Dining Plan - Where to Reserve?

[allflgirl]

Hi all,

Sorry for yet another question on the Dining Plan but I need help.

I am vacationing at BCV in September and have opted to rent a Studio and do the Dining Plan for $38 a day per person. I really don't like to cook and thought I would enjoy all the good food at Disney for once.

I've read many treads on the Dining Plan and almost all of them said make reservations before you go. So, I've never eaten in the sit down places listed on the Dining Plan, I could use some help as to where I should make reservations.

Can you please offer up some good places to eat at Disney that fall on the Dining Plan options? I don't really need information on the quick service, just the sit down meals where I will need to make reservations.

Just to help, I like seafood, steak and any chicken dish. I don't care for Chinese or Japanese food, but am definitely thinking of making a ressie at the Aloha dinner show. I have eaten at the Italian restaurant in DDT and absolutely loved it. It's not listed on the Disney Dining Plan though, however, I can't remember the name. I think it is called Portifino. Boy, if I could eat somewhere like that on the plan, that would be worth it!

I would appreciate any suggestions from those who have used the plan and really enjoyed their meal at a certain restaurant.

Thank you very much for your help.

Julia

 

[NMW]

I would call Disney dining today. Lots of places/times may already be booked solid. You can make ADR's 180 days in advance and trust me, lots of people do! I have found that the dining CM's for the most part, are awesome. If you tell them what you are looking for, they can offer advice and check availability for you.

Cape May Cafe's clam bake dinner is good. We love Flying Fish (it takes 2 TS credits). Spoodles is pretty good. We love Rose and Crown, San Angel, Chefs de France, Le Celliar-all in the World Showcase. There is also Coral Reef in Epcot.

The Poly is one of our favorite places to eat. We are doing both Kona Cafe and Ohana 3 trips in a row now!

Wolfgang Puck in DTD is really great too. They take the dining plan (1 credit).

We love Brown Derby in MGM (2 TS credits). I have read good reviews of Mama Melrose too, although I have not eaten there myself.

I would make ADR's for ALL of these places. We saw lots of people with out ADR's being turned away at TS restaturants for dinner in December and that was not during the free dining period.

 

[bicker]

I have eaten at the Italian restaurant in DDT and absolutely loved it. It's not listed on the Disney Dining Plan though, however, I can't remember the name. I think it is called Portifino. Boy, if I could eat somewhere like that on the plan, that would be worth it!

Portobello Yacht Club. Alas, it isn't on the plan, and none of the Italian restaurants that are on the plan come close to it in terms of quality. The best Italian restaurants on the plan are Mama Melrose in D-MGM and Alfredo's in Epcot. Both are basically the same in terms of quality: While the food is good (not great), the service leaves a lot to be desired. We feel Spoodles is a better choice than both; it is a Mediterranean restaurant, which has entrees influenced by more than just Italy.

We're bringing my wife's cousin and her husband with us in February (every year we bring someone different with us ), and they sound like their tastes are similar to yours, so I'll share with you our plans:

Chefs de France - the best 1TS in-park restaurant at WDW

Coral Reef - something for both seafood lovers and non-seafood lovers

Biergarten - and a fun time will be had by all

Spoodles - our favorite restaurant over the years

50s Prime Time Cafe - the best themed restaurant experience at WDW

 

[starbox]

Be aware that you'll be traveling during the "free dining" promotion for resort guests, so ADRs might be much harder to secure than usual.

Not including signature dining, we like:
Le Cellier (Steak)
Coral Reef (Seafood)
San Angel Inn (Mexican)
Whispering Canyon (barbeque, but a varied menu)
Ohana
Sci Fi Drive In
50s Prime Time
Maya Grill (Coronado Springs)

 

[fesslerl]

We are on the free dining plan and decided to go for variety.


Ohana's Polynesian
Hollywood & Vine buffet (for the Fastasmic Dinner Package)
Le Cellier (canadian-french)
Boatwrights (cajun)
Boma buffet (Africa)

 

[allflgirl]

Thanks all for your suggestions. I guess I better get on the ball and start booking reservations. So many good choices, I'm going for the following sit down places so far:

All dinner ressies:
Spoodles
San Angel Inn
Whispering Canyon
Wolfgang Puck

Now I just need one more suggestion for my 5th night. I'm trying to decide on one more place and thinking about Ohana or Concourse Steakhouse. I want more than just somewhere to eat, I'm looking more for the atmosphere.

Keep the suggestions coming, I really appreciate it.

Julia

 

[bicker]

I'm trying to decide on one more place and thinking about Ohana or Concourse Steakhouse. I want more than just somewhere to eat, I'm looking more for the atmosphere.

Between the two, 'Ohana wins, without a doubt. Concourse Steakhouse's atmosphere is its weakest aspect.

 

[aubriee]

If you're looking for atmosphere I'd go with either the Coral Reef or Marakesh both in Epcot. How about Raglan Road in DTD? Get there fairly late to see the band and dancer. Dinner at 'Ohannas is good, but I don't care for the character breakfast there.

We'll be there Sept 22nd-30th during the free dining time and expect the restaraunts to be full (like they were last year). However, I've called several times in the last few weeks to change some ADRs and have been able to do so without a problem. I called this morning in fact to change a Chef Mickey's to 8:00am and to add Sci-Fi for lunch and was able to get both. I also had to reschedule our ADRs at the Spirit of Aloha Luau and Hoop de Doo in order to add another person and was able to do so. I'd definitely make ADRs soon though. Good luck and welcome to the DIS!

 

[PrincessTrisha]

What about the Kona Cafe - it is at the Polynesian and has a similar feel as Ohana's but it is a menu restaurant vs all you care to eat. It had one of the best steaks of our trip (the filet with mashed potatoes and asparagus) and one of the best fish meals (macadamia mahi mahi with rissotto). They also have crab cakes, soup, chicken wings and salad for appetizers which are all really tasty. If you have a later dinner when you are done, hang around the big windows (trust me you'll see them) and wait for the fireworks - they pipe in the soundtrack and it is really beautiful and makes the perfect end to a trip.

 

[fesslerl]

Ok I'm really confused. Found lots of good reviews on both Ohana & Kona. Which one would be best for a middle age married couple going without any children? We have reservations at Ohana at 5:40 pm. Probably too late to change it to later ones at Kona. Just wondered which would get the most votes here.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

Ohana's is all you care to eat but brought to the table by a server. Kona Cafe is a traditional table service restaurant (ie. it has a menu and you order a la carte).

I would suggest you look at both menus and decide on which you like better and which fits your eating style better.

For the most part I find the theming and decor similar although you do have a possibility of sitting by the large glass windows in Ohana's (where you get a view of Seven Seas Lagoon and the Magic Kingdom) whereas to have a view of this you have to step outside of Kona.

That being said, I like both but Kona's menu wins by a small margin for my family (3 adults).

 

[Kycha]

DH and I really enjoyed Kona Cafe last year. The servers were very knowledgeable about the dining plan and made suggestions to help us maximize the plan. The food was really good too.

 

[kidsister]

Did everybody forget Le Cellier????? (Canada) or was it already mentioned?

If you like steak or filet (not to mention chesse soup) this is the place to use that last TS on the dining plan.

go to allearsnet.com and check out all the menus....and prices.
My choice would be:
Le Cellier, Les Chefs, Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Boma
then:
Kona, Spoodles, Marakesh, RosenCrown

All the above 1 TS pp.
Happy eating!