Best Restaurant for Husband

[ElizabethB]

Free dining will be going on while you are there. That means most one table credit restaurants will be jam-packed. Most of the advice you've received doesn't apply. Example -- Grand Floridian Cafe during free dining is awful -- noisy and packed. Same for Sanaa.

My advice would be to stick to two credit restaurants as much as possible and dine late -- 8:30 pm or later. Many have suggested Jiko and that could be good if you can get a 4 top -- not the banquet seating which we hate. At Jiko, Flying Fish and California Grill, ask for the wine rooms. These can be somewhat quieter, though not always. Artist Point has well spaced tables and tends to be quieter. Citrico's has an open kitchen which adds to the noise but if you eat late and ask for a 4 top it might work.

Captain's Grill is a good choice. It is usually pretty quiet for dinner. Most of the restaurants at Epcot have tiny tables that are way too close together. We gave up eating at Chefs de France as tables are so close together, it is miserable. Don't even think about San Angel Inn. I agree Rose and Crown is too tightly packed. Marrakesh could be ok as it rarely fills up and tables are better spaced than other places. Tokyo Dining would also be okay except at fireworks time. I know nothing about Paradiso 37 so can't help you there. Narcoosee's is probably too noisy and close. Turf Club might be okay. It was quiet when we dined there but it was not during free dining. I would not do the cars at Sci-Fi. Way too close to other people. If you do Sci-Fi, ask for the "picnic" tables at the back. Don't do any character meals. Avoid experience places for kids like Whispering Canyon Cafe and Coral Reef. Also avoid BOG and Cinderella's Royal Table. There is a very nice table for two in a bay window at Liberty Tree Tavern. You could ask for that table and wait for it. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother.

Maya Grill tends to be quieter than some other places. Another place we like is Crew's Cup at the Yacht Club. Tables are roomy and it is usually not crowded. Avoid quick service places and food courts during lunch and dinner times. We like the bar seating at Fulton's but not the regular tables, which are too close together. Il Mulino and Shula's can be ok although Shula's can be noisy if a convention is going on.

Unfortunately, quiet and uncrowded dining is hard to find at WDW. I hope the forgoing is helpful and that you enjoy your vacation.

 

[ArmyVet80]

A suggestion from a veteran of OIF/OEF and having a similar "tolerance" issue with large crowds.. My suggestions would be Yachtsmen, California Grill, or most signature eateries. I have (every trip) gone to the Biergarten which has tested me in more ways than one for my wife but it does tend to get a little uncomfortable. My DW and I tend do go to WDW in mid/late September because of the lower crowds. When we do the F&W Festival it is always midweek when the crowds are at their lowest. We have eaten at Paradiso 37 before. It was at 11 AM and my DW and I were the only people in the building other than the staff.

As suggested from another poster on here. Make the ADR's for early lunches (1100 if possible) and dinners later in the evening (2030 or later). Early lunches and later dinners are the way we go and if we get hungry throughout the day we'll get a snack from a cart/booth/kiosk at whatever park we are at.

 

[JZCubed]

Thanks for any advice!

Thank you for the sacrifices your family has made.

Advice:

Avoid any table service in the Parks. Eat at outdoor quick service or eat lunch when indoor places open (usually 11am).

Lunches at resort table service places are typically less crowded. Sanaa would be a standout.

Dinner can be more tricky, so all the previous advice is spot-on (like making earliest reservations possible, eating at places less in demand).

I typically recommend Swan & Dolphin Signatures because tables are far apart, but they also have Lounge areas that could make them feel crowded for someone managing PTSD (for which I know nothing about, really).

Downtown Disney Springs may come with it's own challenges - there are many walls due to construction. Construction can make transportation in/out uncomfortable too.

And that leads me to another problem you may encounter - your husband is likely to encounter crowded transportation at times.

Last suggestion - Shades of Green is a Disney resort for military personnel. Your husband cannot be the first person traveling to Disney who needs to manage PTSD. I imagine Shades of Green can be contacted to answer some of your concerns.

 

[JZCubed]

A suggestion from a veteran of OIF/OEF and having a similar "tolerance" issue with large crowds.. My suggestions would be Yachtsmen, California Grill, or most signature eateries. I have (every trip) gone to the Biergarten which has tested me in more ways than one for my wife but it does tend to get a little uncomfortable. My DW and I tend do go to WDW in mid/late September because of the lower crowds. When we do the F&W Festival it is always midweek when the crowds are at their lowest. We have eaten at Paradiso 37 before. It was at 11 AM and my DW and I were the only people in the building other than the staff.

