Please Look over my Dining Plans...

[OllieDannyandMe]

and share your suggestions. This is our first time on the Deluxe Dining Plan, and I feel overwhelmed.

The Cast of Characters for this vacation includes:
ME (a 41 year old mom and school teacher)
DD (a 4 year old animal-loving adventurer and princess)
DSis (a 58 year old former school teacher and world's best auntie)

We are staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge from December 13-22. We are on the package for 7 nights (the other two nights are room-only), so we will have 21 meals per person on the dining plan. One Dilemma: Should I cancel some lunches in order to book signature dining at Jiko's and/or California Grill.

ARRIVAL DAY:
L at Crystal Palace
D at Liberty Tree Tavern

DAY TWO:
B Boma (out of pocket)
L Tokyo Dining
D Tutto Italia OR Garden Grill (w/ Candlelight Processional)

DAY THREE:
B Hollywood & Vine Character Breakfast
L Mama Melrose’s
D Brown Derby

DAY FOUR:
B Tuskerhouse Character Breakfast
L Yak & Yeti
D The Plaza Restaurant (4 pm) OR Kona Café (5 pm)
followed by Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, 7-12 midnight

DAY FIVE:
B Grand Floridian Café (out of pocket)
L Coral Reef
D Teppan Edo (w/ Candlelight Processional) OR Wolfgang Puck’s Café

DAY SIX:
B Akershus Princess Storybook
L Le Cellier
D Nine Dragons OR Wolfgang Puck's Café

DAY SEVEN:
B Whispering Canyon Café (out of pocket)
Princess Package at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
L Cinderella's Royal Table
D Kona Cafe

DAY EIGHT: (room-only night; Deluxe Dining will end at midnight)
B Akershus Princess Storybook OR Chef Mickey's
D Le Cellier OR Chef Mickey’s

DAY NINE: (move to concierge room for 1 night)
B Pizzafari Safari Breakfast with Sunrise Safari Package
L AKL concierge snacks
D AKL concierge snacks

DAY TEN:
CHECK OUT AND RETURN HOME

 

[thelionqueen]

You have some great choices, but seriously, there are way too many meals per day IMHO. I would do one sit down per day 2 at the most every two days. The meals are huge and VERY time consuming. Just my .02

 

[catho72]

We were on the DxDDP in February. Based on using it in the past, here's what I'd do:


Eliminate some of the TS ADR's. You aren't going to have much park touring time with all the sit-down meals you have planned. There are some very good CS restaurants at WDW. Enjoy some meals at some of them.

Eliminate the Playhouse Disney breakfast. I have heard this is the worst character meal.

Keep the Plaza ADR the night of MVMCP. Don't go to Kona. You spent a lot of money on this hard ticket event. Stay in the park and enjoy it. We ate at Plaza during MNSSHP and loved it!

LeCellier is my favorite restaurant. Try and keep that ressie.

California Grill is awesome. Try and get an ADR there.

Share meals with your DD or DSis. This will allow you to not pay OOP for some meals. Portions are huge. Sharing won't work at buffets, though.

Most importantly, have fun!

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

It's just the kind of information that I need.

I agree--it will be too much food. We decided to splurge, so we could do many of the character meals as experiences. I hope to be busier taking pictures and video than eating at those.

It would be nice to elimate paying out of pocket for anything. And to do that, I will need to cancel a few ADR's. The resort breakfasts at (GFC and WCC and Boma) are my favorite meals. I am an omelet and eggs benedict fan!

I keep wondering about those lunches, though (especially the ones at Epcot). Should I cancel all of them with the exception of Le Cellier and Coral Reef? Maybe I should dine at California Grill and Jiko's instead of eating at the world showcase restaurants at lunch time?

Thanks again so much! Would love opinions as to which other meals I should cancel.

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

We were on the DxDDP in February. Based on using it in the past, here's what I'd do:


Eliminate some of the TS ADR's. You aren't going to have much park touring time with all the sit-down meals you have planned. There are some very good CS restaurants at WDW. Enjoy some meals at some of them.

Eliminate the Playhouse Disney breakfast. I have heard this is the worst character meal.

Keep the Plaza ADR the night of MVMCP. Don't go to Kona. You spent a lot of money on this hard ticket event. Stay in the park and enjoy it. We ate at Plaza during MNSSHP and loved it!

LeCellier is my favorite restaurant. Try and keep that ressie.

California Grill is awesome. Try and get an ADR there.

Share meals with your DD or DSis. This will allow you to not pay OOP for some meals. Portions are huge. Sharing won't work at buffets, though.

Most importantly, have fun!

