One day in the Magic Kingdom...Take 2. (Sunday, April 7, 2013)

[TxRabbit]

Greetings one and all Let's try this again...

It's been three long years since my family was able to go to WDW. Last summer, we moved from Texas to Georgia...and with that I had high hopes that we would finally be able to get back down to Disney...especially with the new shorter one day drive to the World... and FINALLY...we WERE able to swing down for a very fast 2-night stay... courtesy of my SIL.

She travels a LOT for work and has wracked up tens of thousands of Sheraton Points. Yes, the Swan or Dolphin might have been an option...but since SIL wanted to take multiple families...and the points were cheaper elsewhere...we landed at the Four Points Sheraton on International Drive.

My immediate family of Disney Fans includes myself, DW40, DH41, and DS12 (6th grade). We've been to Disney several times now...we don't need a map to get around...we know what makes our family happy and we have enough know how to have a great day in any park. We believe in maxing any experience to the limit. DH and I are responsible but kid-like in our ability to simply enjoy life and happy to be easily amused. DS is our carbon copy.

The extended family includes SIL41, her DS12 (7th grade), her DD10 (4th grade), SIL33 and her DH41. They are not the Disney nuts we are...they are crowd shy...proud introverts...fairly serious...and physically tire easily.

It was going to be an interesting day.

Fortunately, my niece and nephew are early risers and talking that family into making it to the park for rope drop wasn't an issue. The other newly married kidless adults were another story...famous for waking up with minutes to spare in the morning hours...we knew it was going to be a challenge to get them on the road in a timely fashion.

We had arrived in town late Saturday afternoon. Kidless and my immediate family went to see the Star Wars exhibit at the Orlando Science Center that evening. Magic Kingdom park was the agreed plan for Saturday.

We ALMOST made rope drop...which was 9 AM.

My family closed the park down.

We didn't leave in-between.

We ate all our meals in the park.

Obviously, we were not on the DDP.

It's the first time that I've paid OOP for an entire day in the parks.

I'm a very detailed person...if you haven't guessed this by now. And I have this crazy selective memory that can remember details that I prefer ...just ask DH...and somehow food and Disney are high on the preference list. Unfortunately, I didn't have a working camera for this trip so there will be no photos... My previous attempt to include photos was a mistake...so this is take two of my effort to report on my trip.

A lot has changed on the dining scene since our last trip to MK.

And I'm going to share all these details with you! And hopefully, some detail given here will provide beneficial to all the other planners out there that mentally store useful factoids in their Disney memories to whip out at just the right time and be referred to as the Disney Queen or King by their families and ever-grateful touring partners.

This review is for those that wonder what it's like for other families to spend a day in the world...especially extended family. How does that work? I was curious myself...this is my family...but not my family...KWIM?

Here's where we ate:

Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies...the late morning snack that tides us over for a later lunch
Pinocchio Village Haus...later lunch
Sleepy Hollow...the early evening snack that tides us over for a later dinner
Columbia Harbour House...later dinner
The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor...the late night snack

Without further ado...let's get to the report...

 

[TxRabbit]

I believe the time spent eating breakfast in a park is wasted time. Early morning hours are for checking off those high priority items...whatever they may be. People have issues waking up early, in general, IMO...and especially on vacation. So if you can deal...get up...get to the park...and get done what is really important to you. The rest of the day will just be gravy...

That said.

We were all supposed to meet at 7:45 AM in the hotel lobby...and somewhat caravan to MK so that we would all be parked relatively close to each other. The goal was to be on the road at 8:00 AM for a 9:00 AM rope drop...and we had a Starbucks to hit on the way...because I seriously need caffeine in the morning...but I don't drink coffee...I drink a coffee flavored drink called a Cinnamon Dolce Latte...

I could have made due with a cold DoubleShot from a convenience store but my blood is still thin and morning temperatures in the 60s is still considered cold in my book...and I wanted hot caffeine.

