Criticize my dining choices!

[Feckless]

OK, getting close to my ADR time, and I think I have my plans straight, but I could use some input from the experts!

Day One: Arrive about 1 p.m. We are staying at the BC so I thought a family meal at Biergarten with the extended family that are going as well would be good. We are staying CL so we can have snacks if we get hungry, and the kids will probably be stuck in SAB, so I'm thinking about 8 pm.

Day Two: Epcot Day. I am planning all our park days to start early and end around lunchtime. If we have steam, we will hit another park later, but no biggie. ADR for Tutto Italia at 7:15 pm.

Day Three: Resort Day, possible boys' golf day. Cape May Cafe character breakfast for 9:30 a.m.

Day Four: MK Day. Crystal Palace ADR for 8:15 or 8:30 a.m. Park opens at 9, wanted to get in the park before it opens...

Day Five: Resort Day, maybe after hitting the EMH at DHS if we are up. 'Ohana ADR for 7:00 pm so we can catch the water pageant and wishes from the beah.

Day Six: Universal Day. I'm thinking about making an ADR for Marrakesh for 8:30 pm just so we have an option if we make it back.

Day Seven: Animal Kingdom Day. Boma dinner at 6 p.m.

Day Eight: Resort Day. Via Napoli 7 p.m.

Day Nine: DHS Day. Sci Fi Cafe lunch at 1 p.m. (kids request!)

Day Ten: Resort Day. Fantasmic Package at Brown Derby for 9 p.m. to end our vacation. We've never seen it.

Of course we are so close to everything that we will probably pop into the various parks on our rest/resort days. I also might make a reservation for Saratoga Springs Spa...

Let me know your thoughts! THANKS SO MUCH!

 

[BuzzLiteyear]

We've never done Cape May, so I can't say anything there. As for the rest, I think they are pretty solid choices. Biergarten is a must for us, but I like the rest of your choices. Enjoy

 

[SydandPaige'sMom]

Looks like a great, solid plan

We will be at the BC right around the same time. I checked your reservations with mine and while we will be dining at many of the same places, we won't be doing them on the same days.

 

[Feckless]

Looks like a great, solid plan

We will be at the BC right around the same time. I checked your reservations with mine and while we will be dining at many of the same places, we won't be doing them on the same days.

Well, we'll see you at SAB!!! We are super excited. And by we, I mean me. LOL

 

[mama03]

For your Universal day I would say get something near those parks. It will be a full day there and you will NOT feel like going anywhere!!! So many choices around and in Universal.

 

[nicoleakr]

Crystal Palace and Sci-fi were both very good! I haven't try any of the other ones but looks like a good plan!

 

[Quin]

Day 2 - better have a back-up plan for Tutto. It will be closed for refurb starting in January 2012 and I believe I saw that the reopen date has been pushed back until May.

Day 5 - what time is Wishes that night? If it's at 9 I'd either back the ADR up to 6:30 so you'll be sure you make it down to the beach or wait until 7:30 and ask to be seated in the main dining room with a view of the Castle. You can watch the Water Pageant and Wishes from Ohana. You won't get the music for the Water Pageant but when Wishes starts they dim the lights and pipe in the music.

Day 10 - if your meal is at 9 PM I don't see how you will make it to F!

I assume that although you have several non-park days listed you still are buying 10-day tickets with Hoppers, since your meals will require park admissions anyhow.

 

[Feckless]

Day 2 - better have a back-up plan for Tutto. It will be closed for refurb starting in January 2012 and I believe I saw that the reopen date has been pushed back until May. Thanks so much for that tip! I was looking at the closure lists and noticed that it was supposed to reopen on April 1st but is now pushed back to the end of April. DH is Italian and he really wants to eat there so I'd like to make the ADR and hope for the best. What do you think they will do if it is still closed? Will they be able to substitute another Epcot reservation for us?

Day 5 - what time is Wishes that night? If it's at 9 I'd either back the ADR up to 6:30 so you'll be sure you make it down to the beach or wait until 7:30 and ask to be seated in the main dining room with a view of the Castle. You can watch the Water Pageant and Wishes from Ohana. You won't get the music for the Water Pageant but when Wishes starts they dim the lights and pipe in the music. The pageant is at 9, and Wishes is at 10 that night. I wanted to be down on the beach for both. Do you think I should back the reservation up to 6:30 to be safe? We can always explore the resort while we are waiting!

Day 10 - if your meal is at 9 PM I don't see how you will make it to F! Sorry, that wasn't clear! Fantasmic is at 9 pm. I was thinking about making the reservation for 7, but maybe 6:30 would be better? I don't want to be waiting around too long, but I know they bring you in a half hour before the show starts.

I assume that although you have several non-park days listed you still are buying 10-day tickets with Hoppers, since your meals will require park admissions anyhow. Yes, we got 10 day hoppers, because we are staying at BC and want to be able to go into the parks when we feel like it.

Thanks SO MUCH for your input! I really appreciate it.

