Counter service for lunch in GF, Contemporary, Polynesian, or WL

[marshallandcartersmo]

We are staying about an hour away from WDW next week but plan to drive over to tour the resorts and see their Christmas decorations.
Where is a great CS lunch stop in any of those resorts? We know it’ll be crazy busy we’re just looking at the decorations and shopping in the gift shops. Any touring tips of how to get from resort to resort would be helpful. Planning on parking at TTC and walking to Contemporary to start...(???)
Thank you!!

 

[JerseyJanice]

You can walk from the TTC to the Polynesian, but not to the Contemporary.

I think all of the food courts are good. From the TTC, you can take the monorail to the Polynesian, then to the Grand Floridian and last the Contemporary.

You can take a boat from the Contemporary to the Wilderness Lodge, which is where I want to eat so I can try the campfire cupcake.

 

[Nohal]

We like the QS at the Contemporary. Monorail is your best bet from TTC. You can't walk to Contemporary from TTC but can walk to Polynesian however it isn't a short walk and not direct. If you have time, you could take a bus from either TTC or any of the monorail resorts to Boardwalk/Beach and Yacht Clubs to see their decorations.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

You can walk from the TTC to the Polynesian, but not to the Contemporary.

I think all of the food courts are good. From the TTC, you can take the monorail to the Polynesian, then to the Grand Floridian and last the Contemporary.

You can take a boat from the Contemporary to the Wilderness Lodge, which is where I want to eat so I can try the campfire cupcake.

This is exactly what I would do as well. Walk or monorail to Poly, monorail to GF and CR, then take the boat to WL. You could take the boat to Ft. W as well if you would like to see some decorations there. They have a cute gift shop and the WDW stables. You can then boat back to MK and take the monorail or ferry back to TTC.

I would also recommend eating at Geyser Point at WL (if it isn't chilly out). Good food and the best atmosphere of the MK resort QS IMHO.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

We ate at all three a couple weeks ago.

I had the Italian Beef at Contempo Cafe.

The burger at Capt. Cook's.

And a holiday sandwich that isn't on the menu on the WDW site but I know I had it with the campfire cupcake.

All three meals were great.

I valet parked at Contemporary one day and Poly another.

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

We ate at all three a couple weeks ago.

I had the Italian Beef at Contempo Cafe.

The burger at Capt. Cook's.

And a holiday sandwich that isn't on the menu on the WDW site but I know I had it with the campfire cupcake.

All three meals were great.

I valet parked at Contemporary one day and Poly another.

Can we park valet even without ADRs during Christmas week? How much is valet vs just parking at TTC?
Thanks

 

[zebrastreyepz]

Can we park valet even without ADRs during Christmas week? How much is valet vs just parking at TTC?
Thanks

I valet park without ADRs with no problem. At Contemporary, there's a grumpy guard who gave me attitude but the valet people acknowledged he was grumpy and they were AMAZING to us...Stephanie and Adam. I need to send WDW a note about how awesome they were. We forgot our stroller after it was parked and they ran and got it for us.

Valet parking was $25 plus I tip the drivers.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

We like the QS at the Contemporary. Monorail is your best bet from TTC. You can't walk to Contemporary from TTC but can walk to Polynesian however it isn't a short walk and not direct. If you have time, you could take a bus from either TTC or any of the monorail resorts to Boardwalk/Beach and Yacht Clubs to see their decorations.

I highly recommend seeing the Lilo and Stitch themed carousel at Beach Club.

 

[rosiebean]

I’ve found QS at Poly to be hit or miss. Really great or blah. And it’s always been a bit chaotic when I’ve been.

Last August, we stayed at GF and we were impressed with QS there. Tasty food, a much quieter setting than Poly, and the staff there bought food out to the table!

The atmosphere st Poly is fantastic though, especially if it’s warm enough to sit outside. I haven’t had QS at CR or WL so can’t comment on those places.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

FWIW, a cast member delivered our meal to us at the Poly within 5 minutes. We had barely sat down and it was there.

 

[amym2]

Just ate at Geyser Point at WL and Captain Cooks at the Poly this past week and both were great! Loved the Thai Coconut Meatballs at CC. We did the sit-down option at Geyser Point and loved the view (agree it's perfect on a warm day). The Christmas decorations at WL are worth the trip.

 

[GPC0321]

Was just at the GF last week, and we had lunch (maybe it was dinner...it was non-breakfast anyway) once at Gasparilla's. I had a delicious chicken and brie sandwich. It was surprisingly tasty. They have a lot of other options too, and Gaspy's was never very crowded. You can sit inside or they have tables with umbrellas outside that look straight across to the castle. Lovely view, and just a nice atmosphere.

 

[sleepydog25]

As others have said, you can park at TTC and walk to the Poly. From there, I would even suggest walking to GF. It's not that far and is a lovely walk. Besides, it's not as though you'll already be walking miles and miles at the parks. From GF, you can monorail to CR and then boat to WL. The two best decorated resorts during the holidays are WL and GF. The former alone is worth the hour's drive and subsequent walking/boating. I'm most familiar with the QS at the Lodge, and of the two places there, I recommend Geyser Point. RF used to be above average but since its refurbishment early last summer, the quality has greatly suffered. Even GP itself has taken a step back since opening, deleting its best item off the menu--the salmon BLT. Still, it offers some tasty options, and the ambiance and view there are quite lovely.

If you're really adventurous, I would take the paved path to Fort Wilderness from the Lodge to walk around and catch all the holiday decorations put out by the RVers. They are whimsical, numerous, and some of them are quite extensive. It's right at a mile one way, but it's an easy walk among trees and often dotted with wildlife sightings. If you want to save a few steps, you could, indeed, take the monorail from Poly to GF to start, then the walk to FW from WL wouldn't seem so onerous. Oh, and another option for eating would be Trail's End at FW. The pricing is good for a Disney venue and the food is fairly good, as well. Have fun!