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Thread: Dining questions

  1. #1

    Dining questions

    I'm trying to economize our dining so we can do a couple nice experiences (Carthay Circle, Napa Rose).

    Today I signed us up for Patina Group's birthday club, because both our birthdays are in October. They'll email us each a 30 dollar certificate -- anyone know if it's a birthday *month* certificate or an actual date certificate? Which would be the tastiest place to use it: Uva Bar, Catal, or Tortilla Jo's?

    We'll also have a Landry's birthday credits and we plan to hit Morton's and McCormick and Schmick's happy hours.

    Another question I have is whether there are any good Mexican food stands/shops between Dolphin's Cove and Disney?

    Last question is about grocery stores. Is the Von's close to Dolphin's Cove a good one? Quality meats etc.? I noticed a Ralph's a little further away, is it walkable? Way back in the day when I lived in SD, Ralph's seemed the better quality store. Advice?

    Thanks for your help!


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  3. #2
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    The only thing walkable would be Target. I don't know if that is a super Target though. BUT Von's delivers. The first delivery is free with a $50 minimum. You can check out Vons.com for details.
    Mexican? Not between.
    I am pretty sure the certificates are for the birth month not the day. (I got them last summer and don't remember for sure.)
    There is a liquor store across from Dolphin's Cove for little things after your grocery delivery. Dolphin's Cove has a little shop as well, iirc, but expensive.
    You can pack sandwiches and snacks for lunch, which would free up some of your funds for dinner. We do this usually.

    ETA: Von's/Safeway have good quality meats and produce as a whole. The use great suppliers. I don't have experience with that particular store though.


  4. #3

    Dining questions

    I priced out a tentative plan and was hit with major sticker shock! I've pared us down to the following sit-down meals, feedback appreciated:

    *Both Morton's and M&S's happy hours. These are good value with our 25 off birthday money.

    *Blue Bayou to have those Monte Cristo sandwiches.

    *House of Blues with our 50 dollar certificate.

    *Carthay Circle, either Prix Fixe or ala carte dinner. Not sure how much I'm coveting WOC viewing. Should I be?

    *Napa Rose Vintner's.

    *possibly UVA bar.

    Everything else will be resort counter service, off-property (can anyone recommend MiCasa Mexicana?), or at the hotel.

    My list of wants is too long! Even with 30.00 off Uva Bar adds up, as do the lounges. So we're saving some things for another trip.

    We'll go ahead with Von's delivery...beer, breakfast stuff (we'll eat all our breakfasts at the hotel), and maybe some brats or other easy dinner items.


  5. #4

    If you're only going to BB for the Monte cristo, it's cheaper at cafe Orleans....but you're probably going for the ambiance of BB.


  6. #5

    Dining questions

    Yes, I feel like we need to experience the ambience.


  7. #6
    Registered User
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    Jul 2010
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    Ventura County, CA

    In terms of a general way to save some money (to have the funds to spend more on sit-down dinners), eating breakfast at your hotel is definitely the way to go. I'd also suggest packing snacks and/or lunch (packing sandwiches made on bread or sub rolls, packed with a frozen water bottle in an insulated lunch bag, can easily go in a small backpack to avoid security concerns with a larger cooler) and bringing into the parks with you.

    And I know each person/family is different, but I'd also suggest considering fewer sit-down dinners. When I'm at Disney I like maximizing my Parks time, so, for instance, heading out to Mortons or McCormicks wouldn't be my choice (although, you are right, their happy hours are awesome values), I'd rather hit more rides while everyone else is eating dinner. So, perhaps forego the House of Blues meal or the Uva meal (if I had to pick one, I'd pick Uva bar over HOB), and do a few more dinners at counter service locations? OR, we've found better food, and thus better value, in dining at the bars at the DLR hotels (specifically the Hearthstone Lounge at GCH and Trader Sams at DLH). They each have relatively limited menus, but prices are better than in the Parks and quality is quite good and a few appetizers shared can easily be dinner.


  8. #7

    I'm going a couple of weeks after my birthday, and I signed up for the Patina's group birthday coupon. As I was checking out the Earl of Sandwich menu, I saw that they also have a birthday sign up. I'm supposed to get a free sandwich there.


