Doing dxp when staying at a moderate

[loganpaulsmom]

Hi all, hoping some of the veterans will be able to offer me some advice. I am not a novice to Disney.. However, since 2008 I have gone 3 times with this coming April being my 4th.. 2008 we did dxp while staying at PO.. However, since it was our first time using the dp we made far too many reservation and felt like we were running from one ressie and another not to mention that some nights we were so stuffed that a nice meal was wasted.. The past 2 times, I stayed in deluxe. In 2010 it was perfect, just the rig amount of reservations and we ate some incredible meals. Last year, again we stayed deluxe but we had just the reg. dp. I was a bit disappointed. Although , I think I timed my reservations well, I felt like I was eating more " fast food" type stuff.. This time in April, we are staying at the Coronado. My sil/ bil and niece and nephew will also be coming. With just over a couple of weeks until our 180 mark we need to start thinking about restaurants. ( adding questions on next post)..

 

[loganpaulsmom]

Here are my questions:

Do you make reservations later in the evening to account for the extra time it takes to get to the restaurants? Especially the 2 table service ones.
Do you leave a park during the day go back to the resort shower and change for dinner? If you do that do you make your reservations later in the evening like after 7:30pm?
What are some of the favorite restaurants ( both 2 and 1table service)?
We aren't planning on making reservations for lunch.. Just breakfast and or dinner.. Thoughts or comments on that..

Specifically related to the Coronado.. Where had folks made reservations to while staying there? how much time did you allot for travel?

Any information would be great!! Thanks for reading!

 

[TDluvsDaisy]

I've stayed at Coronado twice with the deluxe plan. I love both the resort and the deluxe dining plan.

For us we planned an early breakfast, snacks for lunch and about a 7pm signature dinner. Most of the time I drive (cause I a control freak and like to go at my own schedule). One time we did not drive to dinner and ended up taking a cab back to our resort. It was just more convenient. For an early breakfast if you aren't driving, I would seriously consider a cab.

We did not go back to the resort to shower and change for each dinner unless we wanted a rest. We haven't traveled to WDW in the summer in years. However I wouldn't hesitate to if I had a signature dinner planned and it was extra hot outside. It just makes your dinner that much more comfortable.

I am a big fan of scheduling dinners close to the park of the day. It saves a ton of time in transit. For Magic Kingdom consider a restaurant in one of the monorail resorts. Or even Wilderness Lodge. For Hollywood Studios consider a restaurant in Beach Club, Yacht Club or Boardwalk. Epcot is easy as it has a ton of nice places to eat in the park. Animal Kingdom you could choose a park restaurant or Boma, Jiko or Sanaa at AKL/Kidani.

I could go on forever. Feel free to PM me if you want more info.

 

[loganpaulsmom]

Thanks so much all really good info. If it were just us going I wouldn't have as many questions but my sil/bil niece and nephew are going and I want to make it as enjoyable for all of us taking into consideration what everyone wants..

 

[CraigInPA]

My wife and I typically book DxDP and have an early table service lunch, followed by a late signature dinner. If we're hungry for breakfast, we use snack credits and grab a bagel or pastry at the local counter service in our hotel (Captain Cook's for us at the Poly). A typical day might be San Angel Inn at 11:30am for lunch, and Yachtsman Steak House for dinner at 7:30pm, or Liberty Tree Tavern at noon for lunch, followed by Narcoosee's at 8pm for dinner.

We like to schedule lunch and dinner in the same area of the world, so that we don't have to cut out a lot of park time to get to dinner. That, of course, falls down at AK, because there really isn't a signature in park, but Jiko is close enough. It also falls down at Epcot (LeCellier is so NOT worth 2 credits), but the Boardwalk is just a short walk away, and we've got choices there for signature dining. MK has, just a boat or monorail away, several signature choices as well. DHS has HBD and table service lunch, which makes that park easy to schedule for us. We'll schedule 'Ohana for dinner once in our trip. It's only 1 table service credit, which allows us to have a sit down meal on our final travel day (usually breakfast at Kona Cafe) because we didn't consume all three credits on the 'Ohana day.

My wife and I go in less temperate months (December-February), so it's not so hot that we feel we need a shower before dinner. When we once mistakenly decided to go in September, we did feel the need to get a shower as it was, apparently, unseasonably hot (in the mid 90's) every day. The other thing about going in the winter is that you can usually comfortably wear long pants all day, which is a consideration if you don't want to go back to the room to change from shorts to long pants for signature dinners.

 

[gtpoohbear]

We did the DxDDP at CBR in 2010. It can definitely be more challenging when you don't have as many good TS restaurants in your resort, but we made it work and were still glad we did it. (We also did it at the Poly in 2008)

The biggest lesson I learned from that trip was not to schedule many (if any at all) meals at other resorts, b/c the travel time is just too much, and too complicated. The MK monorail resorts aren't too bad (especially Contemporary since you can just walk) but anything else just isn't worth it. And I LOVED Boma, but we won't be doing it again unless we stay at AKL. We ended up canceling our Cape May character breakfast at the last minute because by that point we were just tired of the hassle.

