First trip with our son - which restaurants to make ADRs at?

[blappin]

my wife and I will be traveling to Disney Oct 19-27 with out 3 children (boy-4yrs old and girls-twins 15 months at time of travel) as well as with my parents. This will be our first trip with our children and I want to make sure that it is perfect for them. I was wondering which restaurants should we make sure to make ADR's for? Our 180 days start in 6 days so I wanted to make sure that I have all of my Donald Ducks in a row

 

[Figgy1]

With your group Crystal Palace is a must do. Try to get the earliest breakfast ADR! You will be done and in the park by rope drop! Chef Mickey's is great because they have the fab 5!

 

[DizneyPryncess]

I would definitely check out some of the character meals! Chef Mickey's & Crystal Palace are good for both genders I think. Crystal Palace is with Pooh & Friends and is in the Magic Kingdom. I've only been there once but we had a great time, and liked the buffet. If you make a reservation for before the park opens, you can get some nice pictures on Main Street on your way in. Chef Mickey's has Mickey & others in the Fab 5, and is at the Contemporary.

Edit: Figgy you beat me to it, haha.

 

[taz0162]

go to Mickey's Backyard BBQ. The kids will love it. Mine were 4-1/2 and 18 months. Each loved the show. The food was really good and the atmosphere was really relaxing. Get there early and you can meet several of the characters for autographs or to get in line for a table closer to the front (Really there was no bad location for the table the way it was set up.

Animal Kingdon - Tusker House Breakfast for Mickey and Friends
Magic Kingdom - Crystal Palace for Pooh and Friends

 

[real mad hatter]

This is a doppelgänger, there is an identical thread by the OP. Phew! Thank heavens,thought I saw seeing double.

 

[RedDad]

We took our daughter at 14 months and she had a great time! She really enjoyed the princess breakfast at Akershus in Norway, and Chef Mickeys and Crystal Palace are both great character meals. I'd also recommend Garden Grill in the Land pavilion at Epcot as another good character meal (Chip & Dale, Mickey, and Pluto - I think).

As for non-character meals, Ohana for dinner is great. I'd also recommend one of the World Showcase restaurants for watching Illuminations if you can handle a later dinner. Rose & Crown or La Hacienda both offer great views of the show. Coral Reef can be fun for the kids as they can watch the fish up close, but the food is very hit or miss. Chefs de France lunch with Remy was also fun.

If your son really likes dinosaurs you might try T-Rex at DTD, although we personally avoid it and Rainforest Cafe for very young kids - both were very loud and "touristy" in our experience, but others love them.

 

[zurgandfriend]

I have to agree with the others a character meal or two, Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace, 1900 park fare is in order.

 

[HollyAD]

I agree that Chef Mickey's is a one time must for your age group! My son is 4 and he was amazed! It's a little bit more expensive than the other character dinners but it is worth it once. He was absolutely terrified of T Rex and Rainforest! Ohana's would also be a great breakfast option for your family. There are characters at breakfast and they do a little parade around the restaurant which is a very lively experience. We all just enjoyed the Polynesian's decor as much as anything.

 

[gregsanity]

I would suggest doing Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom, Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort, Tusker House @ Animal Kingdom, and Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club Resort. Those all have characters during the meals. We've done Crystal Palace, Cape May Cafe, and Chef Mickey's several times and enjoyed the food as well as the entertainment.

 

[disneyfan1995]

Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's, maybe Garden Grill?

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Chef Mickey's & Crystal Palace are also the first two character meals coming to mind (we like breakfast the best with both), but 1900 Park Fare breakfast and Garden Grill dinner are also great options. If anyone likes Playhouse Disney (non-Mickey characters)...Hollywood & Vine breakfast is also fun...especially with Jake there.

If nobody scares too easily, T-Rex in Downtown Disney might be a really fun option. My 4 year old daughter was a bit scared, especially when the Dinosaurs come to life, but my 6 year old (who is normally a scaredy cat) was fine and I know other people whose younger dino loving boys were great with it.

My girls didn't start identifying with the princesses until about 18 mos...so you can probably get by without doing CRT or Akershus.

 

[bethymouse]

Any character meal is always fun. Try Tusker House as you can be there before Animal Kingdom actually opens. That's always fun. With the little ones, Figgy forgive me please, Hollywood and Vine for lunch is nice for Disney Jr. characters ( Hollywood Studios). I think the others have mentioned the rest. Have fun!