Food Experts - please advise!

[>>^..^<<]

Hi food experts - I need help with a few things...

1)On my arrival day at Beach Club - Do you think booking the "Spirit of Hawaii" for that evening is too stressful? Should I just do Cape May or something on property? (we are not doing a park that day)

2)EPCOT - I was thinking of having counter service for lunch and a PS for dinner somewhere where you can see the illuminations...

Does anyone know what restaurants have a good view? I was thinking of Alfredo's in Italy.. or Le Cellier in Canada?
And what time does it take place so I book at PS for the right time frame.

3) Has anyone had picky kids at the California Grill?... I was looking at the menu and everything sounds delicious.. but I saw nothing my DD9 would eat?. (So picky - she makes me skim the parsley out of her Liptons' Chicken Noodle soup) and again what time do you book a PS to see the fireworks?

4) Best place for late lunch at DAK? We have tried rainforest cafe twice before - and that is enough lol.


5) Prime Time or Sci Fi? (remember the picky eater is with me) and which one is more fun for kids?

Thanx for help

>>^..^<<

 

[zulaya]

Originally posted by >>^..^<<
Hi food experts - I need help with a few things...

1)On my arrival day at Beach Club - Do you think booking the "Spirit of Hawaii" for that evening is too stressful? Should I just do Cape May or something on property? (we are not doing a park that day)

Depends on when you arrive. If you had a real early flight, you might be real tired by the time dinner time comes around.



2)EPCOT - I was thinking of having counter service for lunch and a PS for dinner somewhere where you can see the illuminations...

Does anyone know what restaurants have a good view? I was thinking of Alfredo's in Italy.. or Le Cellier in Canada?
And what time does it take place so I book at PS for the right time frame.

Counter service for lunch is good. Only Rose & Crown has the patio where you can eat AND watch at the same time. And there is no guarantee that you will get a patio seat. I don't think you can even wait for it, you have to take what table they have at the time you are called or not take a table at all. No other sit down has a view of Illuminations. I hear some people sit out at Cantina de San Angel in Mexico though.



3) Has anyone had picky kids at the California Grill?... I was looking at the menu and everything sounds delicious.. but I saw nothing my DD9 would eat?. (So picky - she makes me skim the parsley out of her Liptons' Chicken Noodle soup) and again what time do you book a PS to see the fireworks?
Can't help you here as we haven't been, but I am avoiding this place for the very reason that my DD is picky too. She isn't rude about it, she just won't eat. Someday DH and I will try this by ourselves. You might have to do the same.

4) Best place for late lunch at DAK? We have tried rainforest cafe twice before - and that is enough lol.

Flame Tree is really very good. I also hear very good things about the menu at Tusker House. But these are counter service - but really all that means is you pick up your food and walk to the table. Flame Tree also has awesome seating on the river around back.



5) Prime Time or Sci Fi? (remember the picky eater is with me) and which one is more fun for kids?

I'd pick Sci-Fi because I don't enjoy embarassing hi-jinx and neither do my kids. Sci-Fi you can get the chicken fingers or hamburger and fries and they can watch the corny film too. ]B]

Thanx for help

>>^..^<< [/B]

 

[Dancind]

California Grill has Mac & cheese on the kid's menu. My DD ordered it last week. Of course, she also took my triple cheese, triple garlic flatbread away from me. Next time, I'll make her get her own.

She's a picky eater too. In Epcot, she likes places with Fettucine Alfredo, mac & cheese, or pizza. That's about it. She ate a giant pretzel at Sommerfest, great lunch. There's a food court in The Land pavilion that has several choices, might be your best bet. At dinner, I have heard that Bistro de Paris has an Illuminations view. Pricey, though.

We like Pizzafari in AK, but I've heard good things about Tusker House and Flame Tree. Pizzafari no longer has the tasty veggie pizza, so will be trying those.

Diana

 

[>>^..^<<]

zulaya - thanx for all the info!


==========

Diana - I will check out the menu for Chef's de France... I can't see my daughter eating escargot!! But if you can see the illuminations that is great.

I noticed your signiture says you are at the Hard Rock in August... we are there too from the 16th to the 22nd...


>>^..^<<

 

[Dancind]

We have to be back by the 12th for the start of school, so our dates are earlier in August. We now have annual passes at both US/IOA and WDW! Check the Bistro de Paris, not Chefs. Chefs is downstairs, you won't see Illuminations from there. I've always wanted to try the Bistro. Diana

 

[dansyr]

#1 - I think this would be the perfect day to do Spirit of Hawaii. It is an awesome show. I guess it would depend what time you are arriving if it will be too hectic or not. If you are arriving early in the day..I would say go for it. This show was my dbf's fav thing of the entire trip.

2. Depending on your tastes Tangierine cafe...not sure if that is the exact name...has some interesting food.
Or...if you wanna head over to the Land...the food court there has some good choices.
For viewing illuminations...how about Rose and Crown. BTW I believe illuminations is at 9:00 pm

3. I'm not sure about the children's menu...but Cali Grill had alot of choices. When we were there we saw quite a few kids enjoying meals there. I would book about 1 - 1 1/2 hours before the fireworks.

4. How about Tusker house?

5.I would definitely do PT. The food there is very basic homecooking type meals. We had a blast there.

 

[Fantasia Sam]

2) Rose and Crown has the best viewing area for Illuminations, for a table service restaurant, and you need to get a PS for 7.30 and ask for a balcony table at the podium, you may have to wait but you should get in wlle in time for the illuminations.

