It's just too difficult to pick a favorite signature!!! For any signature, we have the same routine with the kids: 1) I print out menus in advance so we all know what we want to order (or at least have a general idea) so the meal isn't too long; and 2) we don't order multiple courses, and we place our entire order at once. As a result, it's usually an hour or so once we sit down at our table. If it was just my husband and me, I'm sure we'd enjoy a 2-hour dinner. But with the kids, we have a very enjoyable but quicker-paced meal.
We have three boys (ages pre-school to pre-teen) and here are some of our favorites:
1) Le Cellier - Great kids menu, and everyone enjoys the soup and pretzel bread. It's conveniently located in a park, with a kidcot stop right outside the restaurant so the kids can color/get passports and duffy bears stamped while waiting for our table. Our boys like the castle-like atmosphere inside. I think the service is friendly and quick, and the atmosphere isn't loud, but lively enough that a little person voice fits right in! This is definitely one of our favorites.
2) California Grill - Amazing views, great food (especially the flatbreads and sushi.) One of our kids absolutely loves the mac and cheese on the kids' menu - he's a mac and cheese expert and rates it one of the best not only at Disney, but ever! Our oldest loves the views but likes to order from the adult menu. This isn't his favorite adult menu, so he has difficulty ordering here. For kids who enjoy typical kids' meals, no problem! At times, I've thought the service isn't as friendly here as at some restaurants, but at other times I've been very impressed. They made a bit of a mistake once and more than compensated with an amazing table location and complimentary bottle of wine!
3) Brown Derby. Again, conveniently located in a park with a good noise level for kids. The kids' menu here is not a favorite for any of our kids. I like it for lunch, where our younger boys get hot dogs and my husband and I order appetizers (love the tuna and the scallops) and the grapefruit cake for dessert!
4) Bluezoo. Amazing food, great service, fun entry with the water and the video projection. It's a good location if you're in the Epcot resort area. The kids' meals are really good - I've tried them! Our youngest likes the funny name and blue lights. Based on what I read, I initially thought there wouldn't be many kids here. The first thing I saw when we walked in was a huge Mickey balloon on a stroller. There was a good mix of kids and adult-only groups at 7pm on our recent trip.
5) Jiko. Again, great food and great service. The kids' meals here are not just good, but really, really good. I tried our youngest son's steak and mac and cheese on our recent visit and wow! Also a good mix of kids and adult-only groups. It's not as convenient if you're not staying at AKL, but worth the trip (and maybe a taxi or at the end of an AK day.) This is another one of our favorites.
6) Narcoosee's. It's been a while since I've been there and I enjoyed it, but not as much as the others. Didn't get a kid-friendly vibe. But again, it's been a while, so others may report more positive experiences.
While CRT is technically a signature, and it's a very fun experience, I don't think it compares with the others in terms of food, service or atmosphere (but it IS cool to eat in the castle!) If you're looking for a nicer dinner, I'd suggest one or two of the other signatures.
We're trying Flying Fish, Il Mulano and Yachtsman in August and are optimistic about those too!
Happy Planning!
