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Old 22 Jan 18, 05:41 PM  
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YorkshireT
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Pushback- cut right down on ADRs this year, Bang for buck philosophy.

Well, I did my first lot of ADRs today (we are having a split stay, 5 nights in a 2 bed at Boardwalk, 4 nights in a beach cottage St Augustine, finished off with 5 nights in a 1 bed at Kidani).

I was looking at the prices of the restaurants and my wife wishes to be more spontaneous this year. Kids are not overly bothered about restaurants (spoilt). Pricing up restaurants, I just thought this is ridiculous. £150 for many meals, at places that get mediocre reviews.

They even put the beers up in many to $9 a pop plus tax plus tip. Food quality is suffering. Narcoosees was worth half what we paid for it last time (£100 a head- ridiculous).

If you are on free dining, fine, but making a case for paying cash for this quality- I struggle. I was considering the new Italian at Disney Springs- but nearly $30 for a pasta dish, and its getting mediocre reviews, no thanks.

I wondered if any other regular attenders were thinking the same way?

So as we are DVC I went bare minimum and 'bang for buck' only. This isn't due to financial necessity, but choice. I am slightly nervous I have made the right choice.

I've worked out I will probably save up to £1000 on what we usually spend, it will be interesting to see if we lose any enjoyment, I don't think we will, but we will see (pretty sure kids won't).

I reckon I can get all my meals, drinks etc for 10 days for around $1500. The room is costing me dues only (about £160 a night, in dues cost- the 1 beds and 2 beds cost a lot more than studios) so for the room and all meals I am looking at around £2700 for 10 nights.

Plan is:
Day 1- arrive and maybe get a quick serve. Garden Grocer delivery will come with lots of food and beer.
Day 2- HWS- QS Lunch (struggling there, nowhere decent hopefully Woodys Lunch Box will come through), We will get something from Garden Grocer to eat back in the room for evening meal (full kitchen), pasta or something, and then head to HWS for fireworks.
Day 3- Epcot- QS lunch, back for a rest afternoon, head back in the evening, maybe to eat some Fish and Chips or Mexican QS.
Day 4- Typhoon Lagoon, they have a semi decent quick serve for lunch. Beaches and Cream ADR for dinner, at least they do a semi decent burger, turkey sandwich, Reuben etc for under $20. Over to Epcot and HWS.
Day 5- Morning around pool, sandwich in room for lunch, over to Via Napoli for a big family pizza, about $50 with a salad, as well as rides and fireworks.
Day 6 (when coming back from St Augustine)- spend day around Kidani, sandwich in room (will call in supermarket on way back from St Augustine to stock up on essentials such as beer), evening riding FP (Hopefully) for FOP at AK, Sautui canteen QS meal.
Day 7- Pool morning Kidani, sandwich in room, off to MK for afternoon and fireworks. I had scoped out the Plaza restaurant as fitting my new bang for the buck philosophy very nicely (QS prices at TS), but it's only taking reservations at 4pm- anyone know why? If I cannot get that, QS at Columbia or Peco Bills (I nearly booked Skipper Canteen, but middling reviews for the price paid triggered me to remember my philosophy).
Day 8- Morning either mopping up at Parks or to Disney Springs. May buy a QS lunch. Into Animal Kingdom for night rides and ROL. Yak and Yeti with Landrys card I have $50 on (yes it will be my birthday in August, allegedly). No ADR made.
Day 9- QS in park, then visit to Bahama Breeze in 192 as will still have car.
Day 10- EMH at Magic Kingdom. Peco Bill or Harbour House. Dinner at Saana, one of the restaurants I do find worth the money.

So do you think me 'slumming it' and not eating in Signatures and other expensive table service every day as I have done before, will make me sad on holiday? Am I being too Victor Meldrew? My wife persuaded me this was the way to go, as she says she gets sick of having to make ADR times.

Edited at 05:52 PM.
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Old 22 Jan 18, 05:48 PM  
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DonnaD
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The switch from signature to QS or sandwiches in the room is certainly dramatic. I agree that the prices of Disney TS have gotten crazy. How about a few TS meals offsite? There are some pretty decent ones around for not much more than Disney QS prices.

No issues with ADR times then either.
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Old 22 Jan 18, 05:50 PM  
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YorkshireT
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Originally Posted by DonnaD View Post
The switch from signature to QS or sandwiches in the room is certainly dramatic. I agree that the prices of Disney TS have gotten crazy. How about a few TS meals offsite? There are some pretty decent ones around for not much more than Disney QS prices.

