Cape May Cafe and Chef Mickeys? Second thoughts

[Singledad]

Okay, I am thinking I have too many buffets for my ADR's. As a single parent of a young child, I am starting to think I may get a little stressed over the buffets. This said, I was looking at my schduel so far... and am wondering if I really need both Cape May Cafe (breakfast@9:05am), AND Chef Mickeys (dinner@7:50pm)
mind you they are on different days.... but don't they both have the 'main crew' ?

thinking of maybe dropping chef mickey's and maybe going to sci-fi dine in instead? (our lunch that day is hollywood n vine, so be in that park already.)



I just concerned that what info I am seeing show only three toons regular at cape may (Minnie, Goofy, and Donald) and chef's has 5 possible.. (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and Donald)....

We have the DxDP so cost isn't really the concern, it is characters and ease.


What do you all suggest?

this is my full ADR's in case you can see something different to suggest:


Tuesday, may 31st:
Arrive at orlando around 11:30am.
DTD
5:15pm dinner @ planet hollywood

Wednesday, June 1st: MK day
9:05am breakfast @ Cape May Café
Magic kingdom
2:05pm Lunch in park @ The Crystal Palace
wing supper as we feel like it. either in park or at hotel...

Thrusday, June 2ed: DHS day
breakfast - depends on when we get up, and what DD feels like. either at hotel, or in park, or even just snacks from other night.
12:55pm lunch in park @ Hollywood and Vine
7:50pm dinner @ Chef Mickey's

Friday, June 3rd:
Move hotel day (This is a split stay and we do NOT have DP for 2ed half, so last day for using credits)/possible blizzard beach & mini golf

9:50am breakfast @ ohana
Lunch- wing it
dinner off proptery @ Kobe's (this is a tradition for Friday night.)

sat we have CRT for breakfast OOP, and sunday is return home day.


any and all help welcome. thanks in advance!

I am not of buffets, just thinking maybe it will be too much for ALL of them.


ETA: p.s. we BOTH are fairly simple eaters. So pretty much all sig's do not appeal food wise. and couldn't care less about Fantasmic!

 

[smiths02]

Chef Mickey dinner was our worst meal at Disney. It was not inedible, just not good. Also, you have CM, CP, H&V, CRT, and Cape May...so 5 character meals? IMO, it is not the buffets that are stressful, but the character meals are hard to eat at b/c you dont want to miss a character. AND I had 4 adults and 1 child!

We love Sci Fi, but stick to the burge(and we got milkshakes for our drinks when we went!)

 

[Singledad]

if I keep CM, it will be 6 characters total (you forgot ohana has characters during breakfast)... but I DO NOT do waiting in the blazing sun for a character signature. so this is how we get that done.

CM was the one I was wavering on... it is later in the day.... but, idk... the whole gang that DD really wants to see is there... missing two at cape may... so idk.....

any other suggestions? (and can the shake be ordered with the DxDP? figured only soda and water was covered as drinks under that.)

 

[smiths02]

if I keep CM, it will be 6 characters total (you forgot ohana has characters during breakfast)... but I DO NOT do waiting in the blazing sun for a character signature. so this is how we get that done.

CM was the one I was wavering on... it is later in the day.... but, idk... the whole gang that DD really wants to see is there... missing two at cape may... so idk.....

any other suggestions? (and can the shake be ordered with the DxDP? figured only soda and water was covered as drinks under that.)

It counted when we went, but things may have changed...I think it should at least count as a dessert.

Some people love CM, it just wasn't our thing.

What about Garden Grill at Epcot...all ears says it usually has Mickey. So then you would only be missing Pluto. AND they serve you at Garden Grill (of course this assumes that you have parkhoppers and want to go to another park).

