Calling all Signature Dining experts...!

[WeLoveLilo05]

We have been to Disney about 10xs and we have never done a signature dining experience (well we did Le Cellier before it was signature). What is your favorite signature meal? We are looking into Narcossee and Yachtsman Steakhouse (maybe do both, not sure?) We are staying at BC So I figured why not try Yachtsman since we are there anyway. We do have some questions.

We are a party of 7, not everyone in our party eats fish, I hear Narcossee is very seafood oriented.
We have 2 kiddos, 11 and 2. My 11 yr old is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, anyone dined at either of these with food allergies?

Do either of these include an app on the regular DDP (1 snack, 1qs, 1 ts per person/night)? The wording on allears website made me think that maybe yachtsman did include it?

And finally, do you think signature meals take up more time than regular TS meals? We plan on dining around 5-5:30 since we have a little one.

I feel like every year we spend so much time at dinner, so I thought we would try and do more TS breakfasts and then maybe just 2 TS dinners.

 

[slbgnb]

We've never done one either. This trip, we've booked Morimoto. Hopefully, people have great things to say about that one!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

We've done Narcoossee's, Artist Point, California Grill, Le Cellier and Citrico's.

Citrico's and Narcoossee's are very similar. The only difference is the view, which Narcoossee's takes by a mile.

Narcoossee's is our personal favorite. Up until recently, we'd always go with the surf and turf. They recently took the lobster tail off the dining plan, however, they still serve the lobster as a meal. A quick way around this would be to have one person order the lobster and the other order the steak, then split it. It's home to our favorite dessert, the almond crusted cheesecake. It's arguably the best on property. If you time your ADR right, you can catch Wishes from the restaurant. They dim the lights and pipe in the music. You can either go outside to watch from the deck or view it from your table. Overall, the ambiance and theming is unmatched. We love the overall experience.

California Grill is good. The servings felt small and before Narcoossee's nixed the nearly $80 surf and turf, Cali's prices didn't have much value on the DDP. I mean, no signature is a good value on the DDP, but Narcoossee's used to be better. Cali is home to phenomenal sushi. It's more New American, whereas Narcoossee's is more steak and seafood. I loved watching Wishes from the rooftop of the Contemporary. Even if you dine earlier, guests are allowed to return to view Wishes from the upstairs area. Just show your receipt. Overall - a great meal. It was timed well, our server was fantastic and everything tasted delicious. It's just one of those "try it once and experience it" places for us.

We tried Artist Point for the first time this past trip. We dined there on Christmas. It's dark and quiet and really lacks any true character. That's not to detract from the restaurant itself - it's great, but I'd prefer Narcoossee's. I'd swim through the Seven Seas Lagoon just to get the smokey portobello soup again. It was the highlight of the meal. I went with the buffalo sirloin, which was cooked perfectly. The dessert was okay. It was supposed to be a Bûche de Noël, but it tasted more like a mousse. Our server was very friendly and the meal was timed well. Also, they make a heck of a martini, but so does Narcoossee's.

We had Le Cellier a few years ago. I remember the soup being amazing and the pretzel rolls being the main draw. I had a coffee-rubbed steak which was also good. I was sick at the time with a cold, so my experience was already hampered. It's not at the top of our list.

Based on your post, I'd say Yachtsman would be a great option. We're planning on trying it next trip. Disney does a great job of accommodating people's allergens. My dad doesn't like fish, but still enjoys a nice steak at Narcoossee's. I think Yachtsman will be great. Do be mindful that they do have a dessert that uses peanuts, though.

 

[knitteresq]

My favorite is Artist Point. The food is always amazing, I've never had anything that wasn't perfectly executed at that restaurant!

 

[Richard M Nixon]

Well obviously V&A's comes out on top, but assuming they're not in the running, I found Jiko to be my favorite signature on property so far. Bluezoo was also a great experience and their drinks were the best we've had. Narcoossee's was pretty good as well, though I wasn't blown away by it. Monsieur Paul and Chefs de France were pretty low on my list.

 

[supersnoop]

Do either of these include an app on the regular DDP (1 snack, 1qs, 1 ts per person/night)? The wording on allears website made me think that maybe yachtsman did include it?

No. The regular plan only includes the entree, regular drink, and dessert, even at a signature. The only exceptions are Prix Fixe meals where it's all once price, and packages (Fantasmic, Candlelight Processional) where the app is included.

Yes, signature meals tend to take longer, at least for my family. They just seem much more relaxed.

My favorite is Artist Point. All of the resort signatures are really very good. The signatures inside the parks don't seem as good to me, but they're still better than most of the "regular" restaurants.

Personally, I don't use the dining plan. I find much more value in paying out of pocket, especially at signatures. We usually order a few appetizers and fewer entrees and share among ourselves.

 

[CraigInPA]

My wife and I have eaten at every signature, except V&A and Monsieur Paul, multiple times.

LeCellier: Signature in pricing only. Dungeon-like room, average food, and lackluster service mean we cannot recommend it over any other signature restaurant.

