Share with me your most 'fun' dining selection at DLR

[TIME4DIZ]

We are WDW vets making our first trip to DLR in a few weeks. We consider fun dining to be places like whispering canyon, Ohana, hoop de doo & sci fi dine in. We are 2 adults and 2 teens.
Any suggestions for us at DLR (please don't suggest rain forest cafe )

TIA

 

[BriannaRuth]

Love Sci Fi! There's really nothing like that in DL.

For me Blue Bayou is the most fun, since it's inside Pirates of the Caribbean. Trader Sam's at the DL Hotel is also fun, but not really in the same league as something like Sci Fi.

 

[FourM's]

We enjoy Storytellers in the Grand Californian as well as Flos V8 cafe. I second the vote for Trader Sams. Blue Bayou is romantic and has a neat ambiance, my teens enjoyed it. It might be lost on little ones. My sister just went to Ralph Brennan's in DTD and loved it. I agree that DL is lacking in those fun over the top dining experiences that DW has but boy is it easier to make dining reservations at DL! We usually make our ressies the morning of unless it's a really special occasion and we are picky about time. Although we don't usually go to DL during peak seasons.

 

[Cinderpamela]

Disneyland does not have anything exactly like the dining experiences you listed that are at WDW.

What we consider as fun dining experiences at Disneyland are:
*Big Thunder Ranch BBQ - Similar menu to Hoop Dee Doo at WDW. They have western singers, but not the whole show that's at Hoop Dee Doo, a bit more quaint.
*Blue Bayou- first lunch seating on the water for Monte Christo's - we do 2 split plates with our teen boys as the portions are huge.
* Flo's after dusk with a view of the Cadillac Mountain Range all lit up
* Trader Sams
* Ralph Brennans in the evening when the band is playing

 

[Fantaluminishes]

As others have said, there's really nothing at DLR with the type Hoop Dee Doo/Whispering Canyon/Etc. type of experience. So for the most part, "fun" would be the restaurants with live music. Or, perhaps a character meal.

Big Thunder Ranch BBQ is in a great atmosphere, with some live entertainment. Others have also mentioned Ralph Brennan's, which has good music at night, but we don't like the menu there. Blue Bayou has the atmosphere, but other than that, it's pretty boring (and quite expensive).

The outdoor settings at many DLR restaurants is perhaps the most fun to be had. There's nothing better the breakfast on the patio at River Belle Terrace or at Carnation Café. Café Orleans is also a great place to dine outside. Hungry Bear has nice seating along the water. Flo's also has some great seating areas. The Pacific Wharf area is also great for quick service food in a nice setting. Back at Disneyland, Rancho del Zocalo is another option for outdoor dining in a nice setting.

 

[mrsmacsparky]

We have none of the campy or family dining experiences like WDW. You have to remember that the DLR crowd is much more different and used to seeing some great entertainment outside of DLR. Remember it is So Cal and quality shows and eating experiences are everywhere. The previous posters all have made helpful suggestions. Trader's Sam is great for after the park. Fun, fun place and people. My family loves Cafe Orleans but make dining reservations...you can even make it the day before. We had a 730 dinner reservations and stayed to view Fantasmic! If I you want to go to Blue Bayou, make sure to make reservations. Too bad Napa Rose is closed for kitchen renovation in August. Chef Table experience is awesome there and the food is super fabulous. Carthay Circle is the next best place for gourmet meal as the menu was prepared by Andrew Sutton who also oversees the Napa Rose and Club 33 menus. We were at Carthay Circle one time during opening and snagged a really fun table in an alcove that we had all to ourselves. Breakfast at Carnation Cafe is good, too, and most of the time , Oscar, the oldest DLR Cast Member walks around to talk to guest. He hired in in 1957 and he is still going strong.

 

[rwhistler92]

We thought big Thunder Ranch BBQ was fun.
The food is great and the entertainment is fun

 

[Dot2Vegas]

The outdoor settings at many DLR restaurants is perhaps the most fun to be had. There's nothing better the breakfast on the patio at River Belle Terrace or at Carnation Café. Café Orleans is also a great place to dine outside. Hungry Bear has nice seating along the water. Flo's also has some great seating areas. The Pacific Wharf area is also great for quick service food in a nice setting. Back at Disneyland, Rancho del Zocalo is another option for outdoor dining in a nice setting.

