RE: Something old, or something new?

[jerseydizdreamer]

Every time I plan a Disney trip, I run into the same old problem/question: Where to eat?

I have my favorite places (topping the list: The 50's Prime Time Diner at MGM, Marakesh or Rose & Crown in Epcot; Flame Tree Bar-B-Que in the AK). But there are SO many other places, I sometimes think, "Maybe this trip you should skip (fill in the blank) and try (fill in the blank) instead!"

Anyone else find this a really incredibly tough call?

And which restaurants are on your "don't even think about trying to convince me to skip eating here on this trip or any other" list?

Richard

 

[Simba's Mom]

Sometimes trying new resturaunts does scare me-it isn't cheap to eat at sit-down resturaunts, and so we tend to stay with ones we've had good experiences at rather than shelling out the money and being dissappointed. The only one I insist on getting to every trip is Boulangerie Pastrie in France. Since they have ham and cheese croissants, fruit plates, I can eat there for a whole meal (also, it doesn't hurt my feelings to make a meal out of 3 pastries-one for the appetizer, one main course, one dessert). DH wants to make it to the German resturaunt every trip.

 

[GenePA]

Being DVC members now, we have been going down to WDW a bit more frequently. With that in mind, many of our favorite restaurants are pricey (e.g. California Grill, Flying Fish, and Fultons) so we try and make one or two a trip but are trying to eat at different restaurants now. Some of the newer ones we have eaten at the past year or so that we really enjoy are......

Biergarten at Germany
Boma at AKL
Olivia's at OKW
Yakitori House at Japan
Portobella Yacht Club at DD
Trail's End Buffeteria at FW

I guess I am trying to say that there are so many restaurants at WDW, it's great to have your favorites but give some others a try....I bet you'll discover some new favorites when you do.

 

[Nikole]

I know exactly what you mean! You like something so you stick with it! It's tough sometimes to venture out to a new restaurant because if it isn't as good you'll be thinking......man I could have eaten at such and such a place

When I go I try to do a 50/50 mix (although frequently it ends up being closer to 75/25..... 75% from the old favorites and 25% from new restaurants I haven't tried before.)

My not to be missed: Calif Grill, Palio and Spoodles

My enjoy it if I can fit it in: Cape May, Brown Derby, Teppanyaki, Liberty Tree, Cindy's, and a few others

My "not a chance in heck I'll ever go back": Flying Fish (went 2 times and stunk both times), RFC (went 3 or 4 times service was horrid each time)

My one of these days I'd like to try it: Narcoosees, Shulas, Citricos, Fulton's, Biergarten

 

[CK1]

Ooooo, a fun thread!

Every time after a trip, our fam discusses and rates our meals, best to worst, for future reference. And since I'm the planner, I usually already have it in the back of my head what is on the agenda for next time! I have 3 kids (a 9yr old veggie lover, 8 yr old carnivore, and 3 yr old seafood/soup lover!) DH is the biggest problem -- picky eater, breaks out in a cold sweat reading menu words like "wasabe".

So here goes:

"This Really Works for us! It's a must!" List:

Chef Mickey's (food for all), Whispering Canyon (too much fun); ESPN (lost boys club, here we come); funnel cakes (Epcot - USA)and turkey legs (Frontier land -- MK) and italian frozen drinks (Epcot - Italy)


Our "We liked this -- you should try it, we may again someday" List:

Garden Grille (dh's fave); Teppanyaki (simply great); Sci-Fi (Kids love those cars and wacky movies); Olivia's at OKW; Storybook bfast in Norway (EPCOT)

Our "Can't we try THIS one next time?" List:

Le Cellier (my gotta-do); CRT (dd's gotta-do); Cape May B'fast (general family choice); B&C (nope, we've never done it!); HDDR (only some of us have done it -- does that count?); Ohana (as in, our Ohana wants to try it!); 1900 Park Fare (dd wants more Cindy action, or Pooh bear... whatever); Spoodles (I'd like to try this... but not sure I can get dh to agree!); PT Cafe (nope, never done it, always ended up at Sci-Fi!)


Our "If I don't ever go here again, that's ok with me" list:

Toy Story Pizza Planet (MGM), Pinocchio Haus (UGH)
Coral Reef (dh thought this was just way overpriced... and the menu "scared" him....)

