Spoodles vs. Jiko's

[Julieh22]

Which restaurant do you like better and why? Just myself and one 3 year old are going for a x-mas trip and need to add a dinner to our first night! Or do you have other preferences?!?

 

[madalex]

Spoodle's is much more casual and relaxed, with decent but not great food, while Jiko is fine dining, with great food, wine and service. Your 3 year old will be welcome at either one, but it just depends upon what you want. If you do go to Jiko, try to show up a little early, so you can go out on the savannahs and see all the animals (which I am sure your child will enjoy).

 

[frozone]

Two different places...good points for each. With Jiko, you get the experience of the AKL resort in addition to a great dinner.

Personally, between the two, I'd go to Spoodles. It's got a little more relaxed environment for kids (they like watching the chefs in the open kitchen), great food (I usually order from the tapas menu), and great service. The prices are also fairly reasonable for WDW...probably one of the better deals for a nice dinner. And, after dinner, it's fun to walk around the Boardwalk

 

[MdmMim]

I find the food at Spoodles to be inconsistent. When it's good, it's very good, but when it's not...

I have been to Jiko many times and always have enjoyed it.

 

[DVC Grammy]

We've been to both, and although Spoodles is okay, we always found Jiko's to be a notch higher in quality and consistancy. There are usually more children at Spoodles, but as someone else posted, if you go early enough, your child can enjoy the animals in the savannah . Our DGD loved her trip to the "zoo by the restaurant" !

 

[elastigirl]

I agree with a PP, Jiko is fine dining. Spoodles is great too, I've had great experiences at both. I'd go to Spoodles for a more casual meal and to Jiko for a fine dining experience - it just depends on what you want. With a 3yo, I'd probably go with Spoodles.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Spoodles for sure.

 

[liamsaunt]

Jiko is my favorite restaurant on property. If you think your 3 year old would be OK sitting there I would deifnitely choose Jiko over Spoodles. Spoodles changed their menu around a few years ago and it is much more limited and the choices they do have are not as interesting.

 

[AKLRULZ]

Jiko is one of the best establishments onsite - of those two it would be my choice.

 

[crisi]

Jiko would be my choice if your child were - five? seven? But unless your three year old is quite different than my three year old, it isn't fair to the child to have them sit through a two hour plus meal, and it isn't fair to Jiko to try and eat there in the forty five minutes a three year old can sit for.

 

[Julieh22]

My son usually does very well at restaurants (guess that says we go out to eat too often), so I made reservations for Jiko's. If he looks like he will be too cranky to go (I will not subject the other people in the restaurant to his attitude), we will just forgo the trip and go somewhere else. For vacations, I make a separte "toy or crayon" bag that has brand new coloring books and etc. in it that is only for vacation so he is usually preoccupied coloring in the newest Thomas the Train book....
Am I crazy?

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

I agree with the above poster who said that Spoodles menu is pretty limited, so I'd go for Jiko as well. Jiko's menu and atmosphere is just so much more interesting, and IMO the food is better as well. Jiko, like most WDW restaurants, is also very kid-friendly. I think a 2 plus hour meal there, if it happened, is an abberation.

 

[crisi]

I agree with the above poster who said that Spoodles menu is pretty limited, so I'd go for Jiko as well. Jiko's menu and atmosphere is just so much more interesting, and IMO the food is better as well. Jiko, like most WDW restaurants, is also very kid-friendly. I think a 2 plus hour meal there, if it happened, is an abberation.

My husband and I can't have three or four courses and drink a bottle of wine in less than two hours. It isn't a reflection on the service - with good food I believe its only fair to take two hours and I - personally - wouldn't plan on less than two hours for that sort of meal. Since my own kids didn't sit for two hours as toddlers, we didn't do this sort of meal with them - it either wasn't fair to them to have them sit, or the time we could spend on the meal wasn't enough to do it justice.

(Actually, our service there was lousy - perhaps the worst I've had at WDW - but I think it was an abberation).

 

[tnarick]

Sppodles

 

[Julieh22]

Is there somewhere else that is more kid-friendly? We will have season passes so no where is really off limits. It's the first day and we will pretty much just be relaxing and hanging out in the pool or what not that day. We are staying at the Wilderness Lodge (but I already have a dinner planned at Whispering Canyon).
Other dinner's planned that week:
Whispering Canyon
Coral Reef
Cinderella's Royal Table
Fantasmic Package at MM

Do you see any change's that need to be made?

 

[Julieh22]

Is there anywhere in the MK that would be fun or the Contemporary since both are so near by?

 

[rcyannacci]

As long as you're staying at the WL and are looking at a relaxing day, I'd suggest Artist Point. I've had two great meals there.

 

[Julieh22]

Isn't the Artist Point a signature restaurant? Would that be good for a 3 year old (time wise)?

Any experience with Kona's?

 

[crisi]

Isn't the Artist Point a signature restaurant? Would that be good for a 3 year old (time wise)?

Any experience with Kona's?

Kona would be my suggestion for a meal thats a little more upscale while not being worth a two hour investment. Spoodles (your first choice) would be my other suggestion. Both are decent restaurants with decent food that you don't need to make a huge investment in time or money to enjoy.

Which isn't to say you couldn't enjoy Artist's Point or Jiko with a three year old. Plenty of people do. I just wouldn't.

 

[YCFAN]

My son, who is now six has been to both Jiko and Artist point when he was 3, 4 , 5 and 6. Jiko has the best halibut I have ever tasted in my entire life!! Artist Point has an absolutely awesome Smoky Portobello Mushroom Soup that you wish you could take home with you. I will say my son loved coloring the latest picture of "Tow Mater" and having it posted at the front of the restaurant at Artist Point where he was given a certificate for being "Artist of the Day". They do this for all the kids that come in. He also enjoyed the White Chocolate Mickey Mouse puzzle and icing paint for dessert there. He enjoyed it so much that my two teenage nieces also ordered it.