Fill My Plate With Food, or You Wanna Order For Me?

[Taggart]

HAHA. I'm a "compulsive planner" as well. I know how it is and planning is part of the excitement for me.

Trust me, at MK, Liberty Tree Tavern is definitely the way to go. The lunch menu is awesome with the two best dishes being the meatloaf of the William Tell Penne Pasta. For dinner, Liberty Tree turns into a character dining serving a Thanksgiving feast of Stouffers items. It's a pretty good deal and one of the best character dining locations. Get reservations quick, however!

Best of luck!

[captsmith84]

Food is good.

[DiSnEyFrEaK21]

the sci fi is really fun.. i had the steak i think....
ive eaten at alfredos in italy.. the fettuccini alfredo was yummy..
oh ya dont forget about the dole whip floats... the line isnt as bad as disneylands.

[captsmith84]

Dole Whips are over-rated.

[DiSnEyFrEaK21]

Originally Posted by Bill

Yeah, but you can't eat them in the Tiki Room like you can at Disneyland.

sad.... but true bill!

[winniepooh]

My best advise on dining at WDW would be The chicken at Tusker House AK, and Bistro Des Paris at Epcot (in fact we loved that place so much we went back for a second dinner) They have a dessert plate to die for!
The most amazing dinner EVER was at Victoria & Alberts where we had the chefs table. But that is only recommended of you dont have kids.
We have a fine dinner at Mama Melroses at MGM and an ok Dinner at the Plaza at MK.
If you like Sushi. The Swan (or dolphin cant remember) had a great sushi restaurent.

[Barbaraann]

I have not booked a package with Disney since my first visit there in 1997. I don''t like the cancellation penalties involved with a package. A room only reservation can be held with one night's deposit, and I don't pay the balance until I check in.

I am traveling with 8 other people. My reservation is separate from the 2 other families, who each have their own reservation. The 2 other families, by the way, are using the dining plan.

I made my reservations by calling Disney, and asking for the AAA discount. I know that I could have gotten the Dining Plan, if I called AAA directly. Then again, they also come with penalties for cancelling a package.

I still have days on my last year 10 day parkhopper. I am definitely parkhopping for 4 days. Annual passes are quite expensive. I purchased a new 4 day parkhopper.

I may only visit the parks 6 of my 9 days and I can visit as many as 8, because I have that many days between my old pass, and my new one.

So the cost of my new pass, my room reservations, and what I figured would be my cost for food (without the dining plan) is still cheaper than a Disney Package with the Dining Plan. I got quotes, and I checked it out.

Believe me, this compulsive planner figured it all out mathematically before buying anything.

[mrcoaster]

I'm throwing this out there not necessarily for you, Barbaraann, but for anybody else who's curious or on the fence about such dining things. Obviously, you've planned it to the hilt and I'm sure you'll have a great time.

The Dining Plan is good, but I've found that buying an Annual Pass can be great for WDW for even just 5-6 days a year. The last time I stayed at WDW, I stayed in a Wilderness Lodge room for $149/night that was normally $279/night. Throw in the AP dining experience card that gives you 20% off most restaurants and the AP pretty much paid for itself AND created additional food savings every time we ate. It also gave us reasons to head back sooner than later since admission was no longer a worry. A lot of people don't know about the Dining Experience card that you can get as a FL resident or AP holder and it's 20% savings can often beat the Dining Plan depending on your eating habits.

Can't wait to hear how the trip goes for you and we'll definitely want to hear your restaurant reviews. I definitely like to eat at a nice sitdown restaurant once a day at WDW.

[Barbaraann]

I have been entertaining getting an Annual Pass for years. I keep hearing such good things about it. How it mostly will save you on rooms, is my greatest interest in it. I guess I am timid about buying one, and then not perhaps using it correctly to get the discounts that I know are out there. I guess it's like anything. I just need to do my research.

What I probably should do, is make sure I use up all my days on my old pass, and then start anew on my next trip. I am trying to get my husband to go to WDW next summer. If I purchase an Annual Pass, I don't need to activate it until I go, right. Can I still get the discounts with a pass I haven't activated. Does everyone eating with you on that special dining card have to have an annual pass?

[Hamlet Schmalzbach]

Sorry to get off the topic...but this annual pass stuff is so confusing. I assumed, and I know I should not do this, that the only ones who could get an annual pass were those who live in FL. But I see that some of you, who live outside of FL, have them. OK, so if anyone is eligible to get an annual pass, how much are they? Yea...this could be another forum...but I see you can also use this pass for food discounts. I have a close friend who lives in Orlando and I'm planning to visit her in the fall. We always go out for dinner, and this forum is helping me in the choice I am trying to make. Thanks for the help.

[mrcoaster]

Theme Park Annual Passes for WDW are $415 for age 9 and up. Less about $60 or so if you're a FL resident. There's a premium AP that is $120 more that includes waterpark admissions, but I don't go to the water parks often enough to ever purchase that as an extra.