As suggested from another poster on here. Make the ADR's for early lunches (1100 if possible) and dinners later in the evening (2030 or later). Early lunches and later dinners are the way we go and if we get hungry throughout the day we'll get a snack from a cart/booth/kiosk at whatever park we are at.

I really know nothing about 'tolerance' issues, but I would point out that CA Grill can be vey noisy, more so if seated toward the back of the restaurant.

You kinda' need to take an elevator to get up there. I don't know if that matters, but it's something I would point out.

Also, they dim the lights and pipe in the sounds of the MK fireworks. Again, I don't know if that matters, but it's something I would point out. The same is true for Narcoossee's & 'Ohana.

Sorry, I'm not trying to be harsh to you or CA Grill, I'm just a stickler for certain details and would want to offer all the information I could for matters which I have only a cursory understanding.

And thank you for your service and sacrifice and those of your family.

 

[Katy Belle]

We ate at Paradiso 37 for dinner once, and it was very crowded and noisy. Our table was at one end of the patio, so we had a table behind us, but not next to us.

We ate at Captains Grille for breakfast on our last trip. It was much quieter than most Disney restaurants. Tables are not super close together.

I don't know how you feel about characters...but The Garden Grill in Epcot is nice. You sit in your own booth, and really can't see the other diners.

Wishing you both a fantastic trip!

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

I'll echo what others have said about timing - early lunches or late dinners are probably best and eating at a resort or signature. Almost all of the restaurants at Magic Kingdom are crowded with closely set tables. That said, a good use of a counter service credit might be an early lunch at Columbia Harbor House -- it tends not to be too crowded early and if you eat upstairs there's usually tons of space. I believe it opens at 10:30 or 11:00 for lunch.

The Wave at Contemporary tends to be fairly empty during the day - here's a link to a review of The Wave at lunch in September 2013 and there's some pictures that indicate it is pretty empty/quiet - http://www.easywdw.com/uncategorize...post-refurbishment-and-bonus-the-wave-review/. We also like the food there. Since you have park hoppers one plan might be to hit Magic Kingdom in the morning and then head over to the Wave for lunch at noon (though by 11:00 Magic Kingdom may be pretty crowded).

We had an early lunch (around 11:30 I believe) last year at Chefs de France and really enjoyed the food. It wasn't crowded at all when we first arrived but by the time we were done it had grown much more crowded and as someone mentioned the table are very close together. When I've been inside Tutto Italia at Epcot around 11:30 or so it hasn't been crowded but I've never been during free dining.

Other potential options that are only 1 table service credit and have a reputation for good food are Kona Café at Poly (sometime not crowded but there may be a crowd in the lobby waiting for 'Ohana and they can get loud), Boma (we ate dinner there around 5 last year and it wasn't crowded at all) or Turf Club. For the signature/2 table service credit restaurants we had an early dinner at Yachtsman (probably around 5:00) a couple of years ago and it wasn't crowded at all. Also felt like there was more space there than at some of the other restaurants.

Most places at Downtown Disney will be crowded during weekends and evenings. We ate lunch at House of Blues during the week several years ago and it wasn't crowded at all and the tables weren't too close together.

Hope you have a great trip and tell your husband I said thanks for his service.

 

[philharmagic fan]

DH and I like to book a 2:45pm lunch at Liberty Tree in MK. It may be a little overwhelming when you arrive, but they switch from lunch to dinner menu and do not seat guests between 3 and 4pm, so by the time our food comes the place is half empty, and by the time we leave all but a half dozen tables are unoccupied. Also, they have some of the best food in MK (Colony salad and Ooey gooey toffee cake)

 

[Veteran Wife]

Wow, thank you all so much for the suggestions! And ArmyVet80, thank you for your service to our country. I'm considering upgrading our dining plan to deluxe dining and doing mostly signature restaurants, based on the advice. That seems like it may be the way to go. We plan to do early morning and the late night EMHs to avoid the heaviest of crowds. We plan to rent a car, as the crowds on the busses can be challenging for him. He did very well on the monorail becuase of the beautiful scenery. This will be his second trip to Disney (my 25th). The first trip, I didn't even think about all the planning and it didn't go as well as it could have. This trip I'm trying to plan of as much as possible to avoid any issues. Thanks again to everyone for your insight!

