ADRs for my september trip....input please

[Natalie's Mommy]

we are going for 9 nights in september and this will be our first trip with table service so any advice is welcome. we are NOT doing any EMHs since my kids are little and don't do well staying up late and we arn't morning people to his am EMHs. any advice is welcome

11th- MK day flight arrives at 9:44am main street bakery cinnimon buns for lunch
Whispering Canyon Cafe 6pm
12th- AK day (closes at 5pm, pool night!)
Tusker house 9:30am
13th- HS day
Mama melrose Fantasmic package (hoping for around 4pm)
14th- EPCOT Day (princess dress up day)
Askershus 1pm
15th- pool day/DTD
T-rex Cafe 5pm
16th- HS Day
Shutters Caribbean Beach resort 5pm (hubby picked this place, is it good?)
17th- Epcot Day
The garden Grill 6pm
18th- MK Day (closes at 7pm)
Ohana 7pm (watch fireworks from the poly beach)
19th- Pool/DTD day (packing day)
1900 Park Fare 4:30
20th- MK day last day flights leave at 5pm so we need to be back to the resort by 2 to cautch the ME. get one last cinnimon bun and go home

 

[jdgower]

Obviously these are just my opinions and many others will disagree...

Whispering Canyon Cafe 6pm - never been, heard mixed reviews

Tusker house 9:30am - Third best Breakfast Buffet (after CRT+Crystal Palace)

Mama melrose Fantasmic package (hoping for around 4pm) - I hate this place, but only been once. Not as bad as...

Askershus 1pm - Decent Breakfast, never been for lunch but I about got sick at dinner - i mean it's bad. I tried my wife's as well and both would be considered the worst meals I've ever had at Disney.

T-rex Cafe 5pm - Never been, we're going in September I think and look forward to it. I expect it's just like Rainforest/Planet Hollywood type food which isn't bad.

Shutters Caribbean Beach resort 5pm (hubby picked this place, is it good?) - Never been, but heard good things.

The garden Grill 6pm - It's funny you've picked my 3 least favorite places. My cousins love this place but we've been twice and didn't like it either time. I'd recommend a change to San Angel Inn, Coral Reef, Chefs de France or almost anywhere else at Epcot unless you just really want the characters. Trust me, I understand if you just want the characters, for my kids it's worth the less than great food (we're going here on our next trip).

18th- MK Day (closes at 7pm) - You know why right? Halloween Event, if you can afford it, you should go...we're going and cant wait!

Ohana 7pm (watch fireworks from the poly beach) - Never been, going next trip for breakfast.

1900 Park Fare 4:30 - Excellent choice. Love this place. Probably has the best characters of anywhere. They just seem friendlier and like they have more time for you here.

------------

If you want my honest opinion...

11th- MK day flight arrives at 9:44am main street bakery cinnimon buns for lunch
Whispering Canyon Cafe 6pm

12th- AK day (closes at 5pm, pool night!)
Tusker house 9:30am
If you want lunch or dinner here and dont want to pay for TS, get Flame Tree BBQ, it's awesome

13th- HS day
Mama melrose Fantasmic package (hoping for around 4pm)
Cancel mama melrose and get Sci-Fi...going in mid-September I wouldn't worry about the package either...not that hard to get a decent seat and you wont have to sit in the corner.

If you want breakfast go to Hollywood & Vine if your kids like those characters, this is one of my favorite breakfast places

14th- EPCOT Day (princess dress up day)
Askershus 1pm
Switch Akershus to breakfast to avoid the horrible food but still get the princesses. Then grab San Angel, Via Napoli or anything else imaginable for your lunch/dinner

15th- pool day/DTD
T-rex Cafe 5pm
Don't waste credits on DTD. I look forward to T-Rex but honestly it's just going to be another Rainforest. Heck, start doing Checkpoints or something on your phone to get a $50 gift card to Rainforest/T-Rex like we did and you still will get to go and not pay for it. Highly recommend Earl of Sandwich at DTD, by the way.

16th- HS Day
Shutters Caribbean Beach resort 5pm (hubby picked this place, is it good?)

17th- Epcot Day
The garden Grill 6pm
While the food isn't anything close to as bad as Akershus, there are so many better places at Epcot. Only go here for the characters.

18th- MK Day (closes at 7pm)
Ohana 7pm (watch fireworks from the poly beach)
Sounds good, but what are you eating the rest of the time on these days?

19th- Pool/DTD day (packing day)
1900 Park Fare 4:30
Don't Change this. This place is really good for a character meal.

