6 cool Counter Service Restuarants?

[extremenish]

We always eat at Casey's Hot Dogs, Electric Umbrella, and Cosmic Ray's every trip. Other counter service options we try are ABC Commisary, McDonalds in Animal Kingdom (kids have to get their weekly dose of chicken nuggets), and we always eat at the resort. There are so many choices.

 

[scpergj]

Two different things that we like to do sometimes is eat breakfast at the Main Street Bakery in MK, and also to eat breakfast at Sunshine Seasons. They have a pastry and sweets section that is amazing! Don't know if either of these will work with the dining plan, tho.

Kevin

 

[OneLuckyMom]

Check out the menus on allears.net, especially the Kid's menus, with an eye towards what your kids like and don't like. Alot of Counter Service places have very limited choices for kids - even more so than when we went last year. It seems alot of them are down to just PB&J and Grilled Cheese (neither of which my daughter likes!).

I expect I am going to end up buying my daughter something off the menu in a lot of places, despite the free dining.

 

[HoW]

Check out the menus on allears.net, especially the Kid's menus, with an eye towards what your kids like and don't like.

This is an excellent idea for what you're looking for. As for some of my favorites:
Columbia Harbour House
Backlot Express
Sunshine Seasons
Flame Tree
Tangierine Cafe
Studio Catering Co.

And outside of the parks:
Everything POP
Earl of Sandwich

 

[righttrack]

Check out the menus on allears.net, especially the Kid's menus, with an eye towards what your kids like and don't like. Alot of Counter Service places have very limited choices for kids - even more so than when we went last year. It seems alot of them are down to just PB&J and Grilled Cheese (neither of which my daughter likes!).

I expect I am going to end up buying my daughter something off the menu in a lot of places, despite the free dining.

Same here. This is a poor excuse for a children's menu. They really need to step it up and have child-sized portions of regular items on the menu. My kids do not eat hamburgers, chicken nuggets, fries, and PB&J!!! I know some kids do, but mine prefer more diverse choices.

 

[mary219]

The upstairs at CHH is one of the best kept secrets on property. Very few know about it and fewer realize that the walkway passes right under the dining room. One of the few places I've found that is reasonably quiet no matter how bad the crowds.

I agree.
CHH is a good choice to get away from the crowds-upstairs is a great find,I have gone here on every disney trip to get away from the crowds for awhile.Standard fare but the 1/2 hour you can spend resting up and replanning the rest of your day is great.

 

[OneLuckyMom]

Same here. This is a poor excuse for a children's menu. They really need to step it up and have child-sized portions of regular items on the menu. My kids do not eat hamburgers, chicken nuggets, fries, and PB&J!!! I know some kids do, but mine prefer more diverse choices.

At this point, I'm struggling just to find places that still have hamburgers and chicken nuggets on the kids menu!! Most places are down to PB&J, Grilled Cheese or Mac&Cheese. I don't think there's a single counter service where I've found a burger on the kid's menu, and the chicken nugget places are much fewer and farther between...I used to struggle to find places where my daughter could get a bit of variety - now I find myself just hoping for chicken nuggets! :hammer:

I'm resorting to buffets or family style places for all of our table-service credits but one (Le Cell - you gotta give Mom one meal ), because of the limited choices on kids menus at those places too.

 

[righttrack]

I'm resorting to buffets or family style places for all of our table-service credits but one (Le Cell - you gotta give Mom one meal ), because of the limited choices on kids menus at those places too.

That sounds very much like the plan for our upcoming trip. One, lone, non-buffet/non-family-style dinner (Marakesh, my wife's "one meal"). The rest are all buffet/family style. Its the counter-serves that I'm concerned about. I'm guessing its going to cost another $100 for the week for the one kid that is still a "kid" by Disney standards.

 

[ThinkTink721]

Hello

We are going to Disney with two girls ages 4 and 5 the last week of september. We have the free dining and have picked and reserved the sit down meals, but are looking to see what they would enjoy for the6 counter service options. We are looking for something "fun" that they would like while eating

Thanks

MK: Peco Bill's Tall Tale Cafe' in Frontierland
Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe' in Tomorrowland
Pinocchio's Village Haus in Fantasyland
Columbia Harbour House in Liberty Square
Epcot: Sunshine Seasons in the Land
Electric Umbrella
MGM: Toy Story Pizza Planet

I know that is 7, but you could choose from the list.
Hope this helps!
:wave:

 

[mary219]

At this point, I'm struggling just to find places that still have hamburgers and chicken nuggets on the kids menu!! Most places are down to PB&J, Grilled Cheese or Mac&Cheese. I don't think there's a single counter service where I've found a burger on the kid's menu, and the chicken nugget places are much fewer and farther between...I used to struggle to find places where my daughter could get a bit of variety - now I find myself just hoping for chicken nuggets! :hammer:

I'm resorting to buffets or family style places for all of our table-service credits but one (Le Cell - you gotta give Mom one meal ), because of the limited choices on kids menus at those places too.

So can you get hot dogs at caseys on the childrens menu?

 

[lilclerk]

So can you get hot dogs at caseys on the childrens menu?

I'm not positive if they're part of the kids menu, but you can get mini-corn dogs. It'd be crazy if Casey's didn't have some form of hot dog on the kids menu.

 

[ThinkTink721]

I'm not positive if they're part of the kids menu, but you can get mini-corn dogs. It'd be crazy if Casey's didn't have some form of hot dog on the kids menu.

I know...but, I have heard that Pizzafari in the AK doesn't have pizza on it's kids' menu...crazy!:hammer:
:wave:

 

[mouselvrmom]

I know...but, I have heard that Pizzafari in the AK doesn't have pizza on it's kids' menu...crazy!:hammer:
:wave:

I don't think that the Village Haus has pizza on it's kid menu, either. We have had to order adult meals for our kids in both of those places.

 

[OneLuckyMom]

So can you get hot dogs at caseys on the childrens menu?

Last I checked, Casey's did not have a children's menu. In that situation, your child is allowed to order off of the adult menu. This is one way to get a bit more out of the dining plan. Other counter service restaurants that I believe do not have children's menus: Toy Story Pizza Planet (MGM), Catalina Eddie's (MGM-is this still open? I can't find it on the WDW website), Sommerfest (Epcot-Germany), and the Yorkshire County Fish Shop (Epcot-UK).

 

[slappy magoo]

Just a thought to all the parents fighting to find stuff on a kids' menu your kids will like...

The backup plan to consider is to find stuff on the kids' menu YOU'D like. Then you can split your meal with a little one, and they can share their lovely mac and cheese with you.

Personally, I think it's unfair the the kids' menu on the DDP is so paltry (and so devoid of poultry, for that matter), but sharing your meals to everyone gets something tasty is an option.