help with choosing restaurants please !

[cantwait!!!!!!!!!!!!]

Have just realised we can make reservations from 11th Feb which is fast approaching so have spent the evening considering where we would like to go. Its the first time we have taken the children to Florida, they will be 7 and 11. The 7 year old can be fussy so we've tried to include a lot of buffets.
any comments on our choices so far ?We have the table service DDP

Breakfasts
Crystal Palace
Tusker house


Lunches
Tonys Town Square
Sci fi diner

Dinners
Planet Hollywood
tutto Italia
Hollywood and vine (fantasmic package )
SSR ( we are staying here )
Coral Reef
Boma

Dinner Show
Hoop de doo

Thanks, its so confusing !

 

[disneyholic family]

while the crystal palace is nice for breakfast, i feel that when you're on the dining plan, it's much better value if you eat there for lunch or dinner....
it costs the same single table service credit whether you have breakfast, lunch or dinner there...but if you pay for it out of pocket, the dinner is much much more costly....so you're getting a more expensive meal for the same 1 table service credit...
and the characters are there at breakfast, lunch and dinner.....

another good character buffet for dinner is chef mickeys, though between the two, we feel the crystal palace dinner is better....but they're both good and a good value when you're on the dining plan (though not when you're paying out of pocket).....

 

[wayneg]

We have always been buffet fans, eaten at places like Ponderosa, Golden Corral, Sweet Tomatoes for years, onsite we have enjoyed Boma & Trails end.
DDP totally changed us, we did some buffets, Cape May, 1900 Park Fare, Chef Mickeys, Crystal Palace (twice) but didn't enjoy them half as much as table service. This August I doubt we will do many buffets at all.

We really enjoyed O'hanas, Wispering Canyon & Liberty Tree, all family dining, not buffets but they bring you as much as you want to eat.

 

[disneyholic family]

We have always been buffet fans, eaten at places like Ponderosa, Golden Corral, Sweet Tomatoes for years, onsite we have enjoyed Boma & Trails end.
DDP totally changed us, we did some buffets, Cape May, 1900 Park Fare, Chef Mickeys, Crystal Palace (twice) but didn't enjoy them half as much as table service. This August I doubt we will do many buffets at all.

We really enjoyed O'hanas, Wispering Canyon & Liberty Tree, all family dining, not buffets but they bring you as much as you want to eat.

i agree about the buffets, Wayne...
i was just saying that if someone wants to eat at the crystal palace or chef mickey character buffets, it's much better value to eat there for lunch or dinner than at breakfast...
when eating on the DDP that is (all character meals are very expensive when paying out of pocket)..

 

[wayneg]

i agree about the buffets, Wayne...
i was just saying that if someone wants to eat at the crystal palace or chef mickey character buffets, it's much better value to eat there for lunch or dinner than at breakfast...

I totally agree, we had 2 breakfasts on the DDP, basically for the character interaction rather than food, I just can't eat breakfasts, Chef Mickeys food was OK but didn't enjoy CP breakfast. Not that the food was bad just too much food eating a big meal at night then a big buffet at 10am next morning. I think the CP breakfast came to under $60 for 3 of us, evening meals were all around $100-160. So not good use of credits.

 

[jtlover]

We are eating at Crystal Palace at night for that very reason, plus I havent eaten there for dinner before, always lunch.

Breakfast is nice there though. I assume you are on the free DDP so cost is not an issue anyway

 

[jtlover]

Just looked at your list again, assume you are choosing tonys as you will be in the MK park that day? I personally would swop that with Crystal Palace for lunch, as Tonys doesnt seem to get many good reviews.

I would then go to Ohanas with the spare meal option as that is like a buffet if your 7 year old is fussy. Lots of meat BBQ'd and they play games around the restaurant.

 

[Pegasus928]

We have eaten at CP for breakfast only and would say that it is exactly the same as the other breakfast buffets we have been to on disney property.
The real advantage for us - and the reason we did it in the first place - was to have our picture taken in front of the castle on an empty Main Street.
As far as recommendations are concerned I would definately go for Whispering Canyon for dinner. We also thought Tusker House was good for lunch with an excellent variety of food.

 

[jen_uk]

I know its not a buffet but i would include the rain forest cafe, the setting is fab with all the moving animals etc, if the dino place at down town disney is on the plan then i would include that for the same reason.

 

[jtlover]

I know its not a buffet but i would include the rain forest cafe, the setting is fab with all the moving animals etc, if the dino place at down town disney is on the plan then i would include that for the same reason.

