Can someone tell me which is the best dining experience? We're booked for the princess breakfast in Epcot but would like to do one more. We've got mixed aged kids - preschoolers and preteens??
There are quite a few great dining experiences for a mix of kids...since you're already doing one princess breakfast, probably no need to do another (CRT or 1900 Park Fare) so here are a few suggestions:
50's Prime Time Cafe: This is a good place for interacting with the staff...and the food is good ole American comfort food. The staff will literally treat you like family....both good a bad, including a gentle ribbing to get your elbows off the table, having the kids help clear the table, even chastizing you for not eating your veggies.
Sci Fi Diner: You sit in "cars" to eat (2 across and 8 total per car) and watch old time (lot in black and white) cartoons and science fiction trailers. If you have a preschoolers who might be frightened by really bad special effect dinosaurs and creatures from the black lagoon type monsters, maybe not a good choice. The milkshakes here are fantastic...and the burgers were the best we had in WDW.
Boma (at AKL): This is definitely a must for our family.....the food is fantastic, the service is friendly and quick, and even though after all these years none of the foods are as "exotic" as they first were, they're stuff we don't get to eat anywhere else in WDW and for the most part anywhere else either. If you have all picky eaters, not a great choice, but if you have kids willing to try different foods (nothing weird, just different), then this would probably be my top pick. There are several entrees available that a picky eater would enjoy, so if you have just one, probably fine.
O'Hana (at Poly): Breakfast is a character meal (Lilo & Stitch, Mickey & Goofy). They bring platters of food to you and you can get more of whatever you'd like....I could eat the fried potatoes all day long, lol...but they also have scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, Mickey waffles, etc. The juice is to die for and we tease the server each visit to save time and just leave the jug, but no go. Dinner here is also very good, but no characters, but there is entertainment (has varied a little each time, but usually music and sometimes interactive leader). Chicken Wings, pork loin, shrimp, all good. Bread Pudding was the only dessert offered and our family thought it was only ok, though many on this board rave about it.
Garden Grove at the Swan is probably one of the best kept secrets. Really good buffet (heavy on the seafood, but there is beef and chicken choices as well), and because it's not so well known the characters (Timon and Zazu at dinner, Chip & Dale for the weekend breakfast) have plenty of time to spend with each table. Our first time there we had Timon sitting at the table pretending to eat my girls' food, had them rolling in their chairs laughing and he probably stayed there a full 10 minutes...but there was only a few other families and he spent a lot of time with them as well. Zazu didn't spend as long, but came back probably a dozen times to tweak my husband's hair, lol.
Whispering Canyon Cafe dinner is another combo of great food and fun....we love the Skillet with it's pulled pork, chicken, brisket, ribs, mashed potatoes...oh yum! They also have a regular menu, but we skip lunch just to eat the all you care skillet. And the interactive antics with the server and other guests is always great fun. Bottomless milkshakes top it off.
EPCOT has so many great choices depending on whether your kids like or are willing to try different countries foods: Biergarten (Germany) is good food and the floor show is wonderfully entertaining; Chefs de France is a bit fancy for some kids, but mine love it all and the food is quite good too....not sure if Ratitoulle (spelling?) is still appearing, but he's fun! Restaurant Marrakesh has wonderful food and a belly dancer that is great fun to watch (though if you have picky eaters, maybe not a good choice, in which case, be sure to ask when the belly dancer will be outside performing). Teppan Edo is meal and entertainment together, where the chef will perform his cooking right at your table (think Benihana but good food). Tokyo Dining is really great Japanese food! Try to ask for a window table for a really breathtaking view of the Lagoon....and if you time it right, watching Illuminations from there is very exciting. We love La Cellier, but not much doing for kids there, just great food.....we weren't impressed with Nine Dragons or Rose & Crown food, and haven't tried the new Mexican. Coral Reef was more about watching the fish and divers in the floor to ceiling wall to wall aquarium than the food.
Ok, that should give you plenty to think about!