Post Your Favorite WDW Restaurants

[klwa]

I really appreciate all the replies. I'm checking into a bunch of these restaurants. More questions:

1. If you make reservations and cancel, any charges? How late can you cancel? (I'm sure this is available on their site, but am hoping for a quick answer from someone who already knows.)

I think it's $10 per person if you don't cancel within 24 hours. However, if even one person shows up for a 4 person reservation, there is no charge for the missing people.

2. Viewing online menus, what's the difference between the kids meals and the Check Mickey Mouse kids meals?

The check meals are the "healthy" options. However, either count as a kids meal credit if you're on the dining plan.

[rkold]

I really appreciate all the replies. I'm checking into a bunch of these restaurants. More questions:

1. If you make reservations and cancel, any charges? How late can you cancel? (I'm sure this is available on their site, but am hoping for a quick answer from someone who already knows.)

2. Viewing online menus, what's the difference between the kids meals and the Check Mickey Mouse kids meals?

3. If you do Fantasma, what restaurant is best? Is it better for lunch or dinner?

In regards to canceling, if you're a group of 2 or more and at least 1 person shows up to the meal, you are not charged any fees. (So if you're a group of 4, and your two kids get sick suddenly so you have to stay in the room with them, your partner could still go to the meal and you won't be charged a fee.)

In regards to Fantasmic, it's really not necessary to do the meal unless you need very specific seating. We had no problem getting a FP+ for it after we went through our 3 FP+s in the Studios. (We were there in Oct, Dec, Jan and Feb.) Just to warn you now, the pre-show felt like it went on forever. Fantasmic is also terrifying for some small children. We had to leave before it had even really begun because DD was terrified.

See PP for the charge on canceling with less than 24 hour notice and for the menu question.

[boilermakermom]

Be Our Guest has great food, and the only place you will see the Beast. But it gets extremely loud. We had a 6 o'clock dinner reservation, and DD and I ended up leaving and going outside half way through the meal. We were seated in the West Wing, there is a constant thunder, lightening atmosphere combined with the dimly lit room - it was terrible. It was so incredibly loud we could barely hear our server. On our way out, I noticed the grand ballroom was just as loud. Much brighter, no thunder, but way more tables and much louder.

Cinderella's Royal Table is worth the two table credits! The food is fantastic, the atmosphere is wonderful. You will see Cinderella and four other princesses. It is an experience!!!!

Akershus was terrible. Would not do it again. We had dinner, food was mediocre at best, nothing really had flavor. I have heard breakfast is better. We met Belle upon entering, and then three more princesses came to the table.

Rose and Crown, Biergarten and Via Napoli are all good choices. Le Celliar is fantastic. We enjoyed the restaurants in the World Showcase the most. We made ADR as much as we could.

I am mixed on character dining. It all depends on the pictures you want. The pics from character dining will more than likely have other guests in the background, possibly plates from the table, etc. We chose to do more character meet and greets in the park.

[hellokitty]

Sanna at ak lodge kidani and my kids thought that the chip and day character meal, garden grill, at Epcot that rotates with the land ride were great. We also liked tusker house at ak and boma and am lodge jambo. Breakfast at Poly's ohana was great too. The worst meals we had were at liberty tree tavern, kona and yak and yeti quick service.

[brittone2]

Sushi at CA Grill was great last Feb, although not the most cost effective on the mealplan. We did an early dinner, the kids were great and the views were nice.

Crystal Palace for an early morning breakfast was wonderful. When we went, we found the food far better than Tusker House and other buffets. Maybe it was because our reservation was really early? We had hoped for Main St pics in front of the castle before the park opened to everyone, but they were filming a commercial.

Be Our Guest for lunch was pretty fantastic for a "counter service" credit.

My kids liked the food in Morocco's counter service, the fish and chips at UK, and ham and cheese in France at Les Halles Boulangerie.

Starring Rolls was fun, as was Beaches and Cream for ice cream over at The Boardwalk.

