Anybody staying onsite ever go offsite to eat?

[missypie]

If you stay onsite and rent a car, do you ever go offsite to eat? DH was talking to someone who said that if you have a car, you can drive 3 minutes from the parks and get to "normal" (non-Disney) restaurants. Do you ever do that? What are the good ones?

 

[beansmom]

we did...we went to cracker barrel one day for breakfast, steak and shake for dinner (before we got them here in Dallas) and we went to Bahama Breeze.

 

[beattyfamily]

Yes, we sure have. Not often but we have. Mostly it's when we're staying at Universal that we do or on our trip from Universal to Disney. We enjoy Disney and its restaurants too much to do it really.

We enjoy going to the many buffet chains like Ponderosa Steakhouse. We also ate at a steak house once. There are lots of lobster restaurants. Lots of chinese restaurants. We also ate at a Friendly's once and a Hooters!

We also enjoy going to Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme some mornings if we drive to a park!

Sorry I couldn't be of better help with specific restaurant chains.

 

[jabrown40]

Although we prefer to eat at Disney (figure we can eat at chains when we are home) we have eaten at Friday's in the Crossroads shopping center and a couple of others. Also, every trip includes a night out at Hemingway's in the Grand Cypress Hotel. They have the best coconut shrimp I have ever had!

 

[Kae]

We go to Emerils places at USF. We also like a place called Cafe Tu TU Tango.

Kae

 

[magicmouse2]

Yes mainly for Chinese food as the chinese at WDW is not up to much. We eat at NYCB which is near DD, Ponderosa Steakhouse for steak buffets and buffet breakfasts. Also at Ming Court which is an excellent and my favorite Chinese table service restaurant on I-Drive.

We have rarely eaten at sit down meals except for Character meals at WDW, but his may change with the DDE available for AP holders noww.

 

[lovethattink]

We've gone to TGI Fridays, Cici's pizza, Golden Coral, Red Lobster, and Fishbones.

 

[missypie]

I resent that my thread was moved from the Restaurants Board to the Orlando Attactions Board. I wanted the opinions of people who stay on site and normally eat at the on-site restaurants!!!

 

[spiceycat]

well I stay at Both - and definitely get off site - several of the places names - along US 192 in Kissimmee is just about any chain restuarant you can name.


I don't know why your post was moved - I would think restuarants would be better than anything else.

 

[Ted and Holly]

The question was not about Disney restaruants, which is what the Restaurant board is for.

In my opinion, this is the right forum for this question.

When we stayed on site, we left WDW property only once or twice to eat. And that was when we met up with friends who lived locally.

You name it, it is within a few minutes drive from WDW.

Ted

 

[beattyfamily]

I resent that my thread was moved from the Restaurants Board to the Orlando Attactions Board. I wanted the opinions of people who stay on site and normally eat at the on-site restaurants!!!

I agree that its better in the Restaurants board. Where it is now, I never would have found it but I found it when it was in the Restaurants board. It's a Restaurant topic, IMHO.

 

[vossjemi]

Sorry your post got moved. But guess what, I found it here! ha ha. LOL So, your thread is getting some more exposure. I too am interested in this topic. We'll be staying at the poly and have 2 kids ages 5 and 3. How close are these off site restaurants? 5 minutes away? 10 minutes away? 30? Is it all dependent on traffic? Are there any pizza places close by? That deliver? Or that DH could make a quick trip to go and pick up?

 

[Ted and Holly]

Sorry your post got moved. But guess what, I found it here! ha ha. LOL So, your thread is getting some more exposure. I too am interested in this topic. We'll be staying at the poly and have 2 kids ages 5 and 3. How close are these off site restaurants? 5 minutes away? 10 minutes away? 30? Is it all dependent on traffic? Are there any pizza places close by? That deliver? Or that DH could make a quick trip to go and pick up?

I believe there is Dominos, Pizza Hut, and Papa Johns close by and I believe they all deliver.

I think 5 minutes is a little short, but definitely 10 to 15 minutes and you can be out on 192. And there is a little of everything on 192.

Ted

 

[missypie]

The question was not about Disney restaruants, which is what the Restaurant board is for.

In my opinion, this is the right forum for this question.

When we stayed on site, we left WDW property only once or twice to eat. And that was when we met up with friends who lived locally.

You name it, it is within a few minutes drive from WDW.

