We're going Nov 11th, and will have our 2 boys, 3 and 7 along. Somewhat fussy and restless eaters, however experienced in eating out. WHat are your 5 top must try restaurants to visit, knowing that we have to go with children. Victoria and Alberts type places are out of course, but we don't want a cafeteria every night. Cool food choices a plus.
Thanks

What are your opinions on character meals and buffets?

What are your opinions on character meals and buffets?

Have no idea what that entials outside of meals with characters and stand up, feed yourself dining.
If the food is garbage (Olive Garden or Outback = garbage in my book) then I'll pass. If the food is good, and the options are that we eat with characters or serve ourselves, then I'm all for it.
Last time I was there was 15 or so years ago, and we at at V & A, Coral Seas, Empress Lilly, etc.. and all the meals were good and fun. But I have no point of reference to what's good there today.
Do the character meals serve terrible food masked by costumed people dancing? Or are the food choices fresh and varied, with the addition of a mini show?

My kids 6,9 and 11 love Ohana at the Poly Resort (Family style food brought to your table with a Polynesian show for the kids. They limbo, play games, dance and sing.) The food is cooked over an open fire on kebobs and delivered to your table on the skewer. The server removes it from the skewer and puts it on your plate for you. Husband and I loved it here because while the kids were limboing or playing games we could watch and eat in peace. Make sure to ask for a table on the firepit side. That's where all the action is.:D
Teppan Edo in Japan at Epcot (this is where they cook on your table)
Chef Mickey at the Contemporary Resort for breakfast (buffet breakfast with Characters).
Husband and I LOVE the Kona Cafe' at the Poly and the kids do fine there. It's casual dining with spactacular food.
We are trying LeCelier for the first time on our December visist based on great reviews and have high hopes it will live up to all the hype.
I think that's five but we also love Earl of Sandwich at Downtown disney. Casual counter service with very reasonably priced food that is superb.
Hope this helps and enjoy your trip. :fez:

My kids loved The Coral Reef in Epcot. They could watch all the sea life swimming around while they ate and colored. Kept them very entertained.

Ok - concentrating just on the food and less on the extra experience ---
Boma (buffet in Animal Kingdom Lodge)
Ohana (described above in the Polynesian)
Yak and Yeti (Animal Kingdom - I had a super meal there, but I was very hungry, so that probably helped!)
Marrakesh (Morocco/Epcot) - a little bit to entertain the kids and slightly 'different' food
Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom - buffet with Pooh characters) - this is the only non-breakfast character meal I've done, and I was pleasantly surprised at the food. And with a 3 and 7 year old, you really 'should' do a character meal!

Mamma Melroses and 50s Prime Time Diner in the Studios are also good choices. Heck, there's a whole bunch of other good choices, but you only wanted 5!

I agree with Cathy. 50's Prime Time was great as well. Lots of stuff going on to keep them busy and awesome, and I do mean AWESOME food!

The food and characters are great at the Crystal Palace (buffet with kids section)!! We also had a lot of fun at Sci Fi Drive In Cafe!

Sci Fi is great for the ambiance, but if the OP thinks Olive Garden and Outback are garbage then odds are they will find the same at Sci Fi and a few other places around WDW.

Sci Fi is also great because there are old Sci Fi movies playing and it is so quiet and dark that hardly anyone talks and it is nice way to relax from the hustle and bustle from outside.

I really enjoyed Ohana for dinner. I was also pretty stuffed aftewards too.

Primetime to me isn't all that great. The majority of the CMs there hardly play into the act anymore. I would love to work there to really have some fun.

San Angel Inn has some really good Mexican food, and really nice ambiance. But the prices have gone up and they have taken away side dishes which kind of left me a little hungry afterwards. You can get the same food (well not all the same food!) outside at the counter service for cheaper.

I really enjoy the Rainforest Cafe. They have a very tasty crab cake sandwitch. I have a Rainforest Cafe about 20 minutes from my house, but the menu isn't as good as it is in Disney.

I really like Mama Melrose too. Especially towards the end of the week because I feel like all I ate was meat the whole vacation. It's nice to have some pasta. I would say it is better than Olive Garden, but not amazing.

I know my little cousin had a blast when we went to Whispering Canyon Cafe in the Wilderness Lodge. It's loud, has decent food, and the kids have so much to do.

First off, I'd try having your sit-down meals (if on dining package) at lunchtime; quick serve in the eve is much more doable with little ones.

O'Hana
Boma
Coral Reef
Prime Time
Spoodles

With kids:

Boma
Sci-Fi
Whispering Canyon
Beaches and Cream

and I'm with Cathy, you probably want to try a character meal

Well - one of my favorites is gone :( (bye bye italy)

but. . .i would try

Crystal Palace breakfast (with Pooh and co) in MK
Hoop De Doo Musical REview dinner show in fort wilderness
Trails end buffet (good deal with lots of food) in FW

Others i think are good for picky eaters (having been one myself)
Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe (there are 3 different areas including burgers and chicken) in MK (tomorrowland) - oh and notice how Sunny looks like Sid Caesar
The lands in Epcot, lots and lots of choices in one small area. Awesome

Well I asked my kids their choices (they're now 6 and 10 years old) and they said:

California Grill (if only for the "sushi" dessert)
Liberty Tree Tavern (for the mac& cheese)
Breakfast at Chef Mickey's (followed by a ride in the front of the monorail to the Magic Kingdom)
Sci Fi Cafe (for the funny movies)
Coral Reef (but only of you can sit next to the fish)

I'd also suggest:

Cape May Cafe Clambake

Thanks! Lots of good suggestions. We're going about trying to set the reservations and desired times this weekend. Between all of these, we should have a cool sampling.