Narcoossee's: My wife and my favorite. While some bemoan the loss of surf and turf on the DDP, it's still a fabulous restaurant. Three words: "Live Maine Lobster". Three more words: "Almond Crusted Cheesecake". Enough said.

Yachtsman: No better nor worse than any upscale steak house anywhere else, just more expensive if dining OOP.

Jiko: Pseudo African cuisine. We both like it, but, for us, the dumbing down of cuisine is an issue.

Hollywood Brown Derby: If you sit in the middle of the room, it is SO loud that you'll be screaming across the table at each other. The food is good, but not great.

California Grill: Location, Location, Location. Go there at least once to see Wishes from their viewing area. We're not sushi eaters. The various dishes we've had there ranged from excellent to mediocre. Constant tweaking of the menu has caused treasured entrees, side dishes, and sauces to disappear.

Artist Point: Pacific Northwest cuisine well executed. Go for the Bison tenderloin, served medium rare, and the Artist Point Cobbler. A quieter restaurant than all the other signatures.

Citrico's: Frankly, my wife and I cannot figure out what this restaurant is supposed to be. It's kind of generic, but the food is quite good.

 

[slbgnb]

My wife and I have eaten at every signature, except V&A and Monsieur Paul, multiple times.

Have you eaten at Morimoto? If so, what are your thoughts on that?

 

[Tigger's ally]

We too do the late breakfast then a Signature for dinner. We found this just worked better than three meals. With the Deluxe Dining, we found that the two snacks used at about mid afternoon kept us going until that dinner.

I will be the one that says go ahead and do the Yachtsman. Yes, it is an upscale Steak house, but we found that the youngsters could basically get what the Crew's cup menu offered if you play your cards right. And speaking of the Crew's cup, what a nice little conversation spot! Love getting to our ADR about an hour and a half early to relax there over a libation or twenty! Argggghhhhhhh!

Oh, and pay OOP for the truffles and mac. You won't regret it.

 

[shortnsassy730]

I would have to agree with several of the above posters. Artist Point is my favorite signature and actually my favorite overall restaurant at WDW (have not yet experienced V&A). It's so quiet and the food and service are always exceptional. Others that I quite enjoy include Narcoosees, Citricos, Jiko, and Yachtsman. I do like Cali Grill, but I prefer their apps and sushi to their entrees and desserts. I did not care for the Boathouse at all and I'm a seafood lover. Actually no one in our party were wowed. The only one I have not been to yet is Monsieur Paul's, but I've heard great things.

Have you eaten at Morimoto? If so, what are your thoughts on that?

I have been to Morimoto's a few times. Everything I've had has been quite good. We've never gone a dining plan. We usually go as a group and sample several small plates/apps around the table. Their ribs are excellent! But we haven't had anything we didn't like. The service and timing of food delivery is a bit odd, but we just go with the flow.

 

[JerseyJanice]

The Yachtsman gets my vote all the way.

We celebrated my in-laws' 40th and 50th wedding anniversaries with dinners there. The food, the ambiance, and above all, the service--everything was superlative.

My in-laws' 50th celebration dinner was in June 2012. Darryl was the name of our main server, and he was fantastic at his job. He made suggestions and shared his steak expertise--what to order, how to order (high medium rare), what was choice, aged or prime. Brought us nice things without being asked--here is a plate of lemons for your water, a dish of lemon madeleines from the kitchen, etc. It was an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I didn't enjoy much of the food I had at California Grill, but the service and atmosphere/view were excellent. I don't think I chose well. It's so fabulous up there--somewhere that I think every WDW fan should go at least once.

I haven't been to Narcoosees, but like the way it looks on the outside. I think your question about the dining plan was answered--signature meals take 2 table service credits from the regular plan. Each person gets an entree, dessert and soft drink.

Hope you have a great experience wherever you decide to go, OP.

 

[LBlovesM&WDW]

We've been to several and really enjoy Artist Point the best for atmosphere, food and service.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

We've done many of the signature restaurants over the years -- we do some on every trip. For several years now, our favorite has been Jiko. We love the menu, find it quite varied, and enjoy the wine list as well. Nice, calm atmosphere. We've done it as a date night, and with the kids. HIGHLY recommend it.

 

[LuckyBelle81]

We went to Narcoosee's last November and really loved it. I had a steak and lobster that was absolutly perfect. We were a party of 8 and everyone was very happy with their food. We were there during the MK fireworks and the view was beautiful. Our server was amazing as well. We were almost 45 mins late for our ADR bc of WDW transportation issues and they were so wonderful about it.

One of my all-time favorite restaurants anywhere is the Hollywood Brown Derby. I guess it is a little loud but we have 3 kids so we kind of welcome the noise coming from other tables. We have always had great service and wonderful food.

 

[bbn1122]

My husband loves Artist Point. We have been there 3 times. Food is excellent, as well as the service. It is very quiet. You do not feel like you are at WDW at all.

The last time we were there, we brought my sister and her hubby, boy did we kill it. The wine, appetizers, main course and dessert were superb. We picked up the check....it was a hefty one but what are vacations for, spending money, while having fun.

This summer we are heading back to California Grill for the first time in 13 years. We are looking forward to it!

Have a wonderful trip!