Need 7 Restaurants

[MushuHill]

My favorites:
Animal Kingdom: Rainforest cafe
Hollywood Sudios: 50's prime time
Magic Kingdom: Be our Guest (dinner)
Epcot: Le Cellier (2 credits) or Teppan Edo (1 credit)
Outside a park: I love Ohana (dinner) and Kona cafe ( breakfast)
I LOVE Hoop Dee doo review- it is 2 dining credits, but it is dinner and a show. Beer and wine are included in the price.

 

[StuckInKS]

We haven't eaten at a ton of TS and I'm a picky eater (i.e. don't like seafood or anything hot/spicy...I prefer steaks, BBQ, Mexican or Italian, and I'm really big on desserts), but here would be my 5:

BOG - I prefer lunch over dinner, but the food is good (esp for MK) and it is just beautiful inside.
CRT - For the same reasons as above, plus I do enjoy the desserts here.
Boma breakfast - Best breakfast I've had so far (although I only have Akershus and Crystal Palace to compare it to)
Jiko - Good steak, which was the only thing I could order on the menu. It's better for less picky eaters than I am.
Le Cellier - We haven't eaten here in a few years, but I love the sauce they put on the steaks. We have gotten the small portion at F&W recently.

I also really enjoyed the Wave (steak) and will pick it over the bottom 3 on my list simply because it it not out of the way (like Boma and Jiko), and its only 1 credit (vs 2 at Le Cellier or Jiko). Yachtsman Steakhouse is also very good, but may not be worth the 2nd credit over the Wave and BOG.

 

[clconnell]

OHANA dinner was hands down the best food we had on our most recent trip! Do a reservation time close to when they open for dinner & you won't have to wait.

 

[ariane37]

I have boys currently 11 & 14 who have been going to the World since they were 1 & 4. I would say Sanaa, Tusker House, Trails End, Beaches and Cream, Restaurant Marrakesh, Via Napoli, and if you do want some signatures then Narcoossee's or Yachstman. 'Ohana dinner has been hit or miss for us, but if they like meat they'd probably enjoy it (minus the shrimp).

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Our boys' (14, 12 and 8) favorites are Sci Fi, Via Napoli, Sanaa, and Rose & Crown. We also had a wonderful breakfast at Boma on our last trip--their buffet is incredible!

 

[alex9179]

If you have 7 credits each and want 7 evening meals, without paying OOP, then you will want 1 TS restaurants. For more adventurous palates or good food I would put the following on my list. There will be compromises, depending on touring plans, so I'm not saying these are must-dos. They are where we've had good meals or hear good things! You can fill in w/ other venues depending on where you'll be.
Sanaa
Boma
Skipper Canteen
Spice Rd Table
Via Napoli - not adventurous but the pizza and gelato are favorites of ours.
Raglan Rd
Frontera Cocina
Homecomin'
Yak & Yeti - it pains me a bit to promote the Landry's chain but our meal was really good, last time! My kids loved the wok-fried green beans and lo mien.
The Wave

QS
Wolfgang Puck Express-Marketplace
Tangerine Café
Harambe Market
Les Halles
Columbia Harbour House


If you choose to dine at a Signature, it will probably be more cost effective to pay OOP there than use 2 credits. That will give you the opportunity to use TS credits on an early lunch/late dinner day.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Via Napoli - Really good pizza and pasta
Breakfast Buffet - i'd pick either Tusker House or Boma. At Tusker there's a good variety of food, and you get to see characters. Boma is also great, really nice variety. Plus you get to visit the beautiful resort. You can stop to see the animals before or after.
SciFi - Your boys would looooove this place! Burgers and shakes are good, and the atmosphere is awesome. Its like your really at a drive-in theater...very unique theme that you wont find anywhere else. Its super quiet in this place, nice escape from the heat too. This will be the only meal where you wont be facing each other...you should give it a try. Its still a must-do for my DS (now a teen) every trip.
The Wave - A hidden gem. Love the food here.
Raglan Road (dis.springs) - Food is good, and i love watching the irish dancers.
Be Our Guest - Lunch QS (or if you want to see the beast, dinner). Lunch food is good here, and you pick where you sit which is nice.


QS...
Wolfgang Puck Express (marketplace location). So good!
Les Halles - great baguette sandwiches and pastries here.
Columbia Harbor House

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Here are my 7, 1 TS credit picks!

The Wave (CR)
Captain's Grille (YC)
Trattoria al Forno (BWI)
Spice Road Table (EP)
Sanaa (AKL)
O'Hana (Poly)
(ok, number 7 is hard because I really prefer resort restaurants over in-park restaurants!) - I'll go with Skipper Canteen

 

[kboo]

For foodies (but some cost two credits): Sanaa, Jiko, Spice Road Table, Bluezoo, Homecoming, California Grill, and the wine cellar at Tutto Gusto.

