Thoughts on Food

[JoyfulHeart]

June will be our 3rd trip to WDW, but we have really never ate at and TS meals. The first two times we were with in-laws and they preferred not to, but we will be going as just a family of four this time. We did do Tony's & Crystal palace in '21. I have been reading reviews on restaurants, but they seem to be all over the place. We were going to do 1 TS meal each day for dinner ( DH is not a big lunch eater) except Epcot, because we thought we would graze on the little booths food ( we have never done this either). We will be there 6 days. I will say YDD is VERY picky and prefers meat and veggies. I am not sure about paying for a buffet as ODD is 11 but doesn't even weight 50 lbs, so she would never eat an adult portion. What are your thoughts on the places below. Any recommendations? I am still trying to figure out a good MK meal for our first day. Thank you for your thoughts.

MK- ?
HS- Brown Derby
Epcot- none
AK- Yak & Yedi
Hs - ( Docking Bay 7 - I know its not a TS but the kids really want to eat here)
MK- Steakhouse 71

 

[k5xs]

MK: Not a lot to pick from, but we love Skipper Canteen and Crystal Palace.
HS Brown Derby: We went recently and were underwhelmed. It was okay, I suppose. We were told the Cobb Salad was to die for. Meh.
AK Yak & Yeti: Good, though we prefer Tusker House
Docking Bay 7: Okay, cool decor. But for counter service we prefer Ronto Roasters.
MK Steakhouse 71: Excellent choice.

In every case since the pandemic re-opening we have experienced great CMs, fair service, and food that is consistently good but not consistently as good as it was pre-pandemic.

 

[Marthasor]

June will be our 3rd trip to WDW, but we have really never ate at and TS meals. The first two times we were with in-laws and they preferred not to, but we will be going as just a family of four this time. We did do Tony's & Crystal palace in '21. I have been reading reviews on restaurants, but they seem to be all over the place. We were going to do 1 TS meal each day for dinner ( DH is not a big lunch eater) except Epcot, because we thought we would graze on the little booths food ( we have never done this either). We will be there 6 days. I will say YDD is VERY picky and prefers meat and veggies. I am not sure about paying for a buffet as ODD is 11 but doesn't even weight 50 lbs, so she would never eat an adult portion. What are your thoughts on the places below. Any recommendations? I am still trying to figure out a good MK meal for our first day. Thank you for your thoughts.

MK- ?
HS- Brown Derby
Epcot- none
AK- Yak & Yedi
Hs - ( Docking Bay 7 - I know its not a TS but the kids really want to eat here)
MK- Steakhouse 71

I think these are good choices. For MK, our go-to is Skipper Canteen, but if they menu doesn't have anything on it that would appeal to your YDD, perhaps consider Liberty Tree or Diamond Horseshoe (it's the same menu) which serve a meal resembling a Thanksgiving meal - it's a lot of food at a fairly good value. IMHO, the food in MK isn't very good, so you may even want to stick to QS here. If you don't mind leaving the park, consider taking a boat to WL and going to Whispering Canyon.

I'm not a huge fan of the food booths to create a meal as I do like to sit down at some point during the day. If you find you would like to sit down and eat a meal, we really like the Regal Eagle QS in the America pavilion in EP.

All the rest look great!

 

[thegash35]

I wouldn't worry about ODD eating an adult portion. Anyone can order from a childrens' menu. Even at a prix fixe restaurant, you can order children's options even though you are paying the adult price.

 

[CynBeth]

At MK we love Tony’s, BOG, and LTT.

Of your choices we have only been to Hollywood Brown Derby and absolutely love it. We have lunch there every trip and dinner at 50’s PTC.

For AK if they are picky do not know if they would enjoy Y&Y. I have never been there have family members with food allergies and the food seems a little exotic. We always do Rainforest Cafe they have a variety of items.

For Epcot if you decide not to do the booths we enjoy Chefs de France, Tutto Italia, Coral Reef, and Le Cellier.

