Please help me with my choices

[formernyer]

I just booked a last minute trip for 3/26 - 3/29 (three nights hotel with DDP). I'll be traveling with my two kids, ages 9 and 10. This will be our first Disney trip.

As you can imagine, the pickings were slim for my ADRs at this late date. Good times were all taken and some places were totally filled.

ANIMAL KINGDOM - no TS needed...we're going to conserve our CS tickets on the other three days (by sharing 2 meals amongst the three of us). That'll give us three extra CS meals to use at Animal Kingdom on our last day.

EPCOT - I couldn't decide between Coral Reef and La Cellier, but La Cellier was compelely booked up, so that decision was made for us. The only Coral Reef availability was for lunch (not dinner). Are lunch portions smaller than dinner portions? I'm kind of disappointed about having to do lunch, so if anyone has any better ideas, please let me know. I'd like to eat in places that the kids will enjoy, but they're a little old for all the character stuff.

MAGIC KINGDOM - I made two ADRs and I need to decide which one to cancel. One is for Tony's and the other is for Crystal Palace. I'm not certain my kids will enjoy Crystal Palace, since it's a Pooh theme and my kids are 9 and 10. Any thoughts from people with experience?

MGM - I really wanted to do the TS at Sci-Fi since I think my kids will love the atmosphere there. My second choice would have been the Hollywood & Vine Dinner Package (I personally would prefer Mama Melrose, but I think my kids would like H&V better). Turns out that Sci-Fi was totally booked for the entire day and so was the H&V Dinner Package. I was offered two options:

H&V at 5:40pm, but NOT the package...just a dining reservation
----OR----
Sci-Fi at 11:05am for lunch and no guarantee that we can get three seats in the same car. The best they can guarantee is that we will be next to each other, but not in the same car. I'm assuming that the hostess would get us all together anyway, but you just never know...

Which is better out of these two options? Are lunch portions much smaller than dinner portions at the Sci-Fi?

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

 

[bicker]

I wouldn't limit yourself to park restaurants. If nothing is available at Epcot for dinner, then try the BoardWalk.

I avoid Sci-Fi... the kvitch is okay, but the food -- not-so-much.

 

[diannaneglia]

This is going to by my first Disney trip with my kids as well. They are 15 and 11. We are going to the Crystal Palace...I love Tigger...and my kids will like them too...I just know it...you are never too old! We are also dinning at the Coral Reef...I thought it awesome to sit with huge fish tanks like that. We also book a Hoop Dee Doo Revue...don't know if you have time for that. We are doing Sci-Fi and I did hear from my sister that is is horrible food at least for dinner....so we are going for lunch cause the kids love the idea of sitting in the cars...me too actually.

I can't believe you are only going for three days your first time around...alittle rushed don't you think....well at least your going!! That is the important thing, I guess! Oh...and you can always go back!

 

[jcanary]

a TS at the Sci-Fi. It is a nice experience, once, but I don't think the food is worth it. If you really want to go there, I would try doing a walk in first thing in the morning and see if any times for lunch have freed up. I believe most, if not all, restaurnants keep a certain amount of sittings open for walk ins. I think I would pay out of pocket and use the credit for something nicer

 

[formernyer]

I can't believe you are only going for three days your first time around...alittle rushed don't you think....well at least your going!! That is the important thing, I guess! Oh...and you can always go back!

My kids have off from school from 3/25 until 4/2, but we have to be home on 3/31 because my son's first baseball game of the season is on 4/1. The original purpose of the trip was to visit my grandparents in Melbourne. We only recently decided to squeeze in Disney. I live 12 hours from Disney and we are driving, so that kills a day on each end.

The plan now is basically to drive on 3/25 and check into a cheap hotel somewhere for the night. On 3/26 we'll check into Disney and do the Magic Kingdom, followed by MGM on 3/27, Epcot on 3/28, and AK on 3/29. We'll drive to my grandparents at night on 3/29 and stay with them until the morning of 3/31. Yes it's very rushed, but the timing is right.

