I spent a long time obsessing over my dining choices last night and made a number of changes which, in the cold light of day, I’m beginning to regret.
How do you vote?
Tiffins vs Tusker House — I know they’re very different. Tusker is new to me and feels like a risk
Chef Mickey vs BOG (breakfast/lunch) — I want those Mickey waffles!
BOG vs CRT (dinner) — I was disappointed by CRT last time, why am I considering it again? (Because I couldn’t get a BOG reservation. But I was disappointed by the food there, also.)
BOG vs Crystal Palace vs Skipper — shouldn’t I be looking at somewhere new, i.e. one of the last two? What if they’re rubbish? At least BOG’s in a castle.
Monsieur Paul vs Le Cellier — Le Cellier is dark and claustrophobic, but the food’s delicious, but the pictures of MP make it look incredible? Will they thrown me out because I wear (plain) t-shirts?
Have not been to Tiffins - was going to go until I changed back to the Dining Plan from the Deluxe. Tusker I have only done breakfast, but I really liked it.
Pretty sure BOG doesn’t have Mickey Waffles, so that would mean Chef Mickey’s.
No opinion on BOG/CRT for dinner. Have not been to BOG for dinner and found CRT nothing all that special the one time I did it. I’d consider taking a park break and going to maybe Narcoossee’s or Citricos or something for dinner.
I have only done Crystal Palace at breakfast and loved it. Sad I have not been able to get it for breakfast this trip. The lunch/dinner menu is not appealing. I am going to Skipper this trip and am very excited about it. My friends who have been there love it.
No opinion on MP/LC. I was very happy with LC the one time i went - it is supposed to be a cellar. Those aren’t bright and airy. But I am not a fan of French food - too heavy for me - so I would never even consider MP.
I’m going to try to talk you back from the ledge here, but bear in mind that I am a WDW dining cynic. In general, I find most restaurants restaurants at WDW to be rather “meh”, so I don’t obsess about ADRs that much. @Redpanda has a similar viewpoint, and started a “must do” dining thread that is worth the read What are YOUR "must-do" eateries in The World? - #9 by DocHopper
Anyway, on to your choices:
Tiffins vs Tuskegee house: Go with the new - don’t make this trip a re-run of your last one, unless you really really liked Tiffins.
Anything at MK: IMO, choosing restaurants at MK is pretty much like choosing the best of the worst. I opt for CS over TS there and save more time for attractions. As for Chef Mickey’s (besides being outside the park), it is a buffet and a character meal, meaning you are paying a lot of money for what you get, and I would only go there if I had a young child who absolutely had to meet the characters, and I would still do so under protest.
Monsieur Paul vs Le Cellier: Go for MP, but be aware it is a little pricey. And don’t worry about the T-shirt, but for the sake of the rest of the diners make sure it doesn’t have a melted Mickey bar down the front of it.
What is it about WDW? Honestly, I’m beginning to think it’s like cocaine or something. You become instantly addicted and it drives you insane.
Universal is so much simpler. No ADRs, no FPP — you buy an Express ticket and you’re good to go. If you’re hungry, you find somewhere to eat.
WDW are geniuses at extracting cash from people. All the while we’re loving them for doing it. It’s almost abusive!
Yet I had such an amazing holiday last year. I want to recapture my sense of wonder and excitement — and a big part of that must be trying new things and not trying to recreate my last trip.
Playing on my mind is the fact I’ll be alone — I’m fine with that, but it may be easier to do in quiet, calmer places.
So why Chef Mickey’s? Well, I like the Contemporary. As I’m staying off-property, it’s a convenient place to Uber to and start the day at. And I really do want those waffles. I don’t know why. And though I’m not much into character meets, you do get the whole gang there and I think even my hardened heart will be softened with a hug or two from them.
Do I like buffets? Meh. I dunno. Tiffins is quite and air-conditioned. But I don’t remember the food being mind-blowing — not like HBD (where I developed another cocaine-like obsession with the Cobb salad).
Liberty Tree Tavern? Yes. I need to look at a wider range of choices.
Yes, UOR is a planner’s dream - or perhaps an uber-planner’s nightmare, because there is not that much to obsess about.
True dat…
HBD is one of the more memorable meals from our last trip. We did the Fantasmic Dining Package, so the price was offset by the fact that we didn’t have to waste time standing in line for the show.
I believe that we have gone there every time we have gone to WDW or DLR. And every time we have left thinking “Why did we go there?” Except for back in the day when DD was very young and they had colonial themed characters - she absolutely loved it!
You may love it - or at least like it. Not everyone has the same tastes.
Main reason I will ask for suggestions, but I go with what I want to do in the end and don’t stress over what other people like. If I like it, I like it. If I haven’t been there before and don’t, I’ll know for the future. It’s just not that big a deal.
I don’t want to discourage you too much about LTT - after all, we have chosen to go there every time for some reason.
It’s mainly a taste thing. Dinner is family-style roasted meats and vegetables - all nicely prepared, but not my go-to choice. If you are a big fan of Sunday roast dinner then you will love it.
But back to the Chef Mickey question for breakfast. Now, imo, The Contemporary has a hidden gem in The Wave for breakfast. Not only does it do both a buffet and a menu, so you don’t have to pay for a buffet for people who really only want coffee and pancakes, it also doesn’t need reservations all the time either. And although the menu doesn’t list everything on the buffet, each time I’ve been there have been Mickey waffles!
Most of your choices I can’t comment on because I haven’t been to them. But MP vs LC I can. To me, MP is a serious cut above LC; food is better and atmosphere MUCH better. But it’s also more expensive.
If we’re all being honest with each other, the truth is that I’m rushing in without thinking about broader strategy. I’ll have a “brilliant” idea — execute it on my plan, book the ADR or whatever, and then suddenly see a flaw in the whole enterprise.
But, you know, I’m getting there. And the best part is I have — which means you all have — 136 more days of this to go.
I presume you are using the Touring Plans Reservation Finder to get those hard to find ADR’s? Worked beautifully for us as at 180 days no early morning BOG were to be found, the reservation finder scrounged one in less than a week.
For a lot of your choices, you have two good options, but they are much different. BOG vs. CM for example - BOG is awesome for getting on 7DMT early, while CM is a relatively loud buffet with decent character interactions with the big 4. Both are worth doing at least once though. I’d probably recommend doing your favorites from last trip and then trying new stuff to get a nice mix of the best with new experiences…
