DDP and character meals

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

I am just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience with character meals. On our last trip we did Crystal Palace with Pooh and the rest of the gang(my fave is Piglet ).

I felt like it was just a bit crazy..trying to get all the kids settled, food from the buffett, and me trying to be available with my camera in case the characters were coming to our table!! The main problem though is that my kids were so interested in all the action that they didn't really eat and announced they were hungry shortly thereafter!!

Not very soon after we left we ran into Pooh and friends and I told dh it just wasn't worth it to me to pay that money when the characters were available for free and my kids barely ate!

So, if we end up staying onsite(this trip or the next), I believe the QS plan would probably work out best for us..especially the cooler indoor CS places! Does anyone else have kids that need to be able to focus to actually EAT their food!!

 

[ofhs93]

I am just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience with character meals. On our last trip we did Crystal Palace with Pooh and the rest of the gang(my fave is Piglet ).

I felt like it was just a bit crazy..trying to get all the kids settled, food from the buffett, and me trying to be available with my camera in case the characters were coming to our table!! The main problem though is that my kids were so interested in all the action that they didn't really eat and announced they were hungry shortly thereafter!!

Not very soon after we left we ran into Pooh and friends and I told dh it just wasn't worth it to me to pay that money when the characters were available for free and my kids barely ate!

So, if we end up staying onsite(this trip or the next), I believe the QS plan would probably work out best for us..especially the cooler indoor CS places! Does anyone else have kids that need to be able to focus to actually EAT their food!!

We had similar issues last month. We were on the QSDP and paid for 2 character meals OOP. We had lunch at CP...which was very good...but the kids were really distracted with everything going on. Our other meal was at Garden Grill...now that is a completely different experience....no noise...very laid back...very private....the kids were able to eat their meals with a lot less distraction there than at CP. The character interaction at GG was also a lot more intimate than at CP.

We were REALLY happy with the QSDP though...it gave us so much flexabilty...and all of those snack credits gave us a lot to work with as well. We were able to use a chunk of them to provide in room breakfast on a few days..we also split some CS credit meals for breakfast and took the *2* bottled drinks that come with those into the parks with us (best to use your included mugs for any drinks at the food court ) There was more than enough food for us....and we were sharing with the 2 year old (who eats as much as the 4 year old)

 

[noahdove]

The kids I took last August were too busy to eat at the first meal and I suggested they eat more...well...they didn't and they were starving way before it was even time for a snack..so, the next ressies they ate very well and didn't complain once about being hungry...so they learned an expensive lesson

 

[brockash]

I am just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience with character meals. On our last trip we did Crystal Palace with Pooh and the rest of the gang(my fave is Piglet ).

I felt like it was just a bit crazy..trying to get all the kids settled, food from the buffett, and me trying to be available with my camera in case the characters were coming to our table!! The main problem though is that my kids were so interested in all the action that they didn't really eat and announced they were hungry shortly thereafter!!

Not very soon after we left we ran into Pooh and friends and I told dh it just wasn't worth it to me to pay that money when the characters were available for free and my kids barely ate!

So, if we end up staying onsite(this trip or the next), I believe the QS plan would probably work out best for us..especially the cooler indoor CS places! Does anyone else have kids that need to be able to focus to actually EAT their food!!

I feel you pain We usually do 2-3 character meals each time we're there, and while they're great for many reasons, boy can they be exhausting. I swear, I'm to the point that as soon as we sit down, if I don't see any characters I'll run to get the kids something, but then my job is to have the camera and video camera -and those darn autograph books ready for each character. I've decided that once they've come around once and I have pic's, video, kid's have autographs of each, I'm DONE. Anything after that is purely for the enjoyment and there are NO more pic's ect. Once I've done "my job" I get to eat I really do love them and my kids can't get enough, but it can be quite a job.

 

[enchantingodin]

This is why I like going to Garden Grill. Honestly I really think the food there is just ok. But the fact that I don't have to get up to go get it is golden. The kids eat more since on the lower level (where we usually end up) the booths are very private. Plus the character interaction is the best there out of all the CMeals we've done over the years. AND since the kiddos are usually board to tears with WS it gives them something to look forward to.

 

[cmiller2]

Yes I went to the garden grill with my family a few years back and it was a great experience even if the food wasn't top of the line.

 

[GatorLady]

But the fact that I don't have to get up to go get it is golden.

Amen to that! That's why we not only like Garden Grill, but also 'Ohana, Akershus and CRT.