Your Tippy-Top of the List Disney Dining Experiences?

[MainStreetMama]

Our PPR for BOG was our favorite meal/experience on our last trip. We had a chance to take pictures and walk down main street. I wasn't sure I would like to food, but it was great and the portions were big enough to split. The food came out very quickly so no stressing about beating the rope drop crowds to our favorite ride. We were just so excited to be in the park and we had time to relax and enjoy our meal, head outside for some more pictures around the castle and then the best part - riding SDMT three times in a row.

But I guess I have to add that it tied with our experience at BOMA. So delicious, so many options and the best Kenyon coffee after the meal!

 

[SGMCO]

For our Family we really enjoy:
1. Ohanas Best Friends Breakfast (my DH favorite-he always request it) I like that it's all you want to eat and they bring it to your table and serve Family Style. Plus,I love Lilo & Stitch and the Poly Resort.
2. BOG--beautiful Restaurant and we all enjoy the food--best CS.
3. San Angel Inn-Dinner at Epcot-my family request this every trip and we really enjoy the food, because it's not Tex-Mex but more authentic Mexican. I love the Romantic feel of the Restaurant.

 

[FoodieFriend]

We visit WDW as a group of adults, no kids & as I've gotten older, I really appreciate service. We had the best service combined with great food at Yachtsman Steakhouse and Fulton's Crab House last year. We did visit BOG for dinner and felt the food was meh, the service was lacking but the restaurant itself was BEAUTIFUL! Our group really felt it was a one & done experience since the food wasn't so great. I look forward to trying the new restaurants that have opened in AK & the DS area.

 

[rosiebean]

1. My family reunion meal at Artist Point two years ago was amazing. Great food, great service, lots of pixie dust from the wait staff (extra servings of the cobbler for our party from the chef, champagne for our table). It was just an amazing meal and experience.

2. 'Ohana breakfast three years ago with my two DS's and my sister and her family. Breakfast was great, but it wasn't the food that made this meal so memorable for us. It was the character interaction, which was fantastic...and the fact that my youngest DS really wanted to meet Pluto and Stitch. Breakfast was *really* good. But the characters were just so much fun, especially Mickey, which made the adults happy as he was our favorite .

3. Boatwright's at POR. Really amazing food (we weren't expecting much, especially since most of our party was born and reared in Louisiana), but the food was incredible. It was just a great meal, a huge surprise, and I'd make a special trip to POR even when not staying there to eat there again.

Raglan Road, Via Napoli, San Angel Inn, and 50s Prime Time come close to this list for meal quality and atmosphere...but overall quality, service, ambiance, and pixie dust are what made my top three the my top three .

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

I think I need to extend our upcoming 10-day vacation to at least 2 months! There are just so many places I want to try and things I want to experience with my kids. I know there's always "next time". I imagine I'm not unlike most people when planning our ADRs in that I look not just at the menu, but also the atmosphere and overall experience. Sometimes the food seems more important, other times it's something unique about the experience whether that's a certain character or a particular atmosphere. Sometimes the criteria is simply "filler" because we want to be playing in the parks and not committed to time spent in a restaurant.

I'm curious to know from others: All things considered (food/atmosphere/characters/overall experience/whatever happens to be your priority), what are your top 3 overall most memorable dining experiences at Disney? You know, the ones that you tell your friends and family about and that felt especially "magical" for you?

On my last trip, I absolutely loved Jiko at AKL. I don't know the ages of your kids, but the food was extremely unique, INCREDIBLE flavors and the atmosphere was so relaxing. I had the wild boar appetizer that was one of the best things I have ever eaten and a sea bass entree that was one of the best pieces of fish ever. I also ate at the California Grill last time and had an incredible filet that came with a roasted tomato risotto that was mindblowing. We scheduled it so our dinner coincided with Wishes and it was truly a meal to remember. Also, they have really good desserts and a lot of people get reservations during wishes and just have desset. I know those two places are a little pricy and "fancy", but I also really liked Whispering Canyon Cafe at WL. Really good "homey" food and a fun atmosphere.

 

[ParksPixar&Pizza]

1. My family reunion meal at Artist Point two years ago was amazing. Great food, great service, lots of pixie dust from the wait staff (extra servings of the cobbler for our party from the chef, champagne for our table). It was just an amazing meal and experience.

2. 'Ohana breakfast three years ago with my two DS's and my sister and her family. Breakfast was great, but it wasn't the food that made this meal so memorable for us. It was the character interaction, which was fantastic...and the fact that my youngest DS really wanted to meet Pluto and Stitch. Breakfast was *really* good. But the characters were just so much fun, especially Mickey, which made the adults happy as he was our favorite .

3. Boatwright's at POR. Really amazing food (we weren't expecting much, especially since most of our party was born and reared in Louisiana), but the food was incredible. It was just a great meal, a huge surprise, and I'd make a special trip to POR even when not staying there to eat there again.

