First trip to Disney World, need help finding MUST eat restaurants

[MainMom]

I also wanted to add that we like to do the majority of our TS meals at lunch. We are rope droppers and know we will be in the park for that ADR. We take afternoon breaks and may or may not make it back in time for an evening ADR. I especially found this to be true when my kids were little (now 14 & 10.) So, depending on your strategy, this might be something to consider when making ADR's.

We are trying several new restaurants this trip: Boma, 'Ohana breakfast, The Plaza, Yak & Yeti, Hoop Dee Doo, and Via Napoli. We are looking forward to all of them. Good luck planning!

 

[justamy27]

With the ages of your kids I would say Chef Mickeys is a great character breakfast. Its buffet food but it is good, filling and the atmosphere is fun. My kids first went there around that age now at 12 and 9 they still request it!

 

[rastahomie]

We are driving in and will try bus to get to destinations. Just wondering if car to MK From pop would not be faster? Can we get there early?

If you're staying on-property but have a car, by all means drive it. Everywhere. Don't rely on Disney transportation in any way, shape or form, unless you've had too many adult beverages. It's MUCH faster to drive place-to-place, resort-to-resort especially, than it is to take Disney transportation.

 

[timmyray79]

If you're staying on-property but have a car, by all means drive it. Everywhere. Don't rely on Disney transportation in any way, shape or form, unless you've had too many adult beverages. It's MUCH faster to drive place-to-place, resort-to-resort especially, than it is to take Disney transportation.

That is good to know, thank you

 

[Yahweh]

Breakfast
Boardwalk Bakery- While the selection isn’t amazing; it’s a lovely spot when staying at the boardwalk area to have breakfast outside before the parks open.

The Wave- should be able to get a reservation, for the money it's the best breakfast in WDW

Kona Café- See the Polynesian Resort and have the Tonga Toast


Lunch

Columbia Harbor House- of the limited food options at MK, I think this is the best quick service spot.

Tangerine Café – My personal favorite quick service…great place to eat when at Epcot.

Yak and Yeti- can do either quick service or sit-down when at Animal Kingdom.


Dinner
Jiko - Take the time to drive over to Animal Kingdom Lodge. See the resort and have one of the greatest meals ever.

Bluezoo- It’s a short walk from the Beach Club to the Swan and Dolphin. Food is amazing and very creative.

Trattoria al forno- On the Boardwalk. A very nice alternative for Italian food when Tutto Italia is booked up. Personally I prefer it to Tutto, and you can walk there from the Beach Club.




There are other’s that I’d recommend, but my guess would be that they are already booked up. I’m pretty sure all of these places would still have room 60 days out.

 

[timmyray79]

I LOVE that part. My husband thinks I'm a crazy person. If your 60 day is tomorrow, personally, I would focus on FP+ first. The highest-in-demand fastpasses go shockingly fast. The hardest to get ADRs book up 6 months out, so really - I doubt that ADR avail will change much between now and a couple days from now. Many of the restaurants I mentioned were booked more like 3 months out for a party of 10; that was very, very stupid and I will never do that again, but my extended family is not into advance planning. (Be glad you don't have a party of 10!) My parents still can't believe same-day reservations were not available for Cinderella's Castle or the highest-demanded Epcot restaurants like when we went in the 80s when I was little.

Hey, my fast passes came up today...but i am lost being my first visit as to what our 5 year old will want to ride and like.

Magic Kingdom (only have 1st day booked but know this is where most of our time will be at) Are there other rides i should look at that may have long lines? Space mountain i just do not know if he will like, haunted mansion etc...

Eat breakfast in room

Peter pan at 925am
7 dwarf 1055 am

Break back to hotel then back in the evening for lunch in room

Splash Mountain
Pirates of Caribbean


My problem and i have no idea how to solve it is what if our 5 year old does not like these rides? And i have an entire week of FP+ set up?

Can anyone share their experience of setting up fast pass itinerary for their 1st trip with 5 yr old ?

I have 2nd day at HS with Toy story at 9am for our FP+ and that used all 3 up for the day until i get more from kiosk...

 

[cmph]

Hey, my fast passes came up today...but i am lost being my first visit as to what our 5 year old will want to ride and like.

Magic Kingdom (only have 1st day booked but know this is where most of our time will be at) Are there other rides i should look at that may have long lines? Space mountain i just do not know if he will like, haunted mansion etc...

Eat breakfast in room

Peter pan at 925am
7 dwarf 1055 am

Break back to hotel then back in the evening for lunch in room

Splash Mountain
Pirates of Caribbean


My problem and i have no idea how to solve it is what if our 5 year old does not like these rides? And i have an entire week of FP+ set up?