We usually do a pre-park opening breakfast, lunch around noon (then go back to the hotel for a break) and dinner around 7pm. Much later than that and it gets hard to see 9:00 fireworks and such.

We hate eating fast-food stuff so now we generally book ADRs for just about every meal. I've never really felt like I was running from one to the next, as long as they are timed well I am more than ready for the break by the next meal anyway. And I make sure that I plan our day such that we will be near our ADR when the time comes anyway, so it's not like we're having to make a special trip for it. (Other than the ones we tried to do at other resorts, that's why we've decided to forgo those for now!)

 

[inkedupmomma]

Here are my questions:

Do you make reservations later in the evening to account for the extra time it takes to get to the restaurants? Especially the 2 table service ones.

yes, usually. at the very least, I time all meals many hours apart!

Do you leave a park during the day go back to the resort shower and change for dinner? If you do that do you make your reservations later in the evening like after 7:30pm?

no, i have not

What are some of the favorite restaurants ( both 2 and 1table service)?

Love Kona for breakfast, ohana for both breakfast and dinner, cape may cafe for breakfast, cali grill for 2 ts, earl for quick service, via napoli won all our hearts last trip, and i always enjoy akershus breakfast!

We aren't planning on making reservations for lunch.. Just breakfast and or dinner.. Thoughts or comments on that..
thats exactly what we do... although we have a couple times done a very early lunch (first seating) and then a later dinner

Specifically related to the Coronado.. Where had folks made reservations to while staying there? how much time did you allot for travel? every place you can think of..and i always give an hour for disney travel, never know whats gonna happen!

Any information would be great!! Thanks for reading!

hope i was helpful! please feel free to inbox me, i've only ever done dxdp and love it!

 

[SillyFamily]

Planning will be the key to your trip imho. It depends if you wanna do 2 or three meals a day. If you space them out and do a ton of physical activity 3 meal on DxDP are very possible with time factored in.

Breakfast
I would plan for breakfast before rope drop. Most restaurants have a 7:30 am breakfast. This might or might not require transportation on your part. Taxi cabs on disney property are fairly cheap $5-10 and they will save you tons of time. I would plan your breakfast in the park you plan to be for that day or in the surrounding area.
For example on Magic Kingdom days you have a huge choice. Crystal Palace and CRT if you want to stay in the park, and tons if you stay on the monorail.

For Epcot days you can go to the princess breakfast inside the park or hit the Yacht and Beach club and go to captains grill or cape may character breakfast. This is a short walk or a beautiful boat ride back to the park.

For HS you can eat at Hollywood and Vine in the park, or hit up the Yacht and Beach Club. This would be a 30+ walk or a beautiful boat ride to the park.

For Animal Kingdom I would totally recommend Tusker House. If not Boma is a short bus ride from AKL back to AK, but i would recommend sticking to Tusker House.

Lunch
For lunch I would stick to a table service restaurant in the park that you are visiting that day. Traveling out of the park will just take up too much time. Unless you are at Magic Kingdom then the monorail is a ride in and of itself.

Dinner
If you are doing a Signature Meal I wouldnt go back to your resort. I would simply dress up a tiny bit more for your day. I would go with a polo for the guys and if its hot a nice pair of khaki shorts. You will see people there very dressed to very casual. If you hit it somewhere in the middle you will be comfortable all day and through your meal. I would plan your signature meals on Magic Kingdom days or Epcot days. This makes for a quick monorail ride back to the park. You can also plan Cali Grill in time to watch the fireworks from there. That will make for an amazing view with a totally different perspective.
If on the other hand you just want a one table service meal try staying in the park. Say you really wanna try the food at another resort a cab would be a huge time saver. It could save you 1.5hour or more in travel.

Here are a few sample days you might enjoy.

MK day
7:30 O'hana breakfast - you should be at mk in time for rope drop
12:30 The Plaza
5:30 Chef Mickeys back in time for fireworks

or with a signature

7:30 Chef Mickey's - you should be at mk in time for rope drop
12:30 a light snack in the park
7:30 California Grill - watch wishes as you eat your desert

Epcot day
7:30 Cape May - you can take a bus if you want to be at the front of the park for rope drop
12:30 soo many choices in the park
7:30 soo many choices in the park

or with a Signature

8:00 Akershus - done in time for rope drop
1pm light snacking/drinking around the world
7:00 Le Cellier or Bistro de Paris in the parks or tons in the Yacht and Beach Club area. This will get you back in time for fireworks

HS day

I would do this with Signature.
8:00 Hollywood and Vine. If you dont want those characters Cape May is a good choice.
1:00 light snack in the park
5-6:00 Brown Derby -Fantasmic Package time depends on show time

AK day
8:00 Tusker House - in time for park open right next to safari or a short walk to EE
1:00 Rain Forrest Cafe(at the park gate) - widest selection for the whole family or you can do Yak and Yeti in the park
6:00 Boma (only if your family is open to new food experiences) If not head to DTD or another resort restaurant. This park closes early so you wont miss anything.

or with a Signature
8:00 Tusker House
1:00 Flame tree for a light snack or meal (walk all the way back it winds for quite a while for a wonderful water view while you eat)
6:00 Citricos or Narcoossees then watch wishes on the beach of the GF with a nice adult beverage

Hope this helps. Have a wonderful trip!!!!

