Please give me your imput!

[kasey1988]

Some background info for my trip:
3 young ladies (early twenties, ive been 3 times, 1 has been once, and one has never been to the states at all)..
We will be staying one week at pop in late april/early may 2009.

We are still in the debating stage for the ddp, but the more i hear about the disney resturants the more i think we should have it, but i still need to talk to my friends and see how they feel.

These are the Table Service i want to suggest:

Breakfast at Chef Mickeys
Lunch at LeCellar
Lunch or Dinner at 50's Prime Time
Supper at LTT
Supper at Wispering Canyon
Breakfast at Ohana

Do you think these are good suggestions for newbies to disney? Any suggestions for a 7th place or changes you would make.




Ps: my 500th post :sohappy:

 

[Rufus T Firefly]

Maybe squeeze in a lunch at Sci Fi Dine In. The food is so-so, but the atmosphere is one of a kind.

 

[kasey1988]

Im also willing to remove one place to maybe include a two credit show!

 

[coltow]

We found the ddp to be very easy to use. However, we also believe that if you are spending most of your TS meals at dinner you make out. If you do mostly breakfasts and lunches it may not be worth it. Just my opinion.

Breakfast at Chef Mickeys
Probably best character breakfast

Lunch at LeCellar
2 words AMA-ZING

Lunch or Dinner at 50's Prime Time
Do a late lunch instead there is so much food that then you can skip dinner

Supper at LTT
As great as this is, without characters I'd pass. I'd scoot out to the monorail and go to Ohana or 1900 Park Fare

Supper at Wispering Canyon
I love this place, my family prefers the breakfast though

Breakfast at Ohana
After hearing such good things we are trying this on our next trip

 

[kasey1988]

I wasnt aware Ohana or 1900 park fare offered dinner! thanks for the suggestions, are these character meals?

 

[slappy magoo]

My wife and I were talking about adding the dining plan for our next trip, and we may still, but we're leaning against it. At the rate we're going, we'll at the very least break even, probably, using the plan, and we may come out as much as 60 dollars or so ahead over the course of an 8 night trip.

One reason we're leaning against it is, knowing that you're getting a potential "value" tends to make us try to maximize that value. In other words, we'll probably be more inclined to get more expensive meals, just to make sure we at least "break even." Dumb way to think, I know, but I'll bet we're not alone (heck, I know Le Cellier is well-liked, but I'm willing to bet it's also so popular because it represents such a great value on the dining plan).

Another reason we're leaning against it is because we're trying to eat at least a little bit healthier in general. And while I know, vacations are special, and I'm sure we'll make gluttons of ourselves, the dining plan represents up to 3 desserts each day we're on the plan. One for lunch, one for dinner, one for a snack. Sure, we can opt for healthier snacks. We could evne forgo some of the desserts! But then we get to an area where the plan represents no savings, so it's 6 of one half dozen of the other. If they at least gave you the option of an appetizer OR a dessert for your table-service credit, I'm be more inclined to choose it. This way my wife and I could each split an appetizer and a dessert. But while we try to keep our weight down, and me on the cusp of having "the sugar," it seems like it will be more responsible, and potentially even a wee bit cheaper, to not opt for the dining plan.

The final reason is we're taking our baby girl, who will only be 5 months old on the next trip. We're fully aware that our plans for meals, including all of oru reservations, could easily be thwarted if she's suddenly fussy or unwell or miserable in general. So we may wind up having to go back to the room, doing counter service or picking up a pizza.

Now granted, my circumstances don't apply to three young ladies. I'd suggest, if you haven't already, checking out some of the menus, and seeing the sorts of things you'd like to order, and if you'd be having as many desserts and snacks as you're allotted on the plan. Despite the value, you may decide it's too much food, and by cutting back on the amount of food you'd want, it also cuts back on the amount of money you would spend were you to pay for each meal seperately, maybe to the point where you don't save money on the plan. Food for thought.

