DIS Dads The Dis Dad's Club III

[chillcoupons]

re: an earlier post of mine where i asked about the fireworks dessert party. if anyone is interested, it re-opens March 28.

http://allears.net/tp/mk/dessertparty1.html

Thanks for the update, We have never done the Wishes dessert party so this will be a great new experience for the family.

 

[AirGoofy]

I say caved in but that's only for show. It only took my wife to say, what about Disney soon? Already booked the flight! See everyone June 4!

Have a great trip. We'll be there the following week for a 4 day trip at AKL. It's a surprise trip for dds (8,5). I want to tell them so bad.... about to burst

D'oh! Here I thought it was a Europe thing. That's what I get for using the movies as my primary source of information.

Sounds like a new Federal Law to base our elementary school education program on. No Child Left Behind the cinemas.

5] ... Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thou foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it."

The Holy Grail - what a great movie. My quest is to find the castle Anthrax and bring one of those paddles from 10 pages ago.

... the phone or computer to get ADRs made/MNSSHP tickets ...

Are the October dates out yet for parks or MNSSHP tickets? I can't find them.

they even got grits!!! yuk!!

From My Cousin Vinny -
Mr. Tipton: No self respectin' Southerner uses instant grits. I take pride in my grits.
Vinny Gambini: So, Mr. Tipton, how could it take you 5 minutes to cook your grits when it takes the entire grit eating world 20 minutes?
Mr. Tipton: I don't know, I'm a fast cook I guess.
Vinny Gambini: I'm sorry I was all the way over here I couldn't hear you did you say you were a fast cook, that's it?
Mr. Tipton: Yeah.
Vinny Gambini: Are we to believe that boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than anywhere else on the face of the earth?
Mr. Tipton: I don't know.
Vinny Gambini: Well, I guess the laws of physics cease to exist on top of your stove. Were these magic grits? Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans?

And for the record, I am a part of the Grit eatin' nation and enjoy grits.

... Maker Mark is his name, and he's from Kentucky! ...

Makers Mark is the best whiskey, in KY and everywhere else!!!!! Now, that should start something.

 

[AJRitz]

Hours are out for the first nine days of October (which covers my trip). If you go to the WDW site and go to the park hours calendar, it only lets you click up to September 30. BUT, from there, you can see the next 10 days of park hours. Based on the park hours, you can make a pretty reasonable estimate of which nights will be MNSSHP nights.

 

[oXar]

Thanks for the update, We have never done the Wishes dessert party so this will be a great new experience for the family.

We really enjoyed it when we did it in December (I'm a big fan of all you can eat anything). It's not cheap, but well worth it if you don't want to deal with the massive crowds or have a sweet tooth, plus when the fireworks are over, those in attendance are led out of the park through some of the back areas, completely bypassing the throngs of people all trying to leave at the same time.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Most of my single and childless friends don't quite get that a few folded clothes once a week, and doing the dishes every night is what makes it work. I get to go to Disney at christmas time, and haven't cooked my own dinner two nights in a row in 10 years. And my passed out lonely guy friends are saying i'm the one who's whipped.

I have a feeling the Disney Dad's would get that pretty much any hoop is worth it, if the end result is DisneyWorld.

This morning I'm up and ready, about to go wake my boys so that we can go help with "Scouting for FOOD". The Scouts are going through neighborhoods collecting non-perishables for our local food pantrys.

You mean like some kind of mafia shake down?
Hey Grandma, yous got any food you wants to donate? I'd hates to see anything happens to those petunias in your front yard.


As far as Cracker Barrel - we have one just down the road in Kenosha, Wi.



Wish me luck today. We're taking the kids ice skating for the first time today. Just what Evan needs - blades on his feet. That kid can fall down just walking and we're going to put him on ice with 6 inches of femoral artery slashing death steel on his feet.

 

[itJeff]

Just keep on waitin'.

I had grits once at Waffle House. Not bad. Nothing to write home about. Then again - Waffle House isn't exactly gourmet.

one more snottier than the other?

