anyone else planning trip for aug 2009

[jjenniboo]

Count us in!!! Me, DH, DD5, parents, 3 sisters, 2 brother in laws, and a niece. Aug 23rd - 29th at all star music Hoping for free dining

 

[lady_hlh]

We just to back and booked a trip for 8/23 to 8/30 at AKL with the free dining bounceback offer. I want to plan so that we spend less time at the parks and more time enjoying the resort next year. Let the planning begin, which I actually enjoy doing.

 

[mickeyfan1226]

Some of you have talked about the bounceback? What is that?

 

[lady_hlh]

Some of you have talked about the bounceback? What is that?

If you stay at a WDW resort during the current free dining promotion, which is 8/24 to sometime at the end of September (9/20?), you can book a free dining package for next year 8/23/09 to 10/1/09 but you need to book before you check out and put down a $200 deposit.

 

[heidijot]

Hi,

Myself, Dh and Ds 16, will be at the POFQ...1st time, Aug 13th -20th!!!



Heidi

 

[mickeyfan1226]

If you stay at a WDW resort during the current free dining promotion, which is 8/24 to sometime at the end of September (9/20?), you can book a free dining package for next year 8/23/09 to 10/1/09 but you need to book before you check out and put down a $200 deposit.

Thank you for the info. Too bad that would never work for us.
michelle

 

[mommy3]

We are planning (not booked yet) a trip for mid-late August, but can't decide exactly when to go. For those of you who have gone during the free dining, is it really crowded? DH would not enjoy it and I would be willing to give up FD to maybe go the week before if the crowds were a bit lighter. We paid for dining a few years ago and really enjoyed it, but not sure I would pay for it again, but free is a completely different matter

 

[lady_hlh]

We are planning (not booked yet) a trip for mid-late August, but can't decide exactly when to go. For those of you who have gone during the free dining, is it really crowded? DH would not enjoy it and I would be willing to give up FD to maybe go the week before if the crowds were a bit lighter. We paid for dining a few years ago and really enjoyed it, but not sure I would pay for it again, but free is a completely different matter

I didn't think the parks were crowded the last week of August. My parents used to take us in July when we were kids and that is what I considered crowded. The restaraunts can be quite crowded but most of the time we didn't wait more than 20 minutes past our ADR and sometimes we were seated right away. My DD and I did wait 60 minutes for a later character breakfast ADR so next time I would definitely schedule one of those at an earlier time.

 

[mommy3]

Thanks lady_hlh!

How were the wait times at the parks. I imagine DH could handle some waits for food, but not to ride. We went last year first week of January and wait times were 2+hours for some rides (ouch!)

 

[mickeystoontown]

Count us in too! Traveling August 6 through 15th, 2009. This will be our 14th trip to WDW and our first stay at Pop Century.

We usually go to Disney the last week of May through the first week of June. This year, we went August 9th through 16th. I was amazed at how nice it was. There didn't seem to be as many people there as in May/June. We quickly decided to book next year's stay during the same time frame. I sure am hoping that the less crowds weren't a fluke.

Are there any of you out there that have gone during May/June and August who can tell me if I made the right decision?

 

[mickeyfan1226]

Count us in too! Traveling August 6 through 15th, 2009. This will be our 14th trip to WDW and our first stay at Pop Century.

We usually go to Disney the last week of May through the first week of June. This year, we went August 9th through 16th. I was amazed at how nice it was. There didn't seem to be as many people there as in May/June. We quickly decided to book next year's stay during the same time frame. I sure am hoping that the less crowds weren't a fluke.

Are there any of you out there that have gone during May/June and August who can tell me if I made the right decision?

