question about DL hotel, breakfast and meal planning...

[MicknMinnJen]

doing lots of research this morning and one thing I have read is that staying at DL Hotel limits your breakfast choices. I think they said Goofy's Kitchen was really the only option. what is available in DTD?

also, what about the disney meal plan thing? doesnt that include breakfasts? I think it does, but not until the park opens? we are fairly early risers and LOVE breakfast, so maybe that isnt the best option for us?

 

[cirquelovers]

The DL hotel doesn't have much in the way of breakfast except for Goofys and the coffee shop which has some muffins and danishes. At DTD we always go to the La Brea bakery and get a quick bite or you can wait until the bakery on Main Street in DL, which is my fav!

I can't help with the dining plan but I thought it only included lunch, dinner and a snack. I do know you can do the character dining but I think it costs two meal tickets.

 

[CoolPool]

I think many people skip the meal plan at DLR. Its just not very popular and its not the value that the WDW plan can be.

Well there is Goofy's. There is also a coffee shop next to Goofy's that sells coffee, tea, and pastries.

Then as you walk toward to DL Park through Downtown Disney there are more restaurants, a bakery restaurant (La Brea), and Compass sells coffee and pastries too. Also there is Storyteller's and other options in the Grand Californian (also on the way toward DL).

 

[bumbershoot]

Well, why would staying at that hotel limit your choices, other than they have limited options in there? There's Paradise Pier nearby with a big character breakfast, there's Grand Californian nearby the other way with a big character breakfast (both of those breakfasts allow you to order from a menu instead of the buffet, by the way, whereas Goofy's Kitchen only has the buffet). Ralph Brennan's in DTD has beignets in the morning, I know that, but I'm not sure of other things.

You can find menus on allears.net (a bit outdated but many like it) or dlresortinfo (updated, I like it best) which can help you.

Dining plan...look at the posts the last few days (go back a few pages) and you'll see many discussions about it. Some enjoy it, many find no value in it. If you, by chance, are thinking of the WDW meal plan, it's nothing like it.

And then of course there's IHOP nearby, and some other offsite (easy to walk to!) restaurants surrounding the parks!

 

[casaazul]

We ate breakfast at a sit down place at DL Hotel in 2001. I think now it is called Steakhouse 55, which per the DL website serves breakfast!

Also Rainforest Cafe nearby has a breakfast, my kid had a breakfast pizza that was pretty good.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i had the meal plan and my family loved it ours was 5day meal plan came with dinner with goofy /charcter berekfest/charcter lunch/brekfest in the park (witch we used for minnies paying the diffrence) used the 15 doller vouchers and 10 and 5 for lots varies foods drrinks and many suviner glasses

 

[MicknMinnJen]

I really like the idea of having several meals prepaid, that is why I want to do Disney dining...regardless of whether or not it is as good as WDW.

I guess I'm just trying to figure out the best place to stay. I WAS convinced that I NEEDED to stay at DLH this time (never stayed there), BUT as I do more research, I'm finding that for the $$$ it might not really be worth it. Staying at a Good Neighbor is as convenient and offers more off resort dining options (or closer).

We have always stayed at Good Neighbor properties and have had no complaints, just thought I needed the 'Magic' of being on property!

 

[CoolPool]

Yes, having the meals prepaid gives a good feeling. That's definitely a source of peace of mind.

You don't have to stay at DLH or anywhere onsite. The offsite places are fine if you tend not to need or use resort amenities. There are certain vacation needs my family have that are not satisfied by the anaheim area hotels and I flat out refuse to stay at motel, but I know that the vast overwhelming majority of people are perfectly happy to "save money on vacation". That's an oxymoron at our house. LOL. (Okay, I do admit that I only stay onsite with the special AP rates.)

Its your vacation; you know what your family tends to do and how they tend to spend time in the parks vs. in the room or at the pool, etc. If the amenities don't make the vacation, then you are better off not paying for them.

 

[Sherry E]

That's one thing my friends and I should try - prepaid meals. We also should try the priority seating, because we waste so much time waiting in line for some places.

