So what's one to do...

[Tikitoi]

as far as eats...on arrival night, staying at the Poly. I'm one who can't eat on a flight, so I will be ready to eat when we get to the World. Our flight comes into MCO at 7'ish. Not sure if we will have time for a ressie or if we should do room service or just take time and visit a non park cs place. Just want to start off on a good foot. Ideas? Thx.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Since you'll be getting in late in the evening, I'd probably stick to the Poly or a monorail resort and try a counter service spot. I actually tried Captain Cooks at the Poly last trip and was pretty impressed. It's tasty!

You could stay close to home, go for a swim, and eat there.

If you're really feeling up to a night out, you could hop the bus to Downtown Disney and eat someplace down there, like WPE or EOS, and hit some of the shops.

 

[VegasMike21]

Kona Cafe is good if you plan on having a sit down meal, you could also take the monorail over to the GF and eat at the GF Cafe, a hidden gem IMO.

 

[DisneyDancin7]

I would definitley suggest O'hana which is right there at the Poly. However, since you will be getting to your resort a little later in the evening, it might be too big of a meal there. So I would opt for Kona, it's delicious! If you felt like going somewhere else, you could go to Downtown Disney and pick one of the many options there, I would suggest Rainforest or EOS. Or if you wanted to go to another resort, you could check out the Boardwalk and find a place there! The options are endless, it just depends on how you are feeling that day

 

[LadyZolt]

Another vote for Kona if you can. It is relaxing and the service and food are both great. If you don't want (or can't do) a sit-down, then I'd do Captain Cook's. It's also got great choices and since it's at the Poly, you can unpack and get to bed early so you can get a jump on the parks in the a.m. Have a magical time!

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[Tikitoi]

Thanks, all. I geuss we will be playing it by ear. Just see more how we feel, how much energy we have. But you certainly gave a lot of good options. I was looking at the menu for kona and the only thing that appealed to me (for that time of night) was the wings.:Not sure if that kind of ordering would be frowned upon.I wouldn't mind resort hopping. But the bus trans system would make it to long. We'll see.

 

[fla4fun]

I'm going to go against the tide here. I would consider either room service or a QS restaurant. Why? You never know if you will have flight delays for weather or other reasons. Why stress over trying to make an ADR because your flight arrived two hours late, or because you got stuck in traffic coming from the airport? Besides, if you are hungry, both room service and the QS options will get food to you faster than waiting to be seated at a TS restaurant (especially if they're trying to "work you in" because you were delayed).

I really like the new Contempo Cafe over at CR. I like watching the monorails going by, and so far, all the food I've had has been very good.

 

[ShannonMB]

I was thinking you if you are taking the ME, you might not even get to the Poly till 8:30-9pm. I'd definitely opt for Captain Cooks or room service, a quick swim, and off to bed for your first morning!

 

[MouseMomx2]

I would also opt for Captain Cook's right at the Poly. If it was me I wouldn't want a huge meal that late so I'd opt for counter service. Captain Cook's is good and has some non-burger options so you should be able to find something to your liking.

Have a great trip!

 

[Tikitoi]

I was thinking you if you are taking the ME, you might not even get to the Poly till 8:30-9pm. I'd definitely opt for Captain Cooks or room service, a quick swim, and off to bed for your first morning!

OMG, I hope we don't get to the room that late. I may consider taking a cab or something, especially since I don't think we will have any check in bags. Just not sure how much that would cost.

 

[crisi]

OMG, I hope we don't get to the room that late. I may consider taking a cab or something, especially since I don't think we will have any check in bags. Just not sure how much that would cost.

About $45. You'd probably be better with a towncar service - I believe they are cheaper, but I don't know you'd be in your room much before 8:30 even with a cab. Check the transportation board.

You often have another 20 minutes after arrival time before you are off the plane. It takes another 10 to get through MCO - assuming you don't end up in a long line to the ladies room. No checked luggage, but you are now (assuming 7 pm arrival) at 7:30 and you haven't left the airport. Checked luggage adds another 10 - MCO has really fast baggage claim - and I suspect its even faster since the ME implementation limits the bags seeing the carrosel).

You catch a cab - its still half an hour from MCO to the Poly (if you catch a speedy cab driver, maybe 20 minutes. If you catch traffic, an hour). Arrival ETA 8:00. Avoiding ME might save you an added 20 minutes - maybe more if the Poly is a late stop in the ME rotation - or it might not save you much of anything - we've had trips where ME has added an hour (waited for the bus to leave, last stop on a four hotel route), and trips were ME has been really quick - immediate check through, immediate boarding, immediate departure to the resort, which was the first stop).