Maybe we will run into each other sometime while there. We will also be staying at Pop. Our trip is Aug2-16th. I will be decorating our windows this time. I did not do this our first trip because I knew nothing about this site for one.
Can anyone tell me if these meals and places are worth our time? Liberty tree tavern(heard this will no longer be a character meal?), Tony's town square, Biergarten, Garden Grill, 50's prime time cafe,sci-fi dine,espn, chef mickey,hoopdee doo, mickey backyard bbq, whispering canyon cafe. Last time we did NO character meals except for the castle. This time We want to want to take advantage of it but need a few suggetions from veterans. Also any suggestions on quick meals. We have the basic dining plan. I am the one making all the plans and ressies. Last time we did not take the time to explore we just rode rides and ran from one place to another. This time I want to take the time to actually enjoy what Disney has to offer. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Maybe we will run into each other sometime while there. We will also be staying at Pop. Our trip is Aug2-16th. I will be decorating our windows this time. I did not do this our first trip because I knew nothing about this site for one.
Can anyone tell me if these meals and places are worth our time? Liberty tree tavern(heard this will no longer be a character meal?), Tony's town square, Biergarten, Garden Grill, 50's prime time cafe,sci-fi dine,espn, chef mickey,hoopdee doo, mickey backyard bbq, whispering canyon cafe. Last time we did NO character meals except for the castle. This time We want to want to take advantage of it but need a few suggetions from veterans. Also any suggestions on quick meals. We have the basic dining plan. I am the one making all the plans and ressies. Last time we did not take the time to explore we just rode rides and ran from one place to another. This time I want to take the time to actually enjoy what Disney has to offer. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'll be decorating our window too. I didn't this year 'cause it was a spur of the moment trip and it was a surprise trip. Our son knew absolutely nothing about the trip so I had to sneak around and hide things. I simply didn't want him to catch me making the decorations.

As far as the meals go, I can chime in about a few of your choices. We have eaten at Liberty Tree. It was pretty good food but, in all honesty, we went there for the characters not the food. We enjoyed our meal at Garden Grill but, again, we went there for the characters not the food. I loved their Orange Honey butter!!! We love the Sci-Fi. The atmosphere is great and our food has always been very good. The BLT soup is delicious and they have great burgers. We had a lot of fun at the Hoop Dee Doo Review and the food was really good.

Our favorite table service meals within the parks are Crystal Palace, Sci-Fi and Coral Reef. We don't do an "in park" table service meal at Animal Kingdom. Since the park closes early, we usually hit Downtown Disney and eat at Planet Hollywood or pay out of pocket. That day's table service credit goes toward our Hoop meal.

Our favorite counter service meals are Pecos Bills and Pinocchio's Village Haus at Magic Kingdom, Pizzafari and Flame Tree at Animal Kingdom, Electric Umbrella and Sunshine Seasons at Epcot and Backlot Express and Toy Story Pizza Planet at Hollywood Studios.

Have you checked out the menus at www.allearsnet.com? It's always been a great help to me.

 

[mickeyfan1226]

Thank you for the info. I went to that internet site. There is a lot of info there. Have you heard the rumor about the LTT not being a character meal anymore. I don't remember which thread on here I read that.
I have 2 very pickey eaters and they are the pits to choose places to eat.
Buffets seems to make almost everyone happy and bbq's.
michelle

I'll be decorating our window too. I didn't this year 'cause it was a spur of the moment trip and it was a surprise trip. Our son knew absolutely nothing about the trip so I had to sneak around and hide things. I simply didn't want him to catch me making the decorations.

As far as the meals go, I can chime in about a few of your choices. We have eaten at Liberty Tree. It was pretty good food but, in all honesty, we went there for the characters not the food. We enjoyed our meal at Garden Grill but, again, we went there for the characters not the food. I loved their Orange Honey butter!!! We love the Sci-Fi. The atmosphere is great and our food has always been very good. The BLT soup is delicious and they have great burgers. We had a lot of fun at the Hoop Dee Doo Review and the food was really good.

Our favorite table service meals within the parks are Crystal Palace, Sci-Fi and Coral Reef. We don't do an "in park" table service meal at Animal Kingdom. Since the park closes early, we usually hit Downtown Disney and eat at Planet Hollywood or pay out of pocket. That day's table service credit goes toward our Hoop meal.

Our favorite counter service meals are Pecos Bills and Pinocchio's Village Haus at Magic Kingdom, Pizzafari and Flame Tree at Animal Kingdom, Electric Umbrella and Sunshine Seasons at Epcot and Backlot Express and Toy Story Pizza Planet at Hollywood Studios.

