Good Restaurants for eight 13 yr old girls

[kitten818]

After lurking for many months, I'm finally posting!

I'm a leader of a Girl Scout troop and we are planning a 12 day trip to Disney World for next July to celebrate bridging to Senior Girl Scouts. (We've been selling thousands of boxes of cookies for the last few years to go!) We'll be a party of 12, 4 adults (ages 25, 26, 50, 61), seven 13 yr olds, and one 14 yr old - they will all be going into 9th grade. The girls aren't SUPER picky, but they don't exactly thrive on going out of their comfort zones either. i.e. Marrakesh probably wouldn't be a hit, although they would probably enjoy the belly dancer.

These girls are a VERY outgoing group, and are known amongst the troops in our area for being quick to raise a hand to participate/volunteer/lead a campfire song (or five!)

We live in San Diego, CA and have been to Disneyland several times as a troop, so Disney is not new to any of the girls. But Disney WORLD is new to most of them.

We're looking to dine at about 6-8 restaurants during our stay. I know we have to book early to be able to get ADRs for a large group, so I want to have this figured out well in advance so we can discuss at a meeting where we'd like to go.

The girls told me already that they want to go to one really nice place where they can dress up.

For the rest, I'm thinking very Disney, fun, interesting, unique places.

Sorry for the long intro - to get to the point: What do you all recommend?

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Eeyore2003]

First of all, congradulations to all of you for such an awesome feat. You must have raised allot of money to pay for that kind of vacation for 12 people!!!

For a character meal, I'd chose Chef Mickey, if you want to go in that direction.

Other meals for fun
Whispering Canyon

Sci Fi Dine In Theater

At Epcot, the only ones with entertainment are Germany and Marrakesh I believe. You could also let them vote on a cuisine.That's what I usually do when we go with other people.

50's Prime Time

Grand Floridian Cafe is very feminine pretty decor

Would they like to try something like Wolfgang Puck-very bright trendy atmosphere

Beaches and Cream might be fun, you would not need a reservation for this one, but the wait could get time consuming, especially for a large group

For Fancy
Our favorite is Artist Point, BUT
I've never eaten here yet, but I'm wondering if the girls would enjoy California Grill, make it during Wishes??? Might be nice

 

[Illuminations_Rocks]

WOW!! That's an amazing trip for your GS's! Kudos to the girls and to you all for planning this! I fondly remember all of my GS trips and I know they'll have an amazing time.

Ok, my suggestions:

1. Chef Mickey's - you just need a character meal. You just do.
2. Ohana - I love this place, it's relaxed, and yummy.
3. Sci-Fi - I think the girls will enjoy sitting in the cars. But, it would separate your group into several cars, so maybe this won't work for you?
4. Whispering Canyon - I've never been but I hear it's high energy, perfect for GS's!
5. Rainforest Cafe - they do good with groups. And, very large selection. Either location is good. Plus they can relive this experience elsewhere - going to Rainforest always reminds me of Disney, haha!
6. for a dress up meal - I would try for fireworks at California Grill. But, that might be out of the budget, so maybe Spoodles? Fun location on the Boardwalk. Or one of the places in downtown - Bongos or Portobello.
7. Beaches n Cream - perfect for the girls and they can have the Kitchen Sink! hahahaha
8. I would also suggest trying the Tusker House buffet in AK. Or Boma in the AKL. I know the Tusker House buffet isn't open yet, so I have no idea, but judging by Disney buffets, it really won't be bad.
9. I figure others will suggest 50's PT - I've never been, but have read reviews, and it seems like it'd be good with your girls' personalities.

Hope you all have fun!!!

 

[scottishduffy]

For the one Nice restaurant I would recommend the California Grill atop the contemporary resort. Try to make your reservation during fireworks time. It is not super formal, some people show up casual but most people are dressed nicely. They can view the Wishes fireworks during dinner. Even if you can't get a firework time dinner it still has an amazing view of Magic Kingdom.

A character dinner at Magic Kingdom might be good for them. Just discuss whether they prefer the Fab Five and table service or a buffet with the Pooh characters. Liberty Tree Tavern (Fab Five) and Crystal Palace would both be good for them.

