Want All Signature Restaurants!

[jude&jonah]

After spending waaaayy too much time here on the boards, I've decided I want to try more signature restaurants on my adult only mother/daughter trip in September. Right now we're scheduled for:

Boma
California Grill
Artist Point
Chefs De France
Tutto Italia
(will be there for 7 days and paying OOP for the plaza and beaches and cream the other two nights)

I want to make some changes tho. I know I want to drop Tutto- and really want to add on Jiko, Flying Fish, and possibly replace Boma or Chefs De France for Citricos maybe. I just want a little extra 'magic' on our trip- and all signature dining would be a fun surprise for her. She also had a heart attack two years ago despite being young and fit, so I find the signature restaurants have the most heart friendly options.

What is the best way for me to do 5 or 6 signature restaurants? DxDP seems so expensive- 500.00 extra dollars for 2 people for 7 nights I believe. Plus, that might be too much table service for us I think!

1. Am I understanding right that DxDP would allow us to do 1 signature restaurant and one other table service lunch eat day if we skip breakfast?

2. Is there another plan that focuses more on being able to do signature restaurants? I would love a plan that was like 2 table service points per day and 1 quick service. Does this exist?

3. If there isn't- instead of doing 500.00 more should I consider just doing two extra signature restaurants and paying out of pocket for them? Perhaps I can go thru and find the two cheapest and do those out of pocket?

4. Finally- what do you think of my choices above? Worth the extra splurge?

Thanks in advance!

 

[havoc315]

1. Yes. You get 3 credits per night, to space out as you want under the DxDP. So yes, you can do 1 TS lunch and signature dinner each night.

2. No other plans that make sense for you. Only premium plans that would cost much more.

3,4, etc -- under the regular ddp, signature restaurants are a bad value. You are paying about $30 per credit. So for a signature restaurant, you are paying $60 for just entree, dessert and beverage.
Under the DxDP, you are paying about $24 per credit -- plus getting appetizer. So under the DxDP, for $48, you get appetizer, entree, dessert and beverage.

If you want to load up on signature restaurants, the DxDP is actually a pretty good value.
If you really only want entrees - no desserts or appetizers -- then it may be cheaper to skip any dining plan. Just pay everything OOP.

 

[jude&jonah]

Thank you!!! I am going to do the DDxP after reading that. I love how you told me the values- thank you!! I am so excited- making reservations right now- so far have this on the list:

Jiko
Boma
California Grill
Artist Point
Hollywood Brown Derby (mostly just for the salad and the F! package- it's a fantasmic one right??)
Flying Fish
The Wave
Kona Cafe
Chefs De France
Teppan Edo
Citricos

I'm not CRAZY about Kona, Wave, or Teppan Edo- but according to our touring plans they seem to make the most sense. Might make some changes. Thoughts?

I'd rather do Coral Reef than Teppan Edo but can't seem to force myself to justify going there after it's gone so down hill. I also thought about Biergarten but am not crazy about that style of food. ugh choices...

 

[jude&jonah]

After some thought I'm thinking the Yachstman? The problem I'm running into is Boma is only dinner (not interested in breakfast) but I wanted to do all signature in the evening. My mom loves Boma- so it's tough! I'd like to do ideally do a signature a day- but do any of them seem like they'd be enjoyable for lunch?

 

[Cafeen]

Jiko
Boma
California Grill
Artist Point
Hollywood Brown Derby (mostly just for the salad and the F! package- it's a fantasmic one right??)
Flying Fish
The Wave
Kona Cafe
Chefs De France
Teppan Edo
Citricos

I'm not CRAZY about Kona, Wave, or Teppan Edo- but according to our touring plans they seem to make the most sense. Might make some changes. Thoughts?

I'd rather do Coral Reef than Teppan Edo but can't seem to force myself to justify going there after it's gone so down hill. I also thought about Biergarten but am not crazy about that style of food. ugh choices...

Of that list, I've been to Jiko, Boma, Artist Point, and Citricos (with CG, FF, and Kona (twice) coming this year). All were very good. Jiko and Citricos were my two favorites, but that doesn't mean the others were bad, just a touch behind those two. (If Jiko and Citricos were 10s, Boma would be a 9.5 and AP would be about a 9).

After some thought I'm thinking the Yachstman? The problem I'm running into is Boma is only dinner (not interested in breakfast) but I wanted to do all signature in the evening. My mom loves Boma- so it's tough! I'd like to do ideally do a signature a day- but do any of them seem like they'd be enjoyable for lunch?

I also did Yachtsman last year and it was pretty good. I wouldn't pay OOP for it, but it was still quite good (lets say about 8 on the imaginary scale above). They DID have my 2nd favorite dessert of the trip though, the Banana Napolean thingy. Very delicious. (The favorite went to the Warm Chocolate Banana Torte at Citricos). I'm also looking forward to Le Cellier's updated menu this year (went for lunch in 2009 and last year). Of course, this doesn't help much with your Epcot dilemma does it?

As far as lunch, the only signature that's open for lunch is Brown Derby in DHS (at least that takes DxDDP) so that kinda limits your options there. Plus the fact you're already eating there (which I noticed after writing that first line ).

Boma is a good meal, and is one of the ones I'm returning to this year (in a bit over 2 months actually! , and strangely enough, it was one of my mom's two requests (the other being Tusker House breakfast.) For a (reportedly, I won't know until Sept) good lunch meal, I've heard Sanaa is very good. It's not signature cost/credits, but from how people have responded to it, it may as well be.

In the end, don't worry all that much about spending all your DxDDP credits either. So long as you spend most of them (with around 3/4 of them at TS) you're going to come out ahead. You may not save as much as you would otherwise, but you should still be comfortably in the black.

I think I worked out the math for myself solo, and I'm saving about $200 vs what it would be OOP (for the exact same stuff, we won't get into that "other" discussion here ) and that's with spending 3 of my 27 credits at CS and leaving 2 for Disney to add to their coffers for Mr. McDuck to swim in.

 

[sharonabe]

Thank you!!! I am going to do the DDxP after reading that. I love how you told me the values- thank you!! I am so excited- making reservations right now- so far have this on the list:

Jiko
Boma
California Grill
Artist Point
Hollywood Brown Derby (mostly just for the salad and the F! package- it's a fantasmic one right??)Flying Fish
The Wave
Kona Cafe
Chefs De France
Teppan Edo
Citricos

I'm not CRAZY about Kona, Wave, or Teppan Edo- but according to our touring plans they seem to make the most sense. Might make some changes. Thoughts?

I'd rather do Coral Reef than Teppan Edo but can't seem to force myself to justify going there after it's gone so down hill. I also thought about Biergarten but am not crazy about that style of food. ugh choices...

It is a F! restaurant. Just be sure that you book it as a F! PKG when you call to book your ADRs. It hasn't been working online lately, so not sure if you'll be able to book it that way.