Thoughts on itinerary please :)

[LivingforDisney]

We had the QS dining plan for free and just payed for 3 ADR's out of pocket.
As it was we had way too much food on the dining plan and I would not buy it personally.
We were there for 13 nights and ended up with 32 dining credits left (between 4 of us), cause we didn't use it a few days, when we went to US ect.
So they let us get 32 snacks on our last day, so we got heaps of bags of lollies, big cookies, popcorn ect and bought them home for little presents .
The reason I only booked 3 adr's was because, it was all a bit much to me, organising meals 6 months in advance, anyhow we were fine with the QS meals and ate well, though some days we only had a main meal and a few snacks. Don't know why but we never really felt hunrgy, must have been the excitement of it all.
Also we didn't want to have to rush off somewhere when we were enjoying ourselves because we had a dinner reservation.
If you are not staying on site, you will be doing a lot of this I imagine, unless you organise adr's in the parks you visit for the day.
A lot of the QS are in sit down places, you just go up and order it and then find a table, so no tips invlolved lol.
We used the QS at Be Our Guest for lunch, this was a great meal. We got there about 11am and just walked in.

 

[LivingforDisney]

Just read you are going to stay at POP, we stayed there, we had a room at the back, and could just go down the stairs and the lake was there, was really nice, the dining area there was pretty good, but does get crowded at times.
We only went once for brekky, way to packed with people, so a lot of times, we got a fruit salad for our dessert and took it back to room and that was breakfast for the next day.
It was nice to walk over the bridge to AOA and you can use the food court there, that was very nice and some different food, even got real cutlery there, not like POP , it was plastic knifes and forks.
Seems like a lot of people we spoke to would go to the parks and then go back to hotel and then go out for their adr's, we were way too tired to do that.
Anyhow, sure you will work it all out, just be warned , the days can be very long and lots of walking , so you do need some free days.
January is not supposed to be to busy in the parks, so might make a difference.

 

[gogo65]

When we did the dining plan we did the first and last night room only then the dining plan for 6 nights in between, worked out great for us, got up the first morning and checked in for the package so could use the dining credits for breakfast. Had all our adrs planned and used it up to our last night, had some snack credits left over and that was all, stocked up on snacks that evening, had our room only booking on last night, checked out in morning had fruit salad etc for breakfast from the snack credits the night before. We had three bookings they linked them all and we stayed in our room the whole time, a little bit a fiddling but saved ourselves two days of the dining plan for four adults. We never went hungry

 

[dabecs]

If your daughter loves dolls, you must go to The American Girl store on 5th Ave, have a look at the American girl website, totally amazing!!

How could I forget to mention American Girl! Can't wait to go to the Orlando one and do some shopping!

 

[LisaAJ]

Will definitely check out American Girl

I'm going to have a proper look at the menus tonight to work it out better. I really just need to work out what table service/character meals we want to go to. I don't think we will do too many character meals, probably just a Mickey/Minnie and a Princess one. Then maybe a couple of nice sit down meals.

Any suggestions for good character or table service restaurants? What are your favourites? I haven't really done that much research on this part. Once our flights are booked (any day now!) I will shift my focus!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Will definitely check out American Girl I'm going to have a proper look at the menus tonight to work it out better. I really just need to work out what table service/character meals we want to go to. I don't think we will do too many character meals, probably just a Mickey/Minnie and a Princess one. Then maybe a couple of nice sit down meals. Any suggestions for good character or table service restaurants? What are your favourites? I haven't really done that much research on this part. Once our flights are booked (any day now!) I will shift my focus!

Picking the ADRs was one of my favourite parts of planning our WDW trip. The restaurants are an attraction in themselves. There are plenty of places in NZ and Australia that serve up great food, but few with such fun theming.

It's bed time here in NZ, but, if you're interested, I'm happy to share my thoughts on my ADRs tomorrow.

 

[LisaAJ]

I'm happy to share my thoughts on my ADRs tomorrow.

Yes please!!!

 

[FireflyFi]

Any suggestions for good character or table service restaurants? What are your favourites? I haven't really done that much research on this part. Once our flights are booked (any day now!) I will shift my focus!

