My dining plans - please give me advice!

[uandmfan]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to figure out timing for meals for our February trip. This is assuming I can get the reservations I want. I'm a bit nervous about being able to do so. But I want to plan for the best case scenario.

I'd like to take the kids to Akershus for breakfast. I'm thinking breakfast because our son will be under 3 and since it's all you can eat, he'll actually be able to eat as much as he wants. If we go for lunch, he'd have to eat off our plates and it might not be enough. So, I was thinking of doing an 11:15 or so breakfast so we'd still have a few hours of rope drop time in the park to do a few things. Do you think that would be ok? I'm worried they might 'put away' the breakfast food options before we're done as lunch starts just before noon. Thoughts?

For CRT, we'd like to try to do a really early lunch (maybe around 11:30 am) and be at the park to take advantage of EMH. This is of course if we end up staying on site, we're still waiting to try to book and I have no idea if it will work out as we're trying to do a timeshare exchange. If we aren't there for EMH, I might change this to a late lunch. As this is served, I figure that we'll get what we've ordered and paid for. I'm just a bit nervous about having to feed the baby off one of our plates - will we all have enough?

I'd like to do a pre-park opening CP if we can manage it.

I'd also like to do CM. I was thinking of doing this around 730 am so we could rope drop the MK that day. But I also read doing a really late brunch was good because you got more time with the characters. We could always rope drop, then walk over for breakfast, and then head back to the park again. But then I read if you go late the food starts to get old as they stop replenishing so much and the characters are anxious to leave. What are your thoughts?

That's it for dining. We won't be on a dining plan or anything.

Please give me any advice you have. Last time we went we did CM on our off day (we don't have one this time except for the arrival day) and we did a CP pre-park opening. We didn't do the other ones.

Also, I tried looking at availability for Akershus 6 months out today and there isn't anything at all. Is this normal? We're going the first week in Feb so that's a really slow time, but now I'm wondering if we will even be able to get any of these reservations.

Thanks!

 

[mkla2015]

I don't think you will have problems getting the times you want or any of the restaurants you want- 6 months from NOW is getting into the Christmas season- super busy. Akershus is a hot commodity right now because of the Frozen ride and meet and greet opening but I still don't think you have any problems getting an ADR there in February. I've only done PPO breakfast at Akershus so I'm not sure when they stop serving breakfast but I'm not sure that you can get a breakfast that late either- I thought most breakfast reservations stopped around 1045am.

The CRT portions aren't too big so depending on how much your son eats, this could possibly be an issue. I believe you can order him something though if you'd like (and pay extra).

For CM- I would do the early reservation and then walk over to MK- you should be done before park opening IF the park opens at 9am (which I believe is the usual opening time in Feb).

 

[Hopefully]

Akershus is going to be difficult as folks are using it as an "in" to the new Frozen Meet & Greet. There is a buffet area with fruits and pastries etc., but your meal is served "All You Care to Eat" to you at your table. Here too, you will get what you order.
At any meal you can order your toddler a child's meal and pay OOP if he eats a lot. That should not be a deterrent to making any reservations you would like.
If you want to do CM and make Rope Drop I would do it earlier than 7:30. By the time you eat, meet all the characters and walk to the MK you are likely not going to make it for Rope Drop.

 

[uandmfan]

Thanks for the suggestions!

At the moment, Akershus has late breakfasts. We'll see about Feb. The only thing there that's all you care to eat is your breakfast though, right? I assume that means we can feed the baby for free. It's part of the reason I am hoping for breakfast and not lunch. I'm also hoping that most people will want to go for an early breakfast if they are using it as an in to the frozen meet and greet. I don't see why you'd have an advantage if you show up at 11 am.

Does Chef Mickey's open earlier than 730? I was planning on making the first reservation possible there.

Part of the reason we are trying for 2 princess dining meals is because the baby is "free" and my daughter is really into princesses. We figure we won't do both again - we'll pick the one we like best. So I would prefer not to order something for him and pay out of pocket (although we may have to at CRT).

Thanks!!