Restaurant recommendations?

[clairesteps]

Hi everyone

I'm visiting a Disney resort for the first time and I'd love to get some restaurants booked before we get there, taking all your advice on board!

Can anyone recommend some table service restaurants? We'd like a few average ones (in terms of price) but also a couple of top end ones to celebrate being there!

Would love to know of any you guys recommend

Thanks all

xxxx

[Admin]

What sort of food do you like? To be honest, you'd be better checking out some of the more general websites too, such as the DIBB (UK) or DIS (US) for general Disney eating advice as there are so many places to choose and so many opinions!

My own food tastes are relatively plain, but for a nice meal I love Le Cellier in Canada at Epcot (I have to eat there every trip, just about the best steak on property and a great place to eat, great cast members too), California Grill (gorgeous location at the top of the Contemporary Resort hotel, wonderful food, but on the pricey side so a special occasion place), Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort (lovely food with a Polynesian twist - get a "Lapu Lapu" to drink!), Boma or Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge (African flavours, and a lovely location to explore afterwards). For fun eating, try 50's Prime Time Cafe at the Studios (good wholesome "mom's cooking", great themeing and really good fun) or Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge.

If you want Character Dining, Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary is kinda fun, buffet food but very nicely done. Cinderella's Royal Table inside the castle is one of those "do it once for the experience" things - especially for little princesses - but to be honest the food there is nothing special, very limited menu, and it's very expensive for what you get.

For counter service, don't miss the food court inside The Land at Epcot (great while you're waiting for your FastPass for Soarin'), and for a burger-type meal, Cosmic Ray's in the Magic Kingdom is fun, as is Pecos Bill's.

Oh, and don't forget to eat at Boatwright's at Port Orleans one evening, it's actually rather nice - I had not been there for a number of years, and we returned recently and were very impressed, really nice meal without the fuss of getting there and back.

If you want Le Cellier, Chef Mickey's, California Grill or Cinderella's Royal Table, book as soon as you can (ideally exactly 180 days before your arrival day at Port Orleans). The other places will probably be easier to get. You can book online at Disney's website without any advanced cost or cancellation penalty if you change your mind (except for the signature meals, e.g Cinderella's Royal Table, where there may be a charge).

A.

[clairesteps]

They all sound lovely! I'd been looking at Jiko anyway, it's on the pricey side but I'd love to go there one night.

We'll definitely be eating at the restaurant in the hotel a few times too, we're using the Disney Dining Plan so I know that's included!

Will be holiday planning this weekend so will draw up a list of places to reserve.

Thanks again, I'm jealous of your amazing knowledge!xx

[Admin]

Which Dining Plan are you using, Quick Service or Standard? I assume standard.

As you say, Jiko uses two Dining Plan credits so it takes away one table service meal from elsewhere. Boma is nice too, although it is a buffet service it still has the flavours of Africa.

A.

[clairesteps]

Hi again!

We're on the standard, so was expecting to pay extra for Jiko. It's nice to know it's included, even if it does take up two credits! I think we're planning on having a couple of quick service meals and maybe head to International Drive a couple of nights, so we can afford to use 2 credits on 1 meal.

Do you know how we find out which resturants accept your dining plan credits? And what kind of thing counts as a snack?

Thanks again!xx

[Admin]

Pretty much all WDW restaurants take Dining Plan credits, although the signature ones may need two credits (if you've some plans to eat outside of Disney then that's a good way to use up unused credits, but otherwise it may be better to pay cash and use your credit for a meal elsewhere). Le Cellier is now two credits too, which is a bit mean of them, but I guess it's such a popular location. Snacks cover most all food items in the $3 or less price band - ice-creams, popcorn, crispie treats (yum!), fruit, drink, etc.

For full details, see http://www.disneyworld.com where they have a booklet you can download - here's the direct link.

However I do strongly suggest you book as soon as possible for anything you definitely want. Le Cellier, for example, may already be sold out for May, as might some of the other popular places. Check for availabilty on the Disney website (it doesn't cost anything to book, and you can cancel and rebook as often as you like).

A.

[clairesteps]

Perfect, thank you! I've had a look through all the info, I REALLY need to do research on this before visiting!

Going to book a load of restaurants this weekend, don't want to miss out

Thanks again for all your help
x

[disneylover]

I highly recomment Boatwrights-Riverside!!! One of the best meals we had while we were there in November.Also,Teppan Edo in Epcot!(Japan) Wonderful food and very entertaining! Cinderellas Royal Table was suprisingly good! Really the only place that I don't recommend is the Crystal Palace.It is a character meal (Pooh,Piglet etc) but the food just wasn't that great! Have a wonderful trip! We are already starting to plan our trip for next year!!!

[clairesteps]

Thanks Disneygirl! I booked a load of places at the weekend, but a few were fully booked for evenings already - including Le Cellier and (weirdly) Planet Hollywood!

Will have a look at Teppan, it did look nice on the website

Have a great trip yourself, enjoy the magic!xx

[CBA79]

If you like Asian food BOTH Japan's Teppan Edo and China's Nine Dragons at EPCOT are excellent. Kids especially seem to love Teppan Edo since they cook the food right in front of you. (However, be sure to check on whether it qualifies for the dining plan. There seemed to be some confusion about whether it may drop from the DDP.)