Can anyone share their experience of setting up fast pass itinerary for their 1st trip with 5 yr old ?

I have 2nd day at HS with Toy story at 9am for our FP+ and that used all 3 up for the day until i get more from kiosk...

Have you been to a carnival/state fair kind of thing and know what he liked best? That would narrow it down a bit. That 10 person trip I mentioned included my 4yo niece, who liked and was fine with everything she went on. And I'm not making this up, but her favorite was The Land in Epcot. If you've been on it, you're laughing at that. It's not an adventurous ride in the slightest. My son (who was 5) also liked everything he went on, even Space Mountain. My older child, who is now 10, still doesn't want to go on Space Mountain or Splash Mountain b/c she hates big drops, but she LOVES Big Thunder Mountain. Go figure. We made no attempt to get them on Tower of Terror b/c you can hear people screaming outside, but otherwise they did practically everything in the parks. Peter Pan will be fine, not sure I've ever heard of any kid hating Pirates either? All of the kids in my family love Haunted Mansion, but littler ones might get nervous when the lights go out in the "stretching room" b/c it gets pitch black. It's brief, but warn them about it first. I wouldn't worry too much, really. Even if he hates Splash or 7 Dwarfs, they're nothing like Toy Story, which is nothing like Star Tours, which is nothing like the boat ride through Mexico in Epcot... so hating one ride won't make him automatically hate all. Make sure to check the height requirements; my kids and my niece are crazy tall (like a head taller than their peers) so I'm not sure what the typical age is for the thrill rides. There is probably a useful thread in the family section or attractions and strategies thread about this topic. I would also suggest showing him youtube videos of the rides and see if he calls anything "scary".

But in general - you want to fp 7 Dwarfs and Peter Pan for sure in MK, Toy Story in HS, Soarin' in Epcot. Beyond that, you'll have to prioritize what he might like best. Split MK into multiple days and don't try to go to all the lands in a single day (we just break it in half, essentially).

And if he does hate a lot of rides - well, then you will get a lot out of the atmosphere, parades, and shows still! There is a lot more to WDW than the rides, so you will have a great time no matter what.

 

[MainMom]

Has he done roller coaster type rides before? I would start in Fantasyland. Do things like Dumbo, Pooh, IASW, and Barnstormer. Barnstormer is a short kiddie coaster and a good one to test him on. I would suggest a 3rd FP for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. After Barnstormer and 7dmt this is a good coaster, if he likes the first 2. Even if your son doesn't want to ride, you and your wife definitely should. IA with the poster above me about splitting MK into a Couple of days.

If you can book your FP week now I recommend doing all of your days. You can go back and change them. Just start slow in FL and work your way up.

 

[LovesTimone]

Thanks

Not looking to do breakfast outside the room every day, but would like to hit 1-3 "top" breakfast locations up while there.

I have Ohana for breakfast reserved right now...cancelled Crystal Palace and looking to insert Boma I think...

One concern I have is getting from hotel to reservation on time as travel times are an unknown to me

Most breakfast spots are characters.. so you are going to see them and have breakfast. When our kids were little it worked out great as its a great photo op, and you can get autographs, all the while eating breakfast, this way you don't have to stand in line later to see them, you can do something else..

Tusker House at AK characters ( dress in Safari attire, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy,& Goofy) great service and a good variety of traditional offerings and some different options for someone who is will to try to things, nothing crazy just different.
Crystal Palace at MK characters ( Pooh, Tigger, Pigglet, and Eyore), Overall good food and service.
Kona at the Poly - Stuffed French toast and good coffee.
Chef Mickeys at the Contemporary is Character and has the fab 5, there are mixed feelings here with most people, we enjoy it for what it is, great Character interaction and breakfast food, we have always found some great items, and had great service.

Ohana is very popular, but do be aware that even with ADR you will wait ( there is always some bit of a wait around 15 mins for us seem normal), for some reason people just seem to sit and sit here. Some friends went for the DGD's birthday at they waited 40 mins past ADR time. Just so you know.

Allow at least 45 min's to 60 mins to get to where your going if using Disney buses. Even if you are driving I would allow that amount of time.

As a tip, I would try to plan or match up ADR's with what park your going to be visiting, for instance If you are going to do Tusker house for Breakfast, plan on that being your animal kingdom morning or day this will save you so much time. After breakfast head for the safari, and the walking trail, the earlier the better so its not so hot, then use your fast passes for other rides when the parks start getting really busy, head out and back to the resort after lunch to for pool time, nap time, then head into another park ( if you have dinner ADR's) or Disney springs for the evening.

