I am turning into the type of poster who annoys me to no end. The person I vent about in my blog. That's me. After a million, trillion years, I am going to Walt Disney World. Yes, it's true - The Doc Krocks have never been to WDW. It's our dirty little secret. ;) And I'm hear to ask questions you've already answered 10,000 times before.

I'm having a hard time actually getting excited about this trip. Have you ever built something up so much in your head that the reality can't possibly meet your expectations? Have you ever felt an incredible amount of pressure to do something RIGHT? Have you ever in your life been expected to be an expert in something you really know very little about?

That's me.

So in an attempt to calm down my anxiety, find some excitement and motivation, ditch some apathy, and make an effort - I am posting in a Walt Disney World forum to ask for help. (Wow, big deal, lady, get over yourself.)

So here's what I know:

1- Our kids are not picky eaters. We have encouraged them to expand their palettes. They know that they should always try things because usually mom and dad are right and don't feed them things that are disgusting. Our three (all male) children will be 5, 8 and 11 for this trip (Pause for heart attack. I didn't realize that until just now.)

2- I'm anti-character meals. Sorry. I get the feeling from this forum that people with kids at WDW are supposed to think that character meals are the end all be all. So for people who have done both coasts - a- are Character meals at WDW somehow exponentially different and better than they are at DLR? Really? b- Can I possibly get away with 8 days at WDW without eating a character meal?

3- Mom and Dad would like at least one meal without kids. So far Artist Pointe (?) has been recommended for this meal. We might be interested in a second "really good meal" that we might take kids to or we might only take our 11-y/o to. He fancies himself a cosmopolitan diner.

4- 1900 Park Faire. I've heard of it. What should I know? Andrwe, didn't you tell me something about this place?

Here are the places I think I'm not supposed to miss:

Boma.
Ohana (? Is that what it's called?)

Ok, I thought that list was going to be longer.

What's the place that you don't ask for ketchup, where Mox is served an obscenely large portion of ribs and turns red? Is that a don't miss place? Is it even still around.

I will bookmark this thread so that I hopefully won't have to annoy this forum too terribly much.

On behalf of all totally clueless people out there: I thank you for your patience with us.

Adrienne K, coming out of hiding...

Oops I forgot - We're not big seafood people.

M loves clam chowder, I don't mind shellfish but in general, we're not fishie people.

Adrienne

3- Mom and Dad would like at least one meal without kids. So far Artist Pointe (?) has been recommended for this meal. We might be interested in a second "really good meal" that we might take kids to or we might only take our 11-y/o to. He fancies himself a cosmopolitan diner. If you don't mind the heart-stopping bill at the end of the night, Victoria & Albert's (http://www.mouseplanet.com/guide.php?pg=BLN405) is the premiere fine dining establishment on property. I personally think Artist Point (http://www.mouseplanet.com/guide.php?pg=BLW401) is more approachable for (somewhat) less money.

4- 1900 Park Faire. I've heard of it. What should I know? Andrwe, didn't you tell me something about this place? 1900 Park Fare (http://www.mouseplanet.com/guide.php?pg=BLN402) does a character breakfast with Mary Poppins & friends and a character dinner with Cinderella characters. Just don't plan on having lunch there.

Boma.
Ohana (? Is that what it's called?) I'm not a Boma (http://www.mouseplanet.com/guide.php?pg=BLD401) fan, but you'll find many here who are. 'Ohana (http://www.mouseplanet.com/guide.php?pg=BLP402) is the character meal/luau at the Polynesian. I haven't done that one.

What's the place that you don't ask for ketchup, where Mox is served an obscenely large portion of ribs and turns red? Is that a don't miss place? Is it even still around. Whispering Canyon Cafe (http://www.mouseplanet.com/guide.php?pg=BLW402). Great family dinner spot. Don't forget to note the color of soap in the restroom.

1900 Park Faire is at the Grand Floridian Hotel and does a Cinderella character dinner. I think they also do a character breakfast. Because you don't want to do characters, and don't have little girls, I would not bother.

