Quick questions for first visit

[33 reject]

Hello! I'm taking my first trip to Orlando the first week of February (6-10) and had a few newbie questions:

1) I've bought the dining option. Should I be making reservations now or will this be 'off season' enough to leave my options open until I arrive? Feel free to tip me off to any amazing places to eat that are a part of the dining plan.

2) Can you add the 'hopper' option to your tickets? I've already bought non-hopper tickets. Is the option worth it - I have a 5-day pass.

Much thanks everyone!!

[CowofDisney]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

1) I think it is worth it to go ahead with an ADR for any occasion, just to be sure. Besides, if you don't eat there, you can just cancel.

2) Yes you can add the hopper option if you'd like. I have only ever hopped but I thought it was really nice, especially if one park is closing before the others (mostly AK) and you can visit the AK in the morning till closing and do some more attractions at MK or Epcot when they stay open later

[ghosty4]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

In a word, YES! Make your reservations for your table service credits now.

You could even go as far as upgrading those tickets to an annual passport, I believe. They will accommodate your upgrades.

[CowofDisney]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

Upgrading a five day pass to an AP is not worth the money unless you plan on returning for a longer vacation or more vacations within a year of you going. It isn't justifiable unless you spend 12 days (at least I think I heard that was the figure)

[Phonedave]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

Upgrading a five day pass to an AP is not worth the money unless you plan on returning for a longer vacation or more vacations within a year of you going. It isn't justifiable unless you spend 12 days (at least I think I heard that was the figure)

Somthing like that.

There are other discounts too. So it's a tad bit more complicated. You get discount room rates and sometimes other perks. You really have to do the math on it, there is no simple number of days cut off.

-dave

[Mom2dzneboys]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

make your reservations now!!...You will be surprised how quickly things fill up off season. We will be there for presidents week which is very busy.
I would definately upgrade to park hoppers....we did and we found that if we didnt' like the crowds in one park, we could switch to the next.

[Tommie]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

Hopping is great! Take advantage of the best of all the parks and choose the attractions/shows/fireworks etc you want! With some good planning you can for example see the best shows/fireworks in the different parks on one day. I also very much liked the idea that when you are "tired"of one park, you can easily go to another.

[Parisi]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

Hello! I'm taking my first trip to Orlando the first week of February (6-10) and had a few newbie questions:

1) I've bought the dining option. Should I be making reservations now or will this be 'off season' enough to leave my options open until I arrive? Feel free to tip me off to any amazing places to eat that are a part of the dining plan.

2) Can you add the 'hopper' option to your tickets? I've already bought non-hopper tickets. Is the option worth it - I have a 5-day pass.

Much thanks everyone!!

1. I would call 407-w-disney and look into making reservations... SInce you are a noob, I would suggest making an reservation at Ohana's at the Poly. It is probably the best food in all of disney (well at least I think so...)

2. I think you can add the hopper... What might happen is if you go to the guest services desk at your hotel, and give them your 5 day pass, they will upgrade it to the hopper and you would pay the difference. Also, you might want to look into adding the no expiration to the ticket as well. I do that everytime I go. I figure if I buy them now, and have some days left on my hopper and I dont go back to WDW for like 10yrs, at least my ticket is still good.

[33 reject]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

Thanks everyone for the great tips! I will definately make reservations this week for the ADR places. Besides Ohana's, does anyone else have some recommendations? I'd like to have at least one sit-down meal in each park.

[sealsm]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

Besides Ohana's, does anyone else have some recommendations? I'd like to have at least one sit-down meal in each park.

Another reason I like the hopper is that I can spend the morning in one park and then eat in a completely different one that evening. I love the MK, but I love eating at Epcot, so I can do both in one day if I choose.

In the MK, I like Liberty Tree Tavern. It's character, but the food has always been very good in my experiences. Plus, I get my picture with Minnie without waiting in line.
At MGM, I love the Brown Derby. It's a classic. Get the cobb salad.
Epcot has several places I adore, but I don't spend tons of time in the actual park, so I eat in Epcot multiple times on the vacation and use my hopper to visit other places during the day. Any place in the world showcase is fab. If I had to pick a couple, I would recommend Nine Dragons or Le Cellier.
I can't comment on AK, as I've never had a sit down meal there.
Other locations at Disney hotels that are on my must-eat list: Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge and Kona Cafe at the Poly. Eat breakfast at Kona Cafe - if you like coffee, their kona coffee is amazing.

Have a fabulous time!!!!