Have you checked out the menus at www.allearsnet.com? It's always been a great help to me.

 

[robinb]

I booked All Star Movies (the last Value Resort to check off my list) with free dining for the end of August on the bounceback promo. I wanted to book now instead of waiting for April and the regular free dining promo since I predict they will change to the new CS only DDP and my family enjoys TS meals.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Thank you for the info. I went to that internet site. There is a lot of info there. Have you heard the rumor about the LTT not being a character meal anymore. I don't remember which thread on here I read that.
I have 2 very pickey eaters and they are the pits to choose places to eat.
Buffets seems to make almost everyone happy and bbq's.
michelle

I so totally sympathize/empathize with you. My son is a super picky eater so I always try to choose places he will eat. Well, you know, how that I think about it, I am kind of picky too. We aren't real adventurous eaters but we do like a good meal.

I did read somewhere, I think on allearsnet, that Liberty Tree Tavern would no longer be a character dinner. I hope that they will put in another character meal at the Magic Kingdom but I really doubt it. AT the Liberty Tree Tavern, the food they serve reminds me of a mini-Thanksgiving meal. Mr. Picky doesn't like mashed potatos or beans but I asked our server if they could fix fries for him and they said they could od that for us.

I can tell you that the counter service meals I suggested have pretty normal picky eater foods....pizza, burgers, fries, etc......but they also have things for my husband and I.

At the Sci-Fi, even if you eat there at dinner, they will cook a burger for you guys. We asked them if they would do this and they had absolutely no problem at all.

There is fried chicken at the Hoop Dee Doo Review and one year (we've been three times), they had corn on the cob but I don't know if that is still on the menu.

The Crystal Palace is a very nice buffet. They even have a side buffet for little ones....chicken strips, rolls, fries and more. They can get things from "their" buffet as well as the main buffet. I love the character interaction here. They had an impromptu parade around the restaurant and the little ones were encouraged to join in and they always made sure they ended the parade right where they started it so the kids ended up back at their own table.

The Coral Reef had a pizza on their kids menu as well as other items. Even if they are over 9, they will still let them order from the kid's menu. If you are on the dining plan, they will charge you for an adult meal but your kids will have something they like.

At the Garden Grill, they also bring out chicken strips, fries, mac and cheese for the kids. They also brought out a decorate your own cupcake for our son.

By the way, how old are your kids? Some of the kids' meals at the counter service restaurants have a limited menu for the under 9 age group. I may be able to help make more suggestions once I know your kids' ages.

 

[mickeyfan1226]

My girls will be 16 and 15 at the time of the trip. My niece will turn 8 the second day of our trip and my nephew will be 12 at the time of the trip. My friend that is going with us likes seafood but the rest of us don't can you suggest any place that she can get seafood but the rest of us can eat normal food? Sorry to be a pain in your backside. Our last trip nothing was really planned except for thanksgiving dinner and that was at tusker house which my youngest daughter wants to go there for her choice. The buffets really help out with the picky eater in our group.

I so totally sympathize/empathize with you. My son is a super picky eater so I always try to choose places he will eat. Well, you know, how that I think about it, I am kind of picky too. We aren't real adventurous eaters but we do like a good meal.

I did read somewhere, I think on allearsnet, that Liberty Tree Tavern would no longer be a character dinner. I hope that they will put in another character meal at the Magic Kingdom but I really doubt it. AT the Liberty Tree Tavern, the food they serve reminds me of a mini-Thanksgiving meal. Mr. Picky doesn't like mashed potatos or beans but I asked our server if they could fix fries for him and they said they could od that for us.

I can tell you that the counter service meals I suggested have pretty normal picky eater foods....pizza, burgers, fries, etc......but they also have things for my husband and I.

At the Sci-Fi, even if you eat there at dinner, they will cook a burger for you guys. We asked them if they would do this and they had absolutely no problem at all.

There is fried chicken at the Hoop Dee Doo Review and one year (we've been three times), they had corn on the cob but I don't know if that is still on the menu.

