O.K. Free Diners, where are you planning your ADRs?

[jparc]

here's what we hope to get: Aug. 18-28th

Jiko -Dinner
Chefs de France- Dinner
Whispering Canyon Cafe- late breakfast
Rose & Crown or Biergarten- Dinner
Boma- Dinner
50's PrimeTime-Lunch
Cape May Cafe- dinner
Kona Cafe -dinner
Chef Mickey's- breakfast
or Tusker House-dinner

 

[TillyMarigold]

9/5-9/14 (9 nights), 2 adults, no kids, crossing our fingers for ...

California Grill--1st night dinner
Jiko--dinner
Raglan Road--dinner
Mamma Melrose--early dinner (Fantasmic! package)
Kona--lunch/dinner
Boma--breakfast
Crystal Palace--lunch

Also planning to try T-Rex using Disney Visa rewards points.

CS will probably include Sunshine Seasons, Tangierene Cafe, Columbia Harbour House, Cosmic Ray's, Starring Rolls, Pizzafari, and whatever else happens to be near wherever we are.

 

[NJRA]

I could have missed it, but I haven't seen a thread yet talking about where we're planning our ADRs for our upcoming Free Dining trips.

So I'll start by posting about mine. We are going in August and staying for 9 nights, meaning we get 9 TS meals. I learned the hard way last year to make a few extra ADR's that we can either cancel or pay cash for in case we don't get to all the TS meals we have ADRs for. So here's my list:

Chefs de France dinner -- We just have to try and see Remy. Also, the desserts at Chef's sound way better than those at San Angel and Teppan Edo.

Chef Mickey's dinner -- Been here on five trips and have loved it every time.

Cape May Cafe dinner -- Planning to eat here on our DHS night.

Ohana dinner -- See above comment about Chef Mickey's dinner. It's another must-do.

1900 Park Fare breakfast -- We loved it last year.

Boma's dinner -- DH and I hated this meal in 2002, but I'm going to give it another chance. (DH won't be on this trip.) Other people in my traveling group really want to try it to see the AKL.

SciFi late lunch or early dinner -- Can't beat the dark, cool atmosphere of this place. The burger and hot fudge sundae I had there last year were outstanding. Depending on whether we've made all of our TS meals by this point, we may pay OOP for this meal.

Coral Reef dinner -- Have wanted to try for ages.

Raglan Road dinner -- Loved it last year plus we have an authentic Irishman on this year's trip who wants to check it out.

Crystal Palace lunch -- This is a back-up ADR. We'll cancel it or pay cash if we've made all our ADRs.

1900 Park Fare dinner -- Been wanting to do this and meet the evil stepsisters. Love that strawberry soup.

So what's your Free Dining ADR wish list?

Why would you make extra ARD's that you are just gonna cancle. It's hard enough to get ressies durning FD as it is... that just dosen't seem fair to hold up a ressie that someone else may really want and now can't get just because you can't be on time to your ressies. This really bothers me

 

[disneydiva0729]

Staying 9/18-9/28 and upgraded to DxDDP so here it is...

Breakfasts:
Ohana
Arkershus
Crystal Palace
Tusker House
1900 Park Fare
Chef Mickey's
Kona

Lunch:
50's Diner
San Angel
The Plaza
Sci-Fi

Dinner:
Artist Point
Le Cellier
Cinderella
Hoop Dee Doo Revue
Jiko's
Spirit of Aloha
Mama Melrose
Garden Grille
California Grill
Teppan Edo

ekkk... i'm already sooo excited, I can't contain myself

 

[Vallie]

first time free diners!

1. Raglan Roads (i think this is what its called - Irish Pub downtown)
2. Hoop De Doo
3. SciFi Cafe
4. Tony's Town Square
5. 1900 Park Fare
6. Chef Mickeys
7. Chef De France

soo excited woo!

 

[lisalonglash]

First time with free dining for us too!

My tentative plan includes:

- Whispering Canyon dinner
- Crystal Palace breakfast
- Biergarten dinner
- Chefs de France dinner
- 'Ohana breakfast
- Sci-Fi Dine-In lunch or dinner
- Tusker House breakfast

Until we book our flights, our dates are not set in concrete, so it's hard to say for sure what our ADRs will be. Of course, the fact that we won't have park hours for September until June is hampering my planning too!

