Our September ADRs... Thoughts? Suggestions?

[Wendy31]

Hi, everyone!

We're returning to WDW in September! Yay! I make our ADRs on Monday. Yay!

This time, unlike our previous 2 trips, we're only doing the basic DP & not the DxDP, so we had to make... choices. LOL!

Anyway, we're staying at the CR & will have 10 day MYW tickets (no hoppers), here's what we're planning:

Saturday, 9/15 - Arrival/No Parks
Dinner - Whispering Canyon (1 TS credit)

Sunday, 9/16 - MK
Breakfast - snacks in our room
Lunch - Pinnochio Village Haus or, hopefully, Be Our Guest (1 QS credit)
Dinner - CRT (OOP)

Monday, 9/17 - EPCOT, Future World
Breakfast - snacks in our room
Lunch - Cantina de San Angel (1 QS credit)
Dinner - Garden Grill (1 TS credit)

I cut out Le Cellier for lunch!

Tuesday, 9/18 - Disney Studios
Breakfast - snacks in our room
Lunch - Starring Rolls or Toy Story Pizza Planet (1 QS credit)
Dinner - Mama Melrose's, Fantasmic Dinner Package (1 TS credit)

Wednesday, 9/19 - MK
Breakfast - snacks in our room
Late Brunch/Early Lunch - Crystal Palace (1 TS credit)
Dinner - Tony's (1 TS credit)

Thursday, 9/20 - AK
Breakfast - snacks in our room
Lunch - Flame Tree (1 QS credit)
Dinner - Yak & Yeti (1 TS credit)

Friday, 9/21 - Disney Studios & MNSSHP
Breakfast - snacks in our room
Lunch - Sci-Fi (OOP)
Dinner - Columbia Harbor House or Be our Guest or our Resort (1 QS credit)

Saturday, 9/22 - EPCOT, World Showcase
Breakfast - Chef Mickey's (1 TS credit)
Lunch - WS quick-service (1 QS credit)
Dinner - Rose & Crown OR Chefs de France (1 TS Credit) - CAN'T DECIDE!!!!

Sunday, 9/23 - EPCOT, Future World, & DTD
Breakfast - snacks in our room
Lunch - Sunshine Seasons (1 QS credit)
Dinner - Rainforest Cafe (1 TS credit)

Monday, 9/24 - MK
Breakfast - snacks in our room
Lunch - Columbia Harbor House or Be our Guest (hopefully!) (1 QS credit)
Dinner - 'Ohana (1 TS credit)

Tuesday, 9/15 - MK/Departure
Breakfast - snacks in our room
Lunch - Liberty Tree Tavern (OOP)

We'll have 2 leftover QS credits/person, so I plan to get breakfast at our resort a couple of mornings & even share some breakfasts so the credits could be stretched to 4 mornings.

From last year to this year, we dropped Boma (dinner), Coral Reef (lunch), Grand Floridian Cafe (breakfast), Kona Cafe (dinner), Le Cellier (lunch), the Plaza (dinner), & a signature dining restaurant. I think we'll only really miss Le Cellier & Boma, & the kids might miss Coral Reef. I will miss the signature dining restaurant!

I'm really having a hard time deciding between Rose & Crown & Chefs de France for our WS dinner.

What does everyone think? Thanks for any suggestions or advice!!

 

[d23cndrela]

I have a quick question. Why are you paying oop for so many meals? Is it cheapers than upgrading to the deluxe dp?

 

[wendow]

I just had to say "hi". My name is Wendy also, we arrive the same day as you, also planning Whispering Canyon that night for dinner but we are staying at BLT None of our other plans look the same. Just thought that was funny though. Have a great trip. Your plans look great to me!

 

[Wendy31]

I have a quick question. Why are you paying oop for so many meals? Is it cheapers than upgrading to the deluxe dp?

Yes, for us & the meals we have planned, paying OOP for a couple of meals is cheaper than the DxDP. If we were doing as many TS restaurants as we did last year, then, probably, no.

We've done the DxDP for our last two trips. The first time, it was wonderful, & we loved it! However, last year, we felt like we wasted a lot of time & money for a couple of different reasons -

1. The first time we did the DxDP, our older DD & older DS were still considered "Disney children", so, of course, we were still paying children's prices for them & paying tips on those children's prices.

This past year, they were 11 & 9, so they're considered "Disney adults" now. However, they really still have children's appetites - both size-wise & in the things they like/dislike (although DS is more adventurous than DD).

