So I'm planning a trip with me, a friend, and possibly another friend of the friend and my sister in law come March. I'm thinking I should still be able to get ADR's for anyplace I want too without too much concern of them being booked solid for the trip.
Staying offsite, so everything would be payed OOP. I'll probably be getting an AP since i'm looking at another trip later in the year, but haven't decided on if I want a TiW card or not.
So.... What would you recommend for possible Food plans while there? Where should i potentially try and get ADR's that not only has good food, but wouldn't be too bad on the wallet? What CS should i definately make sure I check out? With so many choices, I'm having such a hard time deciding where I want to eat. LOL
Since you are staying off-site, ADRs can be made 180 days prior to ADR date (if you were onsite, you could make them 180 days before check-in for up to 10 days thereafter, that's the difference). Therefore, no one has been able to make ADRs yet for March.
How long is your trip? How many ADRs you make will determine whether the TiW card is worth it for you if you get an AP. The TiW card costs $75 for AP holders, and we found it to be well worth it on our recent trip. However, we were at WDW for 10 days, and we had 18 TS restaurants. If you purchase $375 worth of food and/or alcoholic beverages at places that take the TiW card, then you break even. Anything you spend over $375 will give you a true savings of 20% off. They also add 18% gratuity to all checks when using the TiW card. Keep in mind that if you are planning on another trip to WDW within a year, that the TiW card is good for one year, and you could use it on that trip too!!
What is your price range? We found Kona Cafe to be reasonably priced for dinner (in the Polynesian Resort, very close to MK and on the monorail line), as well as Sanaa (at the Animal Kingdom Villas, Kidani Village resort). Both places had several entrees for less than $20 each, and both places served good food. Kona Cafe has a Hawaiian/Asian flare to it, and Sanaa serves African foods with an Indian twist to them. We like ethnic foods, but if you don't then Sanaa may not be for you.
Inside the parks, we found lunch at Sci-Fi, 50s Prime Time (both at DHS) to be reasonably priced. They also have reasonably priced items on their dinner menus (some under $20). At Epcot, Chefs de France had some lower-priced entrees (well under $20).
Buffets and such would run you roughly $30 a person plus tax and tip, maybe even a little more (shouldn't be more than $35 though), for dinner. We enjoy Biergarten at Epcot (German food), Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge resort is very good (African buffet), and people say good things about Cape May Cafe dinner buffet (seafood and American food). We enjoy character buffets, but we have small children. I would enjoy these even if I didn't have kids though. We liked dinner and breakfast at Crystal Palace in MK, as well as dinner or breakfast at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort.
Most CS locations do not take them TiW card. A few do though, like the 3 that are in Animal Kingdom Park (we like Flame Tree BBQ), and the Value Resort food courts/