 

[rebeckahkaylie]

Our first time using the free dining plan. Here is my tentative list :

Breakfasts
Crystal Palace
Ohana
Tusker House

Dinner

Garden Grill
Prime Time Cafe
La Cellier
Rose and Crown
Liberty Tree Tavern
1900 Park Fare

I would like to know what you would recommend if we don't get those places. We love character breakfasts. I would keep in mind all suggestions that you recommend. We are not going until the end of September so I got time before I can make my ADR'S. Thanks in advanced.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Our first time using the free dining plan. Here is my tentative list :

Breakfasts
Crystal Palace
Ohana
Tusker House

Dinner

Garden Grill
Prime Time Cafe
La Cellier
Rose and Crown
Liberty Tree Tavern
1900 Park Fare

I would like to know what you would recommend if we don't get those places. We love character breakfasts. I would keep in mind all suggestions that you recommend. We are not going until the end of September so I got time before I can make my ADR'S. Thanks in advanced.

You have 9 meals chosen already. You get one for each night of your stay, and I recommend people book a couple extra just in case you can't make one or two. You can cancel or pay cash for the cheapest meal(s) if you make all your ADRs.

Do you know that Liberty Tree Tavern no longer has characters? It's the same menu (which frankly sounds horrible to me) and no characters. You might want to rethink that one. (Stove Top Stuffing and Stouffer's Mac and Cheese? )

Chef Mickey's and Cape May Cafe are two great character breakfasts. Chef M's is a good choice for an MK day. Cape May is a nice way to start a day at Epcot. If you're using Disney transportation, you can take the bus to DHS, then take the boat to the Beach Club. After breakfast, you walk into Epcot through the International Gateway.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Why would you make extra ARD's that you are just gonna cancle. It's hard enough to get ressies durning FD as it is... that just dosen't seem fair to hold up a ressie that someone else may really want and now can't get just because you can't be on time to your ressies. This really bothers me

Last trip, we were unable to make two of our ADRs because of unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances. Stuff happens in life and on vacation. Transportation can fail, family members get sick, and turbulent weather makes getting to your restaurant impossible.

All of those things have happened to us on past trips. We didn't just blow off ADRs.

In my plan this year, I allowed two extra meals late in the trip (lunches at SciFi and Crystal Palace). If we made all our ADRs by then, we'll pay cash for them, thereby using all our ADRs. I'm not planning to cancel anything if everything goes as scheduled. I'm just being realistic that we might not be able to get to every meal we plan. Stuff happens.

 

[Tink_Or_Belle]

here is our plan and back up plan 1st choice (back up plan) we are on teh deluxe plan) 90 Total Credits

day 1
lunch-counter service (5)
dinner Sci Fi (Mama Melrose) (10)

day 2
Norway (Cape May)(15)
LeCellier (Coral Reef)(20)

day 3
Castle lunch (Crystal Palace) (30)
'Ohana (Kona)(35)

day 4
lunch undecided (40)
Boma (the new place) (45)

day 5
b-Crystal Palace (Chef Mickey 3rd choice 1900 Park Fare)(50)
Grand Floridian Cafe very Early (55)
Halloween Party CS late night (60)

day 6
in room dining breakfast (Halloween party late the night before) (70)
Dinner Yachtsman (some other 2 credit meal) (80)

day 7
Lunch Yak Yeti (Tusker) (85)
dinner downtown disney ? Raglan Road maybe maybe Earl of Sandwich (90)

if we end up with any of our planned 2 credit places not working out and doing the 1 credit back up plans we may do Pizza Delivery or in room dining again at some point

oops according to friendly message it seems it sounds like I am booking twice the reservations I need however by back up plan I didn't mean I was booking BOTH sets I plan to try for the 1st on the list and if that are full I will try to book the back up plan we decided not to do park hoppers this time so I had to have my back up plan in the same park or out of park

 

[ZeroToHero]

Restaurant Booking Order:
(all are for dinner)
Mama Melrose’s FANTASMIC 8/26
1900 Park Fare 8/30
Chefs De France 8/31
Plaza Restaurant 8/25
Biergarten 8/27
Coral Reef 8/28
50s Prime Time 8/29

If cannot get Mama Melrose:
Try Hollywood and Vine for same night for Fantasmic (8/26)
Otherwise, book 50’s Prime Time and try Mama Melrose’s on 8/29.
If cannot get Hollywood and Vine or anything, go for Sci Fi Dine-In

