ADR's made, would love input!

[eandesmom]

A little background, 6 of us, DH and I plus our brood ages 16, 12, 9 and 8.

We are doing the basic dining plan and it seems to only really pay out if we use the TS at dinner but I love love love the idea of not stressing about how much we've spent so far on food and dealing with trying to get 6 of us in somewhere, always a problem on vacation. So we've added the DP and made our ADR's as follows. In general the kids are not picky eaters but DS9 can eat quite a lot and is adventuresome, DS8 is not a slouch either, so we've steered towards some of the buffets with a greater variety with them in particular in mind. All of our choices were made with some of the great reviews and menu's from this board in mind.

Planet Hollywood. Not at all where we'd like to go but the ONLY place still open after we land at 10pm. Hopefully we will have enough time to make it there after check in or we will have a real problem!

Biergarten. Had wanted LeCellier, completely booked our entire trip. I think the kids will love it.

Kona Cafe. The menu sounded amazing. We will be there on Valentines and hope to walk outside after dinner to see MK fireworks.

50's Prime Time. We had tried for Mama Melrose's despite the mixed reviews as we wanted the Fantasmic Package and DH loved italian. The menu sounded good but sadly, couldn't get in at all.

House of Blues. This will be OOP. Really like the menu and it's a place DS16 should love. We will see!

Hoop De Doo Review. Hopefully the older kids will like the show, I know they will like the food.

Boma

Any feedback welcome! On previous visits we've eaten at Nine Dragons (just ok), Big River Brewery (ok) and Epcot F&W (which was 3 nights of the last trip we loved it so much. I will miss not being there for that!)

TIA

 

[Sorsha]

Planet Hollywood. Not at all where we'd like to go but the ONLY place still open after we land at 10pm. Hopefully we will have enough time to make it there after check in or we will have a real problem!

Almost everything sounds awesome! I have always wanted to do Biergarten, and am putting it on my list for the next trip.

The quoted bit above worries me a little though. What time does Planet Hollywood close? If your plane doesn't land until 10 (hopefully no delays), it will be at LEAST 11 before you get to your resort. Are you renting a car or doing Magical Express? Then you have to check in, and find your room... when we stayed at Port Orleans that alone was a 1/2-an-hour excursion... LOTS of walking around. THEN you have to catch a bus to Downtown Disney... probably be close to midnight before you get there. Doesn't leave much time for eating. And I don't know about your kids, but my 8 year old would be in NO shape to eat in a loud restaurant at midnight after a long day of travelling. Everyone's kiddos are different though, yours might do just fine.

I think, if it were me, I would either pack some food in my suitcase to eat when I got there (maybe some ramen soup cups, granola bars, microwave popcorn, etc), go to the little store in the resort and pay ridiculously high prices for some munchies, or see about ordering a pizza. You could also see about having one of the grocery services deliver you some fresh food. It would be waiting for you when you checked in.

Anyway, good luck, and have an awesome trip! If you decide to stick with Planet Hollywood, I hope it all works out wonderfully for you!

 

[Sorsha]

I see now by looking at your siggie that you are staying at the Ft Wilderness cabins. In that case I would DEFINITLY have one of the grocery delivery services bring you food. I think I would be making up a food order no matter what - might as well take advantage of your nice kitchen!

SInce you will have that full kitchen, you could cook up a quick supper of scrambled eggs and toast or omelets; or throw some hot dogs on the outdoor grill, or make up some soup and sandwiches. That wau no one has to leave and you could have a nice relaxed supper at your cabin.
Just my $0.02!

 

[eandesmom]

Almost everything sounds awesome! I have always wanted to do Biergarten, and am putting it on my list for the next trip.

The quoted bit above worries me a little though. What time does Planet Hollywood close? If your plane doesn't land until 10 (hopefully no delays), it will be at LEAST 11 before you get to your resort. Are you renting a car or doing Magical Express? Then you have to check in, and find your room... when we stayed at Port Orleans that alone was a 1/2-an-hour excursion... LOTS of walking around. THEN you have to catch a bus to Downtown Disney... probably be close to midnight before you get there. Doesn't leave much time for eating. And I don't know about your kids, but my 8 year old would be in NO shape to eat in a loud restaurant at midnight after a long day of travelling. Everyone's kiddos are different though, yours might do just fine.

