Darn you, disboards...

[RachelsMommie]

...just upgraded to deluxe dining!

So I had a plan and am now having to rip it apart and redo it with deluxe dining in mind. Can you guys give me feedback? This trip will be 7 days, 6 nights with my DH and my DD5, staying at the WL. We're trying a LOT of new places this time. I'm going to try to do my first dining review this trip! My DH is actually excited at the prospect and will be helping with the photography.

Okay, here's my plan:

Arriving Sunday, May 9
Breakfast at home airport in Dallas
Arriving at 10:30 AM
Lunch: Pecos Bills
Dinner: Tony's Town Square
(Wanted to get CRT or Chef Mickey's, but couldn't get an ADR. We did CP last time and weren't impressed with the dinner there)

Monday, May 10
Breakfast: Princess Bfast at Akershus/Epcot
Lunch: Coral Reef
Dinner: Whispering Canyon Cafe

Tuesday, May 11
Breakfast: Snacks at Roaring Forks
Lunch: Sci-Fi Diner
Dinner: Ohana (yum)

Wednesday, May 12
Breakfast: Crystal Palace
Lunch: Cosmic Ray's
Dinner: Narcoosee's

Thursday, May 13
Breakfast: Whispering Canyon Cafe
Lunch: Wolfgang Puck Cafe (wanted T-Rex, but not on the DxDDP)
Dinner: 1900 Park Fare (DD5 is being "boutiqued" that afternoon at DTD)

Friday, May 14
Breakfast: Snacks at Roaring Forks
Lunch: Le Cellier
Dinner: Kona

Saturday, May 15
Breakfast: CS at Roaring Forks
Lunch: Liberty Tree Tavern

Comments/suggestions???

Thanks!
Leaving WL on ME at 2:30

 

[hstrickland]

We love the Dxdp!!!! Our family uses the TS restaurants to sit down and relax and get away from the hustle and bustle. Some of our friends think we are crazy for doing Dxdp...they think it's too much food, but we wouldn't go without it!!!! Are you going to the AK at all? Yak & Yeti was pretty good. My DH and I went to Narcoosees last trip and fell in love with it! Whispering Canyon (at night) is one of my son's favorites along with Teppon Edo at Japan. Liberty Tree was not one of our favorites, but many people like it. Did you think about doing the Hoop De Doo Review? It's awesome!!! Looks like you are going to have a great time!!!!

 

[tami82]

That great! I know its very tempting. We have bounceback free dining and it has crossed my mind here & there to upgrade, especially when the availability is so great with the online reservations. Then again it would be too much food for us but great to have to do alot of the two credit meals but tempting nevertheless.

 

[MrsLS]

We love deluxe dp but I think you might have too many things planned each day on the days you have 3 meals especially with the buffets. I would pick one or the other but then some of yours or all are CS so if you are hungry good if not then just skip it.
We do a ts lunch and dinner and a granola bar or muffin or somthing like that before the park opens.
Have fun!

 

[saralexander97]

I totally vote Teppan Edo, loved it and the chocolate ginger cake is something I crave everyday!!!

 

[lemondog]

Looks good to me. You have a nice balance of QS, snacks and TS. My kids expect 3 sit down meals a day because they don't eat a whole lot at each meal. So DH and I do have to be careful to not over-indulge at the buffets, but it can be done. We do the DxDDP and LOVE it!

 

[honeydiane1953]

...just upgraded to deluxe dining!

So I had a plan and am now having to rip it apart and redo it with deluxe dining in mind. Can you guys give me feedback? This trip will be 7 days, 6 nights with my DH and my DD5, staying at the WL. We're trying a LOT of new places this time. I'm going to try to do my first dining review this trip! My DH is actually excited at the prospect and will be helping with the photography.

Okay, here's my plan:

Arriving Sunday, May 9
Breakfast at home airport in Dallas
Arriving at 10:30 AM
Lunch: Pecos Bills
Dinner: Tony's Town Square
(Wanted to get CRT or Chef Mickey's, but couldn't get an ADR. We did CP last time and weren't impressed with the dinner there)

Monday, May 10
Breakfast: Princess Bfast at Akershus/Epcot
Lunch: Coral Reef
Dinner: Whispering Canyon Cafe

Tuesday, May 11
Breakfast: Snacks at Roaring Forks
Lunch: Sci-Fi Diner
Dinner: Ohana (yum)

Wednesday, May 12
Breakfast: Crystal Palace
Lunch: Cosmic Ray's
Dinner: Narcoosee's

Thursday, May 13
Breakfast: Whispering Canyon Cafe
Lunch: Wolfgang Puck Cafe (wanted T-Rex, but not on the DxDDP)
Dinner: 1900 Park Fare (DD5 is being "boutiqued" that afternoon at DTD)

Friday, May 14
Breakfast: Snacks at Roaring Forks
Lunch: Le Cellier
Dinner: Kona

Saturday, May 15
Breakfast: CS at Roaring Forks
Lunch: Liberty Tree Tavern

Comments/suggestions???

