Please Help Consolidate ADRs

[calilou]

It's too bad BOG no longer offers a QS lunch. That was a much less expensive meal and not so annoying if the food wasn't very good.

Ten or twelve years ago, CRT food was mediocre and got almost uniformly bad reviews, not very imaginative dishes, indifferently served. We've actually booked both breakfast and dinner there most trips since our first CRT. It's much better than it once was, we think. Our raves go to Cali Grill and Victoria & Albert's to give you a sense of what agrees with us.

So, I'd suggest that if you think it may be some time until you return to WDW (if ever), BOG is like WDW character meals in general. You go for the atmosphere and experience, and consider it an oh-well if the food is not that good. The atmosphere there really is stunning.

This helps a lot, thank you. We’re planning for this trip to be our only WDW trip and are true suckers for the Disney atmosphere and ambiance. It’s what they do best!

 

[calilou]

That reminded me. Crystal Palace in WDW is similar in atmosphere to Plaza Inn in DLR.

This is what I was thinking too! Plaza Inn is certainly a favorite and something we do almost every DLR trip, which makes me think we shouldn’t pass BOG up since there’s not the same back home.

 

[calilou]

I'm going to assume money is not the biggest factor:

San Angel - I'm Mexican and the food is better than people make it out. I've had nopales there that were on point. And as others have said atmosphere is really cool.

Sci Fi is so hard to get that you need to grab it and experience it if you can get it. Prime Time is fun just easier to get. Briwn Derby has the best food of the three but getting a reservation is not hard and even if you can't land it you can grab a seat at their outdoor bar and get their food that way.

I love Crystal Palace. I like the food better, the atmosphere is better, the character experience is excellent. BOG is a consolation prize of you can't get Cinderella, but otherwise it's not really a must do. And as others have said Skippers Canteen is excellent, though I wouldn't do that instead of Crystal Palace.

Jiko is IMO the best restaurant in terms of food service and wine currently open in WDW (though tbf I haven't been to Victoria & Albert's or Citricos). Sanaa for lunch is my favorite dining experience if you can get a seat by the window to see the animals, but either way never disappoints. Boma is a very good buffet but of the three it's the one I could skip and not be sad about.

So helpful, thank you! Time and stomach room are definitely the big factors over money at this point. LOL

 

[calilou]

Epcot: do you prefer Mexican or Italian food? We don’t like Mexican food, so have never eaten there. You can get the atmosphere of the restaurant on the Three Caballeros ride and walking around the shops inside the pavilion. We’d pick Via Napoli. We’ve been splitting a small pizza, caprese salad & sometimes the spaghetti. The main room can be a little loud, but we’ve been seated a comfy booth in the smaller back room, quieter & you can enjoy the music a little more.

Studios: these are such different experiences. Hollywood Brown Derby is white tablecloth, upscale food. 50’s Prime Time is home style comfort food. Based on my DH’s food preferences, we’d pick HBD. Prime Time can be fun, but experiences can vary depending on your server. We enjoy the atmosphere as far as the tables & TV clips. But we’re not interested in being “scolded” by a complete stranger. It’s been several years but I remember the food being average diner style food.

MK: We’ve only had breakfast there once about 5 years ago & enjoyed it. Not sure how the food is now since reopening. We do like BOG & would pick that. We’ve had good service & the steaks we’ve gotten have been really good. The main ballroom can be loud & busy but we’ve been seated along the side walls, which has helped cut down on the chaotic atmosphere. Our favorite is the side music box room/ portrait gallery. Quieter & more to lol at while you eat. Although it is a little harder to see the Beast.

We’ve never eaten at any AK restaurant so no help there.



This changes my answer above. We actually enjoy signature dining & have no problem with the prix fixe meals. But there’s no way we could do one for lunch & dinner in the same day. If we do a 3 course meal at lunch, we’re never even hungry for dinner. So to me your decision should be between BOG & CRT. I’d probably go with CRT. The food is very good, but the atmosphere is so much nicer than BOG. And won’t be eating in just any castle, but The Actual Cinderella’s Castle. . So in this case, I’d do Crystal Palace breakfast & CRT.

Thank you! Yes, for me eating in Cinderella’s Castle is on my bucket list so there’s no way I’m not doing that! I’m a glutton for princesses and so are my teen daughters (even still), so cutting one of them out is tough!

 

[calilou]

I am also a DL local and frequent visitor. But I love WDW too and go twice a year most years. So lots of visits to both. I will warn you --- the castle is better in their MK, but the DL rides are far superior!

