Newcomer - best MK & EC restaurants

[katalina]

We are going in 2 weeks. What would you recommend for a mixed group (kids 12-5, parents, grandparents)? A few years ago we went to the German place at EC, and the food was fine, floor show very good. I hear it's a buffet now, though.

I'm particularly interested in a good place for dinner at EC that might include entertainment.

Thanks!

PS. Is there a place on this board to find out what the initials everyone uses stand for? Some I can figure out, but others I am totally stumped by! I've been to WDW six times, too!

 

[dansyr]

Some fun restaraunts at MK are Crystal Palace, Liberty Tree Tavern and Cinderellas castle.
For Epcot, how about restaraunt marakkesh, I believe they have a belly dancer, or Teppanayaki, the chef does a little show while preparing the food.

 

[eeyore0062]

Many times when we go we have all age groups. These are the restaurants that appeal to all:

we aren't fond of the full service or buffet meals at MK, so we usually leave, get on the monorail and eat the resorts.

That being said:
we like the Pecos Bill's, Columbia House and Cosmic Ray's counter service in MK

We like 'Ohana for a great family dinner... activities for the kids, great food and plenty of it... located at the Polynesian, so it is a quick boat ride from the MK.

1900 Park Faire for breakfast... a character meal featuring some of the following: Mary Poppins, Bert, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter. The food is delicious and the characters are GREAT! We usually take the bus to the MK, hop on the boat to the GF eat, and then hop on the boat back to the MK.

Epcot:
San Angel Inn... a nice cool respite, feels like you are dining under the stars in Mexico. The kids love to watch the boats go by while they eat. The market place is an easy way to entertain if you have wait for your table.

Garden Grille: the food is good, the kids love the characters and if you get a table on the 1st tier they can see the Living with the Land ride as you eat. The dining room slowly revolves, but not fast enough that it would cause problems.. you really hardly notice it.

Hope you have a nice vacation!

 

[vicb]

I'll second Marakkesh, the food was very good and the belly dancer fun entertainment. There was also lovely music played between the dancers shows.

Also a second to San Angel Inn, although you should check out menus as the dinner menu is different from the lunch. The atmosphere is the entertainment here. It is really neat and your group can go on the river ride after.

Haven't eaten at Teppanyaki yet but the chef would be entertaining.

 

[drusba]

Biergarten is now buffet which I personally consider an improvement (as you now get to pick and choose and retry if that one particular German dish turns out not to be appealing). As far as shows at Epcot go it is the best one, particularly as it is the only one with a stage show. Marakesh has the belly dancer and minstrels which is OK but I abhor the food there. Teppanyaki (also one of my favorites) has the cook right at your table but that can be a mixed bag -- some are good at making it entertaining, some are not. Alfredo's also has some minsterls and OK Italian food.

At MK you basically have restaurants with no entertainment and then those with character meals. Cyrstal Palace is a good buffet character meal. Liberty Tree Tavern is my view the best of the character meal group with a sit down dinner, interactive characters, and excellent colonial/revolutionary wartime atmosphere.

If you want dinner with excellent entertainment then consider doing a dinner show, particularly Hoop Dee Doo.

As to abbreviations, there was and I assume still is a list to go to on this site. Problem is the site has changed so much since I last used it that I have no idea how to find it anymore.