Aniv. Dining Ideas

[sgtfirstwife]

We are going to be celebrating our 10th Aniv. in April and plan on going to Disneyland for the day. The kids (we have four) are staying with a sitter, so this will just be hubby and me. First time out by ourselves in a long.....while. When ya got two year old twins, a one year old and a eight year old...well lets just say it takes planning.

My problem is I am not sure where we should eat. We are not wine drinkers, but my hubby likes a cold beer. I would like some place where we would not usually go with my kids, not that we mind children being there .

Price does not matter since it is a special occasion. This is our gift to each other.

As you can tell I am excited. We plan on going on a few rides, I know it will be busy. I am not sure if I will know how to act with no children. I told my husband if I cut up his food and try to bib him he will have to forgive me

So any great ideas for dining? We have eaten at BB with our kids but got stuck outside where there was no view and it was hot.

 

[DizNee Luver]

DTD has a lot of choices that your hubby would be able to enjoy a cold beer. House of Blues, Jazz Kitchen, Naples, etc. At DL Hotel, Steakhouse 55 or Hook's Pointe. GCH has Napa Rose.

Enjoy your 10th Anniversary!!!!!
We planned our 25th with no kids, but ended up with 4 of the 7 with us!!!! So hope your plans hold up.....
by the way.....we have 22mth old twins!!! Lots of twins on these boards!!!!

 

[Sherry E]

We are going to be celebrating our 10th Aniv. in April and plan on going to Disneyland for the day. The kids (we have four) are staying with a sitter, so this will just be hubby and me. First time out by ourselves in a long.....while. When ya got two year old twins, a one year old and a eight year old...well lets just say it takes planning.

My problem is I am not sure where we should eat. We are not wine drinkers, but my hubby likes a cold beer. I would like some place where we would not usually go with my kids, not that we mind children being there .

Price does not matter since it is a special occasion. This is our gift to each other.

As you can tell I am excited. We plan on going on a few rides, I know it will be busy. I am not sure if I will know how to act with no children. I told my husband if I cut up his food and try to bib him he will have to forgive me

So any great ideas for dining? We have eaten at BB with our kids but got stuck outside where there was no view and it was hot.

Blue Bayou does not have outdoor seating that I am aware of. Maybe you ate at Cafe Orleans? Blue Bayou is all indoors, inside the POTC ride, with the illusion of a nighttime sky overhead. However, sometimes you can end up way in the back by the kitchen, where you don't see the boats going by. You have to request waterside tables when you arrive, and that can mean you wait for a long time.

Have you considered tying Napa Rose inside the Grand Californian Hotel? It is highly rated and praised by food critics and DISboarders alike. I have never been there myself - it is more of a fine dining type of thing, which is not for me - but plenty of our wonderful DIS'ers such as YellowMickeyPonchos (Nancy) and Lulubelle can tell you all about it. That might be just the thing for your special occasion!

Otherwise, if you didn't want to try BB again, maybe you could try something like Wine Country Trattoria inside DCA. Since they serve alcohol in DCA, your husband will be able to get his beer.

 

[Disney Princess]

We are eating at Steakhouse 55 for our anniversary. We haven't been yet, but it came highly recommended on these boards. We checked out the menus, and this one appealed to us the most for a special dinner. It is at the DLH, but we don't mind taking a break from the parks. I'd look at the menus and see what kind of food appeals to you as well. Enjoy - and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

 

[sgtfirstwife]

Sorry it must have been the Cafe and not BB. We were not impressed, but maybe BB will be better. I am going to check out the menus. My husband does not have a beer, but if one is offered he may want one. I don't think they serve alcohol in Disney, do they? Also what is the dress code for these resturants? We don't want to have to dress up and then have to walk around Disney.
Thanks for all the wonderul ideas.

 

[Raivyn]

I would recommend Napa Rose for an anniversary dinner. The food is rated better (will find out myself in about two weeks), plus the ambiance is really nice.

I believe there is a wine lounge, also (forgot where I read that). BB is good and great ambiance, but pricey.

 

[Sherry E]

Sorry it must have been the Cafe and not BB. We were not impressed, but maybe BB will be better. I am going to check out the menus. My husband does not have a beer, but if one is offered he may want one. I don't think they serve alcohol in Disney, do they? Also what is the dress code for these resturants? We don't want to have to dress up and then have to walk around Disney.
Thanks for all the wonderul ideas.

Alcohol is not served inside Disneyland, but it IS served inside Disney's California Adventure (hence, the Wine Country Trattoria suggestion). But if you don't want to go into DCA, and you want to have a meal with the option of a beer or other drinks, then I would think the better option would be to eat at Napa Rose in GCH or as suggested by the previous posters, at Steakhouse 55 in the DLH. PCH Grill in PPH also serves alcohol, but it may not be special enough for a special occasion such as your anniversary. There are also the options of Downtown Disney restaurants too, such as Catal, Naples, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen, etc. - all of which serve alcohol.

