Our first night tradition is Liberty Tree Tavern in the MK. The characters are normally Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, & Dale, and the food is served "family-style" - ham, roast beef, turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, dressing, mac & cheese & salad w/ a yummy strawberry vinegarette dressing & some sort of cobbler for dessert.
After you check in & when your table is ready, a CM will call out your name & where you're from - "The Smiths from Montana!" - which is a fun way to be "introduced" to the MK.
The character interaction here is really good too.
After we eat, we ride a couple of rides & then grab a couple of Mickey Bars to share & find places for the Spectromagic Parade & then Wishes - an absolutely wonderful first night tradition.
Since our kids are young, we really like character meals - it gives them a chance to see the characters w/o us having to wait in line every time we see a character in the parks. Plus, at the meals, I think you have more "quality" time w/ the characters. If you have a daughter, I would suggest a princess meal if she's into princesses.
Some other good character meals we've done are - -
Chef Mickey's for breakfast at the Contemporary - characters are normally Mickey, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, & Dale (I think Donald is there for dinner), & the food is served buffet-style. This is our traditional breakfast on our last morning. It's a fun atmosphere w/ the napkin-twirling & cheerful music, plus the monorail runs right through which is fascinating to most younger kids.
Crystal Palace for lunch in the MK - characters are Pooh & Friends & food is served buffet-style. This is the best buffet I've ever been to! And the restaurant is so pretty too.
CRT for breakfast in the MK - characters are princesses & the food is served pre-plated. We loved it! Nothing beats eating in the castle. This year, we're trying lunch. (FYI - if you have the dining plan, this meal is now 2 TS credits.)
Princess Storybook for dinner at Akershus (Norway) in the World Showcase at EPCOT - characters are princesses. The character interation is really good, and the setting is lovely. We didn't prefer the dinner selections, so, this year, we're trying breakfast which is served either family style or pre-plated.
We're also trying Garden Grill in The Land Pavillion in Future World at EPCOT this year. Characters are Mickey & Friends, and the food is served family-style. I think my kids will think the slowly-revolving restaurant is cool.
And, I currently have an ADR at Donald's Breakfastasaurus in AK too. If the rumored Toy Story character meal becomes reality in time for our trip & I'm able to get an ADR, I'll probably cancel this one, however.
Other character meals that we want to try during future trips are 1900 Park Fare (breakfast - Mary Poppins & friends, & dinner - Cinderella & Prince Charming) at the Grand Floridian & 'Ohana (breakfast - Lilo, Stitch, & Mickey) at the Poly.
If you're planning to see Fantasmic at MGM, you might consider making an ADR for a Fantasmic Dinner Package (FDP) at either Hollywood & Vine, Mama Melrose's, or The Brown Derby (which is 2 TS credits). When you have a FDP, you then get "semi-reserved" seating for Fantasmic which cuts down your waiting time for the show - which is nice when you have kids.
'Ohana dinner at the Poly is a fun meal too, and, from this restaurant, you can see the Castle. Food is served family-style, and there are fun things like hula hoop races.
This year, we're trying dinner Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge which generally gets good reviews & looks like a fun meal too w/ all the server antics & stick horse races.
Another restaurant we want to try is Coral Reef in the Living Seas Pavillion in Future World at EPCOT. I think my kids would adore eating there while the fish swim around them in the aquarium. The kids' dessert here looks really cute too.
For counter service, my kids like Toy Story Pizza Planet at MGM. We ate at Columbia Harbour House in the MK which we loved last year; this year, we also plan to try Pinocchio Village Haus which overlooks the "It's a Small World" ride which is our DD's favorite. At AK, we love Flame Tree BBQ - the food is yummy & the open-air seating by the water is just lovely. However, before we go, we stop at Restaurantasauras in Dino Land for the kids to get McDonald Happy Meals - the meals come w/ a cute little dinosaur toy. At EPCOT, last year, we ate at Sunshine Seasons, & the kids loved their dirt cup sundaes. This year, we plan to try some of the World Showcase counters.
There are so many wonderful dining experiences at WDW! Planning our meals is one of my most favorite parts of our trip! Have fun!!