But that is not on the dining plan unfortunately, the same with Trex

 

[scojos]

now, not being difficult, but i want to disagree with wayne
we are a breakfast family, we get up early and eat well on holiday, and i have done CP bfast and dinner. the kids and i prefer bfast, dh prefers dinner, its personal choice.
i have started a pretrip report with all our dining choices on it, may help, on the trip board...
tonys is, imho, not a good choice, v limited menu, UNLESS you plan to eat outside and watch the parade.
PH is not on DDP. poor quality, expensive food, if its because you are in DTD, chose WPE or EOS for CS instead...
Boma is excellent, beware the buffet is diff every day, inc the soups, so you may want to check which day would wrk better for your family.
i think you are there at the same time as us, our ADR window opens on the 4th- im so excited!!!
tracy x

 

[cantwait!!!!!!!!!!!!]

Thank you all lots to think about !

I thought planet hollywood was on the DDP ? Not really expecting the food to be great but thought the kids would enjoy it.

Whispering canyon? where is that and is that where they tell you off etc or am I getting confused with somewhere else ?

How easy is it to get to different hotels to eat, we are not having a car.

 

[jtlover]

Thank you all lots to think about !

I thought planet hollywood was on the DDP ? Not really expecting the food to be great but thought the kids would enjoy it.

Whispering canyon? where is that and is that where they tell you off etc or am I getting confused with somewhere else ?

How easy is it to get to different hotels to eat, we are not having a car.

From the parks it is easy to get to the hotels on the buses. For Whispering Canyon just go on the boat from MK.

I think PH is on the DDP unless it has changed for 2010.

 

[wayneg]

Yes PH was on the DDP last year, would expect it again this year.
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...09 Disney Dining Plan - Walt Disney World.pdf
We had it in our list but dropped it for somewhere else. We ate there a few years back with a free meal from Virgin, really enjoyed it but it doesn't get the best reviews. Like anywhere you need to try for yourself. Tutto Italia was slated in many reviews I read but turned out to be one of our fave meals.

 

[jtlover]

Yes PH was on the DDP last year, would expect it again this year.
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...09 Disney Dining Plan - Walt Disney World.pdf
We had it in our list but dropped it for somewhere else. We ate there a few years back with a free meal from Virgin, really enjoyed it but it doesn't get the best reviews. Like anywhere you need to try for yourself. Tutto Italia was slated in many reviews I read but turned out to be one of our fave meals.

Very true, personal choice, because I didnt feel that Tutto Italia was all that for all the good reviews I read. I felt it was very overrated for what it was.

But Le Cellier, well that always has been good, I love that place, but maybe others dont?

 

[Elise79]

I wouldn't pick buffets just because you have a picky eater. Unlike our restuarants Disney's are very accomodating and will work with you to find something your picky eater likes

I am not keen on buffets especially with DD as one of us can only go up at a time and we don't get to enjoy our time during our meal.

Personally we like a lot of restaurants that get so so reviews - its personal decision of what food you like. Look at the menus and decide from there. I also find the pictures of the food more telling than the words sometimes.

 

[scojos]

But Le Cellier, well that always has been good, I love that place, but maybe others dont?

no, leC is vveeerrrryyyy good
PH is (i believe) not on DDp this year, it has only just been confirmed in the last few days that yak and yeti and WPE are on the 2010 DDP.
there was been a few changes with snacks too, mainly at goofys, i suggest anyone who has the DDp go and hang out on the dining boards for a few hours..
maybe i could suggest raglan rd if you are at dtd and want to eat TS, there food was lovely, we ate just before the dancing started and were v impressed by the food and service.

 

[wayneg]

PH is (i believe) not on DDp this year, it has only just been confirmed in the last few days that yak and yeti and WPE are on the 2010 DDP.

PH is definitely on the DDP link given by Disney for 2010. Have you seen anything different?
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...DisneyWorld/en_us/PDF/2010Dining_updated2.pdf

 

[sdemore]

Thank you all lots to think about !

I thought planet hollywood was on the DDP ? Not really expecting the food to be great but thought the kids would enjoy it.

Whispering canyon? where is that and is that where they tell you off etc or am I getting confused with somewhere else ?

How easy is it to get to different hotels to eat, we are not having a car.

Whispering Canyon Cafe is located in the Wilderness Lodge just take the boat from MK. I believe you are thinking of 50's Prime Time Cafe where the servers correct your manners and tell you to finish your veggies it is located at DHS.
Good Luck and no matter where you choose remember you are at WDW and let the magic take over

 

[scojos]

PH is definitely on the DDP link given by Disney for 2010. Have you seen anything different?
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...DisneyWorld/en_us/PDF/2010Dining_updated2.pdf

sorry wayne you are, as aways, right....

tracy