Need help--DDP-5 nights-where to eat?

[Bruin Steve]

Okay...I am a virtual WDW Newbie--haven't been there in 17 years...

We are going in July 2007 for five nights--just my wife and I...
We booked a 5 night package--
Port Orleans French Quarter Resort
"Park Hopper" 5 day pass...and
The Disney Dining Plan

We have no clue as to which parks we'll visit and when...likely more of Epcot and less of the Magic Kingdom (we lived for 12 years only 15 minutes from Disneyland in California...and, afterall, we're in our late 40s/early 50s and travelling without kids)...And with the five days and with the "Park Hopper", we figure we've got flexibility and won't be rushed...

But, I hear there's some urgency to make reservations for the most popular restaurants...I suppose we can do this early and then work our other plans around them...

I also want to make sure I get my "most bang for the buck"...I don't want to waste a "meal point" on a burger and fries...I'd like to get the nicest sit-down meal experiences and eat food that otherwise would have cost me MORE than the Dining Plan is costing me...I also don't necessarily care about dinner shows or characters--I mostly want a good meal with good service in a nice atmosphere...

So...here are the questions:

1) Which FIVE restaurants should we most want to reserve for five dinners?
2) How early can one...and should one...make reservations?
3) What dinner time should we aim for, if possible? My temptation is to plan for 7:30 each night if we can get it...but is there an optimal time that works into visiting the parks?
4) Is there one particular restaurant not to be missed?
5) HOW does one make reservations?

Thank you all very much...

 

[Hoosier Mom]

Okay...I am a virtual WDW Newbie--haven't been there in 17 years...

We are going in July 2007 for five nights--just my wife and I...
We booked a 5 night package--
Port Orleans French Quarter Resort
"Park Hopper" 5 day pass...and
The Disney Dining Plan

We have no clue as to which parks we'll visit and when...likely more of Epcot and less of the Magic Kingdom (we lived for 12 years only 15 minutes from Disneyland in California...and, afterall, we're in our late 40s/early 50s and travelling without kids)...And with the five days and with the "Park Hopper", we figure we've got flexibility and won't be rushed...

But, I hear there's some urgency to make reservations for the most popular restaurants...I suppose we can do this early and then work our other plans around them...

I also want to make sure I get my "most bang for the buck"...I don't want to waste a "meal point" on a burger and fries...I'd like to get the nicest sit-down meal experiences and eat food that otherwise would have cost me MORE than the Dining Plan is costing me...I also don't necessarily care about dinner shows or characters--I mostly want a good meal with good service in a nice atmosphere...

So...here are the questions:

1) Which FIVE restaurants should we most want to reserve for five dinners?
2) How early can one...and should one...make reservations?
3) What dinner time should we aim for, if possible? My temptation is to plan for 7:30 each night if we can get it...but is there an optimal time that works into visiting the parks?
4) Is there one particular restaurant not to be missed?
5) HOW does one make reservations?

Thank you all very much...

We too wanted the biggest bang for our buck since we love steaks, but are on a chicken budget! What I did was read all the restaurant menus on allearsnet.com Also there are dining reviews on there. We settled on our top 7 restaurants and booked them 180 days in advance. The dining reservation number is 407 939 3463.

7:30 should work great for you at Rose & Crown. I understand you can view Illuminations while dining there.

As far as which days to go where, I planned to go to the park that does not have extra hours in hopes that the crowds will be lighter.

Here's the ones we picked. Rose & Crown, LeCellier, 50's Primetime, Sci-Fi Theater, Tony's, Coral Reef, and the Garden Grill (character meal). Of those, I'm particularly looking forward to Rose & Crown, LeCellier, and 50's Primetime.

Does that help?

 

[Bev J]

Usually the first thing I do is sit down and plan the parks we will visit each day, usually one in the morning, break and a different park for the late afternoon/evening. Then I check out the menus for the resturants at the parks/hotels then start matching resturants to the parks we will be at.
Here is a great site with all the menus for parks and hotels...http://www.allearsnet.com/din/dining.htm

We like to have some of our sit down meals at lunch time, usually a later lunch like 1-1:30 and on that day have the CS meal in the evening.
really any time you like to eat is fine, try to make your first round of ADR's at the 180day mark, then fine tune it. We made ours at 180 days and have made a couple of changes, we keep the originals till we know we can get a different one then cancel the original.
There are alot of good resturants in the hotels so make sure and check them out too, infact today we made a reservation at Kona Cafe with only 5 more weeks to go! We have read dining reviews and looked at pictures folks have taken of their meals and that really helped us make our choices.

For our family Le Cellier, Rose and Crown and Liberty Tree Tavern (Lunch) are all musts for us.
Have fun planning!

Bev

 

[chorlick]

O'Hana, O'Hana, O'Hana !!!!!!! (In the Polynesian) It is GREAT! If you go later at night, you can watch the fireworks from the MK!

 

[Armandocme]

Near MK:
Concourse Steakhouse or Kona Cafe

Epcot or nearby:
Le Cellier or Spoodles (Boardwalk)

Near AK:
Boma

 

[Bruin Steve]

That "allearsnet" site with the menus was just great...Thanks a lot, Bev...

Okay...here's my thinking so far:
If I had to pick 5 today, based on the menus...I'd likely go with:
Le Cellier
Chefs de France
Coral Reef
San Angel Inn
Wolfgang Puck Cafe

The "back-up" list (others I find interesting, but only have time for 5) would be (in no particular order):
Spoodles
L' Originale Alfredo di Roma
Mama Melrose
Tony's Town Square
Teppanyaki
Nine Dragons

The last of which brings up an interesting question:

The "rules" say you get one appetizer, one entree and one dessert...
What happens in a restaurant like Nine Dragons where a couple of the offerings are "complete" dinners (two appetizers, soup and an entree each)? Are those off the board and you must choose from just an appetizer and entree each? Or is an exception made? Seems like the same issue would come up at Marrakhesh as well...

Anyway, how do those choices sound? Or are there overriding reasons to trash one and replace it with a n eatery from my "alternate" list?

Again, thanks...

 

[Hoosier Mom]

You might check your list against the thread going for the 2007 dining plan. Some restaurants are not going to be offered for the Dining Plan next year.

-------Edited:
Oops, guess I'm not keeping up with the news around here. First I hear restaurants won't be in the plan next year, now I find out otherwise. Sorry for the confusion.