If you could eat at one signature...

[drwadadli]

My two cents.... I would do California Grill. I think all those other restaurants are great but there is something about CG that feels more celebratory. Its also so perfectly Disney!

PS - I would swing by the Tiffins lounge for a drink when you need some downtime at AK.

Why do you think it is or what makes it "so perfectly Disney"?

 

[gwynne]

I would select Jiko.
Lovely, relaxed atmosphere, excellent food and an interesting wine list with lots of great options.
When we visit WDW we usually book Jiko twice during a visit.

 

[alltwelve]

Another vote for California Grill; especially the brunch if your schedule permits it! Like others have said here, it can be a very LOUD restaurant at dinner time. However, on our last dinner experience there, we were sat in a loud section near the Magic Kingdom view and it was like being in the middle of a circus. We told our seater, who informed the manager, who invited us to wait at the bar for a few minutes as he told us he had the perfect table for us. A few minutes later, he came back and escorted us to a table for 2 overlooking Bay Lake and the Contemporary marina tucked in a quiet corner of the restaurant in the wine room. It was PERFECT!!! So, please note, you can make a request for a quiet table, and the restaurant is very accommodating.

The brunch though is WONDERFUL!!!

Whatever you choose, i hope you enjoy it!!!

 

[sleepydog25]

Thanks for your advice everyone! I'm a bit spoiled for choice here, I think I've narrowed it down to jiko, tiffins, narcosees, cg and artist point.. That's still a hell of a list

That's a fine list, and I doubt that you can go wrong with any of them. Once again, if you're looking for a quieter time, either Jiko or Artist Point. Tiffins is very good but in a park (which might be a plus for you). CA Grill is noisy-so why I wouldn't suggest it if you're trying to have a quiet dinner--but does have a great view with solid to good food. Personally, I would stay away from a Signature in a park--they tend to be noisier, less special than resort counterparts. The worst meal I ever had on Disney property was MP, for example: poor service, mediocre/cold food, and the ambiance of a Waffle House that night. The odds of such happening at a park are generally greater than if you head to a resort.

 

[gillep]

That's a fine list, and I doubt that you can go wrong with any of them. Once again, if you're looking for a quieter time, either Jiko or Artist Point. Tiffins is very good but in a park (which might be a plus for you). CA Grill is noisy-so why I wouldn't suggest it if you're trying to have a quiet dinner--but does have a great view with solid to good food. Personally, I would stay away from a Signature in a park--they tend to be noisier, less special than resort counterparts. The worst meal I ever had on Disney property was MP, for example: poor service, mediocre/cold food, and the ambiance of a Waffle House that night. The odds of such happening at a park are generally greater than if you head to a resort.

I completely agree with this, although I personally do not like the food at CA Grill for dinner so it is pretty far down on my list, brunch though was excellent.

 

[sam_rogers]

As there's mixed reviews for cali grill dinner I'm going to rule that out, particularly if it's on the noisy side but going to keep brunch on the table! Does anyone know if animal kingdom restaurants are still cashless? As we travel from the UK we always change up some dollars and use cash for everything as its easier to budget daily so using a credit card means we get hit with card fees for using a foreign currency so that's the only thing holding me back from jiko.

 

[drwadadli]

As there's mixed reviews for cali grill dinner I'm going to rule that out, particularly if it's on the noisy side but going to keep brunch on the table! Does anyone know if animal kingdom restaurants are still cashless? As we travel from the UK we always change up some dollars and use cash for everything as its easier to budget daily so using a credit card means we get hit with card fees for using a foreign currency so that's the only thing holding me back from jiko.

The cashless program is only at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House so not at the main Animal Kingdom Lodge building thus if would not affect eating at Jiko.

 

[jacknsally19]

Why do you think it is or what makes it "so perfectly Disney"?

Because its overlooking Magic Kingdom

 

[drwadadli]

Because its overlooking Magic Kingdom

Thank you. That was what I thought.....the view not the food. The view has been ever since they at Top of the World there and I loved the view then.

 

[MomOTwins]

I vote Tiffins. The food, drinks and service were really the best we've had at a signature, and you are right next to pandora which will make for a beautiful post-dinner stroll.

 

[Somnia]

I would have to vote Jiko's. It happens to be my favorite restaurant on property and the atmosphere + food are some of the best I've ever experienced. It's by far the best food I've had on property and the service has always been amazing. I highly recommend it

 

[Melissa Perez]

As there's mixed reviews for cali grill dinner I'm going to rule that out, particularly if it's on the noisy side but going to keep brunch on the table!

Brunch is much quieter in my opinion. We had stopped going for dinner because I'd end up with a migraine before the bill came but have been to brunch 2x time (including on Mother's Day) and it was so quiet. I thought they did a better job of staging reservations than during dinner time. As such I would highly recommend for brunch but completely understand skipping for dinner...

 

[gharter]

California Grill would be my top choice with Jiko a very close second.
i have not noticed California Grill being any louder than any other restaurant, regular or signature. It always depends on the parents of the kids around you as to how noisy it is.

 

[sleepydog25]

Brunch is much quieter in my opinion. We had stopped going for dinner because I'd end up with a migraine before the bill came but have been to brunch 2x time (including on Mother's Day) and it was so quiet. I thought they did a better job of staging reservations than during dinner time. As such I would highly recommend for brunch but completely understand skipping for dinner...

Agree. Brunch is quieter. I don't know that the quality of food is especially better, though you can eat more for the money, so there's that. The noise at CG isn't loud like a Chuck E. Cheese, but it's boisterous, kids or no kids nearby.

