Starting to make ADRs - input help please

[z2akids]

So, this will be our first trip to Disney. We are going for 7 nights at the start of March. We have 3 kids (11 and 10 year old boys and a 7 year old girl). The kids are not really adventurous eaters, but are willing to try different foods. We are staying at POR and have the regular DDP.

Saturday - haven't make reservations yet. Still need to book flights and figure we will probably just do QS for dinner this night - probably at MK

Sunday - Teppan Edo 5:10 a.m. dinner (all of my kids love our local Japanese Steakhouse. Thought this would be a good start to our vacation. Will we be done in time for the fireworks?)

Monday - CRT - 8:40 a.m. breakfast for me, DH and DD (boys will hang with grandparents)

Tuesday - Rainforest Cafe (at AK) - 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday - nothing reserved yet

Thursday - Be Our Guest - 4:15 p.m. - thought we could do a late breakfast/early lunch this day so that we can check out BOG. Thought we would be done in plenty of time for the parade and Wishes.

Friday - 'Ohana - 5:00 p.m.

Saturday - nothing reserved. we will be leaving this day, but not certain exactly what time. Also considering getting a hotel by the airport and flying out early Sunday so that we can spend most of Saturday at the parks.

So, we are thinking about perhaps another character meal for the boys. They are all a little old to get excited by Mickey, but I think it will be magical no matter what. Should we do Park Fare rather than CRT for my 7 year old? I'm not worried about the food at that meal at all - it's all about the princesses. We could also do Park Fare for a meal with different characters if it is worth it.

What other musts am I missing? Thanks in advance for everyone's expertise.

[denneg]

Saturday - haven't make reservations yet. Still need to book flights and figure we will probably just do QS for dinner this night - probably at MK

Sunday - Teppan Edo 5:10 a.m. dinner (all of my kids love our local Japanese Steakhouse. Thought this would be a good start to our vacation. Will we be done in time for the fireworks?)

Monday - CRT - 8:40 a.m. breakfast for me, DH and DD (boys will hang with grandparents)

Tuesday - Rainforest Cafe (at AK) - 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday - nothing reserved yet

Thursday - Be Our Guest - 4:15 p.m. - thought we could do a late breakfast/early lunch this day so that we can check out BOG. Thought we would be done in plenty of time for the parade and Wishes.

Friday - 'Ohana - 5:00 p.m.

Saturday - nothing reserved. we will be leaving this day, but not certain exactly what time. Also considering getting a hotel by the airport and flying out early Sunday so that we can spend most of Saturday at the parks.

We love Teppan Edo - it gets mixed reviews on here, because it's not a "unique" dining experience for Disney, but for my son and nephews (11, 9, 4) it's a must do. They eat great, stay entertained, and we enjoy the food. You'll be out in plenty of time for the fireworks, you can even head back around the countries so you're closer to where the buses are for after - plenty of time.

With CRT, my concern would be that the boys will have an extra TS credit that you guys won't have - I obsess over credits.

We like the Rainforest Cafe, and the kids always have fun, but this trip we are doing T-Rex to try something different. Plus, DS (4) is really into dinosaurs!

BOG & Ohana are perfect choices!

Couple of things - you mentioned possibly staying at a hotel close to the airport, does that mean you aren't using the Magical Express? If you would be paying for a car or ride to and from the airport, you'd be better off staying at POR the extra night and using the ME. Although I wouldn't want an early flight with the ME, since they pick you up 3 hours before your flight!

Other dining suggestions - the boys might like Tusker House as a character meal, and if you can do it early enough it's nice to get in the park before it opens. My oldest nephew always acts too cool to hang with Mickey, but he still gets excited and jumps up for interaction with the characters. If this is their first trip, I'd do a meal with the core Disney characters, you can get that at Tusker. We always do the Hoop de Doo, the kids love it. However, we pay out of pocket for that to free up a dining credit for a character breakfast, so it can get pricey. Also, we stay at POR (including next week) so we always eat at Boatwrights, and we like it. If you have a day at AK where you plan to head back to the hotel when it closes, that's a good choice. And if it's on the nights Bob is playing in the lounge, they kids will enjoy that - I think he's there Wed-Sun.

[z2akids]

Thank you so much for your input.

As for CRT, my thought was that DH and I will each be using 2 TS credits and our daughter would use 1 child credit. However, I expect that my 2 boys won't use any credits that morning (probably either a snack credit for some sort of breakfast pastery or cereal in the room with my parents for breakfast). The way I figure it is that we will have 28 adult and 7 child credits for table service. Just after CRT, we will have 24 adult and 5 child left. So, we will still have 6 meals left for each Disney adult (me, DH, and both boys) and 5 left for our daughter. So, we will just have to pay out of pocket for one meal for her.

I will definitely check out Tusker House.

Thanks for the thoughts on ME and staying the extra night. I am only starting to look at flights, but most seem to be in the morning and I was hoping to get at least a few hours that last day doing something Disney. I assumed we would take ME back to the airport and just go from there to a hotel that night if we flew out a day later, but I will definitely look further into that. Mostly, I think it's just me wanting to maximize our time there and already not wanting to leave.

