One more ADR to make, input wanted.

[sadossey]

Just changed our arrival date to give is one more day because of cheaper airfare. Now we have one more TS meal due to added day on DP. We are staying at POR and have 2 kids, 5&2. We have a few places we are thinking about: Boma, whispering canyon, kouzzina, crystal palace, tony's town square and coral reef. Which would you choose and why. I know there is a restaurant thread but it does not seem to get as much input. Thanks!

 

[mericletwins]

Just changed our arrival date to give is one more day because of cheaper airfare. Now we have one more TS meal due to added day on DP. We are staying at POR and have 2 kids, 5&2. We have a few places we are thinking about: Boma, whispering canyon, kouzzina, crystal palace, tony's town square and coral reef. Which would you choose and why. I know there is a restaurant thread but it does not seem to get as much input. Thanks!

Crystal Palace b/c I like the buffet. Plus, it is the Pooh characters and Tigger is my favorite of all Disney characters.

Coral Reef because I love watching the fish swimming while I eat.

 

[Missytara]

Just changed our arrival date to give is one more day because of cheaper airfare. Now we have one more TS meal due to added day on DP. We are staying at POR and have 2 kids, 5&2. We have a few places we are thinking about: Boma, whispering canyon, kouzzina, crystal palace, tony's town square and coral reef. Which would you choose and why. I know there is a restaurant thread but it does not seem to get as much input. Thanks!

There is actually an entire board devoted to restaurants, not just one thread.

You did not say what time you are arriving, but if you are pressed for time and do not want to have to go to a park to transfer to a resort, I suggest one of the restaurants at DTD on the DDP or pay OOP and do a character meal later in the week with 2 TS credits.

 

[disneybliss2]

Just changed our arrival date to give is one more day because of cheaper airfare. Now we have one more TS meal due to added day on DP. We are staying at POR and have 2 kids, 5&2. We have a few places we are thinking about: Boma , whispering canyon , kouzzina, crystal palace, tony's town square and coral reef. Which would you choose and why. I know there is a restaurant thread but it does not seem to get as much input. Thanks!

Actually, I think the restaurant board will give you some pretty good input, so you may want to place a thread there.

My thoughts:
Boma: haven't eaten here yet; we have an ADR for here on our upcoming trip. It gets great reviews.
Whispering Canyon: not worth the travel time to get there to me. I was mixed on trying this place, and in the end didn't feel like it got strong enough reviews when I asked people here on the DIS.
Kouzzina: don't know enough about it to form an opinion
Crystal Palace: good buffet. Dinner didn't really impress us, but we didn't hate it either. It gets fabulous reviews for breakfast. We are trying breakfast next. Fun characters.
Tony's Town Square: we were not impressed in the least. Think over priced Ragu. Sorry, just being honest.
Coral Reef:went against less than stellar reviews and tried it. We weren't impressed. Food was just blah. The setting didn't make up for it either. My girls were just as happy exploring the Living Seas. I would look at the restaurants in World Showcase, or possibly Garden Grill.
I'm not sure if your kids are boys or girls. If they are girls, have you considered 1900 Park Fare? We found the food to be delicious, and it has the best character interaction ever! Akershus at Epcot is another favorite. The food is yummy, and my girls love the princesses. Much cheaper than CRT, and my girls actually like it better than CRT. We also love 'Ohana. I would choose this any day over Tony's. If you're at MK, just take the monorail or boat over to the Polynesian resort. The food is delicious! They also teach the kids Hawaiian dances and have coconut broom races. Such fun! Another choice instead of Coral Reef is Biergarten at the German pavilion. Great German food (and plenty of plain choices too) with a very fun setting. The kids can even dance on a dance floor while a German band plays.
Good luck with your decisions!

 

[disneynut11]

I would choose Crystal Palace. I think your kids will thank you!

 

[mdinme]

CP since everyone loves Pooh and the gang. Were it straight up food pref I'd go BOMA.

 

[Mrs D]

We really enjoyed Lunch at CP. Good food, fun characters. I think your kids would like that one.

 

[iloveeeyore]

With kids 5 & 2, I'd try to keep it easy on your first night. Will this be your travel day or first full day? How tired will they be? Will you rent a car or rely on Disney transportation? Where else are you dining during your trip?

Even without knowing all the answers to your questions, I would recommend something in DTD since you can easily take the boat...maybe Rainforest Cafe or T-Rex. Otherwise, if you want a park, I would do Crystal Palace. There's nothing like kicking off a disney trip with a fun character meal (we personally like Chef Mickey's on our first night). And we absolutely love going to MK our first day. I also like the suggestion from the PP about 1900 Park Fare. Lady Tremaine and the step sisters are so funny!

Of the others you mentioned, we enjoy Coral Reef for the atmosphere. I think there is enough interest there to keep the kids engaged for a while. Boma is delicious and the AKL is a destination in and of itself. We haven't been to Kouzzina, but I don't know if I'd go there with small children. We do NOT enjoy WCC at all, and I agree with the PP, definitely NOT worth going out of your way for it. We haven't tried Tony's yet...we will this trip, but If I had a choice in MK with kids your kids' ages, I'd stick with CP...or monorail over to CM or 1900 PF.

Enjoy! I love those "bonus nights" where you just have to fly early to "save money." I agree, I'd rather spend my money at Disney than on airline tickets! We had the same dilemma in planning our August trip!

 

[goofy4tink]

Just changed our arrival date to give is one more day because of cheaper airfare. Now we have one more TS meal due to added day on DP. We are staying at POR and have 2 kids, 5&2. We have a few places we are thinking about: Boma, whispering canyon, kouzzina, crystal palace, tony's town square and coral reef. Which would you choose and why. I know there is a restaurant thread but it does not seem to get as much input. Thanks!

