****The Official June 2015 thread!!! We're finally going to WDW***

[Avery&Todd]

I totally have my ADR spreadsheet going (I have a standard one I copy and change to fit each WDW trip, ) I actually already have my OCT 2015 one planned out, so I have to back track and get June done since we've decided to go! Have to do some covert planning cause we are surprising DS with this trip...it will be just DH, DS, and me this time. He is our big Star Wars fan so we couldn't do SWW without him!

I also re-use my spreadsheets from year to year - I figure why re-create the wheel each time, right??

AND I like to look at where we've eaten before and where we should try next time!

I have a few "dining things" that are up in the air for next year:

1. We may NOT go to O'Hana for dinner!! With them getting rid of the chicken, and adding "sweet and sour pork" we may just skip it and add something else....we WILL be there for breakfast...

2. I'm looking forward to what restaurant will replace Kouzina at BW - we were not a fan of Kouzina but Im interested in what will go there and if they'll serve a sit down breakfast - we are a breakfast family and if we decide to stay at BW then it would be super convenient!!

 

[Avery&Todd]

Great minds dress alike. That was from July 4th a few years ago.

Ok.....I created the group on fb. It's Walt Disney World June 2015!!! <------click on link. This is the first fb group that I've been the creator of so if ya'll have any tips/suggestions for being a good admin...please feel free to share. I currently have it set as closed but if you think it needs to be changed to open/secret, etc....just let me know. This is exciting!!!

I just requested to join the FB group! My FB picture is NOTHING WDW though - its all Vegas!! (that's my "dark side"!! )

 

[Avery&Todd]

SO HAPPY that someone started this! Thank you, Avery&Todd!!!

You're QUITE welcome!! I am so excited about next summer I can't even stand it! I know you shouldn't wish your life away, but the next 12 months can't come any sooner!!

So ready for them to release the packages so we can all book and start paying on it!

YES!! I told DH that as SOON as the packages were released I was booking!! and that he didnt need to know the price since Im SURE we'll get some sort of a discount code or PIN!!

We have 6 families planning a surprise 6th grade graduation trip for our kiddos! We're trying to keep it all a big secret. It's so hard to find time to plan without them knowing! We are currently planning on 5days WDW and 2days Universal or 4 days/3 days. Looking at June 14th-20th at AKL/Royal Pacific.

I can't even imagine planning a trip for 6 families and trying to coordinate if you have any meals together or meeting up - I can see making my own spreadsheet and passing it around and telling everyone.."this is where we'll be if you want to join us"!!

 

[hbentleylll]

I just requested to join the FB group! My FB picture is NOTHING WDW though - its all Vegas!! (that's my "dark side"!! )

I just requested as well!!!

 

[Avery&Todd]

SWEET! I'm IN the FB page!!

 

[lumpyandgrumpy]

I can't even imagine planning a trip for 6 families and trying to coordinate if you have any meals together or meeting up - I can see making my own spreadsheet and passing it around and telling everyone.."this is where we'll be if you want to join us"!!

That's pretty much what I've told them we're doing. We'll all stay at the same resort (AKL) and do a meet-up for dinner each night. Other meet ups will be spontaneous and coincidental!

 

[amy_in_wonderland]

I have to say that I am so excited to be able to join this trip group so early in the game. I have actually been anticipating this trip since I got back from our June 2013 trip (the May 2014 trip was just a tease...lol). I was thrilled when I was browsing the DIS last night and saw that at June 2015 thread had already been started (thanks Avery&Todd). I cannot wait to get to know everyone and share experiences.

Speaking of experiences...has anyone here ever done a trip report or a dining review? I am thinking about doing one or the other for this trip.

 

[Avery&Todd]

That's pretty much what I've told them we're doing. We'll all stay at the same resort (AKL) and do a meet-up for dinner each night. Other meet ups will be spontaneous and coincidental!

You are STILL braver than me!! I've thought about inviting some friends to join us and even my sister (who is a grown adult!!) but I just can't do it!!

and the family/friends we've pondered inviting would not be able to stay at the same hotel as we would, nor would they be on the DxDP, so a lot of our meals couldn't be planned together...

and I'm afraid that someone would whine b/c we were walking too fast, or going too many places and since I'm a "pleaser", I'd be trying to make everyone happy..and since I know what makes my family happy at Disney it's easy for me to keep them happy!!

see....here I go, as the "obsessive pre-planner", I'm already trying to create the problems and solve them when they aren't even an issue..

