First Disney Trip=Questions! Questions!

[Biscuitsmom31]

We are going to stay in a cabin at Fort Wilderness from Aug 20-27. These are the AR/PS we currently have:

Ohana's
Boma
Liberty Tree Tavern
Hoop Dee Doo
Marrakesh
Le Cellier

How did we do?

We have 4 kids, 8, 7, 7 and 3, and my DH is in a wheelchair so we will be dependant on the Buses to get around. I am curious when we would need to head for the buses to make our AR/PS. For example Sunday we are going to AK and our AR/PS is at O'hana's at 4:00.

Also, since we are using 2 ts for Hoop Dee Do we are going to have to pay for one of these meals (assuming they do not let our children share to save credits). I have looked at the menu's but I still don't know which meal would be the cheapest for us to pay out of pocket. I was also thinking about doing lunch in DTD at the Rainforrest Cafe. Is it worth the price for 6 people to pay out of pocket?

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[marcyinPA]

Your choices sound great to me! But, whatever you do, please be sure to have at least ONE meal at the Trails End at Fort Wilderness!! We are breakfast eaters, so we LOVE the breakfast buffet there. The trip we stayed in a cabin, we decided to eat breakfast out only one day (our last day). What a mistake...we should have eaten there earlier in the week and MORE OFTEN!

I've heard that lunch and dinner are really good too...

Even if you have to pay out of pocket, it's a great value for a buffet meal...10.99 for adults and 6.99 for kids...

Anway, enjoy! (We loved the cabins...they are great!)

 

[oogsdaughter]

Also if you haven't eaten at a Rainforest Cafe, the food is pretty good and the portions are huge.

 

[jacksmom]

Your choices are great! If you need something for MGM, I would suggest Sci Fi or 50's Prime Time! Your kids would probably enjoy either of these! Also, I would suggest trails End since you will be so close! They have a great buffet for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Happy planning!

 

[MandM-Mom]

Don't worry about sharing we were on the MYW plan in May and shared with DD4 just about every meal. And the meals we did not share off our plate with we paid out of pocket for and saved her credits. A kids meal is only 5.00 or so, so saving her credit got us a couple more sit downs. Or put it towards the Signature meals. They definitly give enough at the restaurants for sharing too, portions were huge everywhere. When we shared we also usually purchased DD4 her own dessert, just so she could pick what she wanted, and so I didn't have to share mine! A few times DH didn't want his so she just picked one and used his dessert credit. GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN! Also we had a great time at CRT for dinner, no characters, only in the lobby, great ambiance, we felt like royalty!!!

 

[MOMOFMNM]

Are you techicallly not allowed to share meals??? My three girls could share one meal for all of them...I was thinking of doing this for them...and getting drinks seperate to save for a dinner show or something..

 

[novastar]

It's funny that when anybody posts their restaurant list, there are only good comments. It's actually pretty crazy that Disney has so many good restaurants in a small area

 

[Dopey's Girl]

I think your choices are great!
RE: Rainforest Some young ones are scared by all the noises in the place (it can be loud). I never thought twice about it and couldn't wait to take my own kids. After waiting (too long) and finally being seated my youngest promptly melted down when the animated elephants started going off over one shoulder and the monkeys over the other. Boy that was fun!
The only restaurant not on your list that we love is Chef mickeys. Personally, I'd dump Boma for Chef Mickeys, but that's me with 2 young ones. Still, I think you did a great job choosing. have a great time!

 

[Biscuitsmom31]

The way I see it is that the kids are getting Disney World We've got to have something for Mom & Dad!!

We had been planning a trip to the Smoky Mountains for almost a year when my sister announced she was taking her 4 kids to Disney World. Needless to say, the begging ensued. I hope it turns out better than I anticipate. For some reason a hot crowded theme park with 4 kids does not sound like a relaxing vacation. Of course, driving through the mountains and visiting civil war memorials probably isn't appealing to them either!!

 

[Biscuitsmom31]

 

[Dopey's Girl]

The way I see it is that the kids are getting Disney World We've got to have something for Mom & Dad!!