I think, if it were me, I would either pack some food in my suitcase to eat when I got there (maybe some ramen soup cups, granola bars, microwave popcorn, etc), go to the little store in the resort and pay ridiculously high prices for some munchies, or see about ordering a pizza. You could also see about having one of the grocery services deliver you some fresh food. It would be waiting for you when you checked in.

Anyway, good luck, and have an awesome trip! If you decide to stick with Planet Hollywood, I hope it all works out wonderfully for you!

Unfortunately NOTHING in our resort will be open, that was my first choice. We land at 10, are doing magical express and have 11:45pm reservations. Even with that, it's tight. We'd pay OOP for it if we could get the magical express to just dump us at DDT and then take our stuff to FW but it didn't sound like that would be possible based on the route they take, I asked!

Coming from west coast time we will be starving as that is only 8:45 for us (normal dinner time for DH and I lol). We are packing a full suitcase of breakfast items as we are not doing a rental car so if the timing doesn't work it will be dry goods only as the trading post won't even be open to get milk. I am packing cereal, bars, pop tarts, coffee and cocoa and fruit so worst case that will be our dinner but I really hope that's not the case! I suppose I could try to carry on a cooler with some meat or milk but that's about the last thing I want to deal with. After the long flight with 4 kids, cooking will not be on my list of things to do, nor relaxing! A big cocktail though...lol!

Renting a car, which we did look at, just doesn't pay off. I am hoping that volume of traffic at that hour is really slow and we'll make the res. I could look into the grocery delivery though although I've heard that is just as pricey as the trading post. While the resort does do pizza, it will be closed by the time we get there. Hmmn....

 

[eandesmom]

forgot to add, we tend to eat late on vacation so a 9pm dinner our time, while late, is not unheard of and I would predict the kids would be fine but it will be a quick meal. We will see though!

 

[beroh2253]

I would make an ADR for Crystal Palace Breakfast the next morning in case you never make it to Planet Hollywood that way you will not loose a TS and the breakfast there are great. I can't believe Planet Hollywood is open that late we will have to check that out if we need something late some night. Also the Hoop Dee Doo and Kona Cafe
The other places we have not tried yet.

 

[justamy27]

Planet Hollywood. Not at all where we'd like to go but the ONLY place still open after we land at 10pm. Hopefully we will have enough time to make it there after check in or we will have a real problem!

Biergarten. Had wanted LeCellier, completely booked our entire trip. I think the kids will love it.

Kona Cafe. The menu sounded amazing. We will be there on Valentines and hope to walk outside after dinner to see MK fireworks.

50's Prime Time. We had tried for Mama Melrose's despite the mixed reviews as we wanted the Fantasmic Package and DH loved italian. The menu sounded good but sadly, couldn't get in at all.

House of Blues. This will be OOP. Really like the menu and it's a place DS16 should love. We will see!

Hoop De Doo Review. Hopefully the older kids will like the show, I know they will like the food.

The food at Planet Hollywood is not bad at all so for the time you get in I wouldn't be upset about the place at all. We all love your other choices, we haven't done HDD, maybe next year when dd2 isn't so afraid of the characters etc.
All in all, I think you will be very happy with your choices!

 

[eandesmom]

That's a good idea on Crystal Palace. I had thought it was a 2TS option and we were kind of staying character free at meals as it's not a big deal to the little ones and the 16yo, well, he's a 16 year old lol. But for bfast it'd be ok and it looks like it is only 1TS. We are planning on Epcot for day 1 (and not a great breakfast option I can see there, nor do I want to use up a TS on the breakfast buffet at trails end, yummy as it sounds) and will have groceries in the room for breakfast but could definitely do it during the week.

Apparently both PH and HOB are open that late but HOB was already booked that late, DH wanted me to change it to HOB even though it would be OOP as we want to go there anywhere but we couldn't get in.

 

[eandesmom]

thanks! I'm sure PH will be fine, I think it's more we'd prefer something uniquely disney, which this isn't and not thrilled about the trek to DDT at that hour but the kids will be hyper after 6 hours on a plane and need to get out and eat out if possible. I'm quite sure the kids will love it.

I am going to do a grocery delivery though so we have that back up, looked into it online and it makes sense. too bad they can't leave wine with the front desk! lol.