Picking where to eat is so much fun! I've started (another) spreadsheet just for that lol

I'm sure there are plenty of people on this board with a lot more experience than me, but I loved Tusker House for breakfast (such a huge selection of food!) and Akershus for dinner (the food was really yum and the interiors are gorgeous). They were the only two I got to first time round. The list for my next trip is much longer hehe

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I ate at a total of 12 table service places during the week and thought they ranged from good to excellent. I picked all my ADRs based on the uniqueness of the restaurant rather than the apparent quality of the food. I figured that I can get a delicious meal any day of the week here in Auckland (and usually for less money), but it's not everyday you get to dine with African animals or next to a Mexican pyramid.

There were some places I ate where the food was just average, but I would eat there again in heartbeat if given the opportunity.

Here are my ADRs in the order in which I enjoyed them (favourite to least favourite). Obviously everyone's different, so take my thoughts with a pinch of salt.

The Places I would definitely Dine At Again if I returned to WDW:

50's Primetime Cafe (Lunch) - Loved the service, loved the theming, loved the Chocolate Peanut Butter and Jelly Shakes. Food was simple, comfort food, but it worked well with the theme. There were some servers who seemed a bit intense, but ours had us in hysterics.

Crystal Palace (Breakfast) - While Pooh and friends were delightful, I loved this meal because it got us into MK before opening. If our breakfast had been later in the morning it would be nearer the middle of this list.

Biergarten (Dinner) - the food was very average, but the whole atmosphere put DH and I in a very jovial mood. Maybe it was the beer, maybe it was reminders of our travels around Germany. Either way, we loved it. I would probably recommend lunch over dinner since it's cheaper. Make sure you research the band performance times before making an ADR as they don't play continuously.

Yak and Yeti (Lunch) - We liked this place for the food. The Dim Sum basket, seafood curry, and pineapple wontons were all delicious. It's also a great place to escape the midday heat of the AK park.

The Places I would eat at again if I was travelling with first-time visitors to WDW and wanted to show them a unique restaurant:

Sanaa (Dinner)- it was so lovely dining with a view of so many African animals. Make sure you book an early dining time (i.e. as soon as the restaurant opens) if you want a window seat. The food is also pretty yummy if you like Indian inspired dishes.

Tusker House (Breakfast) - the breakfast here is pretty yum, and it's fun dining with Donald and friends. I loved how having Photopass plus got us a big printed photo with Donald for free.

Sci-Fi Diner (Lunch) - loved the uniqueness of the theming. Didn't love the way I had to eat with my back to my husband. It's not the most social restaurant, but definitely worth trying at least once.

Be Our Guest (lunch) - okay, so officially this wasn't as ADR as they only take bookings at dinner time. At lunch it's a fancy counter-service. But I still thought it was worth mentioning. I think lunch is good value, but I have no interest in ever eating dinner there. It's nice, but IMO far to over-hyped given how difficult it is to get a booking here. It's also very loud.

The Places that I'm pleased I tried, but probably wouldn't return to:

Ohana (Dinner)- while I think this place is a bit overrated (it's one of the hardest ADR's to get), the food is tasty and fulling, and the atmosphere is warm and friendly.

Raglan Road (Dinner) - the live band and dancers at this restaurant are great. Unfortunately there are a lot of seats where it is difficult to see either and we had one of them. It was also crazy busy making for a loud atmosphere and slow service. I think this restaurant would be higher than Ohana if we'd had a better seat.

Boma (Breakfast and Dinner) - like Ohana, I think Boma is tasty but overrated. If I hadn't been staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, I'm not convinced I would have thought it was worth the trip.

T-Rex Restaurant (Lunch) - I cancelled this ADR after reading about how loud this place is. We found ourselves in DTD at lunch time one day, and were successful in getting a last minute walk-in. I was a bit ambivalent about the whole experience, but my son enjoyed it. For that reason alone, it's not last on the list.

