Suggestions for sweet spot of adventure, convenience, and maybe romance

[Hatbox]

DH and I are very adventurous eaters, but his only trip to WDW before was with my family - who are NOT adventurous. We are doing a quick weekend trip this summer and, though we're trying to stay under budget, I want to prioritize one excellent meal for our anniversary (and to show him Disney does more than cheeseburgers).

TIFFINS would've been perfect, but I'm concerned we'll wander in sweaty and grumpy from an afternoon in AK and then not enjoy the experience as much as we should.
But we're building an afternoon break in our MK day, so I think a restaurant at one of the MK resorts would be perfect (so we can shower and nap at our resort, head somewhere along the resort loop for dinner, and then head back into MK).

What's a good place for foodies? Never been to any of these and would appreciate your thoughts.

ARTIST POINT
'OHANA (looks fun, but is the food good?)
KONA CAFE (the menu sounds great, but how's the ambience?)
JIKO - worth taking an Uber in the opposite direction of MK?
Or something else you recommend? (We won't want to dress for the Grand Floridian restaurants, since it'll be hot and we're going into the park.)

 

[JZCubed]

DH and I are very adventurous eaters, but his only trip to WDW before was with my family - who are NOT adventurous. We are doing a quick weekend trip this summer and, though we're trying to stay under budget, I want to prioritize one excellent meal for our anniversary (and to show him Disney does more than cheeseburgers).

TIFFINS would've been perfect, but I'm concerned we'll wander in sweaty and grumpy from an afternoon in AK and then not enjoy the experience as much as we should.
But we're building an afternoon break in our MK day, so I think a restaurant at one of the MK resorts would be perfect (so we can shower and nap at our resort, head somewhere along the resort loop for dinner, and then head back into MK).

What's a good place for foodies? Never been to any of these and would appreciate your thoughts.

ARTIST POINT
'OHANA (looks fun, but is the food good?)
KONA CAFE (the menu sounds great, but how's the ambience?)
JIKO - worth taking an Uber in the opposite direction of MK?
Or something else you recommend? (We won't want to dress for the Grand Floridian restaurants, since it'll be hot and we're going into the park.)

Are staying on-site?

Regardless, we all appreciate your desire to take a shower before dining out. And once you do that, and are willing to take a taxi, any Signature/Table Service (not named Victoria & Albert) has the same dress code - even if you don't shower for dinner.

I typically suggest staying near your resort since little food at Disney is worth the trouble.

Also, the rule-of-thumb is that places NOT run by Disney typically have better food. So, Disney Springs is certainly a possibility, but then you'd be walking around in the heat. Or, Swan & Dolphin Signatures are a notch above Disney places: BlueZoo (seafood), Shula's (steakhouse), and Il Mulino (Italian). Capa at Four Seasons is delicious too.

Artist Point - a charming place. Recommend dish is cedar-plank salmon. Taking the boat to/from MK is romantic.
Ohana - yes, it can be fun. Food is hit-or-miss (seems dependent on if you arrive early - when food is freshest).
Jiko - we were not impressed, but it's certainly something different for most people. We sat by the window watching folks in bathing suits pass by (not too romantic).

I'll try to save you time & money - Be Our Guest for dinner. Request the 'intimate' West Wing. We saw a proposal there last year (she said, "Yes!"). He was not a beast, but The Beast is available for meet-n-greet at dinner too.

Or, sleep-in (ahem) and go to CA Grill for an amazing Sunday brunch.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Since you want to go back to MK, I would recommend Artist Point. We've been there at least 4 times now (I've lost count) and it's always been stellar. WL is gorgeous and so is the restaurant. It's typically very quiet and the food and service are outstanding. They really created a menu that reflects all of the finest of the Pacific Northwest. We went there last in late December and it was truly outstanding.

I'll be blunt - O'hana is gross. If you like greasy apps and pounds of meat simply plopped on your plate, you might like it, but based on your description, this is not the place for you.

Kona is pretty mediocre, IMHO and is in desperate need of a refurb.

Jiko is outstanding, but a cab, plus the meal could take about 4 hours or so, so I don't know if that is ideal if you are going back to MK. Artist Point, IMHO, is on par if not better than Jiko.

 

[LilyJC]

I'll be blunt - O'hana is gross. If you like greasy apps and pounds of meat simply plopped on your plate, you might like it, but based on your description, this is not the place for you.

Our family enjoyed our meal there a couple weeks ago, but I have to agree. Definitely not a romantic dinner, and we all ended up with REALLY upset stomachs after the meal. So. Much. Grease.

