Help! Can't decide where to eat 1st day

[Candice30]

make that the whole trip. i hadn't planned on making many ADRs but am now having second thoughts. not sure what is left for me as our trip is about 40 days away. we are going for 7 days and i have TWO ADRs! i know.........bad aunt. i have hoop-dee-doo and hollywood & vine booked so far. i have been pouring over the reviews and menus and just am so confused. i am planning the meals totally around the kids as i can find something to eat anywhere. the kids are 10 and 11 yrs old and won't eat fish, seafood, anything with sauce, soups, etc... i'm sure many of you here can relate and i don't want to spend all of our time at counter service places.

looking for ideas for our 1st night. we arrive in orlando around 9:30 am and are hitting MKG our first day. any thoughts on a good restaurant for them? i've never done a character meal and wasn't planning on any as i don't think it will appeal to the kids at all but it appears to be the only choices for decent food choices for them.

any thoughts?

 

[septbaby]

Hey, I'm also planning an auntie nephew trip. Are you on the Dining Plan? Also a 6 night or 7 night stay?

 

[ParkPrincess]

For MK, I'd choose Crystal Palace because it's a buffet and has a big variety. The characters will be fun no matter the age. The atmosphere is what's fun. The counter service restaurants in MK are okay, in my opinion. If that doesn't interest you, try Liberty Tree Tavern. It's family style dining. If they're picky eaters, that may not work.

 

[MickeyNicki]

What I did with our nieces is book just breakfast reservations since that is the food they are not picky about and then just do CS for lunch and dinner....not only is it cheaper that way but the girls wont complain as much.

 

[rcraw45425]

Our first night tradition has been 'Ohana for the past few years. Is it feasible for you to leave the park for a little bit to dine at a resort, then return to the park? It's good to get away from the hustle and bustle for a little while and relax IMO

 

[Candice30]

we are staying 6 nights 7 days and i decided against the dining plan. i was thinking crystal palace but is ADRs possible this close to my dates?

i also thought about liberty tree tavern. i have always wanted to eat there and i think the kids will eat the stuff there. i guess i always avoided it because of the characters but maybe i should give it another thought too.

ohana's menu didn't look to have much variety for them. for me great but not sure about them. i guess it is hard because they are not my kids so i just don't want to be in a situation where they aren't happy with food choices and this 10 and 11 year old like to eat and can put away adult portions big time.

 

[hiwaygal]

How old are the kids?

My DH and I LOVE Liberty Tree Tavern! The food is "normal" Thanksgiving type fare (no fancy stuff...our palates are just not that refined ) and the characters are great!

If you don't have a character meal planned, I would definitely try one! Just figure out which characters would be more interesting for you all to meet. Crystal Palace has the Pooh characters (I think) and LTT has Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald and Daisy (last time I checked).

Getting an ADR might be easier if you are a bit flexible with your time (maybe an early or late sitting).

 

[septbaby]

we are staying 6 nights 7 days and i decided against the dining plan. i was thinking crystal palace but is ADRs possible this close to my dates?

i also thought about liberty tree tavern. i have always wanted to eat there and i think the kids will eat the stuff there. i guess i always avoided it because of the characters but maybe i should give it another thought too.

ohana's menu didn't look to have much variety for them. for me great but not sure about them. i guess it is hard because they are not my kids so i just don't want to be in a situation where they aren't happy with food choices and this 10 and 11 year old like to eat and can put away adult portions big time.

Will they eat spaghetti? If so Tony's would be an option.

You may simply want to stay CS if you're going to stay inside MK. Cosmic Ray's has full meals that are big enough to share: chicken, ribs, potatoes and veggies. There is also a chicken sandwich on the menu.

Other Meal Ideas:
Character Meals -
Chef Mickey's as a character meal. The buffet is pretty big, the 5 characters are FUN (we doesn't love a hug from Mickey or high 5 from Goofy or Donald). That is one to consider for B or Dinner during your trip
The Garden Grill is a rotating restaurant sitting high up in Epcot and has a really basic menu.

Unique and Special Dining
Coral Reef also in Epcot was really cool with the aquarium. When you consider a place like Coral Reef be sure to look at the kids menu too. My nephew had a good sized pizza there and those meals come with appetizer and dessert for the price. Though past the kids age they'd be allowed to order off that menu and at the TS places the portions might be enough; probably not enough at CS except for the breakfast platter.

Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge A trip to AKL would be wonderful for the 3 of you and the Boma buffet would be a well deserved culinary treat for an auntie like you AND there are enough plain things for the kids to enjoy. Its the one meal I've planned for me on the next trip. We did dinner there last trip and now we'll try breakfast. My nephew is a really good breakfast eater so we should be able to last at AK until our dinner at Chef Mickey's.

Finally, don't dismiss the CS options. You'll likely find some of the most appropiate meal options for them right at Pop. The Values and Mods tend to have good full meal menus for value prices at WDW so eating "at home" might make terriffic sense for you.

 

[DISNEY1975]

we are staying 6 nights 7 days and i decided against the dining plan. i was thinking crystal palace but is ADRs possible this close to my dates?

i also thought about liberty tree tavern. i have always wanted to eat there and i think the kids will eat the stuff there. i guess i always avoided it because of the characters but maybe i should give it another thought too.

ohana's menu didn't look to have much variety for them. for me great but not sure about them. i guess it is hard because they are not my kids so i just don't want to be in a situation where they aren't happy with food choices and this 10 and 11 year old like to eat and can put away adult portions big time.

Whether or not something is available is a question of a CM! Call them and ask!!

As for what restaurant..I would pick Liberty Tree over Crystal Palace for dinner. Usually my family (w/ teens) just eats at the hotel our first night. Even though we are so excited to be there, we are pooped from getting up early, getting to the airport, flying etc...you may feel like you have all the energy in the world, but after a long day of travel and walking around the MK, when you finally sit down for that meal, its a lot harder to get up.

Save your $ for a table service another night. Burgers/pizza/chicken fingers/ sandwich wraps etc...should be fine for the kids. You'll be surprised that they are probably more tired than hungry by dinner time.

After dinner, your can take a walk around your hotel, stroll aroundDowntown Disney or simply go to bed and get a fresh early start in the morning!