I am so confused!!!!

[Sprite74]

I think trying to figure out my ADRs is going to drive me crazy , well crazier at least!!!

There are 6 of us going, 2 Adults and 4 kids (13, 11 and twin 6yr olds) and for the life of my I can not make a decision about where to eat and if to do dinner or lunch. We will be at Disney the end of August and have the Free DDP. This is the first time we will be actually eating at Disney with exception of some QS options on previous trips. So I am feeling a little over whelmed and can't to stop looking and second guessing things, my computer is my friend these days

Since HDDMR is closed for our trip the the ones I am looking at wanting to do are;

Ohana (Dinner)
Tuskar (Dinner or Lunch - don't know now people are saying lunch is better)
Sci-Fi - my husband wants to check it out.
Mama Melrosas (for the Fantasmic show)
Liberty Tree (Lunch I think is recommended for that one)

Ok we are there for 7 nights and that is only 5 .... My husband loves fish and chips any good ones at Diseny?? Also we hate being over scheduled any of these we might be able to hold off booking tell a day or 2 before and which ones should I book NOW!! HELP!!!

Any other recommendations .... Not really worried about a Character Meal

 

[catheren]

I think trying to figure out my ADRs is going to drive me crazy , well crazier at least!!!

There are 6 of us going, 2 Adults and 4 kids (13, 11 and twin 6yr olds) and for the life of my I can not make a decision about where to eat and if to do dinner or lunch. We will be at Disney the end of August and have the Free DDP. This is the first time we will be actually eating at Disney with exception of some QS options on previous trips. So I am feeling a little over whelmed and can't to stop looking and second guessing things, my computer is my friend these days

Since HDDMR is closed for our trip the the ones I am looking at wanting to do are;

Ohana (Dinner)
Tuskar (Dinner or Lunch - don't know now people are saying lunch is better)
Sci-Fi - my husband wants to check it out.
Mama Melrosas (for the Fantasmic show)
Liberty Tree (Lunch I think is recommended for that one)

Ok we are there for 7 nights and that is only 5 .... My husband loves fish and chips any good ones at Diseny?? Also we hate being over scheduled any of these we might be able to hold off booking tell a day or 2 before and which ones should I book NOW!! HELP!!!

Any other recommendations .... Not really worried about a Character Meal

Don't go crazy, the planning is park of the WDW fun.

Just an FYI. Some TS have the same menu/prices as lunch, others do not even offer lunch. Go to www.allears.net/menus to check out the offerings

Ohana (Dinner) We are not fond of buffets/family style. O'hana is Family Style.
Tuskar (Dinner or Lunch - don't know now people are saying lunch is better). Lunch is a character buffet. Dinner no characters and $3.00 pp more. Offerings are the same for both. Plus being a buffet, I wouldn't not go.
Sci-Fi - my husband wants to check it out. Went once and hated it, just my opinion. While is a cool theme, you sit in cars, an depending on the car, you might end up with 2 or 3 in the front seat, and others in the back seat so there isn't a lot of interaction with folks in your dining party. Think of eating in your car at a drive-in theater.
Mama Melrosas (for the Fantasmic show) It's okay, but like the Brown Derby much better
Liberty Tree (Lunch I think is recommended for that one)
.

Other recommendations, in particular order: FF at BWI, Narcoossees at GF, Chef des France at Epcot, R&C for Fish and Chips at Epcot, Via Napoli for great pizza (they have pasta too) and salad at Epcot, Cali Grille at the CR, Artist Point at the WL, GFC at the GF.

Hope this helps! Enjoy your planning and trip

 

[DizDaD7]

Rose n crown at Epcot. Raglan road at DTD. For fish n chips.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I think trying to figure out my ADRs is going to drive me crazy , well crazier at least!!!

There are 6 of us going, 2 Adults and 4 kids (13, 11 and twin 6yr olds) and for the life of my I can not make a decision about where to eat and if to do dinner or lunch. We will be at Disney the end of August and have the Free DDP. This is the first time we will be actually eating at Disney with exception of some QS options on previous trips. So I am feeling a little over whelmed and can't to stop looking and second guessing things, my computer is my friend these days

Since HDDMR is closed for our trip the the ones I am looking at wanting to do are;

Ohana (Dinner)
Tuskar (Dinner or Lunch - don't know now people are saying lunch is better)
Sci-Fi - my husband wants to check it out.
Mama Melrosas (for the Fantasmic show)
Liberty Tree (Lunch I think is recommended for that one)

Ok we are there for 7 nights and that is only 5 .... My husband loves fish and chips any good ones at Diseny?? Also we hate being over scheduled any of these we might be able to hold off booking tell a day or 2 before and which ones should I book NOW!! HELP!!!