'Ohana is at the Polyneisian hotel, and is wonderful. It's not a character meal, but they do games and dances for kids. The food is great, and they bring it to your table. Interesting appetizers and side dishes, and grilled meat, shrimp, and turkey.

The other place you refer to is the Whispering Canyon Cafe, which is at the Wilderness Lodge (a boat ride from the Magic Kingdom). It's fun, if you are in the right frame of mind, and the food is pretty good. Artist's Point is also at the Wilderness Lodge, and is a more upscale atmosphere.

Boma is at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and is a terrific buffet. There is also Jiko, which is more upscale, at the same hotel, and is also really good. We had Thanksgiving dinner there, with our kids, a couple of years ago, and they did fine at Jiko.

For a terrific, more adult, experience, try the California Grill, at the Magic Kingdom. I saw kids there, when we ate there, but it was a long meal, about three hours, and, I think, too long for kids. If you are there when the Magic Kingdom does their fireworks, you get a great view from the restaurant.

Epcot has lots of good restaurants, mostly in the World Showcase. LeCellier, at the Canada pavillion, is a very good steakhouse, and kid-friendly. It is very popular and fills up fast, so make reservations as soon as you can.

Epcot

I've only been twice, but I love Le Cellier in Canada. Nice steakhouse, nothing very fancy, just good food.

counter service in Germany - Great brats and such, and with kraut too. They've also got pretzels. Good for a quick meal.

counter service in Mexico - Nice portion, good tasting, that's what we get for dinner while we're waiting for Illuminations.

The Land food court - I haven't actually eaten there, but I walked around some on our last trip, and there were a ton of options, almost all of which looked good. On my list to try on our next trip.


Animal Kingdom

We had lunch at Flame Tree BBQ on our last trip when we met up with local friends. I remember liking the food. If you walk down to the lower seating, you get an amazing view of Expedition Everest that's across the way.


Spoodles (at Boardwalk) - Really liked our meal there, but might not be something the kids would be interested in.

Kona Cafe (at Polynesian) - Liked our breakfast there. Lunch options seemed good too.


ETA: Oh, I forgot to mention the Portobello Yacht Club at Downtown Disney. We didn't have a reservation and were just browsing around for somewhere to eat, stopped and looked at the menu, went in and were seated in about 10 minutes. We both had seafood items, but they had plenty of other non-seafood stuff. Service was good, food was great - loved the place. I think it might work better as a date night for you and Doc (or with M) - not sure how their kids' menu works.

Well since it's your family's first trip and you have 3 kids there are a few places I think are worth considering. Some have been mentioned and some have not. It's also worth noting that most restaurants have undergone some menu adjustments in the past few years (most assume this is due to the dining plan) so there is usually a varied selection, albeit a small one for each place. That makes finding somehitng particular (pasta, steak, seafood, veggie) easier at each restaurant but with fewer selections.

With kids I would consider:
A. O'hana - fun place, games for the kids, great food (served family style from a set menu) nice to see the resort *my wife's favorite place to eat
B. Sci-Fi Dine-In - one of the coolest atmospheres and decors in WDW. i love it, but it's not top-end dining
C. 50's Prime Time - if you get a good waitperson and your family knows how to "play" their parts it can be a blast.

Without kids I would consider:
A. California Grill - get a time that overlaps with the Magic Kingdom fireworks for a great bonus. adult food and dining experience - it does take awhile to dine there and there is no feeling of being "rushed".
B. Brown Derby - we love the food and the service has always been great for us. another adult style meal, but as part of the *Fantasmic dining package could be nice with the kids and will help you to avoid standing in yet another line (this will be more true when they go to 2 shows after the new year)

Okay- I have only been once.... but I will tell you what I know!

Ohana- Characters for breakfast and lunch, but none at dinner. Dinner was our favorite meal of the whole trip. They have games for the kids, but not super annoying-like. The food is amazing and they just keep bringing it. And it is good so you may eat until you explode.

Sci-Fi Diner- Okay. Technically I haven't eaten here yet, but I think it would be awesome for little boys. You are seated in cars and they show bad B list sci fi movies on the big screen. From what I understand, the food is so-so, but not terribly expensive.

