This question is subjective, but thought I’d get some great pros/cons to consider from experienced tourers.
We have reservations for 12:30 lunch at Le Cellier on March 21, 2016 during spring break. I usually like sit down reservations to use them as a break and to insure my food allergic child eats safely. However, though we do love Le Cell, it will be pricey for our group of 7 and will eat up significant time that day (plus food coma!).
Since there will be Garden Festival food booths, is it wiser to ditch Le Cell and browse while we tour World Showcase? I would pack in food for my FA child. I’m not sure if the special food (plus lines) would be worth ditching our Le Cell reservation.
Well, I can only speak for myself, but my DH and I are going in April specifically for the Garden Festival food booths. But we’re leaving the kids behind, and we don’t mind moving around while eating and playing it by ear. We have ADRs for other days, but for our Epcot day we are planning on eating lunch and dinner at the booths.
When I’ve been in the parks during Flower & Garden I choose to eat my meals at the food booths, because they’re not around all year. Also, with a big group, if you’re willing to share, then you can sample many different food items. If I were in your situation, I’d keep the Le Cellier reservation for now, then look at the Outdoor Kitchen menus when they start showing up online (probably not until right around when the Festival opens). If you see enough things you want to try, then spend the day strolling and sampling them!
You can use snack credits for most of them, or pay out of pocket. I don’t think you can use CS credits for the booths. Keep in mind, none of the items will be meal-size. They’re small plates, meant as a tasting. You can make a meal out of a few of them, but don’t expect to buy a whole platter.
We have been to the Flower and Garden festival the last 2 years. The days we try to just eat at the booths, we end up spending a lot more money and it never seems to work out like I picture in my head. So we will now do booths for 1 meal a day only and have a sit down the other meal. I like to relax and be waited on, and there is none of that with the booths. Lines, trying to find a place to sit, and realizing that the money you just spent could have paid for a nice meal elsewhere. We do go during busy spring/Easter break though so it may be different on low crowd times. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoy the booths, I just can only do it for a short time and then I want a TS meal. We aren’t big fans of QS meals though…so that may be part of our issue as well.
I almost always have TS lunches and dinners at EP, and like Le Cell a lot, but if I was there during either of the festivals, I would eat at the kiosks - at very least for lunch. The “brick and mortar” restaurants will always be there; the festivals are special events (that I can never time a trip to attend).
Thanks for this- I really identify with the “never seems to work out like I picture in my head” statement. The long lines and no where to sit will probably eat up time we were trying to save, with added aggravation (and less air conditioning).
I’m excited for our first F&G trip. As someone who prefers to “eat around the world” as opposed to a sit down meal can you tell me what to expect portion wise? Also will menus and prices be out beforehand?
Menus should be out very soon. As for portion size, most are fairly small. Check out this link for last years menus and some pictures. The plates in the pictures are about 4 inches round if I remember correctly (they look bigger in the pictures). I know when splitting the duck confit with my daughter, we each had maybe 2 bites.
Wow, that’s awesome thanks for the link. I’m on a diet now and will be till Disney - wow some of those dishes sound amazing! I anticipate gaining 5lbs at Epcot alone…
DD turns 21 before the trip, she’ll enjoy some of those cocktails too now:)
Fine print at end of link to 2015 menus stated 3-8$ each small plate tasting. So, maybe two or three of the offerings would be price of a QS meal? This sounds reasonable.
I recall seeing bracelets for snack credits at these festivals. Was I dreaming?
You can use DP snack credits for most nonalcoholic items. They also sell a bracelet gift card that you can load. I usually go twice and dedicate a $100 gift card for this but my DS24 shares with me and he likes to try the drinks and beers.
not dreaming, I bought one last trip. It’s a tiny gift card on a plastic elastic bracelet. You can reload it and use for anything, but it’s meant for ease of use at the booths! I’m bringing mine for this trip and loading it up!
But we’re leaving the kids behind, and we don’t mind moving around while eating and playing it by ear. We have ADRs for other days, but for our Epcot day we are planning on eating lunch and dinner at the booths.