1st time trip to Disneyland! Need help!

Polynesian27

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Joined
Feb 25, 2013
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We're heading to Disneyland for the first time this April, and our 90-day reservation window opens tomorrow for dining. We've been to Disney World countless times but are totally new to Disneyland, so we’re not sure what to book. Our group will consist of 4 adults and 5 kids, and we’ll be there for four days.

Can you recommend some great spots for lunch and dinner? We love places like Homecomin', Whispering Canyon, Boma, Trails End (so sad it’s gone!), California Grill, and Le Cellier, just to give you an idea of what we like. Also, since we have a big group, is it okay to book two separate reservations (one for 5 and one for 4) and request to be seated together?

Thanks so much for your help!
 
Following! We’re planning our first trip as well - been going to WDW for years and have grown pretty relaxed on the planning front…but realizing that probably isn’t the best approach!
 
Last I checked, dining is 60 days out. You'll want to double check that.
 
We're heading to Disneyland for the first time this April, and our 90-day reservation window opens tomorrow for dining. We've been to Disney World countless times but are totally new to Disneyland, so we’re not sure what to book. Our group will consist of 4 adults and 5 kids, and we’ll be there for four days.

Can you recommend some great spots for lunch and dinner? We love places like Homecomin', Whispering Canyon, Boma, Trails End (so sad it’s gone!), California Grill, and Le Cellier, just to give you an idea of what we like. Also, since we have a big group, is it okay to book two separate reservations (one for 5 and one for 4) and request to be seated together?

Thanks so much for your help!
Disneyland ADRs open 60 days out. As of today you could book anything up to April 22.

You can book for 9 people at some places, and the others you can do 4 &5 and ask to be seated together.

I'm not sure what would be similar to the restaurants you mentioned, but here are some popular places at Disneyland:

Blue Bayou (Inside Pirates of the Caribbean)
Trader Sam's (Disneyland Hotel)
Storyteller's buffet. Characters in the morning, buffet only for dinner. (Grand Californian)
Goofy's character dining (Disneyland Hotel)
Oga's Cantina if you're Star Wars fans
Carnation Cafe

DCA
Lamplight Lounge

The Quick Service restaurants at Disneyland are great, so you don't need to book ADRs for every meal.

Disneyland:

Jolly Holiday
Plaza Inn (Lunch and dinner. Breakfast is a character meal that requires and ADR)
Tiana's Place
Rancho Del Zacolo
Alien Pizza Planet
Hungry Bear
Craftsman Bar (Grand Californian)
Red Rose tavern

DCA:
Pym's
Lucky Fortune Cookery
Smokejumpers
Paradise Garden Grill
 

Are you asking for help for restaurants or for planning in general?

Instead of telling us what you like at WDW, it would help if you shared the approximate ages of your party, what type of food they like to eat, dietary restrictions, price point, etc.

For sit down restaurants, the general consensus on this forum is:
Blue Bayou (DL) - Great ambiance, especially if you ask and receive a waterfront table. Good to great food. Food quality at this restaurant can be a bit inconsistent. For most, the ambiance is the big selling point.
Carthay Circle Restaurant (DCA) - Food quality is good to great. More of a old Hollywood formal dining experience, yet the majority of guests are in park attire. This is a longer dining experience.
Lamplight Lounge (DCA)- Pixar themed restaurant. Food is hit and miss. Some love it. Others report it as the worst they've had. Many like the drinks at this restaurant.
Napa Rose (GCH) - Considered the top restaurant in the resort. A little dressier than park attire. The majority of times I've gone, I've received excellent service and food. However, it only takes one time to sour someone on the experience and that happened to us. It took a good year before we returned and, when we did, it was excellent. Dining can be a very long experience so reserve after you are done with the parks.

Other sit down options in Disneyland include Cafe Orleans, River Belle Terrace, Carnation Cafe, Plaza Inn. Most of DCA is quick service. There is a lot of variety and it is quite good. Sit down is available at Carthay Circle Lounge and Wine Country Trattoria. If you are looking for a Fantasmic dining package (highly recommended), you would be looking at Cafe Orleans, River Belle or Ranch del Zocalo.

In the hotels, Trader Sams (DLH) is very popular for drinks. Craftsman Bar & Grill & Hearthstone Lounge (GCH) are both nice. Craftsman is outdoor dining poolside so not a good choice if the weather is poor. Hearthstone is indoors. Pixar Place has Great Maple which is a privately owned restaurant with three locations in southern California. Character breakfasts are offered at Goofy's Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel, Storytellers in the Grand Californian Hotel and Jolly Holiday in Disneyland.

Downtown Disney has some new restaurants. Din Tai Fung recently opened. It is very popular with multiple locations on the west coast. Paseo and Centrico are related. Personally, I love Paseo. I've heard mixed reviews about Centrico. It defintely depends on your taste in food and your price point.
 
The Quick Service restaurants at Disneyland are great, so you don't need to book ADRs for every meal.

Disneyland:
Jolly Holiday
Plaza Inn (Lunch and dinner. Breakfast is a character meal that requires and ADR)
Tiana's Place
Rancho Del Zacolo
Alien Pizza Planet
Hungry Bear
Craftsman Bar (Grand Californian)
Red Rose tavern
Hey, you forgot Bengal Barbecue! 😲

@Polynesian27 do consider the Blue Bayou. I still don't understand why Disney didn't put one in Pirates at WDW. It's such a beautiful setting at DL. (Yeah, I know the entrance and theme at WDW are different, but still, they could have done something similar.)
 
Hey, you forgot Bengal Barbecue! 😲

@Polynesian27 do consider the Blue Bayou. I still don't understand why Disney didn't put one in Pirates at WDW. It's such a beautiful setting at DL. (Yeah, I know the entrance and theme at WDW are different, but still, they could have done something similar.)
Yikes! What was I thinking? Thanks for the reminder :)
 













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