I'm all for enjoying time alone with spouse and having adult time. We try to schedule one "date night" on every trip so we can do totally what WE want to do. BUT... so much of the fun of Disney comes from taking in the excitement and joy on our kids faces. Kids are only young once so it's worth every moment in every line (and yes, even worth every overpriced drink, etc.) to see that and to be able to share a little joy as a family. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't think it's just kids that get Disney World. I get as much as they do and MORE because I get to be a kid myself AND I get to enjoy it again through their eyes!
I hope you enjoy your trip!

 

[renessa]

The only two meals where sharing would be a no-no would be Hoop Dee Doo and O'hana's because they are all you can eat and you are charged per person. I have heard that lots of people order childrens meals from Kona (nearby restaurant) when dining at O'hana. The childrens meals are reasonably priced around $5.00 I believe. You could easily pay of of pocket for the childrens meals at O'hana or wherever you choose. Have a great trip...we love Hoop Dee Doo....

 

[puddleduck]

The way I see it is that the kids are getting Disney World We've got to have something for Mom & Dad!!

I agree. I can't wait to see the look on my kids' faces either, but I am not going to spend the entire time doing only kids stuff. Plus, I think my kids will enjoy Boma (it's on our list, too). I don't think that just because you throw in an activity or restaurant that appeals more to adults, that your going to miss any "magic". Go to Boma, your kids will enjoy a new experience. I love to expose my kids to new things, even if they are not strictly kid oriented. My four yo old loves California rolls at our local Japanese restaurant. The restaurant is not a kiddie place, but my kids love it. And I never would have known that my kids like smoked salmon sushi, had I not taken them there.

 

[marcyinPA]

The way I see it is that the kids are getting Disney World We've got to have something for Mom & Dad!!

I agree. I can't wait to see the look on my kids' faces either, but I am not going to spend the entire time doing only kids stuff. Plus, I think my kids will enjoy Boma (it's on our list, too). I don't think that just because you throw in an activity or restaurant that appeals more to adults, that your going to miss any "magic". Go to Boma, your kids will enjoy a new experience. I love to expose my kids to new things, even if they are not strictly kid oriented. My four yo old loves California rolls at our local Japanese restaurant. The restaurant is not a kiddie place, but my kids love it. And I never would have known that my kids like smoked salmon sushi, had I not taken them there.

My kids loved Boma and we will be going back in Sept. My older one (now 10) is more adventurous, but even the pickey eater found stuff he liked on the Boma buffet. Plus, our server was FANTASTIC and encouraged our little guy to drink milk instead of soda by telling him that Jafar (his fav. villian!) drinks milk every day at that same time! Then he brought him an autographed photo of Jasmine and Aladdin....it was SO MAGICAL!!!

 

[MICKEEP]

Your choices sound great. If it wasn't for Hoop de do it would be identical to our plans are for our next trip. Boma & 'Ohana are our two favorites.

We are trying Teppanyaki for the first time this trip. Have you considered that restaurant.

 

[YesYourMajesty]

Your choices sound great to me! But, whatever you do, please be sure to have at least ONE meal at the Trails End at Fort Wilderness!!

I couldnt agree more about the Trails End. What a great value! I think you should try the Trails End as well. You get a ton of food, it is such a good deal!

 

[Biscuitsmom31]

"We are trying Teppanyaki for the first time this trip. Have you considered that restaurant."

Yes, we went back and forth on this one. We finally decided to go with Marrakesh because we have a few restaurants in Oklahoma City that are similar to Teppanyaki. We wanted to eat something that is not easily accessed in our own backyard.

 

[slk537]

You will love 'Ohana - we did that last trip on the EMH night at MK and saw Wishes and then spent the evening at MK...it was wonderful...! Boma is nice. The kid's section of the buffet is very traditional and they'll love seeing the animals at AKL so you can enjoy the unusual food and they'll still be happy. Liberty Tree Tavern is great! The atmosphere is wonderful and the food is good (think "Thanksgiving")...your kids will love the characters and being right in the MK. We LOVE Le Cellier. You'll find lots of people do. Great food and a very relaxed restaurant. We also did the HDD for the first time on Mother's Day this year. I was not looking forward to it - the whole thing isn't really my style - but I knew DS and DH would love it. Well, so did I! It is fun and the food was good and the show was really enjoyable. You'll love it! Depending which show you go to, you could follow up with the Chip and Dale campfire/movie night and never leave the campground!