 

[Hatbox]

Are staying on-site?

Regardless, we all appreciate your desire to take a shower before dining out. And once you do that, and are willing to take a taxi, any Signature/Table Service (not named Victoria & Albert) has the same dress code - even if you don't shower for dinner.

I typically suggest staying near your resort since little food at Disney is worth the trouble.

Also, the rule-of-thumb is that places NOT run by Disney typically have better food. So, Disney Springs is certainly a possibility, but then you'd be walking around in the heat. Or, Swan & Dolphin Signatures are a notch above Disney places: BlueZoo (seafood), Shula's (steakhouse), and Il Mulino (Italian). Capa at Four Seasons is delicious too.

Artist Point - a charming place. Recommend dish is cedar-plank salmon. Taking the boat to/from MK is romantic.
Ohana - yes, it can be fun. Food is hit-or-miss (seems dependent on if you arrive early - when food is freshest).
Jiko - we were not impressed, but it's certainly something different for most people. We sat by the window watching folks in bathing suits pass by (not too romantic).

I'll try to save you time & money - Be Our Guest for dinner. Request the 'intimate' West Wing. We saw a proposal there last year (she said, "Yes!"). He was not a beast, but The Beast is available for meet-n-greet at dinner too.

Or, sleep-in (ahem) and go to CA Grill for an amazing Sunday brunch.

This is great - thanks so much. We are staying on-site, at Coronado - which is why I thought perhaps the cab to Jiko may not be such a bad idea. I've heard so many wonderful things, but I've also heard so many underwhelming reviews that I'm not sure I'm willing to go out of my way.

Thanks for the DS/Swan & Dolphin reccs. I have hundreds of Open Table dollars to spend, but I know Jiko and Artist Point don't accept those. But maybe the non-Disney owned restaurants do!

DH inexplicably hates Beauty and the Beast (I learned this on our honeymoon), so Be Our Guest would not achieve the desired effect

 

[Hatbox]

Since you want to go back to MK, I would recommend Artist Point. We've been there at least 4 times now (I've lost count) and it's always been stellar. WL is gorgeous and so is the restaurant. It's typically very quiet and the food and service are outstanding. They really created a menu that reflects all of the finest of the Pacific Northwest. We went there last in late December and it was truly outstanding.

I'll be blunt - O'hana is gross. If you like greasy apps and pounds of meat simply plopped on your plate, you might like it, but based on your description, this is not the place for you.

Kona is pretty mediocre, IMHO and is in desperate need of a refurb.

Jiko is outstanding, but a cab, plus the meal could take about 4 hours or so, so I don't know if that is ideal if you are going back to MK. Artist Point, IMHO, is on par if not better than Jiko.

This is exactly what I need to hear - thank you! My fear was that Ohana would be greasy takeout food and that Kona's execution wouldn't meet the promise of its menu (which sounds delicious on paper).

We love the Northwest, so... I think Artist Point will be the winner! Thanks!

 

[Hatbox]

Our family enjoyed our meal there a couple weeks ago, but I have to agree. Definitely not a romantic dinner, and we all ended up with REALLY upset stomachs after the meal. So. Much. Grease.

Okay, yeah, all-you-can-eat grease in August doesn't sound like such a good idea. (But that bread pudding looks so good...)

 

[JZCubed]

This is great - thanks so much. We are staying on-site, at Coronado - which is why I thought perhaps the cab to Jiko may not be such a bad idea. I've heard so many wonderful things, but I've also heard so many underwhelming reviews that I'm not sure I'm willing to go out of my way.

Thanks for the DS/Swan & Dolphin reccs. I have hundreds of Open Table dollars to spend, but I know Jiko and Artist Point don't accept those. But maybe the non-Disney owned restaurants do!

DH inexplicably hates Beauty and the Beast (I learned this on our honeymoon), so Be Our Guest would not achieve the desired effect

I think I Open Tabled (as it were) my Swan & Dolphin ADR's.....

AKLodge is truly impressive. If you make it there, try arriving during daylight to see the animals on the Savannah - there are many vista points for your viewing pleasure.

 

[gillep]

This is exactly what I need to hear - thank you! My fear was that Ohana would be greasy takeout food and that Kona's execution wouldn't meet the promise of its menu (which sounds delicious on paper).

We love the Northwest, so... I think Artist Point will be the winner! Thanks!

