting. We will definitely go back in next time.
-Tony's Town Square Restaurant- dinner- it was a god experience. we sat on the patio and it would have been perfect for watching a parade, but our ADR was very late and right before fireworks, which we couldn't see from there. the food was good, not great, but the experience was great. I think next time, if I can't get a ressie during a parade, we will skip this one.
-Cinderella's Royal Table- dinner- the experience was great, the food, not great, not terrible, but I surely wouldn't have paid to eat here without the dinig plan. I think we will go back and eat there for breakfast next time, 'm thinking how can you screw up breakfast? and i can still get my pics and experience with a hopefully better meal.
-snacks- we also had dole whips and dole whip floats, i love pineapple and highly reccommend them to anyone who does as well. there were also some really good churros around the park
EPCOT
-CHefs de France-dinner- this was a must for me as i study french and intend to one day teach it. the food here was really good and the atmosphere was really great. i would return here.
-Coral Reef Restuarant-lunch- BE WARNED, I AM NOT A FISH EATER- with that said, i figured with all the food we'd be eating on this plan i would try some different things that i wouldn't normally eat. here i tried mahi mahi. i liked the flavor of it but couldn't have more than a few bites because it did taste kind of fishy to me, which DH says i was imagining and he thought it was great. i think the aquarium was overrated. the fish were all darkly colored gray and black and were not anything that i thought was very exciting. i've seen many others that were better. we probably wouldn't go back.
-Marrakesh-lunch- this place was awesome! we loved the food and the atmosphere. they have a belly dancer that comes out periodially and live music. we will come back here for sure
-San Angel Inn- lunch- the atmosphere here is really good but the food is lacking. to someone who doesn't get good mexican food very often, it would be okay, but i am married to a man born in mexico and i live in the southwest, good, authentic mexican food is plentiful here. it's not that the food is bad, it's just not very authentic, more taco bell than mexico. if authenticity is not an issue for you, go for it. we will not go back
-Teppan Edo- dinner- I love hibachi style cooking! this place was just as good as Bennihana's. i reccommend it to all.
Hollywood Studios
-50's Prime Time Cafe- dinner- We loved this place! the food was great, american homestyle entrees, and the experience was loads of fun, we will absolutely go back
-Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano- lunch- I should have mentioned with Tony's Town Square, that I am originally from New York, where great italian food is plentiful. That being said, I am hard to please when it comes to italian food. I thought this place was not very special on the interior and the food was just ok. My husband loved it though, which was not the case with Tony's. We will probably return here because he liked it so much and I can tolerate it. The food isn't bad, it's just not what I would prefer.
-Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre- lunch- this was one of my favorites! it was an unmatched experience and the food was great, we can't wait to come back here
-The Hollywood Brown Derby- dinner- this place was probably the best we had in our entire stay. It's great for a romantic dinner or a dinner with family, the food is great and the setting is fabulous. I've been trying to recreate the Cobb salad ever since. =
Animal Kingdom
-Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House- breakfast- this was really good. as far as buffet's go, i think breakfast is the only way to go to them and they're even better with characters; donald happens to be DH's fave! we'll be back
-Yak and Yeti- lunch- so good, it amazing food, we will return for sure!
Resorts
-Contemporary- Chef Mickey's- breakfast- it was good food and good fun. we will return in the future but maybe try a different resort restaurant on the next trip
-Fort Wilderness- Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue- dinner- the food was good here, and we liked that we could have a couple of drinks without being overcharged since they are included unlimited (the sangria is yum!) the show was really fun too, in the future we will come back and are hoping to also see the polynesian show (it was all booked up when we went) and the backyard bbq (we had a ressie and cancelled it because it is 2 table service credits and we weren't sure we would like a dinner show) we reccommend this to everyone
-Animal Kingdom Lodge-Jiko-dinner- it was really good food and a nice setting, i will return there in the future, but next time i think i want to try the restaurant in whatever other resort we stay in.
Boma- breakfast- it was a good breakfast buffet, i would not travel to this hotel to eat here, but i would eat here again if i stay at this resort again.

I think that these are all the places we ate at, if you have any questions about what we ate or what they did to celebrate our honeymoon, I'll be glad to answer, if I can remember =)

 

[happenin2you]

hope that info is helpful to your planning!

 

[labordefam3]

Thanks so much for the info. It will be a great help. =)

 

[annnewjerz]

Hi there fellow December goer! Great TR so far---all caught up. That pirate costume is so cute and what a steal!!