At 8:00 am, after several attempts to text both kidless SIL and BIL and several voice mails...kids in tow...we left. It's a digital world and we could meet up later.

It's ridiculously hard to get onto I-4 West...don't ask me why...but we managed to find the Starbucks off the Sand Lake exit...grab contact drops at Walgreens...park at the TTC...do all the ticket exchanging necessary...(DS is now an adult but his non-expiring tickets were child), all our non-expiring tickets were on old KTTW cards and since DS got a new card, he was on the new system, so the CM suggested DH and I also get new system tickets so that we didn't have to split up to enter the parks...monorail...bag line...ticket line...and we were in the park around 9:20 am.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Kidless SIL and BIL caught up with us an hour later...

It was 11:30 am...and it was time for the first food decision of the day.

My niece and nephew hadn't eaten...and she was getting pretty cranky and whinny...we needed food...but the question was...snack now and lunch later? Or lunch now? DH and DS had slammed some food from the complementary buffet at the hotel before we left...we were good...and not really hungry...I was hoping for a later lunch because the crowds were still low...

Thankfully, our FP window for Space Mountain dictated the snack now approach

We were in Tomorrowland... Ice cream sounded really good...

Enter Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies.

Approach the CM at the free standing cashier to order and pay...

DS said, "What can I order?"

"Anything you want, Son."

"Really?"

"Really."

This was always the beauty of the DDP for me in the past. If it's allowable on the plan, there are no holds barred...get what you want. I decided to adopt the same approach this day...even though we were going OOP. I wanted to see what the damages would really be...

And I had my CC with me in case I decided we were making too big of dent in the checking account.

Side note...I think everything here counted as a snack on the DDP...even the items above $4.00...so I need to research what the new definition of "snack" is for WDW for future reference.

DH and DS wanted sundaes.

At this location, the sundaes are soft serve ice cream...your choice of vanilla, chocolate or swirl...with your choice of caramel, hot fudge, or strawberry toppings...and whipped cream. The whipped cream is dispensed from a machine that is similar to one for the soft serve...and it's not very controllable. The CMs have a dish that is sitting underneath it catching the overflow that seems to occur with each use...I know my DH wanted to ask for that bowl of straight up whipped cream...we joked about it...but he refrained...but it was tempting. If you're lucky...this is a chronic whipped cream dispenser condition and you will also get a MOUNTAIN of whipped cream on YOUR sundae.

DH got vanilla. DS got chocolate. Both got Hot Fudge. The creams were cold the fudge was HOT. The bowl is decent sized...any smaller and you would be left wanting...any bigger and you wouldn't be able to eat the ice cream before it all melted... from my men on the sundaes.

I couldn't stomach that yet. All I had had to consume this day was my latte...granted, it was a triple venti...and it had "light" whip on it...so it definitely satisfied...but a sundae felt a little too Deja-Vu for me. I was checking out the smoothies... I almost didn't order the Tropical Smoothie because it had pineapple in it...and I was planning on hitting Aloha Isle later...but I couldn't resist.

Momma got the Tropical Smoothie which is Orange, Pineapple, and Mango with frozen yogurt. All the smoothies are made with frozen yogurt. The Tropical Smoothie was not too sweet. It was more like sweet tart. There's the possibility that the tart is from the frozen yogurt...if it were plain frozen yogurt...but this is unlikely. I think the tart is from the OJ...you know the kind of OJ that is made from concentrate and has that...taste? This had that taste...and rather than being somewhat unappetizing when you drink it plain...it added a nice tart to what would have otherwise been a too sweet drink for me. Knowing this though...you have to be selective when you order the OJ based smoothie...don't get it if you want a sweet treat. Order away if you want sweet tart.

My SIL got a float. It's served in a tall plastic cup that is wider on the top but really narrow from midway down. I'm not a float fan...I don't understand if you drink them or eat them? She didn't complain though...

Regular soft serve in a cup was also ordered by our group. They give you quite the tower of soft serve...in a very attractive swirly mountain of chilly goodness.