 

[anjalee6]

We really like Cape May for it's simplicity. Everything is very laid back. The characters don't rush and the breakfast is good for a buffet. We love Chef Mickey's, but are not huge fans at dinner time. We don't like the food as much as breakfast time so we skip it for dinner. Sci-Fi is very fun and we enjoy going there to eat and sit in the cars. It is a fun atmosphere. We enjoy 50's Prime Time too. Not a character meal, but it would be something different to consider. If you don't think she would mind skipping the fab 5, then I say get rid of Chef Mickey's for dinner and stick with Cape May.

 

[Singledad]

(of course this assumes that you have parkhoppers and want to go to another park).

yeah, no hoppers. i've been debating upgrading.. we really don't hop, but I DO really want to go garden grill (was the one character meal my dad took me to multiple times)... it would be the ONLY reason for us to go to epcot.. so is it worth over a 100 bucks to get into a park for ONE meal? and I will have 2 more people with us on Friday, and i doubt they want to get another day on their ticket to come to lunch... so I don't see how I could fit it in. Hopefully next year!

but i think i am more leaning towards dropping chef mickeys... by the time we go, I can hope my DD would forget that we planned to see mickey twice.

waiting till tonight though to decide for sure.

 

[crabbygal902]

Ooooh, I love these questions!!

Tuesday, may 31st:
Arrive at orlando around 11:30am.
DTD
5:15pm dinner @ planet hollywood Since you are interested in seeing the characters, how about 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian?

Wednesday, June 1st: MK day
9:05am breakfast @ Cape May Café are you staying at the Beach Club or somewhere close to the Beach Club? If not, this is going to be a lot of travel just for breakfast. I'd opt something closer to the Magic Kingdom: Chef Mickey's at the CR or the 'Ohana breakfast at the Poly...my very favorite!!
Magic kingdom
2:05pm Lunch in park @ The Crystal Palace
wing supper as we feel like it. either in park or at hotel...

Thrusday, June 2ed: DHS day
breakfast - depends on when we get up, and what DD feels like. either at hotel, or in park, or even just snacks from other night.
12:55pm lunch in park @ Hollywood and Vine
7:50pm dinner @ Chef Mickey's again...depending on where you are staying and where you are planning to spend your evening, could be a lot of travel for meals. I would consider eating either at my resort or in the park you'll be visiting. At DHS, Sci-Fi is fun and my kids really like Mama Melrose, too. No characters, though.

Friday, June 3rd:
Move hotel day (This is a split stay and we do NOT have DP for 2ed half, so last day for using credits)/possible blizzard beach & mini golf sounds like a fun day!! Great idea to take a park break day

9:50am breakfast @ ohana
Lunch- wing it
dinner off proptery @ Kobe's (this is a tradition for Friday night.)

sat we have CRT for breakfast OOP, and sunday is return home day.


any and all help welcome. thanks in advance!

I am not of buffets, just thinking maybe it will be too much for ALL of them.


ETA: p.s. we BOTH are fairly simple eaters. So pretty much all sig's do not appeal food wise. and couldn't care less about Fantasmic!

Just a suggestion: you may want to consider is having breakfasts earlier and trying arrive at park opening. My family usually takes a park break in the middle of the day to swim or nap at the resort, and then we have dinner and go back to the parks. The crowds and heat are the worst in mid-day, and June can be pretty hot in Florida.

It looks like you have some great character dining choices made and I'm sure that your child will be very happy. I'd just move them around a little (if you can) to make travel easier. It takes a lot of time to go from place to place at Disney. This might help you: http://www.ourlaughingplace.com/aspx/twiz.aspx

I hope that you have a great vacation!!

 

[ObsessedDisPlanner]

Your Day with ADRs at Cape May morning and Crystal Palace lunch, may be alot for one day with back to back buffets. Cape Mays brkfst is really great, but your right on the characters, 3, and Im with Singledad, I HATE standing in line for autographs, unless its one I cant get at a character sitting, so I would suggest switching Cape May and doing a smaller bkfst, doing CP with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and then keep Chef Mickeys for all the characters at dinner. We enjoyed Chef Mickeys for dinner, food was good, (not the best out of ALL of disney,but good) and it was worth it for the interaction alone!
Goodluck!

