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Don’t know where to start 1st time trip
- Thread starter Niclaw
- Start date
21stamps
Well-Known Member
Fun ages!!
I’ll make 2 suggestions,
Ohana for Dinner. (Polynesian Resort)
Whispering Canyom Cafe for any meal. (Wilderness Lodge Resort)
Both are extremely easy to get to from MK or by Uber.
WCC has hilarious wait staff.. they mess with the kids.. throw straws at them.. have 20 bottles of ketchup brought to your table, which in turn your party has to bring said bottles to another table shortly after. It’s a great time.
I’ll make 2 suggestions,
Ohana for Dinner. (Polynesian Resort)
Whispering Canyom Cafe for any meal. (Wilderness Lodge Resort)
Both are extremely easy to get to from MK or by Uber.
WCC has hilarious wait staff.. they mess with the kids.. throw straws at them.. have 20 bottles of ketchup brought to your table, which in turn your party has to bring said bottles to another table shortly after. It’s a great time.
Minnie Mum
Well-Known Member
There's a logical sequence for Disney reservations
1. Resort and tickets
2. Plan which parks you'll go to on each day.
3. Make dining reservations. And plan to dine at a restaurant either in the park you are at that day or at one of the resorts nearest to that park. That way you don't waste valuable time getting from place to place.
Look at your budget. Can you afford to eat at TS restaurants 1 or more times a day? Look at the way your kids eat. Are they picky? Are there some types of foods they can't or won't eat? Do they love meeting characters, so Character meals are high on your list?
Once you've considered these factors, you can skim thru the online menus to see if the food at a particular place meets your needs. Don't stress unnecessarily over picking THE PERFECT RESTAURANT for every meal. In the end, the kids probably won't care all that much whether they're eating a hot dog at Caseys Corner, or having a 3 course steak dinner at California Grill. They're kids,
I'm not going to list all of our favorite places, since food preferences are so individual. For example 21 Stamps just listed 3 restaurants. Nothing wrong with any of them, but none of them would have made my list.
1. Resort and tickets
2. Plan which parks you'll go to on each day.
3. Make dining reservations. And plan to dine at a restaurant either in the park you are at that day or at one of the resorts nearest to that park. That way you don't waste valuable time getting from place to place.
Look at your budget. Can you afford to eat at TS restaurants 1 or more times a day? Look at the way your kids eat. Are they picky? Are there some types of foods they can't or won't eat? Do they love meeting characters, so Character meals are high on your list?
Once you've considered these factors, you can skim thru the online menus to see if the food at a particular place meets your needs. Don't stress unnecessarily over picking THE PERFECT RESTAURANT for every meal. In the end, the kids probably won't care all that much whether they're eating a hot dog at Caseys Corner, or having a 3 course steak dinner at California Grill. They're kids,
I'm not going to list all of our favorite places, since food preferences are so individual. For example 21 Stamps just listed 3 restaurants. Nothing wrong with any of them, but none of them would have made my list.
Are you staying on property? If so, at what resort?
TiggerDad
Well-Known Member
For your first trip, do you want to spend your time waiting and sitting at a nice restaurant, or doing rides and other things? It's okay to just grab quick food wherever you happen to be when people get hungry. It's also okay to plan nice meals, which can serve as a nice break from all of the running around. You need to decide what kind of a vacation your family will want best. Some people are more structured and others more spontaneous. If you are not careful, you will find yourself having to go all the way across a park (or even out of a park) to make a dining reservation time slot.
We typically do a mix, but more quick-service than table service. We usually splurge for a couple of character meals, but aim for our favorite characters.
We typically do a mix, but more quick-service than table service. We usually splurge for a couple of character meals, but aim for our favorite characters.
DisAl
Well-Known Member
I will agree with TiggerDad. At that age they will probably be more interested in GOING and DOING rather than sitting and eating. In general we have found that a full service restaurant meal will take a minimum of an hour and more likely 1 1/2 hours.
If you want to do some character meals by all means do so, but you will need to make reservations just as soon as you know which park you will be in which day.
If this is your first trip to WDW you will find there are some really good choices for counter service meals. You can get burgers if that is what you want, but there is a wide variety of menus to choose from. (My favorite QS is Flame Tree BBQ at Animal Kingdom.)
If you want to plan ahead for what your family likes you can look at the menu for every restaurant in all of WDW to see both what they serve and what the cost is at this link:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/
Have fun!
If you want to do some character meals by all means do so, but you will need to make reservations just as soon as you know which park you will be in which day.
If this is your first trip to WDW you will find there are some really good choices for counter service meals. You can get burgers if that is what you want, but there is a wide variety of menus to choose from. (My favorite QS is Flame Tree BBQ at Animal Kingdom.)
If you want to plan ahead for what your family likes you can look at the menu for every restaurant in all of WDW to see both what they serve and what the cost is at this link:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/
Have fun!
Disney4family
Well-Known Member
@Minnie Mum is right. We create a calendar of which parks we'll probably be in each day. We add our restaurants to that once we get our heads straight. While people will tell you it's sad not to be as spontaneous as you would like, table-service restaurants take time & whether or not they had a good meal at these places, you will appreciate knowing you have something set that will provide you and your kids with a fun dining experience. We don't do the dining plan, but we still reserve a table-service a day just to have fun together wherever we are.
