Help me figure out our dining plans?

[nancy drew]

ok, i am traveling solo with 2 kids (4yo and 2.5yo). we will be at DLR for 5 full days (not including arrival and departure days). we love character meals and really want to "experience" DLR. so help me figure out our dining plans so i can make my PS reservations!

i know most character meals are at the hotels, right? are the hotels more convenient to one park or the other or is it all the same?

i would think that since DCA closes early when we will be there it makes sense to plan a character dinner on our DCA days, right? same goes for breakfast, since DCA opens later?

aside from character meals what other restaurants should we visit that require PS? i can figure out our counter service meals later, but i want to make PS ressies asap and am overwhelmed with how to plan it.

 

[bumbershoot]

Storytellers at Grand Californian (breakfast with Chip and Dale) would definitely be convenient to DCA. Paradise Pier (breakfast with Lilo and Stitch) would be too, because you can go through GCH to get there.

I'm kind of being silly here, but the most convenient way to get to the Goofy meals (breakfast and dinner? maybe lunch too?) at DLH could be if you're in Tomorrowland and just hop on the monorail. That puts you off in Downtown Disney near the Disneyland Hotel, and you could just walk over. Definitely a FUN way to get there!

Many people make Priority Seatings for Carnation Cafe in DL. I can't imagine you would want to go to the Blue Bayou with just the three of you, but if you do, that's a good one for PSs.

The in-park meals are at Ariel's with princesses in DCA, and I actually think they have meals all day long. There's also the breakfast with Minnie and friends at the Plaza Inn at Disneyland.

Have you checked out the menus? I was just looking at menus, and there is equal-ish information on allears.net and dlresortinfo (always try to look at the most recently updated menu...they vary between restaurants on those sites).

 

[nancy drew]

thanks so much for this info! this is exactly what i was looking for, since i have no real idea how close the hotels are to the parks or anything. im so used to WDW where you just sorta pick meals based on what park you are in each day.

i like the idea of taking the monorail to the one meal. the monorail is one of the only things my son has requested for our trip. that and meeting bob the builder . i keep telling him bob isnt there, but he wont believe me.

i didnt know about dlresort, ill definitely check out that site. allears seems to have more WDW info, less DLR info, but ill check there again, too. thanks!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Glad I could help.

To get an idea of how close things are, I like playing on google maps, getting the street view, and the hybrid view, and really seeing the distances.

This page (http://www.anaheimgardenwalk.com/siteplans.html) has an aerial map that is specifically to show you where GardenWalk (a new mall area) is in relation to DLR, but it also shows you the parks and the streets. Kinda nice.

Yeah, no bob the builder, poor kid. Does he like Buzz Lightyear or Jack Sparrow? Buzz has routine appearances in Tomorrowland, his times are even listed in the Entertainment Times Guide you pick up on your way into the parks! He's not always in the same place inside Tomorrowland, though. And Jack Sparrow is on Tom Sawyer's Island. My guy loved Jack even though he hadn't any idea of what POTC was. Since then he has seen the first movie (never thought I'd do that) and he loves Jack even more.

Oh, I'll warn ya...from my memory, the monorail station in DTD lets you off basically across from the Lego store. If you're not willing to go in and spend 2 hours there at that moment, try to anticipate this and distract them.

Oh, and with the monorail you have to fold up the stroller. I think that's the same at WDW, but just wanted to make sure you knew. We weren't entirely sure and had a very fast "ack pack up the stuff in the bottom into this big bag, fold it, get on board" moment, and that was stressful enough with one kid and two adults!

 

[nancy drew]

i should really check out google maps. thanks!

he does like buzz (dd loves buzz so he has sort of learned to love buzz) and i think he finally likes pirates, thanks to the pirate happy meals from mcdonalds .

i rolled my double stroller onto the monorail at WDW but only onto a handicapped car (of course i wouldnt do that if the space was needed, but it was open so i took advantage). i saw people with regular size strollers on the monorail there, too. maybe they are different cars? either way, good to know that i need to fold it up before getting on board.

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

thanks so much for this info! this is exactly what i was looking for, since i have no real idea how close the hotels are to the parks or anything. im so used to WDW where you just sorta pick meals based on what park you are in each day.

i like the idea of taking the monorail to the one meal. the monorail is one of the only things my son has requested for our trip. that and meeting bob the builder . i keep telling him bob isnt there, but he wont believe me.

i didnt know about dlresort, ill definitely check out that site. allears seems to have more WDW info, less DLR info, but ill check there again, too. thanks!!!