 

[a1tinkfans]

MK. Liberty Tree if ur looking for volume of food. We enjoy ( I really) like crystal palace as I’m a big Pooh fan and the Yummy food and many choices for the littles.
we’ve also left MK.. taken the boat over to the Campground and eaten at Late Show Hoop Dee Doo and finished our night there. We’ve also done crockets tavern there.
All were enjoyable and seeing something different is a Perk as well. ( if ur not a .. have to get every minute within the park kind of traveler)
AK… yak n Yeti
Epcot…those food booths Great idea….and perhaps add in that little Chinese place …has lighter fare( to the left of the pavilion) forgot the name.. QS… but enjoyed it, ur kids may like that.
HS.. derby..tho the kids would like the cars one … okay brain is not remembering, others will know lol.
have a great trip n safe travels!!

 

[loves to dive]

It's all subjective and as you can see, you are going to get as many different opinions as there are people.

I also graze at the F&G booths at Epcot, heck I have at least meal a day there every single day of a trip (I always have PHs). Even if you don't find something you love, it's fun to try different things. If that ends up being a bust, just about all the countries in World Showcase have great food.

HBD - we love it and always have, even when my son was young he loved it. You might also consider Sci Fi Dine In. The food isn't anything to write home about but kids tend to love the experience.

Yak and Yeti - we have never tried it but the menu looks good to me. We always either get small plates at Nomad Lounge or eat at Tiffins.

Docking Bay 7 - not our thing. We tried it once but we aren't huge QS fans. We would either do a TS or snack around.

Epcot, HS and MK have plenty of options at the resorts around the parks as well.

 

[acarsme123]

June will be our 3rd trip to WDW, but we have really never ate at and TS meals. The first two times we were with in-laws and they preferred not to, but we will be going as just a family of four this time. We did do Tony's & Crystal palace in '21. I have been reading reviews on restaurants, but they seem to be all over the place. We were going to do 1 TS meal each day for dinner ( DH is not a big lunch eater) except Epcot, because we thought we would graze on the little booths food ( we have never done this either). We will be there 6 days. I will say YDD is VERY picky and prefers meat and veggies. I am not sure about paying for a buffet as ODD is 11 but doesn't even weight 50 lbs, so she would never eat an adult portion. What are your thoughts on the places below. Any recommendations? I am still trying to figure out a good MK meal for our first day. Thank you for your thoughts.

MK- ?
HS- Brown Derby
Epcot- none
AK- Yak & Yedi
Hs - ( Docking Bay 7 - I know its not a TS but the kids really want to eat here)
MK- Steakhouse 71

If you have young kids, Skipper's may be a little too adventurous for them. We did Tony's Town Sq. It's not as bad as people make it out to be. We enjoyed it and didn't find anything wrong with our meals. Wife thought her Italian Trio was better than what they serve at Olive Garden. Good options for kids like spaghetti and pizza.

Epcot: Via Napoli is outstanding for pizza. My son gave his Margherita pizza (minus the basil) a 10 out of 10. Great artichoke white pizza too. Great calamari.

Lots of good food booths during Flower and Garden....some of the booths will have long lines but they seemed to move pretty quickly. Highly recommend the Frushi and Chicken Yakatori at the Hanami Japan booth. The Flur de lys booth in France is really good too.

Yak and Yeti is very good food. My son enjoyed the cheeseburger on the kids menu, and you can get fries as a side with it.

Steakhouse 71 was very good and amazing service. Get the sauce flight to go with your steak or prime rib so you can try a little of everything sauce wise.

 

[acarsme123]

we really like the Regal Eagle QS in the America pavilion in EP.

My son got a side of mac and cheese from Regal Eagle and gobbled it up. The food smelled really good there, but we are from Memphis so I didn't really want to partake in BBQ at Disney. He did get a smoked Turkey leg from the Fife and Drum booth in front of Regal Eagle and gobbled that up too.

 

[clm10308]

The Plaza restaurant at MK can also be a good option for picky eaters.