So---as far as restaurant suggestions, here are a few that we really like or are looking forward to trying this trip. Not sure if you are looking for particular meals, or in particular parks---but here we go:

1. Sci-Fi: Great atmosphere, pretty basic (but in our experience yummy) food. The car booths, the starry skies and the old Sci-Fi movies that play are all great and so much fun. Great for kids and adults!

2. Crystal Palace (breakfast): We haven't been for a pre-park opening breakfast before, but we're trying it this trip. In the past, we have gone for regular breakfast and for your standard buffet we really like it. Good fruit, bacon, waffles, the works---and the Winnie the Pooh characters are so cute. We don't have kids, but we still love going.

3. Ohana: We haven't been, but a few co-workers with kids just got back from their trips and both ate at Ohana and had nothing but rave reviews. The food is supposed to be great (and as much as you want) and they said that the service was some of the best they had the whole trip.

4. Flying Fish: Not sure about this one with kids (our meal was late and only adults in the restaurant at the time) but they are definitely on our list for December. Great potato wrapped snapper---great appetizers, if you have a wait the entertainment on the Boardwalk is so fun. Amusing for the kids and adults and a great way to pass the time.

5. San Angel Inn (Epcot - Mexico): If you are okay with having something other than your typical American tex-mex, this is a good restaurant to try. Is it THE BEST food we've ever had in WDW? No. But it's another one that has ambieance that can't be beat. Feeling like you are sitting on a Mexican patio next to the little canal that the boat rides go through, listening to the Mariachi band play and sipping on a Margarita---definitely one of our favorite past-times in WDW.

Good luck---can't wait to hear more about the trip! Only about 5 more months until all of us experiencing Christmas at The World are there!!

 

[jenn-]

Thanks so much for the info. It will be a great help. =)

Hi there fellow December goer! Great TR so far---all caught up. That pirate costume is so cute and what a steal!!

So---as far as restaurant suggestions, here are a few that we really like or are looking forward to trying this trip. Not sure if you are looking for particular meals, or in particular parks---but here we go:

1. Sci-Fi: Great atmosphere, pretty basic (but in our experience yummy) food. The car booths, the starry skies and the old Sci-Fi movies that play are all great and so much fun. Great for kids and adults!

2. Crystal Palace (breakfast): We haven't been for a pre-park opening breakfast before, but we're trying it this trip. In the past, we have gone for regular breakfast and for your standard buffet we really like it. Good fruit, bacon, waffles, the works---and the Winnie the Pooh characters are so cute. We don't have kids, but we still love going.

3. Ohana: We haven't been, but a few co-workers with kids just got back from their trips and both ate at Ohana and had nothing but rave reviews. The food is supposed to be great (and as much as you want) and they said that the service was some of the best they had the whole trip.

4. Flying Fish: Not sure about this one with kids (our meal was late and only adults in the restaurant at the time) but they are definitely on our list for December. Great potato wrapped snapper---great appetizers, if you have a wait the entertainment on the Boardwalk is so fun. Amusing for the kids and adults and a great way to pass the time.

5. San Angel Inn (Epcot - Mexico): If you are okay with having something other than your typical American tex-mex, this is a good restaurant to try. Is it THE BEST food we've ever had in WDW? No. But it's another one that has ambieance that can't be beat. Feeling like you are sitting on a Mexican patio next to the little canal that the boat rides go through, listening to the Mariachi band play and sipping on a Margarita---definitely one of our favorite past-times in WDW.

Good luck---can't wait to hear more about the trip! Only about 5 more months until all of us experiencing Christmas at The World are there!!

That's a lot of great info! I will have to keep it in mind when I start crackin' on my ADR planning in a few more months.

 

[raider97]

Hi all! Sorry I have been MIA! We took a quick 4th of July trip to San Antonio last week and I started reading the Twilight series which I just can't put down. I just started the 4th book today.

Hope you don't mind if I do a quick trip report of our San Antonio adventure.

DH had Thurs and Friday off for the holiday and we had planned to go to San Antonio for the long weekend. My mil, bil, and his family all live there.


Thursday - We had planned to get up early and leave, but we didn't finish packing the night before. So we didn't up heading out of town until noon. We stopped on the way and grabbed McDonalds which put us in late afternoon. We spent Thursday grilling hamburgers and lounging around the house catching up.