  9. #8
    Registered User
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    Mar 2007
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    Turlock, CA

    One thing to consider to save a few $$. Many of the entrees at the resort can be quite large. My DH and I often share a meal, especially if we are planning on more rides later! You can always eat lightly or share a few plates with your group (I forget how many you said will be with you). We usually bring easy to carry protein snacks like nuts, beef jerky, string cheese, etc, which keeps us from getting too hungry and wanting to eat an entre the size of my face...in fact, those kinds of snacks could be a good idea for your really long trip here too


  10. #9
    Disneyphiles Janis and Aaron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    I am pretty sure the certificates are for the birth month not the day.
    I checked their website because I hadn't heard of this deal before. It said "offer valid from date of issue up to 60 days after certificate bearer's birthday...Reservations must be made and the certificate must be mentioned at time of reservation...Valid for food and beverage (alcohol excluded) on any evening after 5 PM." Hope that is useful - now I'm off to sign up myself!
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  11. #10

    Dining questions

    Thanks for all the helpful suggestions! I'm axing McCormick & Schmick's because it's the most out of the way and we can do their happy hour in Seattle. May do Uva Bar instead.

    I forgot about Earl Of Sandwich! Made myself a reminder to sign up when we get home.

    I was thinking about Trader Sam's or other lounges, would Trader Sam's be reasonable? What are portions like, share-able?

    So, I am down to 4 or 5 ADRs (Uva, HOB, Carthay Circle, Napa Rose, and Blue Bayou) and one happy hour (Morton's) for 7 days. Plus one "free" lunch at EoS.

    For Carthay Circle, please express your opinions about whether we should select the WOC prix fixe or go ala carte?

    Thanks!

    PS I'm seeing posts about way.com. I'd like to buy 2 Premium APs from them for the savings, but am paranoid about my ability to upgrade the vouchers to Premier Passports when we arrive. Has anyone done this? Did you lose the savings (ie only given credit for purchase price)?


  12. #11

    I highly recommend Sam's. I think you could share apps, but I keep all the ahi poke for myself.

    The fixe menu at CS is decent. I prefer to order from the full menu just because I like the options, but I enjoyed it when I tried it.


  13. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by libbylovespluto View Post
    PS I'm seeing posts about way.com. I'd like to buy 2 Premium APs from them for the savings, but am paranoid about my ability to upgrade the vouchers to Premier Passports when we arrive. Has anyone done this? Did you lose the savings (ie only given credit for purchase price)?
    I have not used way.com, but the tickets they email are the same ones from Disney, so upgrading shouldn't be an issue. I'm just afraid of getting to the park and finding they double shared the email and tickets aren't valid. So, I'm just going to purchase my APs through Disney. I figure it's going to cost $1500 for 3 AP's, a savings of $70 would not be worth the loss of the tickets to me.

  14. #13

    Dining questions

    Thanks, I don't understand what you mean by double sharing the email, though. Could you explain?


  15. #14
    Registered User
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    Quote Originally Posted by libbylovespluto View Post
    I was thinking about Trader Sam's or other lounges, would Trader Sam's be reasonable? What are portions like, share-able?

    For Carthay Circle, please express your opinions about whether we should select the WOC prix fixe or go ala carte?

    Thanks!
    Here is a more current menu link than what's here on MP: http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/men_tsam.htm So, you can judge if it would be reasonable or not, I think compared to many of the other table-service restaurants, it is-- with food pricing similarly to counter service, but better quality, in my opinion. The last time I was there and ate, I think my husband and I shared two appetizery things -- a flatbread and the greenbeans and that was enough for us. It looks like they now have a couple sandwich options, so I imagine those would be a full meal.

    I personally think getting the WOC passes at Carthay Circle are a must. This said, we went to Carthay for the first time in Feb or March of 2013 and got the passes simply by eating dinner there basically-- I think 3/4 of the people in our party ordered appetizers and an entree and one only had an entree. We also all had 1-2 glasses of wine. At that time, the "official" policy I believe was that each person had to order an entree and an app or dessert to get the passes. When we returned in June, they had instituted the Prix-Fixe menu--and we had been unaware of this change--it was my birthday and really i just wanted the heirloom tomato salad (not an option on the prix fixe--and frankly, more expensive than the items on the prix fixe menu) and the short rib ravioli and didn't really want dessert. We each had a glass of white wine and then shared a bottle of red wine-- point being, we weren't trying to just have an appetizer and get passes (which is presumbably why such policies are instituted), so I think that's why they agreed to work with us on still giving us the passes. We were also there so close to when the new prix fixe menu began, perhaps that's why they were flexible.

    All this is to say, if you're going to spend the money on a meal at Carthay Circle, be sure you get WOC passes. Makes the viewing experience a lot easier/more enjoyable in my opinion. If you can go to the second show on weeknight, even better! We've had the section practically to ourselves in that instance before. From my experience, if you politely decline the prix-fixe and kind of "create your own" prix fixe meal, they'll work with you (at least they did with us last June).