Barbaraann, you are correct that if you buy the AP online or outside of WDW, Orlando airport, local malls, etc. OUTSIDE of those areas, you will get a voucher and your one year clock does not start ticking until you've activated it. Once you do activate it, you can get the Disney Dining Experience card at the AP rate of $60 - that then entitles you to a savings of 20% at 70 or so park and hotel restaurants (certainly most of the major ones you can think of). The discount is valid for up to a party of six people. Then there's 10% off a number of other dining locations. You can find all the Disney Dining Experience info on what restaurants are included and what discounts at: http://allearsnet.com/pl/apass.htm

Depending on when you go, the hotel discounts can be quite good. Deluxe Resort rooms can be had for nearly half price for places like AKL and WL. Not quite as steep a discount for the Monorail resorts, but something like Coronado Springs can be had occasionally for $79 or so. It depends on the time of year. Once you get the AP, you can look up discounts online at WDW's official site by logging in with your AP # and browsing reservations dates. Sometimes they have specials available that you can see advertised on the site. You can also just call WDW reservations and ask what their AP rates are for certain hotels on certain dates.

It's not necessarily the best answer for everybody, but for me the AP has definitely been the way to go, since I usually pay for the extra money spent on the pass in savings on hotel, restaurants, and merchandise...just in one visit. With the 20% discount, just going to 'Ohana for example, an $85 bill became a $68 bill. Do that at each meal twice a day for five days (we usually eat breakfast in our rooms...just muffins, bagels and such), and it's easy to see the savings add up.

[MandaBella]

Originally Posted by Hamlet Schmalzbach

Sorry to get off the topic...but this annual pass stuff is so confusing. I assumed, and I know I should not do this, that the only ones who could get an annual pass were those who live in FL. But I see that some of you, who live outside of FL, have them. OK, so if anyone is eligible to get an annual pass, how much are they?

Anyone can get an Annual Pass. The price you pay will be dependant on where you live and what discounts are available to you. I live in the mid-atlantic and am on my second Premium Annual Pass. And because of DVC, I only paid $340.91 for my pass instead of $574.05. Gotta love DVC perks!

For a list of various tickets prices (it's overwhelming!), click on this link:
http://www.allearsnet.com/pl/ticketchart.htm

Originally Posted by Bill

Also, I'm amazed that you're not visiting Artist Point... it's rated as one of the best Fine Dining Restaurants in the world.

This is a very good place to dine. The buffalo, smoky portobello soup, and cobbler here are wonderful. However if you want a better signature dining experience, I recommend Jiko or CA Grill before Artist Point.

[Stitchy]

but DON'T eat at 50's Prime Time Cafe in the Studios

I was planning on eating there while we were in MGM....what's wrong with it? It looks like fun. And is the Sci Fi place the one were you sit in the cars like at a drive through theater? We never eat at sit down restaurants...takes too much time...why waste time eating, when you can be riding?? So, I'm reading this for tips too.

[MandaBella]

Originally Posted by Stitchy-poo

I was planning on eating there while we were in MGM....what's wrong with it? It looks like fun. And is the Sci Fi place the one were you sit in the cars like at a drive through theater?

I know a LOT of people who really enjoy 50's Prime Time Cafe. They go regularly. It so far hasn't appealed to me, so I have not been as a I prefer The Hollywood Brown Derby when doing table service in MGM. I hear the fried chicken, meatloaf, and the smores are reall good here at 50's. One thing about the 50's that sort of puts me off from trying it is the CMs schtick there. I'm not sure I want to be mock scolded for eating or not eating certain foods.

Sci Fi Dine In is the place where you sit in cars like a drive in movie theater. It's pretty much atmosphere here instead of food. They also have normal tables in the back if you don't want to sit in the cars.

Originally Posted by Stitchy-poo

We never eat at sit down restaurants...takes too much time...why waste time eating, when you can be riding??

Because there is a hell of a lot more to Walt Disney World than running from attraction to attraction. However if you're main focus in visiting WDW is rides, then doing table service would probably slow you down too much. Dining is a very important part of any vacation I take.

[Barbaraann]

mrcoaster, I really appreciate all of the information that you have included about the Annual Pass. I am really going to think about doing that next year, if I indeed get my husband, and grandson to vacation at WDW.

The 3 of us were at WDW in August of 1997, and I have been trying to get my husband back there ever since. I have returned with my grandson, and his mom, the last 3 years, and this year I am in a room by myself traveling with 2 other families. My trip coincides with the week my grandson is spending time at Cedar Point with his dad. I am happy to say that my grandson and I are traveling to Disneyland together in August.

Back to the Annual Pass. I really think that when we make our plans next year, I am going to purchase an Annual Pass for myself. I understand that my husband and grandson, then would only need a Magic Your Way Ticket. I definitely want to stay either at the Wilderness Lodge, or the Polynesian. We stayed at the Polynesian in 1997. My husband loved the boat ride across Seven Seas Lagoon.

I have one more question. How many rooms can you get at the discount? I have read that you can book 2. Is this correct? Also, is this considered a "room only reservation", and what are the cancellation policies?

I really appreciate anyones replies on these questions.

As you can see, I am a compulsive planner, and I am always thinking ahead to my next trip.

Thanks again.