So if there was a Zagat type survey of

[Masonmj84]

Disboarders of WDW TS restaurants available on the DDP, how do you think the restaurants would rank by category?

Here’s my guesses for a few categories (after spending entirely too much time on these boards).

Resort signatures
1. Citricos
2. Flying Fish
3. Jiko
4. California Grill
5. Artist Point
6. Yachtsman
7. Narcoossees

Character breakfasts
1. Tusker House
2. Cape May
3. Crystal Palace
4. 1900 Park Fare
5. ‘Ohana
6. Akershus
7. CRT
8. Chef Mickey’s
9. Hollywood & Vine

Non-character dinner buffets (or equivalent)
1. ‘Ohana
2. Boma
3. Cape May
4. Biergarten
5. Whispering Canyon
6. Trail’s End
7. Tusker House
8. Hollywood & Vine

I TS resort a la carte (taking ADRs)
1. Kona Café
2. Saana
3. Grand Floridian Café
4. Kouzzina
5. Captain’s Grille
6. Turf Club
7. The Wave
8. Olivia’s
9. Whispering Canyon
10. Trail’s End
11. Maya Grill
12. Boatright’s
13. Shutters

MK 1 TS a la carte
1. Liberty Tree
2. The Plaza
3. Tony’s

DHS 1 TS a la carte
1. 50’s PT
2. Sci Fi
3. Mama Melrose

AK 1 TS a la carte
1. Yak & Yeti
2. Rainforest

EP 1 TS a la carte
No consensus whatsoever

DTD 1 TS a la carte
No consensus whatsoever

 

[Micca]

That's a nice bit of research based on the boards Mason For me, the truth is that most of the WDW restaurants are very homogenized and the difference in quality is very much the random luck of the draw of the time & place. The restaurants with truly unique dishes (Jiko for example) would be the exceptions. That doesn't mean they are good or bad, just different.

If you're a first-timer, I'd plan the park days and build your dining plans around that which is convenient. Very few places here get consistently terrible reviews. Some of the eateries that people rave about are lost on me (I've had a couple of lousy experiences at Calif. Grill).

Some folks think "We're going to have some fantastic dining experiences at WDW. We like to think of it as "We're going to WDW for a fanatastic time and we'll have some nice meals while were there." YMMV

 

[rznhal]

List looks great! What do you think about Tony's? Seems like it's gotten some better reviews recently...??

Also, I might put mama melrose above Sci-fi..we loved sci fi but it seems like it hasn't gotten many of good reviews lately....

Thanks for the mental excercise i love lists!

 

[Hootch]

does have a WDW edition so you could compare your summary. It is not offered on their website. It is only sold in a book.

 

[Uncleromulus]

And it's pretty far off the mark on a # of restaurants we like.

 

[Belle5]

I think you've done a pretty good job of deciding the winning restaurants on the DIS.