Help! I've way overbooked ADRs-not enough credits.

[pperfectmom]

I have gotten so excited about the DDP that I have booked way more ADR's than we have credits for. Unfortunately, I can't bear the thought of cancelling any and the OOP expense is going to be close to $100 if not more. DH doesn't know I've booked all these and the "Free" dining in Sept. is one of the only ways I got him to agree to a trip. Here's what I have:

Sunday-LC plan to use 2 TS and pay OOP for DD
Monday-CP same plan 2 TS, OOP DD
Tuesday-Spirit of Aloha 4 TS, OOP DD
Wednesday-Rainforest Cafe breakfast all OOP, Boma 2 TS, OOP DD
Thursday-CRT 4 TS, OOP DD
Friday-CS all the way
Saturday-CM 2 TS OOP DD, Coral Reef 2 TS OOP DD

What should I do? I guess I can cancel Rainforest Cafe, but their breakfast sounds really good. I don't really care too much about Coral Reef since the F & W booths will be getting our snack credits all day but that IS the one DH wants to go to. If I have to give up either SOA or CRT, I can't decide. They both sound fun. Also, I ordered matching outfits for the luau from Disney shopping. They were on sale ! I guess I can cancel Rainforest Cafe and eat CS for breakfast and then spend the money on the rest. I just hope DH won't be too . Every day he comes home and asks what changes I've made, but I really don't think he listens too closely.

 

[Lisa0503]

Well, I am no help for you since I am in a similar situation... We have 5 TS credits p/p and 8 TS ADRs (we will be paying OOP for 3 of them). It is all Disney's fault!!! They just have way too many awesome TS restaurants to choose from

 

[gigi1313]

i don't mean to rain on your parade (or start a big debate), but unless your dd is over 10, you may have problems w/your plan to pay for her oop and use her credits elsewhere... cms are cracking down on that... a friend was in wdw in may and she wanted to pay for both of her children (9yo and 12yo) to eat kids' meals at lecellier and primetime and she was made to use a credit for the 9yo and could only pay oop for a kids' meal for her 12yo, both times... so, her plan to save two credits from each of those meals resulted in her only saving one credit from each of those meals and had to pay for her child oop at hddr... if your dd is 10+ you may not have a problem...

 

[Janet-TX]

Another option is to split meals. Order water or pay OOP for the extra beverage, and split the meal. We plan to do this alot since we aren't use to appetiser, entree and dessert.

 

[JoiseyMom]

I have gotten so excited about the DDP that I have booked way more ADR's than we have credits for. Unfortunately, I can't bear the thought of cancelling any and the OOP expense is going to be close to $100 if not more. DH doesn't know I've booked all these and the "Free" dining in Sept. is one of the only ways I got him to agree to a trip. Here's what I have:

Sunday-LC plan to use 2 TS and pay OOP for DD
Monday-CP same plan 2 TS, OOP DD
Tuesday-Spirit of Aloha 4 TS, OOP DD
Wednesday-Rainforest Cafe breakfast all OOP, Boma 2 TS, OOP DD
Thursday-CRT 4 TS, OOP DD
Friday-CS all the way
Saturday-CM 2 TS OOP DD, Coral Reef 2 TS OOP DD

What should I do? I guess I can cancel Rainforest Cafe, but their breakfast sounds really good. I don't really care too much about Coral Reef since the F & W booths will be getting our snack credits all day but that IS the one DH wants to go to. If I have to give up either SOA or CRT, I can't decide. They both sound fun. Also, I ordered matching outfits for the luau from Disney shopping. They were on sale ! I guess I can cancel Rainforest Cafe and eat CS for breakfast and then spend the money on the rest. I just hope DH won't be too . Every day he comes home and asks what changes I've made, but I really don't think he listens too closely.

I read that for the dinner shows and CRT, that you either have to pay all OOP or all credits, and you can't split it.

