Non-park restaurant recommendations for arrival night

[maswanson11]

Looking for recommendations for a dinner the evening we arrive at DisneyWorld that isn't at one of the Parks. Disney Springs or one of the resorts?? We are staying at AoA. We have 3 daughters: 12,10,9.

Thanks!

 

[wdwthanksgiving]

We love BOMA and Saana at AKL--even their food court gets great reviews - such good food and lots to choose from - especially at BOMA, there is something for everyone to enjoy (and Saana is wonderful..the butter chicken is delicious and not spicy)...and we love being at AKL at night - there are several firepits surrounded by rocking chairs (one in the main lobby and one outside on the decking and also one on the outside deck of Saana) along with the observation decks off the back of the main lobby where you can see the animals...there is sometimes a storyteller in the lobby as well...so good food and then lots to see and enjoy after dinner!
Kona is also a good choice for us - food is good and the Poly is also fun to walk around after dinner...we also like to hop on the monorail after dinner and walk through the lobbies and gift shops at GF and Contemporary.
Beaches and Cream - just burgers, etc but on the Boardwalk and walking around the lake at night is great!
We ate dinner at Homecomin' at Disney Springs - good food (and Wolfgang Puck Express is good too for a more casual dinner) --lots to see and stores to check out but parking can be difficult and for us, not as" Disney feeling" as being at one of the resorts for dinner.
Let us know what you decide!

 

[steg]

Disney Springs will be the easiest logistically to get to and back from so that's what I'd recommend. Homecomin', Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe (not dining room), Frontera or Morimoto Asia, are all great options.

 

[jsbowl16]

I am not sure how much you want to spend but I would pick a restaurant at AK Lodge. You can choose from The Mara(QS), Boma(Buffet), Sanaa(Sit Down) or Jiko(Signature). Each restaurant is very good and a lot of people consider the hotel to be the most beautiful on property. You can eat a great meal, take a walk around the resort and also go out and look at the animals on the savannah. It would be our favorite hotel if it wasn't for the location and the fact that you need to take a bus to each park.

 

[DVC_Dad_Canada]

We always eat at Wolfgang Puck Express at Disney Springs our first night. No reservation needed.

 

[jsbowl16]

You may also want to look into The Boardwalk area. It is nice to walk around Crescent Lake at night with entertainers on The Boardwalk and you can see some of the HS and Epcot fireworks while you are walking around. There are some awesome restaurants in that area such as Flying Fish, Yachtsman, Shulas and others. The only issue is that there is no QS location at The Boardwalk so it really depends on how much you want to spend on dinner.

 

[DVC_Dad_Canada]

Just saw you're staying at AoA. their food court is amazing. i'd just eat there.

 

[marryfrmtx]

We always eat at Wolfgang Puck Express at Disney Springs our first night. No reservation needed.

One of our favorite places to eat on our first night at Disney. After dinner we share a sundae at Ghirardelli's.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Are you driving or relying on Disney transportation?

If you are driving, I would recommend eating either in the Boardwalk area or one of the monorail resorts.

At the Boardwalk, we really like Trattoria al Forno. It's a casual Italian restaurant. After dinner, you can watch the entertainment on the Boardwalk (magicians and jugglers, play carnival games, rent a surrey bike). It's really fun!

On the monorail, consider O'hana at Poly or 1900 Park Fare. You could have dinner, take a monorail ride and even see the MK fireworks from one of the monorail resorts.

If you are flying in and relying on Disney transportation, I would eat at Disney Springs or at AoA. It is much easier to take a bus to DS than to get from AoA to another resort. For the Disney Springs restaurants, I would actually make a reservation using opentable so you don't have to give a cc hold for the reservation. If you are flying in and encounter delays, you risk having to pay a no-show fee if you make an ADR through WDW. At DS, we really like the Boathouse!

 

[maswanson11]

How much of a pain will it be to get front AOA to AKL? Relying on Disney transportation? Or would taking a cab for the 5 of us be better?

 

[jwfla422]

How much of a pain will it be to get front AOA to AKL? Relying on Disney transportation? Or would taking a cab for the 5 of us be better?

Your best bet is to take a bus to HS and then transfer to an AKL bus from there. But allow an hour because transportation can take some time...it is hit or miss. We have been running into this a lot lately. One bus can be waiting for you and the next...you could be waiting 20-30 minute and there's the trip back. In your case if you run late your best bet is to transfer in DS. But you will spend a lot of time in transit/waiting unless you get VERY lucky so just keep this in mind.

IMHO if you're relying on Disney transport I would go to a restaurant in DS instead, easier to get back and forth and you can make Open Table ressies at many of the restaurants there. There are lots of places to choose from and then you can walk around afterwards and then just hop on the bus from there back to AoA which is a pretty quick trip. After traveling to the airport, getting on the plane and flying to OIA and then traveling to the resort waiting around for buses etc might get to be a bit much in one day (especially for the kiddies)...DS is your easiest option outside of doing the food court at AoA.

If you really want to go to AKL one night, do it after a day at the park and leave the park by 4-5, go back to AoA and rest/freshen up and head to AKL-you may want to spend some time checking out the animals at the savannah before it gets dark or as it gets dark and then have dinner.

 

[Mal6586]

With 3 daughters, I'd go with 1900 Park Fare. So far of all the character meals I've had, it's my favorite "face character" meal. The stepsisters are HILARIOUS!

 

[LaBelleVie]

We usually just eat at our resort food court on arrival night. I've heard really good things about Landscape of Flavors (we plan to walk over from Pop to try it at least once on our upcoming trip!).

 

[RustManFan]

We are going to Trails End at Fort Wilderness.

 

[SaraVee]

Disney Springs is a great first stop on arrival. We love Wolfgang Puck Express and Homecomin.' Also lots of great dessert options while you walk around, too.

 

[Amanda999]

How much of a pain will it be to get front AOA to AKL? Relying on Disney transportation? Or would taking a cab for the 5 of us be better?

Uber. So, so worth the $10 (if even) v. 2 buses. Or taxi of course (which are usually available right at the main front door there).
But unless your family is really interested in trying out a restaurant, AoA's CS is great, and its fun to walk over the bridge to Pop and get a King (Elvis) cupcake (but they sell out by dinner time usually). I'd do that to conserve energy for a park the next morning with my kids.

 

[STLDisney_Freak]

Arrival night we go to Beaches and Cream for ice cream.

 

[Starlord22]

Kona cafe at the Polynesian is always a great choice. That was my first ever meal at WDW when we arrived on my first trip. Disney Springs has a lot of great new places though. The Boathouse is my personal favorite over there.

 

[Mimifree]

Whispering Canyon Cafe is a great first night restaurant. My girls loved the boat trip to Wilderness Lodge and we caught the water pageant on the way back. The food is really good and the kids enjoyed the antics.

 

[Disneypapa]

House of Blues has an outdoor sitting area with musicians, if you like that kind of thing. The Shrimp & Grits are great. Another option at Disney Springs is Ragland Road.

If you want to visit one of the other resorts, Boma or Whispering Canyon are excellent choices.