Hello everyone!
We are needing some advice for restaurants at Disney World. We pretty much already have our character meals picked out but we need to decide on some non-character meals as well. What are your favorites? Where are they located? We normally eat lunch and dinner very early (compaired to most families), will this be any sort of problem at Disney?
Also, what are your favorite quick service meals?
Thanks for all the responses so far!! I had another question come to mind this afternoon, so I thought I would add it to this post!
Which sit down restaurants serve the a meat and potatoes type of meal?? I have heard something about 'family-style' dinning, but I am not sure what this means? We heard great things about Coral Reef but aren't too sure everyone in our party would go for seafood...so this is why we are asking. Thanks so much!
I love to eat in Germany at epcot and also the 50s diner at mgm they are both yummy and are both fun I wanted to add that Germany is all you can eat so it is price wise really worth it.
Paradiso 37 in Downtown Disney!
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/paradiso37/
And pizza planet at hollywood studios
My favorite restaurant at disney is "Ohana" in the Polynesian Resort, its' delicious especially for dinner!! It gives you the who tropical feel with lots of nice hawaiian music!!! My favorite quick service would have to be Flame Tree BBQ in Discovery Island!!! I hope you have a great time, we're going next october and it can't come soon enough!!!!!
ohanas is the best. if you want to eat at the castle (cinderellas royal table)- you need to make reservations month in advance or get on the cancellation list. you cant just walk up there and want to eat. it is the best place to eat out of all the parks.
Best lunch was at the Italian restaurant in Italy at EPCOT - get the spinach gnoochi - mmmmmmm. Best steak was LeCellier in Canada at EPCOT - loved their cheese soup and fresh made pretzel-like bread sticks.
Best quick service meal was at Wolfgang Puck Express in Downtown Disney. Lots of options and delicious. Also, the Pepper Market at the Coronado Resort was a great place to grab a quick service meal - probably had the greatest selection of cuisines.
For a romantic dinner, Narcoosee's at the Grand Floridian is the place to go. Make your reservation for about 8pm and ask to sit by the window. Around 9'ish you'll be able to watch the fireworks while you enjoy dessert and watch the lights sparkle across the lake. They pipe in the music that is tied to the fireworks to make it extra special.
Have fun!!!
It has been a long time, but we really enjoyed The Living Seas. The restaurant is an aquarium. And the fish are swimming next to your table while you eat.
I highly recommend making reservations well in advance. That said, we ate at the Wolfgang Puck's Express quite a bit--very family pleasing. Within the parks, we really liked all the places we ate in at Epcot, most of which are ethnic-type (except the Mexican one, which we thought was really terrible). The Moroccan place was really fun--the kids got to participate in the belly dancing there. It seems like all the ethnic restaurants have a few generic things like chicken fingers on the menu for the picky eaters.
Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge is my number one favorite! We also liked Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Villas (outstanding if you like Indian cuisine)
We always like Mexico at Epcot, very cool surroundings. And France in Epcot was good too.
I've never bothered with sit-down at Magic Kingdom, we're too busy! We always eat a quick breakfast and lunch, and make ADRs for a nicer sit-down dinner. Have fun!
I was very pleasantly surprised with Tony's in magic kingdom on our last trip down there. We almost didn't keep the reservation because my husband didn't want another sit down with children, but we were so glad we did - service was great, everyone enjoyed their food - all around great experience.
Counter service - Cosmic Ray's in Magic Kingdom. Has a ton of seating and is air conditioned with lots of food choices. I also like Electric Umbrella in epcot for a quick counter service. As far as Hollywood studios - I have yet to find food that I like in there. They do have a counter service place right by Honey I Shrunk the kids playground that has the traditional chicken nuggets, hot dog, hamburger.
Mexico in Epcot is really good and beautiful inside. It's small, so the earlier the better.
Liberty Tree Tavern in the MK serves meat and potatoes.