I didn't even know that people ate grits for breakfast, until I was about 11 when a friend moved to town from Alabama. I spent the night there and his mom asked me what I wanted for breakfast. She said they were having eggs, bacon, toast and grits. I looked at her and said "Grits? For breakfast?" His mom must have thought I was crazy.

Growing up in our house grits was something you baked in the oven. It looks somewhat like a casserole, almost the color of cornbread, and it's firm not runny. I haven't had it in years, probably since my grandmother passed, so I don't even know if I would still like it. But, I'm sure I don't like breakfast grits. Grits? For breakfast?

 

[itJeff]

As far as Cracker Barrel - we have one just down the road in Kenosha, Wi.



Wish me luck today. We're taking the kids ice skating for the first time today. Just what Evan needs - blades on his feet. That kid can fall down just walking and we're going to put him on ice with 6 inches of femoral artery slashing death steel on his feet.

We have a Cracker Barrel about 15 minutes from here. There is one in the town my wife is from. In this part of the country, there is one about every 60-70 miles along the interstates. We've eaten there so many times over the years that it's not my favorite. I mean, if we want country cooking, we can eat at home, my folks house, or my in-laws. They had a double chocolate coca-cola cake for a while that I would drive to the end of the earth for. But, it was for a limited time.

Good luck with the skating! Hopefully you won't be visiting the ER

 

[middlepat]

Okay, as I was making pancakes for the kids, I got to thinking about the criteria for the DisDads and I think we may need to add one. After re-reading, we need to add "you own a silicone Mickey that forms pancakes like a Mickey head." DW and I got one of these on our November anniversary trip and the kids love it (well, I do too... )

Who needs a silicone mold. I free-hand them on the griddle.

 

[that's nice]

Okay, as I was making pancakes for the kids, I got to thinking about the criteria for the DisDads and I think we may need to add one. After re-reading, we need to add "you own a silicone Mickey that forms pancakes like a Mickey head." DW and I got one of these on our November anniversary trip and the kids love it (well, I do too... )

Who needs a silicone mold. I free-hand them on the griddle.

I do the same thing... I tried to use a mickey head cookie cutter for a mold once.. it didn't turn out too good. I just pour them in a mickey shape.

Although we do have a Mickey waffle maker!

 

[lawsonsontour]

we really only have pancakes once or twice a year but i think i might just surprise the family with them tomorrow.
as for grits i don't even know whats in them....all i can say is that when i have seen them in Orlando they never seem like something i want on my plate.

now the big surprise for me on my last trip was cornbread. its just like cake but you eat it with chicken and gravy...shouldn't work....but it does.best i had was at hoop de doo

 

[billybobblockhead]

Who needs a silicone mold. I free-hand them on the griddle.

I tried that once. The shape looked like a smashed watermelon instead of Mickey, hence the mold. I'm not very artistic. In fact, my former math students always cracked on my "straight line" drawings when we were graphing lines.

 

[spay2499]

I am making my first trip to disney at the end of august. Driving down from Philadelphia with the wife and 2 kids 1 year old and 5 year old. Looking for any advice from those who drove down from my area places to stop on the way and spend the night. Any tips for where to eat a Disney (Dinsey Dining Plan Places). Wanted to book my ADR now already booked breakfast at Chef Mickey's.

 

[dvczerfs]

I am making my first trip to disney at the end of august. Driving down from Philadelphia with the wife and 2 kids 1 year old and 5 year old. Looking for any advice from those who drove down from my area places to stop on the way and spend the night. Any tips for where to eat a Disney (Dinsey Dining Plan Places). Wanted to book my ADR now already booked breakfast at Chef Mickey's.

we are you from? in philly or near philly? what day of the week and what time of day are you looking at?

 

[stopher1]

I am making my first trip to disney at the end of august. Driving down from Philadelphia with the wife and 2 kids 1 year old and 5 year old. Looking for any advice from those who drove down from my area places to stop on the way and spend the night. Any tips for where to eat a Disney (Dinsey Dining Plan Places). Wanted to book my ADR now already booked breakfast at Chef Mickey's.