Prime-Time- is also at DHS and has a fun theme. Our server wasn't super into it. It reminded me A LOT of Edebebics (sp?). We liked it but without a great server, didn't love it.

Coral Reef- I bet the boys would get a kick out of eating in the giant aquarium. You can get a diver to hold up a sign for them while you are eating. This is free, I think.

Liberty Tree Tavern- we loved this and it was a last minute pick. It is sorta Thanksgiving type food. They had a character meal there where the characters dressed in colonial attire, but I think that stopped. We went at lunch when there are no characters. I loved the historical feel to the place.

On your own:
I haven't been here either, but I would recommend Victoria and Albert's. I know you are sort of a fan of Napa Rose. This the equivalent plus more at WDW. It is not on the dining plan though.

Otherwise, CA Grill is supposed to be very good. I plan on going there for our splurge meal next year.

Uh, I think now you must go beg for Club 33 ressies.

Even though you are coming from CA, I would still recommend the Brown Derby. Hubby and I ate there a couple of weeks ago and loved it. Everyone else in our party ate at Hollywood and Vine for dinner that night and said it was the best buffet in the World. (We all got the Fantasmic seating.)

I am also a fan of both Chefs de France and Bistro de Paris (the latter is Signature Dining AND we have not done for 5 years.)

I liked Le Cellier. The food was quite good and the service outstanding, but we have a lot of great steak restaurants in Denver.

Whispering Canyon - We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge. The food was pretty good, but I would not recommend making a special trip. My brother and SIL had dinner at Artist Pointe and really enjoyed their evening.

Character Dining - Really cannot recommend. After this last trip, my husband made me promise not to ever ever ever ever ever go back to Cinderella's Castle for the Princess lunch. All the Princesses showed up to our area the same time as the food. It was a huge fiasco with the waiter dropping the tray (trying to avoid crashing into my son as he ran to Snow White) with four of the lunches. :eek: It was also very pricey. However, in general, we will be curtailing all character meals in the future because my husband (and I) hates the constant interruptions and grabbing the camera and the autograph book and this and that that comes with them!

Will anyone be joining you? We did like the Grand Gatherings breakfast with Mickey and the Fab Five Characters at Tony's. After multiple Counter Service Scrambled Eggs at Roaring Forks it was nice to have eggs with cheese in them!

San Angel Inn in Mexico- Son and I skipped this meal (because I hate Mexican food), but everyone else loved it!

Planning the meals is sometimes as much fun as planning the trip!!!

DHS: I also think your boys would love Sci-Fi. You'd definitely be going mainly for the atmospere, but it's just so much fun, and unique.

AK: We've become big Boma fans and I think it works great with kids. It's also fun to walk around the grounds of Animal Kingdom Lodge and go out back to see the animals.

EPCOT: Chefs de France is our favorite at EPCOT, but all of the different countries have their fans, pick one that appeals to you. Don't miss Boulangerie Patisserie for pastries in France. For an ice cream break it's nice to head out of the back entrance of EPCOT and walk over to the Beach Club for a treat at Beaches and Cream.

MK: Your boys might think Cosmic Rays is fun for counter service at MK, but our favorite is actually Columbia Harbour House. They have seating upstairs and it's fun to sit in the covered bridge.

I'm with you on character meals. Some people love them, but my boys (when they were younger) just didn't care that much and they were not worth the cost for us.

Happy Planning, and ask away! Do we seem annoyed? We actually all just love an excuse to give our opinions! :p

Happy Planning, and ask away! Do we seem annoyed? We actually all just love an excuse to give our opinions! :p

Nope! Not yet! :D I'm just sure that by the time I get on that airplane no one's going to want to speak to me anymore, LOL. I'm feeling soooo unfamiliar and needy! I don't like that.

Thanks for the opinions. I absolutely think Boma will be a hit with my crowd. My kids love buffets and my husband and I love the chance to try new "ethnic" foods.

Drince88 already "yelled" at me for being uber worried about making this trip perfect but really, can you blame me?? (ok, maybe she didn't yell but she was stern...)