Oh, wow! Great idea about sharing meals when ordering a la carte (to stretch the meals out over all of the 8 days--and make room for some signature dining). I never even thought about doing that!

 

[disneyJMD]

I just did DxDDP during September with 4 children, and it was nice to have the breaks during the day. I did, however, find that 2 TS meals per day was plenty of food. We usually did breakfast and dinner, and to make up for some of the additional TS meals we had left, we did the HDDR and Mickeys BBQ along with CRT and California Grill. At the end of our trip, we still had extra credits, and used them at Wolfgang Puck express in DTD and had a couple of pizzas. The pizza was great, and even though it counts as a QS, we used a TS on them as we had sat through a lot of nice meals and just wanted a QS on our last day. If you are looking for a suggestion, my kids all loved the HDDR--we have seen it several times and my 4 yr old princess still walks around singing the "Hoop-Dee-Doo" song.

 

[tigger536]

I would cancel hollywood and vine. That place is just plain yuck! I would also cancel the akershus breakfast. Not my favorite, by a long shot. I also like crystal palace better for breakfast than lunch, but that's just me.

I would also choose tutto instead of garden grill. no contest, food-wise, and a much better use of the DDP.

I would change what you pay OOP - do this at the plaza instead of one of the breakfasts. The plaza is one of the cheapest TS at disney - its barely more than a counter service. Also, the choice for appetizers is very limited (soup or salad) and the desserts are huge. So you would save by paying OOP for this and having entrees and a split dessert.

If possible, I would try to go to both jiko and california grill. These are both unforgettable experiences. If you are worried about the lunches, you could pay some of those OOP and split entrees.

Enjoy and have a great vacation.

 

[tzeitel]

I am full just looking at it

I don't knwo how your family eats so it would be hard to tell you what to do. For us 3 TS a day would be way too much. I wish we could do a TS for breakfast and one for dinner (we have the basic though). We are also doing the luau at the Poly and am I trying like crazy to get Hoop Dee Doo.

If we were doing the deluxe package that is what I would do - 2 TS a day and try to get the 2 tix meals/shows.

Your choices are awesome btw!!

 

[wahmtexas]

I am a former school teacher and have a 5 year old into Princesses too, We are on the Deluxe Dining for the first time so I thought I would chime in too.
Our schedule is below:
Day 1 MK
Cape May Character Breakfast
Bippitty Boppity Boutique
Tony's Town Square
Cinderellas Royal Table(late)

Day 2 MK and Ft. Wilderness
Lunch Crystal Palace Character
7pm Chip and Dale Campfire at Ft. Wilderness
Dinner Hoop Dee Doo Review

Day 3 HS and Polynesian
Lunch Hollywood and Vine
Dinner Ohana

Day 4 Grand Floridian and Epcot
Breakfast 1900 Park Fare
Alice's Tea Party
Dinner Norway Princesses
(Late night hubby and I at Narcosses)

Day 5 AK
Breakfast at Boma
Dinner at Tusker House
(Late night hubby and I at Yachtsman)

Day 6 Epcot
Ohana Character Breakfast
Tokoyo Lunch and Candlelight Proc.
1900 Park Fare Character Dinner 8pm

Day 7 MK
Mexico Lunch(tentative)
Dinner Liberty Tree Tavern
We are not having to pay out of pocket for this but we do have several 2 credit meals.

 

[thelionqueen]

I am a former school teacher and have a 5 year old into Princesses too, We are on the Deluxe Dining for the first time so I thought I would chime in too.
Our schedule is below:
Day 1 MK
Cape May Character Breakfast
Bippitty Boppity Boutique
Tony's Town Square
Cinderellas Royal Table(late)

Day 2 MK and Ft. Wilderness
Lunch Crystal Palace Character
7pm Chip and Dale Campfire at Ft. Wilderness
Dinner Hoop Dee Doo Review

Day 3 HS and Polynesian
Lunch Hollywood and Vine
Dinner Ohana

Day 4 Grand Floridian and Epcot
Breakfast 1900 Park Fare
Alice's Tea Party
Dinner Norway Princesses
(Late night hubby and I at Narcosses)

Day 5 AK
Breakfast at Boma
Dinner at Tusker House
(Late night hubby and I at Yachtsman)

Day 6 Epcot
Ohana Character Breakfast
Tokoyo Lunch and Candlelight Proc.
1900 Park Fare Character Dinner 8pm

Day 7 MK
Mexico Lunch(tentative)
Dinner Liberty Tree Tavern
We are not having to pay out of pocket for this but we do have several 2 credit meals.