At MGM I would recommend 50's prime time cafe. The waitresses here would be real fun for this age group. It is a 50's diner and the waitresses pretty much all cop an attitude and enjoy teasing guests. I have always had a great time here. The food is decent, the atmosphere is great.

Epcot is up the air. Just aks what sort of food they like. Teppanyaki may be good as japanese cuisine usually isn't too far out of the tastes of kids. I believe they cook the food on the table. It is currently under renovation and should open around November. Germany and France also have nice restaurants in them. Here, just ask which country they would like to try. Any would be alright. Coral Reef is also an option, many people seem to like it though I have never been. I would be more prone to go for ethnic food here.

At the resorts consider whispering canyon at the Wilderness Lodge. Then afterwards head over to the campfire and movie at Fort Wilderness. It makes for a relaxed eveneing of roasting smores and watching a movie. Just bring your own smore material to save $$.

At downtown Disney you have RainForest cafe which is nice, though a bit noisy (but if you have teens, they may fit right in!). Wolfgang pucks is also decent. The only places I have NOT enjoyed down here are Bongos (I can get real spanish food in Miami) and Capt. Jacks. The girls may enjoy walking around the Downtown Disney area at night. Ghirardelli makes some great chocolatey drinks... yummm! Planet hollywood I never seem to have a great time at though I have tried it 3 times. Food is good, it is just something about the restaurant... perhaps it is just me though.

As for other resorts try to get a nice breakfast in one day. The breakfast at Kona cafe in the Polynesian (on the monorail line) has some great breakfast options. Though if you want a character breakfast, i have had a great time at Cape May (yacht and beach club) and at Chef Mickey's (contemporary on monorail line).

I am not too familiar with eating at Animal Kingdom. I know there is also a rainforest cafe there, but haven't been to that one.

Best of luck!

 

[mzliza3]

Indeed, GREAT job on the fund raising! A couple of years ago, I took a gaggle of 14-15 year old girls & planning ahead is the best option. I had A LOT of picky eaters, but oddly, they ended up loving Marrkesh. They were able to order the usual chicken fingers & burgers off the children's menu but ended up sampling some of the Morroccan stuff, which most of them liked. They really loved the belly dancers. They didn't like the food or the entertainment at Biergarten (but I did). A good place is Wolfgang Puck if they want to dress up a little. They have great pizzas there so it's nothing too exotic. Another fun place is Ohana; the girls just loved the fruity juice drinks served in a pineapple. The breakfast at Whispering Canyon is good too. Enjoy your trip!

 

[marivaid]

I think your group would like these :

Chef Mickey's
Whispering Canyon
'Ohana
Sci-Fi
maybe Crystal Palace but it's a little kiddish
Coral Reef

"Fancy" place probably Cali Girl, though if it's just about dressing up they could do that at 'Ohana.

 

[septbaby]

Cape May at the Beach Club is very casual, good assortment and characters similar to Chef Mickey's. But given the timing of your trip a beach theme with Mickey and crew might be more fun.

1900 Park Fare is the Princess meal I'd suggest. We did it a few years back and loved it. Its at the Grand Floridian, that in itself is a treat.

If your group wants to try something I'd suggest Boma. Kids items and more exotic fare on the buffet. Its at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, a reason in and of itself to try it. We combined this with our AK day to save on commute time.

Coral Reef in Epcot is nice, the Disney aquarium. We enjoyed lunch there and the girls will be able to get pizza even if nothing else appeals to them. Also there are assorted non alcoholic drinks they can have on the menu. Those can be fun and a good value if they are on the dining plan.

Spoodles on the boardwalk is nice and could be a dressier choice.

Not sure where you are staying, but less can be more don't rule out an easy meal "at home".

If you plan to do the campfire at Ft. Wilderness than you may as well plan to have dinner at Trail End beforehand, very budget friendly choice.

Garden Grill at Epcot is a rotating restaurant with characters. You may be able to see Illuminations for this place, not sure if its open that late.

 

[Disneybren]

My first thought would be Prime Time Cafe in Epcot.