Thanks!
Leaving WL on ME at 2:30

Too much time eating I wouldn't want it but everyone is different

 

[shawnh199]

We did 3 meals a day in December on the Deluxe Plan and really enjoyed it. We were a little full after our dinner meal, but we used our character breakfasts for much needed fuel to start our day, lunch was a welcome break and became nap time for our girls (they would nap while lunch was being prepared). After riding rides/walking around all afternoon at the parks, dinner was a welcome break as well. I didn't feel we missed out on anything by having 3 TS meals a day. Breakfast was before the parks opened, so I don't think it really counts. Lunches ran about an hour, and dinner about a hour to hour and a half and the times for dinner were later than normal so we had plenty of time in the parks to do everything we wanted and then some.

You have picked some great places to eat. My only recommendations are if you plan to go to Animal Kingdom Tusker House is great for breakfast and their lunch/dinner buffets. We enjoyed Ohana for breakfast as well.

If those restaurants you couldn't get into are really important to you, keep trying online daily for ressies. You might get lucky. We were able to change times and get a couple of restaurants that we really wanted but couldn't get a first by trying daily until our trip came. The only thing we couldn't get was Coral Reef for the day we were at Epcot, but we got Ohana and Le Cellier which were not available at our 90 days out for our trip.

Have an awesome trip!

 

[RachelsMommie]

Thanks for the replies!

All of the breakfast meals will be before park opening. Specifically, the Akershus and the Crystal Palace ressies are for 8AM when the park opens at 9. The WCC breakfast ressie at the hotel is for 7:30AM on a day when we're not doing the parks during the day.

We're not doing AK this trip, or I would definitely try Yak and Yeti.

Of the schedule above, our touring plan is as follows:

Arriving Sunday, May 9
Breakfast at home airport in Dallas
Arriving at 10:30 AM
Be in the parks by 12:30 or 1:00
Lunch: Pecos Bills
Tour the MK
6:30 Dinner: Tony's Town Square
After dinner, head back to the resort to unpack/go to bed[/B

Monday, May 10 - Epcot
8AM Breakfast: Princess Bfast at Akershus/Epcot
Tour Future World/the Land/the Seas/Innoventions
12:30 Lunch: Coral Reef
Continue Touring Future World/the Land/the Seas/Innoventions
Leave park by 5:00
6:30 Dinner: Whispering Canyon Cafe
Rest, swim, bed

Tuesday, May 11 - DHS
Breakfast: Snacks at Roaring Forks
9AM Get to DHS for rope-drop
Tour DHS
12:30 Lunch: Sci-Fi Diner
Tour DHS, leave by 5:00
Take bus to Poly
6:30 Dinner: Ohana (yum)
Rest, swim, bed

Wednesday, May 12-MK
8AM Breakfast: Crystal Palace
Tour MK
Noon Lunch: Cosmic Ray's
Tour MK until 1 or 2PM
Rest, get ready for dinner
7PM Dinner: Narcoosee's

Thursday, May 13-DTD Day
7:30 AM Breakfast: Whispering Canyon Cafe
Swim and have fun at resort, head to DTD around 11
12:30 Lunch: Wolfgang Puck Cafe (wanted T-Rex, but not on the DxDDP)
Shop until 3:30
3:30 BBB for Rachel
Leave DTD by 5:45
6:45 Dinner: 1900 Park Fare
After Dinner, head to MK for Wishes

Friday, May 14-Epcot
Get up later
Breakfast: Snacks at Roaring Forks
Arrive at Epcot by 11AM for WS opening
12:30 Lunch: Le Cellier
Tour WS, leaving at 5:30
6:30 Dinner: Kona
Back to resort to pack

Saturday, May 15
Breakfast: CS at Roaring Forks
9AM MK for rope drop
Tour MK for a couple of hours
12:00 Lunch: Liberty Tree Tavern
Leave MK
2:30 ME to airport

Sorry for SO much info, but does this touring plan look reasonable, or will it kill my family? Our DD5 does NOT take naps and at most will fall asleep in the stroller for 30 minutes 1 or 2 afternoons. I left AK out b/c my family doesn't like that park, and put in the Thursday day of rest instead. I'm using Ridemax to make up our touring plan, and it seems fine with the schedule above if I allocate 90 minutes for TS meals in the park. Is that enough time to eat at these restaurants? Is 45 minutes enough for a typical CS?

