Hi Bob!
I think the best restaurant at DL - far and away - is the Blue Bayou. The food is really good (although it seems to me that it's not as good as it was, say, 4 years ago). The ambiance is fantastic. Perhaps you already know that this restaurant is located in the Pirates of the Caribbean (at the beginning of the ride) and it is rumored that the food at BB comes from the same kitchen serving Club 33 (can anyone else confirm this?)
We also really enjoy the Character Breakfast at the Plaza (at the end of Main Street). The food there is good - not great -- but the character interaction there cannot be beat. If you're traveling with children who love the Pooh characters, they will LOVE this place.
At DCA we have enjoyed the dinners at the Soap Opera Bistro and at the Vineyard. We also enjoy going for lunch at Avalon Cove - but this is not a universally held high opinion. We have some friends who swear they'll never eat there again because of food quality and slow service. We have never had a bad meal there - but then again, we didn't order fish there (as they did - it was previously frozen and not well cooked). We tend to order the burgers and the Salmon dishes. We go there when we want to take a leisurely lunch and have some nice quiet time. The food here is good - not great and the character interactions here are a lot of fun. It's also great to sit outside and enjoy the sights and sounds. It's a great first stop when you first get into town (at least that's what we do when we get in anytime after noon but before dinner time).
A less expensive and enjoyable meal can be found at DCA's Hollywood and Dine. This is a cafeteria style food court that has everything from Chinese food to burgers. The prices are good enough and the quality of the food is better than most fast food on the premises.
For a fast meal at DL we enjoy the Mexican restaurant in Frontierland (can't remember the name of it right now.)
You didn't ask about restaurants outside of DL/DCA, but we have a few opinions here as well...
Outside of DLR, don't forget to try Tony Roma's on Harbor, just outside the DLR gate. Exit to the right and you'll see it on the opposite side of the street a block from the main gate.
Take the time to enjoy a meal at the Storyteller's Cafe at the Grand Californian Hotel. It is really good quality food and the ambiance is really nice. For the character breakfasts, it's really low key. The characters generally hang out at he entrance to the restaurant and occassionally dance around the restaurant (about once every half hour or so) with the kids. The buffets there aren't inexpensive - but the quality of the food selections there is really top notch. I always particularly enjoy their fresh lox and fresh fruit. It's the only place on property where I can rely on the fruit to be fresh.
Goofy's Kitchen at the
Disneyland Hotel is another great place to go for breakfast (I haven't done any other meal there - so can't comment on that). Of all the character breakfasts, this one has the most variety in terms of food choices (buffet) and characters. The quality of the food is good.
If you're ever going nuts about the crowds and just want to get away for a good meal - but still stay on property - try out the Paradise Pier Hotel's restaurant. If you go there for an early dinner, you'll be surprised at how quiet it is and the quality of the food. Many people enjoy their pizzas, which you can make at your table. (Kids love it!)
A negative: we ate at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney and thought it was overpriced and not very good food.
A neutral: we have eaten at the Rainforest Cafe several times and find the food to be okay - but the environment to be a lot of fun for our son.
In terms of how to see DLR in an efficient way... that really depends on what you want to see. I'd recommend visiting the disneyland.com website and mapping out on paper the shows and parades you want to see, first. Then, plug in which rides would best fit around those choices. I would also make priority seating reservations at every restaurant you know you want to experience. Waiting for a table at a Disney restaurant can be a big time waster and priority seating arrangements will ensure you have more time to enjoy your time at DLR. Of course, be sure to use your fast pass opportunities whenever you can.
I typically map out our days on an Excel spreadsheet (I know - it's obsessive - compulsive of me, but it works). It helps me to see what all we want to do and to ensure we're not setting ourselves up for "biting off more than we can chew." I am always sure to build in walking through the crowds time and time to stop and take pictures and shop.
In general, we like to start off our days at DL (right at opening) and migrate to DCA in the afternoon. Depending on which parades/shows we want to see will determine where we are at night. So far, this strategy has worked. I think as more people figure out that DCA is not busy in the afternoon (at least not as much as DLR), we'll need to make adjustments to our plan. But so far - at least in August - we've managed to stay away from the crowds and see all that we want to see. The addition of "Flik's" in DCA is likely to draw more of a crowd, thereby providing some relief to DL throughout the day.
Finally, I'd sign up for a tour of DL. It's a really nice way to see DL and get to know some of the behind the scenes stories. We have done the "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" tour. I heard it changed since we did it in July - but you might want to check that out.
Budget tip: if you plan to be at DLR with a big group and plan to eat at a lot of DLR's restaurants and buy some souveniers, you may want to consider picking up at least one premium annual pass for a member of your party. The Premium annual pass will give you at least a 10% discount on most higher end restaurants and 10% on all souvenier purchases over $10. Of course, if you have an American Express and/or Disney Club card you will get many of these discounts already. Also, the premium annual pass, Amex and DC will enable you to get good discounts at the Disney Hotels. Be sure to call at least a few weeks in advance to be sure you have a higher chance of getting the few discounted slots they have for people holding these cards.
Hope these hints/tips are helpful. I'm sure others will have their ideas/opinions on DLR. Whichever choices you make, enjoy the experience at the Happiest Place on Earth!
