iloveeeyore
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2003
- Messages
- 3,787
COMPLETED REVIEWS INDEXED IN POST #2Greetings to one and all, I hope you are having a magical day! 
If we havent met before, here is some kinda long intro so that we can get to know one another. If were already good friends, please feel free to skip right on down to post #2 for an index of ADRs and CS places in our plan (with links to reviews, when complete). Completed reviews indexed in post #2!!
Welcome to my second dining report, now in the pre-trip planning phase.
For the first time ever, I booked a trip to WDW with less than a year to go
Actually, I booked it at the 79 day mark!!!
This means I really have had to work for our ADRs, which have been especially difficult to get due to the FD promotion and everyone else having already planned their TS meals. Now, Im not complaining about the FD promotion
if it werent for that special, we wouldnt even be going to WDW this year. 
So anyways, super-excited and also a little stressed, I have been spending every free moment here on The DIS, particularly on the Dining Reviews board (my favorite), looking for ideas about where to eat (and what to order once we get there). 
I wrote a dining report after my last trip, and I welcome you to follow the link in my signature if you are interested. Since this trip is unexpected and relatively unplanned, we are looking forward to a mostly different experience than any we have had before, and the DDP does have some influence on our choices. I should also mention that we are formerly deluxe snobs going mod (staying at CSR), and very excited about that!
Heres just a little note on our feelings about Disney dining, before I proceed to the introductions. We all LOVE Disney Dining
and appreciate the restaurants for a number of reasons. We enjoy the wide variety of food and experiences offered at Disney, and have made magical memories at many different venues, from Chef Mickeys to California Grill to HDDR to Ohana (these are amongst our favorites) 
. We also feel that the CS establishments offer a quality and ambience (theme, flavor) that surpass most other CS places on the planet, and appreciate them for their overall value as well as their quality of food and uniqueness of items offered. We had read tons of reports about the declining quality of food and service at the restaurants, but last summer, we found just the opposite to be true. We are looking forward to comparing that experience with our upcoming trip.
The DDP works nicely for us because we like a grab-n-go breakfast (we often, but not always, use our snack credits for breakfast), a quick CS lunch (usually in the parks between attractions), and a nice leisurely sit-down dinner. Last trip we used a TIW card because it was a longer trip and we had several signature meals, but this time we need to keep costs relatively low, and the DDP is free, so we will surely enjoy it. Just so you know, there will be appetizers paid for OOP so sad they are not included in the DDP, at least as a choice to swap for dessert. We usually prefer the appies to the desserts, so we will probably order one or two to share at each meal.
For those who arent familiar with us, allow me to introduce you to my family
Me- Im Jasmine, floor nurse on the night-shift and on-line nursing student. Im 44 years old and addicted to Disney World. I can visualize myself working at one of the infirmaries at WDW when I retire from my real life. Im a huge fan of dining out, I enjoy all kinds of restaurants (but Im a little snobby about buffets). I appreciate almost any kind of food, but I usually find poultry a little bland and boring. DH made me watch Bambi shortly after our wedding
, and I cried through a box of tissues and went vegetarian for about 10 years. The carnivore in me has resurfaced, with a vengeance. I usually order fish when I dine out because I dont cook it much at home (DH is NOT a fan), but theres something about WDW that makes me crave MEAT! I still really love and value my veggies, and I enjoy a nice wine or cocktail (that is my favorite word in the English language, BTW, cocktail) with dinner.
DH- Aladdin, actor, fireman, community service guru, salesman. Hes 47 years old and addicted to Disney World (believe me, if he wasnt addicted, we would NOT be taking this trip). I can visualize him as a greeter at one of the resorts when he retires from real life. This trip is Aladdins birthday and anniversary present to me, and I cant even believe my luck to have such a wonderful hubby who is taking me back to WDW just 13 months from our last visit!
He always seems to find a way to pull magic from the bottle! Aladdin loves food, pretty much any food, except fish that might contain a bone of any size or shape (which makes him gag and eschew the rest of the meal 
), and he is blessed with that gift of the bottomless stomach. He can eat more than anyone I know and still stay in great shape. He will occasionally enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail (loves a Lapu Lapu), but he mostly appreciates an ice-cold glass or bottle of beer or ale with his hearty dinner.
