Must do places to eat in WDW...

[Samaya]

When at Epcot and just a short walk away have a look at booking into Cape May which has buffet style eating at the Beach Club and when at the AK park why not try a Boma's buffet at AKL Jambo House. Just a short walk away from MK park or on the mono-rail the Wave and California Grill at the Contemporary Resort are also good choices, happy eating....

 

[Tony Toon]

Isn't it interesting that we have such varied opinions of the same restaurants?

I would go along with several who suggest that Teppan Edo, though an interesting experience, was rather disappointing for us, foodwise. Wayneg and I have disagreed for some time about Cali Grill. We've never had a poor meal there and servers have been delightful.

Our favourites are breakfast at 1900 Park Fare, Dinner (only one visit so far) at Hacienda was brilliant. Yachtsman's ........ and I could go on, but as some have suggested we're all different. Read the reviews and just go with what you fancy and what you require - children/character meals etc. What I would say is that the food in the hotels rather than the parks is generally better but again with some exceptions.

One last opinion - the best QS meal for me has to be Wolfgang Puck Downtown.

 

[wayneg]

Isn't it interesting that we have such varied opinions of the same restaurants?

It is interesting but no way surprises me.
There are so many restaurants and seat so many people per day there is no way the can employ enough perfect employees, serve every meal perfectly or cook every meal to perfection.

We have eaten at many TS restaurants, some of them twice. Often going back to the same place for a 2nd time has been a disappointment.
Off the top of my head I can think of Yachtsman, Le Cellier, Kona Café, Yak & Yeti, Ohana, Tutto Italia, Mama Melrose all great first visits but not so good the 2nd time.

This is why I never say avoid a restaurant, it doesn't matter if 5, 6 or 7 people say they disliked somewhere when you visit you could get the best server in Disney and get your perfect meal, I dare say if we tried Cali Grill again it would be better, to be honest it couldn't have been much worse (I have thrown more food away at the end of a meal than they served me, I am not one for micro meals)

 

[pickers1982]

Yeah its amazing how places polarise opinions. I had the worst surf and turf ever at narcosees(i think that was the name its in gran floridian on the lake). Truly awful but many people love it so maybe we got it on a bad night.

 

[Azza1987]

We loved Jiko for our treat restaurant. Excellent food, atmosphere & a fabulous server!

Paradise 37 was good for us & we liked Mama Melrose.

We loved Earl of Sandwich for a quick grab & go sandwich!

 

[MickeyHammer]

We have just returned. I don't envy you as it is difficult to choose so far in advance.

We always go to Narcoossee's at GF, once again it was fantastic. This trip there were 5 diners in our party that had never eaten there and over the two weeks they declared it as by far the best food, so much so I was tasked with getting us back in on our last night which I managed by splitting the party over two times - luckily there was a cancellation. Some people have commented on the surf and turf option as not being great as the lobster tail isn't fresh, in my case our server suggested scallops which were great. To be honest if we hadn't been on DDP I would have had it as $72 for an entree is silly money, but the quality of the steak was outstanding.

Also good was Flying Fish - another of our regular must dos.

BOG was a great venue and experience but I didn't think the food was particularly great, but then again the volume of people there it's no surprise.

Tusker House breakfast was a new one for us and we really enjoyed it.

Askerhaus breakfast was also great - my two girls loved it. In my opinion I would say it was better than CRT although this time we had lunch at CRT. I just think Askerhaus does the same as CRT but for only 1 credit, obviously minus eating in the castle that is!

Like others have said, I would look at the menus over reading American reviewers and see what appeals to you. Happy planning!

 

[thebadger]

Thanks for the replies thus far folks, really interesting to see so many reviews and comments.

Interesting to find out that resort locations may offer better food than park locations.

I'm off to do some more research!

Amended list to follow at some point.

 

[Cinderella]

Hi, It seems like you have made some great choices so far. While I love many of the Disney restaurants we only really have two must do's: Chef Mickey's, but we prefer it for breakfast as opposed to dinner if it fits with our itinerary, and Sci Fi for lunch or dinner.

Neither of those choices have the greatest food but we like them for the experience. Chef Mickey's is fun and very Disney, and we love sitting in the cars in Sci Fi and "being at a drive in". Oh, and the kids love those drinks with the glowing things in them.

Places where we love the actual food but don't feel the need to go each trip include: California Grill, Jiko, Victoria and Alberts, and Le Cellier.

Places where we love the experience but don't feel the need to go each trip: Whispering Canyon Cafe, Ohana, Rainforest Cafe, Kona Cafe, Teppan Edo, and the Hoop De Doo Review and most other character dining. But this is because we have done them before, my children are older and we don't need to do so much character dining any more. But we will actually be eating at some of these next year because we didn't do them on our last trip.

