Which restaurant to choose?

[Pookie9922]

This is our family's first and probably only trip to WDW. We are going 7 nights in nov/dec and staying at the beach club. We are from Southern California and DL vets.
Saturday, 12/1 i have a rest day scheduled after 3 days in the park. I want it to be a pretty relaxed day. We are hoping to sleep in some, and then in no particular order, swim if it's warm, go to AoA for the drawing class (I think they're at 11,2 &5), see DS and some of the resorts like the GF and get dinner at Ohana.
I didn't get an Ohana ADR though. I wouldn't say it was the absolutely one ADR I wanted, but DH and I really like that kind of food and it came recommended and we think our slightly picky kids would do ok there and i was looking forward to it. (Through the week we are also eating at Liberty Tree, Via Napoli, BOG for cupcakes 2:30, and Yak and Yeti) I was feeling guilty for not having a character meal, even though that's not really our thing. Or at least I didn't want to spend extra money for a meal just to see characters.
Since I didn't get Ohana, i grabbed a couple extra available ADRs until I could decide or wait for Ohana. We'd like to do one sit down meal that day. I picked up TRex for lunch. And I have 1900 PF for dinner at 4:15, and Boma at 7:00.
Should I keep one of the ones I grabbed or keep watching for ohana. I'll have to drop PF or Boma fast if Ohana comes up.
PF costs the same as we were planning for ohana, so the cost isn't as big of a deal for a character. And the next day we are going to AK so seeing animals at Boma isn't as much of a concern I think. But the food sounded good.

Which reservation would you keep? Or should I continue to wait for ohana?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

This is our family's first and probably only trip to WDW. We are going 7 nights in nov/dec and staying at the beach club. We are from Southern California and DL vets.
Saturday, 12/1 i have a rest day scheduled after 3 days in the park. I want it to be a pretty relaxed day. We are hoping to sleep in some, and then in no particular order, swim if it's warm, go to AoA for the drawing class (I think they're at 11,2 &5), see DS and some of the resorts like the GF and get dinner at Ohana.
I didn't get an Ohana ADR though. I wouldn't say it was the absolutely one ADR I wanted, but DH and I really like that kind of food and it came recommended and we think our slightly picky kids would do ok there and i was looking forward to it. (Through the week we are also eating at Liberty Tree, Via Napoli, BOG for cupcakes 2:30, and Yak and Yeti) I was feeling guilty for not having a character meal, even though that's not really our thing. Or at least I didn't want to spend extra money for a meal just to see characters.
Since I didn't get Ohana, i grabbed a couple extra available ADRs until I could decide or wait for Ohana. We'd like to do one sit down meal that day. I picked up TRex for lunch. And I have 1900 PF for dinner at 4:15, and Boma at 7:00.
Should I keep one of the ones I grabbed or keep watching for ohana. I'll have to drop PF or Boma fast if Ohana comes up.
PF costs the same as we were planning for ohana, so the cost isn't as big of a deal for a character. And the next day we are going to AK so seeing animals at Boma isn't as much of a concern I think. But the food sounded good.

Which reservation would you keep? Or should I continue to wait for ohana?

Boma is very good, but with the schedule you've created for the day, that's a lot of traveling around and not very relaxed, IMHO. You may already know this, but, WDW is twice the size of Manhattan or roughly the size of all of San Francisco. Going from BC to AoA to DS to the MK resorts to AKL will not be fun or relaxing, IMHO.

If you are planning on touring the MK resorts that afternoon/evening, I would stick to that area. O'hana is not one of my favorites, but if it appeals to you, I would keep checking. Do you have a Touring Plans Reservation Finder set up? I wouldn't keep TRex. It's really loud and the food isn't very good, IMHO.

If you aren't interested in a character meal, I wouldn't keep 1900 either. You are paying a serious up-charge to see characters you aren't particularly interested in.

I would take a look at the menu at WCC at WL or even Trail's End at Ft. W to see if they appeal. If you wouldn't mind a signature, I would take a look at Artist Point at WL as well. On our last trip, our meal at Artist Point cost slightly more than our meal at O'hana and was miles and away better. Especially during the holiday season, I would put WL and Ft. W on the list of resorts to visit when touring the MK area. You can do the monorail loop around to GF, Poly and CR and then take the boat from CR to WL and Ft. W. The Christmas tree and decor at WL is stunning (rivals GF, IMHO) and the Christmas decorations that guests put up at Ft. W are a lot of fun. If you go to Ft. W for Trail's End, you may even want to consider a wagon or private sleigh ride to see the decorations.