All in all...you can't really mess up soft serve. Not if it's REAL soft serve...creamy and cold...not the icy fake soft serve. This is the real deal at Auntie Gravity.

All the seating here is outdoors. There are tables with umbrellas in a kind of courtyard area with the Speedway across the way. Restrooms are right here and very convenient. If you can't find shade enough, the Lunching Pad is also near-by with a lot of covered seating, but also outdoors.

While we were enjoying our frozen treats, Push, the talking trash can made an appearance in our courtyard. Without any spoilers...he had gathered more than a dozen children of varying ages and heights around him as he interacted with everyone. It was very entertaining. After what must have been anywhere between 20-30 minutes? he went backstage nearby...we headed off to ride the short lines all around before our FP for Space Mountain.

It was about 11:30 AM when we ordered.

There were no lines here. There was plenty of seating and we were able to sit is enough shade around one table for 8 people to be happy.

The bill:
Hot Fudge Vanilla $4.29
Hot Fudge Chocolate 4.29
Tropical Smoothie 4.49
3 waters 0.00

After Tax Total: $13.92

If you don't know...any CS in WDW that has fountain beverage service will give you free ice water. You can order it like you would any other drink at the cashier or you can ask for it at the food pick up counter. The cup size is the regular cup size. They use the water spigot option at the fountain to fill the cups. If you can keep hydrated this way, you will save yourself the $2.50 they charge for bottled water.

Up next...lunch at Pinocchio's.

 

[pumba]

great start...
Thanks for the reviews...
I am now saying HOT FUDGE SUNDAE..
SOUNDS really good

Thanks again and waiting for more..

 

[TxRabbit]

From one mountain to the others...we left Space and headed to the twins on the other side of the park. With an FP for the other SM in hand...we boarded the train for Fantasyland...

With the fantastic idea of eating at BOG for lunch...

We were dreaming...

The CM's were quoting a 60-90 minute wait...

I clarified...just to be certain...the apologetic look of the sweet young lady as she confirmed the overheard 60-90 minute quote...and the realistic quote of a "GOOD hour" from the male sidekick...combined with the visual evidence of the long line...had us debating other options.

Niece was getting cranky again...she needed food NOW.

It was about 1:00 PM.

SIL was seeing the Friar's Nook on the map...I don't anything about Friar's Nook...I know about Pinocchio's...

Which in the past had just a few menu items...Figaro Fries anyone? Italian Sandwich anyone?...that made it a preferred location over others... I knew the menu had to be different...but I hoped the experience would be similar to the past...and I lead everyone in that direction...

There are several exits to Pinocchio's...these are guarded by CMs that will direct you to the ONE entrance.

Upon entering, a CM will greet you and hand you a laminated 8 x 10 menu. This menu has descriptions of the available selections and just a few photos of featured menu items. This CM will direct you to a roped queue where another CM guards the entrance from the queue to the ordering lines. That CM will direct you to the appropriate CM that is standing watch over several ordering lines. That CM will guide you into the shortest line under their watch.

We walked without resistance to the ordering line with only one person in front of us.

Look up. The new style menus in the restaurants are electronic. There is a section in the middle that shows photos of the menu items...four at a time. The photos rotate through all the main menu items. Also...try to see the trays passing you from those picking up their orders. This may help you decide what the best looking food is...and aid in your selection process.

It's quite obvious that the FLATBREAD is the star here.

There's a menu item not listed on either the menu here or all ears...but IS on the WDW site...and that's the Italian Flatbread Sub.

Which is what my entire family ordered.

The flatbread here is thin...really thin...like quarter inch or thinner thin. As great as it all looked...the SUB looked way better to us this day.

Picture a flatbread taco. There must have been a form that they used to keep the flatbread into a V-shape. Toasted with the Italian meats and cheese...and then topped with shredded lettuce, Kalamata olives, sliced banana peppers, and drizzled with a Balsamic Glaze...mmmmmmmmmm.