And if you make it to Hollywood Studios, try Mama Melrose's. The food was great. The minestrone was perfect, the flatbreads were delicious and Italian favorites like chicken parmesan were just as you would expect. Plus, the smell! The food is cooked in an open area near the front of the restaurant so the smells waft throughout... Mmm!

[EMMcKaig]

Do you have kids? If so, that makes a difference. We go to WDW with the kids and stay in the POR every year. We tend to go back to many of the same restaurants.

In the Magic Kingdom - we always do the Plaza. It is located right off Main Street, and has a menu that can satisfy all from salad to burger. My kids HAVE to have the Brownie Sundae every time they go. The Crystal Palace is decent if you have young kids who want to see Pooh and friends. We also go to the Liberty Tavern. It gets very crowded late in the afternoon and early evening - even with reservations you may wait very long for a table and for your food. We found earlier in the afternoon or late morning is best. The food there is standard but good. The food at Tony's is pretty decent, but the service tends to be a little on the rude side.

In the Animal Kingdom - who can beat the Rainforest Cafe for something different. A wide variety on the menu and jungle-like setting for the kids. The kids love it and we go every year. For really good Asian food - go to Yak & Yeti. Probably some of the best food we get in WDW. We haven't tried Tusker house because we aren't big on buffets but I hear it is good.

In Hollywood Studios we go to the Sci Fi Diner every year for lunch. I've read many a bad review on this place but it is probably my favorite. I just love the setting. You can get basic hamburger and sandwich food so you don't have to pay a fortune either. Last year we sat in the car of the day and they gave us Sci Fi Diner cups and carmel corn as a gift. It was great!! We also usually go to the Prime Time Cafe. The theme is fun, though some of the servers take it a little too far and young kids can get put off when they get scolded. We stay away from the fried chicken. It got 2 of us sick on 2 different trips. Mama Melrose is a good option. Decent Italian food. We have never gone to Hollywood and Vine - again we aren't into buffets; but we do plan on trying it out at our next trip. We went to the Brown Derby a while back. It isn't as casual as the other places so it didn't really appeal to us. The food is good though it is expensive.

We've eaten in most of the restaurants at EPCOT:

Garden Grill - it is our annual character meal. Food is ok, but the characters spend plenty of time with the kids and it is a very quiet location.

Coral Reef - Did it once. The food was ok - but it creeped my kids out to eat fish while watching fish.

Biergarten - Fun and a good place if you like sausage. It is a buffet though so we only did it once. I wouldn't do this if you are a small party as they sit you with another party and those we sat with were loud and somewhat rude.

Le Cellier - Good fish and steak!! You need to book way in advance. Also, you want to go in fresh. We were in the park all day and ate here for dinner in our shorts, sweat and wind blown hair. We were glared at by all of those dressed up. Oh well - we enjoyed our meal despite this.

Nine Dragons - expensive for average Chinese food.

Marakesh - this place is fun and the food is good. My one daughter when she was 10 or 11 didn't like the regular menu and they let her pick from the kids menu for 9 and under. Most teens and adults will find something they like on the menu and the food is good. The entertainment is fun too. The belly dancer may bring your young child up on the floor to dance with her.

Rose and Crown - food is fine if you like traditional English food. We go only because my one daughter has to have the fish n chips.

San Angel Inn - great atmosphere but the food leaves a lot to be desired. We love Mexican food - but this place over-does it with the sauces. Everything comes out mushy.

Teppan Edo- We go every year. It is fun, and even thought they sit you at a table with other parties, we've never had an issue. This was the first place my daughter ever ate all of her vegetables. ...and she still does. A must if you like Japanese food; and like it cooked right in front of you.

We've had lunch and dinner at some of the resorts as well, but we typically stick with eating in the park. We are park-aholics and spend nearly all day there. Usually if we eat at any resort it is where we stay (POR) and we chill out at the food court. The food court can get very busy around the dinner hour. If you have young children I would highly recommend going to Chef Mickey's. My youngest daughter, who is now 14, will never forget her first time going there (age 4) and standing up on her chair waving her napkin around while the music played and characters danced around. It was her favorite Disney moment for years.

[Admin]

Loads of great advice there!

Couple of my own observations:

We tend to choose Prime Time Cafe over Sci-Fi Dine-in at the Studios. While the theming at the Sci-Fi is wonderful (best in the Studios) we've had some pretty bad/rushed service and very mediocre food there. One time I was still eating my soup - which they had delivered cold and had to reheat - and then they brought out our main courses before the starters were finished, and just tried to leave mine balanced on the front of the 'car' to go cold in the meantime!! Needless to say just a token $1 tip was left.)

I've never had any problems with people looking oddly at us dressed in theme-park attire in Le Cellier. True, we don't exactly go in looking dirty and dishevelled or anything, but most people will have arrived straight from walking around World Showcase so it's fairly common to be in shorts and tee-shirts. Perhaps you might have more of an issue with somewhere like Bistro de Paris though (the upscale restaurant in France).

For pizza, the new Via Napoli restaurant in Epcot is getting very good reviews.

A.

[clairesteps]

Brilliant, thanks so much everyone!
We've decided to go for Jiko, California grill and fulton's for our posh meals. And we're definitely
going to Prime Time! Unfortunately Le Cellier's all booked up now, but we'll find another steakhouse

Hope you all enjoy your next visits!
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