Visiting from Australia - What restaurants/cafes do you recommend?

[kwonyong]

We are visiting from Australia in Jan 2011 and spending 1 week at disney world staying at the POR. Then off to Universal (visiting space centre as well) for 1 week and then back to Disney World probably staying for 5 days at the Beach Club then 5 days at the Contemporary.

I am overwhelmed by the information and the sheer number of choices of restaurants that we can eat at and would love some advice. We would like to do at least 2 character meals during our stay. My children are aged 14, 13 and 10 so will all be "adults" even though the youngest only picks at her food. I was also wondering about including the fantasmic dining and the wishes dessert package. What restaurant shouldn't we miss? Thanks for any advice.

 

[MouseFan Down Under]

Hello - From one Aussie to another!

For Character meals the two I have most enjoyed have been Crystal Palace and Tusker House for Breakfast. The food has been great and the Character interaction fantastic. I have also done 1900 Park Fare breakfast and thought the food was really good, but the characters not so much.

As for other places, I have enjoyed a lot; but my favourites are: Le Cellier, The Hollywood Brown Derby (which I did as a Fantasmic! Package), Rose & Crown, and The Plaza.

I did the dessert party last year, it was really good - just don't have a big meal before!

I am sure you will have a brilliant time! Enjoy!

 

[damiel]

Will you be on te dining plan? I highly suggest it if you enjoy good food.
With that being said I suggest Chef Mickey's and Crystal Palace for your character meals. Le Cellier for a TS meal @ Epcot, Brown Derby or 50's Prime Time @ Hollywood Studios. Kona for breakfast. Ohana is a great experience; get a table later when the fireworks @ MK will be going off (great view). The Wave @ the Contemp is good but the California Grill is awsome. The Whispering Canyon is great fun and O-Kay BBQ (be sure to stick around to see the gyser blow). The Hoop-De-Doo Review is a must!
There is soo much to see and EAT at WDW - enjoy!

 

[1971DBday]

It really sounds like you are going to have a wonderful trip! I know your children are a bit older, but if this is your first trip to WDW I would not miss a meal at Cinderella's Royal Table or Chef Mickey's. This is if you are looking for the experience and not necessarily the best meal.

As for some of the best meals (non-character) we all loved Jiko's at the AKL! This was a great place for older children (our two oldest were 13 and 10 on this trip). Our picky eater - DD4 (then 3) did fine. Just because you are on the meal plan does not mean you need to use the meal plan right there and then. At this restaurant we chose not to order a seperate meal for her and she just nibbled off of ours.

Our family all loved our experience at Teppan Edo as well. Good food (not great - smaller portions too) but they love the experience. Sometimes it is not about the quality, but the experience at WDW. You may get some mixed reviews, but we enjoyed it and will be going back again.

 

[Disuser]

After 2 trips our favorites are Teppan Edo (Japan,Epcot)
Crystal Palace (Magic kingdom)

Your vacation plans sound wonderful!

 

[Sapper383]

G'day mate, here are a couple of suggestions from our recent trips.

Breakfast - the food court at POR is excellent, lots of good choices. Crystal Palace at MK does an excellent buffet, the fried eggs cooked to order are great.

Lunch - The Plaza at magic kingdom does excellent sandwiches and the service is fantastic. Yak and Yeti counter service at AK does excellent chinese food.

Dinner - 50's Prime Time at DHS is great fun and serves quality home cooked food. Raglan Road at DTD is a great draw for us Brits as the food is typically British / Irish although they serve the Guiness cold, aarrgghh.

I'm assuming that this is your first trip to the US as well as WDW. If this is the case 1 thing to bear in mind is the portion size. Compared to British portions the servings are huge.

I would also advise checking out all the menus on WDWinfo.com. you can then see what appeals to your families palate. The menus are always up to date.

Happy planning and have a great holiday.

 

[PrincessBelle39]

Another Aussie chiming in here. You will have the time of your life. I find that planning where I'm going to eat half the fun.
Out of both of our trips, I would say that the the highlight restaurant for DH and I was California Grill. But we have enjoyed heaps of others. As far as character meals go, we loved Chef Mickeys breakfast (dinner was terrible) Ohana breakfast, Crystal Palace, Tusker House, Akershus and CRT. Non character meals - Boma is my kids favourite as its a little different, Jiko, The Wave, Ohana dinner. 50's Prime Time was fun too. The characters at 1900 PF for dinner were a lot of fun.

