college students' sit down dinner

[steamboat_will]

So my friends and I are heading to WDW next week and we are all very excited, except we don't have any dinner reservations yet. We are 3 college students and are really flexible, so we plan on having 1-2 reservations and playing the rest by ear.

I ask you all, which restaurants should we pick?

Keep in mind we are college students so think about the $$.

Two of us have been there before, so the real question is, which do you vote on... Pick one "character dining" and one regular dining, because we want our third friend to get both options.

Definite possibilities:
-Chef Mickey's
-Liberty Tree Tavern
-50's Prime Time Cafe
-Brown Derby
-Epcot (Mexican, etc)

Oh, and we will be there for 6 days, so we have lots of time to try other options.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Pioneer Hall]

50's and Liberty Tree. Both aren't too expensive and will give you the most memorable experiences.

 

[bhg469]

Liberty tree for your character dining, the food is pretty good. and Prime time cafe for regular cause the prices there a pretty decent compared to your other choices. Tepinyaki is pretty good in epcot if you want to try something different but its entertainment as well as food there.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Ill go for the 50's Prime Time Cafe which I love and Chef Mickey's because I had a great experience there for Dinner. Both arent too expensive and are nice. Also here is another option, what about O'Hanas?? Belle

 

[Nicole]

Chef Mickey's is a good choice if you have a partial WDW day that you don't have park tickets for. Ditto for 'Ohana.

Oooh, if you have adventurous eaters (even moderately adveturous) you should try Boma at AKL. It's one of our favorites.

 

[pinkrose]

I'll go with Chef Mickeys and 50's Prime Time. Both are really fun places. Brown Derby is one of my favorite places, but it's pretty expensive.

 

[imagineersrock]

50's prime time has pretty good food, and the way it is presented is a ton of fun.

Another one you might want to add to your list is the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater... It might not be at the top of the list as far as food quality/variety goes, but the atmosphere can't be beat. They offer a great cheeseburger (not on the menu, you have to ask for it) at a decent price.

Have a great trip!

 

[tigsmom]

Chef Mickey's if you want a character breakfast (haven't had the dinner there) and the Liberty Tree Tavern if you want a Character dinner (great food).

Haven't eaten at the others on your list.

 

[maconMouse]

My college students just loved the Biergarten most of all! They also enjoyed Raglan Road, ESPN Club, Sci-Fi Dine-In, Rose & Crown, Le Cellier, and Trail's End (great bargain & all you can eat!).

 

[fredtom]

Try Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge for lunch when it's quieter. The all you care to eat Canyon Skillet is hard to beat for the bucks.
Enjoy.

"An Adventurer's life is best!" :lol:

 

[SewIn2Disney]

How about eating at your most expensive sit down places at lunch instead of dinner? You still get the atmosphere, but less money. I'm a college student going down in 22 days with a friend, and that's our strategy. The teppanyaki room is a great deal at lunch! I would also have to pick Chef Mickeys. We are making a late reservation for that, so it kind of doubles as lunch too. 50's Prime Time is fairly cheap, and is a lot of fun, plus most of their appetizers could constitute a meal (saving $$$).

Have fun!

 

[nibblesandbits]

I've had Chef Mickey's for dinner and it's delicious.

My two choices:
Chef Mickey's and Prime Time Cafe

 

[jasonchas]

Try O'hana's.

 

[Mickeyman819]

Id say go with Liberty Tree

 

[DigitalDisney]

Any place that has a buffet is going to be the best value, of course

You could consider Hollywood and Vine's Fantasmic dinner package, which gets you free reserved seats for a Fantasmic showing.

 

[jim1051]

Rose and crown of only for the Guiness. No too expensive.

Brown Derby is nice but pricey.

 

[lawyergirl77]

Rose and crown of only for the Guiness. No too expensive.

Brown Derby is nice but pricey.

If you're on a budget, I would definitely suggest one of the "family style" or buffet places. Tops on my list are Boma and Ohana - I was a starving college kid who would scrimp and save to be able to go to WDW not too long ago (try 10 months!! :lol: ) and those were my favourite bang-for-your-buck places.

Another good way to get the most of your money: eat a big breakfast. Yes, character breakkies may seem expensive, but that will be the best $20 you spend. You'll be able to skip lunch (or have something small, at the most) and dinner won't need to be such a big deal, either. It's how I used to make the most of my dining funds! :wave:

Oh, but no matter what - HAVE FUN!!! :sohappy:

 

[musicman52086]

Hey, I'm also a college student. I went to WDW for spring break back in March. Liberty Tree Tavern ended up being on the lower end of our favorite table service meals. Don't get me wrong, we just didn't LOVE it as much as California Grill, Spoodles, or Le Cellier. You really can't go wrong, though.

 

[SewIn2Disney]

Niiiiceeee....you're a college student and were able to eat at Cali Grill, Spoodles and Le Cellier? The only sit downs we're hitting when I go in a few weeks are the ones that offer an AP discount at lunch.

BTW, Steamboat Will, do you or your parents belong to AAA, or do you or any of your friends have an AP, or Disney Visa, because there are some discounts to be had for any of the above.

 

[nibblesandbits]

Niiiiceeee....you're a college student and were able to eat at Cali Grill, Spoodles and Le Cellier? The only sit downs we're hitting when I go in a few weeks are the ones that offer an AP discount at lunch.

BTW, Steamboat Will, do you or your parents belong to AAA, or do you or any of your friends have an AP, or Disney Visa, because there are some discounts to be had for any of the above.

Hey SewIn2...where did you get your pic for your avatar...I've been looking for something exactly like that!

Congrats to you by the way!