First time WDW visit. Need help with Dining

[Kita79]

We are visiting for the first time to celebrate my daughter turning 5 on Friday November 2. We will be staying from October 29 through November 4, 2012 at Port Orleans Riverside with a 6 day park hopper plus Dining. My daughter is a huge princess fan and quite the diva herself. I really want to make her birthday special. I need help with my table service meals. So far I have an idea of:

Monday- Askerhaus Princess Storybook Dinner
Tuesday- Chef Mickey Breakfast
Wednesday- Rainforest Cafe Animal Kingdom Lunch or Quick Service Lunch?
Thursday- Cape May Dinner
Friday-BBB morning and CRT Lunch or Dinner? 1900 Park Fare dinner if I can't get CRT
Saturday- need a suggestion for Lunch and Fulton's for Dinner (just me). Planning to let my daughter hang out a kid club while I have dinner on my own (single parent. I don't get too many breaks lol) and do a little Christmas Shopping for her at Downtown Disney.

What do you think? Any other suggestions?

 

[Spikerdink]

We are visiting for the first time to celebrate my daughter turning 5 on Friday November 2. We will be staying from October 29 through November 4, 2012 at Port Orleans Riverside with a 6 day park hopper plus Dining. My daughter is a huge princess fan and quite the diva herself. I really want to make her birthday special. I need help with my table service meals. So far I have an idea of:

Monday- Askerhaus Princess Storybook Dinner
Tuesday- Chef Mickey Breakfast
Wednesday- Rainforest Cafe Animal Kingdom Lunch or Quick Service Lunch?
Thursday- Cape May Dinner
Friday-BBB morning and CRT Lunch or Dinner? 1900 Park Fare dinner if I can't get CRT
Saturday- need a suggestion for Lunch and Fulton's for Dinner (just me). Planning to let my daughter hang out a kid club while I have dinner on my own (single parent. I don't get too many breaks lol) and do a little Christmas Shopping for her at Downtown Disney.

What do you think? Any other suggestions?

Like your choices for Monday and Tuesday (avoid CM for dinner - yuk!)

On Wednesday, consider Tusker House. It's a buffet with Donald and Mickey, I believe - so if you want to continue the character themes, it's a nice atmosphere. If you want something less character-y, I would suggest either Dinosaurous or Pizzafari in AK - both are nice places which I think your daughter might like.

Other than that, sounds like you have a great trip planned! Enjoy your lunch and dinner - you deserve it!! (There are some other great restaurants in DTD - Paradiso 37, Wolfgang Puck, Raglan Road...you can't go wrong with any of them!)

 

[real mad hatter]

Looks Good To Me.

Well I think you've made good choices as you and your little girl will enjoy these places,and I would the to make a change then it falls flat,maybe other members will give you better advice than myself as I don't have a 5 yr old but Iam sure you will have a great time where ever you go.:wave:

 

[GoochDSA]

My one big suggestion is to skip Rainforest Cafe for lunch on your AK day. RC is by the main entrance to the park. There is quite a walk to get from the main entrance of AK to where a lot of the action is. To walk from any ride/major attraction in the park, all the way to RC and then all the way back into the park is a lot of walking for a meal that is not all that great. The 2 CS locations we really enjoy at AK are Flame Tree BBQ and Restaurantosaurus (I actaully like the BBQ Chicken Salad offered at FT and the Digsite Salad from Restaurantosaurus, they are really refreshing on a day that usually involves a lot of walking).

Where are you looking for lunch on that Saturday?

 

[Ariel484]

How fun! You'll love Riverside...the grounds are beautiful. Did you request one of the Royal Rooms??

First of all, keep in mind that your character meals (Askerhaus, Chef Mickey's, Cape May, CRT) will take 2 Table Service credits per person...so each of you will start with 6 Table Service Credits (one per night of your trip) and with your current line-up you'll be paying for some of your meals out of pocket. So I guess it might be a good idea to look at menus ahead of time to figure out the best way to maximize your credits.

Not sure about Rainforest in Animal Kingdom...I've never eaten there, but I believe it's the same as any other Rainforest you'll find in WDW or otherwise. My favorite Quick Service option in Animal Kingdom is Flame Tree BBQ if you decide to go that route.

I've never been to CRT...I think they used to have just the Fairy Godmother at dinner and princesses at lunch, but the website indicates that they have changed that. Hopefully someone else here can confirm.

Keep in mind that your travel time to and from Chef Mickey's (Comtemporary), Cape May (Beach Club) and possibly 1900 Park Fare (Grand Floridian) is going to be longer since these restaurants are at resorts, so you'll need to go from your resort to a park and then switch buses to get to your destination if you're solely relying on Disney transportation.