As far as dress code, no worries if you eat at Blue Bayou. They are well aware that people walking around in shorts and sweatpants in the parks are coming to eat there. That's 100% fine. They know where they are located and don't expect anything other than typical amusement park garb! As for the various restaurants located in the hotels - especially Napa Rose - my feeling (never having been in there) is that they, too, 'know where they are located' and probably don't expect anyone to come in dressed up in 'nice restaurant clothes,' BUT out of respect and just to not look like I didn't care at all (because there are people dining in Napa Rose who don't go into the parks at all who may be a little more dressed up), I would probably wear something informal and casual but a step above what I would wear when walking around the parks. See, if you are staying at one of the hotels, it would be easy to go in and change to a slightly nicer outfit, but if you are only going for one day and have to make the transition from the park to the restaurant, then you may want to slip into a bathroom and change. But, honestly, at the end of the day, I think Napa Rose is well aware that people who have been in the parks are dining there and probably would not bat an eyelash if you came in wearing shorts. That's just the nature of operating a restaurant on amusement park/resort property.

 

[Brancaneve]

We are also celebrating our 10th in June and are planning on eating at the Napa Rose. I called Disneyland's Celebration line and they are offering some different anniversary or romantic events. One is to have a dinner brought to your room and the other is to have a private dinner on a balcony in the Grand Cal hotel. With the second, you have a limited menu but your own server. I believe it cost around $200 but I preferred to have my dinner at the Napa Rose and be able to choose from a menu.

Congratulations and enjoy!

 

[glendalais]

As the Disneyland Resort asks our Guests What Will You Celebrate?, select restaurants throughout the Resort are offering our new "Sweetheart Dinners".

A Prix-Fixe meal, it includes a Celebration Dessert, as well as Champaigne Flutes for you to take away as a souvenir.

It'll be available at the following restaurants:

• Blue Bayou, Disneyland Park
• Steakhouse 55, Disneyland Hotel
• Napa Rose, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
• Yamabuki, Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel

It may also be ordered from Room Service at any of the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort. In addition, for those Guests with membership of or reservations at Club 33, located inside Disneyland Park, it can also be reserved there as well.

It costs $150.00, except for Napa Rose and Club 33, where it costs $180.00, and Yamabuki/Paradise Pier Room Serivce, where it's $130.00. All prices are for two people.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We are celebrating our 20th anniversary at the end of June and we plan to go to Steakhouse 55. We thought about the Blue Bayou but decided that the food would be better at the SH55 even if we didn't get to eat inside Pirates. The food didn't sound all that appealing to us there and the price was not too much less than SH55 anyway.

We aren't going to do the special celebration dinner, just order off the menu.

We have twins too, 15 year old boys who will not be coming with us this trip. Suddenly it seems like there are lots of parents of twins on here.

 

[godalejunior]

Hands down I would choose Napa Rose so much we now are making it a regular stop on our DL trips. While it is expensive, it is a romantic place to eat and the food is just wonderful. We tried Steakhouse 55 once and our steaks were MUCH BETTER at Napa Rose (not that the food was not good at 55 but NR won out).

Also if you do not see something that is appealing on the menu, just ask....DH does not like all the fancy choices and just wanted meat and potatoes and that is what he got and he said they were the best he ever had!

 

[PinkBudgie]

Hands down I would choose Napa Rose so much we now are making it a regular stop on our DL trips. While it is expensive, it is a romantic place to eat and the food is just wonderful. We tried Steakhouse 55 once and our steaks were MUCH BETTER at Napa Rose (not that the food was not good at 55 but NR won out).

Oh no, don't confuse me. I thought I had my mind made up! Actually, I think SH55 takes an AP discount and Napa doesn't, so that helps me lean towards it. But I admit Napa sounds good too... Have to think a little more about that.

 

[LavenderPeach]

Oh no, don't confuse me. I thought I had my mind made up! Actually, I think SH55 takes an AP discount and Napa doesn't, so that helps me lean towards it. But I admit Napa sounds good too... Have to think a little more about that.

Oh no! Just when you thought you had it all figured out! Good luck deciding! It is a tough decision.

Hands down I would choose Napa Rose so much we now are making it a regular stop on our DL trips. While it is expensive, it is a romantic place to eat and the food is just wonderful. We tried Steakhouse 55 once and our steaks were MUCH BETTER at Napa Rose (not that the food was not good at 55 but NR won out).

Also if you do not see something that is appealing on the menu, just ask....DH does not like all the fancy choices and just wanted meat and potatoes and that is what he got and he said they were the best he ever had!

Godalejunior (or anyone else), do you know if the menu at NR changes often? I was just looking at the meun on allears.net and wondering if that is what they always offer or if it changes all the time. Looks like they are type of place that would change the menu with the seasons or something.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Good question! Maybe it should be a requirement that everyone on this board always takes photos of the menu at everywhere they eat!