And this sub is easily 12 inches long.

Now the filling is typical of restaurant food...and the outer edges of the flatbread is filling-less and a bit crisped from the toasting process. You can bread that off and eat it like a chip...or you can strategically squeeze the flatbread to spread the filling up and out so that you create a more even filling amount throughout your sub...

Anyway you eat it...this was easily the star of our table.

EASILY.

The niece and nephew ordered chicken nuggets which were served with fries. They looked typical to me. Too much breading...not enough nugget for my taste. The fries looked typical as well. The picky niece and nephew ate without complaint so they did the trick.

Also ordered was a Mediterranean Salad. This looked good for a healthy option. I debated this...but I saw how they were served and decided against, obviously. They are premade and waiting. This is not a slam...they look freshly made...the lettuce looks super crisp...and the toppings look great. It's just that it's served in a straight sided bowl...and filled to almost overflowing. And you would need to cut the chicken slices...and it would be impossible to stir to get the dressing all over the salad without losing a whole lot of salad over the edge of the bowl. And all the goodies were on the top...and would be lost...OR you would end up with the difficult task of trying to manage to pace the goodies to the salad beneath so that you didn't end up with just a bunch of lettuce and no goodies at the bottom. Either way...

The sub definitely beat the salad for me...

And I saw that my SIL had half a bowl of sad and lonely lettuce left when she decided she was done...

I think about these things...

I don't know why...

I wasn't party to the finding a table scene.

SIL had her order first...she stood in line alone with the kids to the side...they were not able to scout out a table for the group. The CMs were not allowing anyone to sit at tables until you had your food. It was like they were guarding the exits from the ordering area...

But when you had your food, a CM would ask about your party size and help you find a table...

There were CMs stationed throughout the restaurant...obviously in charge of cleaning and rearranging tables and chairs for their designated territory...and the CMs would talk to each other about the availability of seating in their area and whether or not your party would fit.

Like I said...I wasn't a part of this process...

All I know is that I could see the kidless couple making their way through the restaurant OVER THERE...and we followed them...

And we had a table waiting for us that was clean and able to accommodate our party of 8 without any stress to find such a table.

This is an entirely different CS experience from my previous ones...

And I like it.

There are multiple goodie stations located in the restaurant where you get silverware, napkins, straws, condiments, including salad dressing, etc.

The Italian Sub was AWESOME. Because of the thinness of the flatbread, there's a great ratio of filling to bread. Each bite is more about the meats than the bread. And the Balsamic Glaze was the perfect addition. There was enough lettuce on board to justify adding some additional dressing, but I was worried that I wouldn't be able to taste the glaze if I did. But there was enough dressing also to form a bit of a pool in the tray on which the flatbread is served. It makes you want to not put it down...because you risk ruining the crisp bread with the wet. Definitely not too dry without additional dressing.

My family was thoroughly pleased with our selection. It isn't served with any sides. Just enjoy it. It's pretty big. And if you eat slowly enough...you'll be satisfied.

The bill:

3 Flatbread Subs ($9.69 each) $29.07
3 waters 0.00

After Tax Total: $30.96

We enjoyed a leisurely eat and sit. No one bothered us about our table. And no one seemed to have a problem finding a place to sit.

Without rushing...we enjoyed our meal...the sitting was good...we were recharged...and we were ready for some more touring.

 

[TxRabbit]

My family needed bathrooms...

We ALL needed water....

We ALL needed a plan for the time until our next FP at BTMRR...

Rested...LOL...with plans for visiting the Haunted Mansion next (it was right before parade time...)...we ended up in the Columbia Harbour House...

The niece couldn't wait for us to figure out what we were doing...she demanded water from one of carts near the bathroom...so SIL and her kids were sitting there with $7.50 worth of bottled water while the other 5 of us were drinking $0.00 ice water...

The salad eater from lunch needed a munchie so she was digging into an Apple Crisp...

Which I must admit looked like a really decent option for a CS dessert...