Any other recommendations .... Not really worried about a Character Meal

I just wanted to say, your totally normal! There are MANY of us that do the same thing with ADRs. Im constantly changing my ADRs around. haha. Its hard to pick a restaurant in Disney cause I wanna go to all of them! BTW you and I are at disney (with free dining) around the same time! im there Aug.26-Sept.1.


Ohana (Dinner) - I will have dinner here for the first time in Aug. Cant wait!
Tuskar (Dinner or Lunch) - Lunch is character dining now. If you want characters, i'd go for lunch. Breakfast is good too btw! If you want to avoid characters, do dinner.
Sci-Fi - my husband wants to check it out. - Go for lunch, not dinner. I LOVE Sci-Fi! SO MUCH FUN! Amazing theme. Their burgers are good. So are their shakes & onion rings!
Liberty Tree (Lunch I think is recommended for that one) - OH YUM! I love this place. Delish!

Yes definitely try the UK pavilion/epcot fish n' chips. Either at the QS stand or at Rose & Crown.

The ones i think you should book now are: Tusker House, Sci Fi, and Ohana dinner. Theyre hard to get, particularly Tusker.

 

[gabzee]

Free dining for Disney Visa holders just came out and it is for 8/26-9/29 (I believe). Therefore, I would not wait until the last minute to make ADRs. I would definitely have something set up. I would not suggest going to Sci Fi. Since you are a large party, part of your group would be sitting in the front seats of the car and the rest in the back. Therefore, it can be difficult to have a conversation. I also think there are better TS options to spend a credit on. You can get fish and chips in the UK at Epcot (either CS or at Rose and Crown).

 

[Coconuts]

Ohana dinner--this is one of our must-do's. We love all of the food and fun. I especially love the family style, and not having to get up for a buffett.

Tusker House--we ate at the character breakfast and loved it. The characters were fun and the buffett had delicious options. The juice is the best! I've never had lunch or dinner there, but lunch now also has characters. We will be repeating this place on our next trip.

Sci-Fi--While the theming is cool, you basically sit in car seats, which makes it very difficult to talk to your party. My kids didn't really understand the theming and the food was so-so. I'm glad we tried it once, but we like 50's PTC much better in DHS.

Mama Melrose--we've never been. We had a Fantasmic package booked for last trip but decided to cancel it.

LTT--the only time we were there was for a character dinner before they ended that. I've read lots of good reviews on the Disboards though.

No you are not alone and not crazy for feeling overwhelmed. Trying to figure out my ADR's for our last trip almost made my head explode! First, I would try to tenatively plan your park days, after looking at crowd calendars and show times etc. Then narrow down your dining options from there.

Good luck and hope this helps!

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

'Ohana -- while it seems the majority of those on the DIS love 'Ohana dinner, it is, without question, the worst meal we have ever had on Disney property. (We do love, however, the breakfast there.) The only thing that was fit to eat at dinner was the bread and dessert. All the meats were dry and overcooked, veggies were beyond mushy, potstickers were so tough we couldn't chew them, salad came out with no dressing, service was atrocious. That being said, if you want to go with the majority, book it now. It will book up for sure with free dining being offered.

Tusker House -- breakfast at TH is one of our absolute must-do meals. We haven't done lunch or dinner there, but our favorite server in all the World works there and he is trying to convince us to try lunch. Says it's great. Having a TS meal in the middle of the day at AK might be a good thing. It will be terribly hot when you go and AK always seems even more hotter and more humid. A little AC will come in handy!

Sci-Fi -- this is another of our must-do's. We like the theming and really enjoy the burgers, onion rings, and shakes. For a hot August day though, you can hardly beat being at Sci-Fi. It's cool and the lighting is dim. We always eat lunch at Sci-Fi in the early afternoon. It gives us a huge pick-me-up from the heat. As for the seating, if you're a party of 6, you'll have a car to yourselves....two people in each row. If you're big on being able to talk throughout your meal, it probably isn't the best, but we have never had a problem with it. We enjoy the atmosphere and the movies, eat, and head back out. It's one of our favorites.
ETA: I just remembered that on our first trip with our DSs, when they were little, we asked to be seated at one of the cars that is a regular table. It seated 6 and still had the drive-in/car look. If you're concerned about feeling separated from the rest of your party, you might ask for one of the table cars. There aren't a lot of them though, so you might have to wait a bit.