 

[shortster]

For HS, I’d second the poster who suggested Sci Fi. It is my family’s go-to. Familiar food and a really fun, unique atmosphere!

In Epcot, if you decide you want a TS….take a look at Garden Grill. it was our best character interaction (granted, pre-COVID) and based on your description the menu would appeal to your family. My kids really loved the feeling of being “inside” a ride!

 

[wench]

I read meat & veggies & thought of one place. Teppan Edo in Epcot is so good. And very entertaining for everyone, especially the kids.

 

[DJFan88]

For MK day I would do the Plaza. It’s simple and they have never let us down.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Food is so subjective, and Disney pretty regularly changes menus. I'd skip the buffets, and If I was going with kids we'd probably consider these places:

Magic Kingdom - none at this point for TS. The Plaza use to be a really good place for a simple meal but prices have skyrocketed and the menu doesn't look particularly appealing.
Epcot - agree that Teppan Edo is good and fun. If you've been to a hibachi place then you know what to expect, and if you haven't this is a good start.
Animal Kingdom - maybe Yak & Yeti, but we haven't been.
DHS - Mama Melrose is pretty straightforward and decent Italian food.

Have you thought about Beaches & Cream for your Epcot day? It's a fun basic burger place that the family would probably enjoy and it right outside the Epcot international gate. Another option would be Ale & Compass at Yacht Club. Also just outside the Epcot gate. I find that getting outside the parks sometimes help with the food quality and general atmosphere.

 

[StevieB81]

We'll be there in June too! We ALWAYS go to Biergarten at EPCOT. Not sure if the dance floor is open yet, but my kids always had a blast when it was. Food is good and the entertainment is great. Plus it will get you out of the heat for a little while. EPCOT can be brutal in the summer. We like the booths, too, but Biergarten is a must for our family.

 

[JoyfulHeart]

Thank you all for your input! I really appreciate it.

 

[ttintagel]

Liberty Tree Tavern has always been a must to do for us in the MK. We enjoy the atmosphere as much as the food.

 

[Rotoninja72]

June will be our 3rd trip to WDW, but we have really never ate at and TS meals. The first two times we were with in-laws and they preferred not to, but we will be going as just a family of four this time. We did do Tony's & Crystal palace in '21. I have been reading reviews on restaurants, but they seem to be all over the place. We were going to do 1 TS meal each day for dinner ( DH is not a big lunch eater) except Epcot, because we thought we would graze on the little booths food ( we have never done this either). We will be there 6 days. I will say YDD is VERY picky and prefers meat and veggies. I am not sure about paying for a buffet as ODD is 11 but doesn't even weight 50 lbs, so she would never eat an adult portion. What are your thoughts on the places below. Any recommendations? I am still trying to figure out a good MK meal for our first day. Thank you for your thoughts.

MK- ?
HS- Brown Derby
Epcot- none
AK- Yak & Yedi
Hs - ( Docking Bay 7 - I know its not a TS but the kids really want to eat here)
MK- Steakhouse 71

Docking bay 7 was average disney quick service. Not impressed but it looks cool and the kids may not care about how good or not the food is. I am a huge fan of 50s Prime Time Cafe and I dream of their pot roast…..it is literally the best meal by far I have had at WDW. I can’t recommend Brown Derby when you can get the best meal right around the corner. Do not waste your $$ at BOG. It is beautiful but way too expensive for meh foo foo food. And you can get the famous gray stuff they serve for dessert at Gastons Tavern. The service was too slow and you will miss valuable touring time. The beast coming in and walking around for the third and fourth time gets really old. Crystal Palace is my favorite and only recommendation at MK for TS.

 

[Sgt. Tibbs]

I second the post above me for Liberty Tree in MK if you want a TS for your family. Picky eaters will be happy as well as the not so picky eaters. It can be a little like Thanksgiving though.

 

[agreeable_83]

Steakhouse 71 is a great choice, also consider Le Cellier and Shula's if you want steak