Critique My Dining Plan

[MouseEarsJenny]

Here's what I'm thinking (7 nights on DDP, 11 guests):

Day One Dinner:Chef Mickey's

Day Two Lunch: Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café
Day Two Dinner: Pepper Market

Day Three Lunch: Sunshine Seasons
Day Three Dinner: Le Cellier

Day Four Lunch: Flame Tree BBQ
Day Four Dinner: Whispering Canyon Café

Day Five Lunch: Toy Story Pizza Planet
Day Five Dinner: Mama Melrose's

Day Six Lunch: El Pirata Y El Perico
Day Six Dinner: Crystal Palace

Day Seven Lunch: Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Day Seven Dinner: Counter Service Epcot World Showcase(Everyone picks their own)

Day Eight Lunch: Liberty Tree Tavern

What do you think? Will there be enough variety for the kids on the kids menus? Is having Pizza Planet and Mama Melrose on the same day a bad idea? Likewise Flame Tree and Whispering Canyon?

Can you tell what parks we're planning? (Pretty obvious, isn't it?)

Should I ditch anything? Am I missing something great?

Thanks for any and all answers!

 

[KatMark]

Here's what I'm thinking (7 nights on DDP, 11 guests):

Day One Dinner:Chef Mickey's Always a good time

Day Two Lunch: Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café One of our new favorites
Day Two Dinner: Pepper Market we like it here...this is our home resort

Day Three Lunch: Sunshine Seasons good
Day Three Dinner: Le CellierOur FAVORITE

Day Four Lunch: Flame Tree BBQ our favorite CS at AK
Day Four Dinner: Whispering Canyon Caféif you are doing Flame Tree, then I wouldn't order the skillet at WCC (more of the same food). Personally, we won't be going back to WCC--overrated (DH got sick on the ribs/chicken in the skillet and the service was terrible--we were there for two hours

Day Five Lunch: Toy Story Pizza Planet never done--we don't do Florida pizza
Day Five Dinner: Mama Melrose'sanother favorite

Day Six Lunch: El Pirata Y El Periconever done
Day Six Dinner: Crystal Palace we've only done breakfast

Day Seven Lunch: Akershus Royal Banquet Hall princess interaction--great; food mediocre
Day Seven Dinner: Counter Service Epcot World Showcase(Everyone picks their own)

Day Eight Lunch: Liberty Tree Tavern surprised by how much we liked this place

What do you think? Will there be enough variety for the kids on the kids menus? Is having Pizza Planet and Mama Melrose on the same day a bad idea? Likewise Flame Tree and Whispering Canyon?

Can you tell what parks we're planning? (Pretty obvious, isn't it?)

Should I ditch anything? Am I missing something great?

Thanks for any and all answers!

My answers in red

 

[Neesy228]

I think that I would switch around Mama Melrose/Pizza Planet and Flame Tree/Whispering Canyon...otherwise that's a lot of BBQ one day and a lot of italian another. El Pirata Y El Perico is often not open --I'm not sure when you're going --so take that into account and maybe have a backup plan (Columbia Harbor House is awesome). I like all of your other selections except for Liberty Tree Tavern....was never a big fan of the food, and now that the characters are gone, I doubt we'd ever go back. I would recommend the Plaza for a light dinner and excellent desserts for that evening at MK.

Have a great trip!

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

Pizza planet is my dds favorite and a must do for her other wise I would skip it! If you have kids who really like/know the Toy Story Movie then this is a good place otherwise I would skip it. (Translation -- I would if I could! )

 

[septbaby]

For a group of 11 other than "we are eating at the resort" or making a trip to CSR for dinner I wouldn't plan CS meals. The group will likely split up and people should eat when they are hungry and can find something they like. Perhaps make a few suggestions in each park and let people pick. You're not making ressies for those meals so it really doesn't impact your plans much what people choose. Save yourself the grief of trying to manage 2 meals a day.

TS Meals

I'd probably do CP as Lunch on that final day rather than LTT. LTT is no longer a character meal and you'll get better variety at CP. It will also be a fun way to wrap up the trip.

To replace CP dinner I'd look at resort choices outside of MK
- Whispering Canyon
- 1900 Park Fare
- Kona
- 'Ohana
- Grand Floridian Cafe
- The Wave

If you do WCC on the MK day I highly suggest Boma Dinner on your AK day

 

[MouseEarsJenny]

Only have a minute before I go to work, and I see lots of suggestions I'd like to think more about and research.

Two things I had to say, though, which I forgot to mention before.

Crystal Palace doesn't move - it's my birthday, precious...

Also, I know the counter service stuff may be changed on the fly, but other than my immediate family of four, none of my group has ever eaten a meal at Disney World. So they're kind of counting on me to tell them where to eat. Personally, we'd rather split up (especially dh, lol - 7 in-laws are going) but they may follow us wherever we go.

I've been thinking about not doing Pizza Planet because while my kids love Toy Story, we've got TSM now, so they can get a dose of Toy Story there.

Maybe what I need to do is switch WCC to the last day and get rid of LTT. But then I'll need a meal for AK night, and while I've ALWAYS wanted to do Boma, the rest of our group is not so adventurous.

Hmm......

Keep the ideas comin', please and thank you!!

 

[septbaby]

Also, I know the counter service stuff may be changed on the fly, but other than my immediate family of four, none of my group has ever eaten a meal at Disney World. So they're kind of counting on me to tell them where to eat. Personally, we'd rather split up (especially dh, lol - 7 in-laws are going) but they may follow us wherever we go.

Yes, but don't plan CS still have a list of 2-4 places in each park. You may not end up anywhere near a specific CS when you are hungry or someone may want another item/kind of food. For example we planned Columbia Harbor House, well it was always closed when we wanted to eat there, so glad I had others on the list. After Spectro I was hungry, well thanks to my DIS friends I remembered sandwiches were served there, it was perfect and an unplanned CS meal. CS works way different than TS. I just wouldn't plan them other then a specific trip to a resort like CSR for dinner.

I would move WCC in place of LTT and do Boma on the AK day.

 

[phisigprincess]

In 10 trips to WDW I've never seen El Pirata open. I think it's a myth. I'd come up with a back up plan. Pecos Bill's maybe?

I LOVE Sunshine Seasons for CS. Their salmon is great, as is their turkey sandwich (I forget exactly what it's called, but it hit the spot).

Pizza Planet isn't anything to write home about, but you'll be hard pressed to find anything descent CS wise in The Studios. It's a lesser of the evils thing, and if the kids like Toy Story, keep PP on the schedule.