Late lunch at Contemporary before MVMCP

[Surgie2]

Trying to plan a close to the park food option before the MVMCP in November (Thanksgiving week). We are a group of 11 people. If we were able to reserve somewhere at the Contemporary such as Contemporary Cafe or CG (not Chef Mickey's), would we need to allow time to move our cars from the Contemporary lot to the TTC?

Any other meal options we should consider? We don't want to use time after entry to MK at 4:00 pm for an actual meal.

 

[nw6675]

Trying to plan a close to the park food option before the MVMCP in November (Thanksgiving week). We are a group of 11 people. If we were able to reserve somewhere at the Contemporary such as Contemporary Cafe or CG (not Chef Mickey's), would we need to allow time to move our cars from the Contemporary lot to the TTC?

Any other meal options we should consider? We don't want to use time after entry to MK at 4:00 pm for an actual meal.

CG doesn't open before 4 pm. SH71 closes from 2-5. You'll be looking at QS which they won't let you in to park for.

 

[Surgie2]

CG doesn't open before 4 pm. SH71 closes from 2-5. You'll be looking at QS which they won't let you in to park for.

Good to know about CG and I don't think we'd consider SH71. The WDW website shows Contempo Cafe open from 7:00 am -11:00 pm. Are we able to go in to eat there without reservations or do you have to be resort guests? "Back in the day" we were able to pop into The Wave with no reservations but it was 2 of us, not 11. We don't want MK quick service unless only option and I know it would have to be after 4:00.

 

[Marthasor]

I would recommend parking at TTC and then planning on eating somewhere at Poly or GF so you can just take the monorail there and then to MK. Most TS at the resorts are closed between 2-5 a m however. Perhaps consider just doing QS?

 

[Marthasor]

Good to know about CG and I don't think we'd consider SH71. The WDW website shows Contempo Cafe open from 7:00 am -11:00 pm. Are we able to go in to eat there without reservations or do you have to be resort guests? "Back in the day" we were able to pop into The Wave with no reservations but it was 2 of us, not 11. We don't want MK quick service unless only option and I know it would have to be after 4:00.

Contempo is QS and you can eat there, but they don’t take reservations and you won’t be able to park at CR.

 

[nw6675]

Kona and Grand Floridian Cafe are closed from 2-5 and 'ohana will not be open yet. You don't have any ADR restaurants open on the loop and you can't park at any of the resorts for QS.

 

[nw6675]

Eta: @Marthasor has best suggestion for TTC and QS.

 

[Surgie2]

I would recommend parking at TTC and then planning on eating somewhere at Poly or GF so you can just take the monorail there and then to MK. Most TS at the resorts are closed between 2-5 a m however. Perhaps consider just doing QS?

We are completely fine with QS - I just don't want to use party time to eat with 11 of us. Also considering trying for reservation at Artist Point since that would allow us to see WL. But good idea to arrive early enough to park at TTC, then have lunch at a resort and take transportation from resort to MK.

 

[nw6675]

We are completely fine with QS - I just don't want to use party time to eat with 11 of us. Also considering trying for reservation at Artist Point since that would allow us to see WL. But good idea to arrive early enough to park at TTC, then have lunch at a resort and take transportation from resort to MK.

Pretty much any ADR restaurant will be closed including WL.

 

[Surgie2]

Pretty much any ADR restaurant will be closed including WL.

Ok good to know. Is there typically a wait for QS at a resort? We definitely wouldn't need to all sit together but I want to allow enough time to eat and get to MK.

 

[nw6675]

You all can mobile order and choose pickup window times, but check early because they can fill up. I don't know, but they may fill quicker on party days with others trying to accomplish the same as your party. Same reasoning walkup may be quite a wait, too.

 

[Surgie]

You all can mobile order and choose pickup window times, but check early because they can fill up.

Good to know. We haven’t been to WDW since January 2020 and so much has changed!

 

[CarolynFH]

We are completely fine with QS - I just don't want to use party time to eat with 11 of us. Also considering trying for reservation at Artist Point since that would allow us to see WL. But good idea to arrive early enough to park at TTC, then have lunch at a resort and take transportation from resort to MK.