You get in the check in line at the Poly. For some reason, my own Disney check in experiences are always slow. And once you check in, since you have carryon luggage to drop in the room, and 8:30 in your room time is pretty reasonable with a 7:00 arrival time at the airport - even without ME.

I'd plan on Captain Cooks. Or, if you have energy, hopping over to DTD. We never have energy for anything other than the resort we are in.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

as far as eatsOur flight comes into MCO at 7'ish.

Eat at the airport before you board DME.

 

[Tikitoi]

About $45. You'd probably be better with a towncar service - I believe they are cheaper, but I don't know you'd be in your room much before 8:30 even with a cab. Check the transportation board.

You often have another 20 minutes after arrival time before you are off the plane. It takes another 10 to get through MCO - assuming you don't end up in a long line to the ladies room. No checked luggage, but you are now (assuming 7 pm arrival) at 7:30 and you haven't left the airport. Checked luggage adds another 10 - MCO has really fast baggage claim - and I suspect its even faster since the ME implementation limits the bags seeing the carrosel).

You catch a cab - its still half an hour from MCO to the Poly (if you catch a speedy cab driver, maybe 20 minutes. If you catch traffic, an hour). Arrival ETA 8:00. Avoiding ME might save you an added 20 minutes - maybe more if the Poly is a late stop in the ME rotation - or it might not save you much of anything - we've had trips where ME has added an hour (waited for the bus to leave, last stop on a four hotel route), and trips were ME has been really quick - immediate check through, immediate boarding, immediate departure to the resort, which was the first stop).

You get in the check in line at the Poly. For some reason, my own Disney check in experiences are always slow. And once you check in, since you have carryon luggage to drop in the room, and 8:30 in your room time is pretty reasonable with a 7:00 arrival time at the airport - even without ME.

I'd plan on Captain Cooks. Or, if you have energy, hopping over to DTD. We never have energy for anything other than the resort we are in.

Thanks for the reality check. I think. We may just plan on room service or if we have energy, take a late night at DTD. Captain Cook's is OK for me...

 

[Tikitoi]

Eat at the airport before you board DME.

R U serious?

 

[crisi]

R U serious?

Actually, that was my first thought as well. There is a Chili's in the airport (some other restaurants too, but the Chilis is where we end up). You'll get off that plane hungry (very likely) with still and hour to go before you have food in front of you - and that's assuming that you eat at Captain Cooks. Chili's food is pretty good and eating that late at Disney starts to limit your choices. And airport Chili's are generally pretty fast. It would get you a decent sit down meal closer to dinnertime than anything on property would.

 

[Nancy for Disney]

Thanks, all. I geuss we will be playing it by ear. Just see more how we feel, how much energy we have. But you certainly gave a lot of good options. I was looking at the menu for kona and the only thing that appealed to me (for that time of night) was the wings.:Not sure if that kind of ordering would be frowned upon.I wouldn't mind resort hopping. But the bus trans system would make it to long. We'll see.

I was looking at the menu for the Poly lounge today and I believe the wings are served there until 10 pm. I would just plan "wing it". No pun intended.

 

[minnie_michelle]

Actually, that was my first thought as well. There is a Chili's in the airport (some other restaurants too, but the Chilis is where we end up). You'll get off that plane hungry (very likely) with still and hour to go before you have food in front of you - and that's assuming that you eat at Captain Cooks. Chili's food is pretty good and eating that late at Disney starts to limit your choices. And airport Chili's are generally pretty fast. It would get you a decent sit down meal closer to dinnertime than anything on property would.

I agree. The only way waiting till you get to Disney will work is if you eat a decent meal at your airport at home right before you get on the plane. Otherwise you will be absolutely starving and cranky by the time you get to the hotel at 8 pm and what if there is a plane delay or you get stuck on the tarmac for whatever reason (happens in Atlanta ALL the time) or it takes forever to get from the airport to the hotel. I would just plan on eating right before you leave and picking something up at the Orlando airport right when you get there if your really hungry.

 

[Tikitoi]

Now that Chili's is a choice.....We don't have one in our town, so whenever I have to trek the hour drive to take DD to the doctor, we make it a habit to stop there...

 

[crisi]

Now that Chili's is a choice.....We don't have one in our town, so whenever I have to trek the hour drive to take DD to the doctor, we make it a habit to stop there...

The other sit down spots in the airport are a Sports Bar (Fox, I think) and a Macaroni Grill. The hotel has a restaurant or too as well, but I'd stick to either Chilis or Macaroni Grill.

(I always HOPE I'll get to Disney and into my room faster. And sometimes, the stars align, the plane lands early, the checkin moves fast, and we do manage to do it faster, but not often....)

 

[tami82]

I would probably do counter service. Being that late at night i certainly wouldnt want to eat at Ohana and then have to go to bed on such a full stomach like that. Save you table service for the next day.