Raglan Road, Via Napoli, San Angel Inn, and 50s Prime Time come close to this list for meal quality and atmosphere...but overall quality, service, ambiance, and pixie dust are what made my top three the my top three .

I have wanted to try Artist Point for a while now. I love everything about the WL. Glad you had a magical meal!

 

[Talby]

I guess there's a reason Disney has been dubbed the Happiest Place on Earth! These are all just fantastic and gives me such great insight. Thanks for sharing everyone!

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Sanaa is my favourite to return to - great food, great to be around the animals.
My most unforgettable meal was the one at Le Cellier when my youngest son proposed to his girlfriend. They brought out a special chocolate dessert with the engagement ring and the words "Will You Marry Me?" and the look on her face was perfect. The whole family was there and it was just an amazing moment.
My "top" meal was at Ohana when Chef TJ was working there. We're vegan, and it was my birthday. Chef TJ brought us out seven courses of fantastic, delicious vegan food. We were so stuffed we could barely move at the end. Best birthday dinner I have ever had.

 

[Pete S]

1. BOG dinner last year - my daughter was dressed as Belle, and had just come from BBB. All the CM's made a fuss, and when she met the Beast he bowed low and then danced around the room with her. The food was really good too.
2. Narcoossee's for our last night dinner, we had the steak and lobster tail and my daughter had lobster. Amazing meal, good atmosphere.
3. California Grill for our 10th Anniversary several years ago, during Wishes. Spectacular.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

So I don't know if I could choose a top 3 on our list, lol...On our next trip we are going with my MIL and she hasn't been on vacation in 10yrs and probably Disney in 20yrs. She's never gotten the chance to eat in Cinderella's castle...so while I said I really had no urge to spend 2 of our dining credit on there this trip and would must rather see a dinner show...I will say eating in the castle for the first time is a magical experience for anyone...so we will be eating at CRT on our next trip. I would have to say our favorite place to eat that holds a special place in our heart is Crystal Palace. We always try for a PPO ADR. Walking down Main Street without a crowd of people is just magical. My kids also LOVE tigger. My oldest first trip to Disney was when he was 3 and our first character meal was at Crystal Palace and he was SOOO excited to meet Tigger but at the last minute nature called and he missed Tigger coming to our table but the waiter arranged a private meeting with Tigger and then my son got to hold Tigger's hand and march around the restaurant in the parade with Tigger...It seriously made my sons day! Ever since then Crystal Palace has been our favorite restaurant in all of Disney.

I think our next favorite restaurant after Crystal Palace would be Be Our Guest for dinner...the whole atmosphere of the entire restaurant is just amazing! The food is good! And my older son LOVED meeting the beast the last time...that was the highlight of the trip last year. After those 2 restaurants I think our next favorite place is Kona Cafe their food is absolutely delicious whether you are there for breakfast, lunch, or, dinner (but breakfast is my fav!). I also love that its this quaint little place in the Poly and its kind of over looked...its never really crowded and everyone is always friendly!

 

[waltdisfam4]

1.) Chef Mickey - it was our first family trip / first meal at WDW and seeing my son's face, as he saw the characters, was priceless. We also got the be the "first family" and opened the buffet with a red carpet, a ribbon cutting, autographs from all of the characters as soon as we were seated, signing the special book, etc. My infant daughter was terrified of every character that came to the table and cried most of the meal, but my son's reaction made it all worth it. Food seemed pretty yummy, as we had just completed a long day of travel and we were all ready for food!

2.) O'Hana - wishes with a window seat, bread pudding dessert, coconut races for the kids...also loved the breakfast at O'hana! Lilo and Stitch and pogo juice

3.) Sci-Fi - fun atmosphere, great burgers and milkshakes.

4.) Whispering Canyon Cafe - for both breakfast and lunch - we had all of the fun things we were told to expect, straws tossed at us, ketchup bottles at our table, and they put my son in "jail" for not eating enough

5.) Coral Reef - food was decent but we had a lovely tank-side seat...I faxed the manager with pictures of the kids, etc and the scuba diver also held up a sign with my kids' names - this was waaaay back in 2006 or 2007 (not even sure if they still do such a thing?) They made a personalized menu with the pictures and kids' names, etc. Very special and top-notch service from management! I still have the menu

It's been years since we have been to WDW as a family (we took 5 trips when the kids were little!) and we are SO excited to experience our upcoming trip in a new way...with teenagers WDW does such a great job sprinkling pixie dust and making things special. It's fun to read of everyone's favorite dining memories!

 

[agavegirl1]

So far, our "tippy top" dining experiences have been Shula's for a date night experience, Monsieur Paul for a later, romantic dinner and BOG Dinner with a bottle of wine at about 7:30 PM. When considering a "top" experience, the whole experience comes into play, including time of day, the activities of the day and the dining experience including service, atmosphere and food.

