What "can't miss" restaurants aren't on my list? What should I leave off?

[centurythree]

I'd like a little advice on the ADRS I plan to make once the 180 day window opens up. Are there any restaurants that I haven't listed that you highly recommend? What about restaurants that I should skip? Please bear in mind that we'll have a 12 year old boy with us. I assume that we'll be staying at Coronado Springs and we'll have a car/plan not to use bus transportation.

Arrival Night:
Coral Reef (would like to have a diver welcome my guests to WDW/personalized menus)

Day 1:
Breakfast: Chef Mickey's
Lunch: Cosmic Ray's*
Dinner: Cinderella's Royal Table

Day 2:
Breakfast: Maya Grill
Lunch: Restaurantosaurus*
Dinner: Boma

Day 3:
Breakfast: n/a
Lunch: Sci Fi Dine In
Dinner: Fantasmic Pkg/Brown Derby

Day 4:
Breakfast: Maya Grill
Lunch: Electric Umbrella*
Dinner: Garden Grill

Day 5:
Breakfast: Kona Cafe
Lunch: Cap'n Jacks
Dinner: Hoop de Doo

Day 6:
Breakfast: Maya Grill
Lunch: San Angel Inn
Dinner: Le Cellier

Day 7:
Breakfast: Crystal Palace
Lunch: Liberty Tree Tavern
Dinner: The Plaza

Day 8:
Breakfast: Grand Floridian Cafe
Lunch: Off-site/Universal
Dinner: Flying Fish

Day 9:
Breakfast: Maya Grill
Lunch: Chefs de France
Dinner: Restaurant Marrakesh

Day 10:
Breakfast: Captain's Grill
Lunch: Dine w/an Imagineer? (or ABC Commissary* if not possible)
Dinner: 50's Prime Time

Day 11:
Breakfast: Maya Grill
Lunch: Teppan Edo
Dinner: Rose and Crown


*Silly as it is, these CS restaurants are favorites of mine for one reason or other.

 

[Harambe]

WOW!!!!

That there's a load o' food! LOL! You've chosen some great places - LTT lunch, Kona, Garden Grill, etc. - but I think you may have too much food planned on certain days. Remember that you'll be in each of these restaurants for an hour & a half (or longer) - that's a chunk of time out of your day.

My concerns:

Day 3 - The Fantasmic pkgs. tend to offer early dinners, like 4:30 or 5pm. Even if you ate an early lunch at SciFi, I bet you'll still be pretty full when you walk into Brown Derby.

Day 5 - probably better off with a small CS lunch.

Days 6, 9, & 11 - skip the big breakfast (grab a muffin or something), then have lunch early (like 11:30), and dinner later (like 7pm).

Day 7 - too much! I'd do earliest seating at CP and latest seating at LTT lunch. Dinner would be a Dole Whip or a Mickey ice cream bar!

Day 8 - Today you should eat at Maya Grill for breakfast (right at your resort) then head to Universal for the day. I don't know if I'd want to worry about getting back for Flying Fish. Maybe have a nice dinner at Universal instead.

Day 10 - Only do 50s Prime Time if you don't get the lunch with an imagineer.

I guess that's it. Sorry if I've picked apart your plan, but I think you'll find yourself either stressed out trying to get to all of these ADRs, or your son will be none-too-happy about being pulled away from the parks to do all this eating.

Oh yeah - Day 4 has just too many double ll's in it!

 

[TandT]

O'hana's for dinner is a MUST for me. GREAT food and fun atmosphere!!

 

[danielle.st]

We're skipping LeCellier and doing Biergarten. My dd7 has seen pictures and desperately wants to see/hear the band. Also, we all love sausage, so I think we'll enjoy it

 

[wdwrich]

I agree with Harambe. It looks like too much food, and way too much time out of each day will be spent in TS restaurants. Not sure how the time issue will go over with a 12 yo. Perhaps you can save some of the TS places for a subsequent visit?

 

[centurythree]

We'll be using the deluxe DDP, and the number of restaurants listed uses up all of our credits. Really, those CS places should go away in order for us to get the most out of the plan but I really like them as I said.

Given the length of our stay, time of year, and my experience in avoiding crowds, we should have plenty of time to get to everything even though we're spending so much time in restaurants. I should probably note that we'll be having breakfast early and making it to the parks just before opening each morning. I always have lunch in the parks at 11 to avoid the rush, and we'll be having dinner as late as feasible . . . in the case of the early closing AK and US/IOA, after park close.

