Welcome Dinner...

[Izzy Pooh]

Hey everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone can offer me some suggestions/opinions on where would be a good place for me to have the Welcome Dinner at.

DF & I were originally thinking about having it at Fultons Crab House in DTD but when we went for our site visit a few months ago we stopped in for lunch and DF didn't seem too impressed. Has anyone been there for dinner, any reviews?

I've just looked at the menu for Raglan Road in DTD so I'm thinking that might be a possibility. I'd appreciate all opinions & suggestions!

 

[leonix8238]

Ragalan Road is really lovely. The food is great, the staff are very friendly and the live band/dancers are good fun. Plus everyone can get back to their hotels easily from DTD

Alternatively, you could do a fireworks and meal package. I know they do them at Hollywood Studios for Fantasmic. I think the one in MK is just a dessert party but you could opt for California Grill or Narcoosee's to catch the MK fireworks.

Hope this helps.

 

[KristiLyn]

I like Raglan Road
After our wedding we are doing California Grill. The dinner is nice and you can watch the fireworks from there.
O'hana would be good too

 

[neener3]

We loved Raglan Road our last trip....but our experience there last week was less than satisfactory.

In fact, it was kind of awful. I'll give a full report in my TR.

Ohana has gotten some bad reviews around here for big groups, but we were there on Valentine's Day (the day before the wedding), and It. Was. Amazing. Great service, great food, and our guests were still raving about it days later and thanking me for a great choice.

 

[Izzy Pooh]

Ragalan Road is really lovely. The food is great, the staff are very friendly and the live band/dancers are good fun. Plus everyone can get back to their hotels easily from DTD

Alternatively, you could do a fireworks and meal package. I know they do them at Hollywood Studios for Fantasmic. I think the one in MK is just a dessert party but you could opt for California Grill or Narcoosee's to catch the MK fireworks.

Hope this helps.

I didn't even know that there is a live band/dancers at Raglan Road, so far it sounds like a good pick. That was another thing that was bothering me--having my guests go from 1 place to another in order to get to the Welcome Dinner so DTD will work out great *hopefully*

Narcoossee's would be lovely since that is 1 of the places DF would like to go & try out so Thank You for that little reminder, I'll mention that 1 to him We're going to have our reception at the California Grill the next day followed by Illuminations fireworks so I'm not sure if my guests would like to see fireworks back to back

Thanks so much!

I like Raglan Road
After our wedding we are doing California Grill. The dinner is nice and you can watch the fireworks from there.
O'hana would be good too

Looks like Raglan Road it shall be The last time I was in Florida I got to eat at the California Grill and I looved it! The reception will be at the Napa room so I'll have to cross that out for the Welcome Dinner O'hana as in the Aloha Dinner Show or is that something else?

Thanks so much!

We loved Raglan Road our last trip....but our experience there last week was less than satisfactory.

In fact, it was kind of awful. I'll give a full report in my TR.

Ohana has gotten some bad reviews around here for big groups, but we were there on Valentine's Day (the day before the wedding), and It. Was. Amazing. Great service, great food, and our guests were still raving about it days later and thanking me for a great choice.

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear your last experience at Raglan Road wasn't that great! But I'll def be reading your TR since I'm so curious.

I've just looked up Ohana for it's menu & I had no idea about it since I've been mistaking it for the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at Luau Cove.
I'm going to consider that as a choice also, just will have to figure out how to get my guests there.

Thanks so much!

 

[tinkerbell 766]

It depends what you want!! We looked into having our Welcome Dinner at Raglan Road, but since this is our first dinner of the trip all together, we decided on somewhere a bit quieter so as people can talk and catch up. We are eating at RR later in the trip!!
We opted for Turf Club Grill in the end. It has good reviews and as it is a little 'off the beaten track' it tends to be quietish. We figured that we could stroll over to DTD after dinner if we wished!!!

 

[kjg5]

We just booked Biergarten for our welcome dinner. Our families have never actually met, and probably won't until we're in WDW, so we figure the beer, band, dancing, and Oktoberfest atmosphere would be a good ice breaker. I've never tried Raglan Road, but you can't go wrong with any of the places mentioned here. A friend of mine had a character meal for her welcome dinner and it worked out really well! I believe she used 1900 Park Fare, but it could have been Chef Mickey's- I know it was one of the resort restaurants but it definitely wasn't Ohana. She said it really kicked off the 'Disney magic' feeling for everyone and by the end of the meal, everyone was comfortable with each other and felt like a little kid again.