San Angel Inn (Lunch) - It's hard to put a finger on why this was my least favourite ADR. On the plus side, the theming was lovely and it was nice to sit by the erupting volcano and watch people go past on that (awful) ride. On the negative side, the restaurant was the only ADR of our trip where the restaurant was almost empty. It lacked that fun, happening atmosphere of other WDW places we ate, or the quiet calm of places we eat at at home. Plus my meal was bland and lacking in texture. I'm not that familiar with Mexican cuisine and may have just ordered the wrong dish, but I love spicy food and it felt like this place was playing it safe. I'm not convinced I saw the best of this place.

So that's my essay. I hope it helps.

 

[LisaAJ]

Wow, thanks Wanderlust. That was a great perspective.
I've made a list of a few I want to go to (and some that are still a maybe) and all of them are chosen based on atmosphere rather than food.

I'm still umming and ahhing about the dining plan. Based on the amount of table service and buffets I have a chosen it may be worth it. Hmmm


Of course this all may be moot if the airfares don't go down again!! Last night it was going to cost us $10,700 and today it Went up to over $15k!!!!!! Some itinerary shuffle for it back down to $12k bit I'm still upset. I can't afford Premium Economy if we pay that much
Now I have to work out if we wait or book in case it goes up even more!!!

 

[Brisbanemum]

Your itinerary sounds great!

* NYC at Salisbury Hotel from 24/12 - 31/12/14. Plan to do a hop-on-hop-off tour, visit the usual sights (Statue, Empire, 9-11 tribute/site, Central Park) and go to a show on Broadway. Probably do the museums too.

The best money that we spent on our last trip was pre-purchasing the express lift passes for the Empire State Building. It saved us HOURS! There are so many lines inside and you get to bypass everything There is a big Toys R Us in Times Square which has a Ferris Wheel inside which the boys liked.....But you can't beat FAO Schwarz and the floor piano from the movie 'Big' lol


*Fly NYC - Orlando on 31/12. Pick up hire car and check into International Drive hotel (thinking Hawthorn Suites Universal now called Sky Suites I think)
Stay here until 4/1, visiting LEGOLAND and shopping/general exploring.

We stayed at the Enclave Hotel and Suites in a 2 bedroom Kids Quarter suite. It was right off International Drive and opposite the Pirate Dinner Adventure Show and very affordable. They have a complimentary shuttle to Universal and Seaworld and an indoor pool We just walked to everything on iDrive or took the iDrive Trolley.


*Check out 4/1 and drive to Cape Canaveral, spend day at Kennedy Space Centre.


We did the 'Lunch with an Astronaut' experience which the boys really enjoyed. The food wasn't very children friendly for this experience though, but we would still do it again.


*9/1 check into Universal Hotel (thinking Hard Rock) and stay until 11/1.Question here is do we need 3 days at Universal or is 2 enough? Thinking we might spend 11th at Universal and then check into Disney hotel that night?

We did 2 days at Universal last time, but doing 4 this time around lol Great idea staying at a Universal Hotel so you get the 1 hour early entry into WWOHP and unlimited express passes
Because we are saving $$ getting the express passes for free, we are splurging on a Despicable me Kids Suite (at Loews Portofino) for 5 nights before our cruise. Just have to share a pic of the room because we just booked it and are ssssoooooo excited!! lol




*Check into Disney hotel (thinking Pop Century) 11/1 and stay until we fly home on 20/1. Also, do you think we will need the Park Hopper option? I'm thinking we will get it for the Water Park fun and more option but don't know if we need to add Park Hopper? At this stage we will have an extra day from when we check in the evening of 11/1 but won't have used the park that day (as we will be at Universal) We plan on getting a package with Dining Plan as I prefer having everything prepaid. Not sure if they will have free dining but we want the plan anyway.

We stayed at Pop Century last time and really enjoyed it. It was great walking over to AoA and eating there aswell and the boys preferred the AoA game arcade too. We will probably stay there again this time too

I wouldn't book DisneyWorld yet as they should release either free dining or room discounts for those dates. I am impatiently waiting for any specials for our dates to be released too. I think it is in August they are released? Or apparently if you have an existing booking and they release a deal, you can ring them to change it? (please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) It might be an expensive call to the States, but if you want to book things early it's another option?


