Need Counter Service Recommenations at the Parks

[alien_host]

For lunch we mostly do counter service and I could use some suggestions for each of the 4 main parks, especially EPCOT and AK.

DD has peanut/tree nut allergies so I like to research in advance. Most of the World Showcase restaurants are out for us since many of them are not run by Disney.

I'd love some suggestions. Thanks!

[Tinkerbell313]

We like:

AK: Flametree Barbecue
EP: Sunshine Seasons
MK: Cosmic Rays (there are three different counters...you may end up waiting in three lines depending on what meals you family wants.)
MK: Pecos Bill

DHS: We hardly go to this park...so no recommendations...sorry!!

[JTsMom]

We like:

AK: Flametree Barbecue
EP: Sunshine Seasons
MK: Cosmic Rays (there are three different counters...you may end up waiting in three lines depending on what meals you family wants.)
MK: Pecos Bill

DHS: We hardly go to this park...so no recommendations...sorry!!

:yeahthat:

[TwinFoxes]

Don't eat at Backlot Express in DHS. Ugh. The worst meal we had. Inedible.

[bnme]

AK-I like Flame Tree, but we usually eat at Restrantasauras becasue the kids can get McDonalds fries and nuggets here 9is that still the case? Haven't been there since 2009)
HS-Pizza Planet
MK-Columbia Harbor House they have sandwiches and salads, in addition to chicken tenders and other more standard cs food
EP-Have not eaten CS there in a long while

Have you checked out the menus on all ears.net?

[clc053103]

We aren't big counter service people, but here goes...

AK: never ate CS
MK: Cosmic Rays!
Epcot: Electric Umbrella or Sunshine Seasons
DHS: Pizza Planet seems to be the best of the worst- though nothing is great there. Definitely agree ABC Backlot Commissary is notorously the worst food in all of WDW.

[MSWR0319]

I'd check the menus. DS also has a peanut allergy and just by looking at the descriptions of some of the restaurants at easywdw.com, I can see a few that I don't think I'm comfortable with. I'll wait and see what Disney Dining says when I contact them before our trip before I make a final decision though.

[egoldber]

At Epcot we usually eat an early lunch at Sunshine Seasons just before World Showcase opens. W also really like Tangierine Cafe in Morocco.

DHS: We usually eat at Pizza Planet. There is also a coffee shop/book shop whose name escapes me in the Backlot area. Something with Writer in the name? Also, there is a coffee shop near the front of the park that serves bagels and sandwiches.

AK: Pizzafari is where we typically now that Tusker House is a sit down.

MK: We usually eat at Harbour House.

[alien_host]

Thanks for the info. I did look at allears.net but I wanted to get a sense of what might be marginally better than others ;) I also like to have a general idea of where we are headed.

When we went last year we did:

MK: Cosmic Rays and Columbia Harbor House...I thought both were fine. We also had a hot dog off a cart b/c DD wouldn't sit down at Peco Bills for some reason.

Epcot: Liberty Tree something - over in WS? Horrible.

DHS: Pizza Planet and I thought it was fine. I will avoid the Backlot Commissary! I would love to do Sci Fi or another sit down but we have way more dinner sit downs than DDP allotments (sig dining) so I think we should stick with CS. Since we don't hop I tend to make our dinner ressies near the resort since we go back to swim and I'm not 100% sure which park we are doing each day.

We didn't go to AK last time. The Flame Tree BBQ could be good, DD could have a hot dog probably. I'll also look more into Pizzafari.

Thanks for the info. More suggestions are welcome!

[liz]

In AK we really liked the Honey Chicken and Sweet and Sour Chicken at Yak & Yeti counter service. The meal was over rice (jasmine?) and came in chinese take-out containers. It was a good sized portion- def enough to split if you have a medium sized appetite (meaning DH needed one meal for himself, lol).

I agree with PP, we liked Cosmic Rays and Sunshine Seasons (good variety). Pecos Bills' had a great bar for burger toppings (or for those giant taco salads everyone seemed to get).

[egoldber]

DHS: Pizza Planet and I thought it was fine.

I am pretty sure the pizza at the CS locations is the same throughout WDW. So I think the pizza at Pizzafari is the same as at Pizza Planet. And any other CS location that sells pizza.

At Epcot I think you mean the Liberty Inn. I think it's just burgers and hot dogs right? At least, my kids just eat the hot dogs there.

For some reason, I never think about the hot dog carts. We'll have to do that next time. But we also pack in a lot of PB type sandwiches vs buying a $5 hot dog per kid at a CS location.