You have made some good choices for travelling with young kids. Tusker House is a great character breakfast and you won't be sorry that you've chosen it. We enjoyed our experience in the Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom, but the food quality was not as good in the Downtown Disney one. Ohana is a lot of fun. Eating in the castle is cool (but we didn't like the food).

I don't remember a lot about Biergarten. It was a fun and lively atmosphere and the food seemed ok, but I don't think I would choose it over Teppan Edo. Many people have said they don't rate Planet Hollywood but we like it because it is a fun experience.

I noticed you have Hollywood and Vine down twice. I don't rate the place at all, and I think you would be happier if you switched the dinner reservation to Sci Fi. The only other place I love in Hollywood Studios is the Brown Derby but it is two dining credits and not great for small kids.

 

[thebadger]

Thanks for the reply Cinderella, a lot of information to think about! Well me and Mrs badger have been going over the plan this past week about our eateries and have came up with list number two after a bit more research and some chopping and changing it looks like this!

Breakfast venues - Tusker, Akershsus , Raiforest Cafe(AK) & Hollywood & Vine

Evening meal venues - Rainforest cafe (DTD) , Sanna, Sci Fi Dine In(which we chose before your post Cinderella , Parsdiso 37, Biergarten, Crystal Palace, Be Our Guest, Bongos Cuban Cafe, Hollywood & Vine (fantasmic package) the reason for twice is we liked the menus and read some really good reviews on trip adviser plus we don't want to eat at our resort every morning (staying at CBR) anyone recommend good breakfast eateries??

This still leaves us with 3 evening meal choices left!!!, we are deciding against Royal Table as we really couldn't find anything on the menu we all liked so thought about the Hollywood Brown Derby and using our 2 credits there. Our youngest one will be 7 when we go think that's still to young Cinders?

On our first full day in the parks (MK obviously!!!) we aren't bothering with a set meal that night and we think that Cosmic rays for something quick covers a lot of bases!!

Although T Rex, Planet Hollywood & Ohana have been taken off this list they are not forgotten about and could make up our last few slots, we have decided against Mama Melrose though

So thoughts and offerings...

: thumbsup2

 

[edinburghlass]

Maybe I'm wrong but adding up your breakfast and dinner choices have you not planned too many TS restaurants as there are no QS restaurants in your plans or are you on the Deluxe DDP?

 

[thebadger]

Maybe I'm wrong but adding up your breakfast and dinner choices have you not planned too many TS restaurants as there are no QS restaurants in your plans or are you on the Deluxe DDP?

We are on the DDP, we got the QSDP free when we booked and had to pay an extra charge to upgrade it to the DDP

which covers

Breakfast - 1 entree , 1 drink

Evening meal - 1 entree , 1 dessert , 1 drink (non alcoholic) or 1 buffet

per person per day

Valid at QS & TS places.

I have checked every menu and the only one costing us "2 credits" p/p is our possible trip to Hollywood Brown Derby. Each other one on our list is 1 credit p/p

 

[edinburghlass]

oh sorry I understood it was one qs and one ts per day

 

[chmurf]

We are on the DDP, we got the QSDP free when we booked and had to pay an extra charge to upgrade it to the DDP

which covers

Breakfast - 1 entree , 1 drink

Evening meal - 1 entree , 1 dessert , 1 drink (non alcoholic) or 1 buffet

per person per day

Valid at QS & TS places.

I'm not sure I read you correctly

you get 1 QS AND 1 TS per night spent at the hotel, not per day
The way I read your post, you seem to say that you can choose either a TS or a QS for breakfast and for dinner
You don't get 2 meals a day to choose from either TS and QS, you get 1QS AND 1TS


ETA : I've found a thread where you mention being there from oct 10th to oct 24th
that's 14 nights, so 14 TS credits and 14 QS credits.

Tusker,
Akershsus ,
Raiforest Cafe(AK) &
Hollywood & Vine

Rainforest cafe (DTD) ,
Sanna,
Sci Fi Dine In(which we chose before your post Cinderella ,
Parsdiso 37,
Biergarten,
Crystal Palace,
Be Our Guest,
Bongos Cuban Cafe,
Hollywood & Vine (fantasmic package)

that's 13 TS

This still leaves us with 3 evening meal choices left!!!,

you actually only have 1 TS meal left

and 14 QS meals for all other meals.

 

[Elise79]

We are on the DDP, we got the QSDP free when we booked and had to pay an extra charge to upgrade it to the DDP

which covers

Breakfast - 1 entree , 1 drink

Evening meal - 1 entree , 1 dessert , 1 drink (non alcoholic) or 1 buffet

per person per day

Valid at QS & TS places.

I have checked every menu and the only one costing us "2 credits" p/p is our possible trip to Hollywood Brown Derby. Each other one on our list is 1 credit p/p

I'm not sure I read you correctly

you get 1 QS AND 1 TS per night spent at the hotel, not per day
The way I read your post, you seem to say that you can choose either a TS or a QS for breakfast and for dinner
You don't get 2 meals a day to choose from either TS and QS, you get 1QS AND 1TS


ETA : I've found a thread where you mention being there from oct 10th to oct 24th
that's 14 nights, so 14 TS credits and 14 QS credits.

that's 13 TS


you actually only have 1 TS meal left

and 14 QS meals for all other meals.

