Do you always eat at the same places each trip?

[SFMommy]

We seem to always end up eating at the same places. This trip I want to eat at all new places. When I look at the list, I am surprised at how many places we haven't tried yet.

Cafe del Zocolo
Hungry Bear
Jolly Holiday Bakery
Steakhouse 55 (booked for Thanksgiving dinner)
Flo's
Cozy Cones
Paradise Garden Grill
Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta
Wine Country Trattoria
Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen

I'm just wondering if you tend to repeat the same favorites every trip? Or try something new?

I am excited to eat at ALL new places this time! Let's see if we can stick to the plan!

 

[Dot2Vegas]

We always eat at the Hungry Bear and Village Haus. We usually go for one day visits and the kids are picky and want their favorites (Village Haus). And DH and I like Hungry Bear. I try and try to convince them to try new things. Last week while standing in front of the Plaza Inn they got a whiff of fried chicken and have agreed to try it next time. We will see if that actually happens!

 

[rentayenta]

We seem to always end up eating at the same places. This trip I want to eat at all new places. When I look at the list, I am surprised at how many places we haven't tried yet.

Cafe del Zocolo
Hungry Bear
Jolly Holiday Bakery
Steakhouse 55 (booked for Thanksgiving dinner)
Flo's
Cozy Cones
Paradise Garden Grill
Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta
Wine Country Trattoria
Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen

I'm just wondering if you tend to repeat the same favorites every trip? Or try something new?

I am excited to eat at ALL new places this time! Let's see if we can stick to the plan!

We repeat a few and try to add in new ones or ones we haven't visited for a while. Our non negotiables as I like to call them are: The Plaza Inn, Little Red Ciorn Dog cart, Riverbelle Terrace for breakfast, Award Weiners (DH has a thing for their chili dogs), Cozy Cone for the chicken chili verde cone (a new favorite), and the Hearthstone Lounge for sliders. This doesn't include the many snacks we just have to have from beignets to Dole Floats to Dark Chocolate Rocky Road from the Candy Palace.

We've been to many on your list and really enjoyed them.

As far as new foods, I really wanted to try the Pomme Frites at Cafe Orleans but I read, not official, that it may be under refurb during our trip. Guess its just another reason to go back.

Have fun and enjoy your new eats!

 

[DizMe]

Well, yes and no. I think I've tried almost every eatery in the parks, but I tend to gravitate to the same favorites every time, throwing in others when the mood strikes . With enough trips to DLR under my belt, I've been able to try the majority. There are still a few in DTD I've yet to experience, some CS places in DCA I've not tried, and some I've no interest in, but I'm generally game for sampling something new!

 

[Midnightred]

I like to include new places each trip unless the reviews on here are just really bad. Some menus just don't appeal to me, like The Hungry Bear, and the Chinese place in CA. I have never eaten at Rancho Del Zorro, because I live on the Mexican border and am used to really good Mexican food, ditto for Thunder Ranch BBQ. I'm sure people love it, but I've heard it's cooked in an oven, not even on a pit. In West Texas BBQ is like a religion, and yes there is such a thing as bad BBQ. Yes, I know, that sounds snooty and terrible! Sorry. Anyway, back to your question. I love to try new places. Next on our list is:

Carnation Cafe
Carthy Circle
Pizza Port for salads
Cove Bar
Cafe Orleans (especially this one, smells so wonderful when we walk by).

Some new one's we tried last time and loved:

Ariel's
Paradise Garden Grill

Old favorites:

Plaza Inn
Blue Bayou

Midnightred

 

[tlovesdis]

Yep, Cafe Orleans and Wine Country Trattoria! Other than that, we tend to visit the same places, but occasionaly try something new.

My littlest niece and I discovered the cheese corn dog in March and now that is a must do when she and I go!!!

 

[figment_jii]

My family generally eats at the same places over the course of a couple of trips. For example, my family's favorites include Blue Bayou and Cafe Orleans. We general go to Cafe Orleans in the summer/fall, when the weather is likely to be dry and go to Blue Bayou in the winter when it's more likely to be raining. So over the course of a year's worth of trips, we'll get to both, but we won't necessarily go to both on the same trip.

