Help with ADR Selection - Suggestions/Must Dos

[Frozen2014]

We can make our ADRs end of next month so am trying to figure out what to (try and) book and need help. Warning...sorry I'm very detailed so long post ...lol.

I'm definitely going to try to book the following but need help on other suggestions (if any):

• Boma breakfast (60+4 days)
• Chef Mickey's breakfast (60+7 days)

A few notes as it may help suggestions

1. Staying at Contemporary with 2 teenagers
2. Coming end of August (so hot!!!)
3. Not going to a park on arrival day (may head over to Disney Springs)
4. DH and I don't eat meat, but do eat fish. Kids eat meat. Our older one is not adventurous and quite picky.
5. We have 2 park days at Epcot, with the first day hopefully having extended hours, so am thinking this may be a good day to add a sit down ADR. But this is day 60+2 so not sure if hard to book
6. We also have 2 park days as Magic Kingdom so option to book on one of these days too

Ok....so for opinions...

1. Do you have any "must do" ADRs that are Disney special?
2. For Epcot, I'm thinking maybe Via Napoli as food looks good, but it doesn't seem like it's anything Disney special (e.g. no special theming or unique)
3. What about Space 220 or Garden Grill? Both are $55 pp (more for us as we're Canadian) so expensive. I've heard Space is cool theming but not good food. For Garden Grill, not sure we want another buffet.
4. Suggestions for arrival day? Not sure if we should book ADR or just stick to quick service. Our flight should arrive 1pm or so shouldn't be an issue.
5. Or...should we just stick with Quick Service for the rest?

 

[thebigman65]

If your staying at the Contemporary, then you should do California Grill. Its one of the best on property. If going to Disney Springs on arrival day, there is plenty to eat without an ADR. Chicken Guy is great, the food trucks are awesome (get the Lobster Mac and Cheese), etc. for Epcot, its hard to say because its always so much better when the international program is running, which it will be shortly, but not sure for your trip timing. Via Napoli is good, but heard not so much lately. We went to Chef des France in April, it is always consistent, not the best, but pretty darn good. For MK, we never really eat there for table service, but plenty of good quick service option like Cosmic Rays, Pecos Bills, some of the food stands like outside adventure land, you can get Cheeseburger spring rolls! For sit downs, I would go with either Crystal Palace (buffet), The Plaza, or Be our Guest. All of them are not fantastic, if it were me, I would go somewhere at one of the resorts, like Trottoria Al Forno (Boardwalk), Jiko (Animal Kingdom Lodge), Citrico's (Grand Floridian). Hope this helps!

 

[Frozen2014]

Thank you for the feedback. I see that California Grill gets really good reviews but (1) it's a bit above what we'd want to spend (2) don't think it would be a good choice for our DS who is picky (and I'm not a sushi person).

I'm pretty sure that Food & Wine Festival will still be going on when we go (last week in August). Don't know anything about it. Unfortunately it works out that our second Epcot day is a Friday (as I heard bad crowds) but it's just how our days work out.

We've been to DW once before and was able to go to Be Our Guest. Beautiful and the room is truly magical! Probably won't go back this time. Crystal Palace or The Plaza are good?

 

[jacknsally19]

We can make our ADRs end of next month so am trying to figure out what to (try and) book and need help. Warning...sorry I'm very detailed so long post ...lol.

I'm definitely going to try to book the following but need help on other suggestions (if any):

• Boma breakfast (60+4 days)
• Chef Mickey's breakfast (60+7 days)

A few notes as it may help suggestions

1. Staying at Contemporary with 2 teenagers
2. Coming end of August (so hot!!!)
3. Not going to a park on arrival day (may head over to Disney Springs)
4. DH and I don't eat meat, but do eat fish. Kids eat meat. Our older one is not adventurous and quite picky.
5. We have 2 park days at Epcot, with the first day hopefully having extended hours, so am thinking this may be a good day to add a sit down ADR. But this is day 60+2 so not sure if hard to book
6. We also have 2 park days as Magic Kingdom so option to book on one of these days too

Ok....so for opinions...

1. Do you have any "must do" ADRs that are Disney special?
2. For Epcot, I'm thinking maybe Via Napoli as food looks good, but it doesn't seem like it's anything Disney special (e.g. no special theming or unique)
3. What about Space 220 or Garden Grill? Both are $55 pp (more for us as we're Canadian) so expensive. I've heard Space is cool theming but not good food. For Garden Grill, not sure we want another buffet.
4. Suggestions for arrival day? Not sure if we should book ADR or just stick to quick service. Our flight should arrive 1pm or so shouldn't be an issue.
5. Or...should we just stick with Quick Service for the rest?