Chmurf is correct on the DDP you get one TS meal, one CS meal and one snack per person per night.

You will need to replan if you want more evening sit down meals

Edit: Here is the link to the official 2014 Dining Plan leaflet - it explains the rules of the plan as well as showing the restaurants.

And this is the 2013 version - the 2014 version will not be complete until something in December and the non-Disney owned restaurants re-negotiate their contracts very year. You can assume at the moment all restaurant will sign up for 2014.

 

[Cinderella]

You won't regret Sci Fi. It's fun. Your 7 year old will be fine in Hollywood Brown Derby. She may not find it as exciting as some of the other restaurants but the food is great. My DD ate there at 7 with no problem.

Someone mentioned later on that you may have miscalculated your dining credits. When I'm gonna wind up using too many, I just calculate which meal is gonna be the cheapest and pay out of pocket for that one.

Thanks for the reply Cinderella, a lot of information to think about! Well me and Mrs badger have been going over the plan this past week about our eateries and have came up with list number two after a bit more research and some chopping and changing it looks like this!

Breakfast venues - Tusker, Akershsus , Raiforest Cafe(AK) & Hollywood & Vine

Evening meal venues - Rainforest cafe (DTD) , Sanna, Sci Fi Dine In(which we chose before your post Cinderella , Parsdiso 37, Biergarten, Crystal Palace, Be Our Guest, Bongos Cuban Cafe, Hollywood & Vine (fantasmic package) the reason for twice is we liked the menus and read some really good reviews on trip adviser plus we don't want to eat at our resort every morning (staying at CBR) anyone recommend good breakfast eateries??

This still leaves us with 3 evening meal choices left!!!, we are deciding against Royal Table as we really couldn't find anything on the menu we all liked so thought about the Hollywood Brown Derby and using our 2 credits there. Our youngest one will be 7 when we go think that's still to young Cinders?

On our first full day in the parks (MK obviously!!!) we aren't bothering with a set meal that night and we think that Cosmic rays for something quick covers a lot of bases!!

Although T Rex, Planet Hollywood & Ohana have been taken off this list they are not forgotten about and could make up our last few slots, we have decided against Mama Melrose though

So thoughts and offerings...

: thumbsup2

 

[Tony Toon]

You ask about breakfast venues. We love the buffet at 1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian. Strawberry Soup and Eggs Benedict are 2 of the items I particularly like that I can't find on my breakfast table at home . The characters are good for children and the atmosphere is a little less hectic than many of the others. Crystal Palace has become a traditional first morning breakfast venue for us. It's like the "we have arrived in Disney" moment for us. I can't pass up the "breakfast Lasagne" - sweet (very sweet) opportunity and there is so much choice for all the family.

With regards to dining credits, many folk have difficulty in using them all, unless you visit several 2 credit restaurants. Can't say it's a problem we have though. Maybe it's a Scottish thing?

 

[joolz1910]

Our favourites were:

'Ohana - watching the Water Pageant and Fireworks from the beach after dinner.
Akershus - enjoyed the food and 1ts to meet the princesses and free photo!
Crystal Palace breakfast - getting into the park before others for great photo opportunities.
Chef Mickey's - I thought it was so-so, but my kids LOVED it.

For counter service, we couldn't beat Wolfgang Puck Express, although Columbia Harbour House was nice.

 

[Lucys dad]

We have a few 'must do' places although I sometimes think some of ours are more as a 'tradition' rather than outstanding food. ( these 'traditions' are often dictated by DD )


In no particular order.

Jiko
California Grill.
Rainforest Café ( but only for breakfast at the AK one)
Caseys
Teppan Edo
Beaches and Cream.
Sunshine Seasons ( again for breakfast )
Flying Fish
Boardwalk pizza window

 

[thebadger]

In the words of Homer Simpson DOH! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction regards allowances churmf, edinburghlass & elise79. What a dispstick I am!!

Right Hollywood & vine & Rainforest cafe for breakfast is dumped and ill go back to the drawing board once more! and have a looksie about for quick service places for breakfast and possibly one evening meal.

I presume the general rule of thumb would be use quick service for breakfast and table service for evening meal but as we want to do Tuskers & Akershus we have to make up that shortfall.

A revised list to follow

You are all wonderful people

 

[Elise79]

We either do character breakfast and then dinner or snack in room, early CS lunch then dinner. If we have a CS lunch we will always have a TS dinner. If we have a character breakfast then we will either have a TS or CS dinner depending what we feel like.

We will also go offsite to eat in the evening (yes even when we have the DDP) however we also came home with a lot if unused CS meals in the summer