Adrienne

After a million, trillion years, I am going to Walt Disney World. Yes, it's true - The Doc Krocks have never been to WDW. It's our dirty little secret. ;)
Yay!!!

How exciting. :) CONGRATULATIONS! :D

You will love it. I promise.

I can't give you any food recommendations because it has been too long, and things change. But I am excited for you. It will be a blast! :)

When do you go?

When do you go?

Uhm, don't laugh - it's over a year away. ;) :eek:

Adrienne

Uhm, don't laugh - it's over a year away. ;) :eek:

Adrienne

Does that mean you know the date of the WDW MA?

Uhm, don't laugh - it's over a year away. ;) :eek:

Adrienne
Um...why would I laugh?

Have you seen my countdown?! ;)

:)

I'm just slightly obsessed. Reading trip reports help get me through it.

You need a countdown. And join us on the countdown thread. :D

Does that mean you know the date of the WDW MA?

Sorry, no! I really don't. This trip may or may not coincide with WDW MA. But it will be coincidental. We were targeting that time frame before we even knew about WDW MA. We started off considering our childrens' school schedule but we have become aware of an even more important date to our family: NASA's schedule. :eek: So if we're there for WDW MA it will be a coincidence. We MIGHT make an appearance at MA but this is a family vacation first, and between having the kids there and knowing NOTHING about WDW, we would be worthless as MA staff anyway.

But I applaud your effort! LOL. Good catch. ;)

Adrienne

You need a countdown.

This is off topic... but how do you make a countdown in your signature? :rolleyes: haha

This is off topic... but how do you make a countdown in your signature? :rolleyes: haha

Click me (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=38080) - It's the countdown thread in our FAQ.

Adrienne

You need a countdown.

I don't have room in my .sig! LOL. After the CHOC Walk I can re-prioritize. ;)

Adrienne

Click me (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=38080) - It's the countdown thread in our FAQ.


Thanks! :D Wow... it seems like such a long time, lol.

NoDrince88 already "yelled" at me for being uber worried about making this trip perfect but really, can you blame me?? (ok, maybe she didn't yell but she was stern...)

I was stern in a friendly, loving way, because I care!

There is a luau at the Polynesian that's totally different from Ohana - that may be what Andrew was thinking of.

As you may/may not know, I'm not a buffet person and not a character meal person, but when I went with my nephews (they were 10, 8, and 3 - I think) we did Crystal Palace, which is Pooh and Friends, and I would repeat it again if I was going with kids who appreciate Pooh. So if you decide to cave and do one character meal, I'd recommend that one!

Jiko would be a nice choice with the 3 'adults' (you do realize that 11 is an adult in WDW?!!!!) Make sure and get some tea! (Seriously, they have good tea at many of the signature restaurants)

I don't recall seeing it, but I bet you guys would like the Biergarten! It's a buffet in the German pavillion.

Citricos would be another nice option to Artists Point, if the menu appeals to you a little more. And I think all 5 of you should go to California Grill if you go there - the two younger ones would love the view and the sushi dessert. Also, because it's an open kitchen it tends to be a little noisy (but not bad) so it seems more 'kid friendly' to me than Artists Point or Citricos. (Even though Citricos may be a partially open kitchen, too - but it didn't seem noisy to me.)

And regarding NASA's schedule - don't be shocked if things change there! Launches get delayed months in advance as well as the same day, if that's what you're hoping to catch. I think your group will really like it there, regardless. BUT that's not for direct recent experience. The mother of the 3 boys mentioned earlier was a pre-teen the last time I went, and it's changed quite a bit since then.

Don't be silly . . .we love answering the questions and we also ask the same ones over and over again! so - no worries!

My best advice to anyone on their first trip to WDW is simply this. Please don't try to do everything in one trip. Then it truly can turn into no fun because then your vacation is full of stress and schedules and such. There is just NO way (okay no EASY) way to ride every ride, eat every place, see every attration/parade, etc, do every tour, etc. . .without severe burnout and the need for a vacation from your vacation :P

with that said, here are my food loves.

