Lunch at Tony's for the Festival of Fantasy Parade Dining Package

Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I was recently gifted a $60 Landry's gift card, so I thought I will just use that at Yak & Yeti during my upcoming trip in January. Therefore, this opened up a TS dinner or lunch credit on the DDP. So, I thought, why not book the Festival of Fantasy Parade Dining Package since it is covered by the DDP and includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert as well as VIP standing room for the 3:00 pm Fantasy Parade, which I never gotten to watch. My only qualm was that you can only book at Tony's, which I hadn't eaten at for at least five years. I remember the food being passable and am hoping it has improved since then. So, I guess I am looking for recommendations of what to order. If you have pics, that would be great too. This is on our last day and we will be leaving about 5:30 pm on DME, so the amount of food is not a big deal and I booked the latest lunch reservation available at 1:20 pm. Thanks
 
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larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
Calamari, the Italian Trio, and the chocolate-hazelnut cake.

It's the only way to get max value for your DDP credit.
 

Minnesota disney fan

Well-Known Member
We, too, had qualms about eating at Tony's last year. We'd read all the reviews and comments.
But, we decided to give it a try. And I'm glad we did! The food was great and the service was fine. I asked the server about the quality of the food now, and he said that they had a new chef and he was getting great reviews.
So, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Tony's.
 

Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Calamari, the Italian Trio, and the chocolate-hazelnut cake.

It's the only way to get max value for your DDP credit.
I'm not necessarily looking for max value on this. I already have a breakfast reservation at 8:00 am at Be Our Guest so that we can get into the park early and that is at least $30 per person not including alcoholic drinks (I might get the sangria). Tony's package is $54 per person, so at $84 between these two meals and add in the 2 snacks, I already got my money's worth and have come on top a bit when paying $78 for the day.

I have been going back and forth between the calamari and the fried mozzarella. I see they also have beef tenderloin, which seemed somewhat appealing, but I would want to see a picture of it. I've seen some reviews about the trio being too salty, but I know that can be highly subjective based on seasoning tastes.
 

Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We, too, had qualms about eating at Tony's last year. We'd read all the reviews and comments.
But, we decided to give it a try. And I'm glad we did! The food was great and the service was fine. I asked the server about the quality of the food now, and he said that they had a new chef and he was getting great reviews.
So, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Tony's.
If you don't mind sharing, what did you order?
 

Minnesota disney fan

Well-Known Member
If you don't mind sharing, what did you order?

Oh, not at all. We are not "foodies" and like comfort food. My husband had the spaghetti and meatballs, bread and salad. He said it was very good. I had the chicken parm with bread and salad. I love good chicken parm and am quite picky about it. This was fabulous!!!! The crust was seasoned perfectly and the chicken was juicey and delicious. The pasta was good and the marinara sauce was excellent. We had no complaints at all. We didn't have dessert because we were quite full from lunch.
 

Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Oh, not at all. We are not "foodies" and like comfort food. My husband had the spaghetti and meatballs, bread and salad. He said it was very good. I had the chicken parm with bread and salad. I love good chicken parm and am quite picky about it. This was fabulous!!!! The crust was seasoned perfectly and the chicken was juicey and delicious. The pasta was good and the marinara sauce was excellent. We had no complaints at all. We didn't have dessert because we were quite full from lunch.
Thank you. Trust me, I am not a foodie either. The only other Italian I have had Disney was at Tutto Italia about three years ago and I believe I ordered the steak. lol
 

Dad 2 M & M

Well-Known Member
Thank you. Trust me, I am not a foodie either. The only other Italian I have had Disney was at Tutto Italia about three years ago and I believe I ordered the steak. lol
I would add the general advice as to eat what you want, and try not to let "maximizing value" enter into your choices.

We haven't used the DDP in many years as it becomes a bit of a challenge to "maximize" each meal. Further, the "maximizing" leads to eating things we wouldn't normally choose. We tend to buy discounted gift cards and "prepay" in that manner. With that said, we would have never been exposed to the many great places to eat had we not used the DDP in years past! We now hit Tutto Italia and Yak & Yeti on every trip!
 

Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I would add the general advice as to eat what you want, and try not to let "maximizing value" enter into your choices.