Have a magically time..

 

[Yahweh]

And I'm not making this up, but her favorite was The Land in Epcot. If you've been on it, you're laughing at that. It's not an adventurous ride in the slightest. My son (who was 5) also liked everything he went on, even Space Mountain. My older child, who is now 10, still doesn't want to go on Space Mountain or Splash Mountain b/c she hates big drops, but she LOVES Big Thunder Mountain.

Living with the Land is also one of my girls' favourites as well!!! One of the interesting things, as you have alluded to, is a child's fear of rides don't necessarily lessen with age. My 6 year old daughter would do all the big rides (height allowing) when she was four, hands in the air on Big Thunder Mountain etc...but the next trip at 5 she was scared to death of all these rides. I think there is a new awareness of danger that happens during that time.

I think Peter Pan is a must do for that age, and a ride you need a fastpass for. Splash Mountain should be fine, the drop at the end can be a bit scary, but it's so quick and it's at the end so you 5 year old should really enjoy the ride up to that point. Space Mountain I would think would be too scary. My Daughter (9) who loves Expedition Everest, did not like the darkness or jerkiness of Space Mountain . My girls love Haunted Mansion, but I'm sure for most it's going to be a trial and error type of experience. They will likely either love it, or hate it. I'd do a trial run on the Barnstormer before I did 7DMT. And if they did ok on Barnstormer, I'd tell them that 7DMT is like that but not as rough and more fun.

 

[TraceyPoppins]

We are driving in and will try bus to get to destinations. Just wondering if car to MK From pop would not be faster? Can we get there early?

Pop century June 19-24
Beach club June 24-29

Car to MK may be longer than the bus...you have to park at the Ticket & Transportation Center and then take the monorail or the ferry to the MK. The bus does not go to the TTC, it will drop you right at the MK gate. You may consider the car for resort to resort trips.

 

[Dis703]

For breakfast we really love Cape May Café. It's a little more affordable than some of the other character meal options and the food is really good with lots of variety. Ohana breakfast is the only Disney meal we've had that we won't repeat. Very little in the way of offerings and the entire experience was bad with exception to the characters who were a lot of fun. Reviews always seem very mixed.

For lunch/dinner there are a lot of places we really enjoy. Picking a top 3 is hard. Biergarten at Epcot is a ton of fun with food that is always good. Not much difference between lunch and dinner so we do lunch mostly since it's cheaper. We eat more here than at any other restaurant. Practically have to roll us out, lol.

Be Our Guest at MK has been a great dinner experience. Lunch is good too, but it's quick service. Dinner we've had great service and really good food. The ambiance is lovely and meeting the Beast is a special treat.

Some others we really love are Liberty Tree Tavern (lunch), Captain's Grille (dinner), 1900 PF dinner, Raglan Road (dinner), Crystal Palace for lunch or dinner

 

[cmph]

Living with the Land is also one of my girls' favourites as well!!! One of the interesting things, as you have alluded to, is a child's fear of rides don't necessarily lessen with age. My 6 year old daughter would do all the big rides (height allowing) when she was four, hands in the air on Big Thunder Mountain etc...but the next trip at 5 she was scared to death of all these rides. I think there is a new awareness of danger that happens during that time.

I think Peter Pan is a must do for that age, and a ride you need a fastpass for. Splash Mountain should be fine, the drop at the end can be a bit scary, but it's so quick and it's at the end so you 5 year old should really enjoy the ride up to that point. Space Mountain I would think would be too scary. My Daughter (9) who loves Expedition Everest, did not like the darkness or jerkiness of Space Mountain . My girls love Haunted Mansion, but I'm sure for most it's going to be a trial and error type of experience. They will likely either love it, or hate it. I'd do a trial run on the Barnstormer before I did 7DMT. And if they did ok on Barnstormer, I'd tell them that 7DMT is like that but not as rough and more fun.

LOL about the Land!! She wanted to get right back in line and re-ride. Meanwhile, my son's favorites that trip were the Three Caballeros boat ride in Mexico and Spaceship Earth. My daughter most fondly remembers eating around the World Showcase. Epcot will never be a one-day park for our crew!

It just occurred to me to warn the poster about It's Tough to Be a Bug in AK - super cute, but freaks kids out some times. Put him on your lap so he doesn't get upset when he gets poked in the back during the show. That's literally the only thing I've heard multiple kids freak out about in all of WDW.

