Need some help/advise

[josh0208]

Okay...we are leaving in 54 days and I haven't set anything up yet. I'm so new to all of this dining stuff that I need help. We are renting a pool home so we do not have the meal plan included with out trip. My original plan was to eat most of our meals at the house and bring snacks at the park to save money. Now I'm reconsidering a bit.

I would still like to keep my plan for breakfast meals. I would like to set some dining plans up for some days for lunch/dinner but don't want to plan every day. We are arriving on a Monday afternoon and don't plan on visiting the first park until Tuesday. That Thursday DS6 and DS4 have reservations on the Pirate Cruise at the GF. While they are doing that DH and I have reservations at the GF Cafe. That's our only big plans made.

I need some recommendations. We are going 4/17-4/23 and am hoping to make the future Heroe's lunch/dinner meal for one day but that's all up in the air until they open reservations.

Please help me. What would you recommend in how many meals to plan and what days. How much does a person usually spend all together for their special meals like this.

This is all new to me with it being our very first vacation down there. Help!!!

Thanks.

Shirley

I posted this on the Restaurant board but did not get a response. Please help.

 

[all4fun]

I would recommend you make one ADR for each day. There are a select few you actually have to reserve with CC's (see here) so if you have to cancel or decide to do something different you're not out any $$. This way you'll have your reservations made and you won't get there and then not be able to do the things you planned because nothing is available. I hope that makes sense!

As far as the new "hero" character meal goes, I would probably go ahead and make ADR's for the places that are available and then when ADR's become available for the new one at MGM you can always cancel one of your other ADR's if you get an ADR for that.

 

[staci]

Lunches are cheaper than dinners for sitdown restuarants, so if you are trying to save, schedule lunch seatings. We also prefer larger midday meals as the sit downs are a great break from the heat, and we would usually stay full for quite a while.

I also would make one per day at whatever park you plan to visit. Then if you decide once you get there that it is too much, just call and cancel some of them.

Character meals are fun, but you are waiting on the heroes one. I would still call and schedule a character meal for another restuarant, in case the heroes one doesnt work out. I would try to get a ressie for one asap. You can always cancel if you are able to get the heroes.

AK is the exception, no real sit down except the rainforest. We usually just eat counter service that day, and havent had a problem with that .


HTH.

 

[mama4]

If you want to eat sit down meals in the parks or at resorts, you will definitely need to make ADRs for each day you plan to do so. If you don't mind eating counter service meals a lot at the parks/resorts (nothing wrong with counter service IMO-there are some great ones) then don't worry about planning out each days meals. I know there are times though when you're tired and want to sit down, rest your feet and have someone bring you your food. This will be very difficult to find if you don't have ADRs- especially in the busy month of April. Also, if you can't make it to to your ADR (or don't want to), no big deal. That's why they aren't actual reservations. They aren't actually holding a table for you, they just guarantee you the next available table after you get there. They don't call your name or anything- you just tell them your name when you arrive and they check that your on the list and call you when the next table comes up (closest to you ADR time). Something that helps me a lot when planning out my dining (I use the one ADR per day rule) is looking at the menus on allearsnet.com. In the "Dining" section, all the restaurants' menus are listed including theme parks, resorts and Downtown Disney. You will find the prices on the menus as well. There are also restaurant reviews listed under "Dining- Restaurant Info". I used to feel nervous about making all these arrangements but I have started enjoying it more and more each time. I think it's fun to look at reviews and find new and interesting places to try for each trip. Good Luck and have fun on your visit. We'll be there in April as well- but the 1-3.