Favorite Restaurants For First (And Probably Only) Timers!

[Elizabeth F.]

Ok, so we have an amazing chance to go to Disney world for 8 days/7 nights next April. I know it will be busy since it will be spring break, but with kids in school and 2 out of the 4 adults working at a school, it is what we can do. I am SOO psyched! I have never been and never thought I could go, I have been doing tons of research and have narrowed down my list of the top 8 restaurants I would like to go to while we are there. We will most likely be purchasing the Basic Disney Dining Plan, so I know I need to get it down to 7 TS restaurants... What are YOUR favorite restaurants and why? We will have 3 kids with us; 7,8 & 9. I am looking for the most unique experiences as I know we will most likely never get down there again.

#1 - Be Our Guest - I absolutely HAVE to go here! Beauty and the Beast was my very first Disney Movie at a theater when I was a kid and began my love for all things Disney!!! My daughter now LOVES Belle and I wouldn't want either one of us to miss out on The Grey Stuff.

#2 - Akershus (Princess Character Meal) - We simply must do a character meal and do not want to use 2 DDP credits on Cinderella's Royal Table. Even my son will be thrilled to meet the princesses.

#3 - Sci Fi Dine in Theater - I think this will be my husband's favorite, but I also think my son will get a kick out of it!

#4 - Rainforest Cafe - I know, I know, you don't have to be in Disney to hit a Rainforest Cafe, but I think it is the perfect time to get to one. Budget is usually always on my mind, but with the Dining Plan purchased ahead of time we will really be free to enjoy everything about the rainforest. I would love for my kids to experience this!

#5 - 50's Prime Time Cafe - This seems like another really unique experience and the menu seems to be full of comfort food, which I am always a fan of!

#6 - The Coral Reef - I am thinking of making a reservation here for our date night, I know the kids would enjoy it a lot but out of all of the restaurants I have picked I think this is the one that is the most "grown-up". (Not that I plan on acting too much like a grown up while I'm in the most magical place on earth...)

#7 - T-Rex - My son has been a huge dinosaur fan since he was a toddler, I think T-Rex would be a great way to end a day at Animal Kingdom!

#8 - Ohana - This is the one I am most on the fence about. I love the idea of going for breakfast and doing another character meal with Lilo and Stitch, although my kids aren't crazy about that movie... But I am not sure if I want to use a TS credit on breakfast since we had planned on ordering groceries and eating breakfast in our resort rooms before hitting the parks in the mornings.


What do YOU think? Are there any that should be on my list? If so which restaurants would you swap for them?

 

[PoohBear119]

I would say do either T-Rex or Rainforest. I'm not a big Rainforest food fan and the experience is similar to T-Rex (just the jungle instead of dinos). I don't want to tell you what to do though. The main thing is to do what you think your whole family would enjoy. You can research menus and reviews (which based on your post you've probably already done).

What about Chef Mickey buffet for dinner? Just a thought. Hope you have a fab time!

 

[belledream]

I agree about choosing one or the other when it comes to Rainforest and T-Rex.

I think Garden Grill is a very unique dining experience, moreso than other character dinner buffets! Check it out

 

[tsaintc]

I would personally drop Akershus & Coral Reef. There are far better meals/experiences in and around EPCOT. If you are looking for a 'grown up' experience in EPCOT, look into Monsieur Paul (pricey but excellent).

Also, I would highly recommend dropping the Ohana breakfast (it is nothing special at all and overpriced); their dinner is much better (minus the character experiences).

As for T-Rex/Rainforest, I definitely agree with @PoohBear119. I would not do both in a single trip. If you really want to experience one of them, I would go with T-Rex.

If you have any further interest in my opinion, pass along your itinerary, and I would be some direct suggestions.

And have a great trip!

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

I would only change Rainforest Cafe to maybe Tusker House. A meal with good food and you get to see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Daisy.

Also, I love Coral Reef but it isn't really "adult" feeling. I would maybe pay out of pocket for Sci-fi and then use 2 credits at one of the signature restaurants.

 

[kasey1988]

I would also epicke either rainforest or trex, personally we prefer trex!

We highly reccomend tusker house, we love the food and character interaction!

 

[HollyAD]

I agree to pick T- rex or Rainforest. I would be a bigger fan of T-rex just because it is different from the Rainforest Cafe. Plus, going to DTD on two separate occasions may waste your travel time and could eat up your park day.Cape May Cafe is a better breakfast than O'hana in my opinion. They have Mickey, Minnie, and Donald and the food is really good. This could also be a chance to discover the Boardlwalk and if you make it a late breakfast you could skip lunch. Be Our Guest is a "must-do" one time!

 

[JIMINYCR]

Good choices for first times with kids. Check out the dining areas online to see which ones you might prefer. There are choices in BOG & T-Rex. You can request the ones you prefer. Both Sci Fi & 50s Prime are entertaining, with 50s depending on the server you get, some are more playful than others. Coral Reef 's best seats are nearer the tank for a better view, great surprise if divers show up, even a Mickey diver!!!
With kids the Crystal Palace is lots of fun with Pooh & friends. Decent buffet selections too.

 

[JillC LI]

I agree to choose Rainforest or T-Rex, not both, especially sinceyou can do Rainforest elsewhere. Sci Fi is tons of fun eating in your "car." I can't wait to try Be Our Guest myself. I thought Akershus was amazing for the princess interaction, but we didn't care for the dinner cuisine, so I recommend a late breakfast which you can consider brunch for the afternoon. If your kids are not psyched about Lilo and Stitch, I'd skip 'Ohana for breakfast but it is really nice for dinner, and then you can go out to the beach of the Polynesian afterwards and watch the Electric Water Pageant which is very sweet.