 

[BevS97]

we had an amazing view of Illuminations from the Rose and Crown. We stopped by the podium earlier in the day and mentoined that we were hoping for a patio table, and they made a note, then when we checked in we had to wait 10 minutes, but we got the best table in the house. Definitely worth a try.

Between Prime Time and Sci Fi, I prefered Sci Fi, for the same reason others' have mentioned, the jokey mom stuff just made me feel uncomfortable in PT cafe.

For lunch in AK we tend to go to Restaurantasaurus - it's not adventurous,but it's nice and cool and airconditioned, and that always seems to be a priority at the time.
For breakfast, we LOVE the coffee and sticky rolls from Tusker House (its actually a little side window inside the Tusker House) -they are just amazing and worth a trip to AK just for one of the rolls.

Another good choice in Epcot, although no view of Illuminations, is the Tappenyaki - it's a really fun meal with the chef cooking on the table, and they will do chicken fingers, rice and veg for the fussy one, cooked right on the grill but with no sauce or anything yucky on it. My dd really enjoyed it. We went at lunch time and it was a lot cheaper than dinner for a very similiar meal.

Bev

 

[erikthewise]

#1 - I would caution against making reservations on your travel day for something that must be paid in advance. If there are delays or other problems, you don't want the stress of trying to get there "in time" or missing the dinner show you already paid for.

So why not Cape May PS on arrival day, Spirit of Hawaii some other time?

Fatigue can also be an issue. A couple years ago I made Candlelight Processional Package reservations for our arrival day. We went to our dinner at Garden Grill, but everyone ('cept me of course!) was so tired from travel they just wanted to go back to our room, so we didn't make it to the Processional.

 

[Rneighh]

Send your picky eater to my house. After a week at "Camp Renee" she will not be a picky eater. Then you can have an enjoyable meal anywhere you want and not "skim parsley".


"Picky eaters are made not born."

Renee

 

[>>^..^<<]

LOL Renee.. whats the address and what do you charge?

You know... I eat everything... I know you say they pickey eaters are made not born... but I will literally make her sit there staring at her carrots - no TV, no dessert, no computer... and she will sit and sit and she is as stubborn as a mule - for hours.

My Mom says the same thing (send her over and I will straighten her out) but seriously this kid would starve before having a piece of broccoli..

Stuff she does eat though... she eats well... chicken, potatoes, corn... Lord help me sometimes it is a struggle.

Any suggestions or strategies for me?

Thanx

>>^..^<<

 

[Dancind]

Well, Renee, your DD looks pretty young. At nearly 12, my DD is actually somewhat adventurous. I can get her to at least try a bite of most things now. If she likes it, she'll eat the heck out of it too. That's how she found out about Caesar salads on our cruise, now a favorite. Hey, I didn't say the new foods are always healthy ones, did I? In the past year, she has even tolerated mushrooms a few times, and generally eats what I cook. But given the choice (like at WDW), she still goes for "safe" foods. And you know, she was born with a very strong sense of smell and taste. She's never liked sour foods, spicy foods, foods with certain textures. I remember walking into an Indian restaurant once when she was about 6, and having to leave because she was having a panic attack - from the smell! It wasn't faked, either. Some kids are just a little different, but there's hope for the future. I do remember that for a year in elementary school I had a sandwich every day that consisted of a piece of baloney and two pieces of white bread, and that I always ordered my McDonald's hamburgers with a bun and a piece of meat, nothing else. And now I'm Ms. Adventurous Eater! Diana

 

[threeboysmom]

Renee, can I sign my children up........and my husband too!! We suffer from picky eater syndrome big time at my house. Drives me nuts..... My husband is probably the worst of all, followed very closely by my 6 year old who very rarely will eat more than a bite of his dinner.

 

[Julia M]

I have a picky eater...one of my three kids. The other two eat a greater variety of foods.

I have the situation where I tried not letting him eat much for dinner (I put a small spoonful of each on his plate) and he didn't get anything else until he cleared his plate. Of course, he didn't, and every night for a month would starve and then eat b'fast in the morning, and vomit 3 of 5 mornings, because he was so hungry the food went in and then came out. So, that didn't work well.

My strategy, that has worked a bit, is offer the same veggie for dinner every night for a week or two. For example, he'll get a few peas (like 2 or 3) the first night, and choke them down. Then it's 3 or 4 the next night. he's up to eating 2 spoons worth now! It was kind of desensitizing him to it. I did it with rice, also. I picked things I liked to serve, and that he would encounter more places (like corn, rice etc) He still doesn't like veggies, but at least he's getting used to some. Kids like this need that every day getting used to it, not trying something new every day. I also only made him try one thing he didn't like. If I was serving chicken, with rice and peas, I would ask him which one he wanted a serving of, and only make him deal with one thing that night.

Also, maturing helps. At 6, my son ate virtually nothing but pb (no jelly), chicken nuggest and french fries. Now at least he eats apples and grapes, rice, mashed potatoes, hamburgers, tacos (plain) and lots of other stuff.

Once he started eating a hamburger, I made plain hamburger meat (and showed him me cooking it) and put it in taco shells with cheese. After he was used to that, I made it with the taco seasoning and he didn't notice. Then I made meatloaf, and showed him the meat and and bread crumbs and ketchup and he started eating meat loaf.

Don't get me wrong, he's still picky. But, much improved.

Julia