How do you choose where to eat on what day??

[TwingleMum]

I am a veteran of many , many , many trips to WDW and a Dis'er so I *think* I can navigate the treacherous waters of WDW trip planning but I wonder (as always) can I do it better??? Easier??? So I ask how in 180 days in advance do you plan where and when you are going to eat??

I usually look at EMH and plan what park I'll be at on what day first. Then I try to book family favorites first, then places we really want to try and lastly places that fit our itinerary. Even with all the reconisis there are alwys glitches (like someone having the nerve to have too much fun at a park and blowing my schedule to smithereens (which I really don't mind Hankuna Matata )

HOW DO YOU DO IT?????

 

[Mamu]

We do make a few ADR before leaving (mostly the hard to get restaurants) , but usually decide in the morning where we want to eat. Guest services at the resort will make our plans before we leave for the park. Sometimes our first choice is booked so we just go with the second choice. Lots of times we wing-it. After all were on vacation and who wants to run around following a schedule.

I do find schedules are made to be broken especially when your having fun.

 

[deej696]

For us it totally depends on what park, if any, we will be at that day. For example, if we are going to be at Epcot, I wouldnt make an ADR at Jiko. Instead we eat either in the park, or at one of the Epcot resorts. MK, same thing, we eat at a location on the monorail. I just like to avoid the stress of having to squeeze everything in at the park, because my dinner is clear across property. It also tends to eliminate the transportation problems as well....

 

[Hull-onian]

I am a veteran of many , many , many trips to WDW and a Dis'er so I *think* I can navigate the treacherous waters of WDW trip planning but I wonder (as always) can I do it better??? Easier??? So I ask how in 180 days in advance do you plan where and when you are going to eat??

I usually look at EMH and plan what park I'll be at on what day first. Then I try to book family favorites first, then places we really want to try and lastly places that fit our itinerary. Even with all the reconisis there are alwys glitches (like someone having the nerve to have too much fun at a park and blowing my schedule to smithereens (which I really don't mind Hankuna Matata )

HOW DO YOU DO IT?????

We have a Disney Time Clock on our desk top monitor. I program it for the 180 days. From there, I have a park schedule. I try and plan the parks in some sort of order that makes sense. Magic Kingdom is number one. I don't care for dinner in the park, so we go to Chef Mickey's cause it is only a short walk from MK. Next day Epcot and World Showcase. We do counter service at the Mexican cantina and the Sunshine Food Court.
Next day, the waterpark. Eating dinner at Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Sunday, Hollywood Studios, one ADR for Sci Fi diner. Lunch will be grab and go. Monday Sea World-dinner afterwards at Cape May Cafe. Tuesday-Animal Kingdom-RFC for dinner. Wednesday the kids can choose their park where they want to go and we will have dinner at Ohanas. I have ten ressies altogether. Thursday, home. I think I have a nice trip planned for them.

 

[TwingleMum]

Unfortunately DDP has made it alot harder to be spontaneous. Places get booked up solid. My Dh always laughs at me and says "I don't know what I want for dinner tonight , how would I know what I want in 180 days?" So if you make ADR what is your strategy??

 

[Hull-onian]

Unfortunately DDP has made it alot harder to be spontaneous. Places get booked up solid. My Dh always laughs at me and says "I don't know what I want for dinner tonight , how would I know what I want in 180 days?" So if you make ADR what is your strategy??

Well, I have to admit it. Sometimes we always don't go to our chosen destination. I do call a cancel so someone else can have our space. Sometimes, we just like a counter service restaurant. Good enough.

 

[burberryplaid]

We use the crowd blog on the unofficial guide's website to decide which park we'll be at, and then we decide which restaurant in that park or near that park we want to eat at.

 

[TwingleMum]

Well, I have to admit it. Sometimes we always don't go to our chosen destination. I do call a cancel so someone else can have our space. Sometimes, we just like a counter service restaurant. Good enough.

We also cancel plenty of ADR's because we're having too much fun somewhere else. And its seems no matter how many days we stay its never enough. Our longest has been 13 days and still not enough.

 

[skuttle]

We figure out where we'll be that day and then pick the restaurant. Like others have said, there are times where we don't feel like eating a huge meal, or don't feel like staying in the park, so we cancel. Planning meals is never something we stress about.