20th- MK day last day flights leave at 5pm so we need to be back to the resort by 2 to cautch the ME. get one last cinnimon bun and go home

*Edit: Just noticed you're staying at POFQ and have stayed at ASMU in the past. Granted, I know that people like the better resorts, but if it were our family (2 adults, 2 kids [3/2]) it would cost like $275 more to stay at POP with the deluxe dining plan. How much are you in your room anyway, then you get 3 TS meals (hello CRT!), and 2 snacks per person which will save on the cost of snacks/drinks throughout your stay. Just sayin...I love my POP and I'll never stay at a more expensive resort. From what I've seen, the rooms are basically the same anyway. BONUS: by September POP is supposed to have a fridge in every room.

 

[sigtau]

14th-arrival day-Chef Mickeys @ 2020
15th-Tusker House @ 1225 and Boma @ 1910
16th-Akershus @ 0935 and Hollywood Brown Derby @ 1835
17th-Crystal Palace @ 1215 and Cinderella's Royal Table @ 2015
18th-departure day-'Ohana @ 0850

 

[Daisy-J&D]

I would suggest trying for an earlier ADR at Tuskerhouse if possible. We aren't early morning people either but when we ate there last year with DD21mo we found it was really backed up and SLOW to get in. DD was freaking out badly by the time we got our table. Not fun at all.. a really slow/late start to our Animal Kingdom day.

FYI - Looks like we'll be at POFQ at the same time!

 

[Natalie's Mommy]

If you want my honest opinion...
If you want lunch or dinner here and dont want to pay for TS, get Flame Tree BBQ, it's awesome
we will either grab QS here or at the hotel or maybe go to DTD and get earl of sandwich.

Cancel mama melrose and get Sci-Fi...going in mid-September I wouldn't worry about the package either...not that hard to get a decent seat and you wont have to sit in the corner.
If you want breakfast go to Hollywood & Vine if your kids like those characters, this is one of my favorite breakfast places
my kids are too old for those characters, and we want fantasmic for the prefered seating, standing in line for an hour would be a nightmare for us. pure nightmare. plus this is a true table service that isn't buffet or family style and we are looking forward to that!


14th- EPCOT Day (princess dress up day)
Askershus 1pm
Switch Akershus to breakfast to avoid the horrible food but still get the princesses. Then grab San Angel, Via Napoli or anything else imaginable for your lunch/dinner

can't do a breakfast after a last night at HS the night before.

15th- pool day/DTD
T-rex Cafe 5pm
Don't waste credits on DTD. I look forward to T-Rex but honestly it's just going to be another Rainforest. Heck, start doing Checkpoints or something on your phone to get a $50 gift card to Rainforest/T-Rex like we did and you still will get to go and not pay for it. Highly recommend Earl of Sandwich at DTD, by the way.
might ditch this and do HDDR if the rumor is true that it will be open. not must figure out what other TS to drop

17th- Epcot Day
The garden Grill 6pm
While the food isn't anything close to as bad as Akershus, there are so many better places at Epcot. Only go here for the characters.
we want mickey here!!! but if we can do HDDR on the 15th i will ditch this one.

18th- MK Day (closes at 7pm)
Ohana 7pm (watch fireworks from the poly beach)
Sounds good, but what are you eating the rest of the time on these days?

we will use the QQ credits for other meals, we are not big eaters and my husband and i can share several QS meals and still get full. plus my parents will be with us on the DDP as well and i could also share with my mom sometimes. again not a huge food eater.

19th- Pool/DTD day (packing day)
1900 Park Fare 4:30
Don't Change this. This place is really good for a character meal.
looking forward to this one!

*Edit: Just noticed you're staying at POFQ and have stayed at ASMU in the past. Granted, I know that people like the better resorts, but if it were our family (2 adults, 2 kids [3/2]) it would cost like $275 more to stay at POP with the deluxe dining plan. How much are you in your room anyway, then you get 3 TS meals (hello CRT!), and 2 snacks per person which will save on the cost of snacks/drinks throughout your stay. Just sayin...I love my POP and I'll never stay at a more expensive resort. From what I've seen, the rooms are basically the same anyway. BONUS: by September POP is supposed to have a fridge in every room.

we dont want all those TS meals, its a huge waste for us. and upgrading to the POFQ WAS a huge a increase in cost in it's self ($900 worth!). planning 9 TS meals is stressing me out i cant even begin to imagine more!

I would suggest trying for an earlier ADR at Tuskerhouse if possible. We aren't early morning people either but when we ate there last year with DD21mo we found it was really backed up and SLOW to get in. DD was freaking out badly by the time we got our table. Not fun at all.. a really slow/late start to our Animal Kingdom day.

FYI - Looks like we'll be at POFQ at the same time!

we cant do an earlier breakfast, i am soo not a morning person and im physically ill if i have to get up before 8am. its bad, even for this one (that hubby really wanted) he had to promise me up would get up at 7 am, shower, get whichever kid gets a bath that day bathed, get them dressed in their preselected outfit of the day and brush their hair our so i can put it up after i shower. he really wanted this one!!!

and im so excited for POFQ

 

[Natalie's Mommy]

ok so now thart hddr is gong to be open i need to re-evaluate