So what do you guys think? It is possible for us to fly home on 21/1 but I really want a week or so to recover before going back to work. I'm a teacher and if I have a contract I will need to spend some time planning before heading back. Plus I find that I need a holiday after a holiday like this, lol.


Recovery time is definitely recommended! lol

 

[LivingforDisney]

Wowee, that room looks fantastic Ho much does it cost to stay in there? I might have to have a look at these Universal hotels.
My that is a awful lot for airfares, are you booking them with a travel agent, can they not give you a idea if they will go up or down, I guess they will go up more if you want to fly xmas eve.
I know on Virgins website flights up to 11th Dec are around $880 one way to L.A and some days around the same price in Jan, but then you would have to book internal flights.
I paid last year $1453pp in Sept/Oct and we stayed in L.A, NY , Orlando and then another night in L.A before flight home, this was on VAustralia and Delta. Thought that was a pretty good price and then scored the free dining from Disney.
My dream though is to spend xmas day at MK, so a lot of planning ahead.

 

[LisaAJ]

Great tips, thanks Brisbanemum and I LOVE that room!! My kids would go crazy over that!!

Well my TA and I spent some time juggling the itinerary and she managed to get it down to $11,500. I'm happy with that. She's booked it and it has to be paid for in a couple of days so we'll keep checking until then. Feeling a lot kore positive now! Although I just applied for our ESTAs and all 4 were referred

 

[LivingforDisney]

I think that is pretty standard for the esta, same thing happened when I did ours, then I checked 10 mins later and they were approved

 

[LivingforDisney]

What changes have you made Lisa?

 

[LisaAJ]

Would you believe changing flight numbers (from Delta to Virgin) on the Virgin operated flights knocked $600 off? Even though they are the exact same flights!!

 

[Brisbanemum]

We tried calling a TA but they quoted us about $1000 more than I could get them for on Expedia. They said they would price match and the TA would email us an itinerary straight away and then call back the next day..........weeks later, we still haven't heard from her! I only waited 1 day and booked our flights for $6288 from Brisbane to Orlando for the 4 of us return. Last year I saw the prices for our dates averaged between $8300 and $10300 for the same flights, so I'm so happy with our prices. It's always so expensive traveling at the end of the year, so any savings are awesome

 

[PrincessInOz]

I like the following (TS and CS included):

Animal Kingdom: Tusker House, Yak and Yeti, Flame Tree BBQ

Magic Kingdom: Crystal Palace, Cosmic Rays, Liberty Tree Tavern, Columbia Harbour House. If you do decide to go to Tony's, stick with the pasta.


DHS: ABC Commissary for their Asian salad, Brown Derby, Sci Fi, Starring Roles.

Epcot: Sunshine Seasons, Boulangerie, Chefs de France, Tangierine Cafe, Yorkshire Fish and Chips, Kuche Karamel, La Cantina de San Angel

DTD: Earl of Sandwich, Wolfgang Puck, Raglan Road, Ghiradelli Soda Fountain. I do like Rainforest Cafe; but you can experience that in other US cities.


And then there are any number of reasonable places to eat at the various resorts. It'll come down to what you want to experience and if you want to take the extra time to get there for the meal.

Have fun with the selection.

 

[LivingforDisney]

Brisbane mum, who did you book your flights with?? did you do it yourself on line and what airline is it? ty

 

[Brisbanemum]

Brisbane mum, who did you book your flights with?? did you do it yourself on line and what airline is it? ty

I booked our flights through expedia.com.au We have always booked all our flights (except for 1 trip) through them and have never had any problems in the past. Even when we had some changes to connecting flights over in the States last time, Expedia rang us beforehand and put us on a conference call to United Airlines to fix everything up

Our flights for this trip are with Virgin/Delta. We fly out of Brisbane and fly direct to Los Angeles then have a 4 hour layover before flying into Orlando. Then on the way back we only have a 3 hour layover in L.A until the direct flight back to Brisbane.

I always look for cheaper flight deals from other major cities here too (Sydney or Melbourne normally) as sometimes this can save a lot of money, even with adding a domestic flight.