No issues with ADR times then either.
Eye, time is an issue, In fairness I didn't mention we have a Bahama Breeze visit planned next to last night at Kidani. I had missed a day off, now inserted. Do you have any recommendations for any more with the bang for buck philosophy. I did think about Trails End, but not sure Mrs Y will want to be going out of park to make an ADR.

Edited at 05:55 PM.
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Old 22 Jan 18, 05:52 PM  
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The food quality is dire tbh so i agree with your wife. Have you got a car ? I would eat offsite tbh or order in. Blaze pizza was well worth it though as I think many restaurants at Disney springs are as they have to compete.
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Old 22 Jan 18, 05:57 PM  
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YorkshireT
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Originally Posted by Mexy02 View Post
The food quality is dire tbh so i agree with your wife. Have you got a car ? I would eat offsite tbh or order in. Blaze pizza was well worth it though as I think many restaurants at Disney springs are as they have to compete.
I agree Mexy, Blaze is superb- I just don't think we will get time to be at DS on an evening this trip, (one of the other reasons I dropped the idea of that new Italian that looks like an airport) but if we are, I will definitely be going as it hits the mark on my new philosophy 100%

I will report back on this thread after my trip with an honest assessment of whether I made the right or wrong decision.

When we are at St Augustine, we will have 4 nights of dining at table service restaurants every night also, so maybe that tempers it a bit.

Edited at 06:00 PM.
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Old 22 Jan 18, 06:15 PM  
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lindyT
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Hi, I agree prices are rising (DVC also here) but for us part of the enjoyment of being on site is using the resort Signatures each evening (maybe should explain that we don't "do" parks now)we use the pools,shop,ect.We have TS breakfast most days, snacks at the pools, and then our evening entertainment is a signature meal, a good bottle of wine,followed by firework watching where ever we are! I wouldn't want to keep returning to the "room" to eat-love people watching too much for that! We're all different of course,so will be interested to read on your return your impression of this change of pace! Hope you enjoy it. Linda
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Old 22 Jan 18, 06:24 PM  
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Originally Posted by lindyT View Post
Hi, I agree prices are rising (DVC also here) but for us part of the enjoyment of being on site is using the resort Signatures each evening (maybe should explain that we don't "do" parks now)we use the pools,shop,ect.We have TS breakfast most days, snacks at the pools, and then our evening entertainment is a signature meal, a good bottle of wine,followed by firework watching where ever we are! I wouldn't want to keep returning to the "room" to eat-love people watching too much for that! We're all different of course,so will be interested to read on your return your impression of this change of pace! Hope you enjoy it. Linda
Thanks Lindy, it will be interesting. Fortunately though we are not really going to be going back to room especially, I wouldn't do that. We tend to retreat back to the resort after lunch, or have a morning around the pool, so the sandwiches in room have been pencilled in for those times. I may be tempted to drop a lunch QS though and take a sandwich with us one day :-) Maybe that first day at HWS as the food is especially mediocre at best there.

I may even do a trip report on this one- Skinflint's Guide to Disney.
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Old 22 Jan 18, 06:29 PM  
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DonnaD
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Originally Posted by YorkshireT View Post
Eye, time is an issue, In fairness I didn't mention we have a Bahama Breeze visit planned next to last night at Kidani. I had missed a day off, now inserted. Do you have any recommendations for any more with the bang for buck philosophy. I did think about Trails End, but not sure Mrs Y will want to be going out of park to make an ADR.
From Kidani there are loads that are close. The Longhorn next to Bahama Breeze is always popular. Bonefish Grill is even closer and a definite favourite. The quality is very high at much lower prices than Disney.

Trails end is ok but still priced high for the type of food unless your family can make better use of the All You Can Eat than mine does.
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Old 22 Jan 18, 06:33 PM  
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A trip report is a great idea. Some of our best for buck meals were grand flo cafe , liberty tree tavern , blaze, . I always find via Napoli good food as well. Mama Melrose was a quick grab adr but it was pleasantly ok and not overly over priced. Longhorns did tick every box though offsite.
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Old 22 Jan 18, 06:37 PM  
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YorkshireT
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Originally Posted by DonnaD View Post
From Kidani there are loads that are close. The Longhorn next to Bahama Breeze is always popular. Bonefish Grill is even closer and a definite favourite. The quality is very high at much lower prices than Disney.

Trails end is ok but still priced high for the type of food unless your family can make better use of the All You Can Eat than mine does.
Yes these are all favourites of ours too when dining off site, Longhorns, Bonefish, we always get trips in to these places when we are not in Disney (we only go to Disney every other year and travel around different States every other year). I think you are correct about Trails End- only value by Disney standards, with my kids now having to pay adult prices, and my wife not a big eater, you have successfully switched me off that idea.
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