I guess the first step is just admitting when you have a "planning problem", right??

 

[Avery&Todd]

I have to say that I am so excited to be able to join this trip group so early in the game. I have actually been anticipating this trip since I got back from our June 2013 trip (the May 2014 trip was just a tease...lol). I was thrilled when I was browsing the DIS last night and saw that at June 2015 thread had already been started (thanks Avery&Todd). I cannot wait to get to know everyone and share experiences.

You're welcome! I'm just so excited to be able to share my excitement with others who actually WANT to talk about a trip that's a year away!!!

Speaking of experiences...has anyone here ever done a trip report or a dining review? I am thinking about doing one or the other for this trip.

UGH..I have not, but I've thought about it long and hard - at least about doing a dining report - but then I'd be afraid that I wouldn't have any followers and I'd have one of those reports that starts and finishes on the first page!!..

and would I remember to take pictures and write down notes?? I don't have a "real" camera so they'd all be taken with my phone and how bad would they come out?

BUT, I might try one....why don't you go first and I'll follow??

 

[Avery&Todd]

OK - since we're all here this early in the game b/c we're all obsessed with our trip next year - you KNOW we've all started thinking about where we want to eat next year..

SO....what are your "must haves", are you trying anything new this time or have you decided to "move on" from some previous dining staples??

Since we like the DxDP, there will be LOTS of ADRs...

I can admit that we have decided to NOT return to dinner at 'Ohana next year... - we're really torn b/c we've always gone there for dinner, but since they've eliminated the chicken and replaced it with the sweet & sour pork, it's kinda "soured" our love for it..

AND we decided that if we're there for 6 nights, that's only 6 dinners, and maybe we need to branch out a little with our dinner dining options??

Scary, right??

Here are some of the places that are high up on the list for dinner options: Flying Fish (our #1 place!!), Via Napoli (SO good!!), Yachtsman, Hoop Dee Doo (haven't been there since 2009), Le Cellier (haven't been there since 2009), Biergarten, Rose & Crown, BOG or LTT - as you can count, we have 9 options and once again, we'll only be there 6 nights...

Some of those dinner options can certainly slide to a "lunch option" but some of them have very different menus for lunch vs. dinner like LTT and Rose & Crown (how can you NOT have that sticky toffee pudding??!) and we'd probably stick to a heavier option like Flying Fish, Yachtsman and Le Cellier for dinner vs. lunch - and we'd probably only do 1 steakhouse so that's Yachtsman vs. Le Cellier - and WHY did they get rid of the mushroom risotto??

and WHY am I so obsessed with the food??

anyone else obsession over food this early in the game??

 

[amy_in_wonderland]

OK - since we're all here this early in the game b/c we're all obsessed with our trip next year - you KNOW we've all started thinking about where we want to eat next year..

SO....what are your "must haves", are you trying anything new this time or have you decided to "move on" from some previous dining staples??

anyone else obsession over food this early in the game??

Ok....since we all know that plans will probably be changing more than once within the next year, I will share my tenative ADRs that I have listed on my spreadsheet that I created 6/20/13...right after I got back from my June 2013 trip...lol (see? I'm spreadsheet crazy like the rest of ya'll).

These plans were made with the thought that we would be staying at AKL for 8 days and it would only be myself, my two DDs, and possibly a friend-

Arrival night- Cape May Cafe (dinner)
Day 1- 'Ohana (dinner) <----now you have me scared about the pork...lol
Day 2- Hollywood Brown Derby (dinner)
Day 3- Yak & Yeti (dinner) (we at there this past April. I might change to Tusker House since we've never eaten there before
Day 4- 1900 Park Fare (breakfast)
Jiko (dinner)
Day 5- Le Cellier (dinner)
Day 6- Liberty Tree Tavern (lunch)
Boma (dinner)
Day 7- counter service day
Day 8- Boma (breakfast)
Cinderella's Royal Table (dinner)

The weird (and cool) thing is we've been to WDW 4 times in the past 5 years and we've only eaten at 3 of these restaurants before ('Ohana, Boma, and Yak & Yeti).

 

[Avery&Todd]

Arrival night- Cape May Cafe (dinner)
Day 1- 'Ohana (dinner) <----now you have me scared about the pork...lol
Day 2- Hollywood Brown Derby (dinner)
Day 3- Yak & Yeti (dinner) (we at there this past April. I might change to Tusker House since we've never eaten there before
Day 4- 1900 Park Fare (breakfast)
Jiko (dinner)
Day 5- Le Cellier (dinner)
Day 6- Liberty Tree Tavern (lunch)
Boma (dinner)
Day 7- counter service day
Day 8- Boma (breakfast)
Cinderella's Royal Table (dinner)

LOVE your ADRs!!

