My ADRs are Complete (almost)! Experienced Advice?

[stephmarty]

After a lot of moving around and checking for cancellations, I have my ADRs together. I'd really like some feedback from those of you who have done this before. Every one of these restaurants is new to my family, except one. I feel pretty good, because I've utilized all of your advice from Disboards to make my selections. We are a family of five--three girls ages 8, 6 and 2. We'll be on the DDP with one TS per day.

So, here goes:

Sat, 4/3: Hollywood & Vine late lunch (Fantasmic Package)
Sun, 4/4: Donald's Safari Breakfast @ Tusker House
Mon, 4/5: Best Friends Breakfast @ 'Ohana
Tues, 4/6: Crystal Palace breakfast
Wed, 4/7: 'Ohana dinner OR Supercali breakfast
Thurs, 4/8: Le Cellier late lunch
Fri, 4/9: Cinderella's Royal Table early dinner
Sat, 4/10: Kona Cafe breakfast

I would especially like advice on our 4/7 plans--which one? And if it would be worth trying for dinner at Le Cellier, or is the lunch I have booked just as good? Thanks!! With everyone's help, I think I've put together a pretty good line-up!

 

[heatherandnick]

The only one on your list we have done is the Crystal Palace breakfast. Such a great time! The restaurant is beautiful and bright, the food delicious (puffed french toast!!!) and the service was perfect. If you have kids, the Pooh characters are cute. Also, it's awesome to walk down an almost empty Main Street (get a very early ADR if you can to be in the park before it officially opens - just make sure it's not an early EMH day).

We did Le Cellier for dinner and LOVED it! I have heard that lunch is very similar. The cheddar cheese soup is so yummy! Also, I got the filet but substituted mashed potatoes in for the mushroom whatever it came with (hate mushrooms). Our server was so great even though she was very busy.

Have fun!

 

[mkleinbe]

We did not enjoy Ohana dinner, but there are many people around who love it. I want to try the Supercali b'fast, so I vote for that. Other than that, I've dined at the restaurants you have, but for different meals.

 

[tami82]

the Akershus princess meal has many princesses and is only 1 table service whereas CRT is 2 so you may want to keep that in mind. I really loved Ohana and ate there twice last trip i highly recommend.
I noticed you have alot of breakfasts booked but keep in mind that eating a heavy meal early in the day may not be the best thing for everyone (for me i find i do better eating my bigger meals at dinner. The one morning we did do a breakfast made me very sluggish throughout the morning because i ate too much and the heat got to me and it just didnt mix - i actually wanted to go back to the hotel at one point) then again if you are a breakfast person that is great. Just my opinion.

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

Other than a few offerings and price, the difference between LeCellier lunch or dinner is the size of the steaks. Dinner offers larger cuts of meat.

 

[GatorLady]

I noticed you have alot of breakfasts booked but keep in mind that eating a heavy meal early in the day may not be the best thing for everyone (for me i find i do better eating my bigger meals at dinner. The one morning we did do a breakfast made me very sluggish throughout the morning because i ate too much and the heat got to me and it just didnt mix - i actually wanted to go back to the hotel at one point) then again if you are a breakfast person that is great. Just my opinion.

Another thing to think about with so many breakfasts. You are going at one of the busiest times of the year. Depending on what time your breakfasts are you could be taking away a lot of prime touring time.

We usually do one breakfast, maybe two, but schedule them as late as possible (more like a brunch). We do a quick "breakfast" in the room early each morning with things we bring with us and then a counter service for dinner. Otherwise you really have a meal that you need to fill in for, which you might not want to do for so many days since the idea of doing the DDP is to save yourself some money.

I love lots of the locations you have chosen and really enjoy breakfasts myself. (Yum!) I am just thinking of how it all fits into the bigger picture.

 

[tami82]

Plus when you book a lunch or do a counter service for lunch it gives you a nice needed break from the heat at the parks.

 

[stephmarty]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Some good things to consider. What did everyone like or dislike about dinner at 'Ohana?

With regard to bfst, we do enjoy that meal the most. But our biggest reason for choosing so many bfsts is for the character dining. I figure any time we lose at the parks having character bfsts is time I'll save not waiting in line to see them at the parks! Donald's Safari, Best Friends @ 'Ohana, and Supercali are bfst only, I believe? And I've read so many great reviews of the bfst at CP.

Thanks for the tip on Akershus. We've actually done that meal a couple of times and love it (especially the bfst ), but we decided we had to eat at the castle sometime while the girls are little. Now that the other princesses are at dinner, we're taking the plunge.

 

[GatorLady]

I do agree that character dining can help cut down on the time you might spend waiting in line to see the characters. Just remember (and I don't know since you haven't said) if most of your breakfasts are earlier in the morning, the time you save not waiting in line for characters, will be replaced with the time you spend waiting in line for rides. If you were going off-season this wouldn't be as big of an issue. Easter can be more crowded that some parts of the summer.

You are right that Safari, 'Ohana and Supercali are breakfast only
although the GF has a character dinner, but not with the same characters as Supercali, but most of the characters at Safari you could find at another character meal.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good breakfast, we do them too, it's just the timing issue that can make a big difference especially during holiday times.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[stephmarty]

OK. So the advice got me to thinking. I decided to book more dinner ADRs but kept my bfst ADRs for now. I figured we're going to end up paying OOP for a few meals over the 8 days anyway, since we have the Plus DDP. I figured I might as well use my DDP for the more expensive dinners and pay OOP for the bfsts if we do keep them all. I'll probably cancel the Supercali bfst, but would be hard to give up Best Friends @ 'Ohana, Safari, CP or Chef Mickey's (which I was able to get last night). But we picked up dinners at Whispering Canyon (our friends loved this, but don't read much on here--anyone?) and Liberty Tree Tavern.

Thanks so much for the advice everyone! You got me to thinking!

 

[AirGoofy]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Some good things to consider. What did everyone like or dislike about dinner at 'Ohana? :

We enjoyed the Ohana dinner. The meals are served family style (all you can eat but they bring it to the table). The food was really good, with an initial sample of all the food. Then, you could ask for "more" of one meat, or this, or that. They had a coconut rolling race that my dds enjoyed.

 

[djp0630]

We all loved Crystal Palace breakfast. We liked 'Ohana dinner and 1900 Park Fare. 'Ohana dinner is so much food! But it was really yummy. 1900 Park Fare was good, not my favorite though. I guess between the 2, I would choose 'Ohana dinner. Pooh & Tigger are at CP, but how does your kids feel about seeing Alice, Mad Hatter & Mary Poppins? We ate there to see Alice for DD.

 

[Trinity524]

We missed Crystal Palace last year and my hubbie asked for it by name this year... Seeing that he is a borderline mute, that spoke volumes.

 

[JenSop]

I'd agree with the poster who commented on so many breakfasts. But if that's your fave meal, then go for it.

We never use meal credits on breakfast unless we have leftover counter service or snacks. It's all about dinners for us!

We've enjoyed Ohana very much in the past, but on our last trip, the service was terrible. And you can't go wrong with Le Cellier. Every experience we've had that has been wonderful.