 

[nkereina]

Day Two: Epcot Day. I am planning all our park days to start early and end around lunchtime. If we have steam, we will hit another park later, but no biggie. ADR for Tutto Italia at 7:15 pm.
See below for my comments on Tutto. If you're ending your days around lunch, this means you'd be going back to Epcot at night for dinner? This would also prevent you from hopping to another park later..

Day Four: MK Day. Crystal Palace ADR for 8:15 or 8:30 a.m. Park opens at 9, wanted to get in the park before it opens...
We had a Tusker House ADR about an hour before the park opened and it worked out perfectly. We were walking out exactly at 9am, like we had been there for rope drop. I'd try to do CP for 8am so you can be done and in the park by RD.

Day Five: Resort Day, maybe after hitting the EMH at DHS if we are up. 'Ohana ADR for 7:00 pm so we can catch the water pageant and wishes from the beah.
We got to the beach a good 45 mins before the water pageant started. It really started filling up about 20 mins before, so I'd get to the beach early if possible, so you can get a chair.

Day Six: Universal Day. I'm thinking about making an ADR for Marrakesh for 8:30 pm just so we have an option if we make it back.
I'd avoid TS on Universal Day, and I'd avoid Marrakesh all together. A group of 9 of my friends went there and only 2 liked it, and one only liked it because of the atmosphere. I bet you'll be spent after the day at Universal and won't want to make the trek to Epcot. Plus Universal has some good restaurants too.

Day Eight: Resort Day. Via Napoli 7 p.m.
LOVE Via Napoli! You could also switch this to your day two and then try a restaurant at your resort or Boardwalk on this day since this is a resort day.

Day Nine: DHS Day. Sci Fi Cafe lunch at 1 p.m. (kids request!)
LOVE Sci Fi! We also did lunch there and it worked out well.

I saw the previous post about Tutto. I don't believe they are scheduling ADRs right now so I don't think you will even be able to make an ADR for Tutto. They probably won't re-open ADR scheduling until they have a good idea of when it will be done, since the refurb has already been delayed and it hasn't even started yet. Only other Italian places I can think of off hand are Mama Melrose and Tony's. Tony's was mediocre at best and never done MM.

 

[Feckless]

Thanks so much for your input! I'll be so disappointed to miss out on Tutto Italia but maybe ADRs will open up closer to our travel dates.

Stupid question alert: if we have park hoppers, is there a limit to the number of parks that we can hop to? Not to say that it is even POSSIBLE that we will go to three parks, but I'm just curious!

I am hearing you about the Universal Day - I doubt we will make it back for an ADR that night! I picked Marrakesh because I thought that it wouldn't break my heart if I cancelled it later! DH wanted to try it.

I hope I can get the kids up in time to make an 8 a.m. ADR! LOL

Any suggestions on Boardwalk restaurants? I've also heard that Captain's Grill in the YC is very good.

 

[Feckless]

Also, if we are not going to get Tutto, maybe I'll book the Mama Melrose Fantasmic package... I just didn't want three Italian meals for the trip! Especially since my MIL's cooking is WAY better than anything any of these restaurants can come up with, probably. LOL

 

[nkereina]

Thanks so much for your input! I'll be so disappointed to miss out on Tutto Italia but maybe ADRs will open up closer to our travel dates.

Stupid question alert: if we have park hoppers, is there a limit to the number of parks that we can hop to? Not to say that it is even POSSIBLE that we will go to three parks, but I'm just curious!

I am hearing you about the Universal Day - I doubt we will make it back for an ADR that night! I picked Marrakesh because I thought that it wouldn't break my heart if I cancelled it later! DH wanted to try it.

I hope I can get the kids up in time to make an 8 a.m. ADR! LOL

Any suggestions on Boardwalk restaurants? I've also heard that Captain's Grill in the YC is very good.

Definitely no limit on how many parks you can hop to or how many times you can do it!

If you don't mind being a few minutes behind the opening crowds, then an 8:30am ADR will do just fine for CP. We like to do RD when we don't have a breakfast ADR, so we found the one hour prior to opening ADR time slot worked best for us.

For Boardwalk restaurants, we liked ESPN Club. If you have kids into sports, they might get a kick out of it. They don't take ADRs but we had no trouble walking in ever, and it would allow you to head over there at your leisure, which we enjoy. There's also Big River Grille (I think thats what its called??) and Kouzzina, both which get good reviews. I haven't done either but would like to try them both. I don't think you'd have trouble getting ADRs at either. Captain's Grille is also another good choice, Yachtsman is another one but I believe 2 TS credits. Beaches & Cream is good for a burger, and no ADRs needed.

Also, if we are not going to get Tutto, maybe I'll book the Mama Melrose Fantasmic package... I just didn't want three Italian meals for the trip! Especially since my MIL's cooking is WAY better than anything any of these restaurants can come up with, probably. LOL

haha I hear that! I think Mama Melrose is along the same lines as Tony's... that Olive Garden "Americanized" Italian. Never been there though so can't say if it's good.

 

[Feckless]

Thanks SO MUCH. I can't believe how helpful this has been.