 

[ncc1701]

Another vote for Crystal Palace as a breakfast character meal. Try to get a seating before MK opens.We got some great photos of a nearly empty Main Street
last year.As a prior poster said the food was very good.
We enjoy the Rose & Crown and Chef de France for a TS lunch for a break from the crowds
For CS in the MK Columbia Harbor House is very good.The best CS is Wolfgang Puck Express in DTD Markplace(not the West Side location).
The food court at POR and nearby POFQ are both good and you can do the boatride to DTD to eat and walk around.
I highly recommed Emeril's at Universal for a special meal. It is a sit down restaurant owned by Chef Emeril Lagasee who has several other restaurants in New Orleans and Las Vegas.We loved the food there and at his Las Vegas Fish house.You can check out the menus at WWW.EMERILS.com

Have a great trip.

 

[PrincessBelle39]

The best CS is Wolfgang Puck Express in DTD Markplace(not the West Side location).

I forgot to mention this. We love WPE. We've eaten there a couple of times on both our trips.
The kids loved T-Rex too. DH and I quite liked our meals here also. Its another I forgot to mention.

 

[persephone742]

We love Jiko, and for quick service we love the tangerine cafe(morrocco in the world showcase) Our favorite character that we went to was Chef Mickeys I would do breakfast, dinner is not so good there. In downtown disney we love Bongos

Hope you have a great time

 

[goofy4mykids]

We must do Teppan Eddo, Ranglan Road and if you have never been you have to see the Hoop Dee doo Review.....even my 4 yr old (now 10) laughed so hard he had tears!!! and if you are at Beach club go to Beaches n Cream AWESOME Burgers and have you kids order the kitchen sink for desert!

 

[MournNStar]

CRT for breakfast
Le Cellier
Tusker House Donald's Safari Breakfast
Kona Cafe
Main Street Bakery
'Ohana for breakfast

 

[michellejed]

Some of our favorite places are:
Crystal palace MK, any meal will be fun, love Pooh and the gang!

Marrakesh at Epcot, always fun and different food for our family, older kids seem to love this place.

Biergarten at Epcot, kids love to dance around and great beer, a great place to just relax and let the kids go.

50's prime time at HS, it is part of our past and we always enjoy the interactions.

Hoop Dee Doo, this is a corny show but kids love it and the food isn't bad.

You have a lot of days to fill with ADR's and I suggest you look over the menus of all the restaurants to see what looks good to your family.

Have fun planning it all!!

 

[kristina87]

Wow thats a busy schedule!

I recommend 1900 Park Fare for breakfast, has mad hatter, alice, mary poppins, tigger and pooh and great food. it is good for older kids too.

cinderellas royal table breakfast is fun for the atmosphere and to get the experience of eating in the castle. did the crystal palace for lunch and it took about an hour, not too bad and the food was just okay.

i would not miss Jiko or Le Cellier to eat at. California Grill was also very good. Kona cafe has a very good breakfast menu, i think your kids would enjoy it.

 

[aussietravellers]

Wow, what a wonderful trip you have planned! How Exciting!

I think with your kids ages character meals - Tusker House and Ohana's Breakfasts are fantastic. But if you are staying at Beach Club, Cape May's is great for breakfast.

Here are our favourites and must do's
Jiko (they use Aussie beef!!! Well they did when we went last)
Boma breakfast
Ohana's breakfast
Cape May's breakfast
Tusker House breakfast
50's Prime Time (so much fun)
Sci-Fi (my son loves this place)
Yak & Yeti
1900 Park Fare dinner (those stepsisters are just so funny) breakfast is good too.

These are really good and very handy when at the beach club
Yachtmans Steakhouse (at yachtclub, very handy to beach club)
Captains Grill (yacht club)

We love lots of the restaurants at Epcot too - Le Cellier, Chefs De France, Teppan Edo, Rose and Crown, Biergarden, Coral Reef.

We really like Rainforest Cafe at DTD too mainly for the atmosphere but the food is ok too.

If you leave Disney I highly recommend a visit to The Cheesecake Factory (not just cheesecake, they have a full menu, but oh my, the godiva cheesecake is out of this world!) and also PF Changs is so good!

 

[PrincessInOz]

You've picked the same 2 resorts at WDW that I just stayed at .

For character breakfasts, pick the characters you'd like to see.

Chef Mickey's, Cape May and Tusker House (and Garden Grill for dinner) pretty much have combinations of the fab 5, give or take Chip n Dale.
O'hana is about Lilo and Stitch
Cystal Palace is Pooh and gang
CRT and Akershus is about the Princesses
Hollywood and Vine is about Playhouse Disney
1900 Park Fare is Alice, Mary Poppins and the Mad Hatter

At DTD, try Wolfgang Puck Express.
I would also recommend the Cheesecake Factory