So Very FLUSTERED!! I need help!

[TinkInTraining]

Howdy! So...I have recently booked a trip for a very large party (IMHO) for when my brothe comes home from Afghanistan.

Our party consists of two adults (him and I), a 16 year old, 2 - 13 year olds, 2 - 11 year olds, a 6 year old and a 5 year old.

We have not booked any dining res's as of yet..I know...I know... when I talked to Magical Journey's they suggested booking our dining as two seperate parties because getting rez's for 9 is going to be very difficult.

We do not want to just go places for the little ones, we want to go where there is really good food.

My problem right now is that I haven't gotten my tour gide mike yet so I'm not sure which parks we'll be at on which days.

And also...I have no idea where I may be able to get in right now.

I know I'd like to do, Le Cellier, maybe the Coral Reef, 50's Prime Time but that's about all I can think about. Oh and O'Hana.

My brother may want to take the younger ones to Chef Mickey but the older girls have all been there a couple of times and would rather not go, so...maybe there's something else in the contemporary I could do at the same time?

I'm so very lost right now.

I need suggestions on where to go with a large party, where we can get good adult food that will have a good selection for the couple of younger kids also, and where you think we can get in!

arghhhhh, I'm so overwhelmed!!

[renecat]

When are you going and where are you staying?
If your brother wants a character buffet for the younger children you could do Cape May and the older ones may like it better. It is one of the best buffets as for as I'm concerned. The Grand Floridian cafe is a good option for sit down. Also the Captains grille at the Yacht club. Are you looking for table services in the park? AK has the Yak & Yeti which is very good.
Of course Epcot has many choices. Chef de France is a good place to eat. If you book around the time they have Remy out the kids and adults will enjoy that. Kona is also a nice place to eat. Hope you can get ADR's for everything you decide on. Good luck and thank your brother for his service to our country.

[azcavalier]

We're going in about 50 days with a party of 14. For the most part, we booked at restaurants that either serve family style, or buffets. So, we're going to Garden Grill, O'Hana, Akershus.

You could try Whispering Canyon Cafe, which has great food, a fun atmosphere, and you should be able to get a reservation. Liberty Tree Tavern wouldn't be a bad choice, and I imagine that it's easier to get now that it's not a character meal anymore. Our kids love it, and the adults do, too. Also, Hollywood and Vine (not the best food, but not bad. Should easily be able to seat your party.

When my DW was making the ADRs, she was actually going to ask to break our group up thinking that it would be easier, and they told her that we didn't have to. She got the reservations without a problem. Now, it will be interesting to see how long we have to wait to actually get seated when we show up.

In the end, when we're going with a larger party, we find that it's much easier on us AND the servers if we go to the restaurants that are either buffets or family-style, as it really cuts down on messed-up orders and frustrated servers/guests. Also, we get the food quicker (when it's family style as compared to a menu order restaurant). It's a nightmare trying to get a bunch of kids to figure out what they want from the menu and then get the orders placed.

One last suggestion is Teppan Edo. You would pretty much have to do two separate reservations, and your whole party simply won't fit around a table. And the kids of all ages will love it, because watching the chef is fascinating. And the menu is good for all ages. Plus we've never had a problem getting a reservation here...have never figured that out. This is one of our all-time favorites. Pretty much a must-do. But it's always available.

[darthmacho]

Don't be flustered! You'll be okay. Sit with a list of restaurants and a calendar and write down some possibilities, based on where you think you might be each day. If you don't know that, hash that out first. Come up with plans b and c if time is really getting close, so that you won't be flustered again when you make the call and something you want isn't available. Hopefully you'll get all of your first choices.
Start with what you have now, and work from there. Le Cellier, Reef, Prime Time, Ohana sound like good choices, and the buffet suggestions make sense. Also, consider transport if you are going to dine at resorts, and peak hours if you're in the parks. If you dine early or late, you might have better luck with the timing for a large party.

Good luck!
I know you'll work it out, since you're a fellow New Englander!

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

Some of the ones that we've been to, that we've really enjoyed and probably could accomodate both larger parties plus offer entertainment/food that appeals to both adults and kids:

Ohana (at Polynesian)
Boma (at Animal Kingdom)
Whispering Canyon (at Wilderness Lodge)
Biergarten (Epcot)
Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom)

All of these are either buffet or family style. Ohana and Whispering Canyon both insert kids activities throughout the meals, but are totally favorable for adults too. Crystal Palace is a character location (pooh and friends).

Good luck, especially with LeCellier, that may be near impossible.