As long as Teppan Edo and other places have decent food and are fun, I'm not too worried about them being entirely "unique." Japanese Steakhouse cooking is one of my kids' favorites and the fact that we can do it at home doesn't make it any less exciting for the kids to watch them make an onion fire volcano and toss an egg around on their spatula. That is totally the perfect kind of restaurant for 10 and 11 year old boys.

Again, thanks for the input. I am happy to read other opinions as well!

[crabbygal902]

Saturday - haven't make reservations yet. Still need to book flights and figure we will probably just do QS for dinner this night - probably at MK

Sunday - Teppan Edo 5:10 a.m. dinner (all of my kids love our local Japanese Steakhouse. Thought this would be a good start to our vacation. Will we be done in time for the fireworks?) Our meal here took about 1.5 hours, so you should have no problem seeing the fireworks. I was not excited at all about this ADR when I made it by request from others in our group, but it ended up being one of the better meals we've had at WDW. The staff is so nice!

Monday - CRT - 8:40 a.m. breakfast for me, DH and DD (boys will hang with grandparents)

Tuesday - Rainforest Cafe (at AK) - 6:00 p.m. Haven't been here, but I'm sure it would be fun for the kids

Wednesday - nothing reserved yet If you are looking for another kid-friendly, lively, fun place...we really like Biergarten in Epcot (entertainment during dinner, lots of choices on the buffet, beer for the adults!) I agree with the PP about Tusker House, too. If I am not mistaken, there are no characters at dinner, only lunch and breakfast.

Thursday - Be Our Guest - 4:15 p.m. - thought we could do a late breakfast/early lunch this day so that we can check out BOG. Thought we would be done in plenty of time for the parade and Wishes. I checked to see what time dinner begins, but can't find the info. I assume it is 5, so you'd be okay with having an early dinner at 4:15. You might want to have a back-up plan in case the place is crazy busy with spring break

Friday - 'Ohana - 5:00 p.m.

Saturday - nothing reserved. we will be leaving this day, but not certain exactly what time. Also considering getting a hotel by the airport and flying out early Sunday so that we can spend most of Saturday at the parks.

[z2akids]

Thanks for the feedback. I have reworked our reservations quite a bit. Here is my current list (additional feedback would be welcome).

Sunday (our first full day)
9:40 a.m. Tusker House
5:10 p.m. Teppan Edo

Monday
6:30 p.m. Rainforest Cafe -- looking for a T-Rex reservation to open up and might switch this one if it does

Tuesday (going to be a long day at MK)
8:35 a.m. CRT
8:40 p.m. BOG

Wednesday
6:50 p.m. 'Ohana

Thursday
5:15 p.m. Cape May

Friday
nothing reserved

[Quin]

I like Tusker but I wouldn't waste half an AK morning eating there if you can't get a pre-rope-drop ADR. And you're not spending the whole day in AK anyhow if you're park-hopping to Epcot for a 5:10 pm dinner - and Teppan Edo is away around the back of world showcase; it's going to take you at least 20 minutes to get there from the main gate at Epcot. Plus going through security if anybody has a bag. Plus the time on the bus from AK to Epcot. If you can get Tusker no later than 8:15 am (and if your family is willing to get up and be at the bus stop by 7:15 am in order to be sure you make it), great; if not, drop this ADR.

Actually, which Park(s) are you planning on doing which days? That might make it easier for us to help.

And that Tuesday 8:40 BOG is a killer. What time is Wishes? You don't want to miss that, or the revamped show projected on the Castle before Wishes.

[graceandhayes]

I would recommend Princess Storybook dining at Akershus in the Norway Pavillion over 1900 Park Fare. We did both in Feb 2012. Park Fare is just Cindrella characters (Cinderella, Prince, Stepmother and Stepsisters). The characters were great, especially the stepmother and stepsisters, and the buffet was good. I did not care for the atmosphere. Very loud and not very relaxing. Only if your daughter is a huge Cinderella fan would I suggest this. Akershus has better atmosphere, a variety of princesses, and better food. There is a buffet with salad and appetizers, and the main entree is table service. We did Akershus for dinner, but I have heard breakfast is good as well. It is only 1 TS credit for Park Fare or Akershus.
We are doing breakfast at CRT in Feb 2013. This is a surprise for my daughter who said she does not want to do any princess dinners this time, but I know she will love having breakfast in Cinderella's castle - and so will her Dad (me). It is 2 TS credits so I decided to pay for this out of pocket. $$$$$ but I wanted to keep our TS credits for dinners.
We had dinner at both T-Rex and Rainforest in Feb 2012. Restaurants are similar except for the theme. They are loud, busy, and service can be slow. But, my kids love them both and the food is not bad. We go to DTD and eat at T-Rex on our check in day - no park tickets. We eat at Rainforest Cafe for dinner after our day at AK. I had the fajitas in Feb and they were great!

[z2akids]

Per a suggestion, I am updating my list with my thought on parks.

Originally Posted by z2akids

Thanks for the feedback. I have reworked our reservations quite a bit. Here is my current list (additional feedback would be welcome).