Friday - We had plans to go swimming at my sil's parents house for the afternoon. The kids had a blast. They have a pool slide which the kids loved. I am so happy we picked POR for our December trip. I think the kids will really love the slides at POR and POFQ, especially the dragon one!! We spent several hours swimming in the heat before we finally decided to head home. Here are some pictures of the kids at the pool.

Minnie

Woody

Tinkerbell

After a much needed nap, we decided to venture out to Alamo Cafe for dinner. The food was wonderful as usual. DH and I shared mixed fajitas and the kids all had cheese quesadillas and fries. Afterwards, we had promised the kids we would go miniature golfing if they behaved. So we headed to Malibu Golf and Games. I was kinda surprised to see this place was still open. DH and I had not been here since high school. We played a round of miniature golf. I played with my sil, nephew, and Minnie. And DH played with my MIL, Tinkerbell, and Woody. I was a little concerned to see how close Woody was to a meltdown when we finished up about 9:30 p.m. I had been planning on some late nights on our December trip. I guess I better remember those afternoon naps and play it by ear.

Saturday - We decided to brave Sea World with everyone else in San Antonio. It was packed to the seams. We got there about 6:00 p.m. and it was still very hot and very crowded.

My Three Little Monkeys

We headed to the Clydesdale barn to check out the horses while we waited for bil, sil, and our nephew to show up. Once they arrived, we headed out to the shark exhibit. Tinkerbell loves sharks. We didn't get to see too much. It was packed in there. I imagine due to the air conditioning. It was 100 in San Antonio all last week. We did get to see some sharks, eels, rays, etc. so it was o.k.

Next we headed out to the children's play area. It was very hot still and we decided to let the kids play in the splash pad. They loved it and ended up soaked. We decided to pick up a bite to eat before heading to the 8 p.m. Shamu show. The kids split two cheese pizzas, Tinkerbell and Woody don't each much, and a frozen lemonade. DH and I shared a turkey leg and a mountain dew. We took too long with dinner and didn't head out towards the stadium until 7:15 or so. We got there at 7:20 and it was packed. No seats left, only standing room. We decided to try again for the 10:00 p.m. show.

So we headed over to the new Atlantis ride. None of us had been on it before. Everyone, but me and Woody, got in line to ride. Woody isn't tall enough yet. I noticed they had a Quick Que sign at the entrance and decided to ask the person working the height requirement about it. He said they were available at the front of the park for $25 per person. Yikes!! I am so glad disney's fast passes are still free. I can't imagine paying that much money for them. I almost laughed. We sat by at a nearby table to catch the family on their boat. Here is a couple of pictures of the ride.

Atlantis

This was Tinkerbell's first ride with a large drop and I was sad to hear she cried. I was hoping to take her on BTMRR and Splash in December. Guess we will have to play this one by ear too.

DH with Tinkerbell and Minnie in the front row

After the family got off the ride, we headed back to Shamu stadium. I was hoping to watch the fireworks from there before grabbing our seats for the show, but they opened the gates to the stadium just as the fireworks started. A mad rush dashed in and we were worried if we didn't go we wouldn't get seats. So at 9:15 we found good seats, in a very hot Shamu stadium, for the last showing of Shamu (10 p.m.) The kids were great waiting for the show to start which I found amazing since it was very hot in there and it was 45 minutes from when we sat down until the show began.

After the show, we headed towards the gate. I had Woody on my shoulders, and DH had Tinkerbell on his. At this moment, I decided I better look into renting a stroller for disney. I don't want to be doing that every night. I am so glad it worked out that way though since DH had almost convinced me we wouldn't need one in December. We crashed when we got home and slept in the next morning. Then we got up and went with Grandma to go see Ice Age 3. We loved it. I think it is my favorite of the three. You should go see it if you haven't. Afterwards, we headed home.

I will get back to planning for December asap. I do need to get some bread started for dinner and some laundry done. I hope to be back later to catch up with you guys. If not tomorrow morning for sure. Have a great evening.

Stephanie

 

[raider97]

I used the safety tats on the kids when we went to Sea World. They held up really well. In fact they are still readable today. Granted I haven't scrubbed them to much in the bath, but I thought those who might be interested in them might like a report as to how they were.