 

[vicb]

I too wanted to chime in:

Totally agree on Jiko, truely the quietest and most pleasant adult dinner I've had in 7 trips to Disney and that includes Cali Grill which can be hectic. Touring AKL is really neat and there are quiet places to sit and relax.

DH and I had a lovely quiet lunch on the patio at Rose&Crown one trip, I think our ADR was right around opening time. So I'd agree go early or late for your meals. And don't be worried about noting on the special needs part of the reservation that your DH is a vet and what you are hoping for seating wise.

I also agree with trying to stick with resort restaurants when possible. We had a quiet late breakfast last trip on our departure day at Fresh in the Dolphin. Also if there are places that seat outdoors that might be helpful to your DH?

And I also agree that it is weirdly quiet at Sci-Fi... we have had lunch there on our last two trips and find it very relaxing to be in the darker atmosphere, quiet and ac for an hour. Love the turkey sandwich there.

Best wishes for a successful trip... what a sweetie he is to take you on a trip that he knows will be challenging for him!

 

[dashofsunshine]

Another vote for Jiko. Incredible food, very open dining room with plenty of space, intimate atmosphere. We sat next to the large windows looking out at the water. It was incredible. I hope you guys have an amazing time. A heartfelt thanks to your husband for his service to our country, and to you for being his partner in life!

 

[gwb]

As a fellow vet I sympathise with you. I agree with many pp your best bets for a quiet dinner are Artist Point, Jiko and Yachtsmen's. At the time o year you're going they will be your best bets. If you got to Jiko a queit lounge at AKL is Victoria's. Every time we've been there it's been relatively quiet and has tables relatively far apart.

 

[honeybunches]

Another vote for The Wave. It's quiet there, and the last few times we went, it was quite empty.

And, another thank you for your husband's service. I hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I agree with the Wave at the Contemporary. Ive been several times and the restaurant was not even 1/2 full. Grand Floridian Cafe is also a very quiet restaurant. Chefs de France in Epcot is quiet for lunch..The restaurant in China is too. Try eating at off normal hours. Between 2 - 4 for lunch, after 7:30 for dinner (except Epcot..people tend to eat later to be there for the 9pm Illuminations)

I would not recommend Chefs de France. It is set up like a traditional French café which means there is very little room between tables (and by the way it's spacious compared to cafes in France, but Americans complain about the crowding at Chefs so...)

I agree with an earlier poster on Rose and Crown. I had lunch there a few months ago and the booth I was in was very secluded, you can make it work if you do late lunch or early dinner, I would think. (That said the menu selections were rather "blah" to me so I won't be back anytime soon)

If you want a sea food splurge Blue Zoo over at the Swan/Dolphin is rarely crowded and very quiet!

 

[McKelly]

Early ADR at the Turf Club at Saratoga Springs. It was very quiet. We sat on the patio and we were the only people out there, but it might be too hot in August.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

I agree with Jiko at AKL. It was a very pleasant evening for four of us, and the other diners were spread out and not too loud. The food was quite good as well.

If it is a special occasion, the Victoria and Albert restaurant has a special room called the Queen Victoria room which only has four tables. It is pricey at $230/per person plus tax and tip.

 

[m86]

Try Monsieur Paul in Epcot. A very roomy restaurant, with very good service. Great food too. It is quiet and the tables are big. We had the restaurant almost to our selves when we ate there.

 

[raddisneyfan]

My opinion--I wouldn't book any restaurant at Downtown Disney for dinner--maybe Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday night might be okay, but in general they are much busier because, unlike the theme park restaurants, you don't need an admission ticket. I heartily agree with Sanaa--that would be a great choice for quiet, especially if you did lunch instead of dinner, and during the day the AKL tends to be less crowded in general. I think you should be okay with the Captain's Grill--my only reservation is if there is a convention at the YC/BC--I would check to see if a convention is there during your stay. A lot of the WDW hotel restaurants will be less crowded for lunch with people in the parks--especially during the week. You might try the Wave restaurant at the Contemporary and sit in the Lounge--I've always done this and ordered off the restaurant menu--it's very quiet there during the day if you go for late lunch or early dinner. I had a very quiet lunch at the Brown Derby in Hollywood Studios on a Sunday mind you. I went in February and we were the only table there when we first got there--just make sure to get a table away from the center of the restaurant. You can get a quiet booth towards the sides. We also got a very quiet table at La Hacienda de San Angel in EPCOT for dinner. Going at a slow time of the year is a good plan and I'm sure you won't have a problem finding some quiet places to eat. You've come to the right place for advice. Lots of help and I'm sure even some folks with similar situations as yours. I hope you and your husband have a wonderful, relaxing time while at WDW!

