What are your top 3 restaurants when using dining plan?

[jodim]

Pretty sure I've got my other half talked into just doing a dining plan this trip since we are staying onsite.
What are your top/favorite 3 restaurants that you like to eat at while on ddp?

We already have resies for Chef Mickeys and lilo breakfast because my kids had to go there but we are staying 8 nights need to fill in more. Lol

 

[Cinderella94]

We haven't done the dining plan in a long time, but if you're looking for the meals that will get you the best value on it, think character meals and/or buffets.

We always liked Chef Mickey's when my brother and I were kids, and we do still love 'Ohana and Crystal Palace, even when paying out-of-pocket. Also, dinner is generally a better value per credit than breakfast or lunch, because breakfast is often less expensive.

That may have been too much information for what you were asking but I hope it helps!

 

[ChasingLeslie]

Character Meals! 1900 PF, Tusker House, and Crystal Palace

 

[Cinderella94]

Character Meals! 1900 PF, Tusker House, and Crystal Palace

Great suggestions!

 

[hopeful4fl]

I will be upfront and tell you I do NOT do the DDP. However, I am an ever bargain seeker and will try to answer your question on the basis of how I would have chosen (based on price to value, quality and taste).
1> Akershus - 1 DDP credit. Meal generally has good char interaction and food is good.
2> 50's PT Cafe - 1 DDP credit. Good food and IF (big if you are into funny interaction without getting offended over small things), family would enjoy
3> Spice Road Cafe - 1 DDP Credit. You need to eat there during Illuminations. You will be surprised VERY pleasantly with the views.

There are other excellent restaurants (Narcoosee's, California Grill, Citrico's) that are 2 DDP Credits and (in my opinion) do not provide the value. Best pay OOP for those.

 

[illinidp]

'Ohana, Whispering Canyon Cafe, Raglan Road, and Be Our Guest are all good restaurants that are a single credit.

 

[ISUamanda]

We're staying 8 nights and doing: Akershus, Hollywood & Vine (lunch - for Jake), Sci Fi, Chef Mickeys, Ohana, Crystal Palace, and Hoop Dee Doo.

 

[cassie58]

Agree with PP above, love Tusker House especially for late brft (around 10:40) cause you can also have lunch foods as they start to change over, and characters in Safari gear. Also next to Safari and Lion King which fits with our morning plan. Love Crystal Palace, which we either do PPO or late brft/brunch , but with new welcome show set up, PPO may not be as much of a perk anymore. But great characters with Pooh and Tigger, and nice location across from the castle. Ohana dinner also a good value.

We like Sci-Fi and 1900PF dinner with the crazy stepsisters. BOG is a great QS value for lunch since food is brought to table after you order, so more like TS(you will need an ADR though). If you want to splurge and do a 2 credit meal, Hoop Dee Doo is fun, and LeCellier for steak lovers.

Sorry - just realized you only asked for three - got carried away!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If you want pure "this costs what?" a few good options:

• Akershus Lunch/Dinner
• Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic Package
• Chef Icky's
• Cape May Cafe (dinner)
• Ohana dinner

 

[starousse]

Ohana, Be Our Guest and a character breakfast

 

[Maxwell2325]

My suggestions would be

The Yachtsman - We've done both this and Le Cellier and we prefer Yachtsman.

50's Prime Time - Good food and amazing atmosphere

Tusker House for Breakfast and then right on the Kilimanjaro Safari. Great Character Breakfast

 

[jodim]

Awesome suggestions! We normally stay offsite and don't do ddp. We are passholders and also have a TIW card, but I've added it all up and if we do 4 TS meals and the rest QS and add in a few snacks and 3 refillable resort mugs, then we break even with the ddp as opposed to paying out of pocket and utilizing our discounts.

If you want pure "this costs what?" a few good options:

• Akershus Lunch/Dinner
• Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic Package
• Chef Icky's
• Cape May Cafe (dinner)
• Ohana dinner

I didn't realize the Hollywood & Vine fantasmic package was included... awesome! Is it still Minnie character dinner when it's part of the fantasmic package?

Chef Icky's is about right lol

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I didn't realize the Hollywood & Vine fantasmic package was included... awesome! Is it still Minnie character dinner when it's part of the fantasmic package?

The Minnie character dinner is for ADRs after 3:30. You can book a F! lunch and it will be Disney Junior.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

I get the sense based on limited experience that the food at character meals isn't as high quality as the food at other buffets, which in turn might not be as good as non-buffet restaurants. For a buffet though I would choose Boma at Animal Kingdom. We did not care for the character breakfast buffet at Crystal Palace or the dinner buffet at Cape May.

For 1 credit table service restaurants I would consider Teppan Edo, Via Napoli and Chefs de France (Epcot), Mama Melrose w/Fantasmic package (Hollywood Studios), and Be Our Guest (Magic Kingdom). Resort/Disney Springs restaurants that we enjoyed most were The Wave, 'Ohana, and Raglan Road. We found that those restaurants all tend to have good food and are pretty consistent. We will not go back to Crystal Palace, Cape May or Rose & Crown. San Angel Inn falls in the middle - great atmosphere and some good food but some not-so-good food.

For an 8 night stay you might consider doing one signature restaurant (which means you'd have to pay out of pocket for one other dinner). If you do, our favorites are Narcoossee's and Yachtsman. The best use of a quick service credit is at Wolfgang Puck Marketplace.

By the way, one point of disagreement with a post above - I would not book a late breakfast since the "prime" touring time for us is park open until around 11:00 when the parks start getting busy. We will do early lunches starting around 11:30 though, but if we make lunch reservations they are at a park we intend to tour at that morning.

 

[Markansas]

Ohana is hands down the best meal I have had for 1 credit. Boma breakfast is also fantastic. Character meals are all good. Chef Mickey's is great for characters but I just don't care for the contemporary. I also think TRex in downtown disney is a fun place to eat for 1 credit.

 

[Jellybass]

If you want pure "this costs what?" a few good options:

• Akershus Lunch/Dinner
• Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic Package
• Chef Icky's
• Cape May Cafe (dinner)
• Ohana dinner

Because I dont like Chef Mickey's I found this humorous.

 

[merry_nbright]

Biggest surprises for us? Chefs de France and Be Our Guest. Both were out of this world! As was Kona!

 

[Vijoge]

Jiko
Raglan Road
Brown Derby

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Be our Guest. Fantastic place.

 

[disnmooner2013]

good post