ADR Help please.

[K8T]

Apologies if these questions have been asked previously, I did do a search, but I couldn't find specific queries!!!

Having booked WDW for October half term and the DDP, am I now right to think that I have to plan each days meals in advance?

I find this a little daunting, because I can't imagine deciding where we may be on a certain day, let alone where we are going to eat, last time we just booked on the day - is this still possible, or are we unlikely to get in anywhere?

If I do book, can I change it? and up to how long beforehand

Do I book on a website? - I presume I can get my Booking Ref. from Complete Orlando, or do I have to phone?

Finally, the Quick Service meal, is this either breakfast or lunch and then a sit down meal?

Do Buffets, such as those at the Crystal Palace, count as a sit down?

Sorry for sounding so dim, but it all sounds very timeconsuming!!!

Thanks

 

[2Tiggies]

Apologies if these questions have been asked previously, I did do a search, but I couldn't find specific queries!!!

Having booked WDW for October half term and the DDP, am I now right to think that I have to plan each days meals in advance?

Yes. Reservations open up 180 days in advance for your TS (sit down) meals. You can work out when your 180 days begins by using this calculation. Remember it is US date format of month, day, year

http://pscalculator.net/pscalc.php

I find this a little daunting, because I can't imagine deciding where we may be on a certain day, let alone where we are going to eat, last time we just booked on the day - is this still possible, or are we unlikely to get in anywhere?

It is possible to get a walk up without a reservation, but more likely at the less popular restaurants, easier if you are not a large party to be seated and generally not as easy during the busier seasons or when US free dining is offered. The park hours for the time of your trip will be released slightly before the 180 days are out. I use the park hours to work out which park we will visit on which day and then look to see how the restaurants we want to eat at can be fitted in accordingly. Remember that you canm also park hop with the UK park tickets so you are not confined to that park all day, but you don't want to plan Epcot in the morning for example and then have a 12 noon lunch reservation at AK, so practicalities come into play as getting from one park to the next takes time, so try not to let it break into your day to much

If I do book, can I change it? and up to how long beforehand

Do I book on a website? - I presume I can get my Booking Ref. from Complete Orlando, or do I have to phone?

Yes, you can book on the Disney website or by phone. You will be able to get the reservation number from CO and since you are staying onsite, you will be able to make reservations for the first 10 days of your trip when your 180 day window opens up (often referred to as 180 + 10) which saves you calling back or going online again one day at a time for your entire trip

Finally, the Quick Service meal, is this either breakfast or lunch and then a sit down meal?

Any meal credit, whether TS or CS can be used for breakfast or lunch or dinner. As a general guideline, breakfast is a bit of a waste of a CS credit now that you only get one beverage with it.

Do Buffets, such as those at the Crystal Palace, count as a sit down?

Yes, all buffets and character meals are sit downs. www.allears.net has a list of all the restaurants and menus and they specify which are CS and which are TS

Sorry for sounding so dim, but it all sounds very timeconsuming!!!

Thanks

It is daunting at first but once you start to work with it, it won't seem so bad. If I were you at this stage, I would first be researching the restaurants and deciding where I wanted to eat and making a shortlist for the ones I want to eat at. Then take it from there. One step at a time.

 

[ben1993]

I'll answer some of the q's I know!

In regards to booking, you'll need to book things like character meals and super popular restaurants in advance, but not every restaurant. There will be availability at lots of places on the day or the week you are there if you really don't want to plan every meal. I'd say book the must do meals for you though so as not to be disappointed.

You can change and cancel your reservations at any time on the website, however some really popular places take your credit card info as a deposit and charge $10 (I think) if you don't show up or cancel with less than 24 hours notice.

You can book dining reservations online at disneyworld.com at 180 days ahead.

I believe you can get a booking code from Complete Orlando to make your reservations with the DDP, haven't done it before though so somebody else will answer that for you.

Counter or Quick service can be used whenever you like in the day, breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Most buffets are indeed 1 Table Service credit, the same as regular table service meals, except for a few character buffets which use 2 credits like Signature dining restaurants.

Here's the 2012 dining plan brochure which details all of the restaurants on the plan as well as which take 2 TS credits etc.: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...alog/WaltDisneyWorld/en_us/PDF/2012Dining.pdf

 

[ben1993]

Never mind! Somebody got there while I was typing lol!

 

[K8T]

Thank you for taking the time to reply, I can't believe how laid back we were last time we went!

Thanks for the advice, I will have a look at some restaurants, we were very unadventurous last time, we didn't know you could go into other resorts and eat!!!

Are the childrens meals decent, only we find on the cruise line, it is very much Mac. Cheese, burgers and nugget type stuff, none of which our daughter eats! I saw on the dining plan menu it says they have to order off the childrens menu.

Thanks again.

 

[2Tiggies]

Never mind! Somebody got there while I was typing lol!

Don't say that! You gave info that I left out Always better to have at least two or more responses to get a better overview

Thank you for taking the time to reply, I can't believe how laid back we were last time we went!


Are the childrens meals decent, only we find on the cruise line, it is very much Mac. Cheese, burgers and nugget type stuff, none of which our daughter eats! I saw on the dining plan menu it says they have to order off the childrens menu.

Thanks again.