We haven't used the DDP in many years as it becomes a bit of a challenge to "maximize" each meal. Further, the "maximizing" leads to eating things we wouldn't normally choose. We tend to buy discounted gift cards and "prepay" in that manner. With that said, we would have never been exposed to the many great places to eat had we not used the DDP in years past! We now hit Tutto Italia and Yak & Yeti on every trip!
Thanks for the advice. My husband is the one who is the proponent for the DDP. I actually pay for the DDP using discounted gift cards (usually 15% off or more). I am a stickler for having everything paid off well before the trip. In January, I will be paying off the airfare for my June trip and I'll be done paying off all the trips we're taking this year. I have extra gift cards set aside for tipping and any other out-of-pocket expenses.
 

Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I would add the general advice as to eat what you want, and try not to let "maximizing value" enter into your choices.

We haven't used the DDP in many years as it becomes a bit of a challenge to "maximize" each meal. Further, the "maximizing" leads to eating things we wouldn't normally choose. We tend to buy discounted gift cards and "prepay" in that manner. With that said, we would have never been exposed to the many great places to eat had we not used the DDP in years past! We now hit Tutto Italia and Yak & Yeti on every trip!
I also use my Disney trips to splurge on food that I normally don't eat (i.e. steak, noodles, sweets, etc.). Both my husband and I are on a weight loss crusade. I've lost 50 pounds so far; he has lost 100 pounds.
 

Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I wouldn’t recommend:

1. The dining plan
2. Tony’s for the dining plan
What MK restaurant would you recommend then? I'm already have a reservation for Jungle Canteen on our first night. The DDP is already paid for, so I guess there is not much to discuss about that and I don't want the thread to turn into "that" discussion.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
What MK restaurant would you recommend then? I'm already have a reservation for Jungle Canteen on our first night. The DDP is already paid for, so I guess there is not much to discuss about that and I don't want the thread to turn into "that" discussion.
I would recommend liberty tree for lunch or crystal palace for breakfast...

Skippers is ok too. Good luck
 

Dad 2 M & M

Well-Known Member
Thank you for your suggestions. We have been thinking about including Liberty Tree Tavern.
For “value” and great food try😍 Tutto Italia as it is 1 TS credit and is amoung the best of places to eat.

As far as “value” consideration:
-Akerhaus Breakfast
-😍Ohana
- Tusker House

Thanks for the advice. My husband is the one who is the proponent for the DDP. I actually pay for the DDP using discounted gift cards (usually 15% off or more). I am a stickler for having everything paid off well before the trip. In January, I will be paying off the airfare for my June trip and I'll be done paying off all the trips we're taking this year. I have extra gift cards set aside for tipping and any other out-of-pocket expenses.
I will say the DDP is the sole reason why we take in a few TS meals each trip; had we never used the DDP we would have never known if those great meals/experiences. A few unforgettable mems would be Sci-Fi, Tusker House, and even San Angel (one of the greatest atmospheres but lousy food).

Enjoy your trip and ressies!

P.S. good job on the 15% discounted cards...they’re out there but usually have a short buying window. This past holiday season saw 6% off at BJs club, and if you combined a $10 off $50 spent, you could get $51.51 cards for $40. (one $25 card for $23.49 + one $26.51 load any amount card to get your purchase total to $50)
 
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Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
For “value” and great food try😍 Tutto Italia as it is 1 TS credit and is amoung the best of places to eat.

As far as “value” consideration:
-Akerhaus Breakfast
-😍Ohana
- Tusker House

I will say the DDP is the sole reason why take in a few TS meals each trip; had we never used the DDP we would have never known if those great meals/experiences. A few unforgettable mems would be Sci-Fi, Tusker House, and even San Angel (one of the greatest atmospheres but lousy food).

Enjoy your trip and ressies!

P.S. good job on the 15% discounted cards...they’re out there but usually have a short buying window. This past holiday season saw 6% off at BJs club, and if you combined a $10 off $50 spent, you could get $51.51 cards for $40. (one $25 card for $23.49 + one $26.51 load any amount card to get your purchase total to $50)
I have a BJs membership and didn't know about the $10 off $50.
 

