Am I "crazy" to not book a TS at Epcot?

[summermac]

I just keep seeing so many yummy CS options that would be much more fun to explore, especially with 5 adults.

But will I ultimately regret not eating at Teppan Edo? Or Coral Reef? Rose & Crown? La Hacienda de San Angel? UGH - why are there are so many good options at Epcot??

 

[visi]

It's about having fun and pleasing yourself and your party. So long as you do that, I think you'll be fine. Out of curiousity, where are you going?

 

[summermac]

You mean when?
We are discussing Feb 2014 right now

 

[bumbershoot]

We've had two TS meals at Epcot, and both were gross. Coral Reef and Via Napoli. At CR we had the vegetarian option that isn't on the menu anymore, and at VN we had the margherita pizza.


We prefer Sunshine Seasons and the occasional dessert in France and/or Norway. No TS means more room for a beer and/or a Grand Marnier slushie, too.

 

[brockash]

We've only ever done 3 TS in Epcot...one was horrible and the other 2 were ok but nothing great. San Angel Inn...food wasn't very good and we had the absolute worst service we've ever had anywhere...I wish I would have written down his name...he was horrible. We weren't real impressed with Coral Reef but it wasnt bad and Garden Grill was ok. We prefer to head to the boardwalk area.

 

[Disneylover99]

Epcot is our favorite place to NOT book a TS meal.

My son always gets fish and chips in the UK and Crepes and icecream in France while I love to get a sandwich in the French bakery. My husband loves the Tangierene Cafe in Morocco. When we hit Norway, we head to the Kringla Bakeri.

When we are in Future World we love to eat at Sunshine Seasons.

 

[Chaoticsweetness]

I just keep seeing so many yummy CS options that would be much more fun to explore, especially with 5 adults.

But will I ultimately regret not eating at Teppan Edo? Or Coral Reef? Rose & Crown? La Hacienda de San Angel? UGH - why are there are so many good options at Epcot??

Via Napoli is delicious & I have never been disappointed. You can order a large pizza & split it between your party. Service was wonderful, never let our drinks get to low.

 

[AlohaAnnie]

Are you crazy? I am not sure about that one! Lol!

But I see nothing wrong with not booking at TS and if you find you want to get on line or head to concierge in the morning and see what is available!

Have fun and enjoy!

 

[sephorachick]

It all depends on your tastes. Here are my picks for Epcot TS:

Biergarten- http://yohoyohobloggerslifeforme.blogspot.com/2013/05/biergarten-at-epcot-review.html

Tutto Italia- http://yohoyohobloggerslifeforme.blogspot.com/2013/11/tutto-italia-review-pics.html

 

[gismo1554]

I just got back from a 13 night trip with no TS at all. I can honestly say EPCOT is one of the best places to not do a TS. I do love Via Napoli and have also had great meals at the Chinese resturant but honestly you don't need to go to TS to get great food. This trip I tried Norway (amaizng desert but not fused on the Sandwich), Mexico (fantastic Empanadas mmmm), Japan (very messy but yummy noodles), USA (fairly decent steak) and France (amazing cheese & pastry). There are just so many options and all are tasty. I actually was disappointed with Sunshine Seasons however this trip and wish I had either done Tangerine Cafe or Lotus Blossom instead!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I wouldn't say you're crazy. Food is a major part of Epcot touring, especially in World Showcase, so in a lot of ways it's easier and more fun to sample and share various foods in different places. That's generally what we like to do. And there are always so many new things to try! If you search (Advanced, Tltles) there have been many threads here on Favorite Foods from World Showcase that will give you lots of ideas. Have fun!

ETA writing this brought back the memory of when our kids were little: sampling "around the World" was a great way to have them try different things. I remember getting bratwurst and apple strudel in Germany one afternoon. Honestly, I don't think I'd ever tried bratwurst myself but we thought it would be fun. Kids at first were sort of horrified at the idea (names) of both, but once they tried a bite they realized it was like a "hotdog that knew someone" (DH's explanation) and a fancy apple pie (which DS always loved). Next trip they wanted them again. Now teens, they had a blast at F&W figuring out which dishes they wanted to try. (Italy's sausages were their favorite this year. Mine was the cold shrimp ceviche in Florida.) OK, now I'm wishing I was back there!