Congrats on that first trip! Welcome to the DIS! Welcome to the Dis Dad's Club!

How long is your stay going to be? Where will you be staying? Which parks do you plan to visit?

Many of us will definitely have suggestions for you - but WDW is a big place, and all of these questions do help to better inform recommendations, especially for a novice visitor. No need to totally overwhelm you...yet. BTW - Chef Mickey's is a great character meal to do on a first trip.

Again - welcome!!!

 

[spay2499]

I am NE Philadelphia and we are leaving on Thursday Night @ 8:00 P.M. so i was looking to stay in the Carolinas some where. My Vacation is Sat. (Aug 28th) - Friday (Sep 3rd) we are staying at the All-Star Movie Resorts. I am planning on visting all of the disney parks for one full day and going to MK for 2 days. We have the Disney Dining plan for the 1 Sit Down Dinner 1 Snack 1 Quick Service.

 

[dvczerfs]

I am NE Philadelphia and we are leaving on Thursday Night @ 8:00 P.M. so i was looking to stay in the Carolinas some where. My Vacation is Sat. (Aug 28th) - Friday (Sep 3rd) we are staying at the All-Star Movie Resorts. I am planning on visting all of the disney parks for one full day and going to MK for 2 days. We have the Disney Dining plan for the 1 Sit Down Dinner 1 Snack 1 Quick Service.

if your going to leave around 8-9pm, on a thursday, go down 95 all the way. we stay at hampton inns, there about $100 per night. some people like the microtels, ive never stayed at one but i have never heard anything bad. just about every exit has food/gas and a hotel chain of some kind. we make an adr for everyday we are there of some kind. everything is well marked. welcome aboard by the way!!!

 

[stopher1]

I am NE Philadelphia and we are leaving on Thursday Night @ 8:00 P.M. so i was looking to stay in the Carolinas some where. My Vacation is Sat. (Aug 28th) - Friday (Sep 3rd) we are staying at the All-Star Movie Resorts. I am planning on visting all of the disney parks for one full day and going to MK for 2 days. We have the Disney Dining plan for the 1 Sit Down Dinner 1 Snack 1 Quick Service.

Depending on what type of food experiences you are looking for, and based on the ages of your kids, character meals might be the best options for multiple table service meals. Each park does have at least one character dining meal, and many of the resorts do too. Did you receive a brochure from Disney with all of the restaurant options available on the DDP?

For the Magic Kingdom, the Crystal Palace is a good choice to meet Winnie the Pooh and pals. Or there is always the Cinderella's Royal Table meals in the castle, but those require 2 table service credits per person. If your 5 yo is a boy, then skip that one, but if a girl, then it might worth taking that extra credit and using it for a meet with princesses.

Epcot has a character meal at the Garden Grille in the Land Pavillion in Future World, which is Chip & Dale, Mickey & Pluto. Then there is also the Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus in the Norway Pavillion in World Showcase which has all of the princesses except Jasmine.

Hollywood Studios has a character meal at Hollywood & Vine. I believe the current options are Jo Jo's Circus, but I could totally be mistaken on that one - I'm honestly not positive simply because my kids are getting tired of the character dining meals.

Animal Kingdom has a character meal at Tusker House with Donald, Mickey, Goofy & Pluto.

Some resort options other than Chef Mickey's include O'hana at the Polynesian which has Lilo & Stitch, Mickey & Pluto. Or the 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian which has Cinderella, Prince Charming, the stepmother & the stepsisters. (This one is a lot of fun for the adults). Both of these resorts, like the Contemporary (Chef Mickey's) are on the monorail line near the MK, or are just a short boat ride away.

WDW is about 27K acres, and very spread out. For a first time visitor, it's probably best to choose your dining options at the parks you'll be at each day vs. trying to go a resort, except for the Monorail line options mentioned above.

