Disney...Dining

I've had this post mostly written for over a month now, and I just haven't gotten up the gumption to finish it.  So, here it is in all it's unedited glory...

We went with the basic Disney Dining Plan.  You buy this as part of your package when you book your vacation.  The basic plan allow one table service meal, one quick service meal and one snack per person per night of stay.  So we had 35 of each kind of credit.  You can use these credits in any order you want, and as many per day as you want.  So, if we had wanted to load up on ice cream bars the first day we were there, we could have used up all our snack credits and done so.  My kids would have been happy with this approach.

Notes on Table Service Meals:
Unlike the olden days (you know, back when I was a kid), you have to make reservations for your table service meals.  Or you're out of luck.  Like several disgruntled people I saw in the parks.  Really disgruntled. The choices we made for table service meals were: Kouzzina by Cat Cora on the Boardwalk (supper), Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom (lunch), Tusker House in Animal Kingdom (lunch), Teppan Edo in the Japanese Pavilion at Epcot Center (lunch), Restaurant Marrakesh in the Moroccan Pavilion at Epcot Center (supper), and the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at the Polynesian Resort (supper).

In order to chose our restaurants, we had everyone go through a list and rate their favorites.  The kids were really on board with trying new things, so we were able to go to some interesting places.  Letting them help choose made for less whining later when something didn't work out quite as they had expected.

The food was all really good, with the exception of Restaurant Marrakesh.  I chose lamb, which I normally like, but I found out I don't like it that much.  The husband had beef shish kebob, which he said was really good.  So I think it was more just a function of making a poor choice on my part.  We really enjoyed watching the chef at Teppan Edo, and the kids really enjoyed the character lunch at Tusker House.  My girls aren't into princesses, so we chose this one because it showcased Mickey, Goofy and Donald.  The rest of my family really enjoyed the Aloha Dinner Show.  I think it was good, I was just too sick to keep my eyes open that night.

Notes on Quick Service Meals:
These can be disgusting or good.  The hardest part was working with the children's menus.  Just because the adult menu at a Mexican restaurant sounds good, doesn't mean that kids ages 3-9 have great choices.  They may have to choose between mac & cheese or a pbj.  We got smart after the first day and looked at the children's options first.  Some quick service restaurants don't have a children's menu at all, so kids have the same choices as adults.  I know for sure that this is true at Epcot in Germany, England and France.  This worked out the best for us, by far.

First, the bad stuff...to get it of the way.  I do not (really, really do not) recommend Cosmic Ray's in the Magic Kingdom. Yuck.  I also do not (and Little K vehemently agrees) recommend the chicken nuggets on the children's menus.  They may be nuggets, but the are certainly not chicken. 

By far, the best quick service meals we ate were in Epcot.  One in England at the Yorkshire County Fish Shop and the other in France at Boulangerie Patisserie.  Very yummy.

Notes on Snacks:
As The Husband said on our last day: Not all snack credits are created equal.  We used these credits for all sorts of things, including candy, ice cream bars, coffee (both real and Nescafe), roasted almonds, and popcorn.  We actually had some left over at the end of our visit...because you get dessert with each table and quick service meal, so I didn't see the need to stuff my kids with ice cream mid-afternoon...so I used them to buy some stocking stuffers from the gift shop.  You can use these credits all over the place...carts, snack stands, gift shops, restaurants, etc.  You just have to look for the special little symbol.

Summary:
Overall, I'd say the dining plan was worth it.  Because we paid up front, we didn't feel guilty about how much money each meal cost...and they cost a lot.  Each quick service meal ran about $70.00 and the table service meals averaged about $200.00.  Plus, since the sky was the limit, I think it encouraged our kids to try new things.  You do have to remember that gratuity isn't included with the dining plan, so be prepared to pay a rather large tip at each table service meal.  You can find helpful information for all restaurants, including menus, at All Ears.