Hi...First Timer

[Ktharee]

Thanks..the more research I do, the more I tend to agree....with our family/kids we don't need fancy meals. If it was just adults or older kids, I might feel differently. The nice restaurants seem too pricey and for the most part too fancy for my kids tastes.

Rich, why don't you ask your kids if they would like to have a character meal. This way, you can make a reservation now at Chef Mickey's or Crystal Palace or Akershus with the Princesses, whatever they are into. It would be a real downer if they decided on your trip they would like to experience a character meal, but you weren't able to get a reservation at the last minute. There should be no downers on a Disney vacation!

 

[Disney Fool]

May I also pipe in? I have a suggestion. Part of the fun of being at WDW is absorbing some of the atmosphere. Which is why some of the restaurants are very popular. Don't deny yourself or your kids the fun of the experience. Given the ages of your children, and that it's your first visit, I'd definitely suggest trying to make reservations for the following:

50's Prime Time cafe (think "I love Lucy's kitchen; waitstaff are the entertainment)
Sci Fi Diner (clips of old scifi movies are shown and it looks like a drive in)
Chef Mickey's (buffet with Mickey and friends, or the " Fab 5" as they're called)
Liberty Tree Tavern (character meal with Colonial-style Minnie Mouse, Goofy, etc)
Crystal Palace - has Pooh and friends
If your children are into the princesses, the Askerhaus Restaurant in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot would be the place to eat Most of the princesses are there, and the little girls do dress up in their best princess outfit.
I would also suggest, Chefs de France at Epcot for lunch so that your children will get to meet "Remy" from the movie "Ratatouille" who appears at your table.

Going to WDW in the middle of July will be VERY HOT AND HUMID AND CROWDED. Please, please, please, make at least one reservation for one sit-down meal a day for whatever of the four parks you'll plan to go to. Your feet will thank you, and you'll feel so much better out of the heat. It can get sooo frustrating to be hungry and turned away from a restaurant because it's full. If you don't want to eat at the time of the reservation, you can always cancel, as other posters have said.

Oh, and by the way, (and this has nothing to do with dining reservations, but we are obsessed with making sure you have a good first trip!!!) make sure your family drinks a lot of water, uses sunscreen, wear comfy, broken-in shoes, and your kids have sunhats. Florida sun is brutal. Have a wonderful trip, oh, and "Welcome! to the DIS"

 

[Rich_NY]

May I also pipe in? I have a suggestion. Part of the fun of being at WDW is absorbing some of the atmosphere. Which is why some of the restaurants are very popular. Don't deny yourself or your kids the fun of the experience. Given the ages of your children, and that it's your first visit, I'd definitely suggest trying to make reservations for the following:

50's Prime Time cafe (think "I love Lucy's kitchen; waitstaff are the entertainment)
Sci Fi Diner (clips of old scifi movies are shown and it looks like a drive in)
Chef Mickey's (buffet with Mickey and friends, or the " Fab 5" as they're called)
Liberty Tree Tavern (character meal with Colonial-style Minnie Mouse, Goofy, etc)
Crystal Palace - has Pooh and friends
If your children are into the princesses, the Askerhaus Restaurant in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot would be the place to eat Most of the princesses are there, and the little girls do dress up in their best princess outfit.
I would also suggest, Chefs de France at Epcot for lunch so that your children will get to meet "Remy" from the movie "Ratatouille" who appears at your table.

Going to WDW in the middle of July will be VERY HOT AND HUMID AND CROWDED. Please, please, please, make at least one reservation for one sit-down meal a day for whatever of the four parks you'll plan to go to. Your feet will thank you, and you'll feel so much better out of the heat. It can get sooo frustrating to be hungry and turned away from a restaurant because it's full. If you don't want to eat at the time of the reservation, you can always cancel, as other posters have said.

Oh, and by the way, (and this has nothing to do with dining reservations, but we are obsessed with making sure you have a good first trip!!!) make sure your family drinks a lot of water, uses sunscreen, wear comfy, broken-in shoes, and your kids have sunhats. Florida sun is brutal. Have a wonderful trip, oh, and "Welcome! to the DIS"

Thanks ....ok I made 3 reservations for dinner so far, I figure dinner is a good way to start the eves.....the kids go to sleep by 8:00 at home, I hope they can last for some eve Disney fun......We have 50's Prime Time cafe one night, Liberty tree Tavern one night, and fantasmic Dinner reservations at Hollywood and Vine....all of these at 5:00-5:30...lets hope it works...I figure afternoons at the Hotel, and start eves with dinner...thanks!!

 

[Disney Fool]

Good for you! I'm sure you guys will have a great time. In the meantime, keep reading these boards, and picking up valuable information. Go to your local bookstore and pick up a good guidebook on WDW. start reading about all the things there are to do. And, understand that you won['t be able to do it all, and that you'll be back.

 

[july2011]

Chiming in - my kids will be 6 (girl), 8 (boy), & 9 (boy) when we go in July (we're about to hit birthday season here). Glad to see you've got some reservations - I think you're setting yourself up well. Just wanted to point out that Liberty Tree Tavern is not a character meal anymore (no Minnie or Mickey), but still looks to be a fun experience with some good food. My kids are also very picky, but what I've currently got planned is

1900 Park Fare (dinner) - this is a buffet at the Grand Floridian with Cinderella, Prince, evil stepmother & stepsisters who are supposed to be hilarious. My kids are excited to have some laughs with the stepsisters (couldn't care less about Cinderella )

Chef Mickeys (breakfast) - buffet at the Contemporary with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Chip & Dale I think. This will be my will-be-8 year olds birthday breakfast & it's at the hotel where we're staying so just makes sense.

Via Napoli (dinner) - Italian at EPCOT

Cinderella's Royal Table (dinner) - just for the experience of eating inside the iconic castle at the Magic Kingdom

Sci-Fi dine in (dinner) - you eat in car and watch crazy old sci-fi movies. I think you already have DHS covered with 50's Prime Time

Liberty Tree Tavern (lunch) - even without the characters I've read that it's good food, good decor/theme & supposedly they announce your family as you arrive which my will-be-9 YO finds really amusing. Did lunch b/c we may not stay all day at MK - am hoping to hit up the Boardwalk & we'll be paying OOP since we'll be out of dinig credits.

So many choices but really with the heat it'll be a great way to stay cool, sit down for a bit & have some good food. Hope you guys have a blast!

 

[Rich_NY]

the more I research, the more my wife and I decided we will skip character meals......for the cost, just seeing all the characters around the park will be good enough for us, the kids don't freak about seeing characters. Thanks for all the advise, I'm sure I'll add some more res's.

 

[minnie mum]

Just a quick question about your dinner reservations. You have a Fantasmic dinner package that you just made for 5:00? Or did you just make a dinner reservation at that restaurant? I'm just flabbergasted you were able to get such a coveted time slot at such a late date!!

 

[Rich_NY]

Just a quick question about your dinner reservations. You have a Fantasmic dinner package that you just made for 5:00? Or did you just make a dinner reservation at that restaurant? I'm just flabbergasted you were able to get such a coveted time slot at such a late date!!

The fantasmic reservation is actually at 4:50 for 7/21...yes I just got it!