  16. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by libbylovespluto View Post
    Thanks, I don't understand what you mean by double sharing the email, though. Could you explain?
    Sorry, I should clarify it's only a $24 per ticket saving for us, $72 total which would be nice (cover cost of photo +), but it's a small amount when APs cost so much. I'm concerned because the company is a middle man. They buy tickets and receive the emails from Disney and then forward them to their customers. They could accidentally (or purposely) send the tickets to multiple customers. They would then be activated only by the first to use them. It's paranoia on my part perhaps, but I don't want to be out all that money.

  17. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by bumblebeeonarose View Post
    Sorry, I should clarify it's only a $24 per ticket saving for us, $72 total which would be nice (cover cost of photo +), but it's a small amount when APs cost so much. I'm concerned because the company is a middle man. They buy tickets and receive the emails from Disney and then forward them to their customers. They could accidentally (or purposely) send the tickets to multiple customers. They would then be activated only by the first to use them. It's paranoia on my part perhaps, but I don't want to be out all that money.
    Really all legit companies like AAA, Costo,etc., besides Disney, are middlemen for DL. I also want to purchase two APs with way.com. Your comments have me concerned--have you heard of this happening to anyone with way.com. I am usually trusting, but I got scammed this Christmas with an on-line present order so have become more cautious. I am trying to sift through the conjecture with the facts so any specifics would be really helpful
     

  18. #17
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by libbylovespluto View Post
    We'll also have a Landry's birthday credits and we plan to hit Morton's and McCormick and Schmick's happy hours.
    You can use these at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney too; Bubba Gump's over at Anaheim Gardenwalk (off of Katella) also qualifies and both are probably cheaper than Morton's.

    Quote Originally Posted by Janis and Aaron View Post
    I checked their website because I hadn't heard of this deal before. It said "offer valid from date of issue up to 60 days after certificate bearer's birthday...Reservations must be made and the certificate must be mentioned at time of reservation...Valid for food and beverage (alcohol excluded) on any evening after 5 PM." Hope that is useful - now I'm off to sign up myself!
    That's sounds right; I wasn't able to use mine in my birth month when my trip was delayed, but then I was able to visit before the end of the next month and was able to use it at Tortilla Jo's...very happy with our meal!
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  19. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by julesann View Post
    Really all legit companies like AAA, Costo,etc., besides Disney, are middlemen for DL. I also want to purchase two APs with way.com. Your comments have me concerned--have you heard of this happening to anyone with way.com. I am usually trusting, but I got scammed this Christmas with an on-line present order so have become more cautious. I am trying to sift through the conjecture with the facts so any specifics would be really helpful
    I had no problem with way.com. They even attach the ticket holders name to the eticket. I bought one for my mom and they gave her name and address to Disney when purchasing the ticket so it would match when she exchanged it in the park. Especially with APs, your name is printed on the voucher you get and your info is coded into the voucher, just as if you purchased directly through Disney.

  20. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by 3Princesses1Prince View Post
    I had no problem with way.com. They even attach the ticket holders name to the eticket. I bought one for my mom and they gave her name and address to Disney when purchasing the ticket so it would match when she exchanged it in the park. Especially with APs, your name is printed on the voucher you get and your info is coded into the voucher, just as if you purchased directly through Disney.
    That is good to know. If your name is attached to the ticket it would be difficult to email to more than one person. Did all of your tickets have your name on them, or did they put your kids' names too?

    Quote Originally Posted by julesann View Post
    Really all legit companies like AAA, Costo,etc., besides Disney, are middlemen for DL. I also want to purchase two APs with way.com. Your comments have me concerned--have you heard of this happening to anyone with way.com. I am usually trusting, but I got scammed this Christmas with an on-line present order so have become more cautious. I am trying to sift through the conjecture with the facts so any specifics would be really helpful
    This is true, but these are authorized sellers. In the post about way.com I added a link to a long thread about the company. No one reported anything bad, but someone did call Disney and they were told way.com is not an authorized seller. They're probably fine, and you'll probably be fine buying the tickets through them. I've always purchased mine through Disney (last summer I used my Teacher's Union, but it went to the Disneyland website); with them you always know you're good.

  21. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by bumblebeeonarose View Post

    This is true, but these are authorized sellers. In the post about way.com I added a link to a long thread about the company. No one reported anything bad, but someone did call Disney and they were told way.com is not an authorized seller. They're probably fine, and you'll probably be fine buying the tickets through them. I've always purchased mine through Disney (last summer I used my Teacher's Union, but it went to the Disneyland website); with them you always know you're good.
    Thanks for the information. I remember reading about the call to a CM about away.com. It had me concerned too even though I recall someone on the board mentioning that might be the official response to any company other than Disney.
     

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