Your Special Restaurant

[jakeybake]

Hey,

I'm just curious as to where everyone's special restaurant is?

You know the one I mean. The one where the second you walk in, you get that wonderful warm feeling and you feel like your home. Where the memories of the incredible times you have spent there just flood your brain as soon as you walk in the door, look around and smell that unique smell that all WDW dining establishments have.

For my family it's Cape May Cafe. Everytime we set foot in there I feel like I have never left. We know the place like the back of our hand, like our own dining room.

Way back when it was just my DRHW and I it was Alfredo's. It was our first ever dining experience on our first ever trip (honeymoon!) back in 1991 so it always held a very special place in our hearts. I can't tell you have sad I was when they shut it down, but that is another story for another day.

So what is your special dining place and why? I would love to hear all about it.

Jay

[eam]

For us, it is Citrico's. We carry one of their menus around with us in the car and plan our meal for the next visit, even though we know it won't be quite the same. Our favorite server is Jamie and last November for our last visit before we left, he brought a bottle of wine from his home for us to enjoy with our meal. Then, on Christmas Eve, when I returned from work, Charley was on the phone and said it was for me. It was Jamie and Eddie calling us from Citrico's to wish us a 'Merry Christmas'. It was so great and we could hear the restaurant sounds in the background and we wanted to be there very badly. (We're in Michigan, in December, so you can imagine) It is things like this that continue to make WDW so wonderful and irresistable.
Only 17 more weeks and we will be dining there again!

[hoop de do]

Trail's End and Crockett's Tavern.

[kwhitt3202]

For me its Narcoossees I have to eat there every trip. Great food, Great service, and I usually get it timed around wishes and we go out on the balcony and watch it then finish our meal.

[brownie]

Mine is Cape May Cafe for breakfast.

[RockinRollerMom]

Cape May for dinner. A lot of Cape May's so far..... We also love 1900 Pare fare for breakfast.

[Figment78]

Tough one! I think I have several that are our favorites but for your question...

Whispering Canyon Cafe (when we stay at WL, it's usually our first meal, lunch, after arriving. And/or our last meal, breakfast on the day we leave.)
Kona Cafe (same as WCC, but when we stay at Poly)
and maybe Hoop Dee Doo - we've gone to the show several times over our trips to the World, the first few trips, on my honeymoon, on our anniversary, and when we took my in-laws for the first time - there just something about waiting around Fort Wilderness waiting for them to open the doors!)

I'm a bit indecisive... sorry!

[SBETigg]

I feel like that anywhere at the Grand Floridian, but our favorite restaurant is California Grill. We always time our dining around the fireworks. It doesn't matter where we sit because we prefer to view the fireworks from the rooftop observatory.

[chaodj9]

Hey,

I'm just curious as to where everyone's special restaurant is?

You know the one I mean. The one where the second you walk in, you get that wonderful warm feeling and you feel like your home. Where the memories of the incredible times you have spent there just flood your brain as soon as you walk in the door, look around and smell that unique smell that all WDW dining establishments have.

For my family it's Cape May Cafe. Everytime we set foot in there I feel like I have never left. We know the place like the back of our hand, like our own dining room.

Way back when it was just my DRHW and I it was Alfredo's. It was our first ever dining experience on our first ever trip (honeymoon!) back in 1991 so it always held a very special place in our hearts. I can't tell you have sad I was when they shut it down, but that is another story for another day.

So what is your special dining place and why? I would love to hear all about it.

Jay

Well My Favorite Resturaunt is Rainforest Cafe But i think the one that feels like you never left and probably the most special for my family is the Port Orleans Riverside Cottonmill Cafe - just becuase that where we spend the most time eating

[Rhetoric2000]

Kona Cafe, without any doubt at all. A special, special place.

Trail's End is another one.

And Flame Tree BBQ.

[joanna71985]

The special restaurant to me is CRT lunch. I first ate there for my birthday in 2005, and I started a tradition of eating there every year since (except for this year :( ). Another favorite, that I do every year, is CP dinner.

