Need help narrowing down TS choices

[Minnie M6]

I am planning our ADRs for our December trip- Yay! I haven't been to WDW for 21 years, so I am basing my choices on reviews on this board as well as my UG and Passporter and the menus on Allears.

I am having a really hard time getting my choices down to 7 TS. I'm not going to plan most of our CS- I would like SOME spontanaiety (yeah I butchered that one)

We're not doing hoppers, so I am planning ADRs at restaurants that are in the park we will be in on that day. It will be me, DM, DS 8 DD 7 (they will be 8 and 9 by then)

Here is what I've come up with so far.

Day1
Arrive
Spend time at resort (CBR) and/ or DTD.
Dinner Beaches & Cream or 1900 Park Fare

Day 2
MGM
Dinner: Hollywood & Vine w/ Fantasmic

Day 3
MK
Breakfast: Crystal Palace
Dinner: Ohana for Illuminations

Day 4
MK
Breakfast: Chef Mickey's
Hoping for MVMCP on this day!

Day 5
Epcot
Lunch: Garden Grill or Coral Reef

Day 6
AK
Lunch: Rainforest Cafe

Day 7
free day (resort, DTD)
Breakfast: Kona Cafe

Any input welcome! Thanks

 

[ampc3]

looks good, but I am confused with the Ohana and Illuminations? Illuminations is at Epcot ? Did you mean to say to see Wishes?

I would also probably mix up your Mk days and do Mk first full day, and not back to back full days.

 

[tiggercrew]

I think you have chosen some really good places although I haven't eaten at 1900 Park Fare or Coral Reef so I can't speak for them. I can only offer one bit of advice and that is about Beaches & Cream. If you decide to eat there for dinner arrive EARLY and plan to wait a while as they do not take ADR's and the restaurant is quite small. We usually try to eat lunch or dinner there each trip and just plan to spend a lot of time in the arcade which is right next door while we wait to be seated.

Enjoy your trip...I have a funny feeling you won't be waiting 21 years to make your next trip.

 

[Minnie M6]

Thanks to both of you! I have a feeling you're right Tiggercrew, I am having too much fun planning this trip to wait very long in between trips

ampc3- You're right- I meant Wishes, not Illuminations. I can't decide if I want to be in a restaurant during the fireworks or watch in the park
I may move our back to back MK days, I'm waiting on the EMH schedule to be posted. And the MVMCP dates.

I am also rethinking 1900 Park Fare or Beaches & Cream for our first day. I'm leaning toward Cape May- I would love an excuse to visit the Beach Club resort!

So the ones I'm pretty sure about are:
Ohana
Kona
Crystal Palace
Chef Mickey's
Hollywood & Vine

And on the fence about:
Cape May vs. 1900 Park Fare
Coral Reef or Garden Grill
Rainforest Cafe

 

[Harambe]

Just make sure you leave plenty of time for travel if you are using Disney transporatation.

You have two days were you are going form CBR to other resorts (Poly and Beach Club?), so plan accordingly. You'll have to take a bus to a park or DTD and switch to those resorts.

 

[Northern_Julie]

I would do DTD for part of the afternoon with the beach and cream because the board walk is fun in the evening
I would do Coral Reef - just because you have a a charactar breakfat planned already and this is a differant atmoshphere

 

[SnowWhitee]

So how about this?

Day 1 - Beaches and Cream
You are still at BC/YC and free to roam and look at the resorts. If possible, I would pay OOP for this one since I don't personally feel it's a good use of a TS credit (if you are on dining plan). You and your mom and then your two kids could probably split a burger and fries each - especially if you plan on getting ice cream. AND, this frees up another TS on another day so you really get 8 sit-down meals - which would be a plus if you are on DDP. (because when I count now you have 8 listed)

Day 5 - I'd pick Coral Reef
You will have already seen the same characters at Chef Mickey's, plus the Coral Reef menu offers the ability for each person to choose what they want versus a family style meal.

Day 6 - How about Tusker House or Yak and Yeti?
Let me first say this one is based on gut feeling alone (have not been to Tusker since the change from CS to TS, never been to Yak or Rainforest). I know you get varying opinions on these boards with likes/dislikes, but I've never read a review of Rainforest that sticks in my head as good/great. Plus, that is a chain you can experience in other places. Why not go for one you can only get at Disney? Tusker is now a buffet and Yak and Yeti is regular TS.

 

[vanillarum]

I second the opinion about Rainforest Cafe. Yes, the layout is cool, but these restaurants are all around. We have eaten at them just about everywhere we travel (including AK), and even the kids (11,16) agree that the food is only fair, even by WDW standards. My kids say pick something more Disney orientated, you'll have more fun. We're dying to try Yak and Yeti since it wasn't open when we were there in Aug. Good luck !!

 

[Minnie M6]

Thanks so much for the suggestions!

Okay, I think you guys have talked me out of Rainforest Cafe- I was thinking the kids would like the setting, but since we'll be surrounded by all kinds of cool things to do and see all week- better to plan meals based on the quality of the food!

SnowWhitee, I love the Day 1 suggestion about eating at Beaches & Cream OOP. We could do a late lunch/ early dinner to avoid crowds. SO how do we get to and from DTD to Beach Club?

I'm not sure trying to go to Chef Mickey's on one of our MK days makes sense- we may lose too much time in the park that way.

SO, new and revised:

Day 1
DTD
Lunch/ Dinner @ Beaches & Cream OOP

Day 2
MGM
Dinner @ Hollywood & Vine w/ Fantasmic

Day 3
MK
Breakfast @ Crystal Palace

Day 4
MK
?

Day 5
Epcot:
Lunch @ Coral Reef

Day 6
AK
Breakfast @ Tusker House

Day 7
Free day
Breakfast @ Kona Cafe

I still want to fit Ohana in somewhere and then I think we're good! Maybe dinner on AK day? No more breakfasts!

Thanks so much

 

[SnowWhitee]

I think it might be too much travel to do Ohana on your AK day - unless you are staying at the Poly. Going on the assumption that you are not staying at Poly, I think Ohana would fit into your Day 4 MK day nicely. Just hop on the monorail to the Poly for dinner. Then when you are done, you can go back to MK to play more or catch a bus if necessary to your resort.

As for how to get to/from DTD to the BC/YC, you will have to catch the bus for BC/YC from the DTD bus stop. There is a sign by the bus stop that notes which bus stops where. From BC/YC you can just take one of their busses back to DTD if you choose to once you are done with Beaches and Cream and looking at the resort.

If you don't feel like going back to DTD after Beaches and Cream and just want to go back to your resort, you will have to take the boat from BC/YC to MGM and get a bus from there to your resort. Since you are not using a park ticket that day, this would allow you to do that. Or, you could take the Epcot bus from BC/YC and then switch to your resort bus there. There are no buses going directly from resort to resort.