Please tell me where to EAT at WDW!

[partyofive]

I am so overwhelmed! I am getting everything planned out for our FIRST family trip but can not decide where we should eat! Please HELP! I am in search of the best places to eat and have kid friendly menus! The restaurants can be any meal and any area. We have 3 KIDS so money is definately an issue! We would like to "Splurge" on a really good meal one or two nights! We are staying Off-site at Orange lake resort. Whats your Favorite!!??

 

[cbrfan]

My favorite for a good time is 50's PrimeTime at MGM. We like to start our WDW vacation having lunch there. It's alot of fun and the entrees are large enough to split.

 

[magsmouse]

You can relax a little bit because most restaurants, on and off site, have child friendly menus! Hopefully you will get to try at least one character meal. Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary is a good choice for variety and character interaction. I haven't been but I hear Crystal Palace in MK is recommended also. Off site there are so many choices! Get a guide book from one of the local stores and you will see ads some with good coupons too. Good Luck.

 

[EthansMom]

I would go for one or two character meals like Cinderella's Castle in Magic Kingdom for breakfast (Cinderella and other princesses/royalty, book 90 days in advance first thing in morning), Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom (Pooh and Friends) or Garden Grill at Epcot (Mickey and Friends). They cost a little bit of money, but it's well worth it to see the characters without having to stand in line for an hour! To save money, go for breakfast or lunch, which are less expensive than dinner.

As far as child-friendly, most every restaurant at WDW is child-friendly. Certainly, you won't want to take the kids to Victoria's and Alberts, but otherwise should be fine.

Here's a link to WDW menus so you can get more of an idea where you'll want to eat: http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menus.htm

 

[TJA]

I recommend at least one character meal. We personally think Chef Mickey's at Contemporary is extremely fun and entertaining for the kids. Definitely click on the menu link that someone posted above for all the character meal choices.

As far as regular restaurants go, SciFi at MGM has a fun atmosphere for kids and families, along with good food.

We like Flame Tree Barbeque for lunch at AK.

Liberty Tree Tavern at MK has home style food.

Check out the various restaurant menus in the countries at Epcot. We personally like Italy and Canada the best. There is a counter service fish shop in UK that we always like to stop at for lunch.

 

[MrsPete]

In answer to your first concern, EVERY restaurant at WDW will have something that kids like. It's a kids' place. If you're concerned, you can see actual menus (and prices) at http://www.allearsnet.com/contents.ht

We don't like to eat at chain places that we can visit at home; thus, we never go to Olive Garden or McDonald's when we're on vacation. Here are some of our favorites:

Magic Kingdom -- Cinderella's Royal Table
MGM -- Sci-Fi Drive -in Theater
Animal Kingdom -- Rainforest Cafe
Resorts -- Chef Mickey's and Ohana