 

[Singledad]

Just a suggestion: you may want to consider is having breakfasts earlier and trying arrive at park opening.

We are not morning people. even 9am ADR's are super early for me, and about normal for my DD. but I know why you suggested this.

Since you are interested in seeing the characters, how about 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian?

because: it is another buffet (plus, that is arrive day, REALLY want to do DTD and SIT and stay sat for supper), we already have a cindy meal planned (breakfast in the castle), and won't do it for breakfast for DD doesn't care for marry poppins or Alice in wonderland. I hope to do this one in a year or two, maybe. But, of the two cindy meals, the castle fits DD better, as she really wouldn't understand the 'entertainment' of the stepmom and stepsisters. still another great suggestion!

are you staying at the Beach Club or somewhere close to the Beach Club? If not, this is going to be a lot of travel just for breakfast. I'd opt something closer to the Magic Kingdom: Chef Mickey's at the CR or the 'Ohana breakfast at the Poly...my very favorite!!

I *might* change this for a chef mickey's breakfast for char's only. But part of why I picked cape may is because I really wanted to visit the beach club. Plus, we can bus then boat, which would please DD. oh, and ohana breakfast is friday. (have friends along for that one.)

It takes a lot of time to go from place to place at Disney.

It certainly can, but I'm used to a half hour drive just to get to the nearest store... so the time it takes getting from via disney transport doesn't bother me or DD at all. It is actually part of our fun.

thanks for all the suggestions, I am still taking them in. (yup, even if it seems if I dismissed them, I didn't really just explain my first thoughts.)

Your Day with ADRs at Cape May morning and Crystal Palace lunch, may be alot for one day with back to back buffets

thanks for the information. I was a bit worried about back to back buffets... but figured that wouldn't be too bad with the boat option, and the characters...


Maybe I should try to move chef mickey eariler in the evening, and for our first MK day, drop cape may, and add liberty tree for dinner (wow, first menu that I've read that I know 100% that we would enjoy the food! ) or even for that first MK day, try to get CP for breakfast, and Lib Tree for lunch, and that way we can still keep our evening open.

 

[Singledad]

random thought, whispering canyon isn't a buffet, and I remember having an.. interesting, time the one time I went... (for my 21st b-day)

 

[ajseagles3]

i second whispering canyon

 

[crabbygal902]

thanks for all the suggestions, I am still taking them in. (yup, even if it seems if I dismissed them, I didn't really just explain my first thoughts.)

Hey, no worries! I hope that I helped a little bit. Have a great vacation!

 

[tina.tina]

My kids are such picky eaters that I'm sort of loaded up on buffets, too. Surely they'll find something they'll eat.

 

[Singledad]

My kids are such picky eaters that I'm sort of loaded up on buffets, too. Surely they'll find something they'll eat.

Sadly, I think I am more scared of not finding things I'll eat! :blush

At least at buffets, I can 'steal' from the kids section and don't have to worry about asking for a kids meal for me. But, I am thinking I'd rather special order adult food if possible (to make it more plain, ESP all these meats made in a wine sauce) than have to stress over making DD come with me every time we need to get more food from a buffet.

 

[~Tonga Wingo~]

I think Sci Fi would be great for kids (I love it as an adult). If you are in DHS that day, you could also hop on the boat to the boardwalk. For a one credit meal at the boardwalk, I would choose The Captain's Grille. You could book a later dinner and just eat when you leave the park. Whispering Canyon also looks yummy, but I've never eaten there.

I also would choose something over Planet Hollywood the first night. I've never had great food or service there. I always do Wolfgang Pucks at DTD and it is excellent.

 

[Singledad]

I also would choose something over Planet Hollywood the first night. I've never had great food or service there. I always do Wolfgang Pucks at DTD and it is excellent.