If cannot get Park Fare (8/30):
Chef Mickey’s
'Ohana
The Wave
Kona Cafe

If cannot get EPCOT restaurants:
If cannot get Chef De France for 8/31 try (in order):
Chefs for 8/28
Chefs for 8/27
La Cellier
Biergarten
Coral Reef
Tutto Italia

If cannot get Coral Reef for 8/28 try (in order):
Coral Reef for 8/27
Biergarten
La Cellier (if not already booked)
Tutto Italia

If cannot get Biergarten for 8/27 try (in order):
La Cellier (if not already booked)
Tutto Italia

If cannot get Plaza Restaurant:
Crystal Palace
Liberty Tree



Sorry my post was so long.
...as you can see.. I'm a litttttleee OCD about planning.
But I'm going with DBF for our anniversary and I want everything to work out. I think I get this planning gene from my mother (PinballFamily).

And the "if cannot get" is not me booking up backups, it's if there are no available times. I'm not planning on booking 5 meals a day!!!

 

[brad3640]

our dates are 9/12-9/19
my must does are:
o'hanas
chef mickeys
crystal palace
garden grill
50's prime time

still undecided on the other 2
any suggestions would be great

 

[LPNmom]

Booked Trip for 9/24-10/5

9/24-Arrive
Lunch C/S CSR
Dinner at Ohana

9/25-Water Park Day
Lunch at Water Park C/S
Dinner Chef Mickey

9/26-MK
Breakfast at Crystal Palace
Peco Bill Lunch
SNACKS for Dinner

9/27-Animal Kingdom
Flame Tree Lunch
Boma Dinner

9/28 Day Off
Disney Quest with c/s there
Dinner TREX OOP

9/29 Epcot
Eat Around the World with Food and Wine Festival using snack credits
Dinner at Le Cellar

9/30-Hollywood Studios
Lunch SciFi
C/S Dinner

10/1 MK
MNSSHP Mackenna's Bday- at Cinderella Royal Table for Breakfast

C/S Pinnocci Village Haus

SNACKS for dinner and 3 C/S meals from women's spa day

10/2-Day Off
Spa day in am with women eating at Afternoon tea 11:30 GF OOP.

Men with kids eating C/S

Cody's 1st B-Day dinner at Whispering Cannon

10/3
Water Park-c/s in park

Dinner at Reglan Road

10/4-Epcot
Lunch at Sunshine Seasons
Dinner ??? Anyone have any suggestion for 11 people???

10/5-Pool Day
c/s at DownTown Disney
Leave Mid Day

Sorry So Long!!

 

[Missyma919]

Booked for ASMusic Sept 28-Oct 5
Dining wish list:

LeCellier (back up: Tutto and Coral Reef)

Crystal Palace Lunch (or breakfast)

Ohanas Breakfast (backup: maybe Boma?)

Tusker House Breakfast (not sure what we will do as back up?!?!)

Sci Fi Lunch (back up 50's PTC)

Reglan Road Dinner (back up Wolfgang Puck Cafe)

Chef Mickeys Dinner (any ideas on a back up plan here, it would be after a day at Animal Kingdom....)

Plaza Dinner (back up: Tony's)

OK people, thoughts?? back up suggestions. This is very new to us

This is one extra as we might not make it to all of them and if we do, we'll pay OOP for one! We might not eat at the most expensive or the fanciest. We do however, pick places that fit our simple tastes lol. Its me, DH, dd9, dd7, ds 2

 

[JerseyJanice]

ZeroToHero, if that is you and DBF in your avatar, let me tell you that you are an adorable couple. I hope you kids have a fabulous trip.

Missyma, you sound like you know what you're doing. ITA with your philosophy of picking the restaurants you think will best suit your family's tastes.

to Mackenna and Cody, LPNMom.

 

[Goofy22]

We are doing deluxe dining lots of food!

