Hi, I am doing research on all the counter services. I went to allears.net and hit dining and then menus. I have pulled all the counter services in the parks off and put them in my word processor. I also have taken my resorts and if their happens to be another resort close by their menu too. I then went down through them and highlighted things my family likes. I also highlighted interesting meals for my little ones because they all seem the same so I am highlighting the unique entrees that they would like also.(to make sure we possibly hit that cs for variety for them) I then am highlighting all the desserts we like on the cs, because most I could do with out! The next thing yet to do is analyze them and see which ones have the entree pick with the dessert and hopefully a good childs meal.
I am also planning on printing them out for the trip so we can look at them the night before or morning of or in the park choice of the day because the first few days go as planned and then it changes and what you feel like eating changes so if I have the menu we will spend less time deciding what we want to eat by looking at the menus and then heading to that location!
At least this works best for my husband. I can pretty much decide before hand I like this cs and stick with it. My husband more depends on what he feels like for the day.(which I do, but him more) I am happy as long as I got to eat the different variety of food I wanted for the trip. He's definately more the mood for the day.
Know with all that said.... I started a thread "What's your favorite counter service in each park?" It is interesting to note that DHS had the most comments that people didn't have a favorite and then I read your thread, now I know why!
So what is my two cents?
I would say off the top looking at your kids ages- Pizza Planet. My kids liked it. But with peoples comments it made me stop and think. I think I remember AK pizza being better. But it was still a good meal. My kids didn't complain, it was pizza. You can also get the Mickey rice crispy treat, we like those. Quite a few mentioned Back lot Express. It has a good mix of variety for cs adults and the kids can have chicken nuggets or sloppy joe. (this is the only sloppy joe I have seen for kids meals if you have any takers and my kids love chicken nuggets) And then there is ABC Comm. I hope it hasn't gone down hill because I loved the fried fish!!(very deep fried though!
) I don't know how good anything else is there though. Not as good variety. But looking at the kids again they have chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers. Let me tell you in the parks cheeseburgers on the kids meals are far and few between.
I know I didn't give you much variety for adults, thats harder and too much writing. I gave you and other readers the highlights of my research on the kids meals and their really isn't any exciting desserts. Probably the Mickey rice crispy treat at Pizza Planet. We most honestly have eaten at different places and meet back up. Not ideal, but it has worked. I think one time the majority got pizza and one of us ran somewhere else and met back over at Pizza Planet to eat. Another time My husband and some kids ate at Rosies and I ran to ABC Comm and ran back, my food was still piping hot. Def. not ideal, but I used to run.
And it wasn't busy in Sept. My other idea is what others have already said and we do. Is go back to your resort in the mid day heat for naps for little ones and or pool time where it is cooler and you miss the mid day heavy time! But if your like me, I think it is easier to feed little ones before we leave the park and then put them down for naps when we get back!
We leave early in the morning(w/ cereal in our rooms- we bring cereal and buy milk), eat lunch at 11- 11:30 and are heading out of the parks when it is so hot! I find little ones, at least mine early to rise are hungrier before lunch and supper meal times. Hope you got something or someone else. Good luck!
Oh, btw I don't agree to go somewhere else and come back. Maybe if it was just me and my husband, but no way with kids in tow unless you are heading out of the park around lunch and going somewhere else. It is def. a BIG time waster!!!!!
It was the worst meal we had at WDW. That was the only CS we visited at HS when we were there, so I don't have any alternatives for you, but I can tell you that the Flatbread Grill (back then it was Backlot Catering, I think) sure seemed to have better aromas and a better menu at that time...
DH, DD & I all had the pulled pork w/ chips and youngest DS had the Caesar wrap (he was a little uspset that his didn't come with chips 
about the DISboards, you have people like this that really care about others and want to give great advice that they are willing to commit to this type of detail. I don't like to use the word but, KUDOS, to you