 

[Huff]

Boma is excellent but not for picky eaters. The food is unique, some love it, others do not. That said, there are a wide variety of items, a typical kids selection, carved meats etc. Before or after dinner walk outside to one of two Savannah's to view various animals. After dark there are usually CM's with night vision goggles to use.

Are you arriving on the 27th with free dining? If so, you'll have park hoppers. Even though you aren't spending the day at a park, you could dine at one of the many Epcot restaurants.

Next to Ohana's is Kona which is also excellent. We love Ohana's but it is difficult to get an ADR. Keep checking daily. Another great choice would be The Wave in Contemporary.

One of the reasons for the difficulty in getting popular ADR's is people double booking and waiting till late to decide which to keep. Please decide which to keep and cancel the others! You can always change during the next 6 months.

 

[Pookie9922]

Boma is very good, but with the schedule you've created for the day, that's a lot of traveling around and not very relaxed, IMHO. You may already know this, but, WDW is twice the size of Manhattan or roughly the size of all of San Francisco. Going from BC to AoA to DS to the MK resorts to AKL will not be fun or relaxing, IMHO.

I know it's bigger but it's hard to imagine what's doable, you know? The only thing that is a for sure is drawing at AoA. If we don't get ohana, I doubt we'd make the extra trip to MK resorts, which is a bummer. Also DS isn't a must since we have downtown Disney. I figured if it's not nice enough to swim, we'd have time to see a bit more.

If you are planning on touring the MK resorts that afternoon/evening, I would stick to that area. O'hana is not one of my favorites, but if it appeals to you, I would keep checking. Do you have a Touring Plans Reservation Finder set up? I wouldn't keep TRex. It's really loud and the food isn't very good, IMHO.

If you aren't interested in a character meal, I wouldn't keep 1900 either. You are paying a serious up-charge to see characters you aren't particularly interested in.

I got TRex and 1900 because I think my kids might like either one. I'm afraid I have made most of ADRs too focused on only DH and me. My kids aren't foodies but they'd probably like the experience of either. Good to know about the volume at TRex - I don't do well with too much noise.

I do have touring plans alert set up. It says it won't start looking until tomorrow so I've been keeping an eye on it.

I would take a look at the menu at WCC at WL or even Trail's End at Ft. W to see if they appeal. If you wouldn't mind a signature, I would take a look at Artist Point at WL as well. On our last trip, our meal at Artist Point cost slightly more than our meal at O'hana and was miles and away better. Especially during the holiday season, I would put WL and Ft. W on the list of resorts to visit when touring the MK area. You can do the monorail loop around to GF, Poly and CR and then take the boat from CR to WL and Ft. W. The Christmas tree and decor at WL is stunning (rivals GF, IMHO) and the Christmas decorations that guests put up at Ft. W are a lot of fun. If you go to Ft. W for Trail's End, you may even want to consider a wagon or private sleigh ride to see the decorations.

I haven't looked into these before. Thank you for the suggestions! A sleigh ride sounds fun!

 

[Pookie9922]

Boma is excellent but not for picky eaters. The food is unique, some love it, others do not. That said, there are a wide variety of items, a typical kids selection, carved meats etc. Before or after dinner walk outside to one of two Savannah's to view various animals. After dark there are usually CM's with night vision goggles to use.

Are you arriving on the 27th with free dining? If so, you'll have park hoppers. Even though you aren't spending the day at a park, you could dine at one of the many Epcot restaurants.

Next to Ohana's is Kona which is also excellent. We love Ohana's but it is difficult to get an ADR. Keep checking daily. Another great choice would be The Wave in Contemporary.

One of the reasons for the difficulty in getting popular ADR's is people double booking and waiting till late to decide which to keep. Please decide which to keep and cancel the others! You can always change during the next 6 months.

I didn't get the free dining! It didn't occur to me until it was too late that upgrading to the park hoppers would still be cheaper than the food plan. And by the time I acted they were gone. Newbie error! Now I'm hoping for a room discount!