DD- Belle, actress, writer, artist, and now driver! She just turned 17 and is addicted to Disney World (is it in her DNA, or have we indoctrinated her?). She is entering her senior year in high school, and is deeply involved in that scary college search thing. We are freaking out that she will be leaving us next summer. How far she will go is still in question, but it will be driving-distance away from home (her choice). Her impending departure is a large part of our justification to squeeze in this sneak-in to WDW. It is her lifes goal to become a Disney Imagineer, and she hopes to participate in either the Disney College Program or a college internship at Disney within the next few years. I can visualize her writing story boards for new attractions! Belle enjoys her food, believes everything tastes better in Disney, and is partial to desserts and poultry (not a really big red meat fan). She will occasionally surprise us and order a fish or seafood dish.
DS- Hercules, actor, musician, athlete. Hes 14.5 years old and is addicted to Disney World (nature or nurture, no one can say?). He is entering High School in September, is looking forward to playing football in the fall and participating in the HS musical in the winter. Last time I checked, he wants to be a professional actor when he grows up. I can visualize him on stage at the HDDR! We are officially celebrating his graduation from 8th grade on this trip, since our last trip was dedicated to Aladdins and my 20th anniversary and Belles Sweet 16. Hercs favorite meals from our last trip were Chef Mickeys and Cali Grill, which gives you an idea about his broad appreciation for Disney Dining. He enjoys chicken if its fried, but otherwise prefers red meat or fish. Hercules is not a big veggie fan, loves chocolate cake and anything with CHEESE (except cheesecake). In fact, if he has the option, he asks for that with EXTRA cheese.
We will be staying at CSR from August 30-September 6 (dates adjusted due to threat from Hurricane Irene) on Free Dining, regular DDP. This is our first stay at CSR and the kids first time at a moderate resort (Aladdin and I stayed at CBR with a group of fun-loving friends back in 1991). We considered POP Century, but we love our TS meals, so we figured with the cost of what we would have paid to upgrade our dining plan (with 4 adults in the room), it was worth it to go for the mod. CSR was our first choice for a mod, as we have been talking for a few years about being intrigued with the theme and how much we like the look of the pool. I was thrilled when I called Central Reservations on such short notice, and it was still available with the promotion! We cant wait to try the Pepper Market and the pool bar!
Come on down to the next post to read about our specific dining plans. I welcome your comments and suggestions, and thank you for joining us in our adventure!
If we havent met before, here is some kinda long intro so that we can get to know one another. If were already good friends, please feel free to skip right on down to post #2 for an index of ADRs and CS places in our plan (with links to reviews, when complete). Completed reviews indexed in post #2!!Welcome to my second dining report, now in the pre-trip planning phase.
For the first time ever, I booked a trip to WDW with less than a year to go
Actually, I booked it at the 79 day mark!!! This means I really have had to work for our ADRs, which have been especially difficult to get due to the FD promotion and everyone else having already planned their TS meals. Now, Im not complaining about the FD promotion
if it werent for that special, we wouldnt even be going to WDW this year. So anyways, super-excited and also a little stressed, I have been spending every free moment here on The DIS, particularly on the Dining Reviews board (my favorite), looking for ideas about where to eat (and what to order once we get there). I wrote a dining report after my last trip, and I welcome you to follow the link in my signature if you are interested. Since this trip is unexpected and relatively unplanned, we are looking forward to a mostly different experience than any we have had before, and the DDP does have some influence on our choices. I should also mention that we are formerly deluxe snobs going mod (staying at CSR), and very excited about that!Heres just a little note on our feelings about Disney dining, before I proceed to the introductions. We all LOVE Disney Dining
and appreciate the restaurants for a number of reasons. We enjoy the wide variety of food and experiences offered at Disney, and have made magical memories at many different venues, from Chef Mickeys to California Grill to HDDR to Ohana (these are amongst our favorites) . We also feel that the CS establishments offer a quality and ambience (theme, flavor) that surpass most other CS places on the planet, and appreciate them for their overall value as well as their quality of food and uniqueness of items offered. We had read tons of reports about the declining quality of food and service at the restaurants, but last summer, we found just the opposite to be true. We are looking forward to comparing that experience with our upcoming trip. The DDP works nicely for us because we like a grab-n-go breakfast (we often, but not always, use our snack credits for breakfast), a quick CS lunch (usually in the parks between attractions), and a nice leisurely sit-down dinner. Last trip we used a TIW card because it was a longer trip and we had several signature meals, but this time we need to keep costs relatively low, and the DDP is free, so we will surely enjoy it. Just so you know, there will be appetizers paid for OOP so sad they are not included in the DDP, at least as a choice to swap for dessert. We usually prefer the appies to the desserts, so we will probably order one or two to share at each meal.