 

[loganpaulsmom]

Planning will be the key to your trip imho. It depends if you wanna do 2 or three meals a day. If you space them out and do a ton of physical activity 3 meal on DxDP are very possible with time factored in.

Breakfast
I would plan for breakfast before rope drop. Most restaurants have a 7:30 am breakfast. This might or might not require transportation on your part. Taxi cabs on disney property are fairly cheap $5-10 and they will save you tons of time. I would plan your breakfast in the park you plan to be for that day or in the surrounding area.
For example on Magic Kingdom days you have a huge choice. Crystal Palace and CRT if you want to stay in the park, and tons if you stay on the monorail.

For Epcot days you can go to the princess breakfast inside the park or hit the Yacht and Beach club and go to captains grill or cape may character breakfast. This is a short walk or a beautiful boat ride back to the park.

For HS you can eat at Hollywood and Vine in the park, or hit up the Yacht and Beach Club. This would be a 30+ walk or a beautiful boat ride to the park.

For Animal Kingdom I would totally recommend Tusker House. If not Boma is a short bus ride from AKL back to AK, but i would recommend sticking to Tusker House.

Lunch
For lunch I would stick to a table service restaurant in the park that you are visiting that day. Traveling out of the park will just take up too much time. Unless you are at Magic Kingdom then the monorail is a ride in and of itself.

Dinner
If you are doing a Signature Meal I wouldnt go back to your resort. I would simply dress up a tiny bit more for your day. I would go with a polo for the guys and if its hot a nice pair of khaki shorts. You will see people there very dressed to very casual. If you hit it somewhere in the middle you will be comfortable all day and through your meal. I would plan your signature meals on Magic Kingdom days or Epcot days. This makes for a quick monorail ride back to the park. You can also plan Cali Grill in time to watch the fireworks from there. That will make for an amazing view with a totally different perspective.
If on the other hand you just want a one table service meal try staying in the park. Say you really wanna try the food at another resort a cab would be a huge time saver. It could save you 1.5hour or more in travel.

Here are a few sample days you might enjoy.

MK day
7:30 O'hana breakfast - you should be at mk in time for rope drop
12:30 The Plaza
5:30 Chef Mickeys back in time for fireworks

or with a signature

7:30 Chef Mickey's - you should be at mk in time for rope drop
12:30 a light snack in the park
7:30 California Grill - watch wishes as you eat your desert

Epcot day
7:30 Cape May - you can take a bus if you want to be at the front of the park for rope drop
12:30 soo many choices in the park
7:30 soo many choices in the park

or with a Signature

8:00 Akershus - done in time for rope drop
1pm light snacking/drinking around the world
7:00 Le Cellier or Bistro de Paris in the parks or tons in the Yacht and Beach Club area. This will get you back in time for fireworks

HS day

I would do this with Signature.
8:00 Hollywood and Vine. If you dont want those characters Cape May is a good choice.
1:00 light snack in the park
5-6:00 Brown Derby -Fantasmic Package time depends on show time

AK day
8:00 Tusker House - in time for park open right next to safari or a short walk to EE
1:00 Rain Forrest Cafe(at the park gate) - widest selection for the whole family or you can do Yak and Yeti in the park
6:00 Boma (only if your family is open to new food experiences) If not head to DTD or another resort restaurant. This park closes early so you wont miss anything.

or with a Signature
8:00 Tusker House
1:00 Flame tree for a light snack or meal (walk all the way back it winds for quite a while for a wonderful water view while you eat)
6:00 Citricos or Narcoossees then watch wishes on the beach of the GF with a nice adult beverage

Hope this helps. Have a wonderful trip!!!!

Wow.. You really gave me a lot of choices!! Thank you.. But, we aren't staying at a deluxe resort so some of the info you provided also wouldn't work. I was completely excited to try California grille, but its being renovated while we are there, total bummer. Also, 3 meals a day for us is just too much.. And we are not rope drop people. I am more inclined to be up and ready.. But, my son and dh are different stories and my bil/sil definitely a no.. That's why I'm thinking we would be fine with just a late breakfast and a late dinner.. Get a snack in the middle of the day to tie us over.. I don't like doing lunch I feel like it takes too much time away from touring...