 

[Tinker Bell Fan]

Our "welcome dinner" will be at Trail's End (at Ft. Wilderness). I figured it would be quieter than some places and it's a buffet so folks could choose what they wanted. I'm making "Welcome bags" for our guests and this dinner is one of those "if you want to come - great; if not, then we'll see you at the VR!"

For our "reception" after our VR we're going to Whispering Canyon Cafe (at Wilderness Lodge). We figured it would be fun and DH has never eaten there before and wanted to try it. Since there won't be that many of us, I made a reservation for 14 and DH & I are letting our guests choose off the menu and we're paying. It's our gift to them for coming to our VR.

 

[Izzy Pooh]

It depends what you want!! We looked into having our Welcome Dinner at Raglan Road, but since this is our first dinner of the trip all together, we decided on somewhere a bit quieter so as people can talk and catch up. We are eating at RR later in the trip!!
We opted for Turf Club Grill in the end. It has good reviews and as it is a little 'off the beaten track' it tends to be quietish. We figured that we could stroll over to DTD after dinner if we wished!!!

This is the 1st time I've heard of Turf Club Grill, I've just looked at the menu and it seems pretty good just not sure if my guests would have trouble getting to Saratoga Springs Resort from their resorts. But I'm going to keep it in mind.

Thanks so much!

We just booked Biergarten for our welcome dinner. Our families have never actually met, and probably won't until we're in WDW, so we figure the beer, band, dancing, and Oktoberfest atmosphere would be a good ice breaker. I've never tried Raglan Road, but you can't go wrong with any of the places mentioned here. A friend of mine had a character meal for her welcome dinner and it worked out really well! I believe she used 1900 Park Fare, but it could have been Chef Mickey's- I know it was one of the resort restaurants but it definitely wasn't Ohana. She said it really kicked off the 'Disney magic' feeling for everyone and by the end of the meal, everyone was comfortable with each other and felt like a little kid again.

Biergarten seems like such a fun atmosphere! Thats 1 of the places DF always mentions when talking about dinner reservations at Epcot but till now we've never been there. I was thinking about a character meal for the welcome dinner but since we'll be having Mickey & Minnie join us at our reception for the cake cutting I think we'll leave the magic till then but it is a great idea.

Thanks so much!

Our "welcome dinner" will be at Trail's End (at Ft. Wilderness). I figured it would be quieter than some places and it's a buffet so folks could choose what they wanted. I'm making "Welcome bags" for our guests and this dinner is one of those "if you want to come - great; if not, then we'll see you at the VR!"

For our "reception" after our VR we're going to Whispering Canyon Cafe (at Wilderness Lodge). We figured it would be fun and DH has never eaten there before and wanted to try it. Since there won't be that many of us, I made a reservation for 14 and DH & I are letting our guests choose off the menu and we're paying. It's our gift to them for coming to our VR.

Trail's End, that's another place I've never heard of till now! Our Welcome Dinner is not mandatory as well, whoever can't make it that night--we'll see them the following day at the wedding but I like your *saying* better

And as for the Whispering Canyon Cafe I've always wanted to go there, made reservations twice at different visits to Florida but had to cancel both times--that seems like a fun place but I'm worried my guests would have trouble getting there from their resorts in the June crowds.

Thanks so much!

 

[tinkerbell 766]

It depends where your guests are staying. As we are staying at BLT we could just stroll over to the MK busstops, but we may actually use taxis.

 

[minniebride]

We are choosing 1900 Park Fare because it looks like tons of fun with the Wicked Stepsisters!

I've known people who chose Raglan Road though and they all say that was a blast and the food was really yummy! I think they have entertainment as well.

 

[PrincessTinker11]

We are going to do our welcome dinner at Ohana, it is a family style hawaiian fare dinner not the luau though. I hear it has awesome food so we decided on that one!

 

[Tinker Bell Fan]

We are choosing 1900 Park Fare because it looks like tons of fun with the Wicked Stepsisters!

I've known people who chose Raglan Road though and they all say that was a blast and the food was really yummy! I think they have entertainment as well.

DH & I had dinner at 1900 Park Fare - the food wasn't the greatest, but the Stepsisters were the highlight! We had a lot of fun.

We are going to do our welcome dinner at Ohana, it is a family style hawaiian fare dinner not the luau though. I hear it has awesome food so we decided on that one!

I've made ressie's for breakfast there the day after our VR. It's another "come if you want" type thing. We figured it might be fun. Plus DH & I love Stitch & Lilo!