What restaurants NOT to miss....

[Mermaid02]

... We will be in WDW from 9-30 thru 10-7 or 10-8.... we are on a budget and will do many meals in our room and off site.... I would like opinions on what restaurants are not to be missed! We want to do one character meal (of course!) and probably a dinner or two. The 50's Prime Time Cafe got my attention, as did the Sci Fi theater (or whatever it's called). What are your opinions?

 

[PigletsPal]

I loved the 50's prime time. And did not like the Sci-Fi, but alot of people do. Ordered off the kids menu (grilled cheese) wouldn't do it again but that IMHO. Chef Mickey is wonderful. And I heard great things about O'Hana's These 3 are on our list when we go in Nov.
You have to make your ressies 120 days from the day you want to go. You can start calling @ 7am. Chef Mickey and Cindy's at the Castle can be hard to get.

 

[kdibattista]

We have to eat at the following every trip:

Rainforest Cafe lunch/dinner
Crystal Palace bfast
Chef Mickey's bfast
50s Prime Time lunch/dinner

 

[becka]

I think Chef Mickey's is a great character meal to pick if you are only doing one but then again Garden Grill is also so much fun.

Sci-Fi has a great atmosphere but IMHO it is way overpriced. What we like to do is stop in during the late afternoon and order onion rings and milkshakes. It is a great snack and gives you an opportunity to really enjoy the atmosphere.

 

[lisajl]

We have to eat at the following every trip:

Rainforest Cafe lunch/dinner


I agree with kdibattista.

Our kids had a great time here and the food was really great!

My DH was disappointed in the chicken dish he got, but it was more like a pizza. He was not expecting that, but he said it was delicious.

It just gets a little loud in there! Otherwise it's a fun place to go!

Lisa

 

[ColetteN]

My family loved Chef Mickey's breakfast (character meal)and 'Ohana (all you can eat) for dinner. They are usually on our must do list!

The Sci-Fi was cool for lunch - I had the cheeseburger - it was great - very filling and can easily be split between 2 people! The 'entertainment' wasn't the greatest, but the atmosphere is cool. If you're only doing one or two dinners, I wouldn't make this one a must.

Hope I helped!

ColetteN

 

[FFerret]

Mermaid!

oh my goodness, my fam of four is going the exact same time as y'all --Sept 30-Oct7th

This is our first trip so I really can't speak from experience, but the places we HAVE to try are
SciFi,
Cinderella's (if I can get it),
Beaches N Cream,
Columbia Harbor and
Rainforest Cafe at AK.

RC is way-up-there price-wise so I think we'll just do a nice dessert.

 

[dznyntnh]

I think its really important that you gather info about the eateries and draw your own conclusions.

I think with restarants especially people tend to have very strong feelings about their likes and dislikes.

Whenever I see someone slam a place I love, I feel bad cuz someone might read that one opinion and decide not to eat at a great place.

We all have out own opinions and on these boards we're all more than willing to share them .

But please don't less these suggestions be the only tool you use to explore the great eateries at wdw. Read the menu's here and at wdwig, use some guide books and choose places that appeal to you.

That said:

I love SciFi, Alfredo's, Cinderella's Royal Table, Grand Floridian Cafe, Boatwrights and House of Blues.

I dislike Rainforest Cafe and 50's Prime Time.

 

[SimbaNoodle]

My favorite dinner spot has now become Boma's. I think the food is great. My 7 & 9 yo kids love it too.

 

[AZKathy]

We absolutely loved Ohanas this past trip. Also, most of our party went to Bomas one night (DH and I were at the villa with a sick 5 year old) and they thought it was the best. They made ressies for another night for those left at home to enjoy it also. That second night was not the same dishes and the waiter was bad and the soda machines were broken and I thought it certainly was not as good as our friends raved about. We also waited over an hour to get a seat and we had made PS's. I feel it was an off night, so I will give it one more try. DH thinks differently!!!!!

Places we try to include every trip are; CRT, 50s Prime Time, Chef Mickey's, Garden Grill, and now Ohanas is included. I also liked Whispering Canyon last month.

You should really look at the menus and see what catches your eyes for your vacation and go from there. Enjoy your planning and have a great trip.

