First trip...where are our must eats??

[brandycaviness]

Our First Family Disney Vacation will be in Nov.-Dec. and I'm so excited that I've already started obsessing. Me, DH, MIL, and DD's both age 5 will be there for 5 days.

The only things I have on my list are Akershus (b,l, or dinner?) and Chef Mickey's for breakfast. Someone also mentioned Cosmic Ray's.

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Nadjalu]

How exciting!!

My advice would be to look at the menus and see what restaurants have things you like.

It is hard to recommend something without knowing what tastes you have.

For example, Boma is a very popular restaurant but we hate it. Others love it, basically it boils down to what you like.

Some of my favorites are Crystal Palace, Whispering Canyon, Ohana.

After being on the boards for a while you learn people love and hate all restaurants, so it is important to pick places that the menu appeals to you, even if it gets bad reviews. Chances are if it serves foods you like you will like it.

Good luck and have fun. You have plenty of time to read and learn here.

 

[Paradise18]

We really like Coral Reef. I know this place gets mixed reviews for food/service but we have always enjoyed our meal and the atmosphere is great. Have a great trip!!!

 

[Wendy31]

Will you have the dining plan? Are you there 5 full days & 6 nights or 4 full days & 5 nights? What time are you arriving? What time are you leaving?

I'd decide, first, what parks you're going to be at on what days & then decide your meals from there. Will you have parkhopper tickets?

W/ 5 year old girls & for 1st time visits, I'd be looking at the following:

MK Day - Crystal Palace for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We also like CRT - but don't know if you want to use 2 TS credits if you have the DP.

MK Resort Area - Chef Mickey's for breakfast at the Contemporary, 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian for either breakfast (characters - Pooh, Mary Poppins, Tigger, Mad Hatter, etc.) or dinner (characters - Cinderella, Prince Charming, & Stepmother & Stepsisters), 'Ohana at the Poly for either breakfast (character w/ Stitch & Mickey) or dinner (all you can eat "family-style" w/ festive, fun atmosphere), or Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge for dinner.

EPCOT, Future World - Garden Grill for dinner (characters - Mickey, Pluto, Chip & Dale) or Coral Reef for lunch or dinner

EPCOT, World Showcase - Norway Princess Breakfast, Chefs de France (Remy comes around & plate & "visits" the tables) or San Angel Inn (for the atmosphere) or Teppan Edo

EPCOT Resort Area - Cape May Character Breakfast at the Beach Club

Disney Studios - Hollywood & Vine Character Breakfast, Sci-Fi for lunch or dinner, Mama Melrose for lunch or dinner for the Fantasmic Package

Animal Kingdom - Tusker House Character Breakfast, Yak and Yeti for lunch or dinner

Animal Kingdom Lodge - Boma for dinner

If I had the basic DP w/ 2 5 year old girls, my "plan" would probably look like this (depending on your arrival & departure):

Arrival Night - CRT for dinner - pay OOP

MK, 1st Full Day - breakfast (snack, resort), lunch - Crystal Palace, dinner - Columbia Harbor House (counter-service)

EPCOT, 2nd Full Day - breakfast - Akershus, lunch - Sunshine Seasons (counter), dinner - World Showcase Counter

Disney Studios, 3rd Full Day - breakfast (snack, resort), lunch - Toy Story Pizza Planet, dinner - Mama Melrose's (Fantasmic Dinner Package)

Animal Kingdom, 4th Full Day - breakfast - Tusker House, lunch - Flame Tree, dinner - Pizzafari or Boma at the AKL (& pay OOP for Tusker House)

MK, 2nd Full Day - breakfast (snack, resort), lunch - Cosmic Ray's, dinner - Ohana at the Poly

Departure Day - Chef Mickey's for breakfast, lunch - Earl of Sandwich at DTD

Regardless of what you decide, I'd definitely make ADRs for a princess meal, a Mickey meal, & the Crystal Palace (w/ Pooh & Friends) meal.

Check out the menus & have fun planning!! (One of my favorite parts of our Disney vacations is planning our meals!)

 

[brandycaviness]

Will you have the dining plan? Are you there 5 full days & 6 nights or 4 full days & 5 nights? What time are you arriving? What time are you leaving?

I'd decide, first, what parks you're going to be at on what days & then decide your meals from there. Will you have parkhopper tickets?