We haven't eaten at the others you've listed, but I did have one question. Is the Fantasmic package included in the free dining? If not (which I didn't think it was), you'll be paying OOP for that one. It might be worth just waiting in line for F! since it'll be a bit less busy in late August.

As for other restaurants, we really enjoy Crystal Palace (breakfast - especially before park opening), Garden Grill, Captain's Grille (at Yacht Club), Teppan Edo, and Le Cellier (lunch).

Good luck planning! And don't stress about it....it'll all work out!

 

[maggiew]

I think trying to figure out my ADRs is going to drive me crazy , well crazier at least!!!

There are 6 of us going, 2 Adults and 4 kids (13, 11 and twin 6yr olds) and for the life of my I can not make a decision about where to eat and if to do dinner or lunch. We will be at Disney the end of August and have the Free DDP. This is the first time we will be actually eating at Disney with exception of some QS options on previous trips. So I am feeling a little over whelmed and can't to stop looking and second guessing things, my computer is my friend these days

Since HDDMR is closed for our trip the the ones I am looking at wanting to do are;

Ohana (Dinner)
Tuskar (Dinner or Lunch - don't know now people are saying lunch is better)
Sci-Fi - my husband wants to check it out.
Mama Melrosas (for the Fantasmic show)
Liberty Tree (Lunch I think is recommended for that one)

Ok we are there for 7 nights and that is only 5 .... My husband loves fish and chips any good ones at Diseny?? Also we hate being over scheduled any of these we might be able to hold off booking tell a day or 2 before and which ones should I book NOW!! HELP!!!

Any other recommendations .... Not really worried about a Character Meal

I personally like 'Ohana dinner, but my kids don't. I would go to check it out yourself. They do have a nice breakfast there with Lilo and Stitch that your kids might like.

I will disagree with most and say that you should try Sci Fi. It is the only restaurant that we have eaten at on EVERY trip to Disney we have made. We go for lunch. It is a nice, cool, dark break from the heat of the day. I also think your size family is best for Sci Fi. Since you have 6 people, you will fill up the whole car with your own party. No "hitchhikers" in the back. (We have a party of 4 and so they usually seat a party of 2 in the 3rd seat.) I think your kids would enjoy eating in their own row. Although if you need to help very young kids a lot during the meal, that might not be convenient. But yours are old enough to enjoy their own space. And they are the perfect age for those corny Sci Fi movies that they play.

We haven't been to Tusker House, so I can't comment on the food. As others have said, pick lunch or dinner depending on if you are going for the characters or not.

Mama Melrose. We usually go here when we get a Fantasmic package. I don't do Brown Derby because it is 2 credits and I don't do Hollywood and Vine because it is horrible! I actually enjoy the food at Mama Melrose. Our portions have always been HUGE!

Liberty Tree. Whether you do lunch or dinner depends on what you want to eat. Lunch is an "order off the menu" type of place. We went last year for lunch and it was really good. But dinner is the family style Thanksgiving feast (turkey, mashed potatoes, etc.) So pick based on what food you would prefer.


Other recommendations might be Coral Reef at EPCOT. The kids would probably like the aquarium in the restaurant. I would recommend sticking to seafood entrees, though. When we went we got non-seafood stuff (lasagna, chicken caesar salad, kids pizza) and it was not good. (My caesar salad was ok, but DH's lasagna and the kids pizza were disgusting.) But I have heard the seafood is good.

You don't have a restaurant for EPCOT listed. I would maybe suggest Rose and Crown in the UK so that your DH could get fish and chips. If you time it right, you might be able to see Illuminations from the Rose and Crown patio.

Maggie

 

[bmagee777]

Despite some negative reviews, we love Ohana. You should defintiely give it a try. I like to get reservations late for Ohana, sometime around 8:30 or 9:00 and then watch the fireworks from there. We went to Magic Kingdom and then took the boat from there to the Polynesian, it was relaxing and a great ride.

Fantasmic dining package is the way to go, and you can use it on the DDP as only one credit.

Rose & Crown Pub for Fish & Chips. I fyou make your ADR's early, you can get a table on the patio and watch Illuminations while you eat.

Never been to the Sci-Fi, or Liberty.

We did not like Boma, or Coral Reef. COral Reef is nice for the kids as far as the aquarium.

