Help child friendly places to eat?? Opinions on places we have in mind?

[lilandvisma]

So we are going to be back in Feb and with august quickly approaching I am trying to plan for where we are going to be eating. I am seriously obsessing over this, its crazy, but I know I'm not alone here!

We will have the DDP and it will be hubby and myself as well as our three younger children. Also, my friend and her hubby and son who will be turning one at the time will be coming with us as well (might not have all of the same ressies but she is new to dining at disney so I'm trying to help her out too!).

We will be returning to Ohanas, SciFi, Crystal Palace...deciding between lunch and dinner? I really loved lunch there last time but not sure if dinner would be different? We loved the storybook princess breakfast at Epcot but if we go again I'm wanting to perhaps try lunch or dinner, however am a bit nervous regarding the food served then. We aren't really breakfast eaters.

I'm thinking about trying Garden Grill? Any opinions on this place? I do love turkey and gravy, dressing so the meal looked pretty good to me. Also, With three kids I'm trying to avoid too many buffets and know this is served family style. This is why I would choose GG over chef mickeys, though I've never had the food at CM?? I want to also have at least one sit down meal that is nice but not too nice with young kids tagging along lol. I hear good things about France and bad things regarding coral reef now...which is more child friendly? We do not care for seafood too much...we like steak, chicken, and love good desserts I loved loved kona dinner on our last trip but I want to try some new things this time.

We have ate at 1900 PF and hated everything about it. I can't even type about our experience there. UGH. Tusker House as well, but LOVED our experience there.

I need at least 6 places to eat. SciFi will be paid for OOP. So lets see...

1. Ohana
2. CP
3. Akershus
4.??
5.????!
6.!@#$

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch!

A few others I'm contemplating....

Big River Grille and Tony's at MK?

 

[TxRabbit]

I've never eaten at Garden Grill, so I can't comment on the food. It seems like a neat experience though, with the seating overlooking portions of the boat ride through the land.

We did lunch at Akershus last June. LOVED it. I took pictures of the appie buffet and our meals in my 2009 review (link in signature). DS couldn't make up his mind between the pasta and the cheese pizza. Our server actually brought both out for him. I really enjoyed my lobster bisque soup and grilled salmon sandwich. And we loved the offerings on the buffet. I would highly recommend lunch.

Our experience at Chefs is also in my review. It was a late meal. It did not go well being a late meal. However, I wouldn't mind trying an earlier dinner or even lunch, especially with Remi there. The food was good, but after eating at so many signatures (we were on deluxe dining), it struck me as being not as good as those. I liked sitting in the solarium area. Service was just super duper ooper smooper SLOOOOOOOOOOW.

Where are you thinking of staying? That might help with suggestions for TS possibilities.

 

[Ariel on Land]

I'm a fan of Garden Grill. Mostly because the characters are awesome, and they repeatedly get great reviews. The food- to me is perfectly delicious. It's not "fine dining" but it's good, solid food that most families like. And like you, I go for sit down, bring me food meals over get up and go get it buffets any day. I realize the convenience of getting food fast is good, but if you're like me, I'm the one who has to be getting up and making all the trips for me and the kids while DH sits w/ the kids and only has to make trips for his food. Doesn't make an enjoyable eating experience IMO. I had thought of doing something different and going w/ CMs this trip, but the buffet style meal was the deal breaker.

We did Coral Reef last trip too, and liked it. Although for young kids, I'd go w/ GG for the characters. Unless you're really close to the aquarium, the fish won't keep the little ones' attention.

 

[squirrel]

Coral Reef does have steak. The food here for us was good, service slow and not very good.

I like the buffets, kids don't have to wait for the food. Cape May Cafe was good. I found enough to eat and I don't like seafood and the desserts were very good.

The Wave also was good.

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

So we are going to be back in Feb and with august quickly approaching I am trying to plan for where we are going to be eating. I am seriously obsessing over this, its crazy, but I know I'm not alone here!