Here is a picture of Woody with his on. Woody and Minnie wanted theirs on their biceps and Tinkerbell wanted hers on her forearm. I think I am going to order some more for disney with both our cell phone numbers on them.

http://www.safetytat.com/

Stephanie

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

I'm happy to see another Dec planner! We are going Dec 2 - 10. We will miss you by a couple of days. I am going to follow along as I get ready to start my PTR!!

 

[happenin2you]

looks like you had tons of fun at sea world, and i must say that sea world in TX looks like loads more fun than san diego, they don't have any big coasters there, just a couple water rides that i can remember. i'm going to san diego this week so i'll try to make it over to see shamu and let you know =) good see you had a fun and safe trip and that those safety tats worked out for you!

 

[jenn-]

I used the safety tats on the kids when we went to Sea World. They held up really well. In fact they are still readable today. Granted I haven't scrubbed them to much in the bath, but I thought those who might be interested in them might like a report as to how they were.

Here is a picture of Woody with his on. Woody and Minnie wanted theirs on their biceps and Tinkerbell wanted hers on her forearm. I think I am going to order some more for disney with both our cell phone numbers on them.

http://www.safetytat.com/

Stephanie

Glad to see those worked. I am going to have to look into them. The ones we used didn't work out that well for us, but they used a pen to write on them. Let me know how long they stay on (or until you have to really scrub to get them off). Sounds like you had a great time on vacation.

 

[raider97]

Had to come over and support my fellow Red Raider fan!!

Okay lets see I am behind so lots to comment on:

Christmas time is my favorite time to go. We were at WL in 2008 the week before Christmas, I think we flew home on the 22nd.

I have never stayed at POR, but we did stay at POFQ one year and it was around new years so the the Christmas decorations were still up and we really enjoyed this resort. We loved breakfast at Boatwrights, but I dont think they serve breakfast anymore.

I love the pirate costume, I think the Pirates League is so cool and something Disney has needed to do for a long time.

We are flying Jet Blue for the first time in August. I have never flown them so we will see. The rates were the best I coul find.

I love going to Sea World, we have not been in about 2 years, I think we are due for a trip.

I see you have eaten at Shutters, how was it. We are eating there in August and I have not found many reviews on it.

Hi!

I love disney at Christmas too. I had a lot of fun on our April trip in 2007, but I was surprised how much I missed the Christmas feel of the parks. I am super excited to be taking the kids for Christmas.

I see your screen name is Nurse Minnie. Did you go to nursing school at Tech? Do you live in Texas too? We love Sea World too. I have to space our visits out some since DH isn't a theme park junkie like I am.

We ate at Shutters on our honeymoon and we really liked it. However, that was back in 1999 so I don't know how much it has changed since then. Are you all staying at CBR in August?

Stephanie

 

[raider97]

I have really enjoyed reading your PTR up to this point. I would have totally guessed wrong on where most of those pictures were taken. I recognized the Fantasmic seating and in front of MK, but that was it. I also had a Disneymoon back in 2003. I just wrote about it in my PTR (linked in siggie).

How does your school handle family vacations? When we went in 2007 DD had to miss the 2 days before Thanksgiving and I got a nasty gram from the truancy officer for the unexcused absences. They don't consider vacation an excused absence. I wasn't overly concerned since as of winter break that year I knew I was going to switch to homeschooling. Now we can go whenever we want .

I couldn't keep trips from my kids. I get all worked up about trip planning so they would know something is up. This time around we are doing some arts and crafts together to get us in the mood. Unfortunately I started on them already and we aren't going until May . I am going to be broke from being crafty before we get there. My lucky DD will be there in August before and after her Disney Cruise (she's going with her Grandparents), so she will be able to wear her stuff soon.

I can't wait to see where you narrow your choices down for food. I would definitely make sure everyone is interested in doing a grand gathering before planning it. You might also decide if you all want to tour together or as separate groups. I have gone in large groups before, watch for my reports of my trips to show up on my PTR soon. Keep up the great PTR.

Hi!

I'll have to check out your disneymoon trip report. I love reading about trips!!

About school vacations.... we can get turned into a truancy officer for more than 4 days unexcused in a 6 week period. I am trying to not stress too much about it. My kids are usually pretty healthy and don't miss much school. The worst part is our boundary changed this year so we will be at a new school so I guess I will have to wait and see. I really wanted to be there on our anniversary though. They will be missing two days of school this way.

