Best Dinner for Kids

[jeremyg]

I had to cancel my Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater reservation last min because we dropped that park on our 3 day plan. Now I'm stuck finding something with only 17 days before we go. lol.

Anyway, I'm trying to find a good place to eat dinner that will keep the kids (4 and 9) entertained. We are only planning on 1 dinner reservation this trip due to budget, so the 3 dinner shows are out as an option. Also, they are not into the characters, so I don't need to make that a must do.

Does anyone have a good suggestion?

 

[newhorizons1]

If they are not into characters and you are willing to go to a resort for dinner instead of a park, I would suggest Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge. The servers are very entertaining, and there's usually some crazy antic going on around the restaurant.

 

[Figgy1]

If they are not into characters and you are willing to go to a resort for dinner instead of a park, I would suggest Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge. The servers are very entertaining, and there's usually some crazy antic going on around the restaurant.

^^^^This or Sanaa the staff is excellent as is the food plus you get the bonus of watching animals while you eat. If you're in AK go to Tusker House for the food, yes it's a character meal but don't avoid it because it's the best one.

 

[zurgandfriend]

I agree with Whispering Canyon, great fun for all. Biergarten , buffet & band may also be a good choice.

 

[Herdman]

If you're in Epcot Teppan Edo is fun with the chefs cooking and putting on a show at your table.

 

[Courtney6682]

The kids will probably enjoy Coral Reef, Prime Time, Garden Grill is neat even tho it's a character meal, not sure if you're familiar with it, but the restaurant rotates as you eat...

 

[networkpro]

I had to cancel my Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater reservation last min because we dropped that park on our 3 day plan. Now I'm stuck finding something with only 17 days before we go. lol.

Anyway, I'm trying to find a good place to eat dinner that will keep the kids (4 and 9) entertained. We are only planning on 1 dinner reservation this trip due to budget, so the 3 dinner shows are out as an option. Also, they are not into the characters, so I don't need to make that a must do.

Does anyone have a good suggestion?

What sort of food do your children enjoy ? Are they adventurous or are they more into standard fair ?

 

[jeremyg]

Thanks for all the suggestions. There are some in here that I did not know about. Like Whispering Canyon.

My kids are picky unfortunately, so we do have to consider that. My wife and I are more open.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Thanks for all the suggestions. There are some in here that I did not know about. Like Whispering Canyon.

My kids are picky unfortunately, so we do have to consider that. My wife and I are more open.

You can double-check the menus for the places you're considering -- but in our experience, every kids' menu offers child-friendly simple American fare like chicken nuggets, burgers and/or pasta, even when the rest of the menu (for the grownups) is strongly themed in a different direction. Also, every buffet we've been to (Biergarten, Crystal Palace, etc.) has a kid-friendly section offering things like mac & cheese, chicken tenders, etc. The only place I can think of that didn't have any "plain, American kid food" is 'Ohana, and I've read accounts from other diners who were able to get their kid an off-menu alternative (e.g., chicken nuggets) simply by asking politely.

 

[JennSmith]

You can double-check the menus for the places you're considering -- but in our experience, every kids' menu offers child-friendly simple American fare like chicken nuggets, burgers and/or pasta, even when the rest of the menu (for the grownups) is strongly themed in a different direction. Also, every buffet we've been to (Biergarten, Crystal Palace, etc.) has a kid-friendly section offering things like mac & cheese, chicken tenders, etc. The only place I can think of that didn't have any "plain, American kid food" is 'Ohana, and I've read accounts from other diners who were able to get their kid an off-menu alternative (e.g., chicken nuggets) simply by asking politely.

Yes...we were at Ohana last year for dinner and they made our then 7 year old chicken nuggets with no problem.

 

[NiarrNDisney]

I vote for Coral Reef which has a the beautiful aquarium and Sanaa (AKL_KV) has the Savannah where they can watch the animals through the large windows.

 

[jeremyg]

Thanks for help guys. I chose Whispering Canyon Cafe for 7:20 on a day that MK closes at 7:00 for the Halloween party.

Another quick question... if I were to go to one of the dinner shows (hoop do dee review) and not eat a dinner, is there still some kind of fee? Was wondering if we could go and maybe just do a desert and show without dropping $150 on dinner.

 

[Tuvalu]

Thanks for help guys. I chose Whispering Canyon Cafe for 7:20 on a day that MK closes at 7:00 for the Halloween party.

Another quick question... if I were to go to one of the dinner shows (hoop do dee review) and not eat a dinner, is there still some kind of fee? Was wondering if we could go and maybe just do a desert and show without dropping $150 on dinner.

Whispering Canyon is a great choice!
You cannot attend any dinner show without paying the full price, sorry.

 

[jeremyg]

Never mind. Just found my answer. You pay for your seating so, not an option.

 

[correcaminos]

Thanks for help guys. I chose Whispering Canyon Cafe for 7:20 on a day that MK closes at 7:00 for the Halloween party.

Another quick question... if I were to go to one of the dinner shows (hoop do dee review) and not eat a dinner, is there still some kind of fee? Was wondering if we could go and maybe just do a desert and show without dropping $150 on dinner.

Sounds like a great choice. It's rather amusing there for kids

 

[carriebeth]

I chose Whispering Canyon Cafe for 7:20 on a day that MK closes at 7:00 for the Halloween party.

you should probably leave MK before 7 to get to your reservation on time. There could be a line at the boat dock at that time (park close). The boat ride is not very speedy. Plus they can stop at Contemporary before heading to Wilderness lodge.

We just left Disney and ate at Whispering Canyon for the first time this trip. The kids enjoyed it They do a lot of silly things. One thing our server did was instead of passing out straws she stood at the head of the table and just threw a bunch of straws into the air and told everyone to catch. From that point on in the trip my 2 year old would throw his straw at every place we ate at.

 

[Tuvalu]

you should probably leave MK before 7 to get to your reservation on time. There could be a line at the boat dock at that time (park close). The boat ride is not very speedy. Plus they can stop at Contemporary before heading to Wilderness lodge.

We just left Disney and ate at Whispering Canyon for the first time this trip. The kids enjoyed it They do a lot of silly things. One thing our server did was instead of passing out straws she stood at the head of the table and just threw a bunch of straws into the air and told everyone to catch. From that point on in the trip my 2 year old would throw his straw at every place we ate at.

I agree about leaving MK prior to 7 pm (better would be 6:45). The boat is direct to WL (never stops at Contemporary, there's a different boat that travels between WL/CR/Ft. Wilderness) but there is also a direct bus from MK to WL which is much faster and less crowded than the boat.

 

[carriebeth]

The boat is direct to WL (never stops at Contemporary,

last week our boat stopped at Contemporary on the way to WL and on the way back to the MK boat dock. i don't know how common that is or why we did it that way when the other dock is marked for it but that's what we did.

 

[Tuvalu]

last week our boat stopped at Contemporary on the way to WL and on the way back to the MK boat dock. i don't know how common that is or why we did it that way when the other dock is marked for it but that's what we did.

In rare cases the boat will stop for a disability transfer. Also, the hurricane likely caused some temporary transport changes. But having been a longtime guest of both resorts, going to Contemporary from MK by boat is not the norm.

But the bus to WL is faster anyway.

 

[jeremyg]

Thanks for the tips. I'll keep a look out for the lines and make a judgement call when we get closer to the docks or buses. We will probably leave a little earlier just to be safe. Thanks.