We will have the DDP and it will be hubby and myself as well as our three younger children. Also, my friend and her hubby and son who will be turning one at the time will be coming with us as well (might not have all of the same ressies but she is new to dining at disney so I'm trying to help her out too!).

We will be returning to Ohanas, SciFi, Crystal Palace...deciding between lunch and dinner? I really loved lunch there last time but not sure if dinner would be different? We loved the storybook princess breakfast at Epcot but if we go again I'm wanting to perhaps try lunch or dinner, however am a bit nervous regarding the food served then. We aren't really breakfast eaters.

I'm thinking about trying Garden Grill? Any opinions on this place? I do love turkey and gravy, dressing so the meal looked pretty good to me. Also, With three kids I'm trying to avoid too many buffets and know this is served family style. This is why I would choose GG over chef mickeys, though I've never had the food at CM?? I want to also have at least one sit down meal that is nice but not too nice with young kids tagging along lol. I hear good things about France and bad things regarding coral reef now...which is more child friendly? We do not care for seafood too much...we like steak, chicken, and love good desserts I loved loved kona dinner on our last trip but I want to try some new things this time.

We have ate at 1900 PF and hated everything about it. I can't even type about our experience there. UGH. Tusker House as well, but LOVED our experience there.

I need at least 6 places to eat. SciFi will be paid for OOP. So lets see...

1. Ohana
2. CP
3. Akershus
4.??
5.????!
6.!@#$

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch!

A few others I'm contemplating....

Big River Grille and Tony's at MK?

The Grand Floridian Cafe has a nice family atmosphere and great service...also the Kona Cafe is a hidden jewell!

 

[rndmr2]

I have eaten at the Garden Grill a couple of times and really liked it but it was in the late 90's so maybe things have changed, I know the characters are basically the same (Minnie was there when I was there in 98 but I don't think she is anymore...)

I really liked Coral Reef and DH and I are not seafood eaters either. I will eat some things here and there, but I had chicken at the Coral Reef and let me tell you, it was one of the best meals I ever had!! DH had Pork. We really liked it and our service was fairly good, we were far away from the aquarium, though. They were very kid friendly, though (pretty much all WDW restaurants are, though, dont they have to be? )and they give you a card with pics of all the different fish you might see in the tank.

 

[lilandvisma]

I've never eaten at Garden Grill, so I can't comment on the food. It seems like a neat experience though, with the seating overlooking portions of the boat ride through the land.

We did lunch at Akershus last June. LOVED it. I took pictures of the appie buffet and our meals in my 2009 review (link in signature). DS couldn't make up his mind between the pasta and the cheese pizza. Our server actually brought both out for him. I really enjoyed my lobster bisque soup and grilled salmon sandwich. And we loved the offerings on the buffet. I would highly recommend lunch.

Our experience at Chefs is also in my review. It was a late meal. It did not go well being a late meal. However, I wouldn't mind trying an earlier dinner or even lunch, especially with Remi there. The food was good, but after eating at so many signatures (we were on deluxe dining), it struck me as being not as good as those. I liked sitting in the solarium area. Service was just super duper ooper smooper SLOOOOOOOOOOW.

Where are you thinking of staying? That might help with suggestions for TS possibilities.

We loved our BF at Akershus, it was great and the food was sooo fresh. I'm excited to try either lunch or dinner there Do you recall if snow white was there for lunch? I know it can be a toss up as to which princesses will be there.

As for where we are staying, not 100%... but the girls really want to stay at movies. Since we are hardly ever in our room during our vacation I can't really find a reason to go moderate (esp. while they are still this young). And we are too poor to go deluxe

DH wants to try the deluxe plan. So now I have yet another thing to contemplate. ugghhh, good thing I have time on my side lol. It might not be a bad thing however since I was planning on doing CRT and sci fi for sure and paying OOP for the both of them. And we always end up buying the refillable mug...if I add that all up there probably wont be much of a $$ difference.

