Dinning Plan with a kid

[dmatt87]

We booked our tripped for the end of May, about 2 weeks ago. Two adults and one 4yr old boy.

We did the calculations and getting the DDP was the best option. However, since we didn't book 180 days before, it was a tougher job to book good restaurants.

I got creative and think we made some good reservations, for us adults and the little guy

What do you guys (and gals) think of the choices, are they appropriate for kids and overall a good choice?

• Planet Hollywood Observatory (not DDP)
• Be Our Guest Lunch
• Coral Reef Dinner
• Chef de France Dinner
• Mama Melrose Dinner
• Tony's Town Square Dinner
• Disney Jr Play N Dine Breakfast (Hollywood and Vine)
• Princess Storybook Dinner at Arkershus Royal Banquet Hall

 

[21stamps]

I recommend this every time- Ohana breakfast!
It's adorable. The kids dance in a Congo line around the restaurant with the characters. Food is good, and served family style.
Just all around good time. Great characters.

For Epcot- have you thought about Garden Grill?

As for "appropriate". Depends on your kid and what they eat. I think any restaurant is appropriate for a child. Some are more fun than others. At 4, if your child is into characters, the meals are a great way to meet them!

 

[BigRedDad]

If you are happy with the options, then it is great. My opinion is that I cannot break even with a DDP. We just cannot consume that much food and forcing me to order something I didn't want to simply try to break even is not enjoyable. We've lost $100s each time we had the DDP. We always wind up going home with a garbage full of Mickey Rice Krispy Treats to finish out the credits. For the 3 of us, it is $1,400 for 7 days. I can't comprehend 2 months worth of groceries over 7 days.

 

[dmatt87]

I recommend this every time- Ohana breakfast!
It's adorable. The kids dance in a Congo line around the restaurant with the characters. Food is good, and served family style.
Just all around good time. Great characters.

For Epcot- have you thought about Garden Grill?

As for "appropriate". Depends on your kid and what they eat. I think any restaurant is appropriate for a child. Some are more fun than others. At 4, if your child is into characters, the meals are a great way to meet them!

Ohana Breakfast looked fun but I was trying to avoid leaving a resort to get to MK, to take the monorail and get to the breakfast - too much travelling for breakfast for our family. We just changed yesterday the Hollywood and Vine character breakfast for an (surprising) opening for lunch at Cinderella's Table.

I'll look into Garden Grill - I like the menu.

If you are happy with the options, then it is great. My opinion is that I cannot break even with a DDP. We just cannot consume that much food and forcing me to order something I didn't want to simply try to break even is not enjoyable. We've lost $100s each time we had the DDP. We always wind up going home with a garbage full of Mickey Rice Krispy Treats to finish out the credits. For the 3 of us, it is $1,400 for 7 days. I can't comprehend 2 months worth of groceries over 7 days.

I was worried about that situation as well, so I got out an Excel spreadsheet and calculated all the meals and snacks for the week. It was more than 100$ cheaper than paying out of my pocket, plus we got the refillable mug. Also, it got me to switch from the QS plan to the DDS plan - the QS was actually the most expensive option (more than cash). The only thing I'm worried about is the snack credits - but the plan for 2 adults a 1 kid cost 1000$ for 6 nights.

I think the trick is having a lot of reservations for dinner and QS for lunch, with breakfast being paid out of our pockets - and push come to shove I'll use a QS credit for breakfast if I see a leftover situation near the end of the trip.

 

[dmatt87]

Thanks to all the advice I received and wanting to spread out our ADRs through out the week - I've made a few changes and I think they work well.

Note that we are coming in around noon on May 20th and leaving on the 26th around noon.

• Planet Hollywood Observatory Dinner (DS) | Saturday, May 20, 2017(Dinner)
• Be Our Guest Lunch (MK) | Sunday, May 21, 2017(Lunch)
• Chefs de France Dinner (EPCOT) | Monday, May 22, 2017(Dinner)
• Fairytale Dining Lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table (MK) | Tuesday, May 23, 2017(Lunch)
• Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano Dinner (DHS) | Tuesday, May 23, 2017(Dinner)
• Donald's Dining Safari Lunch at Tusker House Restaurant (AK) | Wednesday, May 24, 2017(Lunch)
• Coral Reef Restaurant Dinner (EPCOT) | Thursday, May 25, 2017(Dinner)

 

[21stamps]

Thanks to all the advice I received and wanting to spread out our ADRs through out the week - I've made a few changes and I think they work well.

Note that we are coming in around noon on May 20th and leaving on the 26th around noon.

• Planet Hollywood Observatory Dinner (DS) | Saturday, May 20, 2017(Dinner)
• Be Our Guest Lunch (MK) | Sunday, May 21, 2017(Lunch)
• Chefs de France Dinner (EPCOT) | Monday, May 22, 2017(Dinner)
• Fairytale Dining Lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table (MK) | Tuesday, May 23, 2017(Lunch)
• Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano Dinner (DHS) | Tuesday, May 23, 2017(Dinner)
• Donald's Dining Safari Lunch at Tusker House Restaurant (AK) | Wednesday, May 24, 2017(Lunch)
• Coral Reef Restaurant Dinner (EPCOT) | Thursday, May 25, 2017(Dinner)

These look great!! Have have a wonderful trip!

 

[dmatt87]

These look great!! Have have a wonderful trip!

I actually made a small change - I replaced Planet Hollywood with Rainforest Café. PH doesn't have a kids menu and since our son will only be 4, he can't even come close to eating a full meal. Rainforest Café has a kids menu and DS4 will probably love the atmosphere there with all the animals!