Marrakesh intrigues me...I look forward to hearing how you like it when you get back.

I would recommmend saving TS credits by paying out of pocket for any of your kids at the less expensive meals. Or sharing, as many have mentioned. We're planning to use all of DS's credits for us and paying cash for him. That way we have more TS meals to go around.

Enjoy your first trip! You are already doing what you need for an excellent trip: research! You'll all have a great time.

 

[eeyore45]

We are going to stay in a cabin at Fort Wilderness from Aug 20-27. These are the AR/PS we currently have:

Ohana's
Boma
Liberty Tree Tavern
Hoop Dee Doo
Marrakesh
Le Cellier

How did we do?

We have 4 kids, 8, 7, 7 and 3, and my DH is in a wheelchair so we will be dependant on the Buses to get around. I am curious when we would need to head for the buses to make our AR/PS. For example Sunday we are going to AK and our AR/PS is at O'hana's at 4:00.

Also, since we are using 2 ts for Hoop Dee Do we are going to have to pay for one of these meals (assuming they do not let our children share to save credits). I have looked at the menu's but I still don't know which meal would be the cheapest for us to pay out of pocket. I was also thinking about doing lunch in DTD at the Rainforrest Cafe. Is it worth the price for 6 people to pay out of pocket?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Rainforest isnt on the dining plan, and definately pay out of pocket for some of your kids meals to do the buffets you have listed!! Have you read this site on the dining tips?

http://www.touringplans.com/MYWDining.html "

Using your Children as a License to Print Money As mentioned above, the entire family's meals are grouped into a single pool that can be used at any time by any family member. If you've got at least one child ages 3-9, it's possible to exploit this feature to make dining at a "Disney signature" restaurant a very good deal. A mother of two boys from Shippensburg, Pennsylvania explains:

Since all meals are pooled, you can pay for the kid's meal separately, and use their points for an adult meal at a two-point signature restaurant instead. This makes it a much better plan. We did this with the previous Disney dining plan, and we loved it.

Here's how it works, assuming a family of three adult diners and one child ages 3-9. On day 1, the entire family eats at a regular sit-down restaurant. The adults follow the plan, and order an appetizer, entree and dessert. The child orders from the kids' menu, where dinner prices typically range from $5 to $7. When it comes time to pay the bill, the family uses three meals from the plan to cover the adults, and pays for the child's meal out of pocket. This saves one sit-down meal in the family's plan account, at an incremental cost of around $5-7.

The family repeats this process two more times, until it has three extra sit-down meals in the plan. At this point, the family can dine at a Disney signature restaurant and use the three extra meals to cover the cost of each adult dinner."

With your dh in a wheelchair, have you read the FAQ on the dis on disabilities thread? Lots of great advice and tips!

Oh, and if your kids are like my dd8, they'll LOVE Ohana, so I'm sure they'll LOVE AKL - there is a report that they have a Parade that kids borrow instruments and parade around the resort lobby, so for me, I've been thinking of making AR for 7, gettting there at 6 and "exploring" the resort?? not sure 7 can be late... but if I carry some granola bars maybe/??

Hope you post a review to help me!!

 

[michvin]

hi...just wanted to give you a tip on something i read in the UG...because hddr requires 2 meals per person, say, when you go to one of the other restaurants that doesn't, you pay for the kids meals out of pocket that night and only use two meals for you and your husband, or just pay for two kids meals instead of all 4. This way, you recoup some of the extra meals you used at hddrand don't spend a fortune paying for an entire family meal. Plus, with the grownup meals, you could probably order 4 adult meals at the one meal restaurant and split it between everyone...cause you get the appetizer, meal and dessert. Does that make sense? Good luck with the planning.