 

[OneinThree]

Flying Fish - this is one we won't be repeating for a while. We started our night at Abacadabar and the service there was great. We moved on to Flying Fish for dinner and the service was close to the worst we have had on property. The food was good, really good but our server just wasn't doing well. The hostess had mentioned the specials when she sat us, just in passing not in detail and when it came time to order the server didn't mention them, I had to ask. He was slow between every course, to the point where my son and I ended up sitting there and making up stories about the picture by our table, which was fun but a 1 hour meal at best took us close to 2 just because of the slow service. The odd part was he was the same server for the table behind us and did a much better job with them, I'm not sure if it was because they were a bigger table and he was hoping for a bigger tip from them or what.

I have to agree in that the server can make or break a dining experience. For example, we ate at FF about 2 weeks ago, and thought the food was very, very good. What really put the experience over the top was the phenomenal service we got from a CM named Izzi. So good in fact, that I actually called one of the managers a couple of days later to say so.

 

[rentayenta]

My vote is California Grill for brunch (Sundays only) as thats what I chose for us. I also chose Jiko as we are staying at AKV, Yachtsman as we love a good steak, and Il Mulino as it just sounds cool. J/K the menu looks incredible and I have read nothing but fabulous things. Happy Everything and have fun!

 

[rosetava]

California Grill eithervSunday brunch or dinner. Jiko has a better atmosphere but I have found the quality of food to not be a consistent as it us to be.

 

[sleepydog25]

I have to agree in that the server can make or break a dining experience. For example, we ate at FF about 2 weeks ago, and thought the food was very, very good. What really put the experience over the top was the phenomenal service we got from a CM named Izzi. So good in fact, that I actually called one of the managers a couple of days later to say so.

This comment made me chuckle. A few years back, my wife and I were dining at Artist Point (one of our go to spots), and while the food was exemplary, our server simply would not shut up. Not with us and not with any of the tables he was handling. We enjoy talking with our servers, and we've gotten to know a few over the years. But, on this particular night, the server would go off on tangential conversations that kept us from eating at times. Moreover, his very enthusiastic approach to every table also meant our meal was particularly slow that night--and we like casually paced dinners. Overall, while he was certainly friendly, that almost frenetic banter made for a most tiresome meal, and we hoped every time we returned to AP after that night, we wouldn't get him. Over the years, we've gotten some hearty laughs remembering that night. The server's name? Izzy. That's not to say he wasn't great for you, and we have friends who like him a lot, too. However, he wasn't our cup of tea, so to speak. We hadn't seen him at all in a couple of years, so I guess he headed over to FF. Too funny!

. . .and Il Mulino as it just sounds cool. J/K the menu looks incredible and I have read nothing but fabulous things.

Il Mulino is quite good, and I highly recommend it. I would also suggest BiCE over at the Portofino Hotel at the Dark Side. As much as we love Il Mulino, BiCE is even better. No kidding.

 

[OneinThree]

This comment made me chuckle. A few years back, my wife and I were dining at Artist Point (one of our go to spots), and while the food was exemplary, our server simply would not shut up. Not with us and not with any of the tables he was handling. We enjoy talking with our servers, and we've gotten to know a few over the years. But, on this particular night, the server would go off on tangential conversations that kept us from eating at times. Moreover, his very enthusiastic approach to every table also meant our meal was particularly slow that night--and we like casually paced dinners. Overall, while he was certainly friendly, that almost frenetic banter made for a most tiresome meal, and we hoped every time we returned to AP after that night, we wouldn't get him. Over the years, we've gotten some hearty laughs remembering that night. The server's name? Izzy. That's not to say he wasn't great for you, and we have friends who like him a lot, too. However, he wasn't our cup of tea, so to speak. We hadn't seen him at all in a couple of years, so I guess he headed over to FF. Too funny!

We were really taken with his. . . antics, lol. I suppose if had affected our meal the way it did yours we might have felt differently, but he knew the menu very well, and everything was right on time. Yes, really funny though I agree!

 

[NYCgrrl]

I have to agree in that the server can make or break a dining experience. For example, we ate at FF about 2 weeks ago, and thought the food was very, very good. What really put the experience over the top was the phenomenal service we got from a CM named Izzi. So good in fact, that I actually called one of the managers a couple of days later to say so.

This comment made me chuckle. A few years back, my wife and I were dining at Artist Point (one of our go to spots), and while the food was exemplary, our server simply would not shut up. Not with us and not with any of the tables he was handling. We enjoy talking with our servers, and we've gotten to know a few over the years. But, on this particular night, the server would go off on tangential conversations that kept us from eating at times. Moreover, his very enthusiastic approach to every table also meant our meal was particularly slow that night--and we like casually paced dinners. Overall, while he was certainly friendly, that almost frenetic banter made for a most tiresome meal, and we hoped every time we returned to AP after that night, we wouldn't get him. Over the years, we've gotten some hearty laughs remembering that night. The server's name? Izzy. That's not to say he wasn't great for you, and we have friends who like him a lot, too. However, he wasn't our cup of tea, so to speak. We hadn't seen him at all in a couple of years, so I guess he headed over to FF. Too funny!

Il Mulino is quite good, and I highly recommend it. I would also suggest BiCE over at the Portofino Hotel at the Dark Side. As much as we love Il Mulino, BiCE is even better. No kidding.

Izzy from Staten Island is very memorable. In fact he's the only CM who's name I recall after a 2 week trip. He and the man swapped stories about the good old days in NYC hotels and restaurants.