 

[21stamps]

I actually made a small change - I replaced Planet Hollywood with Rainforest Café. PH doesn't have a kids menu and since our son will only be 4, he can't even come close to eating a full meal. Rainforest Café has a kids menu and DS4 will probably love the atmosphere there with all the animals!

I haven't been to the Rainforest Cafe in Disney World, but my son loves the one in South Florida. Great choice!

 

[LAKid53]

We booked our tripped for the end of May, about 2 weeks ago. Two adults and one 4yr old boy.

We did the calculations and getting the DDP was the best option. However, since we didn't book 180 days before, it was a tougher job to book good restaurants.

I got creative and think we made some good reservations, for us adults and the little guy

What do you guys (and gals) think of the choices, are they appropriate for kids and overall a good choice?

• Planet Hollywood Observatory (not DDP)
• Be Our Guest Lunch
• Coral Reef Dinner
• Chef de France Dinner
• Mama Melrose Dinner
• Tony's Town Square Dinner
• Disney Jr Play N Dine Breakfast (Hollywood and Vine)
• Princess Storybook Dinner at Arkershus Royal Banquet Hall

Everything but Chef de France. Unless your son likes French food... and I don't mean french fries. The braised shorts ribs at Arkershus are very good. I also enjoyed the appetizer buffet and I think there's foods on it children will like. Was Garden Grill at Epcot available? It's an all you can eat style dinner with Mickey, Pluto and Chip & Dale making appearances. The produce for the salad is grown on property, along with the fish that are raised in the tanks you see during Living With the Land.

 

[dmatt87]

Everything but Chef de France. Unless your son likes French food... and I don't mean french fries. The braised shorts ribs at Arkershus are very good. I also enjoyed the appetizer buffet and I think there's foods on it children will like. Was Garden Grill at Epcot available? It's an all you can eat style dinner with Mickey, Pluto and Chip & Dale making appearances. The produce for the salad is grown on property, along with the fish that are raised in the tanks you see during Living With the Land.

My son is not to picky and from what I remember from our last visit, he should enjoy.

Garden Grill was available but my wife is not a big buffet fan with a 4yr old.

 

[LAKid53]

My son is not to picky and from what I remember from our last visit, he should enjoy.

Garden Grill was available but my wife is not a big buffet fan with a 4yr old.

That's great! I love Chef de France - they have a delicious vegetarian lasagna - and not a typical one, either.

Garden Grill isn't really a buffet, but a set menu of steak, turkey, fish, salad and sides, served family style on large platters, like dinner at Liberty Tree. They will continue to bring you whatever you want until you say "stop!". Everything is delicious. I just thought your son would enjoy the character interactions, since they get around the restaurant several times.

 

[carriebeth]

askerhaus doesn't have an appetizer buffet at dinner or lunch any longer. its just food brought to your table. just and fyi

 

[carriebeth]

i would totally rethink the not liking buffets with a 4 year old. As a mom to 8 children, I feel a buffet is really great with young kids. You don't ever have to worry about picking what they want to eat off a menu only to have it served and they decide they actually didn't want that anymore or its not quite prepared how they are used to or expected. They can try anything that catches their eye, if they don't like it, no big deal. My children also love the Independence that comes with walking around choosing exactly what they want. Another thing is at buffets they don't have to sit down and remain seated the whole coarse of the meal. They can get up and get more food periodically. Plus most buffets at disney are character so they also get to get up and meet characters now and then. My four year olds were not keen on sitting for an hour or two at a meal especially when they are hyped up on Disney excitement. so it was great when they were expected to get up. Another thing is at Disney the kids dessert with a sit down meal is most often a cup of ice cream. NOt much variety. Now my kids like ice cream but when they see those of us on the adult plan picking from all sorts of desserts they tended to get jealous. At a buffet they can pick from the same big variety of desserts as mom and dad and older children. Mine enjoy that.

 

[21stamps]

My son is not to picky and from what I remember from our last visit, he should enjoy.

Garden Grill was available but my wife is not a big buffet fan with a 4yr old.

Garden Grill is family style, not buffet. The food is good and characters are wonderful! I highly recommend it, it's one of our favorite meals.

 

[LAKid53]

askerhaus doesn't have an appetizer buffet at dinner or lunch any longer. its just food brought to your table. just and fyi

Sorry to hear that. I really enjoyed the cheeses and that delicious cold poached salmon offered on the buffet.

 

[buseegal]

My son is not to picky and from what I remember from our last visit, he should enjoy.

Garden Grill was available but my wife is not a big buffet fan with a 4yr old.

Garden Grill not a buffet, meal is brought to table family style and you serve your selves. it is all you can eat and they will bring seconds. you do not get up from table other than for the characters

 

[contrariwise]

Everything but Chef de France. Unless your son likes French food... and I don't mean french fries.

That actually reminded me that the kids puff pastry appetizer was the single best thing we ate at Chefs!

Friand au Fromage - Cheese puff pastry $5.50

OP - If they still have it on the menu, give it a try! My daughter was probably more like 8 years old when we ate at Chefs, but she really liked it.

 

[LAKid53]

That actually reminded me that the kids puff pastry appetizer was the single best thing we ate at Chefs!

Friand au Fromage - Cheese puff pastry $5.50

OP - If they still have it on the menu, give it a try! My daughter was probably more like 8 years old when we ate at Chefs, but she really liked it.

I will have to try that the next time I eat there. I usually go with the lobster bisque.

 

[Otterhead]

I think he'll have a great time.

I went with a young-ish kid and he really loved Cinderella's Royal Table. They treated him like a knight and gave him a little sword.

Chefs de France and Coral Reef are more adult dining but Disney always takes care of kids... and Coral Reef has fish to watch.