Arrival Dinner

[MizzouTiggers]

Hello!

My mom and I, WDW veterans, are taking my friend to the World for his very first trip in May! We are thrilled to show him our favorite place!

We arrive in Orlando around 4:30, so we're not going to any of the parks that day, but I would like some suggestions for a perfect first evening! We're college students on a budget, so Cali Grill for evening fireworks is out of the question, but I would really appreciate some fun dinner ideas! Something to start the trip off with a bang!

Thanks everyone! And if you have any food suggestions that you feel we must introduce to a newbie, throw those out too!

 

[RedOne3781]

Maybe one of the places at Downtown Disney? You could have a nice dinner, watch the cute dance show thingy at the stage over by the Marketplace and do some shopping or whatever.

 

[Hopefully]

I would suggest DTD too.
We love Raglan Road. It is a beautiful restaurant that was built in Ireland and reassembled in Orlando. The service is warm and friendly, the food is delicious, and after 8 they have a live Irish Band and intermittent Irish Step dancers. It is a great evening.
If an Irish pub doesn't sound good there is also House of Blues, or Wolfgang Puck
Good Luck

 

[DizDaD7]

you never said where you were staying. If at a Monorail resort, which, judging by you being on a tight budget, (probably not) I was going to say Ohana's.

Without going to the parks, & if staying at POR, or POFQ, you can take a nice boatride to DTD. Plenty to do to kick off an awesome vaca. My 2 fav's are Bongo's. ( Gloria Estefan's place) or Fultons..

Good luck & have a wonderful time..

 

[Cee]

Another vote for Raglan Road. You can make ADRs there now. We always go there on our arrival day for a Daulkey Duo appetizer and a beer flight. After that, if we're still hungry, we go for an entree. It's a great atmosphere and really kicks things off nicely for us. We don't go to a park that first day either and so we just enjoy a meal, and a nice walk around the DTD. Then back to the resort for a nightcap and then to bed to awaken refreshed and energized for our first full day of DISNEY.

 

[Albytaps]

I have not been to all the restaurants at WDW and don't know your likes/dislikes so it's kinda hard to tell you where to go, but here are some ideas:

We are going for Spring break, and on arrival day we're going to Ohana's. It's an all you can eat Hawaiian themed place. I'm sure you've heard of it but if not it's located in the Polynesean Resort near the Magic Kingdom.

If you rather do DTD and like fun themed restaurants, have you tried T-Rex? I love that place. It's like Rainforest Cafe but with much better food and Dinosaur themed.

If you look those 2 places up on youtube you'll have a better idea of what to expect.

 

[Kay1]

On a strict very strict budget, I would choose the food court at POR followed by drinks and YeeHaw Bob. DTD is also a great choice.

Have a great time.

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

You could go to Cpt Cooks at the Poly and order something to go and sit on the beach and watch fireworks while you eat. I think the most expensive entree there is around $9. Me & DH's favorite is the Aloha Pork sandwich....yummmmmm.

 

[gonzo138]

Boma is awesome buffet and is at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. You can check out the resort and go out and see the animals.

 

[Pakey]

We usually head to AKL our first night. If on a budget, Boma and Sanaa are both great.

 

[grafxgirl]

You could take a bus over to Hollywood Studios, then take a Friendship boat over to the EPCOT resorts area. Walk around the boardwalk, and have a New England style buffet dinner at Cape May, or a nice steak at Captain's Grill, or hit one of the restaurants on the boardwalk. It is lovely lit up in the evening, then walk over to the beach to see what movie is playing on the beach that evening, and also catch the fireworks from EPCOT while on the boardwalk. It will take some travel time, but if you aren't doing any parks it's a great way to see some parts of Disney that one might not normally think to visit.

 

[missminniemouse]

We just tried out the Turf Club at Saratoga Springs on our trip a few weeks ago. We thought the food was delicious and an excellent value. It's my new "favorite" place to recommend to people.

 

[Mich123]

Another vote for 'Ohana! The price is fixed, the food is yummy and the atmosphere is great.

