Best TS restaurant for the money?

[lllGurulll]

I am thinking of hitting at least one or two meals at the TS places. Which give you the most for your money without breaking the bank?

Not really interested in character meals though. We were really disappointed in the character interaction at Tusker and Akershus last year.

It will be 2 adults and 2 children. Rather picky children at times but they also don't like being stuck with the burger or chicken nugget option twice a day either.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Okay, this is most likely not the answer you are looking for, but I say go with the one that looks the best to you. If you are on the dining plan, don't worry if you are ordering the most expensive, exotic food that you won't eat....

I can recommend a few that are on the higher price range that we enjoy. LeCellier (lunch now I guess for 1 credit), Tutto Italia, Kona Cafe, and we actually all enjoyed 1900 Park Faire (character meal).

 

[lllGurulll]

We will only be on the QSDP so I am just looking for something to give us a break from the standard CS offerings. The only TS experiences I have are Tusker for breakfast and Akershus for lunch.

I'm willing to try new things but my kids will be looking for the basics other than a burger or chicken nuggets.

You are right though, I am looking for something other than "what looks best to me" I want to know what others thing is the best for the money.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I totally mis-read, my apologize...

My favorite money saving TS (no characters allowed, sorry)

Boma - breakfast
Kona - Dinner
Plaza Restaurant - lunch or dinner
Mama Melrose - share a few flat breads

 

[sissy_ib]

I agree with Kona Cafe. We had an amazing lunch there. The location was great for us as we spent all day in the MK that day so going to the Poly broke up the day. From what I have read and my very limited experence the food tends to be better in the resort restaurants then in the parks.

 

[Hopefully]

I agree with PP, the best restaurant for the money is the one that appeals to and satisfies YOUR family.
Take a look at the menus, with prices, here on the DIS or at allears.net to get an idea of menu items and prices.
No one else can really answer your question, it depends on what you enjoy.

 

[lllGurulll]

I agree with PP, the best restaurant for the money is the one that appeals to and satisfies YOUR family.
Take a look at the menus, with prices, here on the DIS or at allears.net to get an idea of menu items and prices.
No one else can really answer your question, it depends on what you enjoy.

I'm asking for opinions. I know all about the menus and where to find them. I am looking at the menus as people recommend places to me.

Doing it this way is much easier than going through all the menus out there.

 

[lllGurulll]

I agree with Kona Cafe. We had an amazing lunch there. The location was great for us as we spent all day in the MK that day so going to the Poly broke up the day. From what I have read and my very limited experence the food tends to be better in the resort restaurants then in the parks.

Interesting you should say that because I have actually heard the opposite from others I know that have done both in and out of park eating.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Lunch and breakfast are usually less expensive than dinner. Take a look at the lunch menus for various places.

Some lunch locations we've enjoyed that weren't too hard on the budget were Kona, WCC, Chefs de France, The Plaza, Rose and Crown, and 50's Prime Time.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Lunches: 50s Prime Time, Sci-Fi, Chefs de France, San Angel Inn...we LOVED all of those places and will most likely visit all of them again on our next trip.

Dinners: Kouzzina, Kona Cafe, Biergarten, Sanaa.

None of the above places broke the bank. Biergarten is a buffet and price-fixed though...but your kids are sure to find some unique offerings on the buffet that are much different than burgers and chicken nuggets! Sanaa is wonderful, especially since you can see the animals roaming around outside. We sat by the window (really more like a glass wall), and it was great. Kouzzina has terrific food, as does Kona. Kona also had wonderful coffee (100% Kona, in french press). 50s PT is a lot of fun, but they do make fun of you so you have to enjoy that kind of stuff to really love it there (we enjoy that, and we did love it)...the food was good. Sci-Fi is great, like being in a drive-in theater. We ate burgers for lunch but they have other options on the menu, and not pricey. Chefs de France was delicious for lunch as well, and their children's menu is is very nice, as is the children's menu at San Angel. We sat right by where the boat ride passes by at San Angel and it was very nice. Loved the food there too, and the margaritas were great!

I can't comment on breakfast since we have only gone to TS character breakfasts, and you wanted non-character meals. However...we will definitely be trying Kona Cafe for breakfast on our next trip. I have heard amazing things about breakfast there, and the menu looks unique.

 

[OhThePain]

Interesting you should say that because I have actually heard the opposite from others I know that have done both in and out of park eating.

It really all depends on which parks you are talking about. When it comes to MK, the TS options are pretty bad, IMO (with the exception of maybe Plaza for lunch). EPCOT has a lot of places to eat and there are a couple that are much better than some resort restaurants. DHS has 50's and Sci-Fi but to us HBD, MM and H&V are pretty bad. We like Donald's Breakfast Safari at AK but as you have stated, it isn't your cup of tea.

As for options, Biergarten in EPCOT is pretty good. It's a fun atmosphere and there is enough of a buffet selection to make sure even picky eaters leave happy. They have a band that plays that should entertain the kids as well as the adults (a nice big beer goes great here). We also like Les Chef's. Coral Reef is ok if your looking to keep the kids occupied for a little while, the tables face a glass wall that looks into the aquarium.