We love the wine cellar at Tutto Gusto! (and it is perfectly fine with kids - we brought our 3 yo)

 

[kboo]

You have lots of great suggestions here! We are big foodies; have never done DDP because it always works out more cost effective not to (We can't eat the quantity and usually end up doing more TS and less QS/snacks). I'll try to put my favorites that also may be appropriate for your family, in some lists:

Buffets:

• Tusker House (late breakfast/early lunch)
• Boma (a fave - possibly the best buffet at the park, IMO. The only buffet on this list with no characters, but lots of character)
• 1900 Park Fare (characters, but good food for a buffet and lovely setting and fun to walk around the GF)
• Crystal Palace I'd put here but your kids may be too "old" for the characters. But, lovely room, decent food, and if you can snag a breakfast before park opening, you can get pictures on a nearly empty Main St.

Signature/High end/$$$ (I don't know which of these are 1 v 2 credits):

• California Grill - the view! the food!
• Be Our Guest *Dinner* - cool room, hard to book, the Beast. Decent food. Also, you can get beer and wine at dinner.
• Akershus - yes, it's princesses, but the food is quite good and the room is pretty cool. Also, princesses! they're not just for girls, LOL.
• Jiko
• Sanaa
• Skipper's Canteen (fun theming, really good food)
• Spice Road Table - lovely setting but maybe hot in July
• Flying Fish Cafe - we went in its previous iteration in 2015 and it was SO good. Also you have the boardwalk after dinner. Nice to walk around.

(also the other restaurants on overlooked list!)


Overlooked or Underrated:

• Citrico's
• Artist's Point - possibly the best food/freshest ingredients. Peaceful and lovely, the kids liked it too. Also a fun boat ride to get there.
• Garden Grill
• Kona Cafe
• Sanaa (it's a shlep, but food is good and you get to walk around AK looking for the restaurant, LOL)
• Wine cave at Tutto Gusto in Italy

Some people love these; we do not, aka "controversial":

• Chef Mickey's - awful buffet food and super loud and hectic, but - Monorail!
• 'Ohana - lovely to walk around the Poly, we went for breakfast and the food was meh.
• Via Napoli - good pizza but SO LOUD my ears were ringing. Also they were running seriously behind on ADRs. Seemed a disorganized mess. Also, you can get good pizza many places in the US besides WDW.
• Cinderella's Royal Table - 2 credits to Akershus's 1, some people dislike the food. I for one really like it, like the atmosphere, and think it is worth a pre-park opening breakfast (nice pictures on empty Main St.) or dinner (fireworks overhead, though you won't really see them). It makes sense for a special dining occasion when we pay OOP but I'm not sure it's worth it on the DDP.

 

[Parker Clan]

Ohana (dinner)
BOG (lunch)
Trails End buffet (breakfast AND dinner )
1900 PF buffet (love the dinner)
Via Napoli
Whispering Canyon (we love the breakfast)
Trattoria al Forno on the Boardwalk (dinner)

 

[DJFan88]

I'll 2nd ESPN on the boardwalk. Forgot to mention it before. My boys have been going there since just slightly older than yours and every time after that. Normal food, good beer and sports on tv. We love the bigger room to the left best. It's a nice break walking over through the gateway, (or boat if u prefer).

 

[Pirate6518]

Ohanna - Always have to have dinner here on a trip.
Be Our Guest - dinner was great, décor is AMAZING, and meet and great with the beast.
Yachtsman Steakhouse - If your looking to use two table credits. Fantastic Steaks and other dishes.
Tusker House - Great character buffet and food is pretty good.
Whispering Canyon - Breakfast had real eggs!
Tutto Italia - Dinner. Actually surprised how good the food was here. Figured it would be overpriced Italian but our entire party of 8 had apps, dinner, desert. Not a single plate had leftovers.
Chefs de France - good food and enjoyed the atmosphere of it.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I think you are seeing a trend in most of the recommendations!

But my two cents:
Whispering Canyon - Is a great dinner choice, it's a bit loud and there are some antics but that adds to the fun. And if you aren't staying at Wilderness Lodge, its a great lobby to see as well. And an easy boat ride over from the Magic Kingdom.
Via Napoli - Solid meal, good pizza. Nothing crazy but really good.
Hoop Dee Doo Review - Awesome show and food. It is (2) Table Credits and you do have to carve a decent amount of time out for travel and the show, as it is a show and dinner.
Skipper Canteen - Personally I think this is the best restaurant in Magic Kingdom. BOG would be second. Really good food, great theme-ing as well.
BOMA - Love love love this buffet. Some really different flavors. And another lobby and resort that is def worth a trip to.
Kona Cafe - This is kind of looked over, everyone wants to go to Ohana. But I loved it for dinner. Some really good food. And an easy monorail ride from Magic Kingdom or EPCOT.

One I personally haven't tried yet but are on my bucket list:

• Tusker House
• Sanaa
• Homecoming
• Trails End

All have gotten good reviews for most folks.

I don't think I have added anything new that hasn't been mentioned above but hope it reinforces some of the options!

 

[TXDisneyFan1]

We are going in July and here are my reservations:

'Ohana
Chefs de France
Sanaa
Be Our Guest
Via Napoli
San Angel Inn (first time for us)
Whispering Canyon Cafe (scheduled so we can see the Wilderness Lodge)

The first four are must do's for us.