Breakfast we plan on adrs at the following:

Wolf Gang Puck Express
1900 Parkfare
Crystal Palace
Cape May Cafe
Chef Mickeys
Tusker House Donald's Breakfast
Kona
Ohana
Tony Town Square Good Morning Breakfast Grand Gathering

Lunch adrs:
Sci Fi Dine Inn
LeCeiller
The Plaza Restaurant
Yak n Yeti
Teppan edo
Nine Dragons
Garden grill
Beaches n Creme

Dinner Adrs
Animal kingdom Safari Grand Gathering at Tusker House
Epcot Celebration Grand Gathering
HDDMR
Tony's Town Square
50's Prime Time
Tutto Italia
Rose n Crown United Kingdom
Cinderellas Royal Table
Ohana


And on day one we are doing T-Rex at DTD OOP

 

[Simbee3]

We are going for 11 nights this year, with a party of 16. This is unusual for us but that is alright. I know what my family likes and I am thinking:

Ohana's (must do)
Princess storybook breakfast or dinner (we have done the breakfast and loved it, not too sure about the dinner) any opinions?
Lecellier
Kona's
Chef Mickey's (thinking this would be a big hit with all of the kids)

And after that I am lost. HELP!!!!

 

[Goofy22]

We are going for 11 nights this year, with a party of 16. This is unusual for us but that is alright. I know what my family likes and I am thinking:

Ohana's (must do)
Princess storybook breakfast or dinner (we have done the breakfast and loved it, not too sure about the dinner) any opinions?
Lecellier
Kona's
Chef Mickey's (thinking this would be a big hit with all of the kids)

And after that I am lost. HELP!!!!

Goto allearsnet.com and check out the menus and you will find plenty it's betterif you look yourself!
Cape may Cafe is a great buffet, Tonys town square seems to have great menus, Are you guys doing Grand gatherings? They seem neat and tips are included but they use 2 credits except tonys breakfast is only one!

 

[ZeroToHero]

ZeroToHero, if that is you and DBF in your avatar, let me tell you that you are an adorable couple. I hope you kids have a fabulous trip.

Thank you so much! That's very nice of you
And I hope we do too... haha. I've been planning for long enough!

 

[thunderbird1]

I could have missed it, but I haven't seen a thread yet talking about where we're planning our ADRs for our upcoming Free Dining trips.

So I'll start by posting about mine. We are going in August and staying for 9 nights, meaning we get 9 TS meals. I learned the hard way last year to make a few extra ADR's that we can either cancel or pay cash for in case we don't get to all the TS meals we have ADRs for. So here's my list:

Chefs de France dinner -- We just have to try and see Remy.

So what's your Free Dining ADR wish list?

THAT'S IT! Since I saw the announcement about Remy, I just want to go to France and see him! If I can't figure out when he'll be there, I may just make my ADR for the middle of the afternoon, then plant my family there, enjoying the glorious air-conditioned comfort until he makes an appearance!

And, although it's not an ADR, I really want to try Beaches & Cream for the first time.

Why would you make extra ARD's that you are just gonna cancle. It's hard enough to get ressies durning FD as it is... that just dosen't seem fair to hold up a ressie that someone else may really want and now can't get just because you can't be on time to your ressies. This really bothers me

Sorry that it bothers you, but we do the same thing. Read on. . . .

Last trip, we were unable to make two of our ADRs because of unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances. Stuff happens in life and on vacation. Transportation can fail, family members get sick, and turbulent weather makes getting to your restaurant impossible.

All of those things have happened to us on past trips. We didn't just blow off ADRs.

In my plan this year, I allowed two extra meals late in the trip (lunches at SciFi and Crystal Palace). If we made all our ADRs by then, we'll pay cash for them, thereby using all our ADRs. I'm not planning to cancel anything if everything goes as scheduled. I'm just being realistic that we might not be able to get to every meal we plan. Stuff happens.

Amen. Sorry, but free dining is peak hurricane season, and when there's a torrential downpour, I'm just not going to run from the Epcot bus stop all the way back to Morocco to make an ADR. And if my 5 year old is projectile vomiting, I'm not going to drag him to Chef Mickey's just to avoid canceling an ADR (and I'm sure the other guests, as well as Mickey and the gang, would thank me for it as well!).

On the other hand, I've paid for my dining plan (yes, even during free dining we all "pay" for it in one way or another), and I plan on using all my dining credits without having to take a bus to some remote resort to do so. Therefore, I always have a couple of days where I book both a lunch and dinner ADR. Like you said, if all goes as planned and we haven't missed anything up until then, we'll either pay OOP for one of them or cancel. If, however, we have encountered something unexpected that caused us to miss an ADR earlier in the trip, at least we have a plan in place to use up our credits.