Please review my dining picks...

[acarsme123]

taking my son to Disney World for the first time and it's the first time I've been in 20 years. We are arriving on a Sunday and leaving the following Saturday. Here are the ADRs I've made so far.
I currently have two days blank for dinner, Monday and Tuesday as we will be at the Magic Kingdom those days and I didn't see any must-do restaurants that were really jumping out at me. I figured for most breakfasts we will grab something quick service like a cinnamon roll or something. For lunch most days I thought about just winging it and going snacks or quick service. Here's what I have so far. Please tell me if I've made good choices or if there's places I should skip. Also suggestions on what to book to fill in my two missing dinner days.

Sunday: dinner at Rainforest Cafe at Disney Spring (we are staying at port Orleans)
Monday @ magic kingdom : no reservations
Tuesday @ magic kingdom :character breakfast at Ohana. No other reservations Tuesday
Wednesday @ Epcot : lunch at via Napoli, dinner at Biergarten
Thursday @ animal kingdom: dinner at Boma
Friday @ Hollywood Studios: dinner seafood buffet at Cape May
Saturday (makeup day and departure day: lunch at T-Rex.

Thanks!

 

[Alesia]

Do you really want to do T Rex and Rain Forest Cafe? They are both very similar experiences - nearly unbearably loud with decent (but not great) overpriced food. Do yourself a huge favor and change one of them to Raglan Road.

 

[acarsme123]

That Raglan Road menu looks might good, but I'm taking my 7 year old son for the first time. Some of these picks are purely for his entertainment. If it was just my wife and I, or if my son was older some of these choices would be different, trust me.

 

[aimes0105]

When you're at AK, I would suggest Tusker House over Boma. The food and restaurant themes are similar but Tusker has characters and is right in the park. Boma will require getting out to AKL and back. Tusker House is more expensive because its a character meal but after having done a lot of those over the last few trips I'd rate Tusker as my favorite.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Going AK - AKL - PO is kind of a nuisance, too.

Understanding that you're looking at what your 7-year-old might enjoy, I'd say keep T-REX and drop Rainforest Cafe. The Rainforest Cafes at DS and AK are exactly like the 30-some other Rainforest Cafes on earth. I would swap in Splitsville if you're thinking 7-year-old, or on the first night just play it chill based on arrival time, consider the Wolfgang Puck Express as a stellar option, then go over to the LEGO Store because if he's 7, that's paradise on earth.

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

Also keep in mind that the Skipper Canteen will be opening soon in the Magic Kingdom. It's themed after the Jungle Cruise ride and your son might enjoy that.

I agree, ditch Rainforest and substitute it for an experience you can only get at WDW. Sci Fi at Hollywood Studios is a perennial kid favorite.

 

[Nancyg56]

taking my son to Disney World for the first time and it's the first time I've been in 20 years. We are arriving on a Sunday and leaving the following Saturday. Here are the ADRs I've made so far.
I currently have two days blank for dinner, Monday and Tuesday as we will be at the Magic Kingdom those days and I didn't see any must-do restaurants that were really jumping out at me. I figured for most breakfasts we will grab something quick service like a cinnamon roll or something. For lunch most days I thought about just winging it and going snacks or quick service. Here's what I have so far. Please tell me if I've made good choices or if there's places I should skip. Also suggestions on what to book to fill in my two missing dinner days.

Sunday: dinner at Rainforest Cafe at Disney Spring (we are staying at port Orleans)
Monday @ magic kingdom : no reservations
Tuesday @ magic kingdom :character breakfast at Ohana. No other reservations Tuesday
Wednesday @ Epcot : lunch at via Napoli, dinner at Biergarten
Thursday @ animal kingdom: dinner at Boma
Friday @ Hollywood Studios: dinner seafood buffet at Cape May
Saturday (makeup day and departure day: lunch at T-Rex.

Thanks!

I would ditch Rainforest Cafe and move Trex to arrival day, because you said your son would like it. Personally, I would rather chew glass and die. What we do for our kids! LOL!

Monday at MK, I would look for an opening at Jungle Cruise Skipper Canteen. I think that this one will ab a lot of fun for everyone I am stalking the Dining boards hoping to get an ADR on our upcoming trip.

Tuesday I would cancel teh characte meal and move it to departure day. If you want a character breakfast I would try for one in the park. Crystal Palace is a nice one. If you are on teh Dining plan, BOG is a family favorite for beakfast and sometimes you can get on for pre park opening. The Castle is a nice place to visit.

Thursday: I agree with a PP who suggsted dropping Boma and adding Tusker House. The food is good, it is a characte meal, and you are not traveling from AK to AKL to POR. That is a lot at the end of the day.

Friday I would stay in DHS for dinner unless you are leaving for the day. If you are going to see Fantasmic I suggest the Fantasmic Dining Package. WE like Mama Melrose, but if you are dining solely with your son in mind, I would look into Hollywood and Vine. It has been getting decent reviews lately with Minnie's Holiday and DIne, so maybe they will continue along the same lines at dinner moving forward.

Saturday I would schedule my 'Ohana breakfast here and cancel it on the MK park day. You will eat up a lot of time dining that day when you could be in the park.

 

[Momto2minniemice]

I think a 7 year old would enjoy the Tusker House over Boma. Also it would be hard to get POR from AKL you would have to go back to a park or Disney Springs. Be Our Guest or Crystal Palace is awesome for Magic Kingdom for dinner. My girls love it! They did not care for Ragland Road. The dancing was nice but that was about it. I hope you enjoy your trip.

