need ideas for meals with kids

[thenewgirl]

First.......woohoo!!! I'm going back to Disney!!!
Okay, I am so glad to be back here. We went to Disney over spring break almost two years ago, and I didn't think I'd be able to talk DH into going again (not because he didn't enjoy it, but we do a few 'big' vacations a year when I can talk him into them. He claims my travelling days are running out! whatever.)

So, I talked DH into going again (mostly because DD will turn 3 just a few weeks afterwards, so this is our last chance to take her for 'free'). We are staying off-site.

This has to be a budget trip, to keep DH from having a heart attack, so we will only be able to do 1-2 character meals and 1-2 nice sit-down dinners. What do you recommend??? Along with DD (who loves Tinkerbell and Ariell the best), we will also have DS who is 8.5 (he's a Star Wars and Phineas and Ferb kind of guy). I will have to make ADRs really soon, so I don't really have time to pore over all the books to try to make the best decisions. We did do Chef Mickey's last time for a breakfast, and we enjoyed it very much (might do again). Any help would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

 

[kpgriswold]

Chef Mickey is always a good choice, great for all ages and for a variety of palates. Our other favorite is the Crystal Palace, with the Pooh characters. Who would the kids enjoy more?

Your DS will get a kick out of either 'Ohana @ Poly or Whispering Canyon Cafe @ WL. Both have activities and entertainment during dinner, with boy-friendly themes.

DD might love the pincess meals @ Aershus in Epcot. This is cheaper than the castle, and Ariel has been there both times we've dined. The food is better there too!

 

[thenewgirl]

Chef Mickey is always a good choice, great for all ages and for a variety of palates. Our other favorite is the Crystal Palace, with the Pooh characters. Who would the kids enjoy more?

Your DS will get a kick out of either 'Ohana @ Poly or Whispering Canyon Cafe @ WL. Both have activities and entertainment during dinner, with boy-friendly themes.

DD might love the pincess meals @ Aershus in Epcot. This is cheaper than the castle, and Ariel has been there both times we've dined. The food is better there too!

Thanks! Sounds like great advice! I'll check into those tomorrow. I appreciate the info for DS especially...DD will be easy to impress as she is a very happy-go-lucky child no matter what we do or what comes her way. DS, on the other hand, is much harder to please.

Any other good ideas from the pros?

 

[jmartinez1895]

Your smaller child may enjoy the Playhouse Disney Play and Dine breakfast at HS. We also like the breakfast at Tusker house in AK with Donald, Goofy, Mickey, ect. The Gardend grill at Epcot is great and Mickey and friends are there as well, it is all you can eat TS so you can fill up for a good price.

 

[Tristen79]

I would have to agree on the character meals as most of them were pretty great. DD 2 at the time loved the Princess B'fast at Akershus, CP was her first meal and still getting used to Pooh at the time, Chef Mickeys she still talks about to this day. Cindys Table besides being a tough get was really overpriced and we didnt have alot of character interaction there, but the ambiance for the DD to be "inside Cindy's castle is pretty cool"

As far as nicer meals though, we found the steak and seafood buffet at Yacht and Beach Club was "amazing", also the Biergarten in Germany was really nice with ALOT of atmosphere and could be nice as well as entertaining for the kids

 

[ElizabethG]

I love the character meals! 1900 Park Fare dinner is fun for girls and boys. It has Cinderellla, Prince Charming, Step Mother, and Step Sisters. The characters are a lot of fun. If your son likes to be center of attention, he can "propose" to one of the step sisters.

Garden Grill in Epcot is another favorite. Mickey, Pluto, Chip & Dale are there and the restaurant rotates. After eating here, Chip became a favorite of my kids. They are really silly and boy friendly (my daughter loved it too).

 

[momof1princess]

ohana would be a great breakfast meal-the atmosphere is festive (the kids do a maraca parade around the restaurant) and you get to see lilo, stitch, mickey and pluto. the food is great too! this one would please both your DS and DD. also, as the PP mentioned, whispering canyon cafe has a great atmosphere. we did dinner there 2-3 years ago, and my daughter LOVED it (she was about 7-8). they did stick pony races and got buffalo nickels for participating, lol.
i would also check out tusker house-we did breakfast there just a few months ago, and the food is wonderful-the buffet is packed with everything you can imagine. we got pics with mickey, goofy, donald and daisy in their safari outfits. they gave the kids shakers to shake along with the music. even the teenagers around us were having a good time, lol.
we've done hollywood & vine at DHS, but weren't impressed. biergarten is great (pork schnitzel, YUM!)-they have a live band, and invite guests to dance. you're also seated with other families, oktoberfest style.
we did the princess lunch at akershus 3-4 years ago, and it was good. i'd gotten VERY sick that morning on mission space, and was still feelin' kind of green, so the chef made a special meal to accomodate my tummy. and of course, the princesses were a big hit with my DD.
we LOVE crystal palace, but it might be too old for your DS. the characters are pooh, piglet, eeyore and tigger. they have awesome food (the citrus marinated flank steak is a must for my DH) and the restaurant is beautiful. very victorian-looking.
we have done liberty tree, but it's not worth the outrageous price without the characters.
ok, now that i've written a book, lol, good luck with your reservations! if you have any questions, just ask!

 

[Mom2SamandJames]

I would have to say that of all the character meals we did with sons ages 4 and almost 2 Tusker House, 1900 Park Fare supper, and O'Hana were their favorites. We also enjoyed Teppan Edo with our boys. The food was terrific, and it was our boys' first trip to that type of restaurant. The service there was unbelievable! Our boys also loved the Hoop De Doo over in the campground. The food was all fun and good to eat, and the show was cute.

Have a great time.

 

[macmom3]

We're big fans of Crystal Palace for breakfast. We like to get an early seating around 8:00. That way you can get picture of everyone in fromt of the castle and not a lot of people in the background. If you want a good meal not in a park, try Boma at AKL. It is our fav!!!

 

[Tristen79]

I would have to agree between this and the Beach and Yacht Club Clam Bake are prob two of the best meals overall I've ever had there which has been quite a few

 

[v.t.]

My DS's (7&9) loved Primetime Cafe. They had a blast with the server and watching all the other "cousins" get in trouble. Plus the food was great.