Anyway, as for breakfast, if you don't mind my asking, is there any reason you don't want to eat at Goofy's? Honestly, it is a better deal than Storytellers and has better food. Yes, it is only buffet at Goofy's but it is a wide variety of food that is constantly refreshed and replenished. I mean, they have quite a spread there. I JUST ate at Goofy's AND at Storytellers this past December, and I did not feel like getting the buffet at Storytellers this time (got in before, it was decent but not as good as Goofy's), so I ordered their "American Breakfast," which is just the size of a regular breakfast, and it was $20! I nearly choked! It makes more sense to pay $29 and eat the buffet to me!!!

There are also the in-park choices, and we tried the Plaza Inn and Carnation, which have limited menus, but are decent. We like the River Belle Terrace, but finding seats can be a problem. The character breakfast in Paradise Pier is no better than the other ones, and the characters aren't as good.

 

[MicknMinnJen]

Sherry....oh we will for sure go to Goofy's Kitchen, but not 6 or 7 days in a row! and especially not with a family of 5!!! We have done GK before and LOVE it! so much fun! and yes, the food is great!

My only thought with eatting breakfast in the park is that often times we are ready to eat by 8 or 8:30. i would rather eat early outside of the park and not waste precious time inside the park!

 

[lisadoll93]

I believe White Water Snacks serves breakfast.

 

[blackjackdelta]

The 6 of us stay offsite to save $$$ in a place that serves breakfast which is included in the room charge. Saves us time in getting to the parks, no stopping once we get in, and do not think about budgeting the expense since the charge is built in. A number of years ago we stayed at the DLH, much $$$.
There are many options to meet you needs. Many folks have figured out unless you are very careful with the vouchers, you lose $.

Another thought.

Jack

 

[Sherry E]

Yes, I see what you mean - several days in a row at Goofy's with a family of 5 would be very pricey indeed! And you'd probably be sick of Goofy after a while! Well, if you are going at a time when the park is not open early (and sometimes it is open at 8 a.m.), then I would say hit Storytellers, hit the character breakfast in Paradise Pier, hit the LaBrea Bakery in Downtown, as they definitely have full breakfasts and not just snacks. I think someone else here said that Rain Forest Cafe serves breakfast? There are also several places right across the street from Disneyland - like family chain restaurants, though which ones they are escape me at the moment. Those are often open early. I keep thinking that there is more open in Downtown Disney for full breakfast than what I remember, and my mind is drawing a blank at the moment. But if you just go to a different one every day, that should fill up all your breakfast needs for your entire stay. i know what you mean about not wanting to waste time on eating in the park once you get in. I am always trying to get people up and out EARLY so we can get breakfast out of the way early, and hit a few of the popular rides before the crowds descend.

 

[nunzia]

I think many people skip the meal plan at DLR. Its just not very popular and its not the value that the WDW plan can be.

Well there is Goofy's. There is also a coffee shop next to Goofy's that sells coffee, tea, and pastries.

Then as you walk toward to DL Park through Downtown Disney there are more restaurants, a bakery restaurant (La Brea), and Compass sells coffee and pastries too. Also there is Storyteller's and other options in the Grand Californian (also on the way toward DL).

I didn't know there even WAS a meal plan in DL.
We really like the la Brea bakery in DTD, I hear the Rainforest actually has breakfast also. The Grand Californian has Whitewater Snacks right by the DCA entrance. Try the breakfast burrito....huge and decent price.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

If you like the idea of having "prepaid" food or anything else for that matter you could always get a disney gift card for however much you want then just use that. It can be purchased at anytime so you can do it as far in advance as you want. You could do $50 a month so that when it is time for your trip you have plenty of money to spend and don't really feel like you are spending that much in the park. That's how we are too

A lot of people don't like the DL meal plan. Mostly because it doesn't save you any money and if your total for your meal is $9 and you pay with a $10 disney dollar then you don't get the change, you just lose that extra $1.

 

[silence]

when we booked packages, we always did the dining plan. i know i'm in the minority, but we never had any problems with it, i liked feeling like i had already paid for most everything. we would use lower dollar increments and then just pay the change or small amount in cash so we didn't "lose" any money. plus, the snack carts at the time wouldn't take "cards" so the vouchers worked for us there.

i think everyone should try to stay onsite at least ONCE if you can fit it in your budget. the magic of staying onsite, especially at the DLH was just awesome.

when we stayed at DLH, we were there for a 8 days. we didn't eat at goofy's once. we ate in the park, jamba juice, rainforest cafe or snacks/breakfast items we had in the room. we really didn't need a big meal every morning, and we brought our own little cereal boxes and milk for the room, so it was easy enough for us.