[SummerInFL]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

Thanks everyone for the great tips! I will definately make reservations this week for the ADR places. Besides Ohana's, does anyone else have some recommendations? I'd like to have at least one sit-down meal in each park.

Magic Kingdom -

The Crystal Palace - has the Pooh characters, I love their pasta.
Liberty Tree Tavern - I love the traditional American meal food and you get the Fab 5 in Colonial costumes.

Epcot -

Le Cellier (Canada) - If you love steak I highly recommend this restaurant, its probably our favorite in World Showcase.

El Rio De Tiempo (Mexico) - If you like Mexican food I recommend this location, the view is simply amazing and the ambiance can't be beat! Is kind of hard to see though.

MGM -

The 50's Diner (Don't think this is the name though) I would recommend, they had good food and the wait staff is hilarious.

ABC Commissary - Sit down restaurant kind of tucked away, they have great counter food and it's usually the quietest compared to Pizza Planet, which I would avoid lol

Animal Kingdom - They don't have a sit down restaurant but I recommend the BBQ place near Dinoland (forget the name), REALLY GREAT BBQ.


Also, if your a breakfast eater, I HIGHLY recommend Boma's for breakfast, the best breakfast in all of the World IMHO, they have an omlette station and the best sausages ever!

[WDW Monorail]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

Animal Kingdom - They don't have a sit down restaurant but I recommend the BBQ place near Dinoland (forget the name), REALLY GREAT BBQ.

It is called the Flame Tree Barbeque.

[SummerInFL]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

It is called the Flame Tree Barbeque.

Thanks, I haven't had any caffeine this morning and my brain is not firing like it should be.

[WDW Monorail]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

Haha, no problem Summer.

[jedimouse]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

I would definitely go for the park hopper option, especially if there are more restaraunts in one park that you want to try versus another park. You can hop to a park for a meal and go back to wherever if you want and take advantage of late night fireworks or programs in another. We like to hop between parks just for certain restaraunts. If you upgrade to hopper, you can have the freedom to do whatever.

[danyoung]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

El Rio De Tiempo (Mexico) - If you like Mexican food I recommend this location, the view is simply amazing and the ambiance can't be beat! Is kind of hard to see though.

Just a small correction: the restaurant in the Mexico pavilion is called the San Angel Inn. El Rio del Tiempo is the ride in the pavilion.

[herb2linda]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

The ride is also very welcomed after being out in the sun on your feet for awhile. Relaxing.

[lisaboo]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

I would definitely make reservations and upgrade to a park hopper.

The table service restaurants that I really enjoyed on my trip:

Epcot:
Le Cellier - Canada Pavilion
Le Chefs de France - France Pavilion

Animal Kingdom Lodge:
Boma for both breakfast and dinner

Contemporary Resort:
California Grill

Polynesian Resort:
Ohana

I have more suggestions for Counter Service if you are interested in those as well.

Have fun and tell us all about it when you get back.

[mickeyfanintx]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

The Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue is a great musical dinner show in Pioneer Hall at Fort Wilderness. We've gone every time we go (5 years) and always enjoy it. It's a little corny but everyone has fun. Great food too!

Boma's at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is great. Especially the desserts. Be sure to try the Zebra Domes if you go.

Ohana's is very good as well.

Epcot - On our last trip we tried the Rose and Crown in England. I wasn't real thrilled with the idea of British food but we were able to get a table on the patio and had the best seat in the house for Illuminations. The food was suprisingly good.

We've never tried the dining plan. We don't make too many dining reservations for our in the park time because we'd rather eat when we get hungry and not have to make to the other end of the park were our reservation's at.

Another place I just remembered, the Sci Fi Diner in MGM. It'd best to make a reservation here. The food is good, not great, but the atmosphere is awesome. It's like a drive-in movie theater, you sit in cars, and the screen plays B movie trailers from the 50's and 60's.

Be sure to checkout allearsnet.com It's a great website that has just about all the answers to your WDW questions.

[SimbaLynn]

Re: Quick questions for first visit

Make your reservations now as you never know how crowded things can get. We love the Crystal Palace in MK - the food is delicious and the characters are a riot. My husband's favorite in the MK is the Liberty Tree and the food is very good there too. We really like 'Ohana's for breakfast and the Cape May at the Beach Club has a fabulous breakfast also. Marrakesh had excellent food in Epcot. There are so many wonderful restaurants and I am sure that we all have somewhat different opinions. We haven't been to Boma but plan on it this trip.

You definitely want Park Hopper on your tickets otherwise you are too limited.

Have a blast!