This is the 2nd time doing the Deluxe dining plan. Stayed at Wilderness lodge. (Polynesian usual's though) Wife and I + 2 Kids: 5 + 3yo. Aug. 22nd through 29th. We get alot of questions about how we use the Deluxe dining plan, so I thought I would share.
We enjoy getting this plan since we do a lot of signature dining, and you need all the table services you can get. With 4 people we got 3 table services a day each. We got free appetizers and 2 snacks a day (which we used half on water - I wont go into details about each snack except that the Main Street bakery rules). We like to sit down for breakfast to start the day, then maybe just a snack at lunch time.I won't go into too much about how the meal was, more of how we used the DDDP credits. If anyone wants more details about any of the dining, post and I will tell you everything.
Day 1: flew in this day, we were here early so we did Cosmic Rays. Great little meal and you get a boat load of food and snacks(2 drinks too with DDDP). Not crowded at all. (4 credits) and did Liberty Tree for dinner. It was packed but the food was good and the service was good too. Didn't see any characters
(used 4 credits)
Day 2: Started the morning with Cinderella's Royal Table (post- BBBoutique). A very nice setup, and the food is tasty, but there isnt much choice, and I really only enjoy the eggs and potatoes. (8 credits) Didn't do lunch since we had early dinner(4:25). Whispering Canyon Cafe(we wanted Ohana, but it was booked). Menu has changed and those wings I used to love are gone. We opted for the BBQ platter which I didnt care for. Service was kinda poor, and I am not talking about quirky staff, just saw my server twice the whole meal. Would skip this in the future. (4 credits) Ended up using 1 TS credit to get a counter service meal in the roaring forks to get a nice turkey sandwich for a late dinner/snack which I split w/wife. Bought a pizza for $5 for the kids to split. (1 Credit)
Day 3: Started the day at the Wave. this place was awesome when we visited in December. Can't believe how crappy it got in just 7 months. Food was just OK this time. In December visit, I would get egg platter, and they gave me fruit plate to start and a side of whole wheat pancakes on the side since we got deluxe dining plan. This time we had to talk to a manager to let us get the fruit plate and didn't get the side of pancakes. We were planning on going here another 3 times. (4 credits) Went to Artist's Point for dinner. We thought this was just OK in December, but would give it another shot since we were in WL anyway. All i can say is WOW. Get the mushroom risotto side. I think our bill ended up saying $220 and we only paid $40 of it(left a $50 tip, thanks Osiris!). Incredible waitress that recommended some great wines, beer and port. Great mussels and Buffalo tenderloin. Can't say enough about how great this was. Even the kids pasta with tomato sauce was really good, considering that crap the kids meal was at whispering canyon cafe. (8 credits)
Day 4: Started the day with Chef Mickey's. This is a must with the kids, and gets a lot of the Characters out of the way for photos and signatures. Food was brutal, ultra crowded, but what can you do. (4 credits). Was at Hollywood studios that day, and didnt really feel like doing anything by toy story mania. We waited on line, and gave away our fast passes for near closing time to a family of 4 that had 2 young boys crying they wouldn't get on TSM. Must have been good Karma, cause we went to Mama Melrose and asked to be bumped up to lunch instead of dinner, which they happily did. Food was pretty good, not great, kids liked it alot. (4 credits)
Day 5: Started the Day with Boma at AKL. This was a really good breakfast, and I got all the great things I had at the Wave breakfast, just in more portions. This was tied for the best breakfast with Kona Cafe. (4 credits). So full from this, and we just had some fruit and ice creams until dinner. Went to Jiko, for the first time ever. Food was ok, and I love Indian food. Mussels appetizer was the best part. Tusker beer was very good too. Kids had the pizza and peanut butter and jelly(which actually was nicely done) (8 credits). I don't think I would go back to Jiko for a few years, but it could be nice. Steak was better at AP.
Day 6: Had a reservation at the Wave, but wife and I took an adventure to try and see if we could get in at the Kona Cafe(eaten here plenty of times when we stayed at Poly). We got in right away. Service could have been better, but the food was great (tonga toast!). Nice to be back in Poly. (4 credits). Went to Columbia Harbor house for lunch. Got Tuna sandwhich and wife got Hummus sandwhich. Very good food here. (4 credits) Toyed with notion of going to Mexico for lunch, but wasn't hungry. Had Beirgarten for early dinner, this is a must every year, I love the food and beer there. This is Dad's "pick". (4 Credits)
Day 7: Hit up Cinderella's table again (Daughter loves it). Same as before (8 credits). At epcot, we used 1 credit on a fish and chips counter service. has some nice beers from inside the bar and sat outside. (1 credit) We had Cellier lined up for a 2:30 lunch/dinner. This was the only time we could get it. we wanted to do it at night, for dinner. I talked with my wife, and I said since I would end up getting the Filet with mushroom risotto. I've gotten this probably 4 times already and I knew the Artist point steak and risotto were much better. We knew we had enough credits so we went to WL front desk to make a reservation. AGAIN, went to Artist Point and had a GREAT dinner. Went for beef filet instead of Buffalo this time(Buffalo was better). Amazing service again. (Rocky?). Def worth an extra credit. (8 credits).
Day 8: wow, a bit tired of dining, so we went with just counter service breakfast from roaring forks counter service. my bill literally said $40 when i was done getting everything they told me I could get with the b-fast DDDP. end of the trip, but it was great. Used up the leftover snacks for water and stuff for the airport wait.
In the end, we used up every dining table service credit and snack. Well worth it in my mind.
Notes:
Tips! We racked up almost $400 in tips from all the table services ARGH!, I wish it was back to he way it was. Even if service is poor, they want you to put down the tip before the waiter charges your card, not after which left me feeling guilty even when service was poor.