 

[Sweedee]

Here's what I have:

Sunday-LC plan to use 2 TS and pay OOP for DD
Monday-CP same plan 2 TS, OOP DD
Tuesday-Spirit of Aloha 4 TS, OOP DD
Wednesday-Rainforest Cafe breakfast all OOP, Boma 2 TS, OOP DD
Thursday-CRT 4 TS, OOP DD
Friday-CS all the way
Saturday-CM 2 TS OOP DD, Coral Reef 2 TS OOP DD

What should I do? I guess I can cancel Rainforest Cafe, but their breakfast sounds really good. I don't really care too much about Coral Reef since the F & W booths will be getting our snack credits all day but that IS the one DH wants to go to. If I have to give up either SOA or CRT, I can't decide. They both sound fun. Also, I ordered matching outfits for the luau from Disney shopping. They were on sale

If it were me, I would cancel the Rainforest Cafe. I would also cancel CRT as well since you already have the outfits for Spirit of Aloha dinner.

 

[LisaDKG]

If the Rainforest Cafe is anything like the one in DL, it would be more than ok to give it a miss...

I have to say I am in the same boat with too many TS meals.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I have gotten so excited about the DDP that I have booked way more ADR's than we have credits for. Unfortunately, I can't bear the thought of cancelling any and the OOP expense is going to be close to $100 if not more. DH doesn't know I've booked all these and the "Free" dining in Sept. is one of the only ways I got him to agree to a trip. Here's what I have:

Sunday-LC plan to use 2 TS and pay OOP for DD
Monday-CP same plan 2 TS, OOP DD
Tuesday-Spirit of Aloha 4 TS, OOP DD
Wednesday-Rainforest Cafe breakfast all OOP, Boma 2 TS, OOP DD
Thursday-CRT 4 TS, OOP DD
Friday-CS all the way
Saturday-CM 2 TS OOP DD, Coral Reef 2 TS OOP DD

What should I do? I guess I can cancel Rainforest Cafe, but their breakfast sounds really good. I don't really care too much about Coral Reef since the F & W booths will be getting our snack credits all day but that IS the one DH wants to go to. If I have to give up either SOA or CRT, I can't decide. They both sound fun. Also, I ordered matching outfits for the luau from Disney shopping. They were on sale ! I guess I can cancel Rainforest Cafe and eat CS for breakfast and then spend the money on the rest. I just hope DH won't be too . Every day he comes home and asks what changes I've made, but I really don't think he listens too closely.

I take it you have 7 nights and 3 people for a total of 21 credits from your post?

Cancel Rainforest Cafe. It''s nothing special.
Cancel CRT. Add 1900 Park Faire Dinner. (cinderella's Gala Feast.)
Cancel Coral Reef.

That leaves you with LC 3
CP 3
Aloha 6
Boma 3
1900 3
CM 3

That's 21 credits with NOTHING out of your pocket.

I've moved one of your two credits to a one credit, but DD still gets to see Cinderella. I've eliminated rainforest and I've eliminated Coral Reef and you now are spending nothing out of pocket. If you want to eliminate CM instead of CR, you could do that too.

Trust me. It's a ton of food as it is and you will have a ton of fun with these.
enjoy.

#############edit##########
The OP has 18 credits to use, not 21. But paying for the child at aloha and one other in my 21 credit plan above reduces about $200 out of pocket to less than $40 and uses only 18 credits.

To reduce the oop expense to zero, I might think of eliminating the review and replacing it with Ohana. It has activities and the outfits could be worn there too. If I kept the review, I'd eliminate the character meal on the list with the least appeal if I wanted to get it to zero.
################ end edit############

 

[Sonno]

I'd nix the Spirit of Aloha, it's not really all that. And definitely chop the Rainforest Cafe', both the food and service just down right suck.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

pay OOP for CP and just lose Spirit of ALoha, MY OP only we didn't like it at all.