I've had a lot of people suggest wolfgang pucks, but I LOVE planet hollywood. never took my DD there before, but I figure at the least she won't hate the place. (Unlike t-rex or rainforest.).

I so want to try to make sci fi work, but their only opening so far is LATER than the late one we already have at chef mickeys. I am not sure I want to push supper so late, and not even get the fab 5 for our pains. and although sci fi has a PERFECT time for lunch open, we have hollywood and vine for then... can't move that because no openings for breakfast, and supper doesn't have the characters (and these are ones she would rather see than minnie and pluto thought she keep trying to choose 'both!')

So, right now I am a bit stuck.

this is how things look right now, but I am not really happy with it, and do plan to keep checking times to see if I can grab what I want.

I have:

Tuesday, may 31st:
arrival day
5:15pm dinner @ planet hollywood


Wednesday, June 1st: MK day
7:55am Breakfast @ Cape May Cafe
Magic kingdom
2:05pm Lunch in park @ The Crystal Palace
7:00pm Dinner @Liberty tree tavern

(not happy, want to be able to drop breakfast, but am keeping until I can figure out what I am doing with chef mickeys)

Thrusday, June 2ed: DHS day
12:55pm lunch in park @ Hollywood and Vine
7:50pm dinner @ Chef Mickey's

I want to move chef mickeys to another time, either eariler supper, or even breakfast, but can't find anything open for it. I also want sci-fi dinner/lunch, but the dinner time is later than chef mickey's and I don't know if I want to drop the fab 5 for a good sit down meal.... I just don't know. plus, if I am going to have a day planned completely around our meals, i'd rather it be on this day, than our MK day.

maybe I should check if we can get cape may for this morning... then drop chef mickeys and pick up sci fi? we lose pluto and minnie, but who remembers them anyhow? (just kidding!)

Friday, June 3rd:
Move hotel day/blizzard beach (last day of dinning plan)

9:50am breakfast @ ohana (have 2 adults who will be paying oop)
dinner off proptery @ Kobe's (tradition)

Saterday, June 4rd: MK day/Red day!

9:10am Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in the Castle
10:05am breakfast @ Cinderella's Royal Table (oop)
4pm snacks in Adventureland @ aloha isle (oop)

 

[Mickey2013]

Chef Mickey Keep trying on the ADR from time to time to move the time of day. I scored CM w/ 2 weeks to go on our trip last year.

 

[Singledad]

Yeah, I am certainly hoping to be able to 'fix' that one. I think I will be obessively checking for the next week, before I taper off till once a night.

If life was perfect I could get CM for breakfast that day, and sci-fi for decent dinner time. pray to the powers that be things work out, and if not, we will STILL have FUN!

 

[mommycrawford]

1900 PF breakfast has Mary Popins, Mad Hatter and Alice, and I've seen Tigger there as well (not guaranteed.) It might be nice to see some characters who can talk to your child.

Also, at Garden Grill the food comes to you (like at OHANA) which can be a nice break from having to get up whenever anyone wants something.

Boma is a great buffet, and all the animal viewing areas and hotel activities make it a very rich experience, despite no characters.

 

[Singledad]

1900 PF breakfast has Mary Popins, Mad Hatter and Alice, and I've seen Tigger there as well (not guaranteed.) It might be nice to see some characters who can talk to your child.

We are seeing the princesses in the castle one breakfast, and my DD really doesn't like mary poppins or alice in wonderland. I know my child wouldn't be happy there.

Also, at Garden Grill the food comes to you (like at OHANA) which can be a nice break from having to get up whenever anyone wants something.

I know, I like Garden Grill, but have no plans for Epcot this year. I cannot see spending 100 bucks to upgrade to hoppers to be able to enter the park for one meal. and I've not found any availiablity for it on our arrival day (which we don't have a park planned)

Boma is a great buffet, and all the animal viewing areas and hotel activities make it a very rich experience, despite no characters.

heard of boma, never looked into it, now I shall.