Staying at Dolphin...where to eat (with young kids)

[lizzy731]

Hello all...we are staying at the Dolphin resort and I was wondering if people can recommended budget friendly table service dinner dining with the children, ages 3 and 5 (preferably within walking distance. I also would like to know what character dining breakfast is nearest the Dolphin so we wouldn't have to take a bus. We have the park hopper passes so going into the nearby parks would not be an issue.

Thank you!

 

[tony67]

There is The Fountain in the Dolphin. It's a 50s style burger and ice cream type of place. They have kids meals for like $8. It's pretty good and kids like it.

The Garden Grove in the Swan has a character dinner. (Swan is next to the Dolphin)
The food s good and it is usually not busy so you will get a lot of attention from the characters. The characters are Rafiki, Timon and Pluto.

There are also a character dinners at the Beach Club as well as the ones in Epcot and Hollywood Studios. You can get to these by boat.

 

[webray]

Characters in Garden Grove should be Chip/Dale and Pluto if I remember correctly, haven't seen them in about six months.

Picabo is on lower level of Dolphin, great almost as good as home made lunches/dinners. Nice breakfast assortment as well.
Burgers are better in Picabl than in the Ice Cream joint.

IL Mulino at the Swan is also a great place to go. They welcome kids. Saw them giving them these giant hooked together straws, lol, hilarious, on many occasions. Wonderful food.

Other than that you have all the EPCOT resort restaurants within minutes (a short walk or boat ride).

Enjoy!

 

[isk8]

We stayed at the Dolphin last month with my four year old. We really liked the resort. We ate at the Fountain. It was tasty. They give the kids their menu on a Viewmaster. I would say the Fountain is budget friendly.

We also ate at the Cape May Cafe (Beach Club) for dinner one night, and at Biergarten in Germany. Both places were a hit with my son. I wouldn't say they are budget friendly though.

We didn't try anything on the Boardwalk this trip, but have eaten there in the past (pre-kids). I thought the prices there were really high. The ESPN zone is cheaper, but the food is just OK and it's too loud for my son.

 

[lizzy731]

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Robert P]

4 that come to mind:

1 - The Fountain
2 - Picabu's
3 - Garden Grove - dinner characters are Goofy and Pluto most nights, Rafiki and Timon 2 nights a week (I believe those are Mon. and Fri). Chip & Dale are scheduled for Sunday breakfast, with Pluto and Goofy.
4 - Il Mulino - pricey, but good

 

[Pumbaa_]

another fan of the Fountain. Love the BLT, the burgers are good and the ice cream is great. The Fountain has replaced B&C as our favorite burger and ice cream place in the area

 

[NMAmy]

Picabu's is dd's favorite place to eat in all of WDW--it's a cafeteria/convenience store but they also have a grill. Yeah, she's an oddball. She highly recommends the grilled cheese (which may or may not be on the menu but if you request it, they will make one for you.) Even if we're not staying at the Dolphin, we still have to have at least one meal at Picabu's.

The Fountain is also good. I don't eat pizza but my family enjoys the pizza window at the Boardwalk--again, not table service but enjoyed as a quick meal. DH and I really liked Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club for burgers, shakes, & onion rings.

I think the Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club has a character meal.

Have a great trip--we love the Dolphin.

 

[Joshua_me]

Yet another fan of The Fountain...

IMO, the *best* burgers in all of "the world". Great flat bread ("fladen") sandwiches, (the Cuban is to die for...) and surprisingly good chicken veggie soup to boot.

Good food at relatively reasonable prices.

Also, both bluezoo and Shula's are fantastic places. Pricey, but wonderful steaks and seafood.

 

[chell]

Picabu's is dd's favorite place to eat in all of WDW--it's a cafeteria/convenience store but they also have a grill. Yeah, she's an oddball. She highly recommends the grilled cheese (which may or may not be on the menu but if you request it, they will make one for you.) Even if we're not staying at the Dolphin, we still have to have at least one meal at Picabu's.

The Fountain is also good. I don't eat pizza but my family enjoys the pizza window at the Boardwalk--again, not table service but enjoyed as a quick meal. DH and I really liked Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club for burgers, shakes, & onion rings.

I think the Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club has a character meal.

Have a great trip--we love the Dolphin.

Cape May Cafe is a character meal at breakfast only. But they have a great dinner buffet. It is mainly seafood but have great options for the non-seafood eaters too (like me!).

The Dolphin and the Swan are awesome!