Once upon a time ago there were dessert Canolis at Pinocchio's...a dessert that had to be made onsite because it wasn't prepackaged...the Apple Crisp at Columbia Harbour House looked similarly made onsite...

The crisp is more like a single serving freestanding pie. The pie dough doesn't end at the top of the edges though. Think of a pie imitating a fruit centered danish...with the dough forming a wide edge around the top of the crisp with a the center open to reveal the apple filling. It LOOKED tasty...but I didn't get a bite...

IF I were to order dessert here...it would definitely be my pick.

And the food was appealing enough to DS that he decided then and there that this was his pick for dinner later...

Paused...refreshed...time to visit the Haunted Mansion...

 

[TxRabbit]

great start...
Thanks for the reviews...
I am now saying HOT FUDGE SUNDAE..
SOUNDS really good

Thanks again and waiting for more..

ala Homer?

I hear that!

 

[TxRabbit]

Fast forward to 5:00 PM...ish

The extended family left the park before 4 PM. Frankly, I was surprised that they lasted that long! It had been a good day...but my family was thrilled to enter into that evening part of the day...the park was transitioning from the beating sun to a very pleasant dusk...shade was easy to come by...and the whole pace of the park seemed to downshift.

We were thrilled to feel free...

Free to do whatever OUR hearts desired outside of the group dynamic...

And what we were wanting to do right now...was eat FUNNEL CAKE!

And in MK...this means Sleepy Hollow in Liberty Square...

You'd think we'd be hungry for dinner...

And we were...kinda...

But there's something about all that walking in WDW...you THINK you are going to be hungrier than you are...IDK...snacks are good...iced water is good. Real food sounds a little too heavy...

At it's the time of day where the patio next to Sleepy Hollow is in total shade...and with the view of the Castle...and with the sound of the show playing..."Dream Along With Mickey" started at 5:15 PM...which we could hear but not really see...

It's just a great time to be outside, resting and snacking...

We love us some funnel cake...

If you are unfamiliar...funnel cake is where you take a sweet batter...similar to pancakes or waffles...and using a special funnel with a valve to control flow...you drizzle the batter directly into hot frying oil. A skilled funnel cake batter drizzler will squiggle the batter at just the right speed to create just the right sized bites that are the perfect balance of outer crisp and inner softness. We had an expert drizzler today.

The funnel cake was easily 1.5 to 2 inches tall...and filled the entire plate it was served on. And it was literally BLANKETED in powdered sugar. OMG.

One was plenty for the family to share...even funnel cake lovers such as ourselves...

The bill:

Funnel Cake $5.69
3 waters 0.00

After Tax Total: $6.06

The patio here is a perfect niche...you still feel like you are a part of the action, but it's just far enough removed to also feel like you are sidelined and getting a break from the action. And something about the patio sound dynamics deadens the park sounds. It's like a shady, sugary oasis...

I noticed that several options counted as snacks on the DDP. Again, I would have to review the current definition of a snack to verify, but I remember thinking that something had happened to expand the $$ value of a snack...because many items above $5 even were snacks...whereas, in my previous knowledge...$4 was the upper limit.

 

[pumba]

one funnel cake would feed us all too...and then we need a bathroom to wipe up our mess...like Beignets at Port Orleans French Quarter...need a big bib and plenty of water to wash with..
thanks again..

 

[TxRabbit]

Time for dinner...

Side Note...it was a long shot...but I DID try calling Disney Dining...just to see if, by chance, we could possibly eat at BOG for dinner... You don't know if you don't ask right? And, as expected, no go to BOG...

So it's almost 7:00 PM...and it's time to eat dinner...

DS thought that the fish at Columbia Harbour House smelled and looked good earlier...and he requested this for dinner...

Sure, dude.

The same laminated menu passing out CM greeted us upon entry...

But we made our own way to an ordering line...

And we stared at the menu...

And it all looked really good...

The photos that flash of the entrees on the new menu boards are really helpful...unless you are having a hard time making up your mind...and it all looks good...