 

[disneyjunebug]

When I've taken school groups (7th and 8th graders), some of their favorite restaurants have been the following (I put their critiques in quotes!):

Sci-Fi Theatre -- sitting in the cars is "the bomb" and great burgers and rings.

Coral Reef -- watching the fish and divers

Teppanyaki -- having the meal cooked in front of you and "slinging shrimp around"

Crystal Palace -- Pooh, tigger, et al.

Rainforest Cafe -- "Cool fake animals"

Cosmic Rays -- CS with lots of variety

One place that was NOT a hit"

San Angelo Inn -- "Yuck, what is this gross stuff?"

They also loved the pastries at France. And we always try to get a group together to try "Beverly" at the Coke station in Epcot.

 

[Quinn222]

I'll add a vote for Grand Floridian Cafe. It's very pretty and the food is good and it will give them a chance to see the GF and enjoy the atmosphere in the restaurant. Though that said our 13 your old boys loved the GFC, it was their favourite of the whole trip so it's not totally girly.

 

[kitten818]

Thank you so much everyone for all of your great ideas. I think I'm going to write all of those down and have the girls pick from those.

I was also wondering if Raglan Road could be a unique and interesting experience for the 8 girls since there is entertainment and (I think) a kind of night life atmosphere. Or would it be too adult? The girls were very disappointed when I told them that they could only go into two of the clubs at Pleasure Island. For that matter, does anyone know a good alternative to the clubs - I can't think of any dinner and dancing places (or just dancing, but then I guess I'm not in the right forum), but maybe I just don't know about them!

Thank you again!!! I hadn't even thought about the Grand Floridian Cafe or doing Whispering Canyon Cafe for breakfast. You all are the best!

CA Grill for fireworks sounds like a great option for the fancy dress up dinner - hope we can afford it!!

 

[LarryJ]

After lurking for many months, I'm finally posting!

I'm a leader of a Girl Scout troop and we are planning a 12 day trip to Disney World for next July to celebrate bridging to Senior Girl Scouts. (We've been selling thousands of boxes of cookies for the last few years to go!) We'll be a party of 12, 4 adults (ages 25, 26, 50, 61), seven 13 yr olds, and one 14 yr old - they will all be going into 9th grade. The girls aren't SUPER picky, but they don't exactly thrive on going out of their comfort zones either. i.e. Marrakesh probably wouldn't be a hit, although they would probably enjoy the belly dancer.

These girls are a VERY outgoing group, and are known amongst the troops in our area for being quick to raise a hand to participate/volunteer/lead a campfire song (or five!)

We live in San Diego, CA and have been to Disneyland several times as a troop, so Disney is not new to any of the girls. But Disney WORLD is new to most of them.

We're looking to dine at about 6-8 restaurants during our stay. I know we have to book early to be able to get ADRs for a large group, so I want to have this figured out well in advance so we can discuss at a meeting where we'd like to go.

The girls told me already that they want to go to one really nice place where they can dress up.

For the rest, I'm thinking very Disney, fun, interesting, unique places.

Sorry for the long intro - to get to the point: What do you all recommend?

Thanks in advance!!!

WOW what a trip and all the current suggestions are great, but if you can get something in the all you can eat buffet the choices well please the most people and speed up them chowing down with minimal adult supervision ... i.e. you get to relax also some.

Larry

 

[suzannews]

2 years ago, 12 girls from my daughters junior/cadette troop spent 2 nights at the Polynesian with their cookie money. Since we live here, we didn't have to worry about travel money and most of the parents work for Disney so we didn't have to worry about tickets.

The first night we just ordered pizza from Dominoes and ate in the room. The next day, we had breakfast at Ohana's with Lilo and Stitch. Lunch was at Whispering Canyon. Dinner was at the Food and Fun center at the Contemporary and then the troop leader bought everyone a game card for the large arcade. The next morning, we had donuts, bagels and muffins in the rooms before check out. Lunch that day was at 50's Prime Time before heading 20 minutes west to meet all of the parents.

Everyone had a great time!!

Good luck!!

 

[my3disneygirls]

I would print up some menu's for World Showcase to give them an idea of the food choices. I think Biergarten would be a lot of fun. They have an awesome Buffet assortment and fun music. It's loud and lots of fun.