Think I missed describing 1 counter service I cant think of right now.
We enjoy getting this plan since we do a lot of signature dining, and you need all the table services you can get. With 4 people we got 3 table services a day each. We got free appetizers and 2 snacks a day (which we used half on water - I wont go into details about each snack except that the Main Street bakery rules). We like to sit down for breakfast to start the day, then maybe just a snack at lunch time.I won't go into too much about how the meal was, more of how we used the DDDP credits. If anyone wants more details about any of the dining, post and I will tell you everything.
Day 1: flew in this day, we were here early so we did Cosmic Rays. Great little meal and you get a boat load of food and snacks(2 drinks too with DDDP). Not crowded at all. (4 credits) and did Liberty Tree for dinner. It was packed but the food was good and the service was good too. Didn't see any characters
(used 4 credits)
Day 2: Started the morning with Cinderella's Royal Table (post- BBBoutique). A very nice setup, and the food is tasty, but there isnt much choice, and I really only enjoy the eggs and potatoes. (8 credits) Didn't do lunch since we had early dinner(4:25). Whispering Canyon Cafe(we wanted Ohana, but it was booked). Menu has changed and those wings I used to love are gone. We opted for the BBQ platter which I didnt care for. Service was kinda poor, and I am not talking about quirky staff, just saw my server twice the whole meal. Would skip this in the future. (4 credits) Ended up using 1 TS credit to get a counter service meal in the roaring forks to get a nice turkey sandwich for a late dinner/snack which I split w/wife. Bought a pizza for $5 for the kids to split. (1 Credit)
Day 3: Started the day at the Wave. this place was awesome when we visited in December. Can't believe how crappy it got in just 7 months. Food was just OK this time. In December visit, I would get egg platter, and they gave me fruit plate to start and a side of whole wheat pancakes on the side since we got deluxe dining plan. This time we had to talk to a manager to let us get the fruit plate and didn't get the side of pancakes. We were planning on going here another 3 times. (4 credits) Went to Artist's Point for dinner. We thought this was just OK in December, but would give it another shot since we were in WL anyway. All i can say is WOW. Get the mushroom risotto side. I think our bill ended up saying $220 and we only paid $40 of it(left a $50 tip, thanks Osiris!). Incredible waitress that recommended some great wines, beer and port. Great mussels and Buffalo tenderloin. Can't say enough about how great this was. Even the kids pasta with tomato sauce was really good, considering that crap the kids meal was at whispering canyon cafe. (8 credits)
Day 4: Started the day with Chef Mickey's. This is a must with the kids, and gets a lot of the Characters out of the way for photos and signatures. Food was brutal, ultra crowded, but what can you do. (4 credits). Was at Hollywood studios that day, and didnt really feel like doing anything by toy story mania. We waited on line, and gave away our fast passes for near closing time to a family of 4 that had 2 young boys crying they wouldn't get on TSM. Must have been good Karma, cause we went to Mama Melrose and asked to be bumped up to lunch instead of dinner, which they happily did. Food was pretty good, not great, kids liked it alot. (4 credits)
Day 5: Started the Day with Boma at AKL. This was a really good breakfast, and I got all the great things I had at the Wave breakfast, just in more portions. This was tied for the best breakfast with Kona Cafe. (4 credits). So full from this, and we just had some fruit and ice creams until dinner. Went to Jiko, for the first time ever. Food was ok, and I love Indian food. Mussels appetizer was the best part. Tusker beer was very good too. Kids had the pizza and peanut butter and jelly(which actually was nicely done) (8 credits). I don't think I would go back to Jiko for a few years, but it could be nice. Steak was better at AP.
Day 6: Had a reservation at the Wave, but wife and I took an adventure to try and see if we could get in at the Kona Cafe(eaten here plenty of times when we stayed at Poly). We got in right away. Service could have been better, but the food was great (tonga toast!). Nice to be back in Poly. (4 credits). Went to Columbia Harbor house for lunch. Got Tuna sandwhich and wife got Hummus sandwhich. Very good food here. (4 credits) Toyed with notion of going to Mexico for lunch, but wasn't hungry. Had Beirgarten for early dinner, this is a must every year, I love the food and beer there. This is Dad's "pick". (4 Credits)
Day 7: Hit up Cinderella's table again (Daughter loves it). Same as before (8 credits). At epcot, we used 1 credit on a fish and chips counter service. has some nice beers from inside the bar and sat outside. (1 credit) We had Cellier lined up for a 2:30 lunch/dinner. This was the only time we could get it. we wanted to do it at night, for dinner. I talked with my wife, and I said since I would end up getting the Filet with mushroom risotto. I've gotten this probably 4 times already and I knew the Artist point steak and risotto were much better. We knew we had enough credits so we went to WL front desk to make a reservation. AGAIN, went to Artist Point and had a GREAT dinner. Went for beef filet instead of Buffalo this time(Buffalo was better). Amazing service again. (Rocky?). Def worth an extra credit. (8 credits).
Day 8: wow, a bit tired of dining, so we went with just counter service breakfast from roaring forks counter service. my bill literally said $40 when i was done getting everything they told me I could get with the b-fast DDDP. end of the trip, but it was great. Used up the leftover snacks for water and stuff for the airport wait.
In the end, we used up every dining table service credit and snack. Well worth it in my mind.
Notes:
Tips! We racked up almost $400 in tips from all the table services ARGH!, I wish it was back to he way it was. Even if service is poor, they want you to put down the tip before the waiter charges your card, not after which left me feeling guilty even when service was poor.
Think I missed describing 1 counter service I cant think of right now.
