Where to eat? - HELP!

[BouncyTrouncyFlouncy]

So we're contemplating a Swan/Dolphin ceremony and an EPCOT Illuminations Dessert Party, but, we probably want to eat in between with the possibility of inviting our guests to join us.

We'd like to keep everyone in the Boardwalk/Yacht/Beach area as it is easy to walk over to International Gateway for the dessert party (and many of our guests would not be very familiar with Disney property and transporting around it), but I cannot decide on a place to eat! Nothing is making me say, "That's it!"

I looked at Big River Grille & Brewing Company, but I read it is small, cramped, and the food is nothing to write home about. And, I don't know if it's the best atmosphere to sit in a wedding dress after the ceremony. However, it does have a variety of foods at decent prices.

I looked at Flying Fish Cafe, and while I read great reviews about it, it is very expensive and might be a lot to ask of our guests after they paid for traveling to the destination wedding.

I looked at Kouzzina, but the cuisine is Greek, and I'm not a huge fan of Greek food, and I'm sure there are others who feel the same. Plus, the atmosphere is kind of blah for the prices, and I read a rumor it might be closing in Sept 2014 anyway with an unknown restaurant to possibly replace it.

I also looked at Tom English's Bluezoo at the S/D, and while it looked like a nice atmosphere, it is also very expensive with small portions.

I checked into a few other places around the area and was not impressed.

Does anyone highly recommend any of these restaurants even if they are super pricey, or, does anyone have any other recommendations if we had to maybe get transportation for us and our guests to a different place nearby that has a variety of food options on the menu as well a price points? (I'd rather not do this, but if need be, I will keep it an option.)

Help!

 

[PoshMeld]

Il Mulino!!
I'm having our private dining there. I'm italian and i can say this food is great! Also the staff is no1!

 

[elphie101]

Kouzzina's last day is September 30th. A new Italian place, Trattoria al Forno, will be replacing it starting in December. Here's the Disney Parks Blog link: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...l-forno-new-restaurant-for-disneys-boardwalk/

Did you think about Captain's Grille at all, or Yachtsman Steakhouse? Yachtsman is a Signature restaurant so it can be a little price (or so I've heard) but it definitely fits the elegance bill of a post-wedding meal.

If Italian sounds like it might be an option for you and your guests, I would personally wait to see the menu/reviews of Trattoria. Just my opinion though!

 

[twinkybel81]

The Yachtsman is pricey, but the food, service, and atmosphere are worth every penny!

 

[Sweet Melissa]

We had our reception at bluezoo. It was pricey, but I assure that portions are not small.

We had our rehearsal dinner at the Cabana Bar and Beach Club, which is poolside at the Dolphin. They sectioned off one of the cabanas for us so that we had our own private area. The menus there range from $25-45pp, and ours was right in the middle of that. They set up the food in stations and kept bringing out more as long as people were eating. People raved about everything we served.

 

[BouncyTrouncyFlouncy]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I will take a look at Il Mulino - though we are a little hesitant to have too much at S/D. We don't really like the look of those hotels as it is, and the main reason we're thinking of having our ceremony there is the prices (We can't afford a regular DFTW, but we want it to still feel as Disney as we can). I did look at the Captain's Grill, but I don't like the decor and atmosphere. The Yachtsman Steakhouse I think is even more expensive than the Flying Fish Cafe, and I don't want to ask too much of the guests. :/

Thanks for the information on the new restaurant going into the Kouzzina space. I'm actually excited about that - we all like Italian. If it has nice decor and a nice atmosphere, we just might end up doing that!

 

[lurkyloo]

Kouzzina's replacement, Trattoria al Forno, will most likely retain its private room. I don't know what your group size is, but it seats 24-28 and only had a $600 food and beverage minimum when it was Kouzzina. I can't see that changing too much.

 

[aristocatz]

We ate at the Biergarten before our Illuminations Dessert Party-we all shared one long table. It was a really fun and laid back time!

 

[BouncyTrouncyFlouncy]

I would love to eat at a restaurant in the park, but I don't think all of our guests would have park tickets nor would we want them to use a day, if they did, of their park hopper on just dinner. So that idea is kind of out.

I took a look at Il Mulino, and it looks nice inside, but the prices are pretty much on the same par as Flying Fish Cafe, so we might as well eat there if we ended up doing those prices.

Hopefully the new Italian place will be nice. Thanks lurkyloo for the info on the group dining for Kouzzina. We're hoping to have more than that attend the destination wedding, but you never know. I'll keep that in mind.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

Hopefully the new Italian place will be nice. Thanks lurkyloo for the info on the group dining for Kouzzina. We're hoping to have more than that attend the destination wedding, but you never know. I'll keep that in mind.

Another thing to keep in mind about Trattoria Al Forno is that they will serve breakfast as well. We did a 10am farewell breakfast at Kouzzina the day after our wedding, in the private dining room, with no food and beverage minimum. If you decide to have an early ceremony, that could also be a reception option. Even as an additional meal, our guests really enjoyed it.

