What???? No Dining Plan...Are you Crazy Mom??? - Our Dining Experiment

I want thinking about the character meals which we want to do most nights with a 4 year old. Those take 2 credits correct?

I haven't been to WDW in years, so most of this is based on my planning and research. I haven't eaten at any of these places - but there are a lot of reviews on the Restaurant section of these forums.

You may be okay with the regular dining plan as most of the Character meals are 1 credit for each person. You could use your 1 Table service credit for the Character meals, then use the Quick Service credit on the go.

The one Character meal(s) I can think of off hand that takes 2 credits for each person is Cinderella's Castle - if you do this one, you may need to buy a meal or two Out-of-Pocket and save up the Table service credits! If anyone in your party has their heart set on princess characters, the suggested alternatives that only cost 1 table service credit are are: Akershus Royal dining (Norway in Epcot) or 1900 Park Fare (Grand Floridian). Just keep in mind that 1900 Park Fare only has Cinderella for Dinner, and it's Mary Poppins for Breakfast. Another place that has different sets of characters for Breakfast and Dinner is Hollywood and Vine (Hollywood Studios).
 
Just a suggestion for you gift card issue. Instead of getting Disney gift cards, just get prepaid visa/mc. You can use those anywhere at Disney and you can use them outside of Disney. Of course, if you are getting the Disney gcs at a discount, this wouldn't work. I buy Disney gcs at Sam's club and save maybe $6 or $7 after shipping is added in (they don't have them in our local store). Being able to use the visa/MC outside of DW might make it worth not saving that $6. We have been going to WDW for so many years we've tried most of the different type of dining plans and now go out of pocket because the dining plans just don't suit our style of eating. We like TS but on our terms, we don't book ADRs in advance, just when we are walking around the parks and there are days when we just snack around WS all day long and don't even eat a formal meal. I'm a small eater so even at TS it's usually an appetizer and a salad for me and neither me nor my son eats a lot of dessert nor do we drink soft drinks. No way could I eat QS every meal, although when I do I don't eat nuggets or hamburgers and I normally get a kid's meal, again not to save money but because I'm a small eater.
 
Thanks for this thread. We just got back from a trip where we had booked DxDDP but then a stomach flu went through the family one by one. Consequently, we wasted a lot of money and are thinking of OOP next time.
 
WOW...I've been MIA a while!

Time has been flying by so fast and we've been so busy!

Nutcracker was awesome and I know she's my kid and all but she truly was THE BEST Clara we've had in the five years we've been there! It was a joy to watch her on that stage for seven shows...she's a natural and loved every minute of it!

Our Holiday Inn Express & Suites we stayed at for five nights however, not so awesome! I am very disappointed and upset at their lack of compassion. I will never return to the Hillside, Illinois location and I think Holiday Inn would have to be the last place with vacancies for me to stay there again!

But I need to get on with this TR. I still have not done my photo pass pics either.

We do have some good news though! Skye's dance teams travel every other year. 2017 is a travel year. We have never travelled with them though because it is always on a bad year for us. This year should work out. The coach was talking about doing a cruise out of Louisiana and a clinic with the Saints Cheerleaders but found it is actually cheaper to sail our of Florida and dance at Universal instead! Now, when we were doing Louisiana, I was trying to sneak in Disney (In mean we're so close, how could we not!) but now, she's practically placed us RIGHT THERE! So it sounds like we are getting 3 nights at Portofino Bay at Universal, 3or 4 night cruise, and we are trying to add 4-5 nights at Disney before or after. I am leaning towards before because after runs over 4th of July and it will be sightly more crowded but cost is about the same it looks like. However, discounts may not be available over 4th of July so I am still checking into that! But we should be back in about 6 months!!! I GET TO PLAN AGAIN!!!! I am thinking of planning a sit down for lunch and dinner and ordering what we want and paying out of pocket...maybe with gift cards. It will take a lot of patience form me though to NOT count every penny we're spending though...but for 4-5 nights, I don't know what we want to spend time eating three meals a day or we may not do signature dining...so the DXDDP sounds like a little much. And we all know how this dining report is going to end, I'm sure...so we do not want to have to do all counter service. Plus, from what I remember/know of Universal, we will be doing mostly, if not all, counter service type meals there.

Gotta get past Christmas before I can really start concentrating on this though...and getting this DR done!
 


