Are there any dining experiences that I should not miss?

[markmyboy]

We are taking the plunge into our first "real" WDW vacation.
I've been researching the parks for years & pretty much have THAT part of the vacation figured out (as much as possible).
I am SO lost as far as dining goes! I didn't even know there were so many restaurants!
I've already booked our Fantasmic dining package & I know the kids are not that into the character dining.
I guess I am just interested in knowing if there are any " not to miss" restaurants at the parks?

 

[dzneelvr]

I don't know your kids ages, but here are some to try out: Sci Fi in MGM (what a great experience!); Hoop De Doo is a fabulous dining/dinner show for all ages and kids just love the food and constant action; Biergarten in Germany/EPCOT has a vast array of food for any eater and the stage show is fun and interactive; Crystal Palace in MK has a great character interaction and good food; Norway in EPCOT hosts (in many minds) the best Princess character meal, and Toy Story in MGM has great pizza, a huge arcade and outside seating--send the kids inside and you can relax outside (and what kid doesn't want pizza at least once!). At AK, we always stop in at RainForest Cafe--it's fabulous if you have not seen it before. Have a great time and make many family memories Just remember that you can't do it all on one trip! We'll be back in WDW on June 20 for the umpteenth time and are still trying new places to eat!

 

[Calle&Jakesmom]

The best "dining experience" is the Crystal Palace for breakfast. Here's the thing: Yes, Crystal Palace is a "character breakfast", but it is also a GREAT meal and a GREAT way to get into Magic Kingdom early! Your best plan is to make reservations at the Crstal Palace earliest seating (usually 8:05am). This get you into the park before it officially opens and gets you out of your breakfast just about the time of the official opening so you can get to your favorite spot (tommorowland or adeventureland??) just as the gates are opening. This is the best reason to eat here, but there are other good resaons too...
Crystal Palace has a great breakfast buffett- the Breakfast Lasagna can't be missed (it shoud have a thread of it's own!!). The characters- Pooh & Friends are great too.
Don't miss this opportunity to get a great breakfast and an early entry into MK!

 

[tlriv5]

We had our first disney experience in '06. My daughters were 8 and 11. They loved the Whispering Canyon Cafe at the WL. The food was good, the restaurant has a lot of fun things the servers do. Ask for ketchup and see what happens, you won't get just one! It was just a lot of fun, so people on the boards say it's too loud, but I didn't find it any louder than some of the others. Maybe because having three girls, everyday is loud!

They also liked the atmosphere of the Coral Reef in Epcot. They have an aquarium as one wall and you can see sharks, large sea turtles and lots of different sea life as you eat. The menu selection is a little harder if you aren't big on fish. You can view menus at www.allears.net .

50's Prime Time Cafe is fun too, you have to eat your veggies to get dessert and you better mind your manners. My husband almost got sent to the corner for putting his elbows on the table too many times. The diner is set like in the 50's and they have little tv's playing shows like I Love Lucy. THis restaurant is at MGM.

THis year we are returning and the girls want to try CHef Mickey, they had friends that really like it. My girls don't mind the character meals, but it's not something they have to do either. Have fun! We loved our experience.

 

[bostonpluto]

Crystal Palace for breakfast is great! Even though your kids aren't into the characters, it's nice getting into the park before it opens and the food is excellent!

 

[loafskier]

I second (or third) Crystal Palace, Coral Reef and the Hoop De Doo Review!

 

[RockinDisney]

I was just there in April and went to the Hoop De Doo Review for the first time, I can tell you it will be something I always do from now on. It was a lot of fun and the food was good!

 

[puddleduck]

We really love Crystal Palace. For whatever reason it is on our MUST do every trip list. I guess it will become a Disney tradition for us. We also love Sci-Fi. I know it gets mixed reviews but for me if you are in a drive-in, watching sci fi movie trailers that just screams cheeseburger, fries, onion rings and a shake. They do this really good IMHO. We also don't miss Flametree in AK The food is great and the portions are huge, great for splitting and conserving those DD credits. We LOVE EPCOT and are always wanting to try something new there. Le Cellier is great but there are so many places we want to eat at there that I'm not sure if we will have a tradition restaurant there or not. We do get school bread from Norway each time we go though.

 

[mylittleprincess]

We just went in December and did dining plan for 1st time. We LOVED our choices in ressie's. We LOVED the Spirit of Aloha Dinner at Polynesian. The food just kept coming! YUM! Our waiter was great with my 13 yr old. He kept playin and jokin with her. Here is a fun shot of him after hitting her on the head with moroccas.

I also recommend Chef Mickey's! We did Breakfast! They were GREAT! We were celebrating my DD's 6th Birthday and they sang a song to kids celebrating and really gave them recognition. ( more than CRT does) What a great experience for all of us!

This is when they sang the song:

Also LeCellier a MUST!!!! Absolutely our favorite!!
We also did the Sci-Fi diner @ MGM was good as well. Our least favorite was Whispering Canyon dinner.

 

[P&L@WDW]

I'll also put in a huge vote for the 50's Prime Time Diner! On my last trip, we ate there for the first time, and by far it was my favourite meal of our entire two week trip (and we had some GREAT ones!). The hosts/hostesses were alot of fun, and one really was into his character as the 'geeky cousin'. So funny! Our waitress was a cranky old aunt, and I can honestly say that that was the one time I didn't mind our waitress being cranky!

My friend had 'collared greens' with her meal (I think that's what they were called...we're from Canada, we don't have those up here). She really really didn't like them, but when our aunt showed up and she tried to order dessert, 'Aunt' said 'No way...here, let me help you!' and promptly started doing the 'airplane' to feed her her greens.

I have pictures of it, and they still make me laugh out loud! We saw someone else being stood in the corner, and we all got to shake our finger at him and scold him. Elbows on the table are a big no no!

A great overall experience, especially if you are willing to be goofy and get into it!

 

[M-I-C-K-E-Y]

I always recommend 'Ohana, at the Polynesian Resort. There's nothing quite like dressing in "Tiki Wear" and enjoying the south seas vibe, Disney style.

 

[iloverags2]

Coral Reef at Epcot, and also Sci-Fi at MGM.