It has been really hard keeping it a secret. I am hoping the kids react well. I have heard the horror stories about kids reacting terribly to the surprise. I need to get to work on our crafts. What are you making? I am planning to make t-shirts, autograph books, journals, magnets and vinyls for our room decorations, and mousekeeping envelopes. I really need to get started before I run out of time! I would love to see pictures of your crafts.

The only grand gathering I think we would be interested in is the breakfast at Tony's. I need to get together with my cousin's wife and she what she thinks about them. Looks like I need to plan a planning meeting!!

Thanks for joining in... I look forward to getting to know you better. Where are you guys staying in May?

Stephanie

 

[raider97]

We had the Deluxe Dining Plan when we stayed so that's 9 days of table service meals (we didn't go to any quick or counter) I have to try to remember to tell you about... and I made ADRs for almost all of them. Trying to plan where you're going to be and what you're going to do for 9 days in a place you've never been is a little crazy, but it worked out for us.

In no particular order this is where we ate and how we liked it.
Magic Kingdom
-Liberty Tree Tavern- lunch- The food was really good, very "home-cooked" tasting. We will definitely go back in next time.
This one is on my long list. Not sure it will make the cut since we only have the regular dining plan. When you have time can you tell me more about this one. What you ate? The food, etc?

-Tony's Town Square Restaurant- dinner- it was a god experience. we sat on the patio and it would have been perfect for watching a parade, but our ADR was very late and right before fireworks, which we couldn't see from there. the food was good, not great, but the experience was great. I think next time, if I can't get a ressie during a parade, we will skip this one.
This is another one I have on my long list. It has some terrible reviews though pretty frequently so I am a little scared of this one. What did you guys have?

-Cinderella's Royal Table- dinner- the experience was great, the food, not great, not terrible, but I surely wouldn't have paid to eat here without the dinig plan. I think we will go back and eat there for breakfast next time, 'm thinking how can you screw up breakfast? and i can still get my pics and experience with a hopefully better meal.
-snacks- we also had dole whips and dole whip floats, i love pineapple and highly reccommend them to anyone who does as well. there were also some really good churros around the pa
I am thinking about trying this one for an early dinner after BBB for the girls on our 10th anniversary. What did you guys have? Was the food terrible? How did you like the show?

EPCOT
-CHefs de France-dinner- this was a must for me as i study french and intend to one day teach it. the food here was really good and the atmosphere was really great. i would return here.
I have also considered this one. What did you guys have? How was the atmosphere/service? Do you think the kids would like it?

-Coral Reef Restuarant-lunch- BE WARNED, I AM NOT A FISH EATER- with that said, i figured with all the food we'd be eating on this plan i would try some different things that i wouldn't normally eat. here i tried mahi mahi. i liked the flavor of it but couldn't have more than a few bites because it did taste kind of fishy to me, which DH says i was imagining and he thought it was great. i think the aquarium was overrated. the fish were all darkly colored gray and black and were not anything that i thought was very exciting. i've seen many others that were better. we probably wouldn't go back.
We aren't fish eaters either. I have been considering them, but mainly for the aquarium. I am not too sure about this one. The reviews lately haven't been too great either. Hmmmm....

-Marrakesh-lunch- this place was awesome! we loved the food and the atmosphere. they have a belly dancer that comes out periodially and live music. we will come back here for sure
I think this one may be too adventurous for us.

-San Angel Inn- lunch- the atmosphere here is really good but the food is lacking. to someone who doesn't get good mexican food very often, it would be okay, but i am married to a man born in mexico and i live in the southwest, good, authentic mexican food is plentiful here. it's not that the food is bad, it's just not very authentic, more taco bell than mexico. if authenticity is not an issue for you, go for it. we will not go back.
Being from South Texas I think we may be disappointed in this one too. I had considered it, but I don't think it will make my long list.

-Teppan Edo- dinner- I love hibachi style cooking! this place was just as good as Bennihana's. i reccommend it to all.
I am almost positive we are trying for this one. Our whole family LOVES hibachi style cooking. What did you guys have?

Hollywood Studios
-50's Prime Time Cafe- dinner- We loved this place! the food was great, american homestyle entrees, and the experience was loads of fun, we will absolutely go back
I think we are going to skip this one. I don't think my parents would like the ribbing.

-Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano- lunch- I should have mentioned with Tony's Town Square, that I am originally from New York, where great italian food is plentiful. That being said, I am hard to please when it comes to italian food. I thought this place was not very special on the interior and the food was just ok. My husband loved it though, which was not the case with Tony's. We will probably return here because he liked it so much and I can tolerate it. The food isn't bad, it's just not what I would prefer.
We have been here before too.... it wasn't bad just nothing fab. I think this one won't make our long list either.

-Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre- lunch- this was one of my favorites! it was an unmatched experience and the food was great, we can't wait to come back here
This one is on my short list for sure. Even though I think it will be an out of pocket lunch. I am super excited about the atmosphere of this one.

-The Hollywood Brown Derby- dinner- this place was probably the best we had in our entire stay. It's great for a romantic dinner or a dinner with family, the food is great and the setting is fabulous. I've been trying to recreate the Cobb salad ever since. =
We loved this one on our honeymoon too. I don't think I want to spend two credits this time on it. There are too many places I want to try.

Animal Kingdom
-Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House- breakfast- this was really good. as far as buffet's go, i think breakfast is the only way to go to them and they're even better with characters; donald happens to be DH's fave! we'll be back
This is on our long list too. What characters did you see while you were there? What did they have on the breakfast buffet? Do they have a make your own omelet station?

-Yak and Yeti- lunch- so good, it amazing food, we will return for sure!
This is on my long list. Those wonton desserts look wonderful. Not sure it will make the cut though. Wish I had the money to spring for deluxe.

Resorts
-Contemporary- Chef Mickey's- breakfast- it was good food and good fun. we will return in the future but maybe try a different resort restaurant on the next trip
I've toyed with this one, but don't think it will make our long list.

-Fort Wilderness- Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue- dinner- the food was good here, and we liked that we could have a couple of drinks without being overcharged since they are included unlimited (the sangria is yum!) the show was really fun too, in the future we will come back and are hoping to also see the polynesian show (it was all booked up when we went) and the backyard bbq (we had a ressie and cancelled it because it is 2 table service credits and we weren't sure we would like a dinner show) we reccommend this to everyone
I want to try this someday too. I don't think I will have the time to get it in the schedule this year though. We did the Polynesian show on our honeymoon. I had forgotten that.... It was really nice. We really enjoyed it.

-Animal Kingdom Lodge-Jiko-dinner- it was really good food and a nice setting, i will return there in the future, but next time i think i want to try the restaurant in whatever other resort we stay in.
I want to try this one someday too. It isn't on my long list for this year though.

Boma- breakfast- it was a good breakfast buffet, i would not travel to this hotel to eat here, but i would eat here again if i stay at this resort again.
Another one I want to try someday, but it isn't on my long list this time around.

I think that these are all the places we ate at, if you have any questions about what we ate or what they did to celebrate our honeymoon, I'll be glad to answer, if I can remember =)

Thanks for sharing all of this!! What a great resource. I enjoyed your reviews so much. I would love to try deluxe dining someday.

 

[raider97]

Hi there fellow December goer! Great TR so far---all caught up. That pirate costume is so cute and what a steal!!

So---as far as restaurant suggestions, here are a few that we really like or are looking forward to trying this trip. Not sure if you are looking for particular meals, or in particular parks---but here we go:

1. Sci-Fi: Great atmosphere, pretty basic (but in our experience yummy) food. The car booths, the starry skies and the old Sci-Fi movies that play are all great and so much fun. Great for kids and adults!

2. Crystal Palace (breakfast): We haven't been for a pre-park opening breakfast before, but we're trying it this trip. In the past, we have gone for regular breakfast and for your standard buffet we really like it. Good fruit, bacon, waffles, the works---and the Winnie the Pooh characters are so cute. We don't have kids, but we still love going.

3. Ohana: We haven't been, but a few co-workers with kids just got back from their trips and both ate at Ohana and had nothing but rave reviews. The food is supposed to be great (and as much as you want) and they said that the service was some of the best they had the whole trip.

4. Flying Fish: Not sure about this one with kids (our meal was late and only adults in the restaurant at the time) but they are definitely on our list for December. Great potato wrapped snapper---great appetizers, if you have a wait the entertainment on the Boardwalk is so fun. Amusing for the kids and adults and a great way to pass the time.

5. San Angel Inn (Epcot - Mexico): If you are okay with having something other than your typical American tex-mex, this is a good restaurant to try. Is it THE BEST food we've ever had in WDW? No. But it's another one that has ambieance that can't be beat. Feeling like you are sitting on a Mexican patio next to the little canal that the boat rides go through, listening to the Mariachi band play and sipping on a Margarita---definitely one of our favorite past-times in WDW.