I definitely don't want to hold on to all the ADRs, which is why I'm trying to decide now. Although it's awfully hard to figure out what to eat 6 months in advance! For some reason I had zero backups in mind when I didn't get ohana, so I quickly grabbed a handful that looked promising. Newbie error #2!

 

[crabbygal902]

I completely agree with DisneyWishes14 about the scheduling of your non-park day. I haven't been to DL myself, but I've been told that everything is quite cozy and close together. WDW is enormous and bus transportation, especially when traveling resort-to-resort, can take a very, very long time. Over the years, I have learned that my trips are much more enjoyable when I centralize our activities and meals around our resort or the park/area we are visiting.

In my opinion, the AoA artist experience was good but not good enough for me to make a special trip over there.

Here's my thoughts on your rest day, take 'em or leave 'em:
-Go play mini-golf at Fantasia Gardens (you can access FG through the Swan and Dolphin area on the Boardwalk)
-Spend some time and really enjoy that water park of a pool at BC: it has a lazy river, shallow sand to wade in and make sandcastles, whirlpools, activities and games, waterfalls, and waterslides. The kids might like it so much that you don't get an opportunity to do anything else.
-Stroll the Boardwalk and see the street performers and entertainers (Thurs -Sat)
-This one I wouldn't do again, but perhaps your fitness level is better than mine: rent a Surrey Bike and make a loop around the Boardwalk with the family. Those bikes are really heavy!
-Visit The Swan & Dolphin, the Yacht Club, and the Boardwalk Resorts
-Have dinner at Beaches & Cream at your resort. I think it is a unique Disney World experience and has that super fun Kitchen Sink for dessert. The pictures would be family legend! You will absolutely need an ADR for B&C, it is really small.

If you'd really prefer to have dinner elsewhere, I'd stick with your 1900 PF meal or hold out for 'Ohana. It would be fun to visit the monorail resorts before or after your meal. Disney transportation is easier here: bus from your resort to MK then monorail to the resort you're visiting.

Welcome to Disney World! I hope you love it as much as I do.

 

[Pookie9922]

I completely agree with DisneyWishes14 about the scheduling of your non-park day. I haven't been to DL myself, but I've been told that everything is quite cozy and close together. WDW is enormous and bus transportation, especially when traveling resort-to-resort, can take a very, very long time. Over the years, I have learned that my trips are much more enjoyable when I centralize our activities and meals around our resort or the park/area we are visiting.

In my opinion, the AoA artist experience was good but not good enough for me to make a special trip over there.

Here's my thoughts on your rest day, take 'em or leave 'em:
-Go play mini-golf at Fantasia Gardens (you can access FG through the Swan and Dolphin area on the Boardwalk)
-Spend some time and really enjoy that water park of a pool at BC: it has a lazy river, shallow sand to wade in and make sandcastles, whirlpools, activities and games, waterfalls, and waterslides. The kids might like it so much that you don't get an opportunity to do anything else.
-Stroll the Boardwalk and see the street performers and entertainers (Thurs -Sat)
-This one I wouldn't do again, but perhaps your fitness level is better than mine: rent a Surrey Bike and make a loop around the Boardwalk with the family. Those bikes are really heavy!
-Visit The Swan & Dolphin, the Yacht Club, and the Boardwalk Resorts
-Have dinner at Beaches & Cream at your resort. I think it is a unique Disney World experience and has that super fun Kitchen Sink for dessert. The pictures would be family legend! You will absolutely need an ADR for B&C, it is really small.

If you'd really prefer to have dinner elsewhere, I'd stick with your 1900 PF meal or hold out for 'Ohana. It would be fun to visit the monorail resorts before or after your meal. Disney transportation is easier here: bus from your resort to MK then monorail to the resort you're visiting.

Welcome to Disney World! I hope you love it as much as I do.

Hmm. Maybe I need to talk DD(8) out of the AoA. It's her absolute favorite thing to do at CA adventure so I told her we could do it here. We don't have passes anymore at DL so that's why I was trying to accommodate her one request. (She's my middle/quiet/artistic child sandwiched between two loud kids so I try to look out for her!)

