First time using the DDP

[smidget]

We are staying 4/26 to 5/3 and I have been told it is a good idea to plan what days you want to eat where and make the reservations 180 days before your trip. It was also suggested to make 2 plans - call in using 1 with each room confirmation incase your park schedule/plans change and you can cancel a meal within so many hours. Is this a good idea?

Next - for the Fantastmic Show, is it better to use your a meal ticket and stand in line for up to an hour or pay extra and maybe eat at Hollywood and Vine and get preferred seating for the show? Only thing is someone metioned you could still wait up to 45min in line even with paying extra for the ticket? We will be traveling with our 7yr old grandson. I want the most enjoyable way for him.

What are some options?
Thanks

 

[Colleen27]

It is a very good idea to plan your days and your ADRs as soon as possible. Only a few restaurants really *have* to be booked at exactly 180 out, but the earlier you start planning, the better chance you have at getting the restaurants you want.

Double booking ADRs really isn't such a good idea. ADRs have gotten pretty hard to come by with the popularity of the dining plan, and it is rather selfish to book two restaurants for the same meal. A much better idea would be to look at the park hours for your trip dates and decide where you'd like to be each day, and then make your ADRs accordingly.

Opinions on the Fantasmic package seem to vary pretty widely - when I asked the same question you're asking, I got a fairly even split between people who wouldn't go without it and people who thought it was a waste. We decided not to do the package, because our favorite MGM restaurant doesn't offer it, and we'll see come January how that works out for us.

 

[beroh2253]

I also would not double book, if every body would do that only half of the ADR's would be available. Take a look at the menues (I attached allears menues) and see what you like and do some planing ahead, we really like to do that.
As for fanstamic package we have done it both ways. If the time of year you are going the crowds are heavy then it would be best to do a restaurant that will give you a back door pass. We went this year in Sept. just happened to be after a thunder storm and we walked right in and we even went over to the side when the dining package people sit. When we did the dining package we didn't pay anything extra at the restaurant for this we just had to let them know ahead of time when we booked that we would like the fantasmic pass.





http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menus.htm

 

[smidget]

Thanks to all -your responses were a great help. It is hard satisfy a meal plan for 5 people and then try to to do 2. I couldn't see doing 2 plans myself. Also thanks for the dinner site - this also is going to be a great help - at least we can see what they have to offer in advance.

 

[Scornelius]

We are staying 4/26 to 5/3 and I have been told it is a good idea to plan what days you want to eat where and make the reservations 180 days before your trip. It was also suggested to make 2 plans - call in using 1 with each room confirmation incase your park schedule/plans change and you can cancel a meal within so many hours. Is this a good idea?

Next - for the Fantastmic Show, is it better to use your a meal ticket and stand in line for up to an hour or pay extra and maybe eat at Hollywood and Vine and get preferred seating for the show? Only thing is someone metioned you could still wait up to 45min in line even with paying extra for the ticket? We will be traveling with our 7yr old grandson. I want the most enjoyable way for him.

What are some options?
Thanks

We've done the Fantasmic dinner package twice in the last 2 years, and we've never had to wait in line at all. Both times we just walked up to the special entrance and followed the very long path strait to our seats. We then had a half an hour wait in our seats, but that's a lot better than standing up! Plus, there's often people leading singing and 'the wave' with the audience, so it's not all boring! We did it once in September, and once right around July 4th, so I would say it's the same in pretty much all seasons.