woops.. I lost one of my reservations.

[DelaneyJ]

I decided to swap one of my dinner reservations for our upcoming trip to the BWV 10/23-10/29 (2 adults, 4 year old, 2 year old)

I had originally had a reservation for Flying Fish on Monday and then a Coral Reef reservation on Wednesday. Well I thought it made more sense for me to do Coral Reef on Monday since that was going to be an Epcot day. So I cancelled Coral Reef on Wednesday and added the Flying Fish .. NO problem.
Well when I went to make my Monday reservation at Epocot...guess what? They were all booked up. In fact, there isn't much available for our early dinner plans.
Our options are Via Napoli, Biergarten Restaurant, La Hacienda de San Angel, Les Chefs de France, Restaurant Marrakesh, San Angel Inn or Tutto Italia Ristorante.
I went ahead and made a 4:45 reservation for Via Napoli just to have one, but does anyone have a favorite out of those choices??? We are VERY adventurous eaters and will go anywhere.
Also, how hard would it be to walk in without a reservation at 5:00pm? How much of these restaurants are filled up with ADRS? ( I really wanted to try the Garden Grill or Akershus but I am wondering how long the wait will be)
BTW here is how our week looks:
Monday- Open to suggestions.
Tuesday- Crystal Palace Breakfast. Sanna Dinner
Wednesday-Flying Fish
Thursday - Cinderella's Royal Castle Lunch
Friday - Yak and Yeti (lunch or dinner . We can't decide)


So to sum up:
1. Where would you go with those choices for Monday?
2. Would you chance a walk up?
3. What do you think of my overall ADR choices??

Thanks guys!!!

 

[Pakey]

I've eaten at all of those on your list and my favorite is Biergarten. However, with 2 children as young as yours, I'm not sure you want to do a buffet. My second choice is probably Via Napoli. So I'd probably keep the one you have booked.

You are going during free dining and Food & Wine. Do not count on any walkups in the Epcot area. Often, they will not take walkups, even with a long wait.

Your ADRs look like a great choice/selection. IMO, you are not losing out by going to something in the World Showcase rather than Coral Reef.

 

[ktlm]

We love Biergarten. I think your kids will probably love it too. There is a German band and a dance floor where the kids can get out and dance. DD (5) ranks it right up there with Princess meals and has since she was 3. She is a picky eater, and she eats more there than she does at any other restaurant at Disney. The first time we ate there with her when she was 3, I think she stuffed more in than I had ever seen her eat at a meal in her life. It is always one of our "must goes" on any WDW trip now. My friend took his then 2 year old son there, and his son loved the place too.

I should add that on your list we have eaten at Biergarten, Les Chefs, San Angel Inn, and Marrakesh. With kids, I would pick Biergarten out of those. We've never had a bad meal at Biergarten and we have always had a lot of fun. San Angel has great atmosphere. The menu is limited and it is authentic Mexican as opposed to Tex Mex. The kids menu consists of a choice of Quesadilla, Taco, or Chicken Fingers. We have found the food to be inconsistent. We have had some really good meals there, but the last couple of times, not so much. You definitely want to take the kids in the Mexico Pavillion to ride the boat ride if you don't eat there though!. Les Chefs was a bit crowded feeling as the tables are very close together. The food was fine, but it doesn't have the fun factor for the kids of Biergarten. For us, there are too many other places at Epcot we would rather go. It was fine and I would eat there again, but there wasn't anything special. We haven't eaten at Marrakesh in a while. I remember liking the atmosphere, but again the food was inconsistent. One time we had a great meal there, and the next time we orderered the same thing and it was overcooked and dry. Just a matter of luck I guess. I'd go to any of them again.

I wouldn't try going without an ADR at Epcot, especially during food and wine. Without an ADR, many times there is no "wait"- they flat out turn you away. I think your chances of walking into Akershus without an ADR are probably slim to none unless you are extremely lucky. We usually eat there every trip (princesses), and we usually go during fairly slow times, and I have never seen them take a walk up. They are always turning people away. We love eating in World Showcase at Epcot! I think you should definitely make an ADR somewhere!

 

[THicks863]

I've eaten at all those as well. My personal picks from your list of possibilities would be either Tutto Italia or Marrakesh. The problem with TI is that the atmosphere is not as well suited for youngsters as others. The belly dancer at Marrakesh always mesmerizes the kids.

But another option you might consider is to hop the monorail from Epcot and go to the Contemporary, go downstairs, and eat at The Wave. I have had good luck just walking in (once when I forgot which day was which reservation) in the middle of Food & Wine Festival, and was able to get in pretty quickly. And we really enjoyed the food there, too.

The other comments, particularly San Angel, are spot on. I love Mexican food, but I would be going to San Angel more for the deep-Mexico-at-sunset atmosphere than for the food. And losing the ressie at Coral Reef isn't really anything to cry over, imho.

BTW - Yak/Yeti, good for either meal. But having lunch and sitting outside can be a challenge - lots of tables, and they are ALL TAKEN!!