Magical First Night!

[Harambe]

We are on dining plan but would prefer 1 credit restaurant.

But just for curiosity, if money were no object, what do you suggest??

Do the three FPs at MK like others have suggested, then take the monorail to Poly to go to Ohana for dinner, then walk down to the beach at Poly and watch the fireworks. (Adults can grab a drink at the pool bar!!) This will be an easy plan to get around. Busses, etc. to get to HDDR and back can be a challenge, and you don't want that to be your first impression on your first night!

Don't do the dining plan so don't know about credit restaurants.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Chef Mickey's dinner food always get a bad rap, but we always enjoyed it. I was angry the last time we ate there that the dessert choices were so downgraded compared to previous dinners there, but in the latest photos I've seen, it appears that they've improved since my last visit.

The soup is always good. The salad bar is a fine one. The carved meat is usually quite good, but the best thing of all is the Parmesan mashed potatoes. If you eat these items, it will be a fine meal food-wise, and the experience for your daughters will be a load of fun.

The suggestions of other places in the monorail are good ones--1900 Park Fare and Ohana. Be Our Guest is a fun and tasty meal, but very hard to get an ADR there. Actually, none of these places is an easy ADR, but BOG is in a class by itself. 180 days plus is your only hope.

And before someone else suggests it, Touring Plans ADR finder will drive you insane. It's not some handy-dandy, easy-peasy tool as many here will suggest. Just try signing up for a free account. That's only the first hurdle.

 

[999_Happy_Haunts]

We always kick off our trip with dinner at the California Grill. A travel day that entails flying means that not a single morsel of good food has been consumed that day, so a terrific dinner is owed to us. And nothing sets the stage for our Disney vacation more than a dinner overlooking the MK capped off by fireworks.

 

[hosler427]

We always kick off our trip with dinner at the California Grill. A travel day that entails flying means that not a single morsel of good food has been consumed that day, so a terrific dinner is owed to us. And nothing sets the stage for our Disney vacation more than a dinner overlooking the MK capped off by fireworks.

If I was staying at the Contemporary like the OP, I would lean this way too.

For my upcoming trip, we have a similar situation but a long travel morning and are staying at Kidani Village so we are eating at Sanaa. Travel days are fast paced and stressful enough I like a relaxing, low stress first night.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I'm trying to think of the best way to kick off our vacation.

WHAT WE LIKE AS A VACATION KICK-OFF EVENING:
1) We eat dinner either at
. . . Fort Wilderness Hoop-Dee-Do-Musical Review dinner show, or
. . . Fort Wilderness Trails End Buffet
2) After dinner, we go to the Chip-n-Dale Campfire at Fort Wilderness
. . . campfire (free)
. . . s'mores (slight charge)
. . . Chip-n-Dale photos and autographs (free)
. . . outdoor sing-along (free)
. . . outdoor two Disney movies (free)

 

[Aubsmama]

Do the three FPs at MK like others have suggested, then take the monorail to Poly to go to Ohana for dinner, then walk down to the beach at Poly and watch the fireworks. (Adults can grab a drink at the pool bar!!) This will be an easy plan to get around. Busses, etc. to get to HDDR and back can be a challenge, and you don't want that to be your first impression on your first night!

Don't do the dining plan so don't know about credit restaurants.

Sounds like a good plan!

 

[Aubsmama]

Thanks for all the suggestions!! We are going in June so our 180 day mark is 12/6. Hopefully I can get some good reservations!!

 

[cgh]

We used to always to Chef Mickey's. This year, we are arriving late, so are not, which will be odd. We like the monorail and fab 5. I think the food is fine. It is always a trade off, right?

When we arrive, the kids always like to explore the hotel. We tend to go swimming, then do an early dinner for an early day the next morning. The afternoon around 3 or 4 (I forget) there's usually games by the pool.