Some dining suggestions...

[NewfieFan]

Here's the deal... it's my family which consists of me, hubby, son (6), & daughter (3), and we're talking a very good friend of mine! She (my friend) is a Disney virgin so we're trying to give her a good "first" experience as well!

We're staying at All Star Music and we do have the dining plan. Our trip is Aug. 24 - Sept. 01 (8 nights). We will not be renting a car so we are relying on Disney transportation!

Here's what I have picked so far and I'll tell you why I've picked them as well. *Note - most of these restaurants we're eaten in before.

Chef Mickey's - an absolute must for our family but this time I'd like to try dinner there. I've only eaten breakfast at CM before! So what do you think?

Crystal Palace - again, an absolute must! We love CP and my kids are still both very into Pooh. Probably do lunch?

Le Cellier - we tried this on our last trip and it was amazing and definitely lived up to it's reputation! Dinner here!

Coral Reef - we've had lunch here twice before. My kids like it and my friend is a fish "nut" (that is she actually loves looking at fish).

Rose & Crown - we love to do R & C just before Illuminations, so this is kind of a tradition for us! My hubby likes the beer too!

Hollywood 'n Vine (Play n' Dine) - my daughter loves Little Einsteins and we've enjoyed this buffet in the past! Lunch here!

And that's all we got! We need two more... my parents think we should try Ohana's (they ate here for the first time in Sept. and loved it)!
I would love to try a lot of restaurants out there but when relying on Disney transportation it can take a large chunk of your day just getting to the meal and getting out of it! I don't mind that so much but where we have our friend with us on this trip I know she wants to see and do all she can (this may be her only trip for awhile)!

So, what do you suggest...! Thanks!:wave:

 

[Keri]

We LOVED Boma! At first my kids were like no way, African food? But they really loved it! We are going there again this year. :sohappy:

 

[scarpiapiano]

You mentioned that Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's are "absolute musts". Have you thought about 1900 Park Fare? Between all of the MK character dining experiences this is our favorite. We've tried both Chef Mickeys and Crystal but we prefer 1900 for several reasons.

1. We absolutely love the Grand Floridian. We can't afford to stay here but it's nice to walk through the lobby and eat in the brightly opulant 1900 dining room.

2. The characters are face to face characters. You really get to talk to Cinderella, the Prince, Madame Tremaine, Anastia, and Grisella. The Tremaines are very funny and spunky so the adults as well as the kids are entertained. Winnie, Eyore, Mickey, etc. just mime and pose.

3. We like the menu a bit better at 1900 PF.

Just a thought....

I hear that the character interaction at Restaurant Akershus is good also. Another restaurant we love is the Garden Grill. This has the advantage of being a family style character meal rather than a buffet. The food seems a bit fresher and the atmosphere is very nice.

Enjoy!

 

[yankspy]

Since you are going with a Disney virgin you may want to consider the fun restaurants. Whispering Canyon and 50's Prime Time come to mind. Aside from those, Ohana, Boma, GF Cafe, Les Chefs de France, and maybe even the Plaza.

 

[miles1]

You've pretty much hit all of our favorites.

I can't comment on Hollywood and Vine, we've never eaten there. I would definitely give up Coral Reef for Ohana- one of the nicest meals on the property. If you time it right, you can catch the MK fireworks during dinner- a nice end to an evening.

The princess meals at Akershus are very well done- the characters spend a lot of time with the kids and they don't rush you. I just found the cuisine a little too "light" for my adult male taste. I sort of wanted another meal shortly afterward, but I would do it again anyway.

The only other one I can strongly recommend is dinner at Whispering Canyon. The food is very good and the CM's make it fun for the kids, if a little rowdy.

Have a great trip.

 

[gettingsmaller]

After going to Ohana last Dec, I wouldn't want to go to WDW without going to Ohana.
If you go to Ohana for dinner on an MK day, you can easily hop on the monorail to get to the Poly. Then, you can either ride the monorail loop back to MK to get a bus to your resort OR there may be some better way...

by "MK day", I mean a day you are at MK... if you are hopping... well, it would be easiest if you are already at the MK so that you can get on the monorail and go to the Poly...

 

[adambrady]

I would second the suggestion for Boma. In fact, when we were there during the same time frame last year, of the 9 ADR's we had, this is the only one where the food was good. I am not a complainer either, just happened to be that way. We had loved all of the other restaurants you mentioned, except for Le Cellier. We live in Nebraska and the steak doesn't get any better that what we get here, imho of course.