- Garden Grill is pretty great IMO. Its not a buffet - its family style. I like that as its a much more relaxed dining experience and we've always enjoyed the food there. I don't think you will have an issue booking that or Via Napoli. Via Napoli is good but I don't really love pizza when I'm super hot.
- Arrival day I would suggest eating at one of the monorail restaurants or Wilderness Lodge for dinner. Kona Cafe would be my recommendation and they have really good drinks at the Polynesian (which is a huge plus on travel day!)

 

[Frozen2014]

- Garden Grill is pretty great IMO. Its not a buffet - its family style. I like that as its a much more relaxed dining experience and we've always enjoyed the food there. I don't think you will have an issue booking that or Via Napoli. Via Napoli is good but I don't really love pizza when I'm super hot.
- Arrival day I would suggest eating at one of the monorail restaurants or Wilderness Lodge for dinner. Kona Cafe would be my recommendation and they have really good drinks at the Polynesian (which is a huge plus on travel day!)

Thank you. Thought Garden Grill is a buffet. Wondering if it's not a good choice considering DH and I don't eat meat?

I hear you...maybe pizza isn't best choice when it's crazy hot.

I looked at the menu for Kona Cafe. It doesn't seem like a good fit for our family.
Also last time we ate at Ohana's at Polynesian. Food was good but I was very sick the next day. Think it triggered a migraine so Polynesian eaves a bad taste.

How far a walk is it to Beaches and Cream from Epcot? I had posted about that last week. It seems simple but our family may enjoy that (unless the walk is torture on a hot day) - Or maybe it's not worth leaving the park for it.

 

[Haygar2]

Grand Floridian Cafe is delicious. That could be an option for one of your MK days.

 

[CarolynFH]

How far a walk is it to Beaches and Cream from Epcot? I had posted about that last week. It seems simple but our family may enjoy that (unless the walk is torture on a hot day) - Or maybe it's not worth leaving the park for it.

From the IG at Epcot to the entrance of the BC is probably a 10 minute walk, possibly less. Then there's a little more of a walk indoors and out again to get to B&C, which faces Stormalong Bay. I think it's a great place to take a break from Epcot, whether you have a full meal or just dessert.

 

[isabellea]

For MK, check the Skipper Canteen menu. I find Epcot difficult for TS restaurants. Due to many food restrictions, none really appeal to us. We will probably only eat at QS and I will try to get a Space 220 lounge ADR (won’t go unless I get lounge but the day I want it is 60+10 so .

 

[Frozen2014]

From the IG at Epcot to the entrance of the BC is probably a 10 minute walk, possibly less. Then there's a little more of a walk indoors and out again to get to B&C, which faces Stormalong Bay. I think it's a great place to take a break from Epcot, whether you have a full meal or just dessert.

Thanks! This place seems like a table service that may work..just a matter if we want to leave the park and come back...esp on a hot day.

For MK, check the Skipper Canteen menu. I find Epcot difficult for TS restaurants. Due to many food restrictions, none really appeal to us. We will probably only eat at QS and I will try to get a Space 220 lounge ADR (won’t go unless I get lounge but the day I want it is 60+10 so .

Good luck...sounds promising if you are trying Space for 60+10. The lounge lets you enjoy the atmosphere but its just snacks right?

 

[isabellea]

Good luck...sounds promising if you are trying Space for 60+10. The lounge lets you enjoy the atmosphere but its just snacks right?

The lounge has its own menu (mostly appetizers) and you can also order from the restaurant menu. I don’t find the restaurant full menu worth the money. Especially with how low our Dollar is right now. The lounge is also expensive for what it is but my family will probably love atmosphere. It’s also our last trip to WDW for many, many years after almost yearly trips pre-covid so we want to enjoy all the new stuff!

 

[Her Dotness]

Since Cali Grill is beyond your budget, you'll probably want to avoid Citricos which is about that pricey and similarly fancy food. Same for Narcoosees at the GF, too. I agree, though, that GF Cafe is very good and fairly easy to get, also not as expensive.

Have you considered 50's Prime Time? It has basic, traditional American food. What we call "farmer food" in Middle America.

Trattoria al Forno was excellent when we ate both breakfast and dinner there in November. Has basic Italian food for picky eaters as well as more elaborate fare. Not terrifically expensive, either.

Friday during FWF will probably be pretty crowded. It has been when we've done FWF near its end. Generally, avoiding DS on weekends is advisable, too, as it is mobbed by locals.

Otherwise, eating your way around the FWF kiosks can be fun and tasty but gets expensive fast with quite a lot of items costing $8-$10 for a small portion. You're probably best advised to walk about looking for what appeals most to each person and trying only a few things.