 

[formernyer]

a TS at the Sci-Fi. It is a nice experience, once, but I don't think the food is worth it. If you really want to go there, I would try doing a walk in first thing in the morning and see if any times for lunch have freed up. I believe most, if not all, restaurnants keep a certain amount of sittings open for walk ins. I think I would pay out of pocket and use the credit for something nicer

I haven't heard a single good thing about the food here, but as far as my kids are concerned the setting is what's most important. A lot of the restaurants with "quality" food wouldn't be appealing to us anyway. None of us like seafood of any kind and my daughter is not an adventurous eater, so some of the ethnic places wouldn't work for us unless we waster her credits on chicken fingers or mac/cheese.

As for paying OOP...nooooooooo that's not gonna happen The three days of credits are going to be stretched to feed us for all four days and I think we're still going to eat until we're stuffed every day.

 

[diannaneglia]

I have heard that the portion sizes at most Disney eateries are very large. I plan on sharing a entre with my daughter who is 15. My son, even though he is 11, will have to eat off the childrens menu because there just isn't anything he will eat from the adults. We will also have either an appetizer or dessert to go with that. I am not trying to be cheap...just trying not to be wasteful.

If you want a deal for your money, probally buffets or family style meals are the way too go.

My kids are in school too but I am not taking them over spring break...I think it will be very very crowded then...I am waiting till after they are out of school...that first week in June...I am sure it will be crowded then too but oh well....who cares..."It's Disney" and I CAN NOT WAIT!

 

[disneyfor3]

EPCOT: We've enjoyed Teppanyaki and Biergarten. We all thoroughly enjoyed the food and chef's show at Teppanyaki so much last time we did it twice.

Our 5 year old really enjoyed Biergarten's show as well as my husband and myself. Not sure how much your children would enjoy it at their ages. Food was okay but not wonderful (probably just not be taste) but my husband has requested to eat here again for his birthday.

Another place we have not eaten at yet but are really looking forward to trying is Marrakesh. Your children might enjoy the belly dancer there and the food gets good reviews.

MAGIC KINGDOM: We usually take the monorail to the Polynesian and either do O'Hana's or Kona Cafe (Kona is a very good value on the dining plan and we enjoy the food). Or you could take the monorail to the Contemporary and do the Concourse Steakhouse (great steaks) and your children will love the arcade there.

As far as Crystal Palace, we have not done it ourselves because our son has never been a Pooh fan. Tony's get mixed reviews so I have never eaten there. If you would like a character experience you could try the Liberty Tree Tavern which is served family style.

Or lastly, you could take the boat to the Wilderness Lodge and eat at the Whispering Canyon Cafe. It is a short boat ride and your kids might really enjoy dinner there.

I tend to agree with the others that SciFi food is not the best, but it is still good. I really like their burgers. We really enjoyed our meal there because our 5 year old was totally occupied and we were able to enjoy our meal. It does have a very cool atmosphere.

 

[formernyer]

I have heard that the portion sizes at most Disney eateries are very large. I plan on sharing a entre with my daughter who is 15. My son, even though he is 11, will have to eat off the childrens menu because there just isn't anything he will eat from the adults. We will also have either an appetizer or dessert to go with that. I am not trying to be cheap...just trying not to be wasteful.

If you want a deal for your money, probally buffets or family style meals are the way too go.

My kids are in school too but I am not taking them over spring break...I think it will be very very crowded then...I am waiting till after they are out of school...that first week in June...I am sure it will be crowded then too but oh well....who cares..."It's Disney" and I CAN NOT WAIT!

I'd much prefer to go in late may or june, once school is out but before it gets too hot. Unfortunately, that falls right in the heart of baseball season and my son would have to miss 2-3 games if we left for a week. That wouldn't go over very well with the team.

Generally speaking I'd agree with you that buffets are normally the best value for the money. As far as Disney goes, however, I think the sit-downs work best for us. If we do buffets we need to use 3 credits (one for each of us). If we do sit-down, then we only need to use two tickets in order to get enough food for all three of us. It basically means that for every two meals that we eat we'll save enough tickets for a third meal.

 

[bicker]

I have heard that the portion sizes at most Disney eateries are very large.

This used to be true generally. In the last few years, folks have noticed that the finer restaurants are now serving more reasonable (smaller) portions.

 

[formernyer]

Or lastly, you could take the boat to the Wilderness Lodge and eat at the Whispering Canyon Cafe. It is a short boat ride and your kids might really enjoy dinner there.

This was one of my prime choices...I know the kids would love it. Unfortunately, it was booked solid for the date that I needed.