Lots of good ideas for things to do at BC. Thank you! I doubt I'm in good enough shape for a surrey! lol Especially with 5 days of park walking!!
I'm watching for Beaches and Cream that day too! I had wanted to do that on arrival day. We land at 4 and I was looking for an 8:00. But BnC ADRs were gone so someone suggested The Fountain instead. I was nervous about having an ADR on arrival day so doing it on our rest day would be good but if we've already have shakes and sundaes we probably don't need them twice. What else would be good for arrival dinner near the BC if I happen to get a BnC for our rest day?

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I highly recommend Beaches & Cream. Keep trying for ADR, you won’t be disappointed. Since you’re staying @ BC, Beaches & Cream has a walk up for ice cream. I’m not a big fan of Ohana. I know every one has a different opinion & experience, but I found the food greasy. I actually got sick. My husband who likes & can eat just about anything said he’d never go back. I agree with previous poster, TRex is loud & food not so great. BC resort is very close to Epcot. How about Teppon? If you like steak, The Yachtsman is good. They have a kids menu. Disney Springs has a lot new restaurants. We enjoyed Homecomin’. But be aware of how crowded DS is especially during high season. Parking is terrible. Even with the huge parking decks. We went there on our arrival day. It was so crowded we said we wouldn’t go back but had to for Homecomin’ ADR. If you like seafood, BC has the Cape May Buffet. Not my fave but husband loves it. I used to live in California & went to DL a lot. WDW is huge compared to DL. LeAve plenty of time for transportation if using bus system.

 

[PPFlight75]

I understand trying to accommodate for all your kids! How about sleeping in until you are ready to head out. Maybe go to AOA at 11 and then come back and enjoy the resort pool. Clean up and then bus to MK and do the resort tour with your final stop at the one with your ADR. I would keep PF and then grab ohana if it pops up. Both are lots of fun! Have a great trip!

 

[bigbabyblues]

Will you have a car? If not, it might take awhile to get to AoA from BC and back again, as there are no direct buses from resort to resort.

 

[Huff]

We've had no trouble using Disney transportation to do some fun non-park things for an afternoon. No need to stay right near your resort. We often bus to DS, shop a bit, then catch the leisurely boat ride to Port Orleans Riverside for lunch. Love the create your own pasta. Then we ride the boat back towards DS with a quick stop at French Quarter for some tasty beignets for dessert.

Many resorts have make your own Tie-Dyed T-Shirt. Great family fun!
When the girls were younger they too loved the drawing class at CA. Have not tried AoA's version but sounds fun. AoA food court is also very good.

 

[Pookie9922]

Will you have a car? If not, it might take awhile to get to AoA from BC and back again, as there are no direct buses from resort to resort.

No car. My plan was either to uber or take a bus to DHS since it's somewhat close and then bus back to AoA. I have no idea how long that will take though.

 

[B-Ride]

Instead of 'Ohana you could try Kona Cafe. IMHO the food is way better. You can even order two of the appetizers - the Pot Stickers and and the Sticky Wings which are very similar to the ones in 'Ohana. They have way better bread and you can even order the bread pudding dessert which is served in single servings in Tambu Lounge.

 

[BMAEC]

Instead of 'Ohana you could try Kona Cafe. IMHO the food is way better. You can even order two of the appetizers - the Pot Stickers and and the Sticky Wings which are very similar to the ones in 'Ohana. They have way better bread and you can even order the bread pudding dessert which is served in single servings in Tambu Lounge.

So the same bread pudding that they serve at ‘Ohana can be purchased in single servings at Tambu Lounge? Is this a walk up and order type place? One of the biggest reasons I wanted to go to ‘Ohana was for the bread pudding, but we haven’t been able to get a reservation (yet) so this is very interesting!

 

[JerseyJanice]

The last place I would go if I were in your shoes is Disney Springs. It is little more than a shopping mall, and the bus ride can be grueling and quite time consuming.

If you are not on the dining plan and have a AAA membership, you may want to consider dinner at the Garden Grove in the Swan, which is walking distance of the Beach Club. Saturday night is their Seafood Sensation character dinner buffet. The food and atmosphere there are excellent with a low-key kind of character experience.