 

[coltow]

I wasnt aware Ohana or 1900 park fare offered dinner! thanks for the suggestions, are these character meals?

1900 does have charcters, Ohana has a sort of MC that encourages hula dancing, limbo and other activities, but the food is SO yummy.

 

[kasey1988]

My wife and I were talking about adding the dining plan for our next trip, and we may still, but we're leaning against it. At the rate we're going, we'll at the very least break even, probably, using the plan, and we may come out as much as 60 dollars or so ahead over the course of an 8 night trip.

One reason we're leaning against it is, knowing that you're getting a potential "value" tends to make us try to maximize that value. In other words, we'll probably be more inclined to get more expensive meals, just to make sure we at least "break even." Dumb way to think, I know, but I'll bet we're not alone (heck, I know Le Cellier is well-liked, but I'm willing to bet it's also so popular because it represents such a great value on the dining plan).

Another reason we're leaning against it is because we're trying to eat at least a little bit healthier in general. And while I know, vacations are special, and I'm sure we'll make gluttons of ourselves, the dining plan represents up to 3 desserts each day we're on the plan. One for lunch, one for dinner, one for a snack. Sure, we can opt for healthier snacks. We could evne forgo some of the desserts! But then we get to an area where the plan represents no savings, so it's 6 of one half dozen of the other. If they at least gave you the option of an appetizer OR a dessert for your table-service credit, I'm be more inclined to choose it. This way my wife and I could each split an appetizer and a dessert. But while we try to keep our weight down, and me on the cusp of having "the sugar," it seems like it will be more responsible, and potentially even a wee bit cheaper, to not opt for the dining plan.

The final reason is we're taking our baby girl, who will only be 5 months old on the next trip. We're fully aware that our plans for meals, including all of oru reservations, could easily be thwarted if she's suddenly fussy or unwell or miserable in general. So we may wind up having to go back to the room, doing counter service or picking up a pizza.

Now granted, my circumstances don't apply to three young ladies. I'd suggest, if you haven't already, checking out some of the menus, and seeing the sorts of things you'd like to order, and if you'd be having as many desserts and snacks as you're allotted on the plan. Despite the value, you may decide it's too much food, and by cutting back on the amount of food you'd want, it also cuts back on the amount of money you would spend were you to pay for each meal seperately, maybe to the point where you don't save money on the plan. Food for thought.

I see what your saying and thats why were leaning against it to.. were still in limbo for it... i dont think we will need deserts with all our meals, we will be snacking at the parks (dole whips), so it might be a better value to pick two or three Table Service places.. I guess we will have to sit down and discuss it, i just know theres a couple places im dying to try. Eating our big meals at lunch will probally save us money to!

 

[s8film40]

The dinner at Ohana is so much better than breakfast.

 

[Master Yoda]

If you like a little flair to your dining I would avoid breakfast at all of the character meals as it is all the same basic breakfast buffet foods. It would be much better to do lunch and even better to do dinner at these locations. The best places for a TS breakfast in no particular order are Whispering canyon Cafe (breakfast always seems to much more rowdy than lunch or dinner) Kona Cafe at the Poly and Boma at AKL.

If you do not qualify for the Tables of Wonderland (formerly Disney dining experience) and you plan on doing this much TS dining I would go with the dining plan.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Breakfast at Chef Mickeys
Lunch at LeCellar

You should book these two as soon as you are able - especially Le Cellier - it is extremely difficult to get lately, so book early!

 

[kasey1988]

thanks for all your imput! We have decided not to get ddp, we think at $40 a day it wont be a value to us. We are going to pick three sit down resturants (1 breakfast, 1 lunch, and 1 dinner). We think that we will be munching on dole whips and other tasty treats and not be hungry enough to make use of the value of the ddp and eat a sit down meal a day.

 

[SchultzFamily]

Love your choices except for WCC--thought it was overrated (husband got sick on the food and there was very little of the "antics" going on in the over two hours we were there).