Jiko is my favorite meal on property, but given your constraints, I am not sure that I would recommend going there all the way from the MK and then heading back, personally I could hardly move after my last meal there, let alone ride Space Mountain. I agree with a pp that Artist Point may be the best compromise and Wilderness Lodge is very impressive too. I don't think that the food at 'Ohana (worst meal I have ever had) or Kona (just ok) will be what you are looking for.

 

[Hatbox]

Ugh, you guys are just the best. This really puts me at ease with the choice of Artist Point. Last WDW meal before we start looking at character breakfasts for a little one...

 

[windcriesamy]

Okay, yeah, all-you-can-eat grease in August doesn't sound like such a good idea. (But that bread pudding looks so good...)

The bread pudding is fantastic, and you can get it a la carte at Tambu Lounge next door! DH and I grabbed drinks at the bar and split a serving as a late night treat. I highly recommend it if you have time to resort hop! (If you can time it during the fireworks, even better!)

 

[Hatbox]

The bread pudding is fantastic, and you can get it a la carte at Tambu Lounge next door! DH and I grabbed drinks at the bar and split a serving as a late night treat. I highly recommend it if you have time to resort hop! (If you can time it during the fireworks, even better!)

Perrrrrfect! We'll probably resort hop on our last day -- we'll miss out on Toy Story Land, but hitting the parks without a place to shower after sounds terrible -- so I'll definitely put Tambu on our agenda for the bread pudding ;-)

 

[gharter]

My first vote in your group would be Jiko. Never had a bad meal there.
We have eaten at Artist Point several times and never had a bad meal or service there. I have read many reviews of poor food and service there, but that has never been our experience. Last there 1 year ago. Wilderness Lodge is a beautiful place to walk around as well if you have time.

 

[alex9179]

Perrrrrfect! We'll probably resort hop on our last day -- we'll miss out on Toy Story Land, but hitting the parks without a place to shower after sounds terrible -- so I'll definitely put Tambu on our agenda for the bread pudding ;-)

Just be aware that hopping to the monorail resorts isn't as care-free with the new security set-up. Go bagless!

 

[CraigInPA]

Out of your list, I'd recommend Artist Point. The room and views are quite beautiful, the table spacing is wide, and the food excellent.

I can't recommend Jiko, because it's "faux African". Not that the food is bad, it isn't. It just is so Americanized that it's indistinguishable from the real thing.

There is nothing romantic about 'Ohana. It's rather loud. The tables are close together. The food is copious and varies in quality. That said, I eat there every time we go, and friends of ours got engaged there.

Let me also add for consideration: The Wave (in the Contemporary). While it's not a signature dining experience, and the room is pretty blah, the food is excellent, and the prices reasonable (for Disney).

 

[CarrieR]

Not necessarily for "this" meal, but your mention of adventurous makes me want to toss Spice Road Table in the ring. If you'll be in Epcot any of the days, it might be worth consideration - it's an absolute hidden gem and I find the small plates to be relatively budget friendly. You could grab a lunch for not much more than a QS.

 

[buddyjo143]

We ate at Kona Cafe on Christmas Eve. My husband had a delicious macadamia but crusted chicken. I would have really enjoyed my sushi if I wasn’t getting sick.

Good food, but a large open room with nothing special about it.

 

[Hatbox]

Not necessarily for "this" meal, but your mention of adventurous makes me want to toss Spice Road Table in the ring. If you'll be in Epcot any of the days, it might be worth consideration - it's an absolute hidden gem and I find the small plates to be relatively budget friendly. You could grab a lunch for not much more than a QS.

We've done all the Morocco restaurants and like them quite a bit! We thought Restaurant Marrekesh was too tame, but appreciate the effort and ambience more than eating in the, say, Italy or Germany pavilions. Our plan is just to do Tangierine again this time. It's not as great as what we get at home, but it's decent and a great value for in-park dining.

Out of your list, I'd recommend Artist Point. The room and views are quite beautiful, the table spacing is wide, and the food excellent.

I can't recommend Jiko, because it's "faux African". Not that the food is bad, it isn't. It just is so Americanized that it's indistinguishable from the real thing.

Let me also add for consideration: The Wave (in the Contemporary). While it's not a signature dining experience, and the room is pretty blah, the food is excellent, and the prices reasonable (for Disney).

After my experience with Restaurant Marrakesh, my fear that Jiko would be too tame is what holds me back. I'd prefer to pay to have American food prepared excellently, rather than have Americanized food fall short.

I keep hearing strong reviews of the Wave! My family's always gone to CA Grille to get a drink during Wishes, so I'll probably skip anything else in the Contemporary this time in favor of experiencing Wilderness Lodge finally.