I was a troop leader and I think it may be nice for them to eat in more than one place in the world. You may be able to parlay that into a badge, since it gives them a look into other cultures.

Tell the girls that we all said "great job!!". To be able to earn enough for a 12 day Disney trip, really shows their determination. I expect a full report after your trip.

 

[going2disney]

I think your girls would like

-50's Primetime Cafe- fun CM interaction

-O'Hana- I also think you could use this as your dress up dinner without feeling out of place and save a lot compared to CG, I love CG but think they would have as good of time at O'Hana. Afterwards you could head to the Poly beach and watch Wishes and the EWP.

-An 8am Crystal palace breakfast, before MK officially opens, really cool to see Main Street empty and you can get some great group pics.

-Rainforest Cafe- This place just seems to appeal to teens.

How very neat for you guys to be able to take this trip! Being a Girl Scout gave me so many opportunities I otherwise wouldn't have had, I have such great memories of the trips we took. Have a great time, you guys should do a trip report, it would be fun to hear how it goes!

 

[Deb & Bill]

While Beaches and Cream is a nice place to go, you cannot get ADRs and would have to wait to be seated. The restaurant is small and a table for twelve could be next to impossible to get.

 

[Jake & Crew]

Crystal Palace for breakfast ( agree with previous poster....you own the park as long as you have an ADR for 8amish)

Ohana for either breakfast or dinner ( am character, pm fun night out)

In Epcot would do Biergarten or Garden Grille.......both interesting experiences ( and Garden Grille is character)

Above are all buffets so plenty of choices.

Have not been to Chef Mickeys but that might be a great one for you. Also Boma might be a great experience.

Whispering Canyon Cafe ( rousing experience and appealing menu to your age group)

Prime Time Diner ( for the cultural experience)

Do also agree with a previous poster......would be great to pre-screen and let them pick some.

As an almost new Brownie/Daisy leader ( go for training on Sat) I am awed by your accomplishment......may be a goal to set with my troop!!!!

 

[jamounger]

My daughter is 13 and last year at Disney I needed to change a reservation and all I could get was Teppanyaki. I worried over this because she is a little picky and was spending her time around WDW eating steak and potatoes. I tried to change it every morning and couldn't get anything else. Well, she loved it! It was her favorite. You get dinner and a show, our chef really was a stitch. Your food is cut up for you and you get to use chopsticks. Now every occasion we go out to eat her choice is the Japanese steak house here.

 

[Eeyore2003]

You asked about Raglan Road and I was almost going to mention that one. They might enjoy that. We did not care for the food that much, but you shouldn't just go on one opinion. Many people do. The entertainment was nice, although they can't really do any dancing themselves. Check what time they have their first entertainment and make your reservation for 1-1 1/2 hours before that. That's what we did and it worked out well.

You could eat there, watch one show of entertainment and then let them walk around/shop at DD. I'm not sure of the latest rules for PI. Can they walk around down there??? There are some cute shops and stuff they might enjoy looking around in.

Unfortunately we have only eaten at Rainforest and Wolfgang Puck at DD and I don't really recommend places I haven't eaten at. Wolfgang Puck is one of our "not to be missed" and like I mentioned, kind of trendy. But for something different and more "adult" feeling. Raglan Road might be an option for you.

 

[angiejg]

Wow! The trip sounds awesome! I am the GS leader for a troop of 17 Junior Girl Scouts. It's a tough job, isn't it?!

Anyway, I'd suggest Ohana's. We (my family, not my troop!) did both dinner and the character breakfast there and loved them both. The atmosphere is great. And there is entertainment, hula lessons, limbo, etc. It's fun.

Another suggestion is Chef Mickey's. It's just so Disney and we liked the food at dinner.

We LOVED Sci Fi. I really think the girls would love the experience there. It's so unique.

We also really enjoyed Coral Reef. We ate right next to the tank. Very cool.

My favorite of our whole trip was eating dinner in Cinderella's castle. I think I liked it more than my 9 year old daughter! It's just beautiful and you're in the castle. How cool is that?!

Hope that helps! I wish we were going with you!

Angie