HELP! Too many ressies, not enough dining credits!

[MissJanice]

We are going to Disney next week for a little three day getaway (we live 45 minutes away and have annual passes.) But I'm not where/when to eat. I had everything planned until I signed on today and found a TON of Chef Mickey ressies available.

Monday: Boma- We love Boma, it is delicious, LOVE AKL and it is early enoughto see the resort and animals before the sun goes down after dinner.

Tuesday: Chef Mickey at 8 for breakfast OR
Donald at 10 for breakfast OR
Chef Mickey at 8:35 for dinner (late, I know, but it is Mickey!)

Wednesday: Crystal Palace at 9:05 for breakfast
Crystal Palace at 4:25 for dinner OR
Chef Mickey at 8:40 for dinner

Thursday: Chef Mickey at 11:15 OR
Donald at 10:15

I have three TS credits and will be paying OOP for one meal (breakfast obviously since it is cheaper ). So what is a better breakfast? What is a better dinner? We never eat TS when we go for the day. NEVER! So when we booked our little mini-vacay, I booked DDP without telling DH, so that I knew we would be able to go to all the places we just see from the outside!

HELP!

 

[Cafeen]

Crystal Palace or Tusker House breakfasts will be the cheapest OOP. They are close enough so that it won't matter which one you do. The lunches at both are still cheaper than Chef Mickey's breakfast as well. Dinners vs CM breakfast, I'm not too sure of.

ETA:
Ok, I did that quick because I read "live" as "leave in" heh. I R Gud At Reeding.

Now, some depends on park plans, but I'd go for the following:
Monday - Boma (because there's no other choice, this was easy )
Tues - CM @ 8am (Nice and early to maximize park time, and breakfast is reportedly better than Dinner)
Wed - CP @ 4:25pm (Don't want to have all breakfasts now do we? )
Thu - Tusker @ 10:15am (OOP)

Putting Tusker last as the cheapest would also work if you decided that you didn't feel like eating at one of the other places, and could then use the extra credit there (some people prefer this method). A 10:15am reservation also allows you to hit one or two headliners (Everest or Safari) before breakfast time. (Though, with early July crowds, maybe just 1).

 

[courtneylauren]

Personally, I loved the Tusker House breakfast!!!!! Great food, wide selection, so much fun! That being said, we have reservations for Chef Mickey's breakfast this trip and have only ever eaten dinner there before.

 

[shawnh199]

We thought Tusker House (breakfast) was way better than Chef Mickey's for breakfast. The food was sooo much better and we didn't feel as rushed at Tusker House, even though we were trying to beat rope drop to the safari ride (we didn't make it, but we didn't really think we could). The characters barely spent enough time with us at Chef Mickey's to take pictures, much less get autographs. I don't know if we will go back to Chef Mickey's. We did 6 character breakfasts on our last trip. Tusker House was by far our favorite, with Ohana and Akershus Princess Breakfast coming in tied for 2nd; Crystal Palace and Hollywood and Vine finishing ahead of Chef Mickey's.

You can't really go wrong with any character breakfast/meal because you're at Disney World and you're dining with the characters.

Have fun!!

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

I would keep CM Breakfast Tuesday, Wednesday CP dinner and Thrusday Tusker House breakfast.

 

[Shleedogg]

I'd like to weigh in on the CM for dinner. We've done both. I prefer breakfast food, and definitely enjoyed the food more at breakfast. However, given the choice, I would pick a late dinner at CM, hands down. The character interaction was amazing. Our reservation was around 8 and the characters all came around once and took pictures and interacted a little with the kids in our party. Then they came around again. By the 2nd time, most of the restaurant had emptied out. There were only 3 tables occupied in our area including us. We had multiple characters at a time playing with our DD and niece. They stopped and danced with them and really took a long time with them. It was amazing. My DD LOVED it!

I would do

Tues: CM dinner
Wed: Crystal Palace. No preference from me. Breakfast food was good, but we felt so rushed, character interaction was poor.
Thurs: Tusker House breakfast (get there at rope drop and enjoy a few rides, get a fastpass, do breakfast, then use fastpass). Food was really good!

 

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

I have to agree with PP that I would go for the late CM dinner. In most of the restaurants they are less busy later so you will get better character interaction. Also if you are using table service credits this should be more bang for you 'credit' than a breakfast.

SO I would do:

Mon-Boma
Tues- CM Dinner @ 8:30
Wed-Crystal Palace dinner @ 4:25
THurs- Doanlds breakfast @ 10:15 (or earlier if you can get it.)

 

[Marthasor]

Now, some depends on park plans, but I'd go for the following:
Monday - Boma (because there's no other choice, this was easy )
Tues - CM @ 8am (Nice and early to maximize park time, and breakfast is reportedly better than Dinner)
Wed - CP @ 4:25pm (Don't want to have all breakfasts now do we? )
Thu - Tusker @ 10:15am (OOP)
1).

This is my vote as well! I would try to get tusker a little earlier if possible. Keep CM breakfast. I see you have a two year old - mine would never make it through an 8:30 dinner!

 

[Pumbaa_]

The reviews on CM have been horrible lately. I would stick to Pooh and friends

 

[MissJanice]

I think I have it figured out...nothing like waiting until 8 days beforehand!
Monday: Boma dinner (Yum)
Tuesday: Akershus for breakfast
Wednesday: Crystal Palace late lunch/early dinner
Thursday: O'hana for breakfast OOP.

CM has not had good reviews (I noticed that too!) And I LOVE Lilo and have only hear great things about O'hana and no late dinner, too. We will probably do Poly QS and watch Summer Night fireworks from the beach. One at the CSR and one more depending on what is happening. Plus I saved the OOP to see if we still have money left . I will save it for my Lilo, though!

Thanks for all your help!