I love Disney for food, i am Lactose Intolerent on top of having just a sensitive tummy and i never have issues at Disney. :) so for any of you out there who are worried about going - don't! And i went all these tiems before without knowing i could ask the chef to work my food around my allergy, so i managed to do okay without milk :) its amazing! I'm so excited this trip though to know i won't have to miss out on so much by requesting special meals in advance!

MK
Cosmic Ray's --> its your normal fast foodie type meals and its always busy but there is something about this place i LOVE, i can't explain it. Maybe its the little dude who entertains you who always reminds me of sid caesar!?

The Confectionary --> more of a snack than a food place but its to DIE FOR! They have such great stuff !

Crystal Palace for the Pooh Breakfast. --> this is our first trip in October not doing it and i'm personally a bit bummed , i love the food, the atmosphere and clearly , pooh! :) (we're not doing it only an attempt to try some new things and not overschedule, not because we didn't enjoy it at all!)

Epcot -
My favorite food place!
The land --> so much good food here and much healthier choices than most of the counter services

Italy was always a staple for us but we have NOT been to the new one yet - any recomendations or not from out there?

I also hear great things about le cellier - we're trying it this trip, i can let you know more in a month and a week :) (jumping up and down like a little kid!)

I suggest churros in Mexico - yummy

Don't miss the desert place in France. Its tucked in teh back corner but the mouse and other deserts are true bliss.

The Fish and Chips in Britain are great (i'm not a huge sea food lover either but i like fish and chips, so i though you may too :P)

MGM (DHS)
We ate at mamma melroses last time and i wasn't floored by teh food but it wasn't bad. . . i don't know if i'd reccomend it, but i've heard other people have great experiences there. They also screwed up our meal plan, but it was jan 1st and EVERYONE ws having issues with the meal plan and date switch over for some reason.

Believe it or not we mostly frequent the comisary (sp?) - its fast food but its good quality for fast food. If you miss it, no worries, but don't be fearful to eat there! :)

AK -
I worked in AK for a while, my favorite thing there is the fresh fruit cart. So i cannot reccomend enough stopping at one and getting SOMETHING.

AK is also the home of the frozen banana covered in chocolate - yum yum yum.

We also really like Tuskers. We generally do the counter service version but its really good food.

If you need a touch of "home" they generally are serving McD's fries in Dino land (also in Epcot)

DTD (downtown disney etc)
Raglan Road - we had a great experience here. good food and service.

House of Blues - the BEST waiter ever and great food. (over priced drinks though :P)

i'll have to pontificate but i think thats it for now!

good luck! :)

OK, why do these people post the same questions over and over again????

Just kidding! We love to answer them. We're warm and fuzzy on the WDW side;)

We have 4 boys (15, 12, 10 and 7) and took them to WDW in 2002 when they were (9, 6, 4 and 1)! My reply isn't about where to eat but rather to suggest that you consider purchasing Annual Passes and planning not one but two trips to WDW (returning for the second trip within the year).

I think that your family will have such a great time (being this is your first trip) that you will want to return the next year anyway. Your park passes will be paid for already for your second trip and save you so much money. With the APs, you get free parking at all of the parks, discounts at certain restaurants and merchandise. Finally, knowing that you're returing within the year takes the stress off "missing" certain rides/attractions and will ease your children's distress if a particular line is too long that day.

Just my .02 cents :)

I'm so excited for your family, Adrienne! Yay! Planning over a year away for your first trip is great timing, imo. There's so much out there to become familiar with and learn about and understand. It takes time to get a grasp on all those touring plans and places to eat. Then when it's six months out, you'll be better equipped to make all those dining reservations. :D

Nope! Not yet! :D I'm just sure that by the time I get on that airplane no one's going to want to speak to me anymore, LOL. I'm feeling soooo unfamiliar and needy! I don't like that.

Ah, but everyone takes their turn at being the first time visitor! I say to you, enjoy the process of learning about all the new things at WDW. Especially since you're so familiar with DL. This will be a great experience for you! Ask away - you've earned it with all the time and suggestions you've given to DL trip planners. :)

Drince88 already "yelled" at me for being uber worried about making this trip perfect but really, can you blame me?? (ok, maybe she didn't yell but she was stern...)

