One too many meals - what to drop?

[MomOTwins]

We are on the Deluxe Dining Plan heading down later this month, and I just snagged a 6pm BOG dinner (I realize it is a poor value on the plan, but it's my birthday and I'd really like to try the new menu). However, since that is now 2 credits and replaced a 1 credit meal I had previously reserved, I now have one too many meals for our deluxe plan and need to figure out whether to drop one, or keep them and pay out of pocket for one of the breakfasts. Here is our plan, for a 5 night stay:

Arrival day
Dinner: Cape May Cafe

Day 1
PPO Breakfast: GG
Lunch: Biergarten
Dinner: Akershus

Day 2
PPO Breakfast: Bon Voyage at Trattoria
Lunch: Minnie's Dine & H&V - Fantasmic
Dinner: Yachtsman

Day 3
Lunch: Tusker House - ROL
Dinner: Tiffins

Day 4
Lunch: CRT
Dinner: BOG

Departure day
Breakfast: Cape May Cafe

I note we always eat at least two TS meals per day, and we do not consider it to be either too much food or too much time--so I am hoping others here can provide specific suggestions of what to drop, rather than general critiques of the deluxe dining plan.

On the one hand, the most logical choice from a credit-value perspective seems to be to drop one of the breakfasts. On the other hand, we are staying at BC so it is convenient for us to get to them, and we like GG for the early Soarin access, and have never been to Trattoria so are keen to try it, especially with two small boys who love the idea of meeting princes. Another option that comes to mine would be to drop the Tusker House lunch since there are so many good counter service options at AK that we could pay out of pocket. My last thought was maybe to drop the arrival day dinner, but the counter service alternatives at the YC/BC area are so limited. What do you all think? Any other suggestions?

Please help me decide - I love all of our meal choices, and I hate to give one up!!!

 

[FigmentFinder]

I would drop lunch at Biergarten. After eating at a AYCE breakfast at Garden Grill, you won't likely want a buffet lunch. Especially since you have a dinner planed at Akershus. Maybe snack for lunch that day? To be honest, even day two looks like a lot of food. Will you be hungry for dinner at the Yachtsman after a buffet; and will you want to go back to Fantasmic after eating a large dinner?

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

For us, we would drop BOG. Not worth two credits, for us, at least. And we would pick up either another signature or two single credit meals.

We really enjoy Boma.

 

[KMarston]

I would drop Biergarten and use snack credits to snack around the world for lunch! Always fun!

 

[danielocha30]

Biergarten, EPCOT have many CS to grab a bite in between your 2 AYCTE meals

 

[Pumbaa_]

CRT and bog in same day is too much for me

 

[vinotinto]

I would drop both a meal on your Epcot day *and* the Lunch: Minnie's Dine & H&V and switch your Cape May dinner to a signature.

 

[purple figment]

Day 1: I would keep Garden Grill for breakfast, but choose either Biergarten or Akershus for the other meal. Akershus only has Princesses so if your boys like to meet Princes (e.g at Trattoria) they might be disappointed with Akershus. Biergarten might be fun for them if they want to join in the dancing. It would be easier to cancel Biergarten, but you could try to book a dinner there instead.

Day 2: Are you thinking of dinner at Yachtsman before or after Fantasmic? With a buffet lunch there might not be much time to digest the food before dining at Yachtsman. The disadvantage to dinner afterwards is it could make for a long day starting with the PPO breakfast at Trattoria and ending with a long signature dinner (1.5 hours is fairly typical).

 

[sanapp]

I would drop CRT if you have dined there in the past. I would switch it to a 1 credit. You could go to Grand Floridian Cafe or Wave and have a nice meal.

 

[senadler]

I would drop either Bon Voyage or H&V, I don't think doing those back to back makes sense.

 

[Nancyg56]

I would drop lunch at Biergarten. After eating at a AYCE breakfast at Garden Grill, you won't likely want a buffet lunch. Especially since you have a dinner planed at Akershus. Maybe snack for lunch that day? To be honest, even day two looks like a lot of food. Will you be hungry for dinner at the Yachtsman after a buffet; and will you want to go back to Fantasmic after eating a large dinner?

I would drop Biergarten as well. I love to eat but those three meals that day would put me in a coma.

OP- if you want Biergarten I woudl time it for dinner, and get rid of Akershus.

I also think that day two is going to be problematic as well. I would drop either breakfast or lunch that day and then have a signature meal on arrival day. As much as we like to sit down for meals, I would have a mutiny on my hands if I planned three TS a day on any day.

 

[Selket]

I'd drop Biergarten. Definitely keep BOG and CRT if you really want to eat there! I like Biergarten a lot but that's a lot of food in one day and I wouldn't miss it. In fact I'd probably just sit down and have a drink and some crackers after having breakfast and anticipating dinner - lol! I'd keep Akershus since it's a lot easier where I live to find a German restaurant than a Norwegian one - so it's fun to do something different.

 

[Rich M]

I would drop those two lunch buffets since having breakfast buffets and lunch buffets and then dinners would be way too much food. I would either find another signature or find a lunch that you can eat light at.

 

[bphilb]

I would drop H&V. I'm just not a fan of there food. Though if you have kids that want the character experience then it would make sense. Looks like a fun trip. I love the Deluxe Dining Plan and am using it for my November trip.

 

[MomOTwins]

Thanks, all! I've concluded we're just weird in how we eat because we view buffets as a "light" meal option since we just graze and nibble a few different things (we mainly go because we love characters, but hate waiting in line for meet and greets--or in biergarten's case we like the "show" aspect), whereas we tend to eat bigger meals if we are ordering at a sit down, so I'm not too worried about Biergarten/Akershus or H&V/Yachtsman being too much food. I do agree the three TS in one day thing is probably pushing it though, so I think we will drop either GG or Trattoria.

 

[Destinyz12]

I would recommend, if you're set on dropping either GG or Trattoria, to drop GG because of character overlap with Tusker and H&V and the Princes are unique to at Trattoria.

 

[MomOTwins]

After much tortured deliberation, I confess: I am a disney addict, and life is short. i am keeping them ALL.

 

[dbb727]

After much tortured deliberation, I confess: I am a disney addict, and life is short. i am keeping them ALL.

Haha that was my initial thought too. I’d just pay for the cheapest one out of pocket, I think Trattoria breakfast is fairly reasonable for a character meal, but you’ll have to compare with menu at Cape May breakfast as I think that would be the cheapest cash cost depending on your family demographics and food choices.

 

[MomOTwins]

Haha that was my initial thought too. I’d just pay for the cheapest one out of pocket, I think Trattoria breakfast is fairly reasonable for a character meal, but you’ll have to compare with menu at Cape May breakfast as I think that would be the cheapest cash cost depending on your family demographics and food choices.

As luck would have it, fortune smiled on me and my touringplans finder just picked up a beaches and cream rezzie on our arrival night. We have never been, and I always wanted it so we are replacing cape may with it and paying out of pocket since b&c now by far the cheapest meal. I can’t wait to try the kitchen sink!!! This is some serious WDW bucket list stuff for me. YAY!!!!!!!!

 

[HeidiGW]

pay cash for the one of the kids' meals at Yachtman's or Tiffin's, and share and adult meal at Tiffins/just order a cheaper entree or appy to supplement the other.