help me plan my meals!!!!

[kenzieq]

I have booked our package through wdw for 8 nights value with 8 days of tickets. After I booked and made a few ADR's that we were going to pay oop, I am now wondering if we will save more by doing the ddp. I have ressies at the crystal palace (for my pooh loving son), sci-fi, and Akershus(my dd will be a princess!). This is our first trip to disney world for me, my dh and my children 6 and 7. I want it to be as special as possible! I know that they will love any character dinners we do. It is overwhelming to plan out my week, esp when I have never been, lol! Like how long will it take to get to where we need to be from AS movies? What would be some must see character meals or even ts meals that you wouldn't miss with your little ones? Should I just pay oop and not plan so many meals and do more qs meals? We had originally planned to bring as much food as we could to keep in hotel to save money, but it's a vacation and I don't relish the thoughts of ham and cheese or pb and j all week

i guess I am asking, what would you do? How would you plan your week? We can do spontaneous, but I like to plan too, kwim? I just need some wise counsel, lol!

I have been reading, researching to the point that my eyes are tired and I think need glasses, lol! But it's been so fun to read all the wonderful ideas on this board! TIA for any advice!

 

[WizardLarz]

With young ones you may want to consider the QSD and pay for all TS OOP.

 

[eelkmj01]

With all due respect to PP, I totally disagree with getting the QSP and paying OOP for TS. If you are looking into Character meals, you are looking at $30/adult and $15/child OOP for each TS. I would definitely do the Standard DDP. Being your first trip and your kids are the perfect age. If you think they would be into Character meals, I would book as many as possible. Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's, Akershus, the list goes on. Especially for your length of travel.

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

For us the TS character meals are part of the whole Disney experience! Easiest way to meet the characters, take pictures, get autographs. I wouldn't do only the QS plan.

Plan one TS meal per day, one QS, and then pay out of pocket at another QS or eat something you've packed.

Seems that you already have a lot of it planned. If you want to stay in the parks, plan one TS in the parks, one QS, and pack for the third. Crystal Palace and Akershus BF's can get you into the parks early, so I'd do those for BF, pack for lunch and use the snack credit, then there are lots of QS joints, and you can be real flexible with them, when you want to eat and where.

 

[mommycrawford]

You might want to look nto BBB for your "princess" and Pirate's League for your son: makeovers in the style of Disney characters.

As for dining places, Crystal palace is great! Chef Mickey's, I'm not so crazy about, but you see the fab 5. There is a breakfast w/ Lilo & Stitch at O'hana, and a breakfast at Cape May cafe w/innie, Goofy, and Donald. Whispering Canyon Cafe has some interactions with servers/diners, O'hana has hula, limbo, etc at dinner, and at Sci Fi in DHS you eat in a car at a simulated drive in.

If you have any specific questions, PM me! I have been taking my daughter since she was 2, and she is 11 now.

 

[milmore104]

Chef Mickey's is a MUST. It's your standard buffet but well worth it. It's never a trip to Disney w/out going to CM.

As far as buying the DDP. I will NEVER go w/out it. I love the fact that our meals are paid for in advance and I don't need to worry about that $. You will be surprised how much it does cost to eat in WDW. But I am a stay at home mom that cares for her family daily. Waiting on them hand and foot 24/7. I don't make meals on vacation. It's a vacation for everyone!!! i don't want to remember me making meals and cleaning them up.
And I second your thought of remembering pb&j all week. We think about the wonderful meals we've had thru the years. We plan our trips around the food and relive it through the pics we take of them. As I'm sure you've read on here that we Disers take photos of our food and share them w/ others.