As already mentioned, head over to the Restaurant Boards...they have a ton of info for you...and many varied answers as well. Folks here just don't expect to see a thread about restaurants, so you may not get nearly as much interest here as you would over there.

But, in any case...We love Boma....terrific atmosphere there, with wonderful foods. If you aren't all that adventurous, there are plenty of 'regular' options. And the resort is beautiful and worth a trip over just to check it out.
Also love Crystal Palace. It has been a family favorite for years. You get decent, not great, but decent food and nice character interaction. But it is very busy, noisy and somewhat crazed!!! So be prepared.
Coral Reef is a whole different thing entirely. To me, it always seems to be a bit more 'adult'. Kids tend to get fidgety after the novelty of the fish tank wears off...and it does.
Whispering Canyon is a favorite as well....but I prefer it at lunch to dinner. I just like the offerings better at lunch. But we have always had a very good time there...and again, the WL is worth the trip just to see it.
Kouzzina is nice for breakfast, but we don't care for it for other meals. But that's only because we don't care for Greek-themed food as much as other places.
And Tonys was a big disappointment for us. Nice atmosphere but the food was mediocre at best..did it once and don't feel the need to go back.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Just changed our arrival date to give is one more day because of cheaper airfare. Now we have one more TS meal due to added day on DP. We are staying at POR and have 2 kids, 5&2. We have a few places we are thinking about: Boma, whispering canyon, kouzzina, crystal palace, tony's town square and coral reef. Which would you choose and why. I know there is a restaurant thread but it does not seem to get as much input. Thanks!

Tony's Town Square: we were not impressed in the least. Think over priced Ragu. Sorry, just being honest.

OMG i totally agree...Tony's is one of the worst restaurants ive ever been to at Disney. Its disgusting. Comparing it to Ragu is too kind I think. Its much worse than Ragu. YUCK!!

I like Crystal Palace. We've been for lunch & dinner and have always enjoyed our meals. Its quite yummy. Great desserts too! And i love the characters.

Going to DTD is actually a pretty good idea. Just take the boat from POR. TRex & Raglan Road are both terrific choices. Good menu at both!

 

[sadossey]

Thanks for all the input! This will actuall be our first full day not arrival day because we will be using 2 credits for royal table later in the week. We (my wife actually) decided on the coral reef. We did GA aquarium about a month ago and my son was mesmerized so we thought he might like it. We already have 3 character meals planned so we wanted something different and figured getting to epcot would be easier than transferring to another resort. Also, In hopes of getting a table next to aquarium "wall" I entered this as a birthday dinner for my son (turns 2 the week before we leave) and "first trip" for us all. Anyone know if that will help, or are all tables next to the wall? Also, we are supposed to arrive about 6 pm on Sat night. Would we be able to go to DTD and get in to eat somewhere and pay OOP or will that be difficult without an ADR? Do not want to have a res on arrival day, just go with the flow.

 

[robinb]

Just changed our arrival date to give is one more day because of cheaper airfare. Now we have one more TS meal due to added day on DP. We are staying at POR and have 2 kids, 5&2. We have a few places we are thinking about: Boma, whispering canyon, kouzzina, crystal palace, tony's town square and coral reef. Which would you choose and why. I know there is a restaurant thread but it does not seem to get as much input. Thanks!

This would be a first night dinner? I would make your ADR in a park, either Crystal Palace for the character interaction or Coral Reef for the Living Seas tank. Then, you can stick around for the evening fireworks.

 

[gabzee]

Thanks for all the input! This will actuall be our first full day not arrival day because we will be using 2 credits for royal table later in the week. We (my wife actually) decided on the coral reef. We did GA aquarium about a month ago and my son was mesmerized so we thought he might like it. We already have 3 character meals planned so we wanted something different and figured getting to epcot would be easier than transferring to another resort. Also, In hopes of getting a table next to aquarium "wall" I entered this as a birthday dinner for my son (turns 2 the week before we leave) and "first trip" for us all. Anyone know if that will help, or are all tables next to the wall? Also, we are supposed to arrive about 6 pm on Sat night. Would we be able to go to DTD and get in to eat somewhere and pay OOP or will that be difficult without an ADR? Do not want to have a res on arrival day, just go with the flow.

I would not get your hopes up regarding sitting next to the tank. You have to understand that there are many people coming to Disney that are celebrating different events. It depends on how busy they are, what time your ADR is for, etc. Not all tables are next to the tank. The layout is similar to a movie theatre. The tank is the screen. The front row with be right next to the tank. The rest of the tables with just move farther and farther away from the tank. Personally, if you chose to eat at Coral Reef simply because of the tank and will be disappointed during your meal if you don't sit there, I would look at the fish in the Nemo attraction and go to one of the better restaurants in the World Showcase. Coral Reef doesn't have the best food. I would suggest Teppan Edo or Via Napoli. Regarding your arrival night, it depends on what time of the year you are going and when you will be having dinner. DTD does have CS restaurants so you would be able to eat there very easily. Enjoy!

 

[madsmom22]

We ate at the Coral Reef on our first family trip 4 years ago and lucked into a table in front. My girls (8 and 12 at the time) loved watching the fish and had a fun interaction with a diver that was "flirting" with them through the window. We all enjoyed our food there.
But I just have to add: Whispering Canyon is our FAVORITE!!! It is the only restaurant we've eaten at twice! The food is SO GOOD! The skillet meal, served family style, has some of the best smoked meats I've ever eaten! And the routines the servers perform, with the ketchup, the straws, etc... are so entertaining! Just something to keep in mind. My husband wants to eat here every time we go to Disney!

 

[jodywgirl]

I would try crystal palce with young children the buffet is good also.