Your top meal picks with an almost 3 yr old??

[emiliegdr]

Hi everyone! DH and I will be taking DD on her first trip to WDW this Sept. We will be there for 5 days. What would be your top restaurants and meals for a 2 1/2 yr old? I'm guessing we will need a combination of counter service and table service. She will eat just about anything...not picky (at least not right now). We will be staying at the Swan, but we're open to eating anywhere. Thanks for the tips. My mind is so boggled already!

 

[Belle72]

A character princess breakfast- Norway in Epcot is close to the Swan, and of course, there is the castle and Cinderella's Royal Table. The Beach Club- walking distance has a character breakfast. She would probably enjoy Crystal Palace, too. They have the Pooh characters.

At the dolphin there is the Pikabu cafeteria style eatery- perfect for kids, and The Fountain- really nice ice cream/hamburger cafe. My kids liked breakfast as Fresh too.

 

[eventamy]

I have 2 DDs, currently 6 & 2 but we have been taking them since they were 4 and 9 months. I can tell you some of the favorites that they have done!

CRT!! We have done lunch and dinner and the girls prefer lunch because there's more princesses. We found the food to be really good and the character interaction to be very good! Your 2 year old will eat free and be offered a bowl of buttered pasta and still get dessert and a drink, she will also be given a wand.

Sci-Fi - the girls loved this last year! They loved sitting in the cars and watching the movies, they didn't find it scary at all, and especially loved the Tom & Jerry cartoon. They enjoyed their pizza and veggies but really loved to steal sips from their daddy's chocolate milkshake!

Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House - We got there before rope-drop and had a very good breakfast. The character interaction was a little rushed but still good. The food selection was excellent.

T-Rex - They really enjoyed this! I recommend the room in the back, it's a little quieter but you still get the full effect with the meteor showers. The servings are humongous so I suggest sharing!

Breakfast at Hollywood & Vine - Playhouse Disney characters. We LOVED this meal! The restaurant gets poor reviews for lunch and dinner but we had an excellent meal here for breakfast, My DH wants to go back just for the food. The character interaction was fantastic!

Chef Mickey - I'm only recommending this because it's the best way to see the major characters, Mickey and the gang. The food was only ok and the service was really lacking, but the girls loved seeing Mickey and especially Minnie!

As for CS meals:
Sunshine Seasons is our very favorite. Lots of choices.
Columbia Harbour House - not your typical burgers and dogs

 

[dsneygirl]

I have found buffets and family style easiest with my toddler. 1) They eat free. 2) on the buffets there is so much variety. It's easy to find something to please your toddler. Also with a buffet DH and I can take turns getting our food and helping DS, then we can enjoy a hot meal. Sometimes a challenge at a typical sit down restaurant.

our faves are Boma, Ohana, Liberty Tree, Cape May, Tusker House.

 

[NorweJenNY]

With a 3-year-old, I recommend any buffet! Sure, you've got all the character ones, but don't forget to check out Trail's End at Ft. Wilderness - just a boat ride away from the Magic Kingdom, not terribly busy (at least not at lunch time, which is when we've been), and the most affordable buffet in Disney. Another buffet to try is Biergarten in Germany... no characters, but they do have live music performers that can really entertain little ones who like music.

As for counter service, try Cosmic Ray's in MK. If you sit in the right area, kids can be entertained by the singing audioanimatronic, Sonny Eclipse. I've gotten the chicken meal in the past which is a hearty portion, easy to share with a young child. They also have apple juice from the fountain, meaning you can get a large amount, easy to put in some sippy cups for later on too.

Since you're gonna be in the area, you might also like grabbing some food from a cart or the bakery at the Boardwalk. Nice outdoor spot if the little one likes people watching.

If your little one is better off in quieter environments, I recommend FlameTree BBQ at AK... the eating areas are very spread out, and you could grab a table in one of the shelters with only a handful of other tables around. The ducks do like to waddle around in search of crumbs though, just as a warning in case your child might be afraid.

 

[Mrs D]

I agree with PP regarding buffet and Family Style. It such a bonus that under 3 may have their own plate at no additional cost (although I find Disney portions are larger enough to have plenty to share).
I would recommend that you plan which parks you'll be at each day and make reservations for restaurants in that park or nearby resorts.

Here are some that my 2 little ones liked or we'll be trying in 6 days!
Table Serve Restaurants:
Chef Mickey Contemporary Resort, near MK - Buffet w/ Fab 5
Crystal Palace - MK - Buffet w/ Pooh & Friends
Biergarten - Epcot - Buffet w/ Oompa Band (kids LOVED this)
Akershus - Epcot - Family Style w/ Princesses
Play & Dine at Hollywood & Vine - HS Buffet w/ JoJo & Little Einsteins

Counter Serve
MK - Cosmic Rays, Columbia Harbor House
Epcot - Sunshine Seasons, Sommerfest, Germany (Frankfurter=hot dog + delicious)
HS - Studio Catering Co, Toy Story Pizza Planet (I didn't really care for it, and I didn't like that you eat in the middle of an arcade, but DS3 liked it)
AK - Flame Tree - ribs and chicken to die for!