Columbia Harbour House

It was 11am and we were hungry. We headed to Columbia Harbour House. There was only a few other people in there since it had just opened. We grabbed a menu while waiting for the people in front of us to complete their order. We had some discussion about sharing drinks again. UGH! But the cashier heard us and told us we could get one free refill on our large drink. This sounded odd to me but what do I know??? So we ordered and the kids and I headed upstairs for our favorite table.

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We got 3 chicken breast nuggets and fish meals...served with coleslaw and steamed fresh vegetables, apple slices or french fries...they all chose fries (and we were only charged for two of these and one fish platter???).

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They all liked their food. We actually probably could have done with only two because everyone left stuffed and we took some away with us! Nothing was greasy and everything tasted fresh.

I had the Lobster Roll with potato chips...

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That's a lot of meat. I loved this sandwich. Normally I get the tuna sandwich here but I was glad I chose this one this time! I am not crazy about chips to start with but they were ok. Skye ate a lot of them though and I ate more of her fries.

They all came with a little cup of coleslaw too...

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I am not a lover of coleslaw but I tried it and it wasn't bad. Cary liked it but the rest went to the garbage can...the kids wouldn't think of touching it. I keep trying to get Skye to try it because she loved purple cabbage in a salad but so far, not gonna happen.

We also ordered a large coke and a large sprite.

All in all, we had a great meal with a lot of food, even some to snack on later. It was not crowded when we arrived but was starting to get that way by the time we left.

As we were leaving Cary went to get our refills and was told they did not do that. That's what I though but the cashier told us we could get them. Cary told that CM that and she yelled to the cashier who agreed that she did say that so we walked out with refills. I don't know why she told us we did. She did not have an "earning my ears" tag on...maybe she was just pixie dusting us because she heard me trying to convince them we'd be ok sharing but since she was not the one who would be giving the refill it was kind of an odd thing to promise. In the end it worked out but still...

Our total here was $57.03. That's a lot for CS food in the real world but it was a lot of food and we're not in the real world so...


TOTAL : $57.03
TOTAL so far... $202.62
 
Everything Pop

We decided ice cream sounded good so we stopped at Everything Pop.

We decided to share an Everything Pop Sundae...six flavors of ice cream and multiple toppings.

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It had ice cream, gummy worms, bananas, marshmallows, M&Ms, crumbled cookies, brownies and pop tarts topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce with a cherry on top! Who woulda though throwing everything you had laying around the kitchen on top of ice cream would be a good thing?!?!?! Well it was a very good thing! Skye moaned a bit about sharing as she had her own ideas in mind but she ended up pleased with the end result. We were the first one made of the day. Everyone loved it...there was something for everyone in it!

We would order this again in a heart beat!


TOTAL : $11.39
TOTAL so far... $214.01



 
Landscape of Flovor

We walked over to Art of Animation from Pop for dinner at Landscape of Flavor. I had heard great things about the food here and when we checked it out the day before it sounded intriguing.


It was a bit crowded but not too crazy. We took a while looking around at the offerings that night and all made our decisions...which mostly ended up being in different places of course!

Cary got the Barbeque Pork Sandwich...shredded pork on a bun with chipotle barbecue sauce with choice of two sides...both of which he got as Caesar Salad...

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The bun the sandwich was on was hard as a rock when they handed it to him so he asked if he could have a different one and they just handed him another bun. OK??? He really liked the sandwich once he put the meat on the soft bun and he and Skye loved the salads anywhere they got them!

Tyler got the Meatball Sandwich...on Ciabatta with choice of two sides...which he chose chips and Caesar salad for Skye. He did not like any of the other sides and knew he didn't need that many chips. He loved his sandwich. Huge meatballs and a lot of cheese. The bun was soft. He did end up needing a fork because it was messy to eat. He also got a cinnamon roll (which it does not look like he was charged for). He has not met a cinnamon roll he has not liked so it was good.

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I got the Tandoori Chicken ... with Naan bread, eggplant, multigrain rice, and greens.

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This was really good! And different...especially got a CS venue. The chicken was tender and there was enough of it under the piece of Naan. The Naan was soft and warm. The eggplant was cooked perfectly and I could easily scrape it out of the shell. The rice and greens were really flavorful. Usually I can take or leave multigrain rice but this was really good. And I don't usually get greens because no one else will eat them. Cary tried my chicken but otherwise I did not have to worry about anyone else wanting to share...this is not their thing! But it was mine. I would live to try Saana some day but I fear no one else will eat if we go there...they are so weird! But this is definitely something I would love to get again.