Epcot - neither! Not a fan of either. I would go with Teppan Edo or Chefs De France if you can get reservations at either.

Hollywood Studios - Either are good, but I prefer 50s Prime Time. It is very homestyle cooking (fried chicken, pot roast, meatloaf) with great desserts or milk shakes. Yummy. But Brown Derby is also good if you want something more foodie.

Magic Kingdom - Neither! I am not a big fan of any of the dining options in the MK. I had a horrible experience at Crystal Palace and will never ever recommend it. I do enjoy Be our Guest but for the money, it is not the best value. I would go with Steakhouse 71 at the Contemporary over either of those choices.

AKL - Boma Dinner - that is one amazing buffet. It is in Jambo House, but you can walk between the 2 buildings or take the little bus.

Thank you! Sounds like you live my dream: DL AND WDR on the regular! So much fun. We’re also staying at the Contemporary so have Steakhouse 71 dialed in too. I’m assuming it’s similar to Steakhouse 55 which we love.

 

[calilou]

I’m so very thankful for everyone’s feedback! Keep it coming! It’s very helpful as we are in the final days of planning. We leave this Thursday and will be there through Thanksgiving. Can’t wait!

 

[mitchwebb]

DL and WDW regulars. You are going to have a great time no matter what you chose.
Epcot if kids would pick Via but have never been to San Angel and have always wanted to try.

HS my DD's in the twenties love Sci Fi while DH and I like Brown Derby Lounge.

Mk is always the hardest for us. We have been to almost all but have not been impressed. Use to like the BOG lunch and when kids were little loved the CP Breakfast. Now we just do Plaza inn or go to monorail resort to eat.

For us at this time with 5 in our family most of the table restaurant are a minimum of $350 and if we get a drink $450.

Our favorites - Flying Fish, Kona Island, Nomad lounge, Yak & Yeti, Chef de France, Steakhouse 71, Citricos and Calif Grill before 3 course meal.

 

[isabellea]

MK: CP with Pooh! We liked BOG decor but it’s nothing spectacular food wise (I grew up on French food and BOG is mediocre to average).

Epcot: Haven’t been to either but I would choose San Angel Inn of the two just to eat in the pyramid.

DHS: I would like to try Prime Time but the interactions with the CMs are a big turn off fir me. I would go to Sci Fi for the milkshakes and cars. Food is okay.

AKL: We loved our dinner at Boma (finally a buffet with some seasonings and flavours) but Sanaa would also be high in my list if staying there.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Also, which of the three AKL restaurants would you choose for dinner and breakfast, if you could only do one each? Boma, Jiko or Sanna (dinner option only at Jiko, looks like). We’re staying at Kidani Village if that makes a difference.

Boma twice.

I love all three restaurants, but Sanaa is a lunch spot in my mind, and Jiko isn't super kid-friendly.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

EPCOT LUNCH:
Via Napoli or San Angel

Via Napoli. San Angel is takeout-quality Mexican food at gourmet prices.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS:
Brown Derby or Prime Time (or if a Sci-Fi ressy comes available should I take it over both?)

Brown Derby, but only for dinner. It's too expensive for lunch since they eliminated the burger. Sci-Fi is horrible. People like the shtick but the food is lousy. It's mostly sandwiches on bone dry bread. I actually like Mama Melrose best of all HS restaurants. No-frills Italian-American, and the prices are fair. They have a good steak, too.

MAGIC KINGDOM:
Crystal Palace Character Breakfast or Be Our Guest Lunch

Crystal Palace, but I'd time it for around 10am so it covers both breakfast and lunch. IMO, Be Our Guest is the biggest ripoff in all of Walt Disney World, and I defend a lot of Disney's expensive offerings. The quality just isn't there.

 

[ktlm]

We alternate between DLR and WDW--- or we used to--- now we do DLR more.

EPCOT LUNCH

We have not done Via Napoli. San Angel's atmosphere is basically Blue Bayou, but Mexican instead of Cajun. The food can be hit or miss, but when it is a hit it can be really good. We like it and do it quite a bit. Our must do in EPCOT is Biergarten-- it is DH and DD's absolute favorite--- it is the restaurant DH misses when we go to DLR instead of WDW. If we can only do one restaurant at EPCOT (like when it is Food and Wine Festival time with all the booths so we want to mostly eat there)- it is always Biergarten.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS:
Brown Derby or Prime Time (or if a Sci-Fi ressy comes available should I take it over both?)