Any thoughts on maybe puting the kids into babysitting for a few hours and having an adults only meal? There are a lot of signature restaurants out there that are well worth the price and would open up a whole other world of options.

 

[Eastern]

Places my teens like that aren't too pricey:

Plaza Cafe
Beaches and Cream
Prime Time for lunch
Cape May Cafe for breakfast (characters) or dinner
Garden Grill (great character interaction, choice of food served family style so they can pick)

They like Teppan Edo too.

 

[CarolynMink]

I have DD 15 & DS 13 both picky eaters and do not like the same things. We usually go for buffets. They seem to make everyone happy. My family loves Boma's. However, they are very pricey. Trail's End at Fort Wilderness is a good deal for your money if you are not looking for fancy. They have changed their menu since we have been there last. My family also enjoys 50"s Prime time at DHS for lunch. Big portions and we often split entrees -which saves money. Epcot has good choice for counter service so, if I was really limited I would not use my limited TS there. (Although, we love TS at Epcot)

AK - Boma's (AKL)
MK - Plaza or Trail's End (FWC)
Epcot - CS (Yorkshire County Fish Shop - Fish & Chip, Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe - Sandwiches, Sunshine Seasons Food Court)
DHS - 50's Prime Time

Good Luck.
I am planning our dining for up coming trip and making reservations right now.
Don't forget also great dinning in Epcot Resort area. We are going to try Cape May Cafe for the first time. I have read really good reviews about it.

 

[tinkgirl1984]

Breakfast: Kona or GF Cafe. Both very very good.
Lunch: Chefs de France (I only do lunch here, never dinner), Yak & Yeti, Sci-Fi (I just think it's fun), Olivia's.
Dinner: Sanaa!!!! Totally my new favorite. 50's Prime Time (My last trip there in October was a very pleasant surprise. I think the food has actually gotten better over the years), and possibly Turf Club.

 

[pilferk]

We will only be on the QSDP so I am just looking for something to give us a break from the standard CS offerings. The only TS experiences I have are Tusker for breakfast and Akershus for lunch.

I'm willing to try new things but my kids will be looking for the basics other than a burger or chicken nuggets.

You are right though, I am looking for something other than "what looks best to me" I want to know what others thing is the best for the money.

Boma's.

It's a buffet, so you can get really good value out of it. There's lots of options for those who like "new" stuff. And there's a kids section (pasta, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese) for pickier eaters.

It's a bit off the beaten path....you'll have to trek out to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. But that, in and of itself, can be a fun trip.

Another really good option is Kona Cafe. The food is VERY good and the prices won't break the bank!

FYI: For breakfast OR dinner, the above two options "work". Breakfast would be a bit less expensive in both cases.

 

[chartle]

I'm asking for opinions. I know all about the menus and where to find them. I am looking at the menus as people recommend places to me.

Doing it this way is much easier than going through all the menus out there.

Sometimes asking for opinions may make it worse for you.

With out knowing the person you asking you can't give any value to that opinion.

There have been informal polls done on these boards asking for the top and bottom 5 restaurants and sometimes the same places appear on both lists. Even places like Le Celler (sp?) where people would trade their first born to get a 6:00 PM ADR.

So like a lot of things here, only you know your family and what they like.

So go to allears load up the menus page and start digging.

Thats what I did for a last breakfast with a kid(well adult, 20 years old) that only eats bagels and toaster strudel for breakfast, even if he gets up at 1:00 PM.

 

[OhThePain]

Boma's.

It's a buffet, so you can get really good value out of it. There's lots of options for those who like "new" stuff. And there's a kids section (pasta, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese) for pickier eaters.

Like you said they can get really good value at a buffet, but they can also get really bad value out of buffets. It really depends on what kind of eaters the OP family is made of. Are the adults going to eat $40+ worth of food for dinner? Are the kids going to eat $20+ worth? (the "+" are for the additional tip) If the answer to those is "no" buffets may not give the OP the most bang for their buck.

 

[Pugmalion1]

Best quality table service for the price, in my opinion:

Sanaa
Grand Floridian Cafe
Coral Reef
Kouzzina

 

[chartle]

Like you said they can get really good value at a buffet, but they can also get really bad value out of buffets. It really depends on what kind of eaters the OP family is made of. Are the adults going to eat $40+ worth of food for dinner? Are the kids going to eat $20+ worth? (the "+" are for the additional tip) If the answer to those is "no" buffets may not give the OP the most bang for their buck.

I agree 100%, there is no way I would get over $160 of value from my family going to Boma for dinner.

Thats why I'm trying to avoid the buffet only places for our last breakfast. I'm leaning towards the Grand Floridian Cafe so we can also tour the GF a little.

We did Boma 2 years ago for breakfast and at that time it cost about $90 for the 4 of us, now it would be closer to $120. Just not worth it.

 

[mkarizona]

My vote is Kona for lunch. I absolutely love the Island Chicken Sandwich! We found Boma interesting but would never spend the money on it again.