I second outdoor seating. We dont do table service or character meals but I'm sure they are all wonderful too. For us, we enjoy sitting at the Hungry Bear watching the water and the boats. Its peaceful and relaxing. Village Haus is Pinocchio themed, so if you like the movie you'd love the theming. Sitting outside of the Jolly Holiday is fun too!

 

[figment_jii]

In general, none of the DLR restaurants are quite like 'Ohana (I assume you're talking about the coconut races and food fired grills), WCC (the antics), Sci Fi (the movie clips and car seating), or HDDR (the show). Many of the other venues at DLR are good, but they don't tend to have very many interactive activities.

Overall, I would also recommend Big Thunder Ranch BBQ; it's probably the closest restaurant in terms of atmosphere to the ones you listed that are at WDW. It has live music and a little stage show (nothing nearly as elaborate or campy as HDDR). Small children are encouraged to join the performers on the stage. However, they do not do any of the antics like they do at WCC.

Blue Bayou is DLR's signature restaurant, but it's much closer to San Angel Inn in terms of atmosphere. It's located inside the PotC building, so it's dark inside and you can watch the boats float by. While I like the food, I would not describe it as fun in the same sense as HDDR, 'Ohana, Sci Fi, or WCC.

I really like Ralph Brennan's and they have live music in the evenings (at least I think they do on most nights). Again, however, they remind me more of Raglan Road (minus the dancing) than any of the places you mentioned.

There isn't much seating, but you might want to check out Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar. It has some food, and an interesting atmosphere. It's a little like 'Ohana (not a lot, but does have some Polynesian flare). No games or coconut races, but still fun to see. You do have to go early because in the evening it becomes an adults only venue (over 21).

Otherwise, I do think the French Market might be a good choice. The Royal Street Bachelors perform and you can do a fair amount of people watching while you eat. Flo's V-8 Cafe might also be a good option because of all of the decor and you can watch Carsland (either the street or RSR, depending on where you sit).

 

[JandD75]

DH, DD and I ate at Flo's. DH and I (both 60+ years old) remembered ALL the lyrics to ALL the songs and I sang the entire time! It was great!

 

[Ride Junkie]

Blue Bayou is a one-of-a-kind dining experience. I mean, it's inside Pirates! My 4-year-old had fun waving to the boats as they floated by.

Probably the closest thing to 'Ohana is the "Surf's Up! Breakfast with Mickey and Friends" at the Paradise Pier hotel. It's the most fun of all the character meals at DLR, and it's the only one where Mickey appears. They get the kids up to dance & do surf lessons. The food is good and it's less expensive than some of the other character meals.

 

[tksbaskets]

I agree with the other posters and am a WDW vet who is in love with Disneyland Resort. We are all adults (DH, me, our twin sons who are now 23)

Blue Bayou - it's 'romantic' I guess if you enjoy not being able to see your food. It is in the POTC ride and sitting along the water is different than any restaurant at WDW. It is way pricey though.

We enjoy eating back on Paradise Pier at DCA. Paradise Garden Grill is my favorite with their tasty Mediterranean skewers. There is a pasta place with flat bread pizzas right next door. We enjoy the Mariachi band and several food choices around the ample seating area. We often pick a table and then head off to get our meal of choice.

Big Thunder Ranch BBQ is a great all-you-care-to-eat meal with a pair of western singers that are quite good. The food is delish. The atmosphere is fun but not hoop di doo riotous.

Flo's V-8 cafe is a very nice place to eat - it's counter service but reminds me a bit of the 50's Prime Time Cafe - without my 'cousin' telling me to eat my veggies.

As a first timer to DLR I'd be suggest reservations at both the Carnation Cafe (and get the baked potato soup) and Big Thunder Ranch BBQ. If you want another sit-down reservation suggestion we enjoy eating on the terrace at Wine Country Trattoria (that also has a World of Color dining package).