Leaky Cauldron and Three Broomsticks help

[BippityBoppity]

I just posted a question early about a different topic but I wanted to create a separate one for restaurant help. In our reservation the agent put us a package together that included breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron and at Three Broomsticks. We have a courtesy hold right now and have not decided for sure on some things. Is this something you would do? I don't know anything about the food at either place and breakfast might not be the favored meal here. Lunch may offer a better taste. I have just started reading all the forums trying to get answers to my many questions. I figured that i would get quicker results by just asking. I'm sure I am going to have more questions but we will be driving about 15 hours and will be there for four days so I want to make the best choices I can. We have no children, just DH and I and we LOVE WDW!!!

Thank you again for your help

 

[Robo56]

First off welcome to Universal. You are going to love your time there.

Myself and a lot of the other regulars don't get involved with the packages that include meals at the parks. You will pretty much always come out ahead money wise by making hotel reservations yourself and then eating at times that accomadate your pace during your park day.

If breakfast is not a favorite meal then have lunch at Leaky Cauldron one day and try the Three Broomsticks the next day.

I have seen pictures on the boards here of the breakfast options at both and some really like it. I' am not a breakfast person. I have had lunch at both places.

I would cost out what those meals are going to cost you in the package along with what your hotel cost is. It is usually better to make your hotel reservation and then just eat when you want to.

Some other nice places for meals are Mytho's in IOA, Lombards and Finnegan's in US. These are sit down meals and if you want to make reservations you can do that on Universals website under dining 30 days out If you wish.

Also nice options for meals are Citywalk restaurant's and the hotels have nice dining options. All the menus for the Parks and Citywalk restaurant's including prices are listed on Unversal website.

Have a great time.

Visit the sticky's on the the resorts that had been updated just recently to get all information on your onsite resort. They are incredibly helpful.

 

[damo]

I agree with Robo. We do everything separately. We just find that there are no penalties for changes you need to make and you can get discount tickets for cheaper than package tickets. We love to dine on the fly and wouldn't spend the money for the breakfast at Three Broomsticks or Leaky. We really like the lunch/dinner food at Leaky. I like breakfast at the Boulangerie at Universal where you get a breakfast croissant sandwich and side of fruit.

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

In my opinion the mornings are the best time to arrive at the HP arks early and do as much as possible before the crowds set in. Also, while the breakfast is good, it just run of the mill breakfast food for the most part...Im not saying its bad ...it is fine...but use your time in the mornings more wise;y and eat lunch / dinner instead . You can see the full menu by doing a Google search and menus might even be on this site [not certain]. The decor at both 3B and LC is awesome! We enjoyed lunch and dinner. 3B seemed to have more options that appealed to use but we also went to LC becasue we were at HP World and we just couldnt skip it...LOL....and LC has some great desserts!!! [ie...some kind of sticky toffee pudding...]

 

[BippityBoppity]

I called Universal's reservations back and after a VERY lengthy hold time the representative was able to help me break down the pricing somewhat. We discovered that the Harry Potter package which was recommended because I mentioned that we are of course Harry Potter fans is going to cost us about $218.00 (give or take a couple $$$). This came with the breakfast at LC and breakfast at 3 Broomsticks and a Shutter Button session. The shutter button (I think that's what she called it) alone is $100. For me and DH, we have decided to delete this from our reservation. I'm personally not a breakfast fan anyway and I had in my mind that i would rather eat lunch there rather than breakfast.

The girl I spoke to tonight did mention to me that the Quick Service is a pretty good choice. She said it was like $21 per person per day and she mentioned that if we ate out of pocket that we would positively spend more $$. I haven't added that just yet. I want to find menus and pricing if I can somewhere so I can decide on my own. We will be receiving $150 credit to apply toward food at the eateries there at Sapphire Falls. I just hope their food is good.


Thank you so much for the advice.

 

[RAPstar]

I called Universal's reservations back and after a VERY lengthy hold time the representative was able to help me break down the pricing somewhat. We discovered that the Harry Potter package which was recommended because I mentioned that we are of course Harry Potter fans is going to cost us about $218.00 (give or take a couple $$$). This came with the breakfast at LC and breakfast at 3 Broomsticks and a Shutter Button session. The shutter button (I think that's what she called it) alone is $100. For me and DH, we have decided to delete this from our reservation. I'm personally not a breakfast fan anyway and I had in my mind that i would rather eat lunch there rather than breakfast.