[bisous]

You know, as opposed to TS restaurants, all the guide books and message boards really seem to agree about the best CS restaurants. Makes me wonder if there is a large portion of people who go to WDW and DON'T ask these kinds of questions in advance. Else, many establishments wouldn't be patronized at all!

[JTsMom]

I've also heard that Writer's place (Spot maybe? Stop?) is good. I think they are supposed to have really good cupcakes too.

MK also has El Pirate y El Perico (hopefully that's close!) that is supposed to be good, but is only open seasonally.

[egoldber]

Ah yes, the place I meant in DHS is the Writer's Stop. They have an actual espresso machine ;) and excellent muffins and cookies. I don't see bagel on their menu, but I know I have gotten a bagel there before.

http://allears.net/menu/menu_ws.htm

And Starring Rolls is the other place, closer to the front.

http://allears.net/menu/menu_srb.htm

We'll often get a late morning snack at one of these places of bagel/muffin and coffee or milk/juice.

[peanut520]

For lunch we mostly do counter service and I could use some suggestions for each of the 4 main parks, especially EPCOT and AK.

DD has peanut/tree nut allergies so I like to research in advance. Most of the World Showcase restaurants are out for us since many of them are not run by Disney.

I'd love some suggestions. Thanks!

Is there an issue with qs restaurants not run by disney? Is it an allergy issue? My mother has an anaphylaxis reaction with sunflower seeds.

[alien_host]

Is there an issue with qs restaurants not run by disney? Is it an allergy issue? My mother has an anaphylaxis reaction with sunflower seeds.

In general, we trust the restaurants run by Disney more than the ones that aren't (a lot in World Showcase are not run by Disney). Disney is great w/ food allergies, they are very careful and prepared. I think (although we have not tried) the non-disney ones don't have the same policies as disney so it would be like eating at any other restaurant.

All the Disney-run CS/QS places have a binder w/ ingredient lists. I also ask to speak to the manager on duty. Same for TS restaurants, the chef usually comes out as we have it noted on our ADR and tell the hostess and waitstaff of the allergy.

If you e-mail the special diets department at WDW, they can send you allergy info and help you out.

[fivi2]

at MK we actually liked Pinocchio's Village Haus (?) pizza in Fantasyland despite all the bad reviews. Columbia Harbour House was okay also.

EP - we actually did not like Sunshine Seasons, despite all the rave reviews (so obviously we may be weird!). But I don't have a better suggestion for you.

[kaharris83]

at MK we actually liked Pinocchio's Village Haus (?) pizza in Fantasyland despite all the bad reviews. .

We really, really liked Pinocchio's Village Haus as well. The meatball subs were delicious!! It was our favorite CS during our visit in February.

MK-Pinnochio Village Haus-great
EP-France counter service-good
AK-Restaurantasaurus-ok
HS-Starring Rolls Bakery-ok, but the cupcakes were fabulous

[TwinFoxes]

You know, as opposed to TS restaurants, all the guide books and message boards really seem to agree about the best CS restaurants. Makes me wonder if there is a large portion of people who go to WDW and DON'T ask these kinds of questions in advance. Else, many establishments wouldn't be patronized at all!

I think sometimes ya just gotta eat. We were in that corner of the park, it was hot, and the girls were about to fall asleep so we had to feed them first. And you think "how much worse can it be?" Ugh. Seriously, avoid Backlot Express. :)

[lablover]

We ate at Rose & Crown (England) last year when we were dealing with several food allergies for DD. They were as thorough as any other restaurant and the chef came out and took her order and delivered it. We did have a reservation, but you may look into it if fish and chips sound enticing.

[Indianamom2]

At MK: Columbia Harbor House and Cosmic Ray's

At Epcot: Not sure....must not have been too memorable! Oh, we have eaten back in the Land exhibit a few times, and I think that was ok.

At DHS: We usually do the ABC commisary, but it's not anything fantastic, as others have noted. Or sometimes we just pick up whatever we find at little stands.

At AK: We like the Flame Tree BBQ

[Gracemom]

The Writer's Stop at DHS is amazing! I had a carrot cake sandwich cookie that I still dream about - it had cream cheese frosting filling - yum! I heard that they designed it after Ellen's bookstore from her sitcom. Cute place!

I actually liked the Commissary for the Cuban Sandwich - has been a couple years since we were there, but DH is Cuban and he loved it.

Last time we were at MK in December, we had a great meal at the Pinocchio restaurant where you can watch It's a Small World ride loading. The chicken parmesan was great!