Bumbershoot is right Taking the monorail from Tomorrowland to Downtown Disney is a very fun way to arrive at Goofy's Kitchen for a character meal! We did this on my DS's birthday last year and I asked if he could ride up front in the monorail with the driver. My DS just loved arriving to his birthday brunch this way. Just ask them right before you board. You can see everything from up there and your kids will love it.

 

[Hound 109]

ok, i am traveling solo with 2 kids (4yo and 2.5yo). we will be at DLR for 5 full days (not including arrival and departure days). we love character meals and really want to "experience" DLR. so help me figure out our dining plans so i can make my PS reservations!

i know most character meals are at the hotels, right? are the hotels more convenient to one park or the other or is it all the same?

They're convenient to both parks, but GCH is next to DCA. Where are you staying?

i would think that since DCA closes early when we will be there it makes sense to plan a character dinner on our DCA days, right?

Do not think of DLR like WDW. One should consider park hopping each day, & one should enjoy DL EARLY each day (unless you are sleeping in).

...same goes for breakfast, since DCA opens later?

I prefer to zig when others are zagging. I would schedule the "dinner" late afternoon & visit DL that evening.

I would schedule the "breakfast" late morning (after touring DL 2 - 2 1/2 hours)

aside from character meals what other restaurants should we visit that require PS? i can figure out our counter service meals later, but i want to make PS ressies asap and am overwhelmed with how to plan it.

5 full days at DLR....I'm envious. Where will you be staying??

 

[nancy drew]

5 full days at DLR....I'm envious. Where will you be staying??

we will be at the park vue inn.

i am totally not a "big breakfast" person so i was kinda disappointed that most character meals seem to be at breakfast time. good call on planning for a late breakfast/early lunch.

im definitely planning to park hop, it all kind of depends on what the kids want to do each day, what they want to go on again (And again, and again...) what scared the bejeezus out of them, etc. thats one of the appealing things about DLR with little kids, its so much easier to park hop!

 

[Hound 109]

we will be at the park vue inn.

i am totally not a "big breakfast" person so i was kinda disappointed that most character meals seem to be at breakfast time. good call on planning for a late breakfast/early lunch.

im definitely planning to park hop, it all kind of depends on what the kids want to do each day, what they want to go on again (And again, and again...) what scared the bejeezus out of them, etc. thats one of the appealing things about DLR with little kids, its so much easier to park hop!

A couple of thoughts on Breakfast (& i hope others will chime in). Given that like me, you might not want a huge feed at 7-8am.....arrive at DL early each day & enjoy the best time to tour. :

On any given day:

- From DL, take the Monorail to Goofy's in the DH. (I believe they serve a "brunch with breakfast AND lunch items at some point....10:30am? 11am?)

- Or....Have Bfast at Minnies in DL at 10am -10:30am.

- AND/OR....walk thru DTD & have breakfast at Storytellers at GCH (or Stiches at PP) at 10isham. After Breakfast walk into DCA thru the GCH "secret entrance".

- Have an early dinner at Goofy's in the DH. (using the monorail there & back) then enjoy DL in the evening with the FPs you collected early.

I'm going in two weeks & will be trying either Stich's at 10ish or Goofy's at 11ish when we go.

I'll let you know how it goes. (& please let us know what you all decide).

hound -

.

 

[Wendi2000]

I would recommend doing the character meal at Ariel's Grotto for lunch or dinner because the character interaction is really good, and it is a true table service meal. I know from experience that buffets are very difficult to manage with little kids when you are the only adult traveling. You can't really leave them at the table unsupervised, so you have to grab your purse, get both kids to come along, you've only got two hands, the kids are poking at each other and holding onto your legs and running around, etc. You manage to get one or two plates of food, you go set them on the table and go back to get the next plate before you can all sit down... ayayay!!! I do love a good buffet, but sometimes it's just a nightmare logistically and it's not very relaxed. Breakfast at Storyteller's and PCH Grill also have menu items rather than buffet if you want to have plated meals (except at least at Storyteller's the buffet is sooooo good I can never be swayed to choose just one thing from the menu!)

I only have one child, so it's not terrible to do the buffet, and now that he's a little older it's much easier... I would imagine that if you asked a CM for assistance they'd go through the buffet with you and carry a plate or two for you though, I just never asked.