We will not be repeating these, however. We want to try new experiences and there are so many at Disney Springs now.

 

[akfan513]

1. California Grill during fireworks.
2. Tiffins
3. Yachtsman
4. Narcoosee’s
5. Hoop Dee Do Review

 

[LaBelleVie]

1.) Lunch at Coral Reef. We thought the food was delicious, our server was wonderful, and the ambience was unparalleled.

2.) Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. The food is really good, there's a lot of variety, and my kids really enjoyed the characters.

3.) Dinner at Les Chefs de France. Fantastic food in a lovely location (I still dream about the crème brûlée sometimes!).

 

[hllb]

Ohana dinner is our must do every time. ( so bummed this time - my stomach was upset so all I ate was one piece of steak and a scoop of ice cream...wwwaaaahhhhh!)

California Grill will be on our list for next time. It was excellent and we watched the fireworks from our table.

 

[jaiminee krikit]

#1 was probably dinner at 1900PF the first night of our Christmas trip. DD wore a shirt that just happened to match Drizella's dress, and Lady Tremaine and Anastasia both commented about how much Drizella was going to love her shirt. They weren't kidding! Drizella went bonkers! She could not believe anyone would match her so perfectly and DD was just tickled. DD also had her winter coat (yes, it was that cold that night) that also matched Drizella's dress, so Drizella took it off DD's chair and wore it like a shawl for a bit. We had tears we were laughing so hard!
#2 was 1900PF breakfast on our first girls only trip. Both DD and I were eating the strawberry soup when the Mad Hatter came to our table. He acted thoroughly grossed out by what we were eating, making a big fuss over it. He asked us what it was and we told him Strawberry Soup, and he squealed, "Of course, but you're eating it wrong!" and he ran away from our table. He weaved in between tables, and finally went to the back. We were so confused, until he came running out carrying two straws. He got to our table and said "This is what you use to eat Strawberry Soup; And now you're going to have a race and see who can finish their entire bowl first". OMG I was dying! I didn't even attempt to drink my soup, because I knew it would come out my nose I was laughing so hard. We had tables near us video recording our interaction, and it was just too fun.
#3 perhaps BOG lunch on our Christmas trip. The restaurant had just opened a few weeks before our trip, so I was beyond stoked that I got a lunch ADR during our trip. The wait in line was crazy ridiculous, but absolutely worth it. We got a seat right by the windows and watched the snow fall. The food was amazing, especially the cupcakes. DD was so excited to be eating there during that trip.

 

[Pygoplites]

1.Birthday dinner at Victoria & Albert's. My #2 meal of my lifetime and a Disney dining acme. We had 3 of the world's best wines and an enhanced menu. I will never forget this evening; almost 8 years have passed and it still seems like yesterday.

2. Morimoto Asia Omakase (chef's dinner). Another lifetime Top 10 meal. Astonishingly good and an exceptional value.

3. Tie: Two solo dinners at V&A where the meal was built around a specific bottle of wine; pairing courses to the wine rather than the other way around. One was a white Bordeaux (Ch. Haut Brion) and the other a red Grand Cru Burgundy (DRC Romanee-Saint-Vivant). I don't usually save empty wine bottles, but I keep these on the shelf above my office desk. Wonderful memories.

 

[Monykalyn]

1-Our first trip as a family (2004) with 2 little girls-6 year old and 16 month old and dinner at 1900PF. The baby was great all trip-the only time the she was upset all trip was when Prince Charming went to her sister first lol! The kids buffet set at their height, along with adult fare-mmmm. The food was OK, but my oldest was a Cinderella fan and oh, watching her with the characters. My now adult oldest went back for breakfast this past year with my niece and her family. Probably number one memory
2-V&A dinner just DH and I that trip. Just wow. Still have personalized menu.

Hard to pick from the rest-Raglan Road with first family trip as family of 5, plus we had a set of grandparents for a few days (kids still talk about that trip-2014-event though we've been many times since). Sanaa and the bird that parked outside the window while we ate, and the giraffes that wandered by. Rose&Crown and the "bubble and squeak" dish along with great Illuminations view. HBD over New years trip with just DH and I - great meal, excellent service and good bottle of wine, then walking out to see the Star Wars Fireworks. Tiffins and celebrating my oldest DD being and "official" cast member (and using her discount for first time). Sanaa and the staff sending out champagne and a special dessert for her birthday celebration (with her grandma and aunt and I). Hangar bar where they gave us "wings" for being repeat customers. Star Wars galactic breakfast with storm troopers wanting to know why my son had a jedi light saber (oh I hope they bring something like Rebel Hangar or Galactic breakfast to Galaxy's Edge)

For all the knocks that Disney food can get the memories sure are worth it. FWIW we have had great memories and occasions off property as well (It isn't vacation until we've gone to Millers Ale House!). Thanks for letting me reminisce!