Good luck---can't wait to hear more about the trip! Only about 5 more months until all of us experiencing Christmas at The World are there!!

Hi!! Thanks for coming over for a visit. How is your planning going?

SciFi - Is on my short list for this year. I can't wait for the kids to see. I hope they like it!!

Crystal Palace - We are planning to do this one for breakfast again too. I loved their make your omelet station,. Yummm!!

Ohanas- We did this one last time. We liked it, but we had a 9 p.m. reservation and it was too late for the kids. If we try it again it will have to be earlier.

Flying Fish - I need to go back and re-look at their menu. Sounds like you all had a wonderful meal there. Maybe if we take a kid night off?

San Angel - I heard the atmosphere in here is great. I am just worried we will be disappointed since we have great Mexican food here at home. I haven't completely made up my mind on this one.

I need to come by and catch up on your trip planning.

Stephanie

 

[raider97]

I'm happy to see another Dec planner! We are going Dec 2 - 10. We will miss you by a couple of days. I am going to follow along as I get ready to start my PTR!!

Hi!! Thanks for stopping in. Tell me about your trip.... where are you guys staying? How long are you all going for? Any thoughts about food or plans yet?

Stephanie

 

[raider97]

Hi!

Sorry I haven't updated this in so long. Between our trip to SA over the 4th and then my husband's company's fishing tournament and BBQ this past weekend we have been very busy.

I was reading all of your reviews and thinking about the places I have been wanting to try. I thought I would share my long list of restaurants with you guys today. Let me know what you think.

Ohanas - Breakast - I like family style meals since you don't have to worry about missing the characters while you are at the buffet. It is also a pain to try and get food for three little ones from the buffet. It can be kind of stressful. My kids are wonderful breakfast food eaters. I like to have a late breakfast somedays. I think Lilo and Stich would be fun and we would get Mickey here also. The biggest problem here is transportation - getting here early without missing too much morning park time, especially with the Christmas crowds.

Ohanas - Dinner - We liked this one last time. Ashley loved the belly dancing and I think my little ones would like this one if it was earlier. The dessert here is heaven!! I think I will order kids meals for the kids here. I didn't know that was an option last time. I am considering trying to get this one for Christmas dinner.

Grand Floridian Cafe - I like the dinner menu here. It has steak for kids which they will love. And I would love to see the holiday decorations here. The only problem is I was thinking about doing this for Christmas Eve dinner and I am worried that once we leave MK we won't be able to get back in. And we aren't planning to get park hoppers this year.

Liberty Tree Tavern - Lunch - The menu looks great. We haven't been for lunch.

Liberty Tree Tavern - Dinner - We liked the dinner the last time we went, but we LOVED the characters here. Not sure it is worth it without the characters, but I was thinking maybe we should do this one instead of the Grand Floridian Cafe on Christmas Eve.

CRT - Dinner - We ate here for breakfast on our honeymoon and I loved it. I want the kids to eat at the castle this year. I think this might be fun after BBB on our 10th anniversary. What do you guys think?

SciFi - I want to try this one. It looks like so much fun. I am thinking about trying this one for lunch and paying for it out of pocket.

Tusker House - I thought this one would be fun. Again, my kids are good breakfast eaters. I think we would enjoy seeing Donald and Daisy and again this one would get us in to see Mickey.

Yak and Yeti - This one just looks good. I really want to try those wonton desserts. They look so yummy!

Le Cellier - A favorite here. It is so hard to get into though I hate to even think about it. It might be fun to do dinner and lunch here. My kids love steak and I loved the chocolate raspberry shakes we got here as well. Wonderful if I will be lucky with ADR's this year?

Teppan Edo - My whole family loves hibachi cooking. I think this one is on the list for sure. The only thing I am not sure about is their dessert choices. They look a little odd.

I had wanted to try Boatwrights for breakfast for their stuffed french toast. I was so sad to see they stopped serving it... not sure I can make it all the way over to Kona for it though. I'm disappointed in this one.

Garden Grill - The menu for this one looks o.k. I have heard wonderful things about the character interaction here. Sounds like LTT's character interaction... small place they come around a lot. Maybe if I can't get Le Cellier one day?

Storybook Breakfast - We ate here last time. The potatoes are to die for!!! And I want at least one princess meal for the kids. I think the breakfast menu is better for our family.