I just have one thing to say. If Outback and the Olive Garden are really garbage to you, then you're going to be hard pressed to find any good food in WDW! I'm not saying that all Disney's restaurants are bad. But if that's your standard, it's way higher than mine.

We went last November and my kids were 9 and 11. They are very picky eaters, but loved Boma, Cape May Clam Bake, and Ohana.

Oh, I don't know, I tend to agree. Olive Garden isn't that great. I like the dressing on the salad, but the salad is "bag-o-salad." I do like their pasta e fagioli soup, but nuthin' else. Outback is just ok. I like the loaded potatoes, but I can get them anywhere (or make them at home). I prefer other steaks.

HOWEVER, there's a ton of places I like at WDW, especially at the resort restaurants.

'Ohana (Dinner) - good food, nice atmosphere, fun and games for the kiddos so they don't get bored at the table.

Kona Cafe (Dinner) - better food than 'Ohana, nice atmosphere, but nothing to do.

Chef Mickey's (Breakfast) - Wide variety of buffet foods and fun with the characters.

Boma (Breakfast OR Dinner - or both if you're like us!) - Fantastic buffet, nice atmosphere, no characters or anything at the meal, but you can go outside before or after dinner and watch the animals on the Savanna.

The Hollywood Brown Derby (Dinner) - Super good food and fantastic service, nothing to do, but lots of pictures on the walls to look at.

...wish I had more than 5, I'd add Cinderella's Gala Feast at 1900 Park Fare for dinner, Les Chefs de France for lunch or dinner, California Grill for dinner, and Jiko for dinner.

Coral Reef at Epcot.

The Ohana show at the Polynesian resort - fantastic food, and great show.

Since you have a 3 year old, (and even the 7) if they like Winnie the Pooh, then Crystal Palace. Food was decent, but not great- and the wait was awful for having reservations, but it is a must for little kids I think.

I have a girl, so I would say the princess meals (1900 Park Fare, Akershus, or Royal Table)- but not for your boys. I will say this though, the best picture, possibly THE picture of my young nephews lifetime was one with his big sour-puss face on as Sleeping Beauty came and hugged him at a Princess dinner. While his dad, his granddad, and I all wished that Aurora would come over and hug on us, he sat there red faced with a big frown - probably made for a better picture than his two sisters or cousin who were all giddy around the pricesses.

If you have not been to a Rainforest Cafe, then the one in Animal Kingdom is a must do. It is a chain restaraunt and not even Disney, but your kids will love it. The food is good too.

--

I would also say that the Hoop De Doo is overrated. My brother and his kids really disliked the show, and the food was just "OK". My wife and I instantly agreed upon leaving that it was not nearly as good a show or meal as the Polynesian show (which the food and show are excellent). A few hours after we left the show, my 2 y/o got pretty sick, ruining the last day of our trip- and we affectionally call the disease "the Hoop De Doo". I think she actually picked up a bug from a little girl who puked near us in line at Animal Kingdom earlier in the trip, but the name of the show made for a funny name for what was otherwise not fun at all for the end of our last trip.

The Ohana show at the Polynesian resort - fantastic food, and great show.
We may actually be talking about this on another thread - do you mean the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at the Poly? 'Ohana is a great restaurant, but they don't do a show. They do have some entertainment for the kids - sing alongs, hula hoop contests, coconut races, etc.

I also have two little one's (2 & 8) we love Ohana, Whispering Canyon Cafe, Crystal Palace breakfast buffet(character meal), Tusker House breakfast buffet(character meal),and we haven't tried Sci Fi yet, but we will also be in WDW in November and plan to bring the kids there for lunch. Hope ya'll have a great time!!!:)

I too have 2 little ones, 1 and 2 to be exact. We have the Sitting Service for 4 nights of the 10. They are great eaters and are well traveled. Not sure if they will be passed out by our dinner time of 7pm, but that is when we eat at home. Hopefully you will get some ADR's around the same time they are used to eating at home.

My picks include
Rainforest Cafe have 1 here
Character Meals-Ohana, Dine n Play, Cindy's Royal Table, and Chef Mickey's
Coral Reef (these kids are crazy for Nemo, so much that it stays in our main DVD player)

We may actually be talking about this on another thread - do you mean the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at the Poly? 'Ohana is a great restaurant, but they don't do a show. They do have some entertainment for the kids - sing alongs, hula hoop contests, coconut races, etc.

Yeah, it is the Spirit of Aloha show I was talking about. :confused:

Don't feel bad - Disney seems to have a thing for similar names. 'Ohana, Aloha, Ft. Wilderness, Wilderness Lodge, etc. It can get powerful confusing!

I have just returned from a visit with children aged 6 and 9, my son is a very picky eater. These are their top 5 based on their 2 visits.

Le Cellier (DS quote - proper chips mum, not hollow potato skinny things, and meat that hasn't been messed about with)!

Ohana character breakfast (Lilo, Stitch, Pluto and Mickey and the best service we had all fortnight).

Chef Mickey's character dinner (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy).

Biergarten (try to sit by the stage for the entertainment).

Mickey's Back Yard BBQ (basic BBQ food, we were happy with it and DD was utterly beside herself, pinned to Minnie all night).

Whispering Canyon Cafe (ok this is 6, but they went here last year and were cross not to return).