Dining Dilemma

[GJM724]

Happy April Everyone!

I have my dream vacation planned for May 1-9 and Disney threw a wrench in my plans by offering Disney After Hours on May 2nd at the Magic Kingdom. My plan for that day currently was to spend the whole day at the Animal Kingdom and we have a 6:15 dinner reservation at Yak and Yeti which I was looking forward to. Now that I have purchased After Hours we plan on being in the Magic Kingdom till 1:00am and will take a resort break in the afternoon. We are staying at the Poly so is it worth it to hike back to the Animal Kingdom for Dinner to then go to MK after for Disney After Hours? My alternative plan was to eat at SKipper Canteen. They have a 6:35pm reservation. What would everyone choose for dinner? I am open to other ideas as well if you have them. It is our 2nd day at the resort so I don't know want to kill ourselves.

 

[LeighM]

Personally, I would not go to AK for dinner and then go to After Hours at MK. A couple years ago, we had dinner at Sanaa at Kidani Village and I added the Halloween Party the same day as a last minute decision. It felt so rushed because of the travelling and waiting in lines. Since you can get into MK at 7pm with the After Hours ticket, try eating dinner in MK or another monorail resort. I would just sleep late and relax by the pool that day and have dinner at either Kona Cafe or Grand Floridian Cafe around 5:30-6pm so that I could enter the park at 7pm instead of using a park ticket to get in early.

 

[righttrack]

On a day like that, you do typically want to take a resort break. There are quiet and shady areas of Animal Kingdom however. Consider this though, how about taking a break at Animal Kingdom Lodge? I know it's not the same as going back to your room, changing and kicking off your shoes, but maybe it's a slightly shorter distance to just chill on the couches there, than go look at the Savannahs a bit? If a nap is truly the name of the game here, then yes, do change your ADR to a monorail or boat resort on the MK loop. If you can't get an ADR then maybe appetizers and cocktails at Tambu Lounge? You can always switch to a Lunch ADR and do a quick serve at the Poly too. Yeah, only the second day, don't kill yourselves, it's a marathon not a sprint.

 

[GJM724]

Personally, I would not go to AK for dinner and then go to After Hours at MK. A couple years ago, we had dinner at Sanaa at Kidani Village and I added the Halloween Party the same day as a last minute decision. It felt so rushed because of the travelling and waiting in lines. Since you can get into MK at 7pm with the After Hours ticket, try eating dinner in MK or another monorail resort. I would just sleep late and relax by the pool that day and have dinner at either Kona Cafe or Grand Floridian Cafe around 5:30-6pm so that I could enter the park at 7pm instead of using a park ticket to get in early.

Thanks! I have the park ticket paid for so our plan is to hit up AK in the morning to ride a few rides and go to lunch at Sutili Canteen or Flame Tree BBQ and then head back to the resort.

 

[danyoung56]

While Yak & Yeti is a fine restaurant, this is a no-brainer for me. DON'T go back to DAK, eat, and then hightail it over to the MK. You'll be exhausted before the evening even starts. You'll get a great meal from Skippers', and then just walk into the party happening all around you!

 

[GJM724]

On a day like that, you do typically want to take a resort break. There are quiet and shady areas of Animal Kingdom however. Consider this though, how about taking a break at Animal Kingdom Lodge? I know it's not the same as going back to your room, changing and kicking off your shoes, but maybe it's a slightly shorter distance to just chill on the couches there, than go look at the Savannahs a bit? If a nap is truly the name of the game here, then yes, do change your ADR to a monorail or boat resort on the MK loop. If you can't get an ADR then maybe appetizers and cocktails at Tambu Lounge? You can always switch to a Lunch ADR and do a quick serve at the Poly too. Yeah, only the second day, don't kill yourselves, it's a marathon not a sprint.

I promised my wife some resort time this trip as she isn't the biggest Disney fan, so I will most likely head back to the hotel and lay around for a while. I do like the lunch suggestion, and maybe we grab quick service at night.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I wouldn't go all the way back to AK just for dinner.

Yak & Yeti is a terrific restaurant -- perhaps you might do it for lunch instead, on the day you tour AK.