The girl I spoke to tonight did mention to me that the Quick Service is a pretty good choice. She said it was like $21 per person per day and she mentioned that if we ate out of pocket that we would positively spend more $$. I haven't added that just yet. I want to find menus and pricing if I can somewhere so I can decide on my own. We will be receiving $150 credit to apply toward food at the eateries there at Sapphire Falls. I just hope their food is good.


Thank you so much for the advice.

There's a stickie with menus and such that's very helpful

 

[macraven]

i'm with robo and damo on this.

i have had food at LC and 3 B's

i prefer the 3 B's over LC but that is just me.

breakfast, meh....
lunch, yum....

we all like different things so take that with a grain of salt.

one thing i can tell you is i am not an early morning breakfast person.
both places have breakfast early and that session ends at 11:00 daily.

lunch begins at 3 B's at 10:30.
they are finishing up breakfast and starting out with lunch at 10:30
this is the lightest time for the 3 B's.

not many there for breakfast and most don't want lunch that early.
that is why this is the time i go there, 10:30
no crowd and the lunch food is totally fresh!

i buy the chicken/rib combo which is about $19.00
but, i buy the counter dining plan at the check out register.
with that, i get a free beverage with the lunch and two coupons, 1 snack, 1 bevergae to use anywhere in either park within the next 14 days.

for abut $2 more, i get lunch w/beverage and those two vouchers.
if i buy the high end snacks that can range from $4 to $6, i come out ahead.
right there i have saved $4.
and i also have the beverage coupon to use between $2-3. savings.

there are trips that i buy the counter dining plan twice.
i do that at the 3 B's and at Louie's on the same trip.
i do 14 days of meals in the park/city walk/ hotels so i take advantage of this dining program twice in the trips.

lards lad pink donut and butterbeer are good ways to use the snack coupons.


like robbie posted, look at damo's food stickie for an idea of costs for snacks and beverages.

 

[bumbershoot]

You don't need a package to have breakfast at either one of those places.

Please check out the a la carte pricing.

Hotels here: https://uo.loewshotels.com/en/booking/uo?hotel=UEPBH,UEHRH,UERPR

Tickets at UO's site, undercovertourist.com, mapleleaftickets, etc

Check out the menu pricing. See what you might want to eat. Think about how you eat at themeparks if you've been to them before.

It's pretty rare for a package to be financially better than a la carte. It's nearly unheard of for a HP package to be better than a la carte. The ONLY time I would ever do a HP package would be at the opening of a new Wizarding World, and that would only be for any special extras that they've given.

 

[freewill]

We enjoyed a late breakfast at 3 Brooms last Saturday around 10:30 and an early lunch at Leaky Cauldron the next day about 11. Didn't plan it out that way nor did we have any reservations, but it was easy to walk in at these in between times. Worked out really, really well for us as we enjoyed the earlier hours to explore with lower crowds.

Breakfast food at 3B was fine but nothing special--but the surroundings were wonderful and it was fairly quiet so easy to get a frozen butterbeer at the Hogs Head bar inside with no wait. Lunch at LC was great--three thumbs and two wands up for the Banger Sandwich and a Dragon Scale draft!!

We were very glad to get to both places but if we could repeat only one meal, it would be lunch for sure. Actually, we might target the same time frames and flip flop the restaurants to try each meal at each place. Both are definitely worth getting to even just to see.

 

[bumbershoot]

We enjoyed a late breakfast at 3 Brooms last Saturday around 10:30...

Got in just under the wire. 10:30 has been the switchover time to lunch. We love this b/c we like their lunch items and that time is just about when we want to eat!

 

[pattyw]

i buy the chicken/rib combo which is about $19.00
but, i buy the counter dining plan at the check out register.
with that, i get a free beverage with the lunch and two coupons, 1 snack, 1 bevergae to use anywhere in either park within the next 14 days.

@macraven-So the snack and beverage are coupons to use within 14 days? Wow- that's a good deal. It doesn't state that in the details of the dining plan on the Universal website.

Also, is there a list of snacks included? Thx!

 

[macraven]

Yes you can see that list on the UO site

 

[dixonsontour]

We did the quick service deal in October. Used it for breakfast at leaky cauldron with coffee and pumpkin juice to drink. Then used the snacks on a big pink donut and cup of icecream at florean fortescue. The extra drinks can't be butterbeer/speciality ones but we used them on bottled drinks. We used the snacks and drinks later in our trip no need to use all in one day.

The kids deal is a no brainer if you are buying a kids breakfast at leaky cauldron as it was pretty much same price as the days dining deal so an extra drink and snack 'free'. You can buy online or at the register.

 

[Katy Belle]

we were at universal for 2 1/2 days, and got the quick service meal for one day, for each of us. Worked out well for us.