 

[honeywolf7]

Chefs de France, Le Cellier, and Fulton's are on my not-to-be-missed list.

 

[Pryncess'mom]

Our Ds (13 & 16) MUST eat at Pinochio's and Pizza Planet!! As a family we liked Trails End (for the $$ great value) DH & I really like Garden Grill. We, too, try to go to someplace different every trip. I like Yakitori House and Boulangerie-Patisserie, also. Next trip I am doing Le Cellier!

Deb

 

[photobob]

We try to mix in some places that we've never eaten and repeat some of our favorites. Our trip this past may we hit some of our favorites, Le Cellier, Mama Melroses, Rain Forest Cafe and did some places we'd never eaten before like Yakitori, ABC commissary, Beaches and Cream, Tony's, Big River Brewery. We've been four times and there as still many, many restaurants we haven't gone to. I think next trip we may try to go to all new places.

 

[Floundering Crab]

This is a fun thread. We, too, have a problem everytime we start making our WDW plans (if you can call it a problem). One trip, a couple years ago, we decided to try a boatload of differerent restaurants, so we now have some more yes's and no's to choose from when we plan. I always try at least one new restaurant every trip (we try to get down at least once or twice a year). This December we'll be trying Jiko's--we love Boma's and hated to marr a good thing, but we'll have breakfast at Boma's instead of dinner just so we can try Jiko. Our fav's are: Whispering Canyon Cafe, Le Cellier, Sci Fi, Brown Derby and eating our way through The Land Sunshine Fair. Pretty diverse, but isn't that the way vacation should be?

 

[denisem]

I LOVE trying new restaurants, so have worked my way through many over the years. However, DH is fairly new to the "world", so I slip in new venues for me, along with revisiting old favorites. He dislikes buffets, so that cuts down the choices a bit.

Next month will be my first V&A and Shula's!!

We'll revisit (for me) CA Grille (a bad waitress turned me off my 1st visit), Portobello YC and Biergarten (DH loves german beer).

His "MUST DO" every visit is Ohanas - I think it's more a "tradition" than the food - and I'm sure we'll dine again at Jiko since we're staying at AKL.

Denise < --- and we'll play the rest by EAR

 

[jerseydizdreamer]

CK1 -

You know, I might just post something to find out which side of the fence people fall on this debate. Personally, I'm a big fan of the 50's Prime Time Cafe. Not only is the food AMAZING, but it's so much darn fun. I'm guessing kids would really enjoy it, just because the setting is so cool and the cast mebmers really go out of their way to make sure everyone has a fantastic time! It's definitely at the top of my "must see" list.

I like hearing other people's "must-do" lists, because I'm definitely going to be trying a few new places this year. I can't believe I've gone this long without having eaten at California Grill! But this time, I'm hitting it! It's another solo trip (most likely), but I don't care... if I can't find someone on the boards who wants to get together for a meal, I have no problem going solo to a restaurant!

Richard

 

[CK1]

Good for you, jerseydizdreamer -- forging out solo into the wild wide world of Disney Dining! Hey, you could always do like Steve Martin did on that movie "The Single Guy" -- pretend you are a restaurant critic and are compiling a review of your meal, service, etc.! (And then -- when you get your data -- share it here with us, haha!)

I am very excited about taking the kiddos to PT Cafe! It just seems that for the past several trips, we always had guests with us and ended up somehow at Sci-Fi instead. I'm not knocking it -- but we're definitely ready to move on! I just love heavily themed restaurants, and I hope the dish out the major attitude on my dh... THe kids would think it's an all-time hoot to have someone chide HIM about his inability to consume veggies!

 

[Planogirl]

I have the same problem every year. There's so many that I like that I don't know when to try new places.

This year I decided to get out of my rut so we tried a few new restaurants. I plan to keep on doing this every year now with the restaurants getting fancier as DS gets older.

But there are a few "must-dos". Breakfast at the Crystal Palace is a given and I have to have my much-loved tuna sandwich at Columbia Harbour House. We also enjoyed Cape May's dinner so much that I am determined to go back there and I'd prefer to eat "somewhere" at AKL. Plus H&V is a standby for Fantasmic dining... Oh dear, here we go again!