 

[tasha99]

Wow, thank you all so much for the suggestions! And ArmyVet80, thank you for your service to our country. I'm considering upgrading our dining plan to deluxe dining and doing mostly signature restaurants, based on the advice. That seems like it may be the way to go. We plan to do early morning and the late night EMHs to avoid the heaviest of crowds. We plan to rent a car, as the crowds on the busses can be challenging for him. He did very well on the monorail becuase of the beautiful scenery. This will be his second trip to Disney (my 25th). The first trip, I didn't even think about all the planning and it didn't go as well as it could have. This trip I'm trying to plan of as much as possible to avoid any issues. Thanks again to everyone for your insight!

Thank you and your husband for your service.

Honestly, I would consider renting a 1BR DVC and having some meals at "home." Or Wyndham Bonnet Creek, though that would interfere with the EMH plan. A 1 bedroom at OKW would have a lot of space and a peaceful feel to it.

I find all Disney dining overwhelming due to claustrophobia and a general dislike of strangers being too close in my space, so we do a lot of that. We have only 6 ADRs planned on our upcoming 9 night trip, and only a couple are set in stone. Of course, to many people that's not a vacation, but I don't mind making things like breakfast, sandwiches, and crock pot suppers since it means I get to avoid the crowded restaurants at least some of the time. We also go during free dining at the end of August, early September. Expect smaller crowds in the parks, but the restaurants to be full.

 

[SouthJersey]

My husband is a Gulf War Vet with severe PTSD. He has a really tough time with being too close to people. He wanted to surprise me with a trip to Disney for our anniversary as I love it so much. Knowing his issues, I planned a trip for us the end of August/beginning of September. The crowds seem to be less then, and that's the only time I could get off work. I got hopper passes so we can go first thing to the parks and then leave when they get too crowded and then hit another park later when the crowds settle down a bit. My problem is with the restaurants. It seems most of the tables are really close together at the restaurants I've seen. I have ADRs at Paradiso 37 and Captains Grill, both for dinner. At least in the pictures the tables didn't seem so close together. I really wanted to book at Rose and Crown, but I just don't think that restaurant will work. Any opinions on the two restaurants I reserved, and also opinions on restaurants that maybe are a bit more intimate (I know its Disney, so I may be asking alot)? We are staying at POR. I added to the reservation that we'd rather have a table, since my husband cannot tolerate his back to the door. We don't mind waiting for a table for a bit. We will be staying 5 nights and we have the dining plan. Thanks for any advice!

Former Marine here, ended my contracted last year.
I used to have an issue with PTSD, especially night terrors. If noise and tight spaces are aggravating factors for him and you want nice dining experiences, I would suggest Narcoossee's (dim, quieter than many signatures) or Artist Point which tends to be the most quiet and relaxed of the locations we've been to. If fireworks won't serve as a trigger, you guys can go out on the walk-around deck at Narcoossee's and have your drinks, watching the fireworks across the water with the Wishes music piped through above your head. Let them know your husbands service history and request that he has a seat in which no tables/doors would be behind him, corner booths or tables worked best for me when I was dealing with it. Now as a police officer, I'm used to taking the furthest most seat from the door while facing the door, so it's just habit for me now.

But to summarize for your original question:

1.) Artist Point
2.) Narcoossee's
3.) Jiko
4.) Citrico's

 

[BelleKer]

As a wife of an OIF/OEF veteran I take the same things into consideration planning our many trips. I would highly recommend checking out the lounges at the resorts as well. Our favorite is Crews Cup Lounge at the Yacht Club. We usually get there right when it opens, and it is not busy. We always have choice of seating. Boatwrights at POR is also one of our favorites, and it seems as if the tables are more spaced apart. I also agree with other posters when they say to eat early for breakfasts, but late for dinners, Lunch time I feel is crowded any where so we usually try to eat a light snack somewhere. On Valentine's Day we ate at Saratoga Springs Turf Club at about 9:30 and it was empty we had an entire section to ourselves.

I wouldn't recommend any of the MK restaurants the only exception would be the Crystal Palace at opening time. We have eaten at all of them, and they were the most uncomfortable for DH, because of how crowded and loud they are.

I hope you have a wonderful trip, DH and I have the same plan as you when conquering the parks. Go early, take a break at the hotel by noon, and then back to the park for a late night.