Although I am always for getting the most out of the Dining plan, I have to think that you will be doing nothing but eating, or travelling to eat. Honestly, and please don't take this the wrong way, you will literally be just getting done eating, (meals are huge btw) and will have to begin thinking about transportation to yet another meal.

In the best of circumstances, we begin our meal "excursion" well over an hour and a half (and this is with a car) before the ADR. And that is when it is not at Epcot or MK then it would be 2 hours.

The selections are fantastic, but all I see is running around from restaurant to restaurant. I would take at least one off each day if not 2. And have at least one full day without a TS. Planning and attending TS's can be very stressful. Just my .02

 

[mmmbop]

I really don't have any suggestions, but I had to say we're going to be at MVMCP together Have fun!!

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

I am a former school teacher and have a 5 year old into Princesses too, We are on the Deluxe Dining for the first time so I thought I would chime in too.
Our schedule is below:
Day 1 MK
Cape May Character Breakfast
Bippitty Boppity Boutique
Tony's Town Square
Cinderellas Royal Table(late)

Day 2 MK and Ft. Wilderness
Lunch Crystal Palace Character
7pm Chip and Dale Campfire at Ft. Wilderness
Dinner Hoop Dee Doo Review

Day 3 HS and Polynesian
Lunch Hollywood and Vine
Dinner Ohana

Day 4 Grand Floridian and Epcot
Breakfast 1900 Park Fare
Alice's Tea Party
Dinner Norway Princesses
(Late night hubby and I at Narcosses)

Day 5 AK
Breakfast at Boma
Dinner at Tusker House
(Late night hubby and I at Yachtsman)

Day 6 Epcot
Ohana Character Breakfast
Tokoyo Lunch and Candlelight Proc.
1900 Park Fare Character Dinner 8pm

Day 7 MK
Mexico Lunch(tentative)
Dinner Liberty Tree Tavern
We are not having to pay out of pocket for this but we do have several 2 credit meals.

I think your plans look great! I am thinking about Hoop Dee Doo now, too. If we do not add it this year, we will have to do it next time. I do think my daughter would enjoy it. The Chip & Dale Campfire at Fort Wilderness sounds like so much fun, too. You've got a great plan!

I envy your late night dinners with DH. My DH cannot take time away from work, so there's no romance for me this trip. But a girls' trip can be a lot of fun, too! In fact, my sister is the most fun person I know.

Have you thought about a lunch at Coral Reef? Everyone keeps telling me that the seating by the aquarium is something special. Here's some facts about the Living Seas pavillion from wdwmagic.com:

• The Living Seas at Epcot contains the world’s sixth-largest ocean and the biggest facility ever dedicated to man’s relationship with the underwater world.
  
• The Living Seas was designed with the guidance of an advisory board of outstanding experts in oceanography and related fields. Its centerpiece is the world’s largest saltwater aquarium tank containing all manner of undersea creatures. The main coral reef environment is 203 feet in diameter and 27 feet deep, holding 5.6 million gallons of sea water plus another million gallons in its backup system.
  
• Within the underwater world is a complete coral reef inhabited by more than 4,000 sea creatures, including sharks, tropical fish, rays and dolphins, all exotic and colorful forms of life that normally colonize such a reef in the Caribbean area.

I think my daughter Eve is going to love that and the animals at the Animal Kingdom Lodge

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

Although I am always for getting the most out of the Dining plan, I have to think that you will be doing nothing but eating, or travelling to eat. Honestly, and please don't take this the wrong way, you will literally be just getting done eating, (meals are huge btw) and will have to begin thinking about transportation to yet another meal.

In the best of circumstances, we begin our meal "excursion" well over an hour and a half (and this is with a car) before the ADR. And that is when it is not at Epcot or MK then it would be 2 hours.

The selections are fantastic, but all I see is running around from restaurant to restaurant. I would take at least one off each day if not 2. And have at least one full day without a TS. Planning and attending TS's can be very stressful. Just my .02

I don't think it will be too stressful for us.

I have had years when I wanted to focus on the theme parks (waiting for the rope drop, racing to every attraction, staying til closing).

Then, a year or two before I had Eve, my focus became the resorts. I enjoyed sleeping in and hanging out by the pool.

Now, my focus has become the restaurants (and especially the character dining and dinner shows that Eve might enjoy). It's an easy and stress-free way for me to get those pictures and videos. I have such a hard time juggling all of the equipment in the parks.

Also, I changed my eating style since I learned some facts about nutrition. I find that I never eat much at any one meal anymore. Instead, I eat a little here and there all day long.

Honestly, I look at many of these restaurants as attractions themselves. It's like riding the boat on Pirates of the Caribbean with snacks provided