Nope! I can't blame you! :D No matter how many warnings friends and padders issue, I don't believe there is any way in heck for a first timer, lover of Disney person, to *not* try to make the first trip perfect and try to fit in 3x as much stuff as is humanly possible. It's all part of the WDW learning curve.

...we did Crystal Palace, which is Pooh and Friends, and I would repeat it again if I was going with kids who appreciate Pooh. So if you decide to cave and do one character meal, I'd recommend that one!

I was thinking the same thing. The really, really cool thing about doing Crystal Palace for breakfast is that you can get into main street early, and take your pic in front of the castle with no one else in the shot. However, I've found that the am winter light isn't always the best at that time, but it's still really neat to do. I did the Pooh breakfast on the first morning of both my WDW trips. I am not an early riser, but I loved getting to the MK so early on the first day and walking down a near empty main street.

The other character meal I wanted to mention is dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table. It's different than breakfast and lunch. Seeing as you have 3 boys, and that this meal is very over priced, I'm not sure it interests you at all, but if you're thinking about doing it, I suggest dinner. You take a pic with Cindy downstairs before being seating. The picture package is included with the price of dinner. The meal is mostly character free, but there is a show with the Fairy Godmother and Perla and Suzie. They dance around rather quickly and then it's over. They will stop really quickly at each table for a photo but if you don't pull out your camera they will just wave and pass by. They also give all the little boys plastic swords. I think it's worth doing, but only if someone in the family has a high desire to eat in the castle. Otherwise, skip it.

I second the nominations for:

Flame Tree BBQ in AK - make sure to get a table by the water over looking Everest.

Le Cellier. Excellent.

Beaches N' Cream: Excellent ice cream desserts. If you like peanut butter, the No Way Jose Sundae is one of the most delectable ice cream confections I've ever tasted. Somehow on both our trips we managed to hit it when the wait wasn't too long, but I've read about long waits there because the place is so small. We've enjoyed riding the boat from Epcot, stopping at Beaches N' Cream for lunch and dessert and then continue our boat ride to MGM. It's very relaxing.

Now, it's my turn to pull an Adrienne.

Mom and Dad would like at least one meal without kids.

CALIFORNIA GRILL.

Even if all five of you go and you save the mom and dad only dinner for another spot, California Grill is at the very top of my list. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Excellent food. Never had a problem with it being too noisy. Timed both of my dinners to end right around fireworks time. It can be such a special evening.

Welcome to this side of MP AK!

I looove recommending and debating places to eat...ask away:)

DDP or no? More counter service or TS?

Boys and I loved Boma for dinner. It's on the "agenda"-yeah, I'm a year away too!-for breakfast next time. Plus you can check out the hotel wo staying there.

I'm anti-buffet for alot of reasons. But I was really glad I caved and did one at the AK. It's moved-it's now at Tusker House-and I've heard it referred to as "Boma-lite". Pix are wonderful. And I liked it for the same reason that fellow Padder's have recommended Crystal Palace at the MK-you get into the AK before anyone else, stroll thru an empty park-get pics of Tree of Life-and we were first on EE-with the nicest CM's walking our rope drop back. Now, how that works with the Tusker House location, I'm not sure-but you'd certainly be first on Safari. Maybe Doc could run for fp's for EE while you waited with the boys????

Le Cellier-a highlight for all of us. Delicious-try the ice wine:)
Rose and Crown-UK-try for lunch. It's a wonderful park break sitting outside soaking up the atmosphere and the food is good and service very friendly. Beer flight was good too.

Counter service-Flame Tree-walk around the back of the building for a terrific view-AK; Cosmic Rays in the MK-Harbour House-great salad; Studios-I'm struggling with this one-nothing appeals. Epcot-Mexico-surprisingly good-of course the margarita didn't hurt!

Signatures: I'm on the fence-haven't done one yet. Debating between CA Grill, Artiste Pointe and Yatchsman-I'll be asking for req. on those at a later date.

On a good note-on the whole, food at WDW was several steps up from what I'd come to expect at DL.

And I totally "get" the anxiety of planning the "perfect" 1st time WDW vacation. Think it's part and parcel of the process....