Solo & "Family Style" meals...

[karma459]

For my upcoming trip, I have a 7:55 pm dinner at Crystal Palace (MK closes at 9 that day) - I've been to CP pre-covid, and understand the changes - BUT - when you travel solo, have you had a meal at a location that serves "Family Style" (CP, LTT, etc)... and what was your experience? I'm wondering if a reservation for 1 is really just a single plate or will it be served as if there are 2 people? I know I will NOT be able to eat that much, especially after a snackoliscious day at MK... am I allowed to take leftovers away? Will being in a "Family Style" service location make me seem uber-stand-out-ish as a solo traveler?
Please share any thoughts, experience,s or tips!

Thanks!

 

[brad813]

For my upcoming trip, I have a 7:55 pm dinner at Crystal Palace (MK closes at 9 that day) - I've been to CP pre-covid, and understand the changes - BUT - when you travel solo, have you had a meal at a location that serves "Family Style" (CP, LTT, etc)... and what was your experience? I'm wondering if a reservation for 1 is really just a single plate or will it be served as if there are 2 people? I know I will NOT be able to eat that much, especially after a snackoliscious day at MK... am I allowed to take leftovers away? Will being in a "Family Style" service location make me seem uber-stand-out-ish as a solo traveler?
Please share any thoughts, experience,s or tips!

Thanks!

Definitely want to know this myself.

 

[Candice30]

they will bring you a little bit of everything and it is all you can eat so you can ask for more if you want it. it was a lot of food

 

[EpcotPhoenician]

Will being in a "Family Style" service location make me seem uber-stand-out-ish as a solo traveler?

I was hesitant to book an ADR at Garden Grill for this reason. Especially since the restaurant rotates, my act of glutonny will be on display to the general public once my table is facing outwards towards the pavilion.

I don't care when I'm in Disney, though. Family style? Bring it on.




Go and enjoy yourself. Unless you bump into somebody you know, you'll never see those people again in your lifetime.

 

[mackmack]

Eating family style with other people while solo is a brave thing to do. I couldn't even imagine that, but I respect it.

 

[Figment of Speech]

I haven't been, but some solo vloggers have, and their videos can give you a moment-to-moment idea of how the family-style Crystal Palace dining experience looks and feels like alone. Here are links to Super Enthused's and Paging Mr. Morrow's videos, both made in December.

Unless things have changed since then, Crystal Palace is actually prix fixe, rather than full-scale family-style. Paging Mr. Morrow explains the serving situation at around the 3:36 mark in that video. You get AYCTE bread, salad, and your choice of one entree (out of five options). So you can order seconds or thirds of that one entree, but they're not going to be piling your table with an array of dishes all at once. They do bring you a plate of all of the desserts, but they're small.

So based on these videos, I certainly wouldn't be uncomfortable as a solo diner. You get one meal, but you get as much of it as you want. I doubt you'd stand out or look like a glutton. However, neither vlogger mentions leftovers. I do recommend watching the videos!

 

[Disneypeach]

I’ve done solo dining at Garden Grill and loved it…I was on the lower level so it was fairly private and I was on the side away from the entry area. It looked like they brought me what they’d bring 2/3 person group. I felt guilty about wasting the extra food tho…I didn’t ask for a take home plate as it was breakfast and I wasn’t leaving the park for hours.
I would do GG breakfast solo again…cinnamon rolls were totally worth the calories.

 

[Tinkerbellmom43]

I booked LTT on a solo trip in Dec. forgetting that the lunch menu went back to family style I was concerned about how much food it was going to be, wasting food, people would think I'm a piggy sitting there alone with a massive amount of food . It was fine, attached my pictures for reference. It was served as a single plate. While it was a very full plate, I managed to eat a good amount (a little of everything) and definitely no refills. I didn't snack before my reservation so I had room for a full meal. I didn't take anything away with me but I don't see why they wouldn't allow you to. If you enjoy those restaurants, go for it! I'm not sure anyone noticed and if they did, so be it. The more solo trips I take, the more I comfortable I am becoming dining alone.

 

[oompa_lumpia]

I've done it at crystal palace and it's really not much different than regular dining. Just a heck of a lot of (mediocre) food.

 

[kristenabelle]

I've done solo family style at Garden Grill pre-COVID, and loved it. I miss the cinnamon roll skillet like crazy!

Honestly, I treated it like eating solo at any other place (which I do often). It's your vacation, and you should enjoy every minute of it

 

[kwdw]

Pre-Covid - I did family style at Garden Grill a couple of times. I've also done the AYCTE breakfast skillet at Whispering Canyon. At Garden Grill - I have asked for more mashed potatoes (my favorite food) - even though I hadn't finished/barely touched some of the other items. Both times the server had no issue bringing me more - and checked on me a couple of times to make sure I was all set. I don't know if its standard practice or not - but one time my server voluntarily told me that if I knew I wasn't going to touch an item - I could ask not to have it brought out in the first place (I dislike their mac n cheese). That one did ask if I wanted a box - but since I wasn't headed to my room, I declined. Again, I don't know if that is standard practice, but I clearly hadn't asked intentionally for extra food just to take with me.

 

[rpfennig]

I've done a solo breakfast at Garden Grill and dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern a couple times (pre-Covid). I want to say that Garden Grill was just the right size, I didn't ask for anything more than what they brought out... though I may have eaten more than I should have ("I should stop now... ooh, cinnamon roll...") and about half way through a family of four adults was seated in the same bottom booth as me and we had a good conversation as I collected Chip and Dale's signatures. For Liberty Tree Tavern, similarly the portion size was pretty well sized for me though the first time I was there I got a couple extra items ("just a little more") and they came back with portions that were larger than the original servings. In terms of standing out, Liberty Tree Tavern does do the family call out when they seat you and you are at your own table though based on the room configurations that could be a nice table tucked away in a corner. I didn't take any leftovers on any of those occasions... though, in retrospect, that seems like a missed opportunity to grab an extra cinnamon roll from Garden Grill.

I think the worst time I've been self-conscious about being a solo diner was at the Hollywood Brown Derby... I had a grapefruit martini, the fresh pressed coffee, bread basket and Cobb salad appetizer crowded on the table and then they brought out my entree as I was still eating the appetizer. It felt like a very Orson Welles sort of moment (though I am a man of much smaller dimensions and capabilities) as they found a corner of the table to balance my main course and I surveyed the vastness of the field of food in front of me. I've been back solo a couple more times and the timing of the food coming out has been better paced, even with a similar compliment of items, but it was definitely a bit of an awkward feeling at the time.