Never did Priority Seating before...

[Pooh99]

Probably will only be able to afford one REALLY special dinner while at Disney. I have a 10 year old boy and a 4.5 year old girl.

If this were your first WDW trip with kids, what would be your absolute MUST-DO restaurant?

 

[eeyore65]

This is a tough one. How picky are your kids? Big eaters? For pure fun - I like Ohana at the polynesian - and it tends to be a little more budget friendly than the more upscale places. Also - it is all you can eat.

If you have never been to AKL the whole evening experience at Boma is great.

But our all time favorite for "wow" factor is California Grill. The view and the ride up to the top of the contemporary is great. It is especially magical if you get a PS around firework time - you can watch right there or go outside on the balconies at the top.

 

[BCV23]

While there are many wonderful spots in the world I think Cinderella's Royal Table is very special. Lunch is easier to get a PS and has better food than breakfast in my opinion and is less expensive than dinner.

The Plaza Restaurant (not pavilion) is a pretty spot and has great sandwichs. It really doesn't cost much more than fast food in MK.

 

[Minniespal]

I would have to say either Liberty TReet Tavern or Chef Mickey's. Both are all you care to eat, have characters and LTT is in a lovely location perfect for watching the parade after eating.

 

[suzimar57]

i would have to agree with the above posters - either lunch at cinderella's castle (so exciting to eat in the castle!) or dinner at either liberty tree tavern (excellent food) or chef mickey's (you don't more immersed in the characters than this place!)

 

[NotUrsula]

If this is your children's first visit, be wary of making your one meal splurge at a character meal. If it turns out that your kids are frightened of characters, it will be a miserable experience for you, and a really irritating waste of money.

I would suggest that if you want to try a character meal, make 2 PS's, one for a character meal, and one for an alternative choice without characters. You can cancel one of them after you have had a chance to see how your kids handle character interaction.

For non-character dinners that appeal to kids, my suggestion would be either 'Ohana or Whispering Canyon. Whispering Canyon has a broader menu to choose from; and both places feature games and silliness for children.

If the point is for the grownups to have a great meal, I would suggest booking the Neverland Club for the kids, then picking one of the restaurants at a monorail resort. The NC feeds the kids off their own kids' buffet, and the folks get a nice dinner all to themselves. Every kid I've ever asked who had been to the NL couldn't wait to get back; the place is a kid paradise. If you only have them stay while you eat, it's only a little bit more expensive than taking them to a restaurant with you. (The children's clubs all require you to book at least 24 hrs ahead, and the NL club fills up fast for weekends, as it is the nicest one.)

(Edited to correct stupid mistake: the mid-level restaurant at WL is Whispering Canyon, not Roaring Forks. Roaring Forks is the snack bar.)

 

[mickeymom629]

If you're going to be in MGM, I think your kids might enjoy the humor at the 50's Prime Time cafe. We were there last spring and my kids (14, 12, 10 and 8 at the time) were hysterical because we had a very funny waiter. We went at lunch time, however, and that is less expensive than dinner. We are probably going at dinnertime this next trip. The food is not "special" here, the atmosphere is.

The California Grill was wonderful for the view and I loved the food, but my children had a hard time finding something they liked and it wasn't worth the money for them.

We all enjoyed the food at DTD's Wolf Gang Puck's cafe.

Crystal Palace breakfast was a great buffet with Pooh characters, but we did that many years ago.

Hoop Dee Doo Revue sounds like it would be good for you family, too, but I've never been; only read reviews here.

Coral Reef in Epcot is really neat with the huge window to watch the fish, but the children's portions are small. I loved the food, however.

The Garden Grill and Liberty Tree Tavern are both good for characters, but my family doesn't really like the food served family style, rather than ordering what they like.

I would look at the menus for each of these restaurants before making a decision and decide on the atmosphere you are looking for. (Also, each country in Epcot offers a unique dining experience).

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

The California Grill is a great experience for adults but not for children. I wouldn't go there for your special meal. I have been there with my children and it is too adult for them.Chef Mickeys is downstairs in the Contemporary and you could have a character breakfast or dinner. We always go to the breakfast and the place is hopping with characters. We usually go early to the Magic Kingdom and then exit the park about 10:15 am and take the monorail to the Contemporary. You could do dinner there if you prefer and then ride up the elevators and go outside the Californai Grill to the observation area to watch the fireworks in the MK.

Is this your first time to Disney? Would your 10year old like seeing the characters? Your children are at different ages so it is a little harder to pick.

My children also like Boma's at the Animal Kingdom Resort. We go over early and walk around the resort and look at all the areas with animals. This resort is really beautiful and interesting. Boma's had a great kids buffet too. There is also wonderful adult food selections. It is the best buffet in Disney. Fresh great food. My children love it.

I don't think a ten year old boy is going to be too excited about eating in the castle. Your 4 year old daughter would love it but I doubt your son will( mine doesn't). Too many princesses there.

Another nice breakfast is at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. The buffet is very good, nice characters and the place is well located and attractive.

I haven't done the Hoop De Doo dinner show in a long time. It is a lot of fun but quite expensive and a little hard to get to. Go to the early show if you decide to try it and book early to get a good seat.

Good luck and enjoy........

 

[Mrs. Snowgod]

One minor correction to the above poster's remark - the observation deck at CG is now only available to CG patrons. You cannot just show up to view the fireworks if you don't have a meal at the CG.

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

Wow! When did that change? I am actually glad though because I like to relax and have dinner at the CG and always found it a litttle distracting to have other people in and out! Thanks for the update.

 

[LAWalz23]

See if your kids can agree on the characters they want and then book that dinner. It is great to see the kids interact with the characters. They can get atographs and you can take plenty of pictures without having to stand on line. There is a list I think on wdwinfo go to the home page then restaurants or wdwig with a list of the meals and characters.