DS was really interested in the Lobster Roll... DS is a pretty adventurous eater... We've watched enough Food Network in the house... I am enough of a gourmet home cook... DS understands food that is considered to be more specialty food over other food. In this case, lobster. He also knows enough to know that even good food can be badly prepared...or prepared in a way that he wouldn't like...so he wondered if he would like the Lobster Roll.

There's only one way to find out...

We asked about the Lobster Roll.

The CM from Haiti said, in the most ATTRACTIVE accent...

OK. The lobster...is not imitation...is REAL lobster...and there's basil...and onion...and red pep-pah...and mayo.

And her accent...her inflection...

We ALL wanted the Lobster Roll.

We ALL ordered the Lobster Roll.

Food on the tray...we went in search of seats...

At this time of day...the CM guard had a limited crew. We could find and sit anywhere we wanted. DH found the stairs and looked at me.

Oh yes. Go up the stairs.

Upstairs at the CHH is an oasis. I now understand how everyone talks about eating upstairs in this restaurant.

There's carpet up here. It deadens the sounds. Whereas the downstairs still had that feeling of hustle and bustle, even though it wasn't terribly busy...the upstairs was peaceful. There were other people here...but not nearly as many as downstairs.

There are the goodie bars with silverware, etc. upstairs.

We were one of two families that chose to eat in one room. The tables by the windows were set up for two diners...the center tables seated four...we just grabbed an empty chair and gathered around a window table sit-com style to eat and people watch.

It was such a relaxing peaceful meal.

One of the things that I appreciate with the CS meals over the TS meals...having done both...is the relative peace of a CS meal. If you can find a quiet corner, then there isn't a server to interrupt your family time. You can just sit together and enjoy your time together.

The lobster rolls were tasty. The lobster was tender. The added veggies added SOME texture, but not much. The potato chips that are served with the roll really help to add some needed crunch. You HAVE to like mayo to enjoy this sandwich...but the fresh basil really comes through. The roll is really more like an inexpensive hot dog bun that melts in your mouth. The ratio of lobster salad to roll is such that there is enough salad to split each roll bite into the left and right sides of the bun.

If you would ask me on the street whether or not I would order lobster in a fast food restaurant in a theme park...I normally wouldn't think that we be such a good idea. It's like the commercial where the guy buys sushi at the gas station. It doesn't seem like a good idea. HOWEVER...we thoroughly enjoyed our selections. I would definitely order this again.

I think the key to ordering WDW food...or any food for that matter...is to WANT it. Want it because you really want it...not because it is rumored to be so awesome...then, you will appreciate it more.

The Bill:

3 Lobster Rolls with Chips ($9.99 each) $29.97
3 waters 0.00

After Tax Total: $31.92

We had a leisurely meal. Even though the chairs are cushion-less wooden chairs...they are pretty comfortable. The setting is actually lovely. We took our time with our meal. There was no need to rush. We had a nice chat with the other family in the room...they recognized DH, who had starred as Sulley when we visited the Laughing Floor. The sun hadn't set yet...the room was still naturally lit...and the room we were in had windows on both sides, so it was a sunny, happy place.

When we felt ready to move on...we did.

 

[TxRabbit]

Wishes is over.

We were watching from the Tomorrowland bridge. Tink few RIGHT over us.

It was time for ice cream. And not just any ice cream. We needed the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor ice cream.

Along with what felt like all the humanity in the park...we started walking to Main St. And fortunately, the line wasn't horrible in the ice cream parlor.

It was a big debate...which sundae to get. With one, you get the peanut butter drizzle. With the other, you get a waffle bowl. For DH, the deciding factor what the service. The one with peanut butter drizzle was served in the kind of cup that the floats are served in...tall, wider on the top...and a narrow bottom. Like me and the salad...DH figured that it would be difficult to maneuver the spoon to achieve the perfect bite in such a serving dish. And for this reason alone...the waffle bowl won.

