is this not enough?

[tkme4ard]

last time we did chef mickeys (unimpressed), cindys (loved and want to do again) and I think that's all we planned as far as meals but we stayed off site and had a kitchen last time

This time we're staying at SOG and I think all we want to do is cindys (breakfast), and whispering canyon. The rest just food service meals and fly by the seat of our pants.

Is this not enough disney magic? The kids will be 12(B), 9(G), turning 7(G) while there, and just turned 2(G)

we also did the birthday cruise last time but since we're going the last week of jan, I'm afraid it will be too cold out on the water.

I just don't know what to plan. help?

 

[adell557]

How long is your trip?

 

[tkme4ard]

sorry I should have specified. We're going from the 24th through the 31st so 8 days?

 

[adell557]

Well, I would do a couple more, you don't want to over schedule, but the dining can be alot of fun. There is the

Ohana breakfast with Lilo and Stitch, mickey and pluto,
Crystal Palace which is tigger, pooh and friends,
Liberty Tree Tavern mickey Minnie, and friends.

and of course a ton more.

If you don't want to do dining, you could do the Alice Tea Party at the Grand Floridian or the Pirate Cruise for the kids. They are alot of fun, 2 year old is too young for them though. Have to be 4 and older. They are for kids only, so you get a little free time!


But I would schedule a couple more things IMHO

 

[Aimeedyan]

Disney magic doesn't lie in the food at a table service restaurant. Disney magic is being in the parks, meeting the characters, riding the classic rides, watching the water fountains dance, standing in awe of the fireworks, and being with your family.

There is Disney magic found anywhere you welcome it. Thousands of guests never step food into a restaurant onsite and still have a magical visit with great memories.

Go with what you have planned. If you get tired and want to be "served" stop by a guest service desk or call the dining line and see about getting a table service meal. In Jan, that should be very easy to do. We have gone many times without reservations made and had no issues getting one if we wanted one NOR did we feel like we missed out on some magic that only was found at a restaurant somewhere.

 

[adell557]

I agree that Dis magic happens everywhere, but CS meals for 8 days can get boring, and I am always a proponent for preplanning. I would rather have it scheduled and cancel it than not and not be able to get ressies if you want to go.

 

[simonkodousek]

I would plan at least one table service meal for each day of your trip. Some of my favorites are...

~Kona Cafe
~Whispering Canyon Cafe
~Crystal Palace
~Nine Dragons
~Biergarten
~Chefs de France

 

[ransom]

If you're happy with counter service meals, then I say don't worry about scheduling sit-down meals except at the special restaurants you've picked out. Why waste time?

(This from someone who has one or two TS meals planned per day for a 14-day vacation.)

 

[georgiapeach]

Although you'll still have tons of Disney magic without more TS meals, I do agree that it is better to make a few more ADR's, but think about cancelling them last minute. It's always nice to have some options, and a lot of the better TS are booked. Breakfasts are the cheapest, but that's the meal that is also the cheapest to do quick and easy at CS or pack-your-own. I like to do TS for lunch, and then do a lighter dinner- I think it makes the whole day's food budget the cheapest. What about Garden Grill? Your kids are a good age for that. We had a great experience at Chef Mickey's, maybe you should try that again. The Character meals have the most Disney magic, but sometimes it's also nice to just sit down and try to be more relaxed at a non-character meal. Perhaps the Mexico restaurant at Epcot, or even do a mid-afternoon snack at Sci-Fi. Neither are out of this world expensive (by Disney standards).

However, a big appeal of a TS meal for me is the air conditioning, and in January that won't be as big of a deal. I think TS just make the day more relaxing, but there are other ways to chill and be more laid back, too. I just cringe at the thought of 8 days of CS, it's especially hectic with kids. But you know your family better than anyone else, so do what you think is best.

Another thought- it's expensive, especially for a big family, but what about one of the dinner shows?

 

[mmmears]

I agree -- we go to WDW for many things, but food isn't a priority. We do have one sit-down meal a day, though. It is really nice to have a relaxed family meal with air-conditioning to rest those weary feet for a while. Also, with kids, they often go from "I'm not hungry" to "I need food NOW" so quickly that it is hard satisfy them if it happens to be a lunch/dinner crush time. I would say make some more ADRs and if you dont want to use them, call the dining line and cancel them. I feel more comfortable knowing that there will be at least one place that will have room for us, even if it is crowded.