Saturday - arrive, check in and spend some time at MK

Sunday (our first full day) Start at AK, hope to get an earlier breakfast. Am I wrong in thinking that we can do most of this park in less than a day? Then over to Epcot for dinner and done in time for Fantasmic at 7 (will we make it with the 5:10 ADR?) These are recommended parks from easywdw that day.
9:40 a.m. Tusker House
5:10 p.m. Teppan Edo

Monday Probably start the morning at HS and check it out. This is one of our "open" days. HS is not a recommended park this day. Only Epcot is
6:30 p.m. Rainforest Cafe -- looking for a T-Rex reservation to open up and might switch this one if it does

Tuesday (going to be a long day at MK) I figure that if the kids are too tired, we an spend a couple of hours in the afternoon back at POR. Only DH, DD and I will be doing CRT. My parents will be there and will take the boys someplace more their speed for breakfast, or even just time hanging at the resort. That night MSEP is at 7 pm and Wishes is at 8. The CM seemed to think that 8:40 dinner will work for us with Wishes. Do any of you experienced folk agree? disagree? Recommended day for MK
8:35 a.m. CRT
8:40 p.m. BOG

Wednesday From here out which park we hit will depend on what the kids want to do. This is everyone's first trip and I want to keep pretty open. I figure if we spend "some" time at each of the parks in the first few days, we can then spend Wed, Thur and Friday really focusing on what everyone wants to do. And probably spend a bit of time at the resort as well. I also hope to have a chance to check out the campground for our next trip.
6:50 p.m. 'Ohana

Thursday
5:15 p.m. Cape May

Friday
nothing reserved

[ses1230]

Originally Posted by z2akids

Per a suggestion, I am updating my list with my thought on parks.

Am I reading your Sunday correctly? You are doing three parks? That is ambitious and too much traveling IMO. Maybe rethink that if at all possible.

Also, I think it might be very tight to make it to F! at 7 with a 5:10 dinner reservation at Epcot.

[SignMeUp]

Yes, your Sunday needs some adjusting... if it's not an early EMH day (are you staying onsite to take advantage of EMH?), then you are wasting valuable park time inside the restaurant. The shows are what make AK hard to do in less than one day. If you don't care about seeing all the shows, then you may be able to squeeze it into less than a day, but you still don't want to waste 1-1/2 to 2 hours in a restaurant at that time of day. Then to get to Epcot for your 5:10 ADR, you'll need to be waiting for the Epcot bus by 3:45pm. Hope to arrive at Epcot by 4:30pm, go through the gates and trek to World Showcase to check in by 4:55pm for your ADR. And, sorry, but no way you will be done with your dinner, out of Epcot, through security/bag check/gates at DHS and into Fantasmic by the time it starts at 7pm . And that's even if you're seated right at 5:10... sometimes you still have to wait 15-20 minutes or longer to be seated even with an ADR. If you really want to see Fantasmic on this day, cancel Teppan Edo and go directly to DHS from AK and eat there.

Also, for T-Rex, call them directly for an ADR. They only release a few tables to Disney but you can call them and make a reservation directly with T-Rex.

[z2akids]

Originally Posted by SignMeUp

Yes, your Sunday needs some adjusting... if it's not an early EMH day (are you staying onsite to take advantage of EMH?), then you are wasting valuable park time inside the restaurant. The shows are what make AK hard to do in less than one day. If you don't care about seeing all the shows, then you may be able to squeeze it into less than a day, but you still don't want to waste 1-1/2 to 2 hours in a restaurant at that time of day. Then to get to Epcot for your 5:10 ADR, you'll need to be waiting for the Epcot bus by 3:45pm. Hope to arrive at Epcot by 4:30pm, go through the gates and trek to World Showcase to check in by 4:55pm for your ADR. And, sorry, but no way you will be done with your dinner, out of Epcot, through security/bag check/gates at DHS and into Fantasmic by the time it starts at 7pm . And that's even if you're seated right at 5:10... sometimes you still have to wait 15-20 minutes or longer to be seated even with an ADR. If you really want to see Fantasmic on this day, cancel Teppan Edo and go directly to DHS from AK and eat there.

Also, for T-Rex, call them directly for an ADR. They only release a few tables to Disney but you can call them and make a reservation directly with T-Rex.

Ooops, I meant IllumiNations, not Fantasmic. So, I was able to adjust my Sunday reservations:

8:20 at Tusker House (9am AK opening that day)
6:10 pm at Teppan Edo (9 pm IllumiNations that day)

Is that more doable?

Thanks everyone for the advice on calling T-Rex directly. I am going to take care of that today.

[SignMeUp]

Looks good! You'll be much happier with that.

[ktnryansmom]

we'll be there the same time as you and at POR also.

We're doing this:
AK: Tusker House
HS: Sci Fi Theater
MK: Crystal Palace & Liberty Tree
Epcot: Teppan Edo
MK: (again) BOG

Resort Meals:
Whispering Canyon
Ohana's
Kona's

Still filling in others, but those are my reservations for now