75disney

Well-Known Member
We just did the parade package at Tony’s on Christmas Eve so we could get the reserved seating for the Christmas parade. We all enjoyed our appetizers- calamari, mozzarella sticks, and spinach artichoke dip. The calamari was the best of the three. For entrees, we ordered chicken parm and spaghetti, shrimp ravioli, and the scampi. The chicken parm and spaghetti were decent, not great. My husband disliked the shrimp ravioli because it was covered in ricotta cheese (not just inside the ravioli); it was too much cheese. My daughter did not like the scampi but she had never had it before and wanted to try something new. For dessert, the cannoli, tiramisu, and gelato were big hits. I had the strawberry shortcake and was very disappointed in the portion size. It was good, but I only got three bites worth. It was a lot of food overall and we left very full. The real draw was the reserved seating for the Christmas parade. We went into the section about 20 minutes before the parade. We had seats under the tree looking directly down Main Street towards the castle. No one blocked us. No one crowded us because there was plenty of room for all of us. The whole perimeter of the flagpole circle is reserved for dining package guests. It was a fabulous way to watch the parade especially when the viewing areas along Main Street were several rows deep and we would have to wait for at least an hour to get curb side seats somewhere else. I would definitely do the package again. I wouldn’t expect amazing Italian food, but it is decent, and the parade seating (especially on a crowded day like Christmas Eve) was well worth it.
 

Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We just did the parade package at Tony’s on Christmas Eve so we could get the reserved seating for the Christmas parade. We all enjoyed our appetizers- calamari, mozzarella sticks, and spinach artichoke dip. The calamari was the best of the three. For entrees, we ordered chicken parm and spaghetti, shrimp ravioli, and the scampi. The chicken parm and spaghetti were decent, not great. My husband disliked the shrimp ravioli because it was covered in ricotta cheese (not just inside the ravioli); it was too much cheese. My daughter did not like the scampi but she had never had it before and wanted to try something new. For dessert, the cannoli, tiramisu, and gelato were big hits. I had the strawberry shortcake and was very disappointed in the portion size. It was good, but I only got three bites worth. It was a lot of food overall and we left very full. The real draw was the reserved seating for the Christmas parade. We went into the section about 20 minutes before the parade. We had seats under the tree looking directly down Main Street towards the castle. No one blocked us. No one crowded us because there was plenty of room for all of us. The whole perimeter of the flagpole circle is reserved for dining package guests. It was a fabulous way to watch the parade especially when the viewing areas along Main Street were several rows deep and we would have to wait for at least an hour to get curb side seats somewhere else. I would definitely do the package again. I wouldn’t expect amazing Italian food, but it is decent, and the parade seating (especially on a crowded day like Christmas Eve) was well worth it.
Thank you for your insight. We have decided to keep the reservation. We have two upcoming trips--one in March and one in June---and are still looking for some other options. I have been looking around for other dining packages that include some perks or even an appetizer like this one and haven't found much else that is covered under the DDP for one TS credit. We already have the Rivers of Light dinner package as my husband likes curry and my son likes the character interactions. We might go to the show or not, which really depends on the weather. I sat through it in July when it was pouring and it was not a very pleasant experience.
 

75disney

Well-Known Member
Thank you for your insight. We have decided to keep the reservation. We have two upcoming trips--one in March and one in June---and are still looking for some other options. I have been looking around for other dining packages that include some perks or even an appetizer like this one and haven't found much else that is covered under the DDP for one TS credit. We already have the Rivers of Light dinner package as my husband likes curry and my son likes the character interactions. We might go to the show or not, which really depends on the weather. I sat through it in July when it was pouring and it was not a very pleasant experience.
We did Rivers of Light package at Tusker House. We had never seen the show before. I found Rivers of Light boring so we won’t do that one again. We also did the Fantasmic dining package at Hollywood and Vine. The character interactions were great and it was nice to see all of them in their holiday outfits without having to wait in line in the parks. The food was good. The buffet had a nice variety of options for dinner and dessert. The Fantasmic seating area was very good. We walked in about 8:30 for the 9PM show. Our seating area was just slightly off center, down towards the front. The seating area wasn’t overly crowded and we had great views of Fantasmic. I know that Mama Melrose also offers the same package for Fantasmic. The Brown Derby does as well but that’s two table service credits. If you’re interested in Fantasmic, I highly recommend this dining package.
 

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