 

[buzzrelly]

The Plaza at the MK is a must do for us each trip. It has a very simple menu, sandwiches and burgers, etc…But it has some VERY yummy desserts. It is also very reasonably priced, which is nice if you are paying out of pocket like we do.

Also, as a PP stated, I would make a reservation for the F! package at Mama Melrose at DHS. It's a pain to leave the park and go back. Plus, MM id really good and definitely a family favorite.

 

[Happy_Haunt999]

OP, I wouldn't do both Rainforest Cafe and TRex as a PP stated. Also, that day you have free at MK, I would be doing lunch at Plaza because it is just that good!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I would look into Hollywood and Vine

I think if it's the Disney Junior group and not a Minnie's Seasonal, at 7 he'll be too cool for it. I'd say Sci-Fi Dine-In for a lad that age (and I am the parent of one!). Cars, weird old movies, it's a neat scene. Food works.

A Mama Melrose Fantastic package would be my other option.

 

[Baklava]

Have you considered Be Our Guest for MK. It's a castle meal but not a princess meal and breakfast or dinner in the West Wing might be fun for him at 7.

 

[robndani]

Skip Rainforest Cafe! I also agree that Tusker House would be the better choice. Not because the food is better, but it's a lot of travel. (That being said, we just stayed at AKL and we LOVE Boma!)

I would also leave your last day open, since it's your "makeup" day. If you have a reservation at DS, but want to be at another park that day, it won't work.

Have a blast!!!!!

 

[B-Ride]

We have only been to Boma and Cape May and approve of both of them.

 

[missbrooke06]

Another vote for TH over Boma. I love Boma but the rest of the family isn't so hot. They reluctantly agreed to try TH as it was the only "special" option we could get for my dad's birthday at a decent time (even when I looked for 180 days!). They all really enjoyed it. I think the good is less intimidating. Plus location is easier.

I sort of balk at two TS on your Epcot day. Via Napoli isn't a super fast place. I would suggest trading one for a CS - Epcot has great CS! The place in the UK, Tangerine Cafe, Sunshine Seasons are just a few great options.

 

[acarsme123]

I wanted to do T-Rex on arrival day, but unfortunately the only times they had available on Sunday for dinner were past 8pm! I can always
re-check.
I have been to Rainforest Cafe in Chicago, and I don't remember the food being good. Seems like the menu at T-rex is better than Rainforest. It's more for the atmosphere for my son. But it seems like the consensus seems to be to drop it, and maybe try another Disney Spring restaurant? There are a lot of other restaurants I would pick at Disney Springs over Rainforest Cafe. Too bad Fulton's Crab House is going to be closed when we go. I LOVE seafood. We aren't going to any of the parks on Sunday, just checking into our hotel when we get there hopefully in the early afternoon.

I will have to check out Tusker House.....I had just heard really great things about Boma and I wanted to really try it. Is there really that much to do at Animal Kingdom into the evening time if we got there when the park opened? That's why I had chosen Boma, thinking that we probably will have seen everything by the time dinner time rolls around. I could be wrong though, Animal Kingdom didn't even exist last time I was at Disney, 20 years ago!

Seems like there is the suggestion of moving Ohana breakfast to the day of departure. That could be a nice way to say goodbye, plus we could hop on the monorail to magic kingdom, right?

My coworker who goes to DisneyWorld every year suggested going to Epcot for dinner on the two days we were at Magic Kingdom, but that seems like that would eat up a lot of time, and my wife didn't like the sounds of that. I just am not seeing a lot of wow restaurants at Magic Kingdom....kind of surprising really.

 

[acarsme123]

I looked at the Tusker House menu based on your suggestions and it looks pretty incredible too! I'm just not sure if Animal Kingdom is an all-day type of park since I've never been. That's why I had initially planned Boma because I figured we would maybe be done with the park towards dinner time anyways.....but if it's truly a hassle to get to AKL then I will consider changing my mind. I also checked out The Plaza restaurant and it sounds decent, so we might have to check that place out too.

 

[acarsme123]

Earliest reservation for T-rex on the sunday we get there is still 9:30pm!!! yikes! That's what I had experienced when I first started making reservations. That's why I went with Rainforest. If I move Ohana Breakfast to the Saturday we leave, then we wouldn't be able to hit a park and make lunch for T-Rex before we'd have to hit the road.

 

[Nancyg56]

I looked at the Tusker House menu based on your suggestions and it looks pretty incredible too! I'm just not sure if Animal Kingdom is an all-day type of park since I've never been. That's why I had initially planned Boma because I figured we would maybe be done with the park towards dinner time anyways.....but if it's truly a hassle to get to AKL then I will consider changing my mind. I also checked out The Plaza restaurant and it sounds decent, so we might have to check that place out too.

AK can be as long as you want it to be. This park gets a bad rap in my opinion, because folks do not spend enough time there to experience all there is. Just the shows alone will take plenty of time, and when you add in Conservation Station, the walking trails ( my favorite memories with my DGD are during the quiet time we spent walking the trails while her Mom and Dad went on EE) the characters who are located throughout the park, you can make a full day.

I would plan an early arrival and hit the trails, conservation stations and the Safari, have an early lunch at Flame Tree, and then spend the rest of the day with the shows, and then an early dinner at TH just before the park closes. That way you can head back to the resort, relax and swim and maybe take the boat to DTD for dessert.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I wanted to do T-Rex on arrival day, but unfortunately the only times they had available on Sunday for dinner were past 8pm! I can always
re-check.

Call them directly. Don't go through Disney Reservations. They release very few times to Disney, and do most of their own booking.