 

[jimmytammy]

Breakfast...The Wave(buffet), Kona and Trails End(sorry, couldn't stop at 3, also Olivias)
Lunch...San Angel Inn, Rose N Crown, 50s PTC
Dinner...Via Napoli(Piccante Pizza), Biergarten, Boma or Ohana. Those last 3 are all big meals so space accordingly if you happen to book more than one

 

[ncdj2013]

Thanks

Not looking to do breakfast outside the room every day, but would like to hit 1-3 "top" breakfast locations up while there.

I have Ohana for breakfast reserved right now...cancelled Crystal Palace and looking to insert Boma I think...

One concern I have is getting from hotel to reservation on time as travel times are an unknown to me

Personally we do breakfast in the room for the most with something simple like a protein bar, don't like to start the day filling up at a buffet....but I love the make your own omelette at Pop or Room service at a deluxe...since you are staying at Beach part of the time you could do the Cape may breakfast buffet with characters....I would certainly do that over going to the trouble to get to AKL in the AM...keep it simple for yourself ...it's your first time..you can't do everything...personally I find the food to be pretty similar at the buffets with a few things different...you can also hop over to Epcot and eat breakfast in France..Don't overlook Yachtsman Steakhouse right next door at the Yacht Club...one of the best restaurants at WDW imo.

 

[thelittlemermaid2]

Breakfast: Akershus (EP), Crystal Palace (MK), Restaurauntosaurus (AK)
Lunch: Yak & Yetti (AK), Earl of Sandwich (DS), Flame Tree Barbecue (AK), Be our Guest (MK), 1900 Park Fare (GF)
Dinner: Teppan Edo (EP), Ohana (Poly), Liberty Tree Tavern (MK), Beaches & Cream (duh), Whispering Canyon Cafe (Wilderness Lodge)

A few comments: My #1 breakfast recommendation is Akershus, especially if you have a daughter. The food is excellent and the characters spend a good amount of time at each table. It is a buffet, more european-style breakfast but american options too, definitely something for everyone.

Crystal Palace is a great place for young children, we went when I was 5 and I loved the fluffy pooh characters more than anything else the entire trip, and the pictures are crazy cute. That being said, I haven't been since I was 5 so I can only attest to the generic Mickey waffles being good food-wise.

For lunch I would highly recommend my first two, they are personal favorites! But I would like to address 50's Prime Time and Sci-Fi. My family has tired 50's Prime Time several times and just simply do not like that. It's true that dining in HS is limited, so out of the other options it isn't bad if you have to have a meal there, but there is so many other better choices other places in the world. Sci-Fi has decent food, but I'm telling you I still have nightmares from the video they show. The cars are fun to sit in and the food is good but as an 8-year-old the "scary" movies left me awake every night for months. Of course I've been back since and have enjoyed it much more, but its something to keep in mind with young children.

For dinner there are endless good places to eat, its more about personal preference!

 

[Mousetopia]

Thanks

Not looking to do breakfast outside the room every day, but would like to hit 1-3 "top" breakfast locations up while there.

I have Ohana for breakfast reserved right now...cancelled Crystal Palace and looking to insert Boma I think...

One concern I have is getting from hotel to reservation on time as travel times are an unknown to me

Take Uber for resort to resort travel for reservations..cheap usually and quick!

 

[timmyray79]

We had to modify reservations

Now staying

6-20-16 to 6-27-16 at Pop Century
6-27-16 to 7-1-16 at Polynesian

One thing I am curious about is what type of bag to carry in? I am looking at a "picnictime" backpack...but hear security checks can be brutal....what type of bag is recommended to keep drinks cool while taking necessities for 1 year old and 5 year old? Not going to buy drinks in the park or snacks

 

[cmph]

We had to modify reservations

One thing I am curious about is what type of bag to carry in? I am looking at a "picnictime" backpack...but hear security checks can be brutal....what type of bag is recommended to keep drinks cool while taking necessities for 1 year old and 5 year old? Not going to buy drinks in the park or snacks

I personally wouldn't worry about a bag to keep things cool. You can get ice water from any quick service place for free; they'll refill kids' cups, water bottles, whatever you have. It pretty much means you have constant access to cold water. I assume you'll have a stroller, so you probably only need your diaper bag to carry what you need, and bag check is unavoidable if you have a stroller and diaper bag anyway.

 

[timmyray79]

So far I have used fast pass for me and 5yr old and that leaves 3 FP for my wife...we will do the rider switch so he will get to ride twice...

If I use her 3 FP for another 3 rides and give the magic band to 5 yr old I will have to ride with him so I will not need a FP reservation right?

My wife does not like some rides so I was trying to find the best way to use her FP