September 2011 - The Planning Has Started!!!

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I also wouldn't recommend eating at Mara more than about once or twice. We just thought it was okay. Here is our experience there. http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39142531&postcount=139

It doesn't look like there are a whole lot of CS choices at AKL/AKV. I hate that the deluxes don't have real food courts!

Is there a pool bar? Most of them have some sandwiches and a few other things. . .

What about the gift shop? Some of them have food items.

You could always grab a bus to AK and eat there. Anywhere else might be quite a long trek just to go eat.

We always take breakfast items with us to eat in the room -- cereal bars, granola bars, etc.

 

[Smile4Me]

L-Harper I would just go and enjoy your boys' reactions to the parks. Everything is going to be new and amazing...maybe even overwhelming for them. Plus no need to overwhelm yourself either! Disney with kids is way different than adults only as I learned when we took our 10 year old nephew in 2009. You'd hate to buy the tickets ahead and get your hopes up only to have some really crabby kids who aren't taking the heat well and all they want to do is swim at the resort!

We didn't think the Mara was too bad to eat at. But yeah 4 to 6 meals is an awful lot. You can eat at the Rainforest Cafe at AK without park admission I believe,,,which would be real close.

Thanks for input about the Food and Wine Festival,,,,I'm super excited that we may get a sneak peak! It also seems like we have a lot of people who have been to the Halloween Party or will be attending the MNSSHP for the first time...thats great!! We can discuss costumes together!!

 

[TinyDancer]

My goodness I can't stay caught up with this thread!!

So, last night I talked with my DH and my BFF (that is going with us!) and I think we are making the switch to Wilderness Lodge!!!

 

[L-Harper]

Thank you for all of your input. You all make great points about MNSSHP. I don't think we'll be purchasing tickets. We have many more years of Disney to come, we don't need to try to cram this trip.

 

[lemonsours]

You could always grab a bus to AK and eat there. Anywhere else might be quite a long trek just to go eat.

It looks like DTD is a 15 min bus ride away, and they have several CS options (including Wolfgang Puck's Express, which I am *dying* to try). Might be a nice break to go eat lunch or dinner and shop a little.

Marce

 

[mayfam2010]

Thank you for all of your input. You all make great points about MNSSHP. I don't think we'll be purchasing tickets. We have many more years of Disney to come, we don't need to try to cram this trip.

We're not going to, either. The kids will probably be on overload as it is, and I'd rather we come back later and enjoy it!

 

[KellyWasHere]

Thank you for all of your input. You all make great points about MNSSHP. I don't think we'll be purchasing tickets. We have many more years of Disney to come, we don't need to try to cram this trip.

That's probably a good plan. We wouldn't be going if this was our first trip, and still I won't be buying the tickets until a day or 2 beforehand, to judge if the heat is too much for them and we really just need to hang out at the pool instead of another park night. We've never been during such a hot month with our girls, it'll be an adventure!

 

[Smile4Me]

Does anyone know if Wolfgang Puck Express, Marketbplace, has sushi? I know the one on the Westside of DTD has it...but I was just curious if the other one does too...( I also know its not listed on the website as having any).

 

[DisneyLifer87]

Woo! So glad to join on in. Please count us heading back home September 17-24th staying at the Pop Century!

Working on some dining plans at the moment. So many new places that we want to try. I will give my two cents on Mama Melrose here... We tried them last May and had an absolutely awful experience The steaks we ordered were so rare even though we both requested Medium-Well. When asked to have them cooked for longer, the waiter replied that he didn't have the time

So, basically we walked out hungry, but with a Fantasmic! seat reservation in hand. Won't be back there anytime soon....

 

[KellyWasHere]

Woo! So glad to join on in. Please count us heading back home September 17-24th staying at the Pop Century!

Working on some dining plans at the moment. So many new places that we want to try. I will give my two cents on Mama Melrose here... We tried them last May and had an absolutely awful experience The steaks we ordered were so rare even though we both requested Medium-Well. When asked to have them cooked for longer, the waiter replied that he didn't have the time

So, basically we walked out hungry, but with a Fantasmic! seat reservation in hand. Won't be back there anytime soon....

Wow! Didn't have time? What? I wouldn't have had time to add in the tip then. But I would've had time to ask for the manager.

We tried Mama Melrose for the first time last trip too. It's wasn't a bad experience, but the food wasn't impressive at all. Don't think I'd go back.

 

[sjs314]

Woo! So glad to join on in. Please count us heading back home September 17-24th staying at the Pop Century!

Working on some dining plans at the moment. So many new places that we want to try. I will give my two cents on Mama Melrose here... We tried them last May and had an absolutely awful experience The steaks we ordered were so rare even though we both requested Medium-Well. When asked to have them cooked for longer, the waiter replied that he didn't have the time

So, basically we walked out hungry, but with a Fantasmic! seat reservation in hand. Won't be back there anytime soon....