This year we are trying a couple we have not been to: Boatwrights @ POR, 50's Primetime, and The Garden Grille for a character dinner.

 

[TinkerwithDis]

Sci-Fi--While the theming is cool, you basically sit in car seats, which makes it very difficult to talk to your party. My kids didn't really understand the theming and the food was so-so. I'm glad we tried it once, but we like 50's PTC much better in DHS.

I would not suggest going to Sci Fi. Since you are a large party, part of your group would be sitting in the front seats of the car and the rest in the back. Therefore, it can be difficult to have a conversation. I also think there are better TS options to spend a credit on. You can get fish and chips in the UK at Epcot (either CS or at Rose and Crown).

I dont understand these complaints. ITS A DRIVE-IN. What did you expect? The whole idea of a drive-in is to sit in a car, eat in your car, and watch movies. Thats the whole idea, it always was from way back when. So what if you cant talk with all 6 people in your party, is that a bad thing? Your together 24 HOURS A DAY. One solid hour of quiet time in a neat air-conditioned restaurant isnt terrible! For the record, you can talk to the people in front/behind. Its not a big deal. Im just amazed that people make reservations for a place called "Sci-Fi Drive-in" then leave disappointed because a) they sat in a car and b) couldnt talk to everyone.

The atmosphere is incredibly unique and their burgers & shakes are pretty tasty. They revamped their menu recently, so I think its worth a shot at least once in your life. If your not fond of sitting in a regular car, as someone else had mentioned, you can request one of the tables. This way you can stare at eachother nose-to-nose and chat eachothers ears off the entire meal. Although i must say its a pretty quiet restaurant. One of the reasons why i love the place. Lol!

Sci-Fi -- this is another of our must-do's. We like the theming and really enjoy the burgers, onion rings, and shakes. For a hot August day though, you can hardly beat being at Sci-Fi. It's cool and the lighting is dim. We always eat lunch at Sci-Fi in the early afternoon. It gives us a huge pick-me-up from the heat. As for the seating, if you're a party of 6, you'll have a car to yourselves....two people in each row. If you're big on being able to talk throughout your meal, it probably isn't the best, but we have never had a problem with it. We enjoy the atmosphere and the movies, eat, and head back out. It's one of our favorites.

ETA: I just remembered that on our first trip with our DSs, when they were little, we asked to be seated at one of the cars that is a regular table. It seated 6 and still had the drive-in/car look. If you're concerned about feeling separated from the rest of your party, you might ask for one of the table cars. There aren't a lot of them though, so you might have to wait a bit.

This!

 

[catheren]

I dont understand these complaints. ITS A DRIVE-IN. What did you expect? The whole idea of a drive-in is to sit in a car, eat in your car, and watch movies. Thats the whole idea, it always was from way back when. So what if you cant talk with all 6 people in your party, is that a bad thing? Your together 24 HOURS A DAY. One solid hour of quiet time in a neat air-conditioned restaurant isnt terrible! For the record, you can talk to the people in front/behind. Its not a big deal. Im just amazed that people make reservations for a place called "Sci-Fi Drive-in" then leave disappointed because a) they sat in a car and b) couldnt talk to everyone.

The atmosphere is incredibly unique and their burgers & shakes are pretty tasty. They revamped their menu recently, so I think its worth a shot at least once in your life. If your not fond of sitting in a regular car, as someone else had mentioned, you can request one of the tables. This way you can stare at eachother nose-to-nose and chat eachothers ears off the entire meal. Although i must say its a pretty quiet restaurant. One of the reasons why i love the place. Lol!






This!

Wait a minute, can we not express our personal opinions on DIS, with a bashing?

I was describing to the OP what to expect, It is my personal view, and I am entitled to it

I have read many posts that when they dined at the Sci-Fi, they left disappointed due to the fact they could not interact with their party.

Personally,even though I have been with my family for 24 hours, I still enjoy a family dinner face to face. I never thought of having dinner with my family was a "nose to nose" , "staring at eachother" and "chatting our ears off", it's called a family dinner conversation"!

Once again using my free speech.

You do a very different WDW family vacation than we do, ENJOY

 

[autismgoesdisney]

Ohana (Dinner)
Tuskar (Dinner or Lunch - don't know now people are saying lunch is better)
Sci-Fi - my husband wants to check it out.
Mama Melrosas (for the Fantasmic show)
Liberty Tree (Lunch I think is recommended for that one)

Out of the ones you have listed, my reviews are:

Ohana is our FAVORITE of all of WDW (we went as a party of 13 and every single one of us loved it!)
Tusker -- I only went for breakfast and its my favorite breakfast so far!
Sci-Fi -- ok for the kids and to say you did it, but not my favorite meal at all.
Mama Melrose -- its ok. Not great, but definitely not as bad as some say!
Haven't tried LTT.