Skye decided on the Kid's Mac & Cheese with grapes, a chocolate chip cookie and a fruit punch.

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The mac & cheese was a baked variety with bread crumbs on top, They asked her if she wanted the rest of the crumbs that had fallen into the pan because she had the last serving in the pan and she had them put them in a cup for her. She is a mac & cheese connoisseurs and this was different than the regular soupy mac & cheese (she loves that kind too) and she was very happy. Cary tasted it and said it was really good!

We used our mugs to get pop...which of course Cary and Tyler fought about.

We had a great meal at Landscape of Flavor and would return anytime we are at Pop or in the area for sure!

TOTAL : $40.11
TOTAL so far... $254.12
 


Everything Pop

So we got back to Pop and headed to Everything Pop for a snack. Tyler took off Pokemoning while Cary and Skye grabbed snacks. We ended up with a sugar cookie for me and Skye to share...


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and a Cherry Tart for Cary...

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Sugar cookies are probably my favorite and this one was good...but I could have liked some milk. Cary's tart was really good! He and I really likes it. Skye doesn't eat stuff like that!

TOTAL = $8.29
TOTAL so far ... $262.41
 
Starring Rolls

After that we were a little early for our next fast passes so we headed up to Starring Rolls for some breakfast.

We ended up woth an M&M brownie (Skye)...

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A Napoleon (me)...

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A Butterfinger Cupcake (Ty)...

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And a Cheese Danish (Cary)...

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And two apple juices. Tyler would carry 4 frozen waters each day in his backpack. Skye loved her brownie but it was very huge and very chocolaty so she could not finish it...and we did not even try to carry it with us, with the heat it would have been an absolute mess by later! Cary loved his Danish but what's not to like? It was one of the freshest cheese danish I have ever tasted! My Napoleon was really good and light. Cary liked it too! And Tyler made a good dent in his cupcake but didn't finish. And that's saying something because he's not really a chocolate cake kid. We were able to grab a table for four just as someone else got up but it didn't have an umbrella so only two of the seats were in the shade of the building but at least we could sit to enjoy our food. It was quite crowded out there. And I know you are all wondering why the cinnamon roll freak didn't get a cinnamon roll right? Well, they were out of them!!!! He almost has a two year old style melt down! They were not sure when they would have more. He was not happy. He liked his cupcake but would have preferred a cinnamon roll. I thought it odd that on a Sunday morning in July they would be out of cinnamon rolls so early. But we enjoyed our breakfast sugar.

TOTAL = $24.76
TOTAL so far ... $287.17
 
Wolfgang Puck Express

We headed over to The Marketplace for lunch at Wolfgang Puck Express. Our order was placed at 2:25pm.


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We ordered and grabbed a nice window seat after we got our drinks (we each got our own this time)...

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It was not very crowded at all and it was nice and cool inside so we did not venture to an outside table. Our food was brought out in about 10 minutes.

I ordered the Margherita Pizza...Fresh Mozzarella, plum Tomatoes, Basil.


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It was super good! The idea was for me and Skye to share. This pizza might have been my favorite in all of Disney!

Skye for the Caesar Salad...Parmesan, Tomato Crostini, Caesar Dressing.

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I of course got the Tomato Crostini and it was super good Bruschetta on there! It was a basic salad but between that and the pizza, it was plenty to share for us and not too bad a meal on the health meter.

Tyler and Cary both got the Spaghetti & Chicken Meatballs...with Basil, Parmesan.

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It was a huge portion and the meatballs were giant. The last time we had this here (a very long time ago) we had one big mush of a meatball in the middle of the pasta and it was disgusting! Like maybe not cooked all the way??? This time it was a few meatballs and they were well formed and cooked all the way. Tyler is a recent meatball lover and he scarfed them down and loved them. Didn't even realize they were chicken. Both of the guys practically licked their plates. And wouldn't let us have any!

We took our time eating and it gradually got a bit more crowded as we sat there. We had our drinks refilled a few times (a waiter comes around asking if you need refills or anything else).

We absolutely loved our meal here and we will come back I am sure.

Our total for this meal was $69.55 so not a cheap counter service but really not much more than our Everything Pop meal on arrival day but a much, much better one in quality and quantity!



Total : $69.55
TOTAL so far...$356.72
 
Ghiradelli

So at 4:44pm we stopped at Ghirardelli for ice cream...