We've eaten at all but the following:
Hollywood Brown Derby - we just can't seem to stay away from 50's Prime Time!
1900 Park Fare - its on my list to do - maybe I can get a breakfast in there??
Jiko - even though it looks good, and I know folks rave about it - the flavor palate is just not our thing....
CRT - I know, I know....who doesn't want to dine with Princesses? But, I have 2 boys, and apparently they don't want to...

More comments (b/c I can never zip it...)
'Ohana - I'm going to miss it if we don't go - but my kids do love the b'fast there, so we'll be back to visit Stitch!!
Yak & Yeti - our FAVORITE at AK - eat there for lunch every single trip!!
Le Cellier - I really want to eat there, but it won't happen if its pea risotto over mushroom risotto..
Liberty Tree Tavern - LOVE IT!! We had their fabulous dinner there the first trip, and then have made it back for lunch every other trip - love the dessert and we even bought 2 of their mugs on our 2nd trip - drank out of one of them last night!!
Boma - we've eaten breakfast there and it was tasty, but once again, we were not staying at AKL, and had to take a bus from WL to MK, then a bus from MK to AK there for b'fast then a bus from AKL to AK and it ended up being "too many buses" for DH!!
Tusker House - we ate there first thing for b'fast on our last trip and it was great! and it was fabulous being in the park early, and since its in the back it was nice being so close to the animal safari! BUT, I do have to say after stuffing our faces with the buffet, and then jumping on the safari bus and getting jostled around..it was a lot... - but not enough to stop us from doing it again on the next trip!!

 

[monicajonathan]

Ok....since we all know that plans will probably be changing more than once within the next year, I will share my tenative ADRs that I have listed on my spreadsheet that I created 6/20/13...right after I got back from my June 2013 trip...lol (see? I'm spreadsheet crazy like the rest of ya'll).

These plans were made with the thought that we would be staying at AKL for 8 days and it would only be myself, my two DDs, and possibly a friend-

Arrival night- Cape May Cafe (dinner)
Day 1- 'Ohana (dinner) <----now you have me scared about the pork...lol
Day 2- Hollywood Brown Derby (dinner)
Day 3- Yak & Yeti (dinner) (we at there this past April. I might change to Tusker House since we've never eaten there before
Day 4- 1900 Park Fare (breakfast)
Jiko (dinner)
Day 5- Le Cellier (dinner)
Day 6- Liberty Tree Tavern (lunch)
Boma (dinner)
Day 7- counter service day
Day 8- Boma (breakfast)
Cinderella's Royal Table (dinner)

The weird (and cool) thing is we've been to WDW 4 times in the past 5 years and we've only eaten at 3 of these restaurants before ('Ohana, Boma, and Yak & Yeti).

All the chooses look really good. We also hit up Liberty Tree, Yak & Yeti, Ohana and Cinderella's royal table. This past year was our first time going to Cinderella's royal table for breakfast instead of dinner. The food was okay but what I loved is that when we were done, we waited for the park to open at 9 right on the backside of the castle which was awesome. So at 9am we beat the crowd of people and were to do Ariel and Storytime with Bell before the crowds made it to the back of the park.
That's my one stategy that I use is make early breakfast reservations at parks that do not open till 9am. that way i'm already in the park when rope drop happens.
Next year it will be crazy because my family of 5 will be joined by 3 other familes that already have told me that will tag along with us all day long.

 

[Avery&Todd]

That's my one stategy that I use is make early breakfast reservations at parks that do not open till 9am. that way i'm already in the park when rope drop happens.

YES!! We do this too except our b'fast of choice is Crystal Palace!! Love getting pictures taken in front of the Castle when its empty!! That picture was our christmas card one year!!

Next year it will be crazy because my family of 5 will be joined by 3 other familes that already have told me that will tag along with us all day long.

oh no....I'm so sorry!! that would be super crazy!!!

and I'd probably kick into my "Disney walk" which is a very brisk walk and where I add in "weaving and bobbing" to avoid other folks, groups and baby strollers!!

You guys are super brave having all those extra folks follow you around!!

