February 24-March 3

[pumpkinfish]

Yay! Just paid the deposit today (thank you Mary Jo ). DH and I are WDW regulars so this is our first trip together to DL. DH last visit was during his HS senior trip (many moons ago), my last trip was in '84 (many MANY moons ago). We will be meeting up with his dad and half-brother and hopefully my aunt, uncle, and cousins. I will also be celebrating my birthday while there which is wonderful .

So my question to all of you would be, what should we do? LOL. Such a simple question I know! I know which rides to go on, so my main concern would be which places to eat at (I think Napa Rose is too far out of our budget for food), and maybe a few tours to reccomend. We are staying onsite at PP and I have been contemplating upgrading us to concierge. Is that a good idea? We normally stay at POFQ or POR at WDW so never have stayed concierge. But this IS a special trip so...

Ok, my ears are open for suggestions!
P.S. Anyone else going during this week?!

 

[pumpkinfish]

Oh c'mon! I know these boards are VERY helpful

I appreciate any feedback to an overly obsessive planner

 

[honeymom]

Oh c'mon! I know these boards are VERY helpful

I appreciate any feedback to an overly obsessive planner

Don't take it personally - I just don't think the DL board is as active as the WDW boards here.

I'll try my best to help you as we are just back from DL. Unfortunately, when it comes to food, DL is not as good as WDW in general. And, the best places to eat are pretty expensive - Napa Rose, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen. Blue Bayou is almost as expensive and the food isn't as good, but I do like it for atmosphere and as long as you order safe it is good (stick to Prime Rib, Pork Loin or the Monte Cristo.) The Rainforest Cafe is okay and fun. We went to the character breakfast buffet at Storytellers (GCH). The food was really good and I have read that their dinner buffet is great, too. At DL itself, I have read good things about the Carnation Cafe and Rancho Zocalo although we couldn't eat at either this trip. DCA is supposed to have some decent restaurants although we had a nightmare experience at Ariel's Grotto years ago and will never go back.

Hopefully, I have given enough tips here to get some other people started. Have a great trip.

 

[GoofyBaby]

If your family likes Italian, I highly recommend Naples in DTD. It's not dirt cheap, but not too expensive, either and we thoroughly enjoyed the thin crust pizza and salad! Hope this helps a bit!

 

[disney-super-mom]

Since you haven't been to DL for so long, and if you can afford it, ABSOLUTELY splurge on concierge, and definately get a DCA park view which is spectacular from the PP!

Also definately make an ADR for the Blue Bayou, and if you make it for an early lunch you'll have better luck of getting a waterside table. Hmmmm, on the other hand, it would be a great place for a romantic dinner or a BIRTHDAY DINNER! The atmosphere here is superb (if you get the right table). The food has been hit or miss over the years, but lately it's been getting great reviews so that's always a good thing.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[pumpkinfish]

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your ideas and recommendations
We definitely are planning a b-day dinner/lunch for Blue Bayou. My DH has taken the front seat on that one
I think I will ask if an upgrade is available for concierge when we check in. I am not expecting this for free, and would pay the appropriate amount for this.
I have been thinking about Naples since DH is Italian and we never turn away from a good Italian restaurant, especially when we are on vacation!
What about the tours that are offered in DL? I have been looking into “walking in Walt’s footsteps” ( I don’t remember the exact title). We really like the idea of stepping inside Club33, even if it is just to take the elevator.
Is there any other personal tips? I have been reading and reading and reading until my brain is overflowing with DL info. I like when I get tips from fellow DISers the most. Remember, it is just DH and I the first 4 days. DH’s family comes down the last 3 days. So we have free range of the parks, at our own pace. I am looking forward to the wine tasting in DCA. It will remind me of the Food and Wine Fest at EPCOT. Actually, it seems the more I look into DCA, the more I see MGM and EPCOT rolled into one park. And that’s a good thing.

What about the FastPass system at DL? I think I read that you can go back and forth between DL and DCA. Is this true? What is usually the best plan for this?

Ok, that's all i can think of for now! Thanks again for all your help everyone.