 

[DisneylandPlanner]

I love thread like this that make me think. So i had to figure out where have we not eaten:

Corn Dog Castle
Cove Bar
Daisy's Diner
Pluto's Dog House
Stage Door Cafe
Steakhouse 55

I do like to try different places, but I do have my favorites. Naples, Storyteller, Carnation Cafe, Flo's, Paradise Garden Grill, Hungrybear.
We are going to Steakhouse 55 in December. I do not know if I will purposely check anymore off the list.

 

[Elias1901]

You've got a nice dining list started there. There's a lot of great food at the Happiest Place on Earth, to be sure. You can't go wrong with Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen... the food is simply outstanding! Be sure to have an order of beignets, they're phenomenal! Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta and the Paradise Garden Grill serve up some excellent food as well. I'm also a big fan of the pork lion in Coca-Cola BBQ sauce at Flo's V8. That's always a must have, along with a Chili-Cone-Queso from the Cozy Cone Motel. Yum, yum, yum!! Hungry Bear Restaurant is always a nice stop for a pretty good burger when you're waiting for your afternoon FASTPASS for Splash Mountain to roll around. That's always what we do. Pull a pass and grab a burger and reminiscence about the good ole days of the Country Bear Jamboree! Hah! We've been to Steakhouse 55 once before, for dinner. It was pricy, but good... the root beer dessert was mindbogglingly good! You said you're having a Thanksgiving dinner there, so I'm not sure how that compares to the traditional dinner fare. I've had a sandwich from the Jolly Holiday Bakery on the Walk in Walt's Disneyland Footsteps Tour and it was pretty tasty as well. I always overlook the Rancho del Zocolo. Maybe I'll try it for lunch again when we go in a couple weeks. I've tried it once and remember the Mexican food was good but nothing incredible. The decor of the restaurant is very well-themed, however. In my experiences, the Wine Country Trattoria hasn't been all that good and was kind of forgettable. I'd much rather dine at the Carthay Circle Restaurant (Mmm!! That Western-Cut Pork Chop!!!) it has an incredible "Walt's Hollywood" theme and the food is mind-blowing (the same executive chef behind the wonderful food at Napa Rose)! But it's your call there! But for me and my family, it has become a staple of our Disney Dining itinerary! The Carthay Circle Restaurant is a true gem and should not be overlooked. It is the crowned jewel of our trip and we eagerly anticipate dining there every time! That and the Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue... gosh, that's a good value and some good pickings there!

But to answer your question, yes. I am a bit guilty of constantly dining at venues we've hit several times in the past. They've become our favorites and it's really difficult to stay away from these delicious dining experiences! However, this trip, we've decided to try out the Surf's Up Breakfast... if for nothing else, to see Stitch. I'm not sure how the food could be any better/worse than other breakfast buffets. But we thought we'd try something new. Our dining itinerary is as follows:

• Goofy's Kitchen (Breakfast Buffet)
• The Blue Bayou (Monte Cristo Lunch)
• Plaza Inn: Breakfast in the Park with Minnie & Friends (Breakfast Buffet)
• Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue (Expanded Dinner Menu)
• Disney's PCH Grill: Surf's Up Breakfast with Mickey & Friends (Breakfast Buffet)
• Carthay Circle Restaurant (Delectable Dinner)

And of course... a visit for some adult beverages and appetizers for my birthday at Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar... and a handful of snack and quick service locations... too many to list over the course of a week. Oh! But I will say this much. I've never had a famous turkey leg from Disney Parks before and I am making it my mission to devour one!

 

[WestMom2two]

We eat at Minnie and Friends Character breakfast each trip. Ive already booked it for our November visit. My kids just love the characters and my husband and I love the buffet. For our Trip next May we will be skipping it due to a shorter visit but then we are trying Goofy's for the first time which is exciting. Lunch in the park is always random and mostly on the go. We find ourselves escaping to downtown Disney for dinner to get a little break. We tried Naples Restorante and loved it! We've also done ESPN Zone and Rainforest Cafe a lot, not for the food by any means, but for the kids.