 

[SusieJane]

We never miss going to Sci-Fi. It is just too cute, sitting in your little car at the drive-in theater. We also always go to the Rainforest and House of Blues (yummy!).

 

[wdwpixie]

Our favorites:

Alfredo's, Rose and Crown, Le Cellier (not any for the buget-concious)
Bomas was wonderful!
The Kona Cafe for breakfast (Tonga toast is a MUST)!!

If you're doing 50's diner, be hungry...it is a TON of good ol' fashion cooking! My sister-in-law hates 50's as she says she wants to relax and enjoy her food and doesn't want anyone hassling her while she eats and deals with her kids...you HAVE to be in the right frame of mind for that place, but it's a kick if you are.....if you don't have a sense of humor, stay away!!

We also love Beaches n' Cream, the fish and chips in England (Epcot), and ham and cheese sandwiches in the French pastry shop in Epcot...Whispering Canyon is fun for breakfast, but we weren't crazy about the dinner...

I agree it's better to visit SciFi for a snack only....WAY too expensive and only so-so food that you could pick up in any of the snack bars in the parks...

Not a fan of Rainforest, but they have them in other cities...
That's it off the top of my head...

Go and have fun!!!

 

[Mermaid02]

I appreciate ALL of the responses! I'm so excited for our trip, and want to "maximize our Disney Experience" that's why I ask for so much input!

FFerret- That is so cool that we will be there the same time, promise me you will wear a Lime Green Ribbon..... I hope to spot LOTS of fellow Dis'sers!

Anyway- I am processing all your info and cross referencing with the menus on All Ears I hope I'm prepared when we get there in less than 80 days!!

 

[LKS]

We never miss the Liberty Tree Tavern for our character meal. We don't like to waste our precious uncrowded mornings doing one, and we aren't big buffet fans. With three little kids, we like someone to bring the food to us.

 

[Bex0909]

I agree with lots of what people have said, but nobody mentioned my favorite breakfast place. Okay, nothing fancy, but my family just loves the ABC Commisary at MGM. They have great french toast sticks, and their scrambled eggs are delish. It's fun to listen to theme songs from old shows and try to guess what they are. We also like fish and chips in England, Cape May has a great character breakfast, and Rosie's (MGM) has the best veggie burger ever. Hope this helps...have fun!

 

[paulsimon]

We have done the following character meals:

Chef Mickeys (breakfast and dinner)
Donald's Breakfastasaurus
Princess Breakfast (castle)
Princess Breakfast (Norway, Epcot)

I have to say that Chef Mickey's was the most festive character meal that we went to. Although eating in the castle and meeting the princesses was a big hit with my daughter (she was 2 at the time). She also enjoyed the princess breakfast in Norway (I'm not sure if they continued this or not. They were testing it at the time). The princess breakfast in Norway was much easier to get priority seating.

If you're on a budget you might want to try the ice cream social at the Garden Grill. When we went the cost was $7 per person (no sharing and everyone has to pay). Technically, it's not a character meal but there is personal time with the characters. If you're not that into the food at the character meals this is a great alternative. There's nothing special about the ice cream but it was worthwhile for us. We always enjoy the character interaction more than the food anyway. Plus, it's still hot in September so it might be a nice way to beat the heat.

 

[crisi]

My two cents is that - while I LOVE to eat at Disney - for a first trip don't sweat it too much. Book what interests you and focus on things other than eating. I highly recommend a character meal, but where is less important in my mind than who you want to see there (I wouldn't be too interested in Pooh or Princesses, I go to Disney to see Mickey).

However, I'm a little spoiled in that we have some great themed restaurants in the Twin Cities (a Rainforest Cafe, for instance - so I never feel a need to go to the Rainforest Cafe at Disney), good fancy restaurants, and plenty of international dining options. So I don't feel like I need to do the themed thing at Disney where someone living in an area without a lot of great restaurants may feel differently.

 

[CdnDisneyFan]

My recommendations are LeCellier in Epcot (the cheddar cheese soup is YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY), and Prime Time Cafe in MGM, the atmosphere was awesome, and the food was actually great too!!!

Jules