 

[Sprite74]

Ok feeling better about my choices that is for sure and I have booked some now!!

So far we have

Liberty Tavern - Lunch
Rose & Crown - Dinner
Tuskar House - Dinner - although I might change it to Lunch!!!
Sci-Fi - Lunch
Mama Melrose (Fantasmic Package) - Dinner
Ohana - Dinner

I believe that just leaves me with 1 more to book and I may try one at one of the resorts. Feeling a little better about things.

 

[Sprite74]

I just wanted to say, your totally normal! There are MANY of us that do the same thing with ADRs. Im constantly changing my ADRs around. haha. Its hard to pick a restaurant in Disney cause I wanna go to all of them! BTW you and I are at disney (with free dining) around the same time! im there Aug.26-Sept.1.

Yes we are the same time ... we are there from Aug 25th - Sept 1 !!!! I so can't wait it has been 3yrs since our last trip

 

[autismgoesdisney]

Yes we are the same time ... we are there from Aug 25th - Sept 1 !!!! I so can't wait it has been 3yrs since our last trip

Add me to the week as well What day are you eating at Tusker House? I think we are doing lunch there on 8/30

 

[Sprite74]

Add me to the week as well What day are you eating at Tusker House? I think we are doing lunch there on 8/30

We are at Tuskars on the 28th

 

[DizDaD7]

We too are doing Disney in late August as well, and also are doing Tusker House on the 26th. 800 ressie for 12..LoL...Enjoy

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

We too are doing Disney in late August as well, and also are doing Tusker House on the 26th. 800 ressie for 12..LoL...Enjoy

We'll be there at 8:00 on the 26th as well! Party of 4 for DS7 and DH's birthdays!

 

[mommycrawford]

Ok feeling better about my choices that is for sure and I have booked some now!!

So far we have

Liberty Tavern - Lunch
Rose & Crown - Dinner
Tuskar House - Dinner - although I might change it to Lunch!!!
Sci-Fi - Lunch
Mama Melrose (Fantasmic Package) - Dinner
Ohana - Dinner

I believe that just leaves me with 1 more to book and I may try one at one of the resorts. Feeling a little better about things.

First I want to say, it will be a magical trip! I have eaten at all the places you mentioned (except R&C,) and there will be some you like better than others: that seems normal!

Liberty Tree is a set meal at Dinner and open menu at lunch. Ohana has been a favorite for the festivity for 8 years now...did it twice one year, and I am not a big meat eater. At Sci Fi I usually pay out of pocket and just get milkshakes and fries, or something....You might think of booking a second reservation, if you think you might do that, instead of using up a whole credit.
Mama Melrose is acceptable, but you are unlikely to rave about it. I am looking forward to Tuskar House for dinner this year! Many people refer to it as "Boma Lite" and I like Boma!

One place you may like, I did it last year for the first time, is Garden Grille in EPCOT...Chip and Dale, Mickey and Pluto (I think) and the food comes largely form the Land pavillion, Living with the Land ride, I believe. The restaurant rotates, and I saw tables that would easily accomodate your group! They bring the food to you, like at Ohana, and will refill at your request!

Have a great trip!

 

[lynn46356]

O'hana - I just returned from a Moms Only Trip and although we didn't eat there this past February we did in 2011. That meal was horribly disappointing. Our reservation was at 6 and we were seated 2 hours later. The food was cold and service was just as bad. This year we picked Kona. So much better and sort of similar food.

Tusker House - Have only ate at TH for breakfast and it was very very very good.

Sci-Fi - Have ate there and enjoyed the meal but haven't been there in quite some time. Will be eating there on our upcoming trip again. My plan is the basic burger/shake and am looking forward to it.

Rose & Crown - Haven't tried this place but this last trip we had the fish and chips at the counter location near it. It was very very good fish and chips and I plan on making a stop at the counter service again.

Mama Melrose - Have not ate there.

Liberty Tree Tavern - Very very very good. It was one of our favs in 2011 and we ate there again this past trip. I love the colony salad.

Isn't it fun making all of your adrs. I have not done any of ours for our upcoming trip. I guess I'd better get myself in gear.