Your last lunch...where do you plan on being that day? Which park? That would probably help you at least narrow down your choices. Maybe you could do CRT lunch that last day and 1900 Park Fare dinner on Friday for maximum Princess exposure.

And most importantly, make sure that you note your daughter's birthday on ALL of your reservations and that she gets a birthday button!

Good luck!!

 

[Kita79]

My one big suggestion is to skip Rainforest Cafe for lunch on your AK day. RC is by the main entrance to the park. There is quite a walk to get from the main entrance of AK to where a lot of the action is. To walk from any ride/major attraction in the park, all the way to RC and then all the way back into the park is a lot of walking for a meal that is not all that great. The 2 CS locations we really enjoy at AK are Flame Tree BBQ and Restaurantosaurus (I actaully like the BBQ Chicken Salad offered at FT and the Digsite Salad from Restaurantosaurus, they are really refreshing on a day that usually involves a lot of walking).

Where are you looking for lunch on that Saturday?

On Saturday I'm letting her choose which park she wants to go to in the morning most likely it will be Magic Kingdom. So any restaurants in that area.

 

[Kita79]

Hi Ariel, Yes we are booked in one of the royal guest rooms. I will have to check the dining site to see about table credits on some of my choices. Thanks.

 

[WDWmazprty]

How fun! You'll love Riverside...the grounds are beautiful. Did you request one of the Royal Rooms??

First of all, keep in mind that your character meals (Askerhaus, Chef Mickey's, Cape May, CRT) will take 2 Table Service credits per person...



According to the 2012 Disney Dining Plan the only one of these that are 2 credits is CRT, the rest are just one Table service credit.

 

[Kita79]

Relieved

I just checked dining plan again and only CRT is two dining credits.

 

[GoochDSA]

...First of all, keep in mind that your character meals (Askerhaus, Chef Mickey's, Cape May, CRT) will take 2 Table Service credits per person...so each of you will start with 6 Table Service Credits (one per night of your trip) and with your current line-up you'll be paying for some of your meals out of pocket. So I guess it might be a good idea to look at menus ahead of time to figure out the best way to maximize your credits.

Besides CRT being the only meal here that requires 2 TS credits, also note
that Cape May dinner does not have characters.

On Saturday I'm letting her choose which park she wants to go to in the morning most likely it will be Magic Kingdom. So any restaurants in that area.

What are your thoughts on something like Crystal Palace in the MK, before MK opens. There are few things more magical than walking down an empty Main Street USA before the park is open. It leaves you with the chance to get some pretty awesome pictures without many, if any, people getting in the way. The food is fine and the characters are Pooh, Tigger, Pigglet and Eeyore. It's a pretty nice way to start your day. Then, since you have hoppers, if you want to stay you can or you can head over to any other park your DD chooses.

 

[Tinkerbella16]

Your choices look great.. you will love Chef Mickeys for breakfast! That is my favorite character meal in wdw, and the best buffet for breakfast in my opinion.
Ohanas character breakfast at the Poly, is also great for the morning you are going to MK. I love the atmosphere of the Polynesian and you can hop right on the monorail to get there and back to the MK.

You will love POR. It is quite big and spread but the grounds are just beautiful and you can't beat the boat to DTD.. it is so nice to get away from the busses here and there and you get a great view of whats along the river like POFQ and the Treehouse Villas.

I am so excited for you and your daughter! Don't get too overwhelmed, you will have a wonderful and memorable trip together! :wave:

 

[Ariel484]

Sorry, my mistake on the Table Service credits! I hope I didn't give you a heart attack! :wave:

 

[Kita79]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Ariel, you didn't give me a heart attack lol. Has anyone had the picnic in the park meal in Animal Kingdom? I thought that might be a good option for us for lunch.

 

[popcenturylover]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Ariel, you didn't give me a heart attack lol. Has anyone had the picnic in the park meal in Animal
Kingdom? I thought that might be a good option for us for lunch.[/QUOTE


My family did it a few years ago. It was ok, not great. I don't think that they offer it anymore. At least that's what I read on another forum. I would suggest counter service over the picnic-in-the-park anyway.

 

[Kita79]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Ariel, you didn't give me a heart attack lol. Has anyone had the picnic in the park meal in Animal
Kingdom? I thought that might be a good option for us for lunch.[/QUOTE


My family did it a few years ago. It was ok, not great. I don't think that they offer it anymore. At least that's what I read on another forum. I would suggest counter service over the picnic-in-the-park anyway.