Btw, 60+2 or 60+4 isn't the main concern. Go for ADRs on the days at the end of your stay first and work backwards. You'll generally get more of what you want that way since most start with their Day #1 and proceed from it.

 

[docindigo76]

Thank you. Thought Garden Grill is a buffet. Wondering if it's not a good choice considering DH and I don't eat meat?

My BF and I had dinner at Garden Grill during our December trip. It's definitely doable for a non-meat eater, but depending on how you like to balance your meals, it may not be the best. That said, the food was tasty and prepared well, but the vegetarian skillet was very, very carb heavy...they brought me the herb-leek stuffing, mashed potatoes, rice pilaf (I think...), mixed vegetables (corn and lima beans), mac and cheese, and we shared a green salad. The chef did add some extra fresh berries on this for us as a bonus when he heard I was vegetarian--a nice touch! At the point in the day we had dinner, I was so hungry that food was food, but I definitely missed having another plant-based protein like tofu or chickpeas. We were there for the characters most of all, which were adorable, especially Chip and Dale.

The presentation of my pizza at Via Napoli was beautiful. I customized a veggie pizza with light cheese and since I don't eat red sauce, left that off and basically had a flatbread. Didn't weigh me down, and I would definitely do this again.

For plant-based skillets, my favorite one was at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom. That one was a bit more balanced with a curried chickpea option and mixed veggies including carrots and green beans, and fresh green salad. I have this one booked again for my June trip.

Enjoy your trip and have fun!

 

[Frozen2014]

The lounge has its own menu (mostly appetizers) and you can also order from the restaurant menu. I don’t find the restaurant full menu worth the money. Especially with how low our Dollar is right now. The lounge is also expensive for what it is but my family will probably love atmosphere. It’s also our last trip to WDW for many, many years after almost yearly trips pre-covid so we want to enjoy all the new stuff!

Can totally related...Canadian too so we feel the dollar. This trip is our second and probably last trip to WDW with our kids. It's actually a special bday gift for our daughter who is turning 13. So get how you want the new stuff and want to make it special...but in budget friendly way. It's good that they have the lounge option for Space. Was hoping the dining plan would be back (and possibly free dining for end of summer) but doesn't look like it.

 

[Frozen2014]

Since Cali Grill is beyond your budget, you'll probably want to avoid Citricos which is about that pricey and similarly fancy food. Same for Narcoosees at the GF, too. I agree, though, that GF Cafe is very good and fairly easy to get, also not as expensive.

Have you considered 50's Prime Time? It has basic, traditional American food. What we call "farmer food" in Middle America.

Trattoria al Forno was excellent when we ate both breakfast and dinner there in November. Has basic Italian food for picky eaters as well as more elaborate fare. Not terrifically expensive, either.

Friday during FWF will probably be pretty crowded. It has been when we've done FWF near its end. Generally, avoiding DS on weekends is advisable, too, as it is mobbed by locals.

Otherwise, eating your way around the FWF kiosks can be fun and tasty but gets expensive fast with quite a lot of items costing $8-$10 for a small portion. You're probably best advised to walk about looking for what appeals most to each person and trying only a few things.

Btw, 60+2 or 60+4 isn't the main concern. Go for ADRs on the days at the end of your stay first and work backwards. You'll generally get more of what you want that way since most start with their Day #1 and proceed from it.

Thanks...yeah probably avoid the fine dining extra fancy places. Will keep GF Cafe in mind. We almost stayed there so might be good so we can at least see it. (Selected Contemporary instead for the walk to MK).

50s Prime Time looks fun for the theming...just not sure if we want a longer meal at HS as we'll just have one day there (and DS and DH are big Star Wars fans). WIth FP+, we at least knew the timing so could book the other around it (forget if ADRs or FP were booked first but it worked). With Genie+, those are booked at the time so seems harder to coordinate.

Yeah, we would have selected the Thurs for Epcot and MK for the Friday...but Friday will be a party night so had to swap the park days. Sounds like the festival is worthwhile though and will check it out. Thanks for the tips! HS studios is mid week.