[Indianamom2]

We loved Be Our Guest for dinner. We got lucky the last time right after they had opened and got a reservation. It's VERY hard to get into, but it was good. We ate in the smaller Beast's room which was fun.

Le Cellier might be some of the best food in Epcot. It's also traditionally difficult to reserve, but worth it if you can get in. (It's in Canada)

We love the atmosphere at San Angel Inn, but none of us love the food. Still, it's something to consider since it's so relaxing.

We really enjoyed the Yak and Yeti counter service restaurant in the AK, so this time we're going to try the sit down version. I've heard good things!

Akershus for breakfast was really good.

Whispering Canyon is a fun place, but I can't remember about the food. I know it was good, but I don't remember much beyond that as it's been about 7 years ago now.

We're going to try the Spirit of Aloha this time around, on the day we arrive, since we're staying at the Polynesian

[keh602]

I have a hard time listening to anyone's recommendations unless I know them very well because people are SO divided on every single WDW restaurant. It's very frustrating when you're trying to find reviews. I don't think we've ever had a truly terrible dining experience, and we've eaten at most of the places mentioned in this thread. I will say that the ONE place I've eaten at for every Disney trip I've been on is San Angel Inn. We love the atmosphere, love the food--everything about it. We leave for WDW in 3 days, and that one is on the list for this trip as well.

[SummerBaby]

We are just back from our second trip to WDW. Probably the best food and service we had was at Jiko, but it is pricey. We also ate at Sanaa, and the food was very good and you can't beat the view of the animals. We had a last minute dinner at the Trattoria on the Boardwalk and the pizza was very good, and reasonably priced- one pizza was $16-18 and was enough for DH and I to share. We also are at 50s prime time cafe at the Studios and loved it. The food was ok- definitely edible but nothing special, but the experience is great. The kids were hysterical laughing at our server who reprimanded DH for not saying please, putting his elbows on the table, etc. Highly entertaining if you're into that sort of thing. Lunch at Be our guest was fantastic for counter service. Great setting and a nice cool place to relax. The Mexican counter service on the water on world showcase (forgot the name) was also decent and they have a fantastic cranberry margarita.

Basically I've never had a truly awful meal at WDW. Maybe it's not 4 star cuisine but it's generally better than I expected, and I'm somewhat of a food snob.

[Fairy]

I love Disney threads. I agree that it's very, very subjective when it comes to favorites. I hated the San Angel, but we had the worst waitress there, and the food was not good. But MOst everyone I know loves it there. Now my faovorite that I didn't see here, though I didn't read the whole thread, is Tusker House in AK. I cannot think of a place I love more for every aspect. Food unreal. Variety spectacular. Characters awesome. Service lovely. I just love love love love love it there. My favorite hands down. We also love The Crystal Palace and go every time, even though we've gotten pooh and friends a ton of times. But it's just familiar and comfortable and good food and completely adorbs. We ate at Harbor House the other day, and it was ok. Not fantastic but not bad at all. We also think the Sci-Fi Dine in drive in is the best food at HS. I'd pay you to let me eat dinner in the West Wing of BOG. Still no luck in getting a reservation for dinner or even for lunch. I pine. hOpefully in October. I can tell you the place I likd least and will never ever ever go back is at HS the Brown Derby. Overpriced to say the least. We did get reserved seating for the Fantasmic, but honestly, the food was good but NOT WORTH this kind of money. And i will pay stupid money for something if it's worth it to me. $50 steak, sure, I"ll pay that, if it's truly worth it to me, Morton's, etc. I'll pay four figures for front row and back stage at a McCartney concert. Yep. But Brown Derby? NOt worth the $57 pp for the teensy amount of food and really not good desert they give you with your inclusive package that includes those reserved seats. I criticize Disney very little, but this is one of those times.

[elbenn]

The first day we get there we won't have park tickets. Could we book tea at the Grand Floridian or would park tickets be required? We won't have a rental car and we are staying at the Boardwalk, so would we even be able to get there on the Magical Express or is it just for people with park tickets?