For other places, we love Pizza Planet at Hollywood Studios. Also the salad bowl at Pecos Bills in the MK. There is a good Taco stand in the World Showcase outside of the Mexican pavilion. Also for non character dining but sit down meal the Japan pavilion at is great http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/teppan-edo-restau... they are entertaining and they have good food.
Whispering Canyon at The Wilderness Lodge. They do the family-style dining. It's ribs, chicken, brisket, potatoes, corn, beans & cornbread. The food was really good and it's a fun restaurant. The waiters get the kids involved in lots of fun activities. Be careful though when you ask for ketchup. You will get every bottle they have in the restaurant on your table. :-)
My kids love going to Toy Story Pizza Planet at Hollywood Studios. There is lots of seating and a huge arcade.
We Love the "Land" in epcot. They have a nice food court and a very cool rotating resterant..I am totally forgetting the name! There are some great places at the boardwalk resaort which is litterally at epcot a great place to do for dinner, on your epcot day. Stay away from Liberty tree Tavern, and Cinderella"s royal table at Magic Kingdom. We like Crystal Palace on Main Street, it is a Character Buffet. In MGM, Mom's Diner, and the Brown derby are good! All this Disney talk is making me want to go now! We are going the week before Thanskgiving, it will be the first trip for our newly adopted Toddlers 2 and 3... And our 10th!! Have a Blast!!!
The restaurant in Canada at Epcot. Great steaks, but pricey.
Favorite quick service meal is the Starlight Lounge in Magic Kingdom. Animatronic entertaiment, lots of seating in air conditioned space. Awesoem find. Lots of food choices.
The only non-character meal I made a reservation for was a High Tea at the Grand Floridian's Garden View Lounge. Expensive, but very nice. Not worth it for anyone not interested in experiencing a traditional Tea service, but my Mom and I adored it. (It was her birthday, after all.)
Favorite restaurant experience was the Ohana Breakfast with Stitch & Friends. Yes, a character meal, but if you haven't included that one I urge you to consider it. Characters included Lilo, Stitch, Mickey & Pluto, and they each took time to engage my son (he's autistic) and moved my husband and I to tears. Also, the food was delicious and plentiful and the whole experience really conveyed the Island Spirit. (My husband has spent a bit of time in Hawaii so this meal was somewhat a gift for him and he loved it!)
Enjoy the magic!
First, smart to eat early. You will avoid the crowds and most likely be the first one served. The only downside is potentially the restaurant may open up past the time you want to eat. The disney dining phone staff will be able to share with you when each restaurant opens.
In Epcot, we like the Teppenake (Japan) restaurant. They make a whole production of cooking the food in front of you. Of particular interest to the kids is when they cook the onion making it look and act like a volcano.
Last year I was on bed rest with our third baby so my family went without me. I made them reservations to T Rex in Downtown Disney. The boys and my husband said they enjoyed that experience.
The restaurants that are located in each of the resorts are good for quick meals. Other restaurants that are good in the resorts are Whispering Canyon in the Wilderness Lodge and all of the restaurants at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Enjoy...as I was writing this, I struggled to think of an experience I didn't care for. If I was pushed I would say I wasn't crazy about the food in MGM.
One of our family favorites to celebrate special occasions is California Grill in the Contemporary Hotel. It is high up and it is a wonderful place to watch the fire works at magic kingdom. Fireworks wouldn't work if you like to eat early, but they might have more seating available. It is a bit more pricey than some of the Disney restaurants, but great food and great service.
Love Tony's at Magic Kingdom and Cinderella's Castle has a restaurant too that is fantastic. Make reservations now!
The character dinners usually had really good food. We enjoyed the 50's Diner in Hollywood Studios. It's a Mom and Pop type family dinner where you get things like roast beef and mashed potatoes or meatloaf or chicken. You also get scolded if you put your elbows on the table. lol The restaurant in the Wilderness Lodge is supposed to be one of the best. Unfortunately we couldn't get reservations last time we were there. Quick service meals seemed to be similar everywhere we went in the Magic Kingdom. Epcot offers more variety as the countries have ethnic food.