Good to know...When I do a spot check, Chef Mickey's is always fully booked....so hoping 60+7 won't be an issue to get a reservation (our departure morning). it definitely seems like a challenge to book what you want these days,

 

[Frozen2014]

My BF and I had dinner at Garden Grill during our December trip. It's definitely doable for a non-meat eater, but depending on how you like to balance your meals, it may not be the best. That said, the food was tasty and prepared well, but the vegetarian skillet was very, very carb heavy...they brought me the herb-leek stuffing, mashed potatoes, rice pilaf (I think...), mixed vegetables (corn and lima beans), mac and cheese, and we shared a green salad. The chef did add some extra fresh berries on this for us as a bonus when he heard I was vegetarian--a nice touch! At the point in the day we had dinner, I was so hungry that food was food, but I definitely missed having another plant-based protein like tofu or chickpeas. We were there for the characters most of all, which were adorable, especially Chip and Dale.

The presentation of my pizza at Via Napoli was beautiful. I customized a veggie pizza with light cheese and since I don't eat red sauce, left that off and basically had a flatbread. Didn't weigh me down, and I would definitely do this again.

For plant-based skillets, my favorite one was at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom. That one was a bit more balanced with a curried chickpea option and mixed veggies including carrots and green beans, and fresh green salad. I have this one booked again for my June trip.

Enjoy your trip and have fun!

Thanks so much. Didn't realize that they even offer a veggie option for Garden Grill (didn't see it listed on the menu where others do).

Good to know too that you enjoyed Via Napoli. I'm on the fence about it...just since it seems like we can go downtown where I live and get the same kind of thing. (And someone above made a good point about pizza on a hot day)

 

[Anna131517]

We really really enjoyed Space 220 and we always love Garden Grill. However, they are both very pricey. It’s up to you whether you want to spend that much.

We tried Jungle Navigation Company Skipper’s Cantina for the first time in Magic Kingdom this last trip and really enjoyed it. Check out their menu and see if you’d like it.

Since you’re going to be at the Contemporary check out Steakhouse71. We really enjoyed our lunch there. Or you could always head over to Ohana at Poly.

We always love Sci Fi at Hollywood Studios but we really really enjoyed Woody’s Lunchbox (an outdoor Quick Serve place in Toy Story Land).

When you’re in Epcot you could take a little detour to Beaches and Cream for the Kitchen Sink Sundae if you eat ice cream.

 

[jacknsally19]

Thank you. Thought Garden Grill is a buffet. Wondering if it's not a good choice considering DH and I don't eat meat?

I hear you...maybe pizza isn't best choice when it's crazy hot.

I looked at the menu for Kona Cafe. It doesn't seem like a good fit for our family.
Also last time we ate at Ohana's at Polynesian. Food was good but I was very sick the next day. Think it triggered a migraine so Polynesian eaves a bad taste.

How far a walk is it to Beaches and Cream from Epcot? I had posted about that last week. It seems simple but our family may enjoy that (unless the walk is torture on a hot day) - Or maybe it's not worth leaving the park for it.

I would check the menu for but I think Garden Grill will accommodate you not eating meat.

If you are open to another buffet - Trails End on arrival night would be great. You can take the boat over and the food is pretty good. Also, there is a lot to walk around and see....

Beaches and Cream isn't too far of a walk... But you can get easily get ice cream / burgers in Epcot. So I'm not sure its necessarily worth the walk (?)

 

[Frozen2014]

We really really enjoyed Space 220 and we always love Garden Grill. However, they are both very pricey. It’s up to you whether you want to spend that much.

We tried Jungle Navigation Company Skipper’s Cantina for the first time in Magic Kingdom this last trip and really enjoyed it. Check out their menu and see if you’d like it.

Since you’re going to be at the Contemporary check out Steakhouse71. We really enjoyed our lunch there. Or you could always head over to Ohana at Poly.

We always love Sci Fi at Hollywood Studios but we really really enjoyed Woody’s Lunchbox (an outdoor Quick Serve place in Toy Story Land).

When you’re in Epcot you could take a little detour to Beaches and Cream for the Kitchen Sink Sundae if you eat ice cream.

Thanks. Yeah, pricey but we would be open to adding one more at the $55 range (and rest would be quick service). Good to know that you enjoyed both Space and Garden Grill. I think our kids would like the theming of Space (guessing we wouldn't be able to book it though if going for 60+2)

Won't do Ohana's as it triggered a horrible migraine last trip (so bad I was nauseous all next day).

Thanks for the QS suggesiton at HS...will take a look.

For Beaches and Cream...yeah of course...the ice cream is the main reason to go there...lol

 

[Frozen2014]

Beaches and Cream isn't too far of a walk... But you can get easily get ice cream / burgers in Epcot. So I'm not sure its necessarily worth the walk (?)

Great to know. Any specific suggestions? Or would this be part of Food and Wine Festival?

 

[butterscotchcollins]

For Epcot, San Angel Inn is always our must-do! But if you plan on hitting the F&W booths you can get really full snacking all day so a TS on the same day might be a bit much.