Best of all, walk-ups are welcome so no ADR nonsense, and it’s only $31.99 with the 20% discount for AAA.

 

[Magical2017]

Keep checking for Ohana. People cancel reservations all the time, for a variety of reasons, up to the 24 hour window. Keep your back ups and then you can cancel them if it opens up. Good luck--I hope you get it!

 

[crabbygal902]

Hmm. Maybe I need to talk DD(8) out of the AoA. It's her absolute favorite thing to do at CA adventure so I told her we could do it here. We don't have passes anymore at DL so that's why I was trying to accommodate her one request. (She's my middle/quiet/artistic child sandwiched between two loud kids so I try to look out for her!) I totally get this, if it makes her happy that's all that matters!

Lots of good ideas for things to do at BC. Thank you! I doubt I'm in good enough shape for a surrey! lol Especially with 5 days of park walking!!
I'm watching for Beaches and Cream that day too! I had wanted to do that on arrival day. We land at 4 and I was looking for an 8:00. But BnC ADRs were gone so someone suggested The Fountain instead. I was nervous about having an ADR on arrival day so doing it on our rest day would be good but if we've already have shakes and sundaes we probably don't need them twice. What else would be good for arrival dinner near the BC if I happen to get a BnC for our rest day?

I've never been to the Fountain and don't know anything about it, so I can't help you there. For a non-ADR dinner on arrival day, here's our favorites in the area: Boardwalk Bakery (sandwiches, fabulous pastries, seating is outdoors near the water. Beautiful!) and the nearby Boardwalk To-Go Kiosk (It ain't fancy but it has fried Mac & Cheese bites!!! and a pulled pork sandwich that even this NC BBQ girl loves, seating is the same as Boardwalk Bakery.) I do not recommend the pizza window or ESPN Club. We haven't tried Big River Grille, but it is a sit-down dinner option that appears to often have walk-up tables available. If craft beer is your thing, this would be a good choice. We've been meaning to try it for some time now. Another option would be the Ale & Compass in the Yacht Club. It is pretty new, I haven't been there since it changed over from The Captain's Grille. I'm willing to bet that you could get a walk-up here. The atmosphere and menu appear to be somewhat upscale. I have seen pictures of Parkerhouse rolls that look so delicious! It's also on my list to try.

 

[crabbygal902]

The last place I would go if I were in your shoes is Disney Springs. It is little more than a shopping mall, and the bus ride can be grueling and quite time consuming.

If you are not on the dining plan and have a AAA membership, you may want to consider dinner at the Garden Grove in the Swan, which is walking distance of the Beach Club. Saturday night is their Seafood Sensation character dinner buffet. The food and atmosphere there are excellent with a low-key kind of character experience.

Best of all, walk-ups are welcome so no ADR nonsense, and it’s only $31.99 with the 20% discount for AAA.

Holy cow, how have I gone all this time without knowing about this?????

 

[JerseyJanice]

Holy cow, how have I gone all this time without knowing about this?????

Garden Grove’s Seafood Sensation is totally a hidden gem. It’s served Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

You get Pluto and Goofy every night; Chip and Dale most nights. (They couldn’t make it when we dined there a couple of weeks ago because of heavy rain.)

The food was very good. Big, meaty snow crab legs on the buffet with strip loin beef, homemade mashed potatoes and fresh green beans, salads, salmon, mussels, kids buffet with mini corn dogs, etc.

In addition to the buffet, they bring a tray of fried seafood (fish & chips made with cod and fried shrimp, calamari and clam strips) and half a stuffed lobster per person.

Desserts are made under supervision of the Swan’s award winning pastry chef, and they were off the hook. Mini sized lemon meringue cupcakes, chocolate tarts, banana cream pies, etc.

I fear raving about it here because right now, you can just walk up and eat there or book a reservation on Open Table.

 

[GillianP1301]

Of the choices you listed, I would go with 1900 PF. It is a pretty nice buffet and the character interaction there at dinner with Lady Tremaine and the Step Sisters is really great.

Boma is good, but unless you have a car that may be a bit more of a hassle to get to than it's worth.

Not listed, but what I would do is Beaches & Cream for lunch after your possible pool time. The only issue there is you'll likely have as hard a time getting an ADR there as you are having with 'Ohana, but still may be worth trying.