 

[pperfectmom]

Thanks for all the advice. Actually, we just have 18 TS credits for 6 nights. I think I will just keep all ADR's for now and hope for a financial windfall. That way we can just plan to pay for RFC and CRT OOP. As long as I cancel CRT with 48 hours notice we won't have to pay anything. I'm still debating whether I even want to do it or not. I'm just afraid that we won't have another chance to get back to WDW while the kids are still young enough to believe in the magic. There are so many other trips I'd like to take including a really big, most likely expensive one to the 2010 Winter Olympics. I figure that may be a once in a lifetime chance, also. I know. I know. I dream really big! I drive my DH absolutely nuts. Keep the advice coming and I'll keep trying to figure out the pros and cons.

 

[patsal]

I tend to agree with Cannot wait-- CRT was not all that and we really enjoyed the dinner at 1900 Park Fair much more. The mice were very playful and we were not rushed at all as compared to CRT. We enjoyed the Luau--though we may be in the minority--the food was good and plentiful, the drinks were as well and the show was very nice. Especially if you have outfits for this, I'd keep it. RFC is not a unique to WDW only restaurant and the food is mediocre at best as well as the service. One in five times I've had a great server and delicious food--I usually have gift cards that relatives buy for an occasion so we use those in tandem with the DVC discount so it isn't so very expensive for us to eat there, but if I were in a position of losing things so I had no OOP expenses this would be it.

 

[mom2alix]

Gotta agree with the others, CRT was not worth 2 credits for sure (we paid OOP). Either do 1900 Park Fare or Akershus at Epcot for princesses and save the credits. You'll probably get better character interaction too. CRT has gone downhill. Another option would be to pay OOP for this breakfast. Since you pay in advance, you'd have it all paid off BEFORE your trip and that might go a long way toward keeping DH happy.

You could also switch SOA for Ohanas and still use your outfits. The food is better at Ohanas and I think it's more fun with kids since it's really interactive, rather than watching a show. We learned to hula, they had coconut races, etc. It was a blast!

Rain Forest Cafe is a skip for me too, but we have one a few hours away in KC so the kids have been several times. If you sign up with My Points, you could probably earn a $25 GC to RF by Sep that would almost pay for your breakfast. That might keep DH from getting too upset.

 

[SLM]

I agree RFC is not as good as some of your other choices-just a thought-we've been to WDW in September and it can be very hot-we never eat two TS meals in one day, it's too much food-especially in all that heat-and you're spending alot of time in restaurants instead of the parks. And remember, don't stress-you will have a great trip!

 

[Microcell]

We have a Rainforest right here in Kansas City and I will not go. Food is average at best.

If you live anywhere in the middle of the country take a roadtrip here sometime if you want to go there!

 

[DWDreams]

I would just switch SOA for Ohana to save 2 credits. I'm sure you'll love dinner there, it's really interactive and fun. After you can maybe walk down to the beach and take in the water parade and watch the fireworks. You guys will look fantastic in the outfits! Aside from that, I'd skip the RF Cafe to save OOP money as it really isn't all that great. If you really want breakfast that day, take the 2 credits from SOA and use for Donalds Breakfast at AK. If it were me, though, I'd skip a TS breakfast that day since you have Boma later and then use the 2 credits for a TS meal on Friday.

My only other caution is to be sure you aren't planning to use your DD's TS credits if she's under 10. If she is, they'll only be good for childrens meals.

 

[pperfectmom]

I've pretty much decided to skip Rainforest Cafe and CRT. I also swiched CM to Breakfast on a different day. Now, I think we have enough credits except for one buffet that we'll pay oop. We will just use 2 TS credits at LC and CR and share with the kids. I'm sure we should have enough to go around and it's not like we'll be fasting all day beforehand . If the kids want to share their own dessert it should only be about $5 so that's not too bad. Thanks again for the advice and for everyone who thinks we should go to 'Ohana, I agree that it sounds great and we will do it next time(maybe 10 years but there will be a next time). I just have my heart set on a luau since I'm pretty sure I may never get to Hawaii.