 

[undchefreak]

Is this going to basically be the reception for your wedding? I've never been a bride, but as a repeat wedding guest, I have to say that I've never paid for a meal associated with a wedding before. Welcome brunch, rehearsal dinner, farewell BBQ, you name it, all paid for by the bride & groom or their family.

I know that money doesn't grow on trees, but this seems like a pretty standard expense in a wedding, especially one that the guests travelled 1,000 miles to attend. I'm sorry if that is blunt, but if you did an anonimous survey of your guest, I'm betting you'd get similar answers.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

Oh wow, I missed that part. Yeah, I would let people do their own thing for dinner and meet up again for IllumiNations if you're not hosting. Inviting people to join you for dinner will cause confusion.

 

[aristocatz]

I missed that part too.

I 100% agree: If you are not planning to pay for your guests' meals, I would not host one. You might just offer some dining suggestions through a newsletter or something similar.

The other option to consider, if you are willing to pay, is to offer some savory choices at your dessert party, so your guests have a meal option.

 

[laurajane]

The other option to consider, if you are willing to pay, is to offer some savory choices at your dessert party, so your guests have a meal option.

Sorry to hijack, but we're having the exact same dilemma with my picky family and limited options for a meal after our Sea Breeze Point wedding! Does anyone know if it is it possible to add savoury options to a dessert party? And if so, what kind of options they offer? Obviously I know it'd cost quite a bit more, but it'll still be a huge saving on a full dinner for all of our guests.

(I'm a newbie, but I've been lurking for years using all of your wonderful knowledge, thought it was about time I got involved!)

 

[aristocatz]

Sorry to hijack, but we're having the exact same dilemma with my picky family and limited options for a meal after our Sea Breeze Point wedding! Does anyone know if it is it possible to add savoury options to a dessert party? And if so, what kind of options they offer? Obviously I know it'd cost quite a bit more, but it'll still be a huge saving on a full dinner for all of our guests.

(I'm a newbie, but I've been lurking for years using all of your wonderful knowledge, thought it was about time I got involved!)

I've read about people having nachos, chicken and beef skewers, things like that. Here is a couple who did a more complete dinner for their DP-what a great idea!!
http://yourfairytalewedding.com/tag/dessert-party/

I'm guessing if you talk to Disney, they will work with you to incorporate as many savory options as you choose.

 

[BouncyTrouncyFlouncy]

Okay okay, slow down. I suppose I should have put that detail in there, however, no, this would not be the reception. We were going to have the dessert party as the "reception," and yes, we were thinking about having some savory hors d'oeuvres, but, a lot is dependent upon when the ceremony is. Please don't get into the details of wording and confusing the guests about whether we're paying or they're paying. This post was just to see where to eat around that area.

This meal was just to serve as an interim between the ceremony and dessert party so that people are not just having dessert as a meal or starving by the time they get there and to keep people in the area. But again, it really depends on when the ceremony is.

 

[undchefreak]

I understand that this wouldn't be an official reception, but if it's the same day, I would suggest giving people a break in the day with multiple options for price point. Any "unofficial" dinner could be very confusing. Many Disney/Disney area brides give a break, and from the wedding reviews I've read, they seem to enjoy this break.

 

[WDWLover75]

First off, congratulations on your upcoming wedding! I think there are a lot of really great options between the Boardwalk, Yacht/Beach Club, and Swan/Dolphin. Are you able to visit Disney to look around? If not, I suggest reviewing Trip Advisor and All Ears to see menus, pictures, and what folks had to say. What kind of feel are you looking for?

We were married at 10 am and immediately hosted a brunch afterward (through DFTW) and had a dessert party that night. My husband and I decided we wanted to have dinner alone that night and thought our guests might appreciate some time on their own. As it turned out, our guests did many different things. Some changed and went straight to the parks, others went to Downtown Disney, and some went back to their resorts and enjoyed the pool. I think this really worked out for our guests. We did add an extra event guide to our dessert party so guests could come to either the front of the park or through the International Gateway (for those staying at or visiting the Boardwalk).

It is definitely not easy trying to figure out a multi-day event schedule that will make a whole bunch of people happy. We did "host" several events over a three day period including the wedding day events, bridal tea then welcome dinner the day before and a farewell breakfast the morning after. As we were at Disney for nearly a week, we did provide the rest of our schedule to our guests and let them know they could join us, depending upon when they arrived, and included the approximate cost, such as for Mickey's Christmas Party.

Good luck

 

[Princess Laura]

*deleted*

 

[laurajane]

I've read about people having nachos, chicken and beef skewers, things like that. Here is a couple who did a more complete dinner for their DP-what a great idea!!


I'm guessing if you talk to Disney, they will work with you to incorporate as many savory options as you choose.

Thank you, I didn't even know this was an option! I'll wait and see what options my wedding consultant comes back with, and suggest the savory options myself if she doesn't.