My son is now 13. He's been to WDW 13 times since he was 3. He has enjoyed all experiences - character meals, fine dining, fun-themed - you name it. As you sort through people's opinions & experiences of each restaurant, please know that for the most part restaurants are hit-or-miss. Don't skip one just because someone didn't have a good experience. Go with your gut. You know your kids best.
Here are some for you to look at -
Magic Kingdom - Be Our Guest (the boys would love the "mysterious" West Wing with thunder & lightning), The Crystal Palace (my son loves Tigger & to this day he smiles for a picture! - we enjoy b'fast here)
Epcot - Coral Reef (my son loves watching the sharks, sea turtles & scuba divers float by)
Hollywood Studios - Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater (sit in a car while watching silly cartoons & B-rated movie clips from the '50s like "Plan 9 from Outer Space" & Tom & Jerry & these https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/movies-previewed-in-sci-fi-dine-in-theater.80821/ - kids usually sit in the front & drive and even get a driver's license!)
Animal Kingdom - Tusker House (Donald's Safari Dinner - nice character meal with interesting food) & Rainforest Cafe (it is what it says it is - a wild place to shop & eat with a thunderstorm every 15 min that makes the animals go crazy!)
The Contemporary Resort - Chef Mickey's (classic Disney - great location, nice buffet, the original Fab 5 - we enjoy b'fast here)
Disney Springs - T-Rex (just like Rainforest except a meteor shower drives the dinos crazy - there's a build-a-dino in the shop, too) & Rainforest Cafe - you can walk around both restaurants & see all the animals as well as the "ice room" in the T-Rex
If you need additional reviews to what you'll find on this site, here's another site that could help -
http://allears.net/dining/menu
Also - they may have fun doing this! (not a meal, but a Pirate Experience) -
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/shops/magic-kingdom/pirates-league/
My son is now 13. He's been to WDW 13 times since he was 3. He has enjoyed all experiences - character meals, fine dining, fun-themed - you name it. As you sort through people's opinions & experiences of each restaurant, please know that for the most part restaurants are hit-or-miss. Don't skip one just because someone didn't have a good experience. Go with your gut. You know your kids best.
Here are some for you to look at -
Magic Kingdom - Be Our Guest (the boys would love the "mysterious" West Wing with thunder & lightning), The Crystal Palace (my son loves Tigger & to this day he smiles for a picture! - we enjoy b'fast here)
Epcot - Coral Reef (my son loves watching the sharks, sea turtles & scuba divers float by)
Hollywood Studios - Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater (sit in a car while watching silly cartoons & B-rated movie clips from the '50s like "Plan 9 from Outer Space" & Tom & Jerry & these https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/movies-previewed-in-sci-fi-dine-in-theater.80821/ - kids usually sit in the front & drive and even get a driver's license!)
Animal Kingdom - Tusker House (Donald's Safari Dinner - nice character meal with interesting food) & Rainforest Cafe (it is what it says it is - a wild place to shop & eat with a thunderstorm every 15 min that makes the animals go crazy!)
The Contemporary Resort - Chef Mickey's (classic Disney - great location, nice buffet, the original Fab 5 - we enjoy b'fast here)
Disney Springs - T-Rex (just like Rainforest except a meteor shower drives the dinos crazy - there's a build-a-dino in the shop, too) & Rainforest Cafe - you can walk around both restaurants & see all the animals as well as the "ice room" in the T-Rex
If you need additional reviews to what you'll find on this site, here's another site that could help -
http://allears.net/dining/menu
Also - they may have fun doing this! (not a meal, but a Pirate Experience) -
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/shops/magic-kingdom/pirates-league/
Gaston's gal
Well-Known Member
I would also suggest Whispering Canyon Cafe (at Wilderness Lodge), Be Our Guest (eating in the West Wing), T-Rex (at Disney Springs), Sci-Fi Dine In (at Hollywood Studios), Casey's Corner (on Main Street in Magic Kingdom), Beaches & Cream Soda Shop (at Beach Club resort), Hollywood & Vine (at Hollywood Studios if they like the Disney Jr characters) and Mickey's Backyard BBQ (at the Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness resort). Sometimes part of the fun of Disney is the meal, not just the rides. I'm sure you will have a wonderful time. Enjoy!
eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
AAhh No, no, no (lol, I'm teasing you).
OP, I'll give you another perspective. My family and I love, love, love the down time sitting at a TS restaurant. first of all I hate rushing back and forth to just ride. You miss so much. wdw is all about the immersion, the attention to detail.
Check out Sci fi diner at HS. there is no other eatery on the planet. sitting in goofy cars, watching B science fy movies.
We made it a point to have a sit down every day, it gave us a chance to laugh, talk and just chill.
So like you I have boys, now young adults. Our favorite is Via Napoli. I mean how can you go wrong with great pizza
slipperalwaysfits
Well-Known Member
YES! For young boys, Via Napoli in Epcot's Italy pavillion and T-Rex at Disney Springs. It depends on what characters they like for character dining. T-Rex seems like a really fun place for a break from the parks. If you want an amazing milkshake, 50's Prime Time would be a fun place to stop and you could order a meal or just the milkshakes! 
I think it really depends on the personality of the family. I see both sides, that TS meals take awhile but also, it's a nice way to connect and talk about how awesome the vacation has been and take a break. Quick services do keep ya going.
I think it really depends on the personality of the family. I see both sides, that TS meals take awhile but also, it's a nice way to connect and talk about how awesome the vacation has been and take a break. Quick services do keep ya going.