For inexpensive, I agree with the PP who suggested POR, Riverside Mill has good food. Pepper Market is also good and inexpensive--at Coronado Springs.

 

[job09]

I would vote for Boma's. We went to Whispering Cafe on our last arrival day and it disappointed. Beaches and Cream was another fun, tasty casual arrival dinner (trip before last).

 

[pooh4evr]

I just wanted to say Hi from one Tiger to another!! M-I-Z

 

[ZPT1022]

I would do Downtown Disney, it would be nice to have dinner and walk around and check out all the shops and stuff. My other suggestion would be Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge, the food is great and you could walk around AKL and check it out afterwards. When you say that you are arriving at 4:30, do you mean your flight gets in at 4:30 or you think that by the time you catch ME/get your rental car and get to your resort it will be 4:30? If your flight is arriving at 4:30, I would plan on not being at the resort until 6, in your room by 6:30. I may be overestimating on times but depending on what your plans are for the rest of your trip- are you planning on getting up early and trying to see as much as possible?- I would consider eating at your resort, enjoying the pool, and then just getting unpacked and having an early night and a good start with the parks in the morning. Probably not as exciting but it may help to get your trip off on the right foot

 

[ADznyDrmr]

Z-O-U!!!!!!!!!!

As far as my two cents, I'm going with DTD as well! We always go there on days that we arrive too late or leave too early to do a park. I would personally skip Rainforest Cafe unless you really enjoy subpar food in a crowded loud atmosphere! But plenty of other DTD options have been put on the table. I hope you three have a blast and he gets bitten by the Disney bug!

I just wanted to say Hi from one Tiger to another!! M-I-Z

 

[shannonstar]

I agree with everyone who said this. We love checking in at POFQ and then taking the boat to DTD. We shop around to get an idea of what we are going to want over the course of the trip (I swear I am not coming home without the giant bucket of Mr. Potato Head parts this year) and then we eat at Raglan Road. The food is great, the entertainment wonderful. Just a good, relaxing way to kick off a Disney trip.

 

[DizDaD7]

I agree with everyone who said this. We love checking in at POFQ and then taking the boat to DTD. We shop around to get an idea of what we are going to want over the course of the trip (I swear I am not coming home without the giant bucket of Mr. Potato Head parts this year) and then we eat at Raglan Road. The food is great, the entertainment wonderful. Just a good, relaxing way to kick off a Disney trip.

Iv'e already posted on this thread about Bongo's, but was just wondering about RAGLAN ROAD... Sorry to piggyback this thread, but Have heard nothing but great reviews of this place, including the bread pudding for dessert...What Have I been missing by not ever eaten here???

 

[shannonstar]

Iv'e already posted on this thread about Bongo's, but was just wondering about RAGLAN ROAD... Sorry to piggyback this thread, but Have heard nothing but great reviews of this place, including the bread pudding for dessert...What Have I been missing by not ever eaten here???

Here's the must haves for us there:

*Scallop Forest - George Bank scallops in a golden batter served with a citrus lime dipping sauce and sweet chili jam - ended up having to order two b/c all four of us (two adults, two kids) were fighting over it
Serious Steak - 10 oz sirloin topped with Irish whiskey marmalade glaze, with fresh basil oil, mashed potatoes, and topped with crispy fried onion string - you see the word whiskey right? mmmmmm yum
Fish and Chips - Our famous beer battered fish & chips served with our fresh tartar sauce. (tip-sprinkle some vinegar on both-tasty!) - OMG so much better than the Rose & Crown.
Ger's Bread & Butter Pudding - Like no other pudding you have ever tried. Believe us - BELIEVE THEM seriously. It was so good. We had to order a 2nd one of these too.
For my son, the had real shrimp on the kids menu. Not popcorn shrimp, which he hates. The kid's menu actually has a lot of choices, which stands out in comparison to a lot of other Disney restaurants.

The Irish Dancing entertainment is also great! It's like being in the World Showcase, but not having to pay to get into a park for that day. In my opinion, it's a better kept secret.

I hope you end up enjoying it as much as we did if you go.