*A tip: Y&Y is a Landry's-owned restaurant. Join the Landry's Select Club for $25 (you get a $25 "welcome credit" that you can use on your next meal at a Landry's restaurant, so it costs nothing in the end), and you'll be entitled to "priority seating." You won't even need an ADR: just waltz into Yak & Yeti whenever it's convenient for you, and you'll be seated just as if you had a reservation for that time. (This does mean that if they're backed up, that will carry over to you as well -- if you arrive at 12:15pm and those with 12:15pm reservations are having to wait for 10 minutes, you'll wait for 10 minutes, too). Yak & Yeti is one of my family's favorites, and we love having the flexibility of not having to make an ADR on our AK day -- just relaxing and touring at our own pace -- and knowing that whenever we get hungry, we can had over to Yak & Yeti and be assured of a table.

 

[GJM724]

While Yak & Yeti is a fine restaurant, this is a no-brainer for me. DON'T go back to DAK, eat, and then hightail it over to the MK. You'll be exhausted before the evening even starts. You'll get a great meal from Skippers', and then just walk into the party happening all around you!

Thanks for the rec on Skippers' I haven't seen many thoughts on it so I don't know what I am getting myself into there.

 

[GJM724]

I wouldn't go all the way back to AK just for dinner.

Yak & Yeti is a terrific restaurant -- perhaps you might do it for lunch instead. (A tip: Y&Y is a Landry's-owned restaurant. Join the Landry's Select Club for $25 (you get a $25 "welcome credit" that you can use on your next meal at a Landry's restaurant, so it costs nothing in the end), and you'll be entitled to "priority seating." You won't even need an ADR: just waltz into Yak & Yeti whenever it's convenient for you, and you'll be seated just as if you had a reservation for that time. (This does mean that if they're backed up, that will carry over to you as well -- if you arrive at 12:15pm and those with 12:15pm reservations are having to wait for 10 minutes, you'll wait for 10 minutes, too).

Thanks! I am on the dining plan so not sure if that still pays for me, but thanks for the info! I might try to reschedule dinner there for another night on the trip.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Thanks! I am on the dining plan so not sure if that still pays for me, but thanks for the info! I might try to reschedule dinner there for another night on the trip.

A Landry's Select membership will get you priority seating regardless of whether you're on the DDP. You probably can't apply the $25 welcome credit if you're "paying" with the DDP, but you COULD apply it toward something the DDP might not cover, like a Yak Attack specialty cocktail or the amazing Ahi Tuna Nachos.

 

[LeighM]

Thanks! I have the park ticket paid for so our plan is to hit up AK in the morning to ride a few rides and go to lunch at Sutili Canteen or Flame Tree BBQ and then head back to the resort.

Sounds similar to our Halloween Party gone wrong LOL. We started off our day at AK as well, left to go to Sanaa and relax around 3 and check out the resort and animals before our dinner at 5. Which was an awesome plan until I added MNSSHP We left from Sanaa directly to MK so that we could sign in and pick up our wristband. The crowds were insane by the time we got there. It was hot and humid. We were exhausted from our day at AK and our feet hurt. We were uncomfortably full from a heavy dinner and didn't feel like walking esp in the humidity. We still had fun but we had to tap out much earlier than expected and go back to our resort. We didn't feel like we got our moneys worth for the party because we had to leave by 10pm. We just couldn't do it. We had so much more fun the first time we went to MNSSHP and had a resort day. We learned our lesson!!! I'm doing the After Hours at HS on May 1 (opted to not do MK on May 2) and we're just relaxing at the resort so we can stay for the full event this time.

 

[GJM724]

Sounds similar to our Halloween Party gone wrong LOL. We started off our day at AK as well, left to go to Sanaa and relax around 3 and check out the resort and animals before our dinner at 5. Which was an awesome plan until I added MNSSHP We left from Sanaa directly to MK so that we could sign in and pick up our wristband. The crowds were insane by the time we got there. It was hot and humid. We were exhausted from our day at AK and our feet hurt. We were uncomfortably full from a heavy dinner and didn't feel like walking esp in the humidity. We still had fun but we had to tap out much earlier than expected and go back to our resort. We didn't feel like we got our moneys worth for the party because we had to leave by 10pm. We just couldn't do it. We had so much more fun the first time we went to MNSSHP and had a resort day. We learned our lesson!!! I'm doing the After Hours at HS on May 1 (opted to not do MK on May 2) and we're just relaxing at the resort so we can stay for the full event this time.