 

[lilandvisma]

I'm a fan of Garden Grill. Mostly because the characters are awesome, and they repeatedly get great reviews. The food- to me is perfectly delicious. It's not "fine dining" but it's good, solid food that most families like. And like you, I go for sit down, bring me food meals over get up and go get it buffets any day. I realize the convenience of getting food fast is good, but if you're like me, I'm the one who has to be getting up and making all the trips for me and the kids while DH sits w/ the kids and only has to make trips for his food. Doesn't make an enjoyable eating experience IMO. I had thought of doing something different and going w/ CMs this trip, but the buffet style meal was the deal breaker.

We did Coral Reef last trip too, and liked it. Although for young kids, I'd go w/ GG for the characters. Unless you're really close to the aquarium, the fish won't keep the little ones' attention.

Yes, I am like you...DH sits and eats and eats some more while I'm usually the one going back and forth getting the kiddos their food and monitoring what my now 8 year old is doing up there (has a tendancy to put waaay too much food on her plate and strike up conversations with total strangers lol). I dislike going to buffets at home because of this. I'd rather order one plate of something I know I like and will eat. I'm not a big eater either which makes me feel as though I never get my moneys worth at buffets. DH can really make up for that though

My girls are pretty patient with waiting for their food to be brought to the table. I think one or two buffets would be do-able but not as many as we did last trip. It became boring and ...frankly...a pain in the you know what.

 

[lilandvisma]

Thanks for all the replies!

I LOVED kona and if we decide to do deluxe will be back. I have also heard good things about cape may as well. I'm still kinda iffy on coral reef and france...idk! I have a bit of time to think about things which helps.

I just like getting opinions on things. Last time I really wish I would have listened to ya'll about 1900 PF dinner....uggggghhh, I still shudder thinking about that dinner ewwwwwwww

 

[TxRabbit]

Do you recall if snow white was there for lunch? I know it can be a toss up as to which princesses will be there.

Snow was there for lunch. We had Aurora, Cinderella, Snow White, and Ariel. The picture was with Belle in her big yellow ball gown.

DH wants to try the deluxe plan. So now I have yet another thing to contemplate. ugghhh, good thing I have time on my side lol. It might not be a bad thing however since I was planning on doing CRT and sci fi for sure and paying OOP for the both of them. And we always end up buying the refillable mug...if I add that all up there probably wont be much of a $$ difference.

We did the deluxe plan last June. It was fun to do all the planning. In the end, I didn't allow for enough CS options though. I planned for several Signature Restaurants. I thought character meal breakfasts/early lunches and Signature meals would be a less scheduled trip. Our dinners were scheduled earlier than later because of this and it felt like we were always rushing to dinner. Toward the end of the week, it got to be really annoying.

My advice when planning for a deluxe dining trip would be to not get too caught up in all the TS choices. You have to allow for the CS meals. And try to only plan for a select FEW destination dining experiences.

 

[Ariel on Land]

I'm not a big eater either which makes me feel as though I never get my moneys worth at buffets. DH can really make up for that though

We'd make pretty good dining buddies! I'm definitely not a big eater, and I NEVER get my money's worth at buffets, especially now that we have kids. By the time I get everyone's food, and then the kids want seconds, I've only had time to eat one plate when the boys have reached their "sitting still" time limit!!

Oh and DH and I had the Princess Dinner on our non-kid trip. Dinner was really good. The salad/cheese/salmon/etc appetizer buffet was very good, and had a lot of options. I'm sure you could find things for the kids. And at least for that one, it's just the first part that's a buffet, so really, you can get away with going through once and not returning since the rest of the food is served at the table. I had the (oh, I'm not even going to try to spell it... starts w/ a K, is kinda like a meatloaf?) it was very tasty, and I'm pretty sure my boys would have liked it. And especially with little girls, the princesses would be a huge hit. All of the princesses (Ariel, Jasmine, CInderella, Aurora and photo op w/ Belle were at our meal) were very good characters and enjoyed chatting with every one of them!

Good luck! Hope you come up with a great dining schedule!