 

[hbentleylll]

My kids will he 6,4 & 20mo (all boys) so I am thinking a lot of sit down meals will go to waste and maybe even cause a meltdown or 2. I gave them some choices of characters they could meet and Chip n Dale won so we will definitely do Garden Grill. We will also do T Rex for my dino lovers.
I am still contemplating whether we will even do a dining plan at all. I think we can come out better doing it on my own if the one we would purchase is QS.

 

[monicajonathan]

YES!! We do this too except our b'fast of choice is Crystal Palace!! Love getting pictures taken in front of the Castle when its empty!! That picture was our christmas card one year!!



oh no....I'm so sorry!! that would be super crazy!!!

and I'd probably kick into my "Disney walk" which is a very brisk walk and where I add in "weaving and bobbing" to avoid other folks, groups and baby strollers!!

You guys are super brave having all those extra folks follow you around!!

I have that same exact 'disney walk' and i will probably lose people when we go through crowds. Plus this next trip we are staying longer so i'm even more excited about that. We'll be able to go to each park twice and i can take my time doing all the things we love.

 

[Avery&Todd]

My kids will he 6,4 & 20mo (all boys) so I am thinking a lot of sit down meals will go to waste and maybe even cause a meltdown or 2. I gave them some choices of characters they could meet and Chip n Dale won so we will definitely do Garden Grill. We will also do T Rex for my dino lovers.
I am still contemplating whether we will even do a dining plan at all. I think we can come out better doing it on my own if the one we would purchase is QS.

We did Garden Grill on our first trip (2009) and while we didn't LOVE the food (and it's totally changed now from when we were there!!) the Character interaction was FAB-U-LOUS!! and the boys loved that the whole restaurant moved and we were in a half-moon booth right near the bottom so we could see the landscape change - it was a GREAT night! It might have even been our first dinner on our first WDW vacation!!

and I agree that the dining plans aren't for everyone - especially the DxDP - its a lot of food, a lot of sitting and it does take up a lot of our day - but it does work for us - we start early and end late and since our boys will be 13 & 15 when we get back next summer, we don't have to do naps or meltdowns (wait...who said 13 & 15 yr olds don't have meltdowns or need naps!??!! ) and they eat and eat and eat, there isn't a lot of food waste!!

And I'm a little envious of those families who have kids who still eat off the kids menu! My 12 yr old hasn't eaten off a kids menu in probably 5 years!! In fact, on our 2nd trip in 2010 (he was 8) he was SO sad that he was still considered a kid and had to get a "kid meal"....now they order lobster, or scallops or mussels or a filet - they do no have cheap taste!! They have actually tried a TON of new foods at WDW and if they order something that they decide that is "not" an item they like (like lobster bisque!!) there is someone else at the table ready to eat it (aka my DH!!)!!

 

[Avery&Todd]

I have that same exact 'disney walk' and i will probably lose people when we go through crowds. Plus this next trip we are staying longer so i'm even more excited about that. We'll be able to go to each park twice and i can take my time doing all the things we love.

LOVE IT!!! and my DH is 6' 4", so we put him in the front and then we all snag a piece of the shirt of the person in front of you, make like a train and we GO! I do appreciate that there are folks who like to stroll and look around and then there are some of us who have no time to stroll b/c we are trying to get onto BTMRR ASAP!!

I would love to be one of those families who gets to stay like 2 weeks - ahh....that would be the life!! My DH says Im nuts and he's get too tired of the parks/crowds, but I try to explain that we wouldn't do the parks every day and we could sit by the pool or go to a water park!

but, unless we win the lottery a 2 week stay is not in my future!

 

[amy_in_wonderland]

Jiko - even though it looks good, and I know folks rave about it - the flavor palate is just not our thing....

I've wanted to try Jiko but I doubt it's something I'd choose unless we were staying at AKL.

I was really surprised that I wasn't crazy about Sanaa. I love Indian food and whatever they did to it (mixing African flavors with the Indian and/or trying to make the flavors less "exotic") totally did not work for me. I would give it another try though and you cannot beat the view/ambiance.

 

[leshunlenese]

I am glad I am not the only one Already making plans!
We always get the dining plan. I really hope the keep the star wars meals next year because I have to meet Jedi Mickey! It will be my birthday after all!
We love Garden Grill and cape may café . I also want to go back to crystal palace for breakfast we are trying dinner in September for the 1st time but we love breakfast I am not sure how long our trip will be probably 8 or 9 days but we want to try HDDMR, tusker house brunch. My mind is all over the place and I know my plans will change several times!!