ADRs, why do you pick what you pick?

[HCinKC]

Another opinion, don't assume you need to do ADRs just because other people do. Sure, they can be fun. Sure, they can save time depending on who you want to meet. But they are also expensive and time consuming. We did do the Star Wars ones this time because a) that was the point of the trip, Star Wars Weekends and b) our son is a HUGE fan, we all are, but the meals were for him. We enjoyed them, but character meals are not a "must" for us. Generally, it is just not how we prefer to spend our time or money. Next time, if we do any at all, we'd only do one, probably to end our trip. When the baby is old enough to enjoy and understand (without being scared), we will book one, maybe two, that fit his interest. For instance, if he likes farm stuff, we will book Garden Grill. So think about who or what theme your kiddo likes, and go from there. Personally, with a 3yo, I would skip it. If I did book something, I'd probably just do one. If you book more than one, space them out enough that you can cancel without penalty in case your kiddo doesn't like the characters or you find they just aren't your family's cup o' tea.

 

[GatorMama]

We are on the dining plan this time. In past trips, we've never eaten onsite for more than 1-2 meals the entire week, so this trip is a REAL game changer for us. I knew we wanted to eat at Ohana because my son as been HUGE into Stitch lately and we'll be at the Poly. Then I looked at the list of most expensive TS meals and decided which ones we'd be most interested in. Then I looked at my calendar (what parks we'd be at on which days) to see where each meal would fit in best. Boma was very high on my list but since its the farthest away, I didn't want to do it on a park day. We also really want sushi from Kona, so I put that at the end of day when I expect we'll be tired and not want to go too far from our resort. The in-park TS meals are on days we will be in that park.

 

[disneydremr]

Oh my! So many helpful posts, I am so glad I posted that question! Lots of info to read up on. Luckily none of us are picky eaters, and we love to try new things, but I think I will *have* to find a way to get some princesses into the equation. We really, really, REALLy are laid back vacationers, so I think super-booking our meals would not be something we would enjoy, but getting one meal, and maybe a breakfast, focused on the toddler will really enhance her 'magic'.

 

[22Tink]

We got free dining for this trip so we're doing more character meals than we would if paying OOP. I'm hoping to avoid some lines for character meet and greets this way!! I do like to have one TS meal per day, usually late lunch/early dinner. That is our 'downtime' to relax and regroup for the rest of the day!

 

[jen7233]

O'hana dinner for the menu selection and close proximity to our hotel.
Teppan Edo because we all love that stuff in our family.
Whispering Canyon because we are staying at the WL.

 

[mkla2015]

Research! I spent hours and hours doing research on restaurants- I looked at the menus on allears.net to make sure my picky eaters (DS3, DD5) would actually eat things at the restaurants. We like the character buffets because 1. you don't have to wait for food and 2. characters entertain the kids. But, honestly being at Disney the kids are so involved in what's going on around them, they were very well behaved. I was nervous about taking them to BOG for dinner but they LOVED it- we sat in the west wing and they just sat in their chairs amazed by their surroundings.

 

[disneywarriorprincess]

I've done the standard disney dining plan the last 2 trips and i first make sure that the places i want to eat at will not make me run out of credits. After that, i pick based on the uniqueness the restaurant offers. For example, nowhere else on earth can i eat a buffet and meet pooh,tigger,eeyore,and piglet but at Crystal palace( its a must do for me). I'd suggest picking at least one character meal based on whatever characters your kids adore. Akershus does character dining all 3 meals at Epcot but it's princesses. If you have a little boy who can't stand princesses than its not for you. A safe bet is tusker house because it has goofy, Donald, Mickey, daisy, and sometimes Pluto in safari gear. Breakfasts are palate pleasing for picky eaters but theres also unique African cuisine if you want to be a bit adventurous also the jungle juice is amazing. I'd also suggest coral reef in Epcot for it's slightly more quiet grown-up feel if you're sick of noisy buffets because it has a good selection of seafood as well as "land" food (steak/chicken). Plus your kids will be fascinated by the HUGE aquarium glass panels that allow you to see sea creatures like sharks, stingrays, and turtles swimming on by. Plus it's easy to get to right after seeing turtle talk with crush or finding nemo ride since its in the same pavilion.

 

[DeniseR]

Great advice here! Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Izzy11]

Great advice. Still trying to decide if the castle is worth two credits?

 

[Izzy11]

Would u recommend the castle or Akershus?

 

[design_mom]

Would u recommend the castle or Akershus?

I have not done both, but my sister has. She said that the benefits of the castle are 1) that you're eating in the castle and 2) Cinderella is guaranteed to be there. However, for food and overall experience, she prefers Askerhaus. Since it is a bigger restaurant, she feels like there's more space and less crazy.

I have heard that Cinderella *sometimes* appears at Askerhaus but it is not guaranteed. (When we were at Askerhaus, Cinderella was not there.) One of my nieces was a huge Cinderella fan so when seeing her was a priority, they booked the castle breakfast.

 

[Jess_S]

My process has been to spend a lot of time reading reviews here and on the Disney Food blog. I also had some favorite spots in mind from my time in the College Program. Things I took into account in booking ADRs were:

• Availability -- this has been the biggest limiting factor because I booked our trip less than 180 days out during free dining.
• Menu -- we don't eat meat, so some spots were chosen just because the vegetarian option sounded particularly yummy.
• Fun for DS -- I tried to pick a good mix of things that DH and I would enjoy and spots that had fun things for DS to experience. I selected Coral Reef (fish tanks), Sanaa (animals), Tusker House (Mickey) and Crystal Palace (Pooh) because I thought DS would enjoy being at those locations. I am hoping that DH and I will get a more relaxing meal as a result. We shall see.
• Budget -- I limited our ADRs to one per day to save money (and also because I don't think DS will sit quietly for multiple table service meals in one day).

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Not a huge fan of ADR's, so here's what I will NOT do ever again - lunch or supper ADR's, especially lunch.


Unlike a FP window, you have to plan to be at a specific place AT a specific time. We find ourselves wasting time in the vicinity of the restaurant, afraid to get in line for a ride or explore the parks because we don't want to miss a reservation. Never again. Breakfast? Sure. But killing 2-3 hours right in the heart of the day is something I won't do again for a meal.