The Crystal Palace is a very nice buffet. They even have a side buffet for little ones....chicken strips, rolls, fries and more. They can get things from "their" buffet as well as the main buffet. I love the character interaction here. They had an impromptu parade around the restaurant and the little ones were encouraged to join in and they always made sure they ended the parade right where they started it so the kids ended up back at their own table.

The Coral Reef had a pizza on their kids menu as well as other items. Even if they are over 9, they will still let them order from the kid's menu. If you are on the dining plan, they will charge you for an adult meal but your kids will have something they like.

At the Garden Grill, they also bring out chicken strips, fries, mac and cheese for the kids. They also brought out a decorate your own cupcake for our son.

By the way, how old are your kids? Some of the kids' meals at the counter service restaurants have a limited menu for the under 9 age group. I may be able to help make more suggestions once I know your kids' ages.

 

[mickeystoontown]

My girls will be 16 and 15 at the time of the trip. My niece will turn 8 the second day of our trip and my nephew will be 12 at the time of the trip. My friend that is going with us likes seafood but the rest of us don't can you suggest any place that she can get seafood but the rest of us can eat normal food? Sorry to be a pain in your backside. Our last trip nothing was really planned except for thanksgiving dinner and that was at tusker house which my youngest daughter wants to go there for her choice. The buffets really help out with the picky eater in our group.

You are definitely not a pain. I remember trying to decide (and I still have trouble even after going 13 times!) where to go with a picky eater.

Okay, so the Coral Reef (Epcot) is delicious and they have salmon, blackened catfish, seafood linguini, mahi mahi for the seafood lover and they also have New York strip and chicken and I believe they had a pork dish. The kids menu definitely has a pizza and I think another offering. We like the atmosphere of the restaurant. One whole side of the restaurant is glass so you get to watch the fish, sharks and rays swim by.

The Sci-Fi (Hollywood Studios) has a shrimp pasta dish, bbq ribs, butcher steak, burgers and sandwiches. Kids menus are pizza, beef and macaroni, burgers and hot dogs. The food has always been good and the atmosphere is fantastic. It looks like you are in a drive in theater complete with old cars (which you get to sit in while you eat).

At LeCellier (Epcot), they serve King salmon, prime rib, chicken, steak and halibut. They had a few choice for the kids including steak, pasta, pizza and hot dogs. The restaurant looks like you are dining in a wine cellar.


We have never eaten at Mama Melrose's but I see that their menu offers calamari, salmon, chicken, flatbreads and butcher steak. Their kids offerings are pizza, grilled chicken strips and spaghetti.


Like I said, some of the counter service kids' choices are pretty limited but we can usually find something for our son at the restaurants I talked about earlier.

Backlot Express at Hollywood Studios has chicken nuggets and sloppy joes for the kids. Adults can order burgers, chicken strups, salads and turkey sandwiches.

Pizzafari at Animal Kingdom has PB&J sandwiches for kids (which I think is dumb in a pizza place) and spaghetti and meatballs. Adults can order pizza, breadsticks, salads and italian sandwiches.

Flame Tree at Animal Kingdom has chicken wings and hot dogs for the kids. Adults can order smoked chicken, ribs, beef and pork sandwiches.

Toy Story Pizza Planet is a great find for picky kids because their menu is the same as the adult menu. It's also a good deal since you can order a combo meal which is pizza and a salad. The place is packed at meal time so it would be nice to have somebody stand by and grab a table while the other waits in line to order. My husband looked for a table and called me on my cell phone when he finally found one.

Let me know if you have more questions.....really, you're not a pain, I don't mind helping out at all!

 

[mickeyfan1226]

mickeystoontown, I thank you for the info and I am sure I will be back to ask more questions of you.
michelle

 

[Disneynut25]

Hopefully so! Fingers crossed!!!

 

[robinb]

My girls will be 16 and 15 at the time of the trip. My niece will turn 8 the second day of our trip and my nephew will be 12 at the time of the trip. My friend that is going with us likes seafood but the rest of us don't can you suggest any place that she can get seafood but the rest of us can eat normal food?

I would recommend Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club. It has really good fish and clams/mussels and also good non-fish. Even my fussy vegetarian DD liked it.