 

[figment_jii]

I've never had a famous turkey leg from Disney Parks before and I am making it my mission to devour one!

I highly recommend getting on from Ship to Shore (the semi-permanent stand in Frontierland) and then heading over to the River Belle Terrace/Stage Door Cafe table area to devour it (and do some people watching). Just make sure you get lots of napkins!

 

[SFMommy]

You've got a nice dining list started there. There's a lot of great food at the Happiest Place on Earth, to be sure. You can't go wrong with Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen... the food is simply outstanding! Be sure to have an order of beignets, they're phenomenal! Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta and the Paradise Garden Grill serve up some excellent food as well. I'm also a big fan of the pork lion in Coca-Cola BBQ sauce at Flo's V8. That's always a must have, along with a Chili-Cone-Queso from the Cozy Cone Motel. Yum, yum, yum!! Hungry Bear Restaurant is always a nice stop for a pretty good burger when you're waiting for your afternoon FASTPASS for Splash Mountain to roll around. That's always what we do. Pull a pass and grab a burger and reminiscence about the good ole days of the Country Bear Jamboree! Hah! We've been to Steakhouse 55 once before, for dinner. It was pricy, but good... the root beer dessert was mindbogglingly good! You said you're having a Thanksgiving dinner there, so I'm not sure how that compares to the traditional dinner fare. I've had a sandwich from the Jolly Holiday Bakery on the Walk in Walt's Disneyland Footsteps Tour and it was pretty tasty as well. I always overlook the Rancho del Zocolo. Maybe I'll try it for lunch again when we go in a couple weeks. I've tried it once and remember the Mexican food was good but nothing incredible. The decor of the restaurant is very well-themed, however. In my experiences, the Wine Country Trattoria hasn't been all that good and was kind of forgettable. I'd much rather dine at the Carthay Circle Restaurant (Mmm!! That Western-Cut Pork Chop!!!) it has an incredible "Walt's Hollywood" theme and the food is mind-blowing (the same executive chef behind the wonderful food at Napa Rose)! But it's your call there! But for me and my family, it has become a staple of our Disney Dining itinerary! The Carthay Circle Restaurant is a true gem and should not be overlooked. It is the crowned jewel of our trip and we eagerly anticipate dining there every time! That and the Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue... gosh, that's a good value and some good pickings there!

But to answer your question, yes. I am a bit guilty of constantly dining at venues we've hit several times in the past. They've become our favorites and it's really difficult to stay away from these delicious dining experiences! However, this trip, we've decided to try out the Surf's Up Breakfast... if for nothing else, to see Stitch. I'm not sure how the food could be any better/worse than other breakfast buffets. But we thought we'd try something new. Our dining itinerary is as follows:

• Goofy's Kitchen (Breakfast Buffet)
• The Blue Bayou (Monte Cristo Lunch)
• Plaza Inn: Breakfast in the Park with Minnie & Friends (Breakfast Buffet)
• Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue (Expanded Dinner Menu)
• Disney's PCH Grill: Surf's Up Breakfast with Mickey & Friends (Breakfast Buffet)
• Carthay Circle Restaurant (Delectable Dinner)

And of course... a visit for some adult beverages and appetizers for my birthday at Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar... and a handful of snack and quick service locations... too many to list over the course of a week. Oh! But I will say this much. I've never had a famous turkey leg from Disney Parks before and I am making it my mission to devour one!

Well now I'm going to have to check out the menu to Carthay Circle! We are booked for Wine Country Trattoria WOC dinner package. (We have also never seen WOC and are planning to finally see it this trip. A trip of firsts!) I guess I always thought the prices for Carthay Circle were too expensive. But I will take a second look. Thanks!