There was a time when you could afford to be more laid back. Over recent years, with free dining promotions covering almost all but the busiest dates of the year, Disney restaurants have become more difficult to get into without a reservation.

How old is your DD? Yes, kids do have to order off the kids menu when there is one available (there are a few CS places which don't have one but they tend to have rather limited options on their menus). Like your daughter, mine doesn't eat burgers and nuggets either but we have been able to get by with a bit of research as there are other options at some of the CS locations. You just need to know where to get them

 

[K8T]

Thanks Ben, that was really useful.

2T - DD will be just 8 when we travel, and no she won't eat Pizza and nuggets etc. Last night OH and I had Pizza, dd was sat down eating cottage pie with Broccoli and Carrots!!

Last time we went a few years ago, it was very quiet (Feb) during term time, so feel a bit worried about the crowds in October - having moved the dates from July already.

I suppose even if we order a Kids meal, I hope we may be able to put some of ours on her plate, or is this really frowned upon? I am presuming at the Buffets, it doesn't matter anyway?

If you can remember any of the CS meals that were good for your dd, that would be useful.

Thanks for the link too.

 

[2Tiggies]

Nothing wrong with sharing and it is perfectly acceptable for you and your family to share and "trade" food between one another.

With buffets you will have no problem as your daughter can eat anything from the buffet. TS meals, you will be able to share with her with no problem at all

What I sometimes did with CS was to order her kids meal as a snack and then we would just share my adult meal which was more than adequate for us

Your key is to know WHERE to get kids meals that are not the typical nuggets and pizza type fare. Epcot is great, especially the World Showcase. Sunshine Seasons is a brilliant food court style CS location in Future World and has an Asian station (stir fries), a grill (I think there was a grilled chicken drumstick on the kids menu a few years ago and also a make your own sub section where the kids can choose what to put on their sub roll. I seem to recall that it was all put on the plate separately and my DD got to assemble her own sub but we could have asked for that as she doesn't like her food "mixed or touching"

I will have a look through some menus this afternoon (I'm doing it anyway for myself) and will check. My DD is 10 now so an adult by Disney dining standards and last year I just upgraded her (by making her "10" on the reservation) to get her the adult plan so I am a bit out of touch with the current ones. I am sure some things have changed but they have added in some healthier options on the kids menus in the last few months so there may well be even more choice now than there was before. I will post my findings

 

[zippy99]

My DH is a chef and we found many of the restaurants seem to serve the same old Mac'n'cheese, Fried chicken. hot dog and pizza. (glad when they actually hit adults at 10 and had more choice)

If she likes Shepherds Pie/Cottage Pie - Raglan Road and Rose & Crown do this on the kids menu!

Others have mentioned Buffets - we love Boma - they have 'kids area' with mac'n'cheese, fries etc - but they are able to pick from all the adult selection too. A lot of the Epcot restaurants offer good choices (or at least a dish themed with the country in addition to the regular offering)

I also on a blog that Magic Kingdom had released some new kids options earlier this year:

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/...p-new-kids-menu-items-starting-february-15th/

Not fantastically diverse but at least an attempt! The cous cous dish looks nice (out of interest - what's the deal with Apple Sauce for kids ? Its like what we serve with Pork I cannot understand why kids would want to eat a whole tub of it!)

As 2Tiggies has done - maybe worth putting your DD down as 10 so she can get adult dining plan.

 

[bex7583]

so if you are staying in one disney hotel on a dining plan you can even book a meal in a different on site hotel restraunt

 

[wayneg]

so if you are staying in one disney hotel on a dining plan you can even book a meal in a different on site hotel restraunt

You can eat at any restaurant in WDW that is participating in the DDP full list in the brochure.

This is for the regular DDP http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...alog/WaltDisneyWorld/en_us/PDF/2012Dining.pdf

And this one is the Quick service DDP http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...altDisneyWorld/en_us/PDF/2012QuickService.pdf

 

[Elise79]

Thanks Ben, that was really useful.

2T - DD will be just 8 when we travel, and no she won't eat Pizza and nuggets etc. Last night OH and I had Pizza, dd was sat down eating cottage pie with Broccoli and Carrots!!

Last time we went a few years ago, it was very quiet (Feb) during term time, so feel a bit worried about the crowds in October - having moved the dates from July already.

I suppose even if we order a Kids meal, I hope we may be able to put some of ours on her plate, or is this really frowned upon? I am presuming at the Buffets, it doesn't matter anyway?

If you can remember any of the CS meals that were good for your dd, that would be useful.

Thanks for the link too.

Until recently our DD didn't like nuggets, burgers, pizza etc She will now eat nuggets but there is no way on this planet she is eating the kids nuggets at Disney! She has always eaten their mac'n'cheese and loves it so we have fallen back on that a few times. She will also eat hot dogs but they are not on very many kids menus however here is what we have found:

TS are better for kids choices - DD has had grilled steaks, grilled chicken, grilled fish all served with a starch & veggies. She also has pasta but that is her favourite and will eat it in any form

CS - Sunshine season (Epcot) had several choices and she ended up with Chicken drumstick, mash & veg. Electric umbrella (Epcot) had a turkey wrap. Resort CS also offer more choice and as we are going to leave the parks we grab something at a resort. Will she eat a PB&J sandwich? DD won't as she doesn't like peanut butter but they are everywhere!