Need help deciding

[kdtwiss]

Hi thank you for reading!!
I am visiting DW with my family for the first time EVER and we are so excited, we are on the meal plan and have 4 children. So far I have been unable to get ps for breakfast with Cinderella which I am really bummed about.

Here is our schedule so far:
5 - 21 Dinner at Park Faire
5 - 22 Storybook Dinner in Epcot
5 - 23 lunch at castle
5 - 24 Fantasmic Dinner Package
5 - 25 Dinner at Ohana's and then bday wishes cruise
5 - 26 open/ departing probably (we have the night reserved but may have to check out early as dd has dress rehearsal for recital- bummer)


My question is - we only have one more dinner option open and I am having trouble deciding where to have it. These are the restaurants I am considering:
Crystal Palace
Liberty
Dinner at castle (then I would change lunch to elsewhere on 5/23)
Chef Mickey's
Hoop De Doo

What is most important for us is that the kids enjoy themselves - I am lucky if I get 2 bites in myself - so I would choose atmosphere over quality of food
any day. Because we are leaving early we will have an extra sit down left over as well as one left from the night we will be doing Fantasmic - so I have plenty of sit - downs to go around. I guess I really would like to know - out of above restaurants which would you choose for dinner?

Thanks so much for reading and tia for any advice you have.
PS - no teenagers - kids are all little!

 

[barbeml]

Welcome to the DIS!

Looks like you have some great picks lined up.

I don't think you can go wrong with Chef Mickey's for the kids. I haven't been there (DH and I have no kids), but my brother said my nephew was nuts about the place. Lots of choices, so should be something for everyone to eat, plus characters.

Have a magical trip!

 

[CamColt]

My vote would go to the HDDR. It is really a great time there with wonderful food(for what it is) and a hilarious show. Another plus is if you have it covered by the plan I think it would be a good value for you.

Although I havent been to Chef Mickeys for dinner(only breakfast), that would be my second choice out of your list. As babeml said there is a good variety of food and and you cant go wrong with the characters.

 

[keishashadow]

I vote for Chef Mickey's. It's a great, entertaining atmosphere and the best way to get autographs & hugs from the characters.

As for Cinderella's for dinner, I LOVED IT! We got to interact with Cinderella before we were seated in her "throne room" and were entertained by Peter Pan & Captain Hook running around outside our table window with view of Fantasyland. It will be hard to top this experience. I had been trying to talk my family of men into Cindy's breakfast for years with no success, guess this is as close as I'll get unless I get a grand-daughter to take.

My DH thought it was cool eating in a castle and liked his Prime Rib (and half of mine) just fine!

My pre-teen son even enjoyed the CM's, although he was disappointed with the rather limited menu (he got tired of Chicken Strips after awhile).

Our waitress mentioned that they were supposed to be starting a Lunch comparable to the breakfast with Cindy in the Spring. Perhaps you should keep an eye out for it?

Have a great trip.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

Chef Mickey's is a lot of fun and you get Mickey and the gang to boot. The other option is the Crystal Palace where your children can see Winnie the Pooh and his friends. Is there one of those that would appeal to your children more?

 

[colleen costello]

We love Chef Mickey's and Crystal Palace, too. The kids get so sick of the dreaded chicken tenders at all the other places, so they really enjoy the buffets. The characters are fun and the kids can get up 1,000 times if they want, so Mom and Dad actually get to eat. Both of these places offer a lot of salads and veggies and fruits, a real bonus on vacation. We have never been disappointed in either of these. I'd pick whichever was easiest to get to that day, or perhaps where the favorite characters were.