Planning our first trip - ADR advice

mannasn

Punk rock mama<br><font color=green>Thinks Toad Sw
Joined
Mar 23, 2005
Messages
597
We're planning our first WDW trip from May 7-17.

Trying to get organized and book our ADRs for the 10 days we'll be there. I've narrowed the restaurant list down but would like some advice from those who have "Been there, done that" - if you don't mind?

My boys are 7 and 4. DH and I are in our late 20s and love pretty much anything. We're pretty adventurous eaters but both love seafood, steaks, ethnic cuisines (Italian, Japanese, etc).

Here's what I have so far..

Table service (we're on the dining plan):

WCC
Le Cellier vs Concourse Steakhouse
Ohana vs Kona (think I'd rather do Kona for breakfast?)
Coral Reef (*I'm thinking my boys would love the aquarium at this one. They're obsessed with fish.)
Boma
Mama Melrose (Fantasmic)
Teppenyaki
Prime Time
Cape May Cafe?
Spoodles?

Thinking of doing one character dinner - maybe Chef Mickeys? Or does Garden Grill have characters in the evening?
If so.. Garden Grill vs Chef Mickeys ?

Thanks so much for the help! :)
 
Congratulations on your 1st trip! Nothing else compares to WDW!! I notice you have a ? by Cape May. If you like seafood, you will love Cape May. We thought it was delicious!! Prime Time Cafe is so much fun!! We have eaten at Chef Mickey's before, but not Garden Grill so I really can't comment on that one other than to say that CM is a lot of fun. It is really cool to travel to the Contemporary by monorail. Don't forget that 'Ohana now has a character breakfast with Lilo and Stitch. Looks like you're off to a great start with your planning. :)
 
What resort are you staying at? If you are at the Contemporary then I understand the possibility of 2 meals there, but else, I am of the opinion that you should have as many different experiences as possible.

Your rezzies by question:
Le Cellier vs Concourse Steakhouse:

I would go for Le Cellier, for its ease in getting there, especially with two young kids. If you're actually staying at the Contemporary (or actually any monorail resort) then it isn't too bad to jump to it, if you just want to go home after. I am one of those girls who would take park food over resort food most of the time.

Ohana vs Kona (think I'd rather do Kona for breakfast?)

Kona for breakfast is a tasty treat, but again, if you're not at a Magic Kingdom resort, it can be tricky, especially when kids just want to get to the castle.

Coral Reef (*I'm thinking my boys would love the aquarium at this one. They're obsessed with fish.)

Never been - Boyfriend isn't good with eating fish, and I'm not good with eating fish while watching fish...lol. I hear great things though!

Boma

Always a good choice! Best to do dinner after your Animal Kingdom day, just remember that the park usually closes between 5pm to 7pm depending on season and Extra Hours.

Mama Melrose (Fantasmic)

PLEASE DON'T GO HERE! If I can dissuade you from anything it is going here! My boyfriend and I just did the Fantasmic dinner plan here 2 weeks ago. Our waitress repeatedly rushed us, announcing that we were taking too long to order! Keep in mind this rezzie was at 3:30, we were in no worries about missing fantasmic, and the place was empty so there weren't a lot of people we were holding up. The bread was dry, the salad was limp, the spaghetti in my Chicken parm was so acidic it tasted like lemons instead of tomatoes. To top it off, the tiramisu dessert is the exact same one you can get at Starring Rolls Bakery for a cheaper price! Absolutely nothing about it was special, and we both agreed that our pizza from AsMusic Food Court was better than our flatbread here. Please go to H&V instead if you must do the Fantasmic Dinner Plan. I know some people have had good experiences here, but really, we thought it was awful! (I had previously had a good experience here in 2000, and though I still love the ambience, the place has otherwise dropped in food quality!)

Teppenyaki

Very tasty and a good show.

Prime Time

Everytime I try to go it is being rennovated. I hear it's very tasty comfort food.

Cape May Cafe?

The fish is fresh and awesome. But be forewarned of close proximity to Beaches & Cream and the arcade. If it can steal the attention of my boyfriend, it can steal the attention of small children. lol.

Spoodles?

Never been. Heard some ups and downs to the reviews since they changed the menu, but overall the food quality still seems good.


Really, I don't know if I've helped, but if I can at least make you think twice about Mama's then, I may help greatly...on the dining plan, it's not too bad, but if we had gotten that $80 price tag and were paying out of pocket, we would have felt HORRIBLE! We still felt pretty bad after our amazing meals later in the week at Le Cellier, Chefs de France, CRT, Sci Fi (ok, this one was just tasty, filling and fun), and even Beaches & Cream. If we could have done any of those again over Mama's we would have in a heartbeat.

-Tina
 





Receive up to $1,000 in Onboard Credit and a Gift Basket!
That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE









DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest DIS Tiktok DIS Twitter DIS Bluesky

Back
Top Bottom