For us, the only must do restaurant from now on is simply Boma. We will no longer get the full dining plan any longer and just go with the counter service plan.

 

[jjbuster2]

My DD (age 7) is a very picky eater and she LOVED Boma!

She said they have the best Mac-n-Cheese in Disney World:ROFLOL:

 

[Monkeymama]

We just got back from an 8 day stay and tried a variety of restaurants. Boma for breakfast was definately our favorite meal (2 adults and a 4 year old). We even went back a second time!

 

[juscet]

I always recommend the California Grill, especailly around Wishes, Raglan Road in DD, San Angel Inn (great ambience), and Spoodles on the Boardwalk. We went to Ohana in 2004 and had a great time and meal (Cousin Jeff was the best waiter). When we went in 2005 we just had to go to Ohana because it was so good the first time. We were very disappointed the second time. Just be careful your second visit may not live up to the anticipation.

 

[Fashionista007]

I recommend the 50's Prime Time Cafe, especially if you have young ones in your party. The wait staff do little funny bits and crowd participation. It's a lot of fun! And they teach kids to finish their vegetables

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Since you are going with a Disney virgin you may want to consider the fun restaurants. Whispering Canyon and 50's Prime Time come to mind. Aside from those, Ohana, Boma, GF Cafe, Les Chefs de France, and maybe even the Plaza.

This is immediately what came to my mind when you identified your party.

Also consider Sci-Fi Drive In (better for lunch...)
You may want to consider the dinner show Hoop de do Review which is very WDW! (Bus to MK, boat from MK or monorail resorts to Ft. Wilderness, after stopping at WL)

Not having a car would be the biggest negative in trying Boma IMHO.

 

[Auroragirl]

'Ohana might work great.... I do know they have great views of The Castle... and if it works our right, you can get a view of the fireworks!!! They play "Wishes" and dim the lights so you can enjoy the view!

Boma sounds like a great place too....

 

[coltow]

Try for a late breakfast at H&V instead of lunch. We had 10:30 adr and had the restaurants practically to ourselves. Plus we all got breakfast and they were starting to put out lunch towards the end so were able to get a little of the lunch stuff too.

 

[slappy magoo]

OK, I'm going to admit it. I'm a Devil's Advocate. I'm a wet blanket. I'm a big jerk. Take your pick. But I'm going to give you some advice you didn't ask for.
If you're a family of four bringing a Disney Virgin along with you on your trip, then if it's at all possible in your budget, bump up to a moderate.

I know, with a Value, you probably already have 2 rooms (I don't think you can have 5 in a Value unless one was under 2 years old). The Values can be a lot of fun with a family of young 'uns, or a group of friends on a tight budget. And for all I know, your friend is like an aunt, someone who can spend an infinite amount of time with your family, your kids, and never be bored. And she might even be more excited to go on this trip than you are, looking forward to opening and closing every theme park, carrying on even after the point where you and your brood want to slip into a coma for 3 days...

But think of it this way, your friend is going to be with you, in relatively tight quarters, in a resort with few adult amenities, no sit-down restaurant, only bus service...if she doesn't catch the Disney Magic - if she decides she's had enough of the parks and just wants to chill at the resort, it's going to feel like an oversized Technicolor Motel 6 with precious few options.

Whereas, if you were to move up to Riverside, she (as well as your family) will have a lounge with nighttime entertainment, a sit-down restaurant, much lovelier grounds to walk and explore, bus service to the shopping and restaurants of Downtown Disney, boats and bikes for rent, carriage rides, plenty of quiet pools as well as Ol' Man Island for your kids. It's a resort that feels more like a getaway in and of itself.

As far as your original question, since you're relying solely on Disney transportation, I probably wouldn't recommend Boma, unless you plan on going to dinner straight from a day touring AK (and in late August, you'd probably want to freshen up a bit first). If there are days where you intend on staying almost all day in the MK, I'd say make VERY EARLY dinner reservations or VERY LATE lunch reservations, for the restaurants that serve lunch) in any restaurant on the monorail line, or Whispering Canyon at WL or Trails' End at FW. Those two, you'll need a little more time to get there than on the monorail line (ferry service from the MK to both of those resorts, but depending on crowds and when the next ferry gets there, it'll take at least 30 minutes and as much as 60 on a bad day). But it's a nice break in the day, and gets you away from the crowds. Likewise, if you're in Epcot, you may want to consider walking out the back and going to Beaches & Cream at Yacht Club (no ressies available, though, I don't think). Or Spoodles in the Boardwalk.