 

[Axel]

I don't think you're crazy at all. While I prefer to have a TS at EPCOT (because I love so many of them), I've also had trips where I've done only the QS food options. EPCOT has the best and largest selection of food sources out of all of the parks. No matter what, I think you're going to find a meal that you really enjoy and that's all that matters.

If you're looking for QS recommendations, I love Sunshine Seasons in FW if we're running late and not in WS by lunch time. In WS I'm a fan of La Cantina de San Angel (pretty basic Americanized Mexican, but it was still yummy) and then Katsura Grill in Japan. And we can't forget Les Halles in France (SO GOOOOOOOD).

 

[mi*vida*loca]

In my four trips to Disney I've never been able to eat around the world showcase because we always have a dinner ADR.

Next trip we have two full days for Epcot. On day 1 we will do VN for lunch and snack around the world that night.

Day 2 we will have absolutely no ADR's. My kids like SS for lunch and we will snack around the world for dinner.

 

[shannonstar]

We tend to snack our way around the world as we drink our way around the world. I don't think it's crazy to hit up snacks and counter service rather than table.

That being said, my DS10 is a Via Napoli fanatic, so we sometimes make a trip to that one.

 

[bastos]

We LOVE CS in Epcot. So many things to eat and try - and share.

 

[Alexsandra]

I think you can enjoy or dislike either. Some Qs are great and others horrible and the same can be said for TS.

It depends what you are looking for. I love walking around the World exploring the shops, snacking along the way and enjoying some specialty drinks at "La Cava de Tequila" or a beer in Germany (with a bratwurst of course) or a Grey goose slushy in France. PLus there are some spots like Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar, or Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie were you can snack or eat a meal with a nice glass of wine and no need a reservation. We usually do this at lunch and throughout the afternoon. At night, however, we like to sit back and relax at a TS location.

I will say that our best meal this past September was at La Hacienda de San Angel in Mexico. The view was spectacular at night, the food was really flavourful and our margaritas were really yummy. I don't know if it was a fluke but we reserved the same spot for our next trip. I have eaten at Le Cellier, Les Chefs de FRance and Beirgarten (several times). They were all good but my second favourite was Beirgarten. The kids love it, and the food and beer was exceptionally good.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Think about trying a TS restaurant in Epcot. There are so many wonderful choices. I can't see how you would be disappointed. My goal, is to try all of them.
29 trips to Disney World and counting...next stop POFQ March 2014

 

[OKW Lover]

No, not crazy at all. As some of the PP's have said, its really all about what you want to eat. If you're happy exploring the CS options at Epcot then have at it!!

 

[JimmyV]

Perfectly rational choice. Epcot TS restaurants are priced like high end "real world" restaurants, but on balance, aren't nearly as good. There isn't a single TS restaurant at Epcot that would survive in a major metropolitan area serving the food that they serve at prices that they charge. That is not to say that we don't go to them. And it doesn't mean that we don't enjoy ourselves. But if forced to really think about it and justify the expense compared to grazing on CS food and snacks, it would be very easy to come to the conclusion that skipping TS meals there would be the way to go. We mainly opt for them because Epcot is a big park and it is nice to sit and relax toward the end of the evening and still be in the park for Illuminations. If not for wanting to see the show at 9:00, we would go to bluezoo, Il Mulino, Shula's or Flying Fish each and every time and have a much better meal for no to little added expense.

 

[Satchmo128]

We ate at La Hacienda de San Angel on our trip last week and, honestly, it was overpriced for the amount of food we got. And not as satisfying as I would have liked. Others may disagree, though, and it was nice ambiance in there (quiet - which was nice!).

I'm actually intrigued about the rotating restaurant in The Land pavilion (can't think of the name right now).....Garden Grill? Maybe?