That and the fact that the Peanut Butter Cup ice cream was the featured flavor of the month.

Yay for getting to choose your own flavor of ice cream in your sundae!

DH and DS both got the peanut butter cup.

I got strawberry.

The sundaes are served in a waffle that has been formed into a kind of wavy sided bowl. The hot fudge forms a pool of sugary goodness in the bottom of the bowl. The whipped cream...the cherry. OMG.

There is not a beverage fountain in the ice cream parlor. We paid for water here.

The park was emptying. I think the majority consider Wishes to be the end of the evening. We surveyed potential eating locations...and saw that the lower patio closest to the water was virtually empty. Such an fairy tale setting...the lights reflecting on the water...the lights of Main St...the lights on the Castle.

Suddenly, all the lights went out in our immediate area. And the show that is a play of light on the castle began. I was excited about this as we missed the first half of this show earlier.

We scooted the table over so that we could clearly see.

And we joked about our sundaes becoming "surprise sundaes" because every bite was a surprise...because you literally couldn't really see the dish in front of you.

The ice cream was melting a bit. It collected with the hot fudge pool in the bottom of the waffle bowl. There comes a time when you start to break apart the bowl and enjoy the melted cream and fudge waffle bites.

This patio is EXCELLENT viewing for the castle show. And there is plenty of seating here for the second show.

With 12 minutes left until park closing...we high tailed it over to Space Mountain for one last run before the end of the night.

The Bill:

2 Feature Sundaes $10.18
Strawberry Sundae 5.09
Bottled Water 2.50

After Tax Total: $18.77

 

[pumba]

you are making me laugh..
Your decision on the ice cream sundaes made me laugh out loud...told hubby ...HOT FUDGE SUNDAE again..

Thanks again ..

 

[TxRabbit]

Morning Snack $13.92
Lunch 30.96
Evening Snack 6.06
Dinner 31.92
Late Night Snack 18.77

Grand Total: $101.63

I was very interested to see this total and compare it to the daily cost of the QSDDP. We came out ahead...and we got more snacks than the plan would have given us. Granted, we could have had drinks and desserts with the plan...but we didn't need them. I actually prefer the treats and desserts offered elsewhere throughout the park to the desserts at the CS locations.

Drinks may be an issue for some...but we aren't soda drinkers. DH will occasionally drink one, but he prefers Diet Dr Pepper when he does, which isn't found in WDW. We are fine with the ice water.

I found the quality of food at the CS locations to be just fine. Really yummy actually. I would order everything we ordered again, but I also saw other options, especially at CHH, that I would also try.

I also found the prices to be fairly average. It seems that my family will either end up in a $5 each or $10 each restaurant...and we will either spend around $17 or around $32 whenever we eat out at the various fast food establishments. Just for location...I would expect WDW to be the $10 each variety...and it was. Fortunately, the quality didn't make me feel totally taken to the cleaners...

The snack prices were more like movie theater pricing...

But they were SO YUMMY...

I figured that $100/day for travel food would be about what we would spend if we weren't trying to be frugal...but attempting to eat somewhat normally, if from a restaurant. And that's what we ended up spending at day's end.

It was as easy to use my debit card as my KTTW card...

If slightly more painful to see all those actual $$$ instead of the zeroed out prices that the DDP receipts have...

If anyone has any questions...I'm happy to answer.

Thanks to all who shared this day with me.

 

[TxRabbit]

you are making me laugh..
Your decision on the ice cream sundaes made me laugh out loud...told hubby ...HOT FUDGE SUNDAE again..

Thanks again ..

DH is funny...you don't even want to know about the Belgium Waffle ritual. I've watched it for over 20 years. Perfect bites for favorite foods are very important.

 

[SRiley1985]

Thanks for the re-do. I really enjoyed your reviews!

 

[pumba]

did you find any other counter service places that the CM's guard the tables until you are seated with food and the whole clan??
I have read about some of the restaurants doing this...curious..
Thanks again