For those who arent familiar with us, allow me to introduce you to my family
Me- Im Jasmine, floor nurse on the night-shift and on-line nursing student. Im 44 years old and addicted to Disney World. I can visualize myself working at one of the infirmaries at WDW when I retire from my real life. Im a huge fan of dining out, I enjoy all kinds of restaurants (but Im a little snobby about buffets). I appreciate almost any kind of food, but I usually find poultry a little bland and boring. DH made me watch Bambi shortly after our wedding
, and I cried through a box of tissues and went vegetarian for about 10 years. The carnivore in me has resurfaced, with a vengeance. I usually order fish when I dine out because I dont cook it much at home (DH is NOT a fan), but theres something about WDW that makes me crave MEAT! I still really love and value my veggies, and I enjoy a nice wine or cocktail (that is my favorite word in the English language, BTW, cocktail) with dinner. DH- Aladdin, actor, fireman, community service guru, salesman. Hes 47 years old and addicted to Disney World (believe me, if he wasnt addicted, we would NOT be taking this trip). I can visualize him as a greeter at one of the resorts when he retires from real life. This trip is Aladdins birthday and anniversary present to me, and I cant even believe my luck to have such a wonderful hubby who is taking me back to WDW just 13 months from our last visit!
He always seems to find a way to pull magic from the bottle! Aladdin loves food, pretty much any food, except fish that might contain a bone of any size or shape (which makes him gag and eschew the rest of the meal ), and he is blessed with that gift of the bottomless stomach. He can eat more than anyone I know and still stay in great shape. He will occasionally enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail (loves a Lapu Lapu), but he mostly appreciates an ice-cold glass or bottle of beer or ale with his hearty dinner.DD- Belle, actress, writer, artist, and now driver! She just turned 17 and is addicted to Disney World (is it in her DNA, or have we indoctrinated her?). She is entering her senior year in high school, and is deeply involved in that scary college search thing. We are freaking out that she will be leaving us next summer. How far she will go is still in question, but it will be driving-distance away from home (her choice). Her impending departure is a large part of our justification to squeeze in this sneak-in to WDW. It is her lifes goal to become a Disney Imagineer, and she hopes to participate in either the Disney College Program or a college internship at Disney within the next few years. I can visualize her writing story boards for new attractions! Belle enjoys her food, believes everything tastes better in Disney, and is partial to desserts and poultry (not a really big red meat fan). She will occasionally surprise us and order a fish or seafood dish.
DS- Hercules, actor, musician, athlete. Hes 14.5 years old and is addicted to Disney World (nature or nurture, no one can say?). He is entering High School in September, is looking forward to playing football in the fall and participating in the HS musical in the winter. Last time I checked, he wants to be a professional actor when he grows up. I can visualize him on stage at the HDDR! We are officially celebrating his graduation from 8th grade on this trip, since our last trip was dedicated to Aladdins and my 20th anniversary and Belles Sweet 16. Hercs favorite meals from our last trip were Chef Mickeys and Cali Grill, which gives you an idea about his broad appreciation for Disney Dining. He enjoys chicken if its fried, but otherwise prefers red meat or fish. Hercules is not a big veggie fan, loves chocolate cake and anything with CHEESE (except cheesecake). In fact, if he has the option, he asks for that with EXTRA cheese.
We will be staying at CSR from August 30-September 6 (dates adjusted due to threat from Hurricane Irene) on Free Dining, regular DDP. This is our first stay at CSR and the kids first time at a moderate resort (Aladdin and I stayed at CBR with a group of fun-loving friends back in 1991). We considered POP Century, but we love our TS meals, so we figured with the cost of what we would have paid to upgrade our dining plan (with 4 adults in the room), it was worth it to go for the mod. CSR was our first choice for a mod, as we have been talking for a few years about being intrigued with the theme and how much we like the look of the pool. I was thrilled when I called Central Reservations on such short notice, and it was still available with the promotion! We cant wait to try the Pepper Market and the pool bar!
Come on down to the next post to read about our specific dining plans. I welcome your comments and suggestions, and thank you for joining us in our adventure!
)
ETA! Oh, never mind!! I found yours, yes you and your sister are so adorable! 