Plus, I tend to race through the parks so this will force me to take breaks and not wear them out. As for the 12 year old getting impatient . . . from what I've gathered he's used to only doing five or six rides in a day at a theme park anyway, and he's never been to Disney before to know another way of doing things.

 

[james'mommy]

I think Narcoossee's is a must do.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

We'll be using the deluxe DDP

Given the length of our stay, time of year, and my experience in avoiding crowds, we should have plenty of time to get to everything even though we're spending so much time in restaurants. I should probably note that we'll be having breakfast early and making it to the parks just before opening each morning. I always have lunch in the parks at 11 to avoid the rush, and we'll be having dinner as late as feasible . . . in the case of the early closing AK and US/IOA, after park close.

DS12 and I are doing the Deluxe Dining Plan in a way similar to your plan when we go in August. I know for some that it seems like a lot of food, but nobody is actually forcing us to eat a lot at the buffets or every course at every meal. We consider ourselves foodies and the restaurants are part of the WDW experience for us. I think your plans looks great, we are eating at many of the same places. I am not sure where you could fit it in, but the only must do for us that I don't see on your list is Kona for dinner. Love that teriyaki steak!

 

[karajeboo]

First of all, I love that you're doing Marrakesh! It is one of our faves and often overlooked! Also Flying Fish is my all-time FAVORITE!!!!!

I've heard that Brown Derby is only so-so at DHS, but we have eaten at Mama Melrose twice and never been disappointed.

Otherwise, I love your plan - you'll get to enjoy a wide variety at some of Disney's best!

 

[hvivona]

We'll be using the deluxe DDP, and the number of restaurants listed uses up all of our credits. Really, those CS places should go away in order for us to get the most out of the plan but I really like them as I said.

Given the length of our stay, time of year, and my experience in avoiding crowds, we should have plenty of time to get to everything even though we're spending so much time in restaurants. I should probably note that we'll be having breakfast early and making it to the parks just before opening each morning. I always have lunch in the parks at 11 to avoid the rush, and we'll be having dinner as late as feasible . . . in the case of the early closing AK and US/IOA, after park close.

Plus, I tend to race through the parks so this will force me to take breaks and not wear them out. As for the 12 year old getting impatient . . . from what I've gathered he's used to only doing five or six rides in a day at a theme park anyway, and he's never been to Disney before to know another way of doing things.

We used the Deluxe plan last week and found it to be waaaaay too much to eat and waaaay too much time spent in resturaunts. Halfway through our trip we started changing up our adr's. We'd have a big breakfast at a buffet and then go to a 2TS place to eat like CRT or Brown Derby.

 

[centurythree]

First of all, I love that you're doing Marrakesh! It is one of our faves and often overlooked! Also Flying Fish is my all-time FAVORITE!!!!!

I've heard that Brown Derby is only so-so at DHS, but we have eaten at Mama Melrose twice and never been disappointed.

Otherwise, I love your plan - you'll get to enjoy a wide variety at some of Disney's best!

Thanks! I was a bit nervous about Flying Fish since I don't hear it mentioned very often.

I've wanted to give the Brown Derby a shot since it opened--something about the imagineers putting that much effort into a replica has always intrigued me. I've heard mixed reviews on it as well.

 

[centurythree]

We used the Deluxe plan last week and found it to be waaaaay too much to eat and waaaay too much time spent in resturaunts. Halfway through our trip we started changing up our adr's. We'd have a big breakfast at a buffet and then go to a 2TS place to eat like CRT or Brown Derby.

Was it that you were "cleaning your plate" and felt overfull, or that you were just spending too much time eating?

Did the CMs make you feel bad if you didn't finish a plate? I know I've been to restaurants where the waitstaff almost demanded an explanation on why I had eaten half or less of the huge serving I was given.

 

[centurythree]

I think Narcoossee's is a must do.

I like that idea! I'll probably replace the Plaza with it.

 

[centurythree]

DS12 and I are doing the Deluxe Dining Plan in a way similar to your plan when we go in August. I know for some that it seems like a lot of food, but nobody is actually forcing us to eat a lot at the buffets or every course at every meal. We consider ourselves foodies and the restaurants are part of the WDW experience for us. I think your plans looks great, we are eating at many of the same places. I am not sure where you could fit it in, but the only must do for us that I don't see on your list is Kona for dinner. Love that teriyaki steak!

I didn't even realize Kona served dinner! I'm definitely looking into it.