 

[gingerale]

I'd consider making a couple more ADRs just so you have them ready to use it you want to. You can always cancel them if you decide not to use them, but it doesn't hurt to have a few planned just in case.

 

[Leslieann1024]

last time we did chef mickeys (unimpressed), cindys (loved and want to do again) and I think that's all we planned as far as meals but we stayed off site and had a kitchen last time

This time we're staying at SOG and I think all we want to do is cindys (breakfast), and whispering canyon. The rest just food service meals and fly by the seat of our pants.

Is this not enough disney magic? The kids will be 12(B), 9(G), turning 7(G) while there, and just turned 2(G)

we also did the birthday cruise last time but since we're going the last week of jan, I'm afraid it will be too cold out on the water.

I just don't know what to plan. help?

Since you're lucky enough to be going for a longer trip, perhaps you might want to think about doing one of the dinner shows if you've never experienced them ? Your kids are a great age for the Hoop De Doo Revue, the luau or Ohana. I'd recommend the HDDR first, only because thats our favorite out of them all - its very corny, just an old fashioned song/joke/food fest !

Or maybe one of the "theme" restaurants like 50's Prime Time, Sci-Fi, Whispering Canyon, etc. ? And remember, if you like to be in on the "fun", tell your host when you check in that you'd like a "fun" server !

 

[tkme4ard]

50's prime time, and whispering canyons is on our list as well.

 

[adell557]

50's prime time, and whispering canyons is on our list as well.

If you have any Princess lovers, Princess storybook dining at the Norway Pavillion is fun, we saw Ariel (with legs), DD loved it. (have to go at dinner for this one.) If you have a Mulan fan, she is there for the breakfast.

 

[Harambe]

I'd add at least one character meal. The new one at Tusker House in AK might be nice!

And when our kids were a little older (like your 12 and 9YOs), they had started studying other countries in school, and I was surprised to find out that they wanted to eat at France and Italy in Epcot! So, ask!

 

[tkme4ard]

I think we'll do one more charecter but I'm not sure if we should do a pooh or princess maybe we should do both LOL

 

[MichelleinMaine]

a suggestion (based on our trip last month with a 12 year old boy )- perhaps find some place he would like to eat. My son wanted NOTHING to do with characters, had no interest in any character meals. Just thinking yours might have more fun with something like Sci-Fi or such than Pooh or another princesses meal. Just my two cents (after dealing with a hormonal preteen,lol)

We only had 2 Disney TS on our 8 day trip (CRT{girls only} and Biergarten...). I thought that was fine. We were also at SoG- we actually ate alot of late night pizza at the pool. (Got it take out, the kids swam while we waited and then ate poolside.) If you want another table service place there too, there's always the 2 places at SoG. Mercifully don't need to call 180 days out there!

 

[teach22180]

I would plan at least one table service meal for each day of your trip.

I respectfully disagree and just wanted to be sure the "opposite viewpoint" was represented in the thread. I say, get ADR's if there's someplace you think you or your family would enjoy. We love Pooh and Stitch, so we had breakfasts last year at Crystal Palace and Ohana. Those were the two places that made sense for us! We like the flexibility of CS, and especially at Epcot, there is so much variety. We had a day with only P&P Party tickets; doing breakfast not at a park was perfect for that day. Do what makes sense for your family! (I see you are considering more character dining, and I wanted to suggest someplace with Mickey. Your son might find that less childish than the princesses or Pooh. Although, I can't imagine ANYONE not loving Pooh!)

 

[carj]

We have a 7 day trip in June and I have made ADRs for 4 meals, all are character meals.(I do like the idea of making a couple of extras just in case.) It seems like it is hard to get into TS at the last minute. Actually though, we will probably just eat CS mostly.

 

[Glenn]

With the age of your family I can see doing lots of counter service. Princesses are nice but pricy. And what do your kids eat at home? If they will only eat burgers, mac & cheese, and other kids foods why pay 25+ for that. Just mix it up alot and add treats. Everyone should try a Dole whip. Another thing to think of is Ft Wilderness. Pretty good food with lots of child friendly things and check out the evening movies if its warm enough. Another fun thing to do is to ride all ferry & the boats from the various hotels if its warm enough. Nice rides with nothing extra to pay. Have fun.