Thanks for the help! I'm the "magic-maker" in the family, so it all falls to me to choose the right restaurants, make a touring plan that minimizes time in lines, and ensures that the family doesn't get worn out. I am hoping the TS breaks will help with some rest midday since we're not a napping family.

Thanks!
Kristi

 

[lemondog]

Kristi, I think it looks very doable. Our touring plans are very similar, with the exception that we always return to the hotel in the afternoons and come back at night. Your meal plans look very similar to ours, as do your touring plans. I think you'll have a fabulous trip!

 

[mjp12831]

My suggestion would be to use snacks for all breakfasts and eliminate them (other than if you are doing a character one, and then sub snacks in for a lunch). I say use snacks for one meal because I liked using one 2TS meal daily (which you do have a bunch of).

My opinions of 2 TS we did:
I thought CRT (for a 2 TS) was not that great - I've read here that the food and character interaction is better at Askerhaus (plus only 1 TS).

Luau and Mickey's Backyard BBQ we enjoyed alot - kids really had a ball at BBBQ. Both had good and plentiful food (and beer included - wine and beer at the Luau). Show and entertainment at both were very fun, unique and memorable.

Brown Derby and Yachtsman were really good meals and our kids did just fine there as well. High recomendations for both.

Other 2 TS we did were both related to grand gathering experiences, so not applicable to your situation.

 

[BigTex71]

Kristi, I think it looks very doable. Our touring plans are very similar, with the exception that we always return to the hotel in the afternoons and come back at night. Your meal plans look very similar to ours, as do your touring plans. I think you'll have a fabulous trip!

Our plans are similar also, other than we are doing the early breakfast character meals almost every day. Also, we do the break back to the resorts after lunch and go back out to tour more before and after dinner (depending on ADR time for dinner) this is because my DD3 needs her nap or she turns to Mrs. Hyde.

I may change our plans to have one 'down day' to swim at the resort and tour DTD like you are doing. Good idea.

 

[tiredsigh]

We are a DxDP family after our last trip. It was wonderful. We are a 3 squares a day kind of family so we plan 3 TS meals.

We love Teppan Edo as well I second that request.

 

[RachelsMommie]

Thanks for all of the replies!

The 3 breakfasts on my itinerary are "must-do"s...My DH loves eating breakfast out, and my daughter wants to do Akershus (otherwise known as Aurora's house) instead of CRT this year. I tried to get CRT for dinner our first night instead of Tony's, but no dice so far. That way, I could dump the WCC bfast or the CS bfast and get that instead.

What are the other fave 2 TS places? I'd be willing to dump Kona, but am a little leary of going to most other resorts not on the monorail as we will be relying on Disney transportation. We stayed at the Poly in 08, but amazingly, did not try Kona. Should we replace Kona with something else?? Go somewhere through the international Gateway and then return to Epcot and take the bus back to WL?

Thanks!
Kristi

 

[mjp12831]

Thanks for all of the replies!

The 3 breakfasts on my itinerary are "must-do"s...My DH loves eating breakfast out, and my daughter wants to do Akershus (otherwise known as Aurora's house) instead of CRT this year. I tried to get CRT for dinner our first night instead of Tony's, but no dice so far. That way, I could dump the WCC bfast or the CS bfast and get that instead.

What are the other fave 2 TS places? I'd be willing to dump Kona, but am a little leary of going to most other resorts not on the monorail as we will be relying on Disney transportation. We stayed at the Poly in 08, but amazingly, did not try Kona. Should we replace Kona with something else?? Go somewhere through the international Gateway and then return to Epcot and take the bus back to WL?

Thanks!
Kristi

HBD was great - if you can get fantasmic package there it would be a good one to pick

Yachtsman was also great - Beach Club is so close to Epcot you dont have to rely on transport (can boat there but it's an easy walk also). Steaks were awesome. Kids had a desert that allowed them to paint on a white chocolate Mickey puzzle.

Backyard BBQ was more of a "fun" time - Ribs were really good, beer included, and kids loved the show (and the help yourself cooler of ice cream bars)