 

[NewfieFan]

Thanks for all your suggestions... I'm seriously taking all of them into consideration! I'm going to let my husband read over the comments as well and see if anything interests him!

And I have to laugh a little slappy... you described my friend perfectly - do you know her!?!:lookaroun She's very close to our family and has been considered a part of it at times! We booked a bounce-back promotion so I believe at the time I could only get one room with the discount (but I could be wrong). We've booked a family suite at All Star Music! I've never stayed in a suite before but my friend states she's perfectly happy to be in the same room as my kids and told me not to worry about anything. She's just excited to be going on this trip with us - it's a huge deal for her! I've showed her pictures and layout of the room so she knows what she's getting herself into!

Again, thanks everybody and if anybody else has some suggestions, post away...

OK, I'm going to admit it. I'm a Devil's Advocate. I'm a wet blanket. I'm a big jerk. Take your pick. But I'm going to give you some advice you didn't ask for.
If you're a family of four bringing a Disney Virgin along with you on your trip, then if it's at all possible in your budget, bump up to a moderate.

I know, with a Value, you probably already have 2 rooms (I don't think you can have 5 in a Value unless one was under 2 years old). The Values can be a lot of fun with a family of young 'uns, or a group of friends on a tight budget. And for all I know, your friend is like an aunt, someone who can spend an infinite amount of time with your family, your kids, and never be bored. And she might even be more excited to go on this trip than you are, looking forward to opening and closing every theme park, carrying on even after the point where you and your brood want to slip into a coma for 3 days...

But think of it this way, your friend is going to be with you, in relatively tight quarters, in a resort with few adult amenities, no sit-down restaurant, only bus service...if she doesn't catch the Disney Magic - if she decides she's had enough of the parks and just wants to chill at the resort, it's going to feel like an oversized Technicolor Motel 6 with precious few options.

Whereas, if you were to move up to Riverside, she (as well as your family) will have a lounge with nighttime entertainment, a sit-down restaurant, much lovelier grounds to walk and explore, bus service to the shopping and restaurants of Downtown Disney, boats and bikes for rent, carriage rides, plenty of quiet pools as well as Ol' Man Island for your kids. It's a resort that feels more like a getaway in and of itself.

As far as your original question, since you're relying solely on Disney transportation, I probably wouldn't recommend Boma, unless you plan on going to dinner straight from a day touring AK (and in late August, you'd probably want to freshen up a bit first). If there are days where you intend on staying almost all day in the MK, I'd say make VERY EARLY dinner reservations or VERY LATE lunch reservations, for the restaurants that serve lunch) in any restaurant on the monorail line, or Whispering Canyon at WL or Trails' End at FW. Those two, you'll need a little more time to get there than on the monorail line (ferry service from the MK to both of those resorts, but depending on crowds and when the next ferry gets there, it'll take at least 30 minutes and as much as 60 on a bad day). But it's a nice break in the day, and gets you away from the crowds. Likewise, if you're in Epcot, you may want to consider walking out the back and going to Beaches & Cream at Yacht Club (no ressies available, though, I don't think). Or Spoodles in the Boardwalk.

 

[Eyekimore]

One of the other posters suggested slipping out the back entrance of EPCOT and heading to Beach Club- but I would suggest the Cape May Cafe for dinner. It is a wonderful clam bake buffet. A seafood lover's delight! (It's not a character- but everyone needs a break from that!)

Or even a nice trip across the lagoon to the Boardwalk and the Flying Fish restaurant. Personally never been there- but have heard nothing but wonderful things....... Atmosphere is great at night- it's a great experience!

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Flying Fish is a great restaurant, but is also small and one of the upper end sites, and a specialized menu, so I would not suggest it with small children.

One other thought, if you can't get into Le Cellier, Yachtsman Steakhouse at Beach is a nice alternative, and I think the steak offerings are better.

 

[coltow]

One of the other posters suggested slipping out the back entrance of EPCOT and heading to Beach Club- but I would suggest the Cape May Cafe for dinner. It is a wonderful clam bake buffet. A seafood lover's delight! (It's not a character- but everyone needs a break from that!)

Next to Le Cellier this is DH favorite dinner spot. There are plenty of food options both for seafood and non-seafood lovers. Plus you are a little removed from the hustle and bustle of the parks.

 

[gettingsmaller]

Le Cellier is good, but it was almost a let-down after eating at Ohana for the first time. I'm telling you, that food is GOOD (and there's plenty of it).