Beaches and Cream - This one sounds good, but not sure I want to make the trek over there especially since they don't take ADR's.

T-Rex- I am really considering this one. I hate that it would be another OPP, but I think the kids would love it. Maybe on our DTD night?

Crystal Palace - Breakfast - I love their make your own omelet station. Yummm!! Plus you get the Pooh characters. I am thinking about trying for a late breakfast on my son's 4th birthday.

Tony's - I have considered this one. It would be nice to eat in the park. Not sure about the reviews though.

I think that is my complete long list. I'll have to go back and see if there are anymore. Any suggestions/reviews/comments?

Be back later.

Stephanie

 

[annnewjerz]

Hi!

I had wanted to try Boatwrights for breakfast for their stuffed french toast. I was so sad to see they stopped serving it... not sure I can make it all the way over to Kona for it though. I'm disappointed in this one.

I think that is my complete long list. I'll have to go back and see if there are anymore. Any suggestions/reviews/comments?

Be back later.

Stephanie

Your list looks great! I just wanted to comment that if you really want to try the Tonga Toast but can't fit in another ADR at Kona for breakfast, they do serve the Tonga Toast at a quick-service location in the Poly called Captain Cook's. On one of your MK days, it would be pretty easy to take the monorail and pop in for some breakfast before getting your day started.

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[jenn-]

Hi!

I'll have to check out your disneymoon trip report. I love reading about trips!!

About school vacations.... we can get turned into a truancy officer for more than 4 days unexcused in a 6 week period. I am trying to not stress too much about it. My kids are usually pretty healthy and don't miss much school. The worst part is our boundary changed this year so we will be at a new school so I guess I will have to wait and see. I really wanted to be there on our anniversary though. They will be missing two days of school this way.

It has been really hard keeping it a secret. I am hoping the kids react well. I have heard the horror stories about kids reacting terribly to the surprise. I need to get to work on our crafts. What are you making? I am planning to make t-shirts, autograph books, journals, magnets and vinyls for our room decorations, and mousekeeping envelopes. I really need to get started before I run out of time! I would love to see pictures of your crafts.

The only grand gathering I think we would be interested in is the breakfast at Tony's. I need to get together with my cousin's wife and she what she thinks about them. Looks like I need to plan a planning meeting!!

Thanks for joining in... I look forward to getting to know you better. Where are you guys staying in May?

Stephanie

Definitely check out my PTR (linked in the siggie). You will get to read all about my Disneymoon, my Disney Trip from Hell, my Disney Day from Hell (which amazingly was a different trip), and my most recent trip with lots of food photos including some of Grand Floridian Cafe which I saw you were considering. You can also see my attempts at shirt making. Right now I have a couple rounds of tie dye on there and a swirly Mickey head batch. I was hoping to get the results posted tonight about my most recent go with the tie dye, but I got lazy and tired of talking to myself on the PTR so maybe tomorrow. I gotta figure out how to get an audience going. I'm not planning on doing an autograph book, but I wasn't planning on doing tie dye either. I have quite a few more months to get creative, so who knows what I will end up doing. I am pretty sure we will be in OKW for May. I am not sure if the ILs are going to try for the SSR tree houses as the 7 month mark.

 

[happenin2you]

Grand Floridian Cafe - I like the dinner menu here. It has steak for kids which they will love. And I would love to see the holiday decorations here. The only problem is I was thinking about doing this for Christmas Eve dinner and I am worried that once we leave MK we won't be able to get back in. And we aren't planning to get park hoppers this year.

Yak and Yeti - This one just looks good. I really want to try those wonton desserts. They look so yummy!

Teppan Edo - My whole family loves hibachi cooking. I think this one is on the list for sure. The only thing I am not sure about is their dessert choices. They look a little odd.

I think that is my complete long list. I'll have to go back and see if there are anymore. Any suggestions/reviews/comments?

You shouldn't have to worry about getting back into Mk after leaving on the same day without a park hopper if that is that park you went to that day. Without park hoppers, they stamp your hand at the exit and you can leave and return to the same park in the same day as much as you want.

The won-ton desserts at Yak and Yeti were amazing!

And at Teppan Edo, they gave us a special dessert for our honeymoon, I think it was pistacio flan? It was so good, and my husband (bad Mexican, something about not liking pudding/custard consistency desserts...) doesn't like flan, but he loved this stuff! I'd reccommend that to anyone, even kids.