Help with planning dinner?!

[all4disneyworld]

Hi! I am new to posting but, hopefully all you veterans can help us! Last year our trip to WDW was in May when the hours are longer and we used the dining plan which was great for our family of four. This year we are going in December and I noticed the parks close much earlier. What is the best way to plan for dinners when for example, you want to eat at Mama Melrose but the park is closing early? I assume that means the restaurants are closed also? Do you just have to eat early? Does anyone have any good restaurant ideas outside of the parks on the plan? We don't want to eat at ASMO food court every night. Are all the fireworks and parades earlier also? Sorry for all the questions..... help!


8 months 3 weeks and 2 days till WDW!!!!

 

[twinsmamma]

Hi! I am new to posting but, hopefully all you veterans can help us! Last year our trip to WDW was in May when the hours are longer and we used the dining plan which was great for our family of four. This year we are going in December and I noticed the parks close much earlier. What is the best way to plan for dinners when for example, you want to eat at Mama Melrose but the park is closing early? I assume that means the restaurants are closed also? Do you just have to eat early? Does anyone have any good restaurant ideas outside of the parks on the plan? We don't want to eat at ASMO food court every night. Are all the fireworks and parades earlier also? Sorry for all the questions..... help!


8 months 3 weeks and 2 days till WDW!!!!

we went in december and the parks were open later and there is always one park open up to three hours later. Magic parades were 930 and 10 and epcot fireworks were 930. the only park that was closed early was AK and that was at 6pm I believe.
concourse at contemporary is a great rest. also many great places in downtown, cap n jacks, planet hollywood and the, cuban place.

 

[disnut8]

Make your dinner seating for the latest time possible. Even if the parks do close, you can still enjoy your dinner. We stayed at Epcot after Illuminations one night trying to get pressed pennies for my granddaughter. It was around 10:00 when we went by Chefs de France (Epcot "closed" at 9:00). Diners were still in there. My daughter-in-law wanted a picture of a real French chef so she asked at the podium and not only did she get her picture, our granddaughter got to be a "server" (she served water to the patrons).

I have never felt rushed at any Disney meal.

 

[Marthasor]

In December, it really depends on which day you go to each park and if you are taking advantage of EMH, avoiding EMH or going to MVMCP.

Take MGM for instance - I think that park in Dec. IS a little tricky with timing. We were there last December and I chose to go to MGM on a non-EMH day. We (me, DH, DS's 9 & 11) wanted to eat at Brown Derby AND see Fantasmic. Fantasmic started at 7:00 p.m. and the park closed at 8:00 p.m. I thought the best thing to do would be to book Brown Derby for around 7:45 p.m. but, because the park was closing, the last ADR was at 6:50 p.m. - ok, but that would mean no Fantasmic. So, I got an ADR for 5:10 p.m. - kind of early, but it worked out ok. Another option if you want to see Fantasmic and eat later would be to take the boat over to EPCOT and eat at WS or even Beach Club or Yacht Club. You could even take the bus over to AKL and eat at Boma or Jiko! Then maybe take a cab back to your resort? But if you do stay for Fantasmic and choose to eat later, you probably won't be sitting down for dinner until about 8:45 - 9:00 p.m.

Again, it just depends on which day you choose to go to each park. Hope that helps!

 

[kcashner]

As for dinners outside the parks--think resorts. At Contemp--Concourse and Chef Mickeys.....Grand Flor--1901 Park Fare

Wilderness Lodge--Whispering Canyon.

Gotta run...huge storm came up!

 

[all4disneyworld]

Thanks to all of your for your experience. Now, if the parks are closed and we eat a late dinner (after park closing). Will the buses still be running to our resort? Sounds like everyone likes 1900 Park, so we will try that and I would really like to try Whispering Canyon. The food there looks delicious and it looks like it is family style.