Any recommendations for Disney resturants?

Yeah, it's not impossible, you just have to be persistent to score your Moose. I think we booked eight weeks in advance for our December '09 trip. Going the week after Thanksgiving certainly helps.

I understand you're not going to get walk up dining, unless you go for a late lunch (so I've been told) but she just wants to make reservations willy nilly and plan our park visits around that, but I figured we should map out which parks/days/early opening/late closing etc we were going to hit then fit the dining to that.

I'm thinking breakfast in the food court deal at Port Orleans where we're staying. Afternoon snack then try to sync dinner up with what park we plan on visiting that evening.

We always make it a point to visit Kona Cafe in the Polynesian. It's a relaxing lunch and the food is delicious. The hubby works for Disney so I'm not familiar with the Dining Plan.

If you're renting a car, Seasons 52 in Orlando is wonderful and a nice break from WDW.

We're only going to be there from Wed-Mon, not going to bother with a car.

billb7581 said:
I understand you're not going to get walk up dining, unless you go for a late lunch (so I've been told) but she just wants to make reservations willy nilly and plan our park visits around that, but I figured we should map out which parks/days/early opening/late closing etc we were going to hit then fit the dining to that.

I lean somewhere in the middle when I do that. Too much planning when going to Disney can ruin your stay. Too little can do the same.

You've got the right idea about planning meals on days where parks are open late and the like, but just keep in mind that the later a park is open, the busier then plan on it being, which means that a.) reservations will be harder to come by and b.) if it's too busy you might get frustrated and decided to hop to another park, but can't because you're bound by that dinner res.

I realize it's probably not the most ideal scenario for you, but World Showcase at Epcot is always open late for dinners, so we always tend to plan them that way, and wind up at Epcot to finish the night.

Step 1: Pay up for the Park Hopper Option

Step 2: Wait till Disney releases their entertainment schedule, and then plan on what nights you will be at what park (I usually shoot for seeing Fantasmic, the Electical Parade, MK and Epcot's EMH evenings then fill in the rest)

Step 3: Plan your dinner based on where you will spend your evening

Step 4: Stop planning, you can do whatever you want and go wherever you want during the day you only will have scheduled your evenings (and select mornings and afternoons depending on when you are dining.)

Last time we visited we had the dining plan w/wine for our stay. My favorite quick service dining was at Animal Kingdom's Flame Tree Barbeque. You can't be what you get for 1 credit. We had a lot of great dining experiences, but as far as in the park for lunch that was our favorite. We never ate our desserts, so we gave them away to other families(that weren't on the dining plan.) It was nice to watch their kids face light up! :)

If we are going to open up the counter service can of worms...

Be sure to go to the French Patteserie for one meal, you can get a ham and cheese croissant sandwich (which they will warm) and then get any pastry in the shop for dessert.

Im also a huge fan of Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney. I understand that it is a regional chain (gulf states) but seeing as I dont live there or have ever been able to go to another one on my travels, its unique to me. They have a "thanksgiving dinner" on a roll that is really good (turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing.)

Schlitterbahn

Am I the only one who giggles when they see that?

I got the parkhopper passes..I was going to get the kids that book on Disney and see whatever parades and stuff they wanted to see.. Me? Just not a fan of the whole Disney thing. I could take it or leave it. I'm mainly in it for the rides and the wife's been begging to take the kids there for years. Things just worked out this year so that we could go.

Even among my friends everyone has a different take.. one says "go see the parade" other one says "no way man, don't do that, there will be no line for the Rockin Roller Coaster during that parade"

At Cosmic Ray's at MK you can get insane amounts of food for one counter service credit.

Also at Wolfgang Puck's (or some other celebrity chef, hell if I know) in Downtown Disney, if you order your food to go you can get a full service meal for a counter service credit. We'd often stop there for dinner after a day at Universal.

The Japanese Quick Serve restaurant (Yakitori House) is a well kept secret with good food for a good price.... follow the coy to the top.

Wolfgang Puck Express at the marketplace end is a counter service. You wait in line to order your food like a counter service, then you sit down and they bring the food out too you.