Good Morning-

Welcome to the thread DisneyLifer87

A very chilly 1 degree here this morning, I think I am going to go crawl back under the cover for a bit , had to let the dog out or I would not be up at all yet brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Very disappointed to read that about Mama Melrose, I was on the fence about the Fantasmic Package , have now decided it will be best to make and ADR for it but hovering between Mama Melrose and Brown Derby. I have been to both but it has been years early 90's for Mama Melrose and 1998 for Brown Derby. I do hate to use 2 table serves for Brown Derby, just not sure what to do , good thing I have till end of March to make my ADR's

 

[lemonsours]

Good Morning-
Very disappointed to read that about Mama Melrose, I was on the fence about the Fantasmic Package , have now decided it will be best to make and ADR for it but hovering between Mama Melrose and Brown Derby. I have been to both but it has been years early 90's for Mama Melrose and 1998 for Brown Derby. I do hate to use 2 table serves for Brown Derby, just not sure what to do , good thing I have till end of March to make my ADR's

I think 2 people dining in the same restaurant on the same night could have 2 totally different experiences--it all depends on the circumstances of the moment, and particularly on the CM serving you. I had a wonderful experience at Mama Melrose's last time, food was delicious and the CM was very accomodating. (We are vegetarian, so the CM even had a little extra work b/c he had to make sure the dishes we ordered didn't have any hidden meat, and ask the chef to leave something out of one of the dishes.) He even brought DD her drink in a special cup with a lighted Tinkerbell on it, even though I'm pretty sure that wasn't included. (BTW, we did the Fantasmic package, but didn't wind up going b/c we were so wiped out. We wound up giving the tickets to a random family on the street-they were so happy!)

I also have seen several negative reviews of the Brown Derby lately, basically saying it wasn't worth the 2TS credits, but I've never been there, so I don't know. You probably can find +/- reviews on any restaurant in WDW, so I would probably base it on which menu appealed most, combined with which theming was more interesting to me.

Marce

 

[allstar]

We are booked for September 14-25 at POR!!!!!

 

[mayfam2010]

I heard there was a Fantasmic Dining Packag available, but what all does it include?

 

[Smile4Me]

Good Morning-

Very disappointed to read that about Mama Melrose, I was on the fence about the Fantasmic Package , have now decided it will be best to make and ADR for it but hovering between Mama Melrose and Brown Derby. I have been to both but it has been years early 90's for Mama Melrose and 1998 for Brown Derby. I do hate to use 2 table serves for Brown Derby, just not sure what to do , good thing I have till end of March to make my ADR's

We ate at Mama Melrose on our last trip and had a very nice dinner there. We had to wait maybe 15-20 minutes...they were just swamped. And it was a little crowded as their foyer isnt huge. But once you get passed that, the restaurant was very nice. It was one of our nephews favorite meals. And we liked it quite a bit. The service was a little slow too since it was sooo busy. We won't be going back this time because they changed the menu a bit. Fantasmic isn't a huge must for us, even though we liked the show it isn't worth fighting the crowds over and waiting forever when we could be taking in other attractions. Its sorta nice because it frees us up to try restaurants outside of DHS on the days we want to tour there. (We've been to 50's primetime, Hollywood and Vine, and Mama Melrose) They really could use one more table service choice there.

 

[mgdisney]

double posted sorry

 

[mgdisney]

Were all booked for Sept 8 - 25 at POP!! Were all celebrating are birthdays there as well (me, DH and DD!!!)

 

[let'sgo]

It looks like DTD is a 15 min bus ride away, and they have several CS options (including Wolfgang Puck's Express, which I am *dying* to try). Might be a nice break to go eat lunch or dinner and shop a little.

Marce

Don't forget about Wolfgang Puck for breakfast. DH, DD, and I ate there and DH insisted on eating there a second time for breakfast. Then he told his whole family about how good it was. He gets upset when I take pictures of the food, and he was taking pictures of his breakfast there!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Very disappointed to read that about Mama Melrose, I was on the fence about the Fantasmic Package , have now decided it will be best to make and ADR for it but hovering between Mama Melrose and Brown Derby. I have been to both but it has been years early 90's for Mama Melrose and 1998 for Brown Derby. I do hate to use 2 table serves for Brown Derby, just not sure what to do , good thing I have till end of March to make my ADR's

Sheila -- We have had 2 very nice experiences at Mama Melrose. It was crowded in the tiny room where you wait to be seated and they are not known for their speed in there , but all in all it is very nice. A nice atmosphere and the food is good. Just go in not in a hurry!

 

[deslynnpatterson]

I will be at CSR sept 8-17