WOW Wendy Thanks!! It will be 4 full days. We will be arriving bright and early on the morning of November 30 and leaving before breakfast on the 5th mad. We do have park hopper tickets. Based on attractions will only spend half days at Epcot and AK. But I know we want to do Akershus (sp?) at Epcot one morning for Breakfast and Chef Mickey's one morning as well. Oh and yes to the dining plan... 1 TS, 1CS, 1 snack per day.

 

[goofy2008]

pick ones for the kids. and some for you.. Big Guys

 

[juliebean]

How exciting! I have 5 & 8 year old daughters - so I thought our choices might help, since you have 5year old girls too. It's going to be a few years before we come back, because of school schedules, so it was a priority to do all the princess stuff, I imagine they will be too old the next time to really let loose and enjoy the princess fantasy. Might be a consideration for you too.

We are definately doing Cinderella's table for dinner, Asherkus for breakfast, Le Cellier for lunch(for us and the steak option for the kids), Boma for dinner & the 50's Primetime for lunch (just looks fun).

Hope that helps - other's we've considered - Crystal Palace (although I feel like my kids aren't going to be interested in the Pooh & friends and I've seen mixed reviews), Chefs de France (Remy), Ohana (fireworks on the beach after)...

Have a great time!

 

[JAMIESMITH]

Wendy- You just confirmed a lot of what we are thinking of doing for our vacation (Sept 2012). Thank you!

 

[mommyoftwinz]

If you're in the MK- I like to eat at the Liberty Tree Tavern, good food but not a character meal. they do lunch and dinner. If you time it right you can come out and watch the parade.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

I think Wendy31 gives great advice!

 

[hmmemom]

Hi Brandy! I say Chef Mickey's for sure. My older boys were not interested in characters at all until we had breakfast there. We're trying lots of new places this trip that are supposed to be great. I'm really looking forward to O'hana.

Heather

 

[WindFlower]

Le Cellier, Whispering Canyon Cafe and Narcoosee's are must-do's for us!

 

[tlriv5]

I agree with the post that said look at the menu's to help you choose. We have made three trips to Disney and tried different places based on our girls ages. Our first trip our girls were 11 and two 8 year olds. They loved the character meals. I enjoy eating at the different lodges to get to see them, but have found they eat a lot of time traveling. Chef Mickey's is nice because it is so close to MK and Whispering Canyon is one of our favorites and it is just a boat ride away from MK. Here are some of my thoughts based on what my girls would tell you.

MK: Crystal Palace is good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I did not enjoy Liberty Tree and would never do it without the Characters, that was what made that place fun! Go over to Whispering Canyon or Chef Mickey's. Both are high on our list.

Epcot: My girls liked the aquarium at Coral Reef, They liked the singing band at Biergarten. We have never been to Garden Grill but that would be a nice character meal. I would only Akerhaus for breakfast, so worth it I am sure to see the princesses.

DHS: My girls liked 50's cafe both times we went. Keep your fingers crossed for a good waitress to make it fun. They also liked Sci fi.

We also enjoyed the Ohana breakfast. Lilo was so cute and you get to see Mickey and Pluto. You and your girls are going to love anyplace you go. You don't have to do all character meals for them to have fun. Coral Reef has some very good meals for adults and the kids will love watching the fish and turtles swimming around. Enjoy!

 

[LilRonGal]

Liberty Tree Tavern (Magic Kingdom), Garden Grill (Epcot, character meal), and Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom, character meal) tend to be must-dos for me!

Enjoy your first trip!

 

[3pletprincesses]

If you want to see Cinderella and don't want to pay for Cinderella Royal table, try 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian for dinner. If a buffet but the food is good and the interaction with the caracters is really nice.

AK I would eat at Tusker for breakfast to see Micky, Daisy, Donald and Goofy

MK Crystal Palace is really nice for breakfast and if you take ressie before park opening, you can take pictures with the catle in the background with little to next to anyone else around you. Pooh and company are there during the brekfast

Ohana is also nice for breakfast. It's served family style at the table and you get to see Lilo and Stitch, Mickey and Pluto

Of course Akershus is really good everytime we have been there

Those are on my triplet 4 yo DDs must do list and I have to agree with them.

 

[juliebug1997]

As a 35 year old girl, I knew that I had to eat in the castle no matter what it cost my husband and I. I still feel that way. We're going to try Ankershus too in July but we like CRT. We also enjoyed: Crystal Palace, Le Cellier, Teppan Edo, 'Ohana (breakfast) and Cape May (breakfast). Have fun!!!