Best Table Service?

[BekahBelle]

Our family travels on a budget, so we will be treating ourselves to one special table service meal while at Disney. Any suggestions? We want to have the most complete, magical Disney dining experience possible. Thanks in advance!

 

[1stTimeDisneyer]

I would suggest Flying Fish at the Boardwalk, if you want a signature. The atmosphere, service and food are great. Our hidden gems are Grand FL Cafe and Olivia's at Old Key West. These two places are often overlooked, but both are very nice with very good food.

 

[BekahBelle]

Thanks for your suggestions! I will look into both!

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

Be Our Guest for dinner.

Are you looking for signature dining, or just decent food and really cool theming?

 

[Ismo]

Also, look into California Grill. We like to book our reservations for 7:30/8pm there and then you can watch the fireworks while you eat. And if you want an earlier dinner, I'm pretty sure they'll let you go back to their lounge to watch it if you have proof you ate dinner there that day.

Jiko's at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is really good as well, and the resort is AMAZING & MAGICAL.

I also always love eating at San Angel Inn (Mexico in Epcot). The atmosphere is amazing in there, you actually feel like you're sitting on the water in Mexico at sunset. We go there every trip.

 

[JZCubed]

Our family travels on a budget, so we will be treating ourselves to one special table service meal while at Disney. Any suggestions? We want to have the most complete, magical Disney dining experience possible. Thanks in advance!

I understand you're on a budget, but Victoria & Albert is head and shoulders above anything else at Disney.....

but it is costly and a food experience not necessarily for everyone.

Of the other Signatures at Disney (and Swan & Dolphin, along with Four Seasons), we are partial the Swan & Dolphin places.

BlueZoo - fish
Shula's - steak (and lobster)
Il Mulino - Italian

We've have not yet been to Capa inside Four Seasons, but it is a Spanish-inspired steak house that also offers small plates (a/k/a tapas) and has a 17th Floor view.

 

[BekahBelle]

Sargeant Tibbs, I am mostly looking for decent food and cool theming. Something the kids will love and remember forever! Also, thanks for the suggestions! You too, Ismo and JZCubed!

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

Sargeant Tibbs, I am mostly looking for decent food and cool theming. Something the kids will love and remember forever! Also, thanks for the suggestions! You too, Ismo!

Alright. I would recommend steering clear of the signatures then.

Be Our Guest, Sci Fi Dine In Theater, 50's Prime Time Cafe, San Angel Inn, Biergarten, Coral Reef would be my choices.

If you're interested in characters, then Tusker House, Akershus, Chef Mickey's, 1900 Park Fare, or Crystal Palace.

Good luck with the planning!

 

[1stTimeDisneyer]

Whispering Canyon, It is not our favorite, but the food is good and the kids love it. It is a little to loud and rowdy for my husband and I.

 

[Princess Serendipity]

Sargeant Tibbs, I am mostly looking for decent food and cool theming. Something the kids will love and remember forever!

How old are your children?

I would suggest either Be Our Guest or Cinderella's Royal Table. While I think the theme-ing at Be Our Guest is better (out of this world, really) and I adore the Beast, there's also something magical about eating in Cinderella's Castle, as well as all the extras you get there. These restaurants really just scream Disney World to me.


California Grill is fun, but it is pricey, you might not get a window seat, the meal might run a little too long depending on the age of your kids, and I feel like it's a little bit more of an adult affair than BOG or CRT.


I think Ohana is pretty popular too, and fun for kids, but I've never been there. I also hear it's really loud. Sci Fi Dine In is pretty fun too- the food isn't great but it's somewhere I was taken as a child and I still remember it quite vividly (although I'd much rather eat elsewhere these days).

 

[BekahBelle]

Awesome! Writing all this down to look up!

 

[BekahBelle]

Princess Serendipity, they are both girls, Hope and Daisy, ages 5 and 3!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Strictly my opinion:

- Best signature:
View/Experience: Cali Grill
Food: Narcoossee's (although it has a great view.)

- Best Table Service:
Theme: Be Our Guest
Food:
American: 50's Primetime
Italian: Via Napoli
Other: Boma
Experience: O'Hana

** Just read that you have two girls - I'd do Breakfast at Tusker House, Crystal Palace or Princess Dining at Akershus. I've heard Akershus is very good!

- Best Quick Service
Variety: Landscape of Flavors, Art of Animation
Food: Wolfgang Puck Express
Honorable Mention: Earl of Sandwich. We have a million of these in NYC, so I never stop there (I'm a hypocrite, though bc I can't live without Starbucks in Disney.) For those that don't have an EoS in walking distance, it's a favorite!

Again, these are my opinions. You're gonna hear a lot of opinions. My advice? Take everyone's options and check the menu. Check it out on Yelp and look at photos of the food and decor. Go with your gut!

 

[vicb]

How old are your kids? I think that makes a difference. I see you just posted 3 and 5, I'd skip Cali Grill and Jiko. Personally I'd focus on a WS country and really tour that pavilion and make an experience out of that and dining.

I would second an evening at AKL. So nice to tour the resort, see the animals and dine. We did that with our kids for a wonderful morning/breakfast at Boma and one trip we did it in the evening with friends then dined at Jiko.

Cali Grille is very expensive and a long dinner. I went with just my DH one trip, then finally last year we took our kids who were then 18 and 22 haha.

When younger my kids always really liked any of the sit down restaurants in Epcot WS (Morocco, Japan, Italy, UK, France or Mexico were the favs). They thought Whispering Canyon was a hoot, and loved Sci-Fi. But those two are not "fine dining".

 

[BekahBelle]

They are girls ages 5 and 3.

 

[BekahBelle]

PlutoTheDog89, I love the way you broke it down into categories! vicb, thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Princess Serendipity]

Princess Serendipity, they are both girls, Hope and Daisy, ages 5 and 2!

I would definitely not take girls that young to California Grill then!

Cinderella's Royal Table has Princesses if they're into that- that's actually probably my top recommendation for you, followed by Be Our Guest. I'm not sure if I'd take them to Sci Fi then- they play old B movie reels and such from the 50s and I think a toddler could get scared easily by that maybe? And then, perhaps, Ohana.

I realize those are more difficult to come by reservations- if you can't get any of them then I'd recommend 1900 Park Fare, Crystal Palace, or Akershus. I've not eaten at Crystal Palace, but I have 1900 and Akershus. 1900 Park Fare is in the Grand Floridian which is a beautiful place- it's a buffet and features Cinderella characters. I really enjoyed going there. Akershus was nice, but the interaction felt a little more rushed (we were at the end of their circuit) and I liked the buffet there more than I liked my entree. The princesses lead the children in a parade around the dining rooms there, I believe, as well.

 

[BekahBelle]

I'm definitely thinking a princess character meal would be perfect! The problem now is which one! Haha! All this info is great. I'm getting so excited for our trip! we haven't told the girls yet. We're thinking of ways to surprise them!

 

[Princess Serendipity]

As someone who loves Princess dining and has done them all (except the tea party at the GF), I still say Cinderella's Royal Table if you can get it and afford it.

 

[BekahBelle]

How early in advance would your recommend making reservations. We're going in July...