If you’re wanting to finish eating in time to enter MK at 4:00, the Grand Floridian Cafe is open until 2:00 for lunch. You could try making an ADR for as close to 2:00 as you can get. You probably wouldn’t finish eating, pay the bill, etc. until 3 or later and could then monorail to MK. Or ride the launch from GF to Poly and then to MK, depending on how much time you had.

I’d still park at TTC and take the Resort monorail to GF for lunch.

 

[Pens Fan]

On the monorail loop, the absolute last QS place I'd consider is Contempo Cafe. It's about as basic QS as you get. Captain Cooks would be my first choice, though I've heard good things about Gasparilla Grill as well (never eaten there myself).

Another option would be Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge. It's basically a hybrid TS / QS restaurant. They have a take out window or you can sit down and order off the menu and be served. At that time of day, it should be pretty empty so I doubt you'd have any trouble getting a table. The food is really good and the views cannot be beat. The only hitch is they do not take ADR's, and I doubt you'd be allowed to park at WL without one. They do have a walk-up waitlist, but I don't know how close you have to be to get on it, and if that would get you past the guard. But it's just a quick (and lovely) boat ride from MK. There's also a bus from MK, but that's not nearly as fun as the boat .

 

[Surgie2]

Another option would be Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge. It's basically a hybrid TS / QS restaurant. They have a take out window or you can sit down and order off the menu and be served.

I was wondering about this. We want to do a loop to see Christmas decorations sometime during the week and this plan would allow us to see WL decorated plus have an easy trip to MK. We would park at TTC first through. We'll have to see if this plan is too much for the parents in our group with the double stroller.

 

[Pens Fan]

I was wondering about this. We want to do a loop to see Christmas decorations sometime during the week and this plan would allow us to see WL decorated plus have an easy trip to MK. We would park at TTC first through. We'll have to see if this plan is too much for the parents in our group with the double stroller.

WL is incredible at Christmas! It and GF are the must see resorts IMHO. Though I do love the carrousel at the Beach Club and the train at Yacht Club.

 

[Her Dotness]

We've experienced very chilly weather the week before Thanksgiving several different years--like daytime highs in the low 50s to low 40s. Windchills in the 30s or lower. Not kidding. Not unusual if that occurs to have more than one frigid day in a week that time of year.

Since GP is all open-air seating and very close to Seven Seas Lagoon, it would make for a miserable lunch in a cold snap.

I agree with CarolynFH. GF Cafe is cozy, has terrific food and the GF soooo close to the MK by monorail.

Gasparilla's is above the ordinary as QS goes. As good as GP, we think, but we always want more under the belts when heading for the MVMCP long haul.

Unless you're adamant about not eating after 4:00, LTT is a terrific choice. We've never felt we missed out on anything by eating in MK between 4:00-6:00. Would be easier, I suspect, on younger ones and any elders, too.

While partygoers can enter on their event ticket as early as 4:00, it's not until 6:00 that non-partygoers are mostly gone. Things-party don't really get going that much before 7:00, and being in the MK for dinner puts us close enough to get to The Emporium before 7:00 to line up for party-specific merch. Perhaps these are factors that hadn't occurred to you and may merit consideration?

 

[Surgie]

Perhaps these are factors that hadn't occurred to you and may merit consideration?

All good points to consider, thank you. We are coming from Illinois so used to packing and dressing in layers. I’ll check with the family on the dinner situation. The ones with the double stroller will want something easy and the ones whose MK time is just for the evening may not want to stop for dinner. And we could very well not all do the same thing.

 

[Surgie]

WL is incredible at Christmas! It and GF are the must see resorts IMHO. Though I do love the carrousel at the Beach Club and the train at Yacht Club.

I just hope the resort decor is up Thanksgiving week!

 

[Her Dotness]

I just hope the resort decor is up Thanksgiving week!

Usually the last resorts on the rotation from year to year get Christmas decorations in place by Monday or Tuesday of Thanksgiving week.

I always long to see the GF decorations before we leave on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Some years I do, others, no.

We once managed to see the WL decorations on Monday morning right before leaving. They'd gone up the night before. That's how it goes, a CM told me. There's a rotation, so that some years a resort gets them the week before, others not until shortly before Thanksgiving.

This may relate only to the Deluxes. I don't know when resort decoration begins exactly.