You can get the ham and cheese croissant, as well as a few other items in France, as a snack.

Starring Roles Cafe at the Studios also has a good size portion for a counter service.

The Crystal Palace is great for breafkast with the characters or even lunch. (Winnie the Pooh and friends are featured here). At Studios my personal fav's. is 50s Prime Time Cafe and Mama Melrose. Melrose is like your typical Olive Garden style place and 50s featuers tables with Black and White TV's showing classics from the 50s. "Mom" is your server.

If you are doing Fantasmic, check into which places offer a "well if you eat here, you get priority seating for the show deals." I know Melrose does.

At Cosmic Ray's at MK you can get insane amounts of food for one counter service credit

Now you're talking!

The place across from Splash Mountain has Taco Salad and you can load it yourself with tons of fillings. That's my personal favorite food item at Disney World outside of the honey sesame chicken at Nine Dragons (can't emphasize enough how awesome it is).

^Pecos Bill's.

We had the German buffet at Epcot with Robo when he was down earlier this year - over-ate a little, but got to try a wide variety of of stuff from my childhood.

I generally have something booked in advance, but am willing to change things up on the fly if need be. But, if I were on the dining plan, I'd make sure I had a few *extra* meals booked, in case I felt like skipping a few early in the trip. Remember: use 'em or lose 'em. (I'm not a big fan of the dining plan myself, for this reason).

As for sit-down recommendations:

Epcot: Almost anything here will be good. Pick something you can't do at home. Over the years I've been to Coral Reef, Garden Grill, Chef's de France, San Angel Inn, Via Napoli, Le Cellier, Marrakesh, Teppan Edo, and Tokyo Dining. In general, each country's sit-down location is a slightly watered-down version of "the real thing" (excepting maybe Napoli, which as noted is pretty darn close)---another reason to do things your hometown doesn't do really well. For example, I'd never send a Californian to San Angel, because they have a better neighborhood Mexican place. That said, if you have a chance, swing a couple meals in Epcot; this is where the dining action is.

Animal Kingdom: I haven't tried Tusker (which is a buffet). Rainforest Cafe is, well, Rainforest Cafe (I'm not a fan of these, and haven't been to this one). Yak & Yeti is pretty good, with a mostly pedestrian menu sprinkled with one or two "Asian fusionish" choices.

Studios: With kids, either 50s Prime Time (comfort food with servers who sometimes pick on parents for bad table manners!) or Sci Fi Dine-In (bad B-movie trailers while you eat bar food in the car.) 50sPT has better food, but we kind of dig Sci Fi's schtick. If you go to Sci Fi, order *simply*; they don't do well when they try to get creative.

MK: leave the park. Go to one of the Monorail resorts. The only possible exception is Crystal Palace, which is a better-than-average Disney buffet. But, for some reason, the food in this park mostly sucks. Maybe the new place they are building in New Fantasyland will be better.

Other notable spots we've enjoyed, ruling out character meals: 'Ohana for dinner at the Poly (grilled meat on a stick!); Raglan Road in Downtown Disney (huge Irish pub); the Wave at the Contemporary (better for a non-kid party, very good food for 1 credit); Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge (HI-larious HI-jinks)

Yak and Yeti at AK is quite good (Asian fusion). Been there twice.

I've never not used dining plan credits. I typically run out with a day to go!

Me? Just not a fan of the whole Disney thing. I could take it or leave it. I'm mainly in it for the rides and the wife's been begging to take the kids there for years. Things just worked out this year so that we could go.

Roll with it. Disney isn't about rides---especially not for someone who considers themselves a "coaster enthusiast". Honestly, the "thrill" rides, viewed strictly from that lens, mostly suck.

But, as a family destination, it's really pretty awesome. You get immersed inside this alternate universe for the duration of your trip, and as long as you are sensible (i.e. you don't expect to avoid crowds rolling up to the Magic Kingdom at 2PM on a Saturday) it can be a really good time. We view WDW as a place where we can hang out together for a week, with the parks as just the setting in which we can do that. Sure, we get in visits to the attractions, but a lot of the other stuff---shows, fireworks, and all the little bits and pieces---are just as important to the whole experience.

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