Thanks for letting me know. I guess it will be Flame Tree for us then for lunch.

 

[vjgraham]

We are visiting for the first time to celebrate my daughter turning 5 on Friday November 2. We will be staying from October 29 through November 4, 2012 at Port Orleans Riverside with a 6 day park hopper plus Dining. My daughter is a huge princess fan and quite the diva herself. I really want to make her birthday special. I need help with my table service meals. So far I have an idea of:

Monday- Askerhaus Princess Storybook Dinner
Tuesday- Chef Mickey Breakfast
Wednesday- Rainforest Cafe Animal Kingdom Lunch or Quick Service Lunch?
Thursday- Cape May Dinner
Friday-BBB morning and CRT Lunch or Dinner? 1900 Park Fare dinner if I can't get CRT
Saturday- need a suggestion for Lunch and Fulton's for Dinner (just me). Planning to let my daughter hang out a kid club while I have dinner on my own (single parent. I don't get too many breaks lol) and do a little Christmas Shopping for her at Downtown Disney.

What do you think? Any other suggestions?[/QUO

Good choices, I will have to disagree with a previous post concerning Cape may for Dinner. We have been numerous times and the crab legs are very good as well as the other seafood choices and other meats. As far as Wednesday, consider Flame tree BBQ in AK for a quick service meal. The food is great and it is by far our favorite QS meal at Disney. Hope you have a great time.

 

[boopuff]

here's a tip - at Flame tree walk al the way around the back of the building to look for seating. There's a beautiful pond, quiet area toward the back. The front seats fill up and no one seems to find the back section (ok during busy season it's probably full but worth a try!) Have fun on your first trip!!!

 

[finaldynasty]

I second the suggestion about the Tusker House. The Coral Reef is not a bad resturant at Epcot. My 5 YO DD likes eating with the fish as she calls it. We get on the Nemo ride, go see Turtle talk with Crush then head over to Coral Reef which is on the back side of the building. You might also consider the Garden Grill, which has Chip and Dale as well. My last suggestion is that Ohana is great! My kids love seeing Lilo and Stitch and the food is very good.

My blessings and have a magical time!

 

[finaldynasty]

We are visiting for the first time to celebrate my daughter turning 5 on Friday November 2. We will be staying from October 29 through November 4, 2012 at Port Orleans Riverside with a 6 day park hopper plus Dining. My daughter is a huge princess fan and quite the diva herself. I really want to make her birthday special. I need help with my table service meals. So far I have an idea of:

Monday- Askerhaus Princess Storybook Dinner
Tuesday- Chef Mickey Breakfast
Wednesday- Rainforest Cafe Animal Kingdom Lunch or Quick Service Lunch?
Thursday- Cape May Dinner
Friday-BBB morning and CRT Lunch or Dinner? 1900 Park Fare dinner if I can't get CRT
Saturday- need a suggestion for Lunch and Fulton's for Dinner (just me). Planning to let my daughter hang out a kid club while I have dinner on my own (single parent. I don't get too many breaks lol) and do a little Christmas Shopping for her at Downtown Disney.

What do you think? Any other suggestions?

I agree with the PP skip Rainforest...a nice quick service spot at Downtown Disney we like is the Earl of Sandwich...Your DD will love the World of Disney store there. It is huge!

 

[Kita79]

Here are our final ADRs for the trip. Excited!!! I make our ADRs tomorrow morning. We made a few changes to the ADRs but I think they are still pretty good. I tried to get as many character meals in as I could minimize some line waiting for character meet and greet. We still have to wait for Rapunzel and Tiana but thats ok. I picked a lot of buffets cause my daughter likes to eat and try different foods. :sohappy::wave::ROFLOL:

Monday- 1900 Park Fare Cinderella Dinner
Tuesday- Hollywood and Vine Lunch
Wednesday-Coral Reef Lunch
Thursday- Chef Mickey Breakfast
Friday (my little princess 5th birthday)- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique morning, CRT for lunch. If I can't get it, then Akershus Princess Storybook Lunch. I'm hoping for MNSSHP on that day because it looks like the Magic Kingdom closes early at 7pm. It would be so perfect because she will already be dressed up from her makeover at BBB and my sister is sewing her Cinderella costume for the makeover. It would make it an extra special birthday for her.

Saturday- Flame Tree lunch and Cape May Dinner (just me). The little one will be hanging out at the Sandcastle kid's club for a few hours while mommy relaxes and does some Christmas shopping for her.