Other restaurants I repeatedly recommend are Kona Cafe for breakfast - there is a cult like following for their Tonga Toast and their pineapple macadamia nut pancakes. Again, you can do it for a late breakfast taking a monorail from the MK and consider it brunch. Also, we love Rose & Crown Pub at EPCOT where you can shoot for a late reservation and watch IllumiNations from your table without having to reserve a viewing spot standing an hour in advance.

When our kids were younger, we liked to do a character breakfast outside the parks on our last morning before flying home. One really nice one with harder to find characters is 1900 Park Fare. You can see Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatter, Mary Poppins, Pooh and Tigger. PLus they are famous for their delicious strawberry soup!

Lastly, don't miss out on trying the famous Dole Whip Floats at the MK. Grab one and watch the afternoon parade!

We also thought our first trip with the kids (then 5 and 7) would be our one and only, and we have been back every other year since! Beware, you may get addicted!

 

[MickeyMomV]

I agree about choosing one or the other when it comes to Rainforest and T-Rex.

I think Garden Grill is a very unique dining experience, moreso than other character dinner buffets! Check it out

I agree, this is a very unique experience with the restaurant spinning while you eat!

 

[zurgandfriend]

As others have stated I would replace Rain Forest with something else. I would also consider replacing Coral Reef with another restaurant in the world showcase, Tutto italia, Chefs de France, restaurant Marrakesh or Rose and Crown are all good. As for replacing Ohana how about Chef Mickey’s it’s a decent buffet and you get to meet Mickey and Co.

 

[cw1982]

I'm in the minority here apparently, but I think Coral Reef is a great choice for your date night. If it's just two of you, you'll probably end up right next to the tank and have an awesome view that was one of my favorite meals on our trip in June.

 

[GrammieBee]

We have made it a point to try all of the restaurants in WDW at one time or another. Considering the ages of your children, your list is very good. I would suggest a few changes, however.

Instead of Ohana's, I would suggest Chef Mickey's in the Contempory. Nice breakfast or dinner buffet, the original Disney characters, plus you get to see the monorail go through the hotel while you are eating.

I also agree you should drop Rainforest Cafe in favor of TRex since your son is into dinosaurs.

If your children like furry critters,Crystal Palace is a good choice. Again,decent buffet food plus Tigger, Eeyore, Pooh and friends. Or maybe, the Garden Grill in EPCOT. Sit down dinner in a revolving restaurant thet overlooks Living With the Land, plus Chip and Dale.

Date nite with children, definitely the Coral Reef.
Date nite alone in a very nice restaurant, consider Citrico's in the Grand Floridian. The Coral Reef is fine,also, plus it is interesting to watch the sea life.

I would stay clear of the Polynesian for now due to all the construction at that resort.

 

[megadisneyfan98]

I would go to Coral Reef. It is a nice restaurant and your kids would love seeing the huge fish tank. I would go to rainforest cafe also. I have never eaten there as it wasn't on the dining plan before but I have heard it is good especially the dessert!

 

[jpittore1]

If you're wanting seafood for date night, Cape May seafood buffet is a better choice than Coral Reef. But if you want to stay in Epcot for date night I would recommend LeCellier if you like steak.

 

[MaryJaneP]

We have no experience with dining plan so we're not sure how this would work, but here goes. We would drop Coral Reef, 50's Prime Time, O'hana, and Rainforest. With kids that age, we would add Chef Mickey's and California Grill specifically for a Wishes opportunity. Also would add in Cape May at the Beach Club.

 

[GrammieBee]

We were not happy with the Cape May Seafood Buffet the last time we were there. The food just didn't seem to be as fresh or as varied as it had been on previous visits.

 

[Swissmiss]

I agree that Rainforest and T-Rex would be very much the same experience so no need to do both. Since Rainforest exists outside of WDW, why not drop that one. And as you've said this is likely to be a one-time trip, you really should go to see the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. Although at two credits it would require you to pay out of pocket for another meal (maybe Sci-Fi would be the cheapest?) it is one of the unique experiences at WDW. My DD8 loves it.

And I also agree with some of the other comments - Akershus as a very late breakfast means you can treat the meal as brunch and then not have to eat again until dinnertime. And if your kids aren't really into Lilo and Stitch, choose another character breakfast spot - Tusker House, Cape May, Chef Mickey's. Any of these with a later breakfast reservation can also be used as a brunch, again saving the need to eat until dinner time.

 

[Swissmiss]

You could also consider Be Our Guest at lunch, when it is quick-service, which eliminates one of the restaurants on your table service list above.

 

[RiceCrispyMickey]

I'm in the minority here apparently, but I think Coral Reef is a great choice for your date night. If it's just two of you, you'll probably end up right next to the tank and have an awesome view that was one of my favorite meals on our trip in June.

Totally agree with this! Hubby and I loved the atmosphere in Coral Reef, request a table right by the tank (you'll probably get one anyway if theres only 2 of you).

Another one we liked is mama melrose. Really nice cosy feeling place, all covered in fairy lights etc. Plus the steak is amazing!

Whatever you decide you will have an amazing time! We have never had a bad meal at disney! They always go above and beyond!