Ted

Maybe I didn't phrase my post clearly enough. I guess I was hoping that people would say something like, "XYZ Restaurant has a seafood buffet that we like a lot better than Cape May for 25% less, " or "Don't bother with the off site buffets...they cost less but nothing beats Chef Mickey's."

 

[Ted and Holly]

Maybe I didn't phrase my post clearly enough. I guess I was hoping that people would say something like, "XYZ Restaurant has a seafood buffet that we like a lot better than Cape May for 25% less, " or "Don't bother with the off site buffets...they cost less but nothing beats Chef Mickey's."

Ah! Ok.

The Celebration Town Tavern servers new England style seafood. It is owned and operated by a family from Massachusetts. Good food, shipped in daily. It is a bit expensive, but a great place to sit outside and have some good food.

Also in Celebration is Cafe d'Antonio. Italian food. Good stuff. Also has outdoor seating and has good service.

I don't have a lot of experience with buffets outside of WDW. But there is one that advertises on TV called Crazy Buffet, it is an "Asian Fusion" buffet. Looks good. But I think it is up in downtown Orlando, maybe 30 or more minutes away.

I ate at Golden Corral for breakfast once and it made me so sick I did not eat for a couple days afterwards. But, people here rave about that place.

bahama Breeze. Chain. Decent food, usually pretty popular (off 535, near Crossroads). "Island" food. We like the Jerk chicken wings and the Seared Ahi tuna with jasmine rice is pretty good. We ate at Shutters once at CRB, it was comparable.

What kind of food do you like?

Ted

 

[spiceycat]

love your cat pictures.

the good Golden Coral is in LBV (my opinion) not Kissimmee.

there is a pretty nice Denny's about 15 minutes away from the Polyn.

there is also a MacDonald (little cheaper than the ones on WDW property), Burger King, chick n fil, Popeys, Quinn Steakhouse. I also like the Ponderosa - fairly good food - very reasonable priced.

very depends upon what you want.

Kissimmee also has their share of local restuarants that you want see elsewhere.

 

[Ted and Holly]

love your cat pictures.

the good Golden Coral is in LBV (my opinion) not Kissimmee.

Thanks! Rocky appreciates his fans.

That is the GC we went to. Ugh! I just can't even think about it! I hate even looking at the sign as I drive by on I-4!

Ted

 

[flclarkkent]

Ah! Ok.
I don't have a lot of experience with buffets outside of WDW. But there is one that advertises on TV called Crazy Buffet, it is an "Asian Fusion" buffet. Looks good. But I think it is up in downtown Orlando, maybe 30 or more minutes away.
Ted

Crazy Buffet is great! It's a little on the pricey side - about $25-30 a person - but they really do offer a crazy - pun intended - amount of food. There's a sushi bar, hibachi bar, filet mignon station (Don't ask me why this is in an Asian restaurant). Plus, there are several buffet lines of other Asian dishes, salads and desserts.

I've never been a big fan of all-you-can-eat places, but I really enjoyed my visit there. I ate so much I thought I was going to pop.

It's north of downtown Orlando, in Altamonte Springs. You'd take the S.R. 436 exit and head west for a few miles. From Universal and I-Drive, it would take about 30 minutes to get there. A little further if you're coming from Disney.

 

[Ted and Holly]

Crazy Buffet is great! It's a little on the pricey side - about $25-30 a person - but they really do offer a crazy - pun intended - amount of food. There's a sushi bar, hibachi bar, filet mignon station (Don't ask me why this is in an Asian restaurant). Plus, there are several buffet lines of other Asian dishes, salads and desserts.

I've never been a big fan of all-you-can-eat places, but I really enjoyed my visit there. I ate so much I thought I was going to pop.

It's north of downtown Orlando, in Altamonte Springs. You'd take the S.R. 436 exit and head west for a few miles. From Universal and I-Drive, it would take about 30 minutes to get there. A little further if you're coming from Disney.

Nice! Thanks for the review! I now have a new place to drag Holly.

Ted

 

[antmaril]

Definitely. That's one reason why we rent the car, so we can get away from the high prices at WDW. I don't care if I can eat at the chains at home, it helps to have some reasonably priced meals while were there. We were there last week and ate at Pizzaria Uno, McDonald's (for a quick lunch upon our arrival) and Macaroni Grill. On past trips, we've had breakfast at Perkins and lunch at Jungle Jim's.

I like to strike a balance between eating in the parks (or resorts) and eating offsite.

Just my two cents, of course.