 

[Communicore1991]

I try to eat at different places, but I'm a picky eater and when I find something I like, I'm going to keep going back and getting it again and again. For example, each trip the DLR, I need to have at least twice a corn dog from Main Street and a Mint Julep from New Orleans Square

 

[Elias1901]

Well now I'm going to have to check out the menu to Carthay Circle! We are booked for Wine Country Trattoria WOC dinner package. (We have also never seen WOC and are planning to finally see it this trip. A trip of firsts!) I guess I always thought the prices for Carthay Circle were too expensive. But I will take a second look. Thanks!

The Carthay Circle Restaurant is definitely one of the pricier dining venues, but it is well worth it. Everything is simply delectable! Did you know that the WOC Dinner Package is also offered for Carthay? I believe you need to order either an appetizer OR dessert and an entree to qualify for the package. I always opt out of the package, get a FASTPASS in the morning, and eat what I want, when I want. Either way, I'm sure you'll enjoy the show! World of Color is fantastic!

 

[Geemo]

For our first few trips I planned and made meal reservations for the trip.

What I learned is my group 5Adults & 2Children in the early years:
1. Won't be hungry/ready to eat at the time I made the reservation for.
2. We won't even be close to the restaurant when it's reservation time.
3. One or two in the group aren't happy with the restaurant choice at the time.

Fast forward to now....
The other adults aren't Disney Fans so now when I go, it's me with 1 or all 4 grandkids.

The grandkids are so easy to please. Before the trip, we'll get together and if they have a special place they want to eat, we put it on a list. Sometimes I'll make a reservation but not always.

We like lots of places in and out of the parks.
Carnation Cafe is a favorite, not just for the food but for the memories we have made while eating there.

Going with the grandkids, they just want fast food type food. Besides CS locations, I like Plaza Inn for a chicken dinner. River Belle for a hot meat sandwich or even Cafe Orleans.

Next trip we want to try Big Thunder Ranch for the BBQ. Can't hardly wait....

Geemo

 

[abminer]

In the parks and in general we love trying new restaurants. The problem is that my eyes are always bigger than my stomach. I had every meal planned out for our recent trip, we got home Monday night. But, we were so full that we skipped several meals or waited so late that places had already closed for the night (Hungry Bear). We managed to eat at:

-Trader Sams/Tangeroa (Sam's food comes from Tangeroa's kitchen)
-Goofys Kitchen Breakfast (amazing character interaction)
-Tortilla Joe's (the only place I didn't like)
-Red Wagon Corn Dog Cart (that was tasty, but gave me a tummy ache, don't eat greasy food at 11pm)
- earl of sandwich (open late)
- Blue Bayou (that monte cristo was also my breakfast the next day)
- Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta (ok)
- Flo's (liked the new menu)
- kozy Kone (just treats)
- Jolly Holiday (yum, grilled cheese)

I really wish we'd made it to Plaza Inn, Cafe Orleans, Hungry Bear, and Pacific Wharf - maybe next time.

 

[mom2tinkandmickey]

A trip is not complete with out eating at El Torito (on Ball), Pizza Press (on Harbor), Naples (DTD), Cafe Orleans, Carnation Cafe, and Bengal BBQ.

 

[Elias1901]

Next trip we want to try Big Thunder Ranch for the BBQ. Can't hardly wait.....

It's delicious! I'm sure you'll enjoy it when you go! As I've said before, it's one of our staples.

 

[JandD75]

We do tend to eat at the same places, but many of our favorites are on your list! Particularly Cafe del Zocalo and Flo's. We usually stop at the Coca Cola Corner for chili dogs, especially if the piano is being played. Corn dogs and roast corn in DCA. Love BB and Cafe Orleans.

I agree with you--we will be trying some new places on our next trip!

 

[creampuff]

Always the Skewers at Paradise Grill, always one meal at Rainforest café (yes we know it's touristy), Holiday sourdough from Boudin bakery, and always brownies from Ghiradelli, and one meal at Flo's.

For a quick meal, we will drop by Award winning wieners.