 

[stopher1]

For non-character meals, every park has some good options for table service meals. My personal favorites include:

Animal Kingdom: Yak & Yeti (great pan-asian food)

Magic Kingdom: Liberty Tree Tavern

Hollywood Studios: 50's Prime Time Cafe & Sci-Fi Dine-in Theatre

Epcot: Restaurant Marrakesh (Morocco) & Nine Dragons (China)

The counter service restaurant options are plentiful, but honestly not all that exciting. At least in Epcot there is plentiful variety thanks to World Showcase where each pavillion has options representative of their culture/food types.

In the Magic Kingdom, Cosmic Ray's is a nice CS option, as it has 3 different "bays" or order windows, each with a different menu all within the same location. Most locations only have one menu.

In the other parks, the counter service options pretty much range between hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, soups, sandwiches, turkey legs - with a few exceptions. At Animal Kingdom there is a CS location next door to Yak & Yeti serving mostly the same options in smaller portions. There is also good BBQ at the Flame Tree.

 

[stopher1]

WDW is about 27K acres, and very spread out. For a first time visitor, it's probably best to choose your dining options at the parks you'll be at each day vs. trying to go a resort, except for the Monorail line options mentioned above.

To put this into perspective, that's about the same as twice the size of Manhattan, or roughly the size of the city of San Francisco. Getting from place to place will take time. Your primary option will be by bus. And staying at the All-Stars, there are 3 different All-Star resorts all right next door to each other that pretty much share buses. Movies is the 3rd resort, or last one in. Sports, Music then Movies. Pretty much count on it taking about 20-25 min to get anywhere you are going once on the bus (except for when you go to Animal Kingdom, which is about a 10 min bus ride away). Waiting for the bus either at the resort or at a park will add additional time. You'll need to plan on about 45 min to an hour for travel time to anywhere you want to go. SO keep that in mind if you are planning on using your table service meal for breakfast. The buses start running an hour before the theme parks open.

IF you are planning on visiting Downtown Disney at all (a great shopping, dining and entertainment area), there are lots of nice TS and some CS locations on the DDP to consider as well. DTD can be a nice experience after the parks close, but of course with smaller children you typically want to get back to the resort and get them to bed. If in your Sat. - Fri stay you chose to have one non-park day, this would be a great option to consider for going over and exploring. The Lego store is a neat place, as well as the Once Upon a Toy store.

Other options for a non-park day would be to go and explore resorts (Animal Kingdom Lodge is a great option to be able to see more animals up close and personal), or to go boating or minature golfing. Of course there are also the 2 water parks, that your family might enjoy as well. Both have a kid area where your 1 yo could have fun too. Typhoon Lagoon even has a nice sand bar that little ones can play in.

 

[chillcoupons]

We really enjoyed it when we did it in December (I'm a big fan of all you can eat anything). It's not cheap, but well worth it if you don't want to deal with the massive crowds or have a sweet tooth, plus when the fireworks are over, those in attendance are led out of the park through some of the back areas, completely bypassing the throngs of people all trying to leave at the same time.

Well let's see, 1. I am a big fan of all you can eat. 2. I have a sweet tooth. 3. You exit the park through a back exit and miss the throng, I'm in!

I am making my first trip to disney at the end of august. Driving down from Philadelphia with the wife and 2 kids 1 year old and 5 year old. Looking for any advice from those who drove down from my area places to stop on the way and spend the night. Any tips for where to eat a Disney (Dinsey Dining Plan Places). Wanted to book my ADR now already booked breakfast at Chef Mickey's.

For a counter service in Epcot I would highly recommend "Sunshine Seasons" which is located in the land pavilion. Almost all of the counter service restaurants have the exact same menu EXCEPT SUNSHINE SEASONS. It is a nice change from the standard fare, and has the most food choices. It also has a great dessert variety. The manager came by our table the last time we were there and spoke with us for a few minutes. You could tell he took a lot of pride in the menu, service and quality of food. In my opinion it is the best counter service at WDW.