W/ the DxDP, you get an appetizer, entree, & dessert. By the time, they ate their appetizer, they were done! They ate, maybe, a few bites of their entrees & normally about 1/2 of their desserts. (Disney's portion-sizes are huge!)

So, in addition to having already paid for the more expensive DxDP plan, we were paying a larger tip on lots of food that we weren't eating! At Tutto Italia, I think they may have eaten 1 bite of their entrees.

I'm not sure why we just didn't NOT order them appetizers or let them share... I think we just weren't thinking! However, since we had all the credits, we felt like we needed to use them.

2. Additionally, we felt like we were spending a lot of time at the TS restaurants. This was a change from the previous year. The service at all of the restaurants seemed slower than in the past, so each meal was taking longer - which cut into a lot of our park time. Plus, when you order an appetizer then an entree then a dessert... it just takes longer. But, for some reason, it seemed to take WAY LONGER than it had in the past.

We still like the DxDP - because we like not having to pay anything OOP. And, maybe when the kids are older, we'll go back to it!

We compared the basic DP w/ the DxDP & realized, that, even w/ our OOP costs for a couple of meals & some appetizers & tips for our meals, we're still spending less than we did last year w/ the DxDP + tips.

But, like I said, we had to make some choices & cut out some of our favorites! I'll miss having a signature dining experience. We will all miss lunch at Le Cellier, & I think the kids will probably miss lunch at Coral Reef.

I just had to say "hi". My name is Wendy also, we arrive the same day as you, also planning Whispering Canyon that night for dinner but we are staying at BLT None of our other plans look the same. Just thought that was funny though. Have a great trip. Your plans look great to me!

Hello, fellow Wendy!!

That is so cool that your family is checking in the same day as us! Y'all will be at Bay Lake Tower, & we'll be right next to you in the tower of the Contemporary Resort.

Maybe we'll "see" each other at Whispering Canyon Cafe!

What other restaurants are you planning?

Y'all are going to have so much fun on your first trip!!!

 

[d23cndrela]

That makes sense. I was just curious. It just seemed like a big extra expense on top of already having the dinning plan. Thank you for explaining. I think you have some great choices as far as ADRs. I'm actually arriving the day before you and our first dinner in the world is going to be Whispering Canyon Cafe as well. Have a wonderful trip!!!!

 

[wendow]

Hello, fellow Wendy!!

That is so cool that your family is checking in the same day as us! Y'all will be at Bay Lake Tower, & we'll be right next to you in the tower of the Contemporary Resort.

Maybe we'll "see" each other at Whispering Canyon Cafe!

What other restaurants are you planning?

Y'all are going to have so much fun on your first trip!!!

We are not on the DDP so we won't be doing very many TS meals. We will have an almost 4 yo (with some special needs) and a 17mo as well as two other children so we aren't wanting to spend a ton of time dealing with meals. Our other TS meals we are planning is Chef Mickey's for breakfast on Wednesday, the 26th. I also want to schedule O'Hana's for dinner but not sure where to put that yet. I gotta hurry and decide I'm just starting to look into meals and it's already time to book them almost I never thought I'd have to plan my meals 6 mos out. It's all fun though!

 

[chimilady]

This is going to sound alittle odd, but is your birthday in September? Because if so, you can get the landry's card, and do that at Rainforest and use your TS credit towards CRT, that may be cheaper. Or pay OOP at Rainforest, and use the 99c Kids meal certificate and use that TS credit towards CRT.

 

[Wendy31]

This is going to sound alittle odd, but is your birthday in September? Because if so, you can get the landry's card, and do that at Rainforest and use your TS credit towards CRT, that may be cheaper. Or pay OOP at Rainforest, and use the 99c Kids meal certificate and use that TS credit towards CRT.

I actually have been tossing around the idea of using TS credits at CRT & paying OOP for some cheaper meals - and especially paying OOP & not using TS credits where my 2 "Disney adults" choose kids' meals.

Also, I just read about the Landry's card on another thread, so that is definitely an option too!

Unfortunately, our birthdays are in January & July though.

However, if I'm reading it correctly, when we pay $25 for the Landry's card, that $25 actually goes on the card as a credit, right? So I would still have at least $25 to put toward the RF meal - I realize, though, that essentially we're still paying the $25. But I could use the kid's certificate for youngest DS.