Brown Derby generally has very good food, but is expensive. It is more restaurant atmosphere-- themed after an actual restaurant. Prime Time is fun, the CMs are funny and the atmosphere is good-- the food can be hit or miss. If you don't like CM's being loud and silly- this is not the place for you. If you do and get a good server, you will love it. I've heard a lot of good things about Sci-Fi-- when DD was little we did not eat there because we knew the movie clips would scare her-- she was pretty sensitive back then. We always mean to go there, and never wind up there.

MAGIC KINGDOM:
Crystal Palace Character Breakfast or Be Our Guest Lunch

The Crystal Palace Character Breakfast is basically Minnie's Breakfast at the Plaza Inn, but with only Pooh Characters. The restaurant looks the same on the inside and a lot of the food is the same. There are less characters than you typically find at Minnie's-- you will see Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore and that's it. Be Our Guest Lunch would get you inside the castle to take a look around. You don't have anything like it at DLR. It is pricey though. Beast used to only make an appearance at dinner, but I've seen conflicting reports as to whether he shows up at lunch now-- someone who has been more recently would have a better idea of that. Outside of the price-- if I had never been there before that would probably be my choice if the menu appeals to you. It can be loud in there sometimes.

As far as CRT--- in the more recent years-- we have felt the food was really good. That would definitely stay on the must do list for us.

Also, which of the three AKL restaurants would you choose for dinner and breakfast, if you could only do one each? Boma, Jiko or Sanna (dinner option only at Jiko, looks like). We’re staying at Kidani Village if that makes a difference.

We've only done Boma and it was really good.

 

[sparrow10_]

I used to swear by Via Napoli but I was massively disappointed my last time

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I used to swear by Via Napoli but I was massively disappointed my last time

Bummer to hear. Did you get entrees or pizza?

 

[Robber Baron]

EPCOT LUNCH:
Via Napoli or San Angel

I think Via Napoli has the best pizza on property. We always have the Arancini, very good.

San Angel has the best atmosphere with good food.

Sooner or later you are going to want to try both of them, so, if you do one this trip, you'll probably do the other next trip.

Just pick the one with the most convenient time., you can't go wrong.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS:
Brown Derby or Prime Time (or if a Sci-Fi ressy comes available should I take it over both?)

Once again, we have eaten at each probably a half dozen times. Love the food and atmosphere at both.

Flip a coin.

MAGIC KINGDOM:
Crystal Palace Character Breakfast or Be Our Guest Lunch

I have eaten at both of these and would not go back to either. I liked the old set up at BOG, had the ham & cheese & fries for lunch a few times. I'm not a buffet person.

Also, which of the three AKL restaurants would you choose for dinner and breakfast, if you could only do one each? Boma, Jiko or Sanna (dinner option only at Jiko, looks like).

Have eaten at Boma a few times while staying at AKL. I prefer breakfast over Dinner there.

Jiko is the one restaurant I haven't been to yet that I would most like to try.

 

[sparrow10_]

Bummer to hear. Did you get entrees or pizza?

Pizza, also the options changed so there's that

 

[Gludfssr]

Sadly, we can’t keep all these! I would love some help deciding. This is our first trip to WDW as DLR regulars, FYI.

EPCOT LUNCH:
Via Napoli or San Angel

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS:
Brown Derby or Prime Time (or if a Sci-Fi ressy comes available should I take it over both?)

MAGIC KINGDOM:
Crystal Palace Character Breakfast or Be Our Guest Lunch

Also, which of the three AKL restaurants would you choose for dinner and breakfast, if you could only do one each? Boma, Jiko or Sanna (dinner option only at Jiko, looks like). We’re staying at Kidani Village if that makes a difference.

Thank you so much for your help!

Epcot
you don’t need to do Via Napoli, you have one in Downtown Disney.
San Angel has good atmosphere but not great food, kinda like the Blue Bayou.

HS
If you want something that you can’t get at Disneyland then you must go to Sci-Fi for the atmosphere alone. One of the best themed restaurants at any Disney park, just don’t expect great food. You are going for the atmosphere and that alone.

MK
tough one on those 2 choices, neither has good food. But if I had to pick then I would do Be Our Guest once again for atmosphere.

AK
Now you have finally got some restaurants that have Good to Great food. Of the 3 Sanaa is without a doubt my favorite of the bunch and absolutely a must do since you are staying there as well. You can do it for lunch or dinner same menu.