Dining Recs needed!!!

[jkckr]

I am traveling to Disney in November with my husband, 3 sons (8, 5, 5), my parents and my 2 twenty-something sisters. My oldest son has autistic spectrum disorder and is EXTREMELY picky with food... only eats hotdogs, chicken nuggetts, etc. Can you please recommend the best family restaurants? We will be there for 8 days and are on the dining plan.

Also, since there are more than 8 in my party I was thinking about booking the grand gathering International Dinner and IllumiNations Dessert Reception. Has anyone done this? Is it worth it??

Thanks for your help!

 

[TwoTigersMom]

I believe most restraunts have the standard childs menu with chicken fingers, hot dogs and such. Being that they are all under 9 and on the dining plan they'll have to order from the children's menu anyway. I actually, found it harder to find food for my more adventurous eater. We just shared our food with him and usually packed his up to take back to the room for snacks :lol:

There's a great menu section on here as well as on Allears.net

 

[bouncer]

If chicken nuggetts & hotdogs is what your son likes then you're not going to have any problems:animwink: . I would recomend caseys corner at magic kingdom for a lovely hotdog.

 

[shoppingnut]

Chicken nuggets I thought had been replaced at most places by chicken strips which are grilled.

 

[slappy magoo]

No guarantees, but you can always call 407 WDW DINE when it comes time to making reservations, and ask how hard it would be to scrounge up a hot dog in any given restaurant, even if it's not normally part of a kids' menu.

A problem you may have is that WDW has recently been trying to improve the nutritional value of their food, especially in sit-down restaurants, which might make hot dogs a little harder to come by (they're not exactly known for promoting strong hearts and bones), unless you go to a place like Casey's Corner. But if the there's anyway the CM who takes reservations can note your situation with your son, they'll probably make the effort to get him something he'll like.

 

[PotteryGal]

I can so relate to the picky eating thing, as my youngest is ASD as well. During the week, he ate a lot of french fries! Breakfast was our best chance of getting him to eat well. I recommend when you make ressies, asking for some good options. Buffets are always a good idea, since you're on the plan, you can usually find something they will eat. Also, I don't know if he is on any special diet, but they are usually pretty good about meeting special requests. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions! :wave:

 

[marzbars]

The best family restaurant at WDW is Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge. The atmosphere and CM interaction great and we always remember our trips there.

 

[PrincessK]

I agree that the Whispering Canyon is great for families--but it can be at times a bit overstimulating.

Pecos Bill's in Frontierland is great for standard burger/dogs faire.

Just about every place will have kids options for what your son needs, but please don't hesitate to call Disney Dining. They can flag you in the computer so all places will know what your requests are.

 

[raremerebear]

We had the best chicken fingers at Pinocchio's. Our 4 & 2 (very picky eater!!) year olds loved them. Casey's is probably the best hot dog spot IMHO. Hope you & your family have a wonderful time