We fly in on the 1st and plan to do HS during the regular park hours that day. Got Fast Passes for most of the things we wanted to do. I contemplated doing after hours that night, but figured we will end the night at Fantasmic and rest up for the first full day the next day. We have a whole resort day planned for the 4th.

 

[GJM724]

A Landry's Select membership will get you priority seating regardless of whether you're on the DDP. You probably can't apply the $25 welcome credit if you're "paying" with the DDP, but you COULD apply it toward something the DDP might not cover, like a Yak Attack specialty cocktail or the amazing Ahi Tuna Nachos.

Now I am feeling like I need to go to dinner here some other time during the trip. Do I trade a spice road table or teppen edo dinner for a Yak and Yeti?

 

[danyoung56]

I was just in WDW a week ago, and if I've learned anything it's that rest is important! Time in the hotel is not wasted, when it means that you can enjoy more of the evening without just dragging yourself from attraction to attraction.

 

[LeighM]

We fly in on the 1st and plan to do HS during the regular park hours that day. Got Fast Passes for most of the things we wanted to do. I contemplated doing after hours that night, but figured we will end the night at Fantasmic and rest up for the first full day the next day. We have a whole resort day planned for the 4th.

HS is my least favorite park but I really want to go to this After Hours because it's their 30th anniversary and they have other special things planned. They aren't releasing that much info on it so I'm really curious to see what they're going to do. Even if they don't do anything, I'll be excited to ride Toy Story Mania as much as I can with small lines - I might have a chance to actually win a game I'm not sure if crowds will be higher at HS on May 1st because of the anniversary. The D23 tickets for their special celebration at HS is sold out.

 

[GJM724]

HS is my least favorite park but I really want to go to this After Hours because it's their 30th anniversary and they have other special things planned. They aren't releasing that much info on it so I'm really curious to see what they're going to do. Even if they don't do anything, I'll be excited to ride Toy Story Mania as much as I can with small lines - I might have a chance to actually win a game

I got the D23 invite so I am slightly concerned how crowded it is going to be on that day. I know the new projection show starts that night. Now you are tempting me to drop another $250 to spend on After Hours so we can ride everything!

 

[GJM724]

Personally, I would not go to AK for dinner and then go to After Hours at MK. A couple years ago, we had dinner at Sanaa at Kidani Village and I added the Halloween Party the same day as a last minute decision. It felt so rushed because of the travelling and waiting in lines. Since you can get into MK at 7pm with the After Hours ticket, try eating dinner in MK or another monorail resort. I would just sleep late and relax by the pool that day and have dinner at either Kona Cafe or Grand Floridian Cafe around 5:30-6pm so that I could enter the park at 7pm instead of using a park ticket to get in early.

Would you do Kona Cafe, Grand Floridan Cafe, Skipper Canteen or Liberty Tree Tavern?

 

[Weather_Lady]

Now I am feeling like I need to go to dinner here some other time during the trip. Do I trade a spice road table or teppen edo dinner for a Yak and Yeti?

I dare not answer that question, as the choice of restaurants is such a subjective thing and all 3 of the restaurants in question offer very different experiences. (Plus, I've never dined at Teppan Edo or Spice Road Table, so I can't offer an educated response.) All I can recommend is that you browse the menus and see what intrigues you most. If you have to bypass one that interests you, it's like to still be there the next time you go to WDW -- you can do it next time.

 

[GJM724]

I dare not answer that question, as the choice of restaurants is such a subjective thing and all 3 of the restaurants in question offer very different experiences. (Plus, I've never dined at Teppan Edo or Spice Road Table, so I can't offer an educated response.) All I can recommend is that you browse the menus and see what intrigues you most. If you have to bypass one that interests you, it's like to still be there the next time you go to WDW -- you can do it next time.

Like the girl from Willy Wonka..... I want it all!!!! JK I didn't see many reviews/postings on Disney Food Blog so just trying to see what is out there regarding people's opinions. I am a big crowdsourcing person for dining so just trying to see what other people think.


Also random question: Will the monorail be running after Disney After Hours? How are we going to get back to the Poly? Boat?

 

[DISR]

As an alternative, you could explore another monorail resort restaurant or even a WL restaurant after your downtime at the Poly. Since your wife is not wild about the theme parks, she may appreciate a boat ride and relaxing dinner outside the park prior to your after hours event. Geyser Point at WL has outdoor seating on the lake and seeing the lodge and enjoying the boat ride are worthwhile experiences.