[BigRedDad]

Don't get flustered, get prepared. In all honesty, if you plan properly you may be better off. We were there in March. We got tired of eating at counter service and decided to have a sit down meal. We called reservations to see what was available for around 5PM at Epcot and MK. Nothing was open over the phone or at the front desk. We walk into MK, walk by Tony's Town Square, and ask if anything is available (4:45PM). We were told they do not have ADRs between 2PM and 5PM. It is walk up only and most restaurants are that way (this may have changed). We walked right into 2 restaurants by having dinner early.

I would recommend that route if you have trouble. Do not be over concerned with where to eat. A lot can be done if you go at "off" times.

[KAT1811]

Don't panic yet. We are always a large party! DH and I have 4 children, we travel with my parents, his uncle, cousin, my aunt, uncle, and two cousins, and this year for a few of our meals we have my other cousin joining us with her family of 6!!!

We never have trouble getting tables together and even though they constantly tell us that our party may be separated it has yet to happen to us.

Like many of the PP have said time is a key factor in your planning. Not sure when you are planning on vacationing but since you seem to be a bit nervous I'm thinking it is safe to assume that your trip is sooner rather than later.

I agree with renecat that Cape May would be a great choice for a breakfast. We ate there at the tail end of the breakfast hour on one of our trips and ended up being the only party in the restaurant! Needless to say the character interaction was the best we have ever had! You could eat there and then head into the World Showcase entrance to EPCOT or take the boat over to DHS for the day easily.

Assuming your vacation is soon then I would make sure you have a few selections for each day and then just sit in front of the computer and keep entering different locations until something comes up. Luckily as a party of 9 you can still book via the online system.

A few suggestions:

Trail's End (in Fort Wilderness) - The kids can play on the playground, there are hay rides, carriage rides, a petting zoo, and if you hang around late enough the Electrical Water Pageant on the lake at night.

1900 Park Fare
Grand Floridian Cafe
Crystal Palace
Beaches and Creme (walk up no reservations)
Big River Grille & Brewery
Yachtsman Steakhouse (one of our favortie restaurants in WDW)
Nine Dragons
Via Napoli (if your trip is before they start taking ADRs it is all walk up seating)
Portobello
Rainforest Cafe

Good luck!!!!!!!!

[wdwfansince75]

You can make reservations in his name at Shades of Green....depending on rank, rooms will be between $95 and $131 per night...plus $5 for parking. You will need his rank to make reservations, and he must be present to check in. At least check out the SoG website....shadesofgreen.org

They also have packages for those returning from overseas. No tax on rooms, nor on tickets bought through them. He can get up to 3 rooms under his name, and if his spouse, or dependent child, also has an Armed Forces ID card, they can get up to 3 additional rooms.

Very convenient to Poly...which has a great character breakfast at Ohana....Also stop at Captain Cooks for serve yourself Dole Whip....and Tonga Toast in the AM....IMHO, the best CS breakfast food at WDW! Buses are greatly improved over past visits. Resturants are also greatly improved, and lower priced than Disney hotel resturants.

Also, there are usually military discounts, even at WDW resorts....ask!

Although the Armed Forces Salute tickets may not be available for your trip, ( think they must be bought within the next week or so, and used by October) even if you chose to stay at another Disney resort, you can purchase (tax free) MYW or Stars and Stripes (length of stay with PH and More) at a savings at SoG....savings for a party of 9 would make it worth the trip.

Not sure what they will offer to replace the Armed Forces Salute, but Disney has had special offerings for service members and their families forthe last several years....

With regards to ADR's, on most of our visits, we have had groups of 10 or more. We always try to get a single table. Even when we get several tables, we are always at adjacent tables.

You may want to check into Grand Gatherings....the one at Tony's for breakfast is a good value, although it books early. Ask customer services at SoG to book something for you...they have been known to find something special, even when WDW dining says it is filled up. Also consider Donald's Breafast Safari at AK. Good food, and great fun. Also, we had a great breakfast at CP....and those members of your party who aren't Character fans (unbelievable!) can eat and run.

[Disneyfirsttimer]

We booked during spring break for a party of 9 all week (4 adults and 5 children) and had no trouble at all. Some put us a two tables but many at one (Ohana, 1900 Park Fare, Teppan Edo). The ages of the kids were 12, 10, 9, 8 and 5.

[diz_girl]

Definitely book your reservations for 9, unless you want to split up and go to two different places. The only thing with a party of 9 is that they'll reserve you for 4&5 or 6&3 and say that they can't guarantee that you'lll be seated together. The restaurants do a great job accommodating large parties and usually just shove tables together (like they did for our party of 10 at 'Ohana and Trail's End).