HTH

 

[jenniferyawn]

Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's would easily be my first choice! Crystal Palace has Pooh Characters. The food is so yummy! She'll be mesmerized! Chef Mickey's has mickey and the gang. It's a fun atmosphere and we love the food there, too! Both of those places have character meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner so you can fit it in wherever it is best for you.

Any of the Disney buffets are awesome with little ones, the character ones are my favs! It will save you from waiting in line to see characters in the parks.

Other character meals I love are: Garden Grill at Epcot, Ohana breakfast with Lilo and Stitch, Cape May breakfast at the beach club. I'd wait on CRT with a very young girl. We did it once when my kids were 5 and 6 on our first visit. It was special, but my kids have never asked to go back. It's just nice for them to remember that they ate in there once.

Either way, whatever you choose, your bound to have a magical experience with your little one!

 

[scard192]

1900PF, Akershus, Crystal Palace,Chef Mickeys

 

[emiliegdr]

Thanks everyone for all the great tips so far1

 

[Aminniedala]

I'll add another vote for buffets; they cut down on the amount of time you have to wait for the food, which can be a real plus when you have a hungry, cranky toddler.

We took our 2 1/2 year old daughter to WDW in September and one of our favorites was the character lunch at the Crystal Palace. They had cheese pizza and lots of it for our daughter, and some nice "grown up" choices for my husband and I. (I loved the curry noodles and grilled salmon, my husband enjoyed ratatouille....plus desserts to die for)

You can check out full menus with prices on All Ears .net.

 

[djp0630]

1900PF, Akershus, Crystal Palace,Chef Mickeys

I agree...plus DD3 loved the castle! That is her request for a return on our trip in May. We went in Sept. and she was all about the Princesses and the characters. Loved 1900 Park Fare breakfast, Akershus, Crystal Palace, CRT & Chef Mickey's. Non-character meals that were fun were 'Ohana and Teppan Edo (we did Sci-Fi, but that was just ok).

 

[smithmom]

I'm subscribing to this thread... I'm going next September with 4 children (5, 4, 2 & 1). We are looking for some new places to eat since we will be on the dining plan. I love these suggestions and the explanations! Thank you for sharing!!

I have been to the Crystal Palace - it's very nice, but the wait, even with reservations was about an hour. Made it hard to wait, but the buffet was delicious!!!

Chef Mickeys was one of our breakfasts and they honored my Father with a special sing-a-long and a cupcake (a HUGE hit with little kids - cupcakes for breakfast - yum!!!)

I'm looking forward to trying something new this trip!

 

[Princess Sleepy]

We were there last winter with DD 2 1/2 and her favorites were Garden Grill (she could distinguish Chip from Dale by the end of dinner), Crystal Palace, and Akershus. I also vote for the buffet/family dining option. Although, she also really liked the Plaza Cafe where she could get a grilled cheese sandwich and ice cream!

 

[kamikazecat]

My 3yo son loved Hollywood and Vine, Chef Mickeys, Sci-fi, and Ohana Dinner. He also really enjoyed The Wave. He ate even better there than anywhere else

 

[ktlm]

My DD has been at 2 yrs 10 months and then twice when she was 3. Her absolute favorite restuarants are Biergarten (loves the German band and dancing on the dance floor) and CRT (castle with princesses). She also likes the Princess meal at Akershus in Norway and the Crystal Palace (Pooh). Definitely check out allears.net like a previous poster suggested. She is big on pasta so the "plain" restaurant she really liked was Mama Melrose for the Spaghetti.

 

[cheshiregirl]

I totally agree with most of what the PPs have said, with one additional point to make.

While my DS hasn't been to WDW yet, he is a DLR vet with over 30 days spent in the parks during his first 27 months. We have done every character meal and while they are all great in their own way, imho the best one with little ones is our Ariel Breakfast because it is served family style.

Thus, I would highly recommend both the Akerhus and Ohana simply because they bring the food to you. That way you don't have to juggle who is sitting and waiting while someone else goes to get food.

However, with all of that being said, we have booked H&V Playhouse Disney breakfast, Donald's breakfast and Crystal Palace dinner in addition to both breakfast and dinner at Ohana for our WDW trip in May. We will also be taking him to Les Chefs de France, Le Cellier, Mama Melrose (F! package), Teppan Edo and Kona.

 

[Judy in Texas]

If you are spending time in Fantasyland, you might consider Pinocchio Village Haus. It is right beside Small World and has windows overlooking the ride loading area. They serve pizza, chicken nuggets and salad from the main menu. The kids menu has PB&J plus mac and cheese. I think most kids will find something on the menu they really like and you don't have to drag them too far away from the young kids' area.

 

[ktlm]

I totally agree with most of what the PPs have said, with one additional point to make.

Thus, I would highly recommend both the Akerhus and Ohana simply because they bring the food to you. That way you don't have to juggle who is sitting and waiting while someone else goes to get food.

.

I agree that can be a bit of a pain. DH usually sits with DD while I go through the buffet line first. I get 2 plates and go through the line once filling up one plate for DD and one for myself. I'm sure there are people behind me that probably think I must be a huge pig, not realizing I'm getting food for two people! The worst part about it is trying to juggle getting food with the timing of the characters coming by the table.