We got a 2 scoop goblet with mint chocolate chip and just plain chocolate chip and one with cookie dough and cookies and cream to split.

It was stupid crowded in there with people hijacking tables and chairs all over the place. We managed to find one tiny table squished in the corner that had three chairs at it. Skye sat on my knee and we watched a fight almost happen when a very large family snagged all the chairs that were free but did it including form a table someone was sitting at and saving for the rest of their family without even asking if they could take it. This place to too little for the crowds it gets. I assume they figure people get it and keep walking but a lot of their menu would not be conducive to eating on the go so I don't know what they were thinking making that place with so little seating area.

I though I had pictures but if not, you all know what ice cream looks like. They were large scoops so it was plenty for all of us to share...although I did get some feed back about sharing again!

Total... $13.95
TOTAL so far...$370.67
 
Superstar Catering

At 6:30pm we stumbled upon Superstar Catering (a food truck) and decided to munch.
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The kids and I were able to grab a small table near the ledge. These are bar height tables with no chairs but up near the high cement ledge for some seating. And they are right with great views!

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Cary got an Angry Orchard to drink and the rest of us were bottled Coke and Sprite (plus water we brought with us).

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You can see Skye's cool Coke bag...she loved it and still has it in her room I think.

Cary and I shared the Zingy Mojo Pulled Pork.

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OMG! This was one of the best things we ate the whole trip! It's yellow rice, beans, pulled pork, sour cream, diced avocado, tomatoes, and green onions. It was all perfect and we had no problem cleaning that tray!

The kids shared a Pepperoni Flatbread.

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This was actually really good too! And just big enough to share for a snack.

You can see Tyler's fuel rod on the table in that pic. I don't think I mentioned this. I had heard about these before our trip so this was something he got as soon as we arrived...hunting Pokémon really drains your battery! And even though we have at least two other external battery chargers, he loved this. Whenever he was low, he'd charge his phone then when we were near an exchange pod, he'd change it out for a full one. There are not nearly enough places to do that at yet but for the most part they were convenient. A lot of times if it wasn't close to where we were, he'd go off and exchange it and then meet up with us. The only trouble we had was in Disney Springs where one pod wasn't working and even the people working did not know what to do since they don't actually own the machines. But for the most part, it was well worth the money. Oh, and speaking of money, you need a credit card to get it from the machine.


Anyway, back to our snack. We took our time and relaxed for a while while eating. We really enjoyed this food too. I would highly recommend this place. It did take about 15 minutes from order to being called to pick up our food though. I assume things are mostly made to order because everything was super hot and fresh. Not like it had been sitting around waiting for someone to take it out from under the heat lamp.

TOTAL...$36.00
TOTAL so far... $406.67
 
Sprinkles

And we stumbled upon Sprinkles...


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While we love cupcakes, that wasn't the only draw...this was...

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The line was slow moving but we waited. It was probably 15-20 minutes. We looked at the options available thru the ATM and made out choices.

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And since I was so bad at taking notes I don't know what they were. I think Tyler's was Red Velvet, Cary's was strawberry (maybe), and I know Skyler's was a Sprinkle (which was white cake with white frosting completely covered with sprinkles!). No one ate them at the time but We all dug into Cary's later that evening. It was really good. We put the other two in the fridge and ate the other two the next day. Skyler's was really good and my favorite of the three. I am not big on red velvet but Tyler loved it so he enjoyed his. I don't have my receipt from the ATM here but each cupcake was just over $5.

It was a fun novelty getting a cupcake form an ATM machine. Now we've done it I would go back for sure but I'd probably drag them away form the ATM and head insude to see what other sugary delights are on the offer!

We added the cupcakes to Skye's Coke bag and headed on.

TOTAL : $16.00
TOTAL so far...$422.67
 
Everything Pop


After a long day at Hollywood Studios and Disney SPrings Cary and Skye went to Everything Pop for food.

They came back with a family sized pepperoni pizza. Ya, at this point I am surprised they haven't turned into pizza but they love it! It took about 15 minutes to get the pizza but they just sat and watched cartoons in the dining area till they were called.


I don't have a pic but I am sure you know what it looked like. It was decent pizza and obviously it filled them up.

They checked out at 9:09pm.

TOTAL : $16.50
TOTAL so far...$439.17
 
Oop...that was meant for the trip report not the dining report...it's been that kind of a day!
 
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