If the little ones want to see Mickey, Chef Mickey's books up quickly, but he's also at breakfast at 'Ohana with Pluto, Lilo and Stitch. SoG is just across the street from the Poly, so that would be a great breakfast for either an MK or EPCOT day, since you can just walk to the TTC from the Poly and hop on the EPCOT monorail from there.

Someone else mentioned the GF Cafe. It's very nice and usually has space available.

If some in your party don't want to eat at Chef Mickey's, don't limit yourself to just CR dining. Since you're on the monorail, you can just eat at another resort and quickly meet up after your meal.

I like Marrakesh at Morocco in EPCOT. It's not normally booked and you have the bellydancer and band for entertainment which makes it a unique experience.

Trail's End at FW is also good and FW is a nice change of pace from the parks and resorts. FW also has a campfire sing-along and movie every night, which families love. The great thing about it is that it's free, although smore's kits are extra.

[KAT1811]

Originally Posted by diz_girl

Trail's End at FW is also good and FW is a nice change of pace from the parks and resorts. FW also has a campfire sing-along and movie every night, which families love. The great thing about it is that it's free, although smore's kits are extra.

I forgot about the campfire!

[disneymom2000]

I love the Crystal Palace for a big group. They have tables that accomodate larger families which is soooo nice. And the Pooh characters are a wonderful bonus.

[Janmac]

Have to recommend 1900 Park Fare for supper. And have someone wear a t-shirt or something with Cinderella on it. This is a character buffet with Cinderella and Prince Charming, which our 5 yr old grand niece enjoyed a lot, but there are also the Tremaines, which are thoroughly enjoyable. Especially when they can make Cinderella cracks. My grand niece had Cinderella on her shirt, and Lady Tremaine said I hope you can get that blue stain out. She is so funny. The mean step sisters are a hoot. For older kids, this is a different and fun kind of character meal. The buffet has dishes from several different countries (France, Spain, etc.) and the desserts are little miniature desserts. The better to eat more! We like to do this buffet on the first night to really get everyone in the Disney spirit.

Another place we like to eat is Trail's End at Fort Wilderness. The buffet has lots of comfort food like pizza and cold shrimp and stuff kids are used to eating, plus some other great stuff for adults. It's not a character meal, but you're at the campground and that's a lot of character. Outside the restaurant are foot massagers, bring quarters as they are a hoot too. The seats look like barrels.

Another great meal we had was the breakfast buffet at the Tusker House in Animal Kingdom. They have the regular characters - Mickey, Goofy, Donald and maybe Daisy, who you don't often see - but the buffet has some great food, and different, since you're in Animal Kingdom. We did find plenty for our grand niece to eat and she's picky.

Marrakesh is so great - large tables, usually less hectic, and the belly dancer invites all the little girls up to dance with her. The decor and atmosphere are out of this world. The tile work, all done by hand, is amazing.

We also always try to eat at Crystal Palace for breakfast because of the great food choices and the atmosphere. Large tables.

Ohana is good for breakfast - get to see Stitch - and great for supper. There are activities for the kids and a ukulele player. The large kebobs are different. There are large tables here too.

When we are staying in the Epcot area we love to eat breakfast at Cape May. It's hard to get to for breakfast otherwise. Large tables.

We also like the buffet at Germany and the entertainment. Germany might be problematical tho, as well as Japan, as those tables are for 8. When we have had a big group, we have booked two tables - but one reservation - at these restaurants.

We have even booked for 10 and 11 at San Angel Inn, which is not as crowded as it used to be, and has great theming. Who doesn't like to eat with a volcano simmering in the background. The last time tho, the jungle cat didn't scream at all. You will likely get seated at more than one table at this restaurant.

Best to make your reservations as soon as you can. I use the Early Magic Hours as a guide (avoid the parks with EMH) which are posted here at Intercot and make reservations accordingly.

I use a calendar, and I like to call and speak with a Cast Member. They usually are very patient and quite helpful. If you get one that isn't, hang up and call back. I have the park for that day penciled in each calendar square and write the restaurant info in the square for each day, as we make the reservations.

Good luck and enjoy!

Jan

[jpH/keD]

We went with group of 11! Our favs with large groups were Whispering Canyon Cafe, LeCellier, Akershus, 1900 Park Fare, and of course we LOVE Chef Mickey's.

places that split us up were Liberty Tree Tavern and O'Hana's.

We sent our teens off together at Mama Melroses so we could keep the little ones with their parents!!