*** Official September 2025 Thread ***

[hsmamainva]

DD and I did annual Free Dining trips in September every year from 2006-2015. We (ok “I”, but she agreed!!) decided to do one more full out, 3 parks a day, run ourselves ragged trip while I can still keep up and to celebrate my 70th birthday. Going 9/20 to 9/27. Pop Century was always our resort but the Marriott Grande Vista is much nicer & several hundred dollars cheaper. Does it count if we stay off site?!?!!

Welcome!

 

[hsmamainva]

It’s almost ADR time!

What are you hoping to book?

I can’t decide what to book for our 2nd Epcot day — Garden Grill breakfast is on our list for our 1st Epcot day — any suggestions?

We’ve been to Tutto Italia (we enjoyed it!) & San Angel Inn (we couldn’t see what we were eating but it was tasty. lol) & Coral Reef (we didn’t care for that one) on previous trips.

We used to go to Rose & Crown every trip but the menu has changed in recent years (no steak or burgers or pasta on the menu for my picky / non seafood eaters).

 

[kylenne]

It’s almost ADR time!

What are you hoping to book?

I can’t decide what to book for our 2nd Epcot day — Garden Grill breakfast is on our list for our 1st Epcot day — any suggestions?

We’ve been to Tutto Italia (we enjoyed it!) & San Angel Inn (we couldn’t see what we were eating but it was tasty. lol) & Coral Reef (we didn’t care for that one) on previous trips.

We used to go to Rose & Crown every trip but the menu has changed in recent years (no steak or burgers or pasta on the menu for my picky / non seafood eaters).

We did Shiki Sai for the first time on our May trip and it was excellent, easily one of the best meals on the trip. Pickier eaters have a lot of options there despite the sushi forward menu. I don’t eat seafood and the karaage was the best I ever had, chicken nanban was also great. Both of these are basically just fried popcorn style chicken with dipping sauces, the difference is nanban is tossed in soy sauce and comes with tartar sauce. The skewers are also very good but the star for me was the ishiyaki beef rice, which they make tableside in a hot stone bowl. If the pickier folks don’t want the accoutrements they will leave stuff out (our server asked before mixing the seaweed in, we told her to go ahead though).

Honestly between the food and the service and general vibes, this is going to be a regular spot in my rotation. I typically don’t make ADRs at Epcot during Food & Wine but since I’m going to be down opening weekend I want to have something in my back pocket in case it’s too crazy for me to cope with. So I may book it. Other than that, definitely trying the new Bourbon Steak as I love steakhouses, will be at the Swan, and will have a resort credit to use from booking thru Amex. We loved Rosa Mexicano on this last trip so i may hit it again. And I want to do Steakhouse 71 the day I go to the Halloween party, even if just the lounge. I do a lot of lounge dining on solo trips just because I tend to play a lot faster and looser with my plans in general on solo trips, and I wing it a lot with food. Cali Grill lounge is on my list for arrival night when I’m at CR.

 

[LadybugsMum]

We'll be there during the Welcome Home weeks for DVC members; so planning on some of the restaurants that give the extra discounts like Cape May Cafe and Hollywood and Vine. I try to limit the buffets we do, but those are favorites for my kids. We haven't done a Topolino's breakfast for the last few trips; so I'm going to try for that one. Not sure what else we want to do, but we have 5 days to figure it out.