[poohspal]

I would have to say Crystal Palace. I can't imagine a trip without going there for either breakfast or lunch, or both.

Liz

[LibertyTreeGal]

It used to be Liberty Tree Tavern (hence my name) but it has changed too much so now it is Narcoosees or Bomas :)

[PixieMagic]

Ours are Teppan Edo and Rose & Crown....btw what is a DRHW???

[TheMartellFamily]

Ours is Chef Mickeys breakfast. This is how we always start our vacation here. This is the first morning meal before we ever go into any park. It is a tradition. We also enjoy our special meals at O'hanas since the name means family. We enjoy going here with family.

[kathiep]

For us, it definately Crystal Palace breakfast. What a way to start the day. Get into MK prior to the gates opening. Walk down a quiet Main Street. Have a terrific breakfast in a beautiful restaurant. Then leave just as the park is opening and hit some of our favorite attractions before lines can begin.

[swampfox28]

I don't know, but we're looking forward to the Princess breakfast next trip! I'd also like to try Tony's and so many others!

In the past we've really enjoyed the O'hana and Cape May breakfasts, too. Biergarten, while not exactly "homey" was very good and very fun, too.

[Sam&Alex&Josh'sMOM]

Mine will always be Crystal Palace. I will always remember going there with my parents back when it was "cafeteria style" before the character buffets. Somehow it was NEVER busy when we went... and my Mom and Dad always told my sister and I that people think it looks to fancy on the outside to just have regular good food on the inside... It was like OUR SECRET! I felt like royalty going in there at night when it was all lit up...(and then getting to eat a hamburger!) I used to think it was like the White House... (This is funny as I havent really thought of this in YEARS!).. Now, years later we bring our daughters there every trip! We love the buffet with Pooh.

My Dad has not been back to WDW since it has changed, but he always asks if we will be eating there and how it is. It is just a great memory for me...

[lorieandalex]

Every single time we go to Disney, our very first ressie is at Cape May for dinner. We normally have an early flight and not much to eat and then have a great meal there.

[mouseketeer mom]

Ohana's. We are "home" once we arrive for our traditional first night dinner. It is "our" place. Even the singer/entertainer recognizes us now! Our trip wouldn't be complete without Ohana's. We love the vibe, the food, the views, the smells..aaaahhh..

[Camping Mom]

The place that feels like home? Trails End!! We never go, whether passing thru or staying, that we don't eat there. Love it!!

The place I would like my home to look like? Liberty Tree!! I love the Colonial atmosphere. I could sit in there all day!!

[forever a child]

Not sure if it feels like home for us but Hollywood and Vine is our home away from home diner at WDW. :eat:

[elmjimmlm]

I will have to say Chef Mickeys has the best "feeling"...You can't help the great feeling that you feel when you walk in an see Mickey...:mickey:

[diz_girl]

I get such a relaxed feeling when I enter the GF Cafe that I was thinking of making that my choice. But I think that it will have to be a tie between GF Cafe, Crystal Palace and Narcoossee's.

[DisneyOtaku]

Three places come to mind, actually. Kona Cafe, since it's usually the one nice meal we eat, and it's at the Poly, where we always stay. Second, Captain Cook's, for all the fast-food we get when we're hanging out at the Poly pool. Lastly, Casey's in the MK. Getting some food from there makes waiting between the parade and fireworks a wonderful experience!
:thumbsup:

[steamboat willy]

We eat at 'Ohana's, Crystal Palace, Californina Grill, Hoop Dee Doo, Sci-Fi, Flying Fish and

Rain Forest Cafe'..:eat:...

BUT my favorite is Casey's Corner...setting outside by the red strip umbrella's listening to

the Piano Man, watching everyone walk by and gazing up to the wonder of Cinderella' Castle.

No better view in The World! :tink: :smickey: :balloon:

[Marceline]

Let's see....we love Boma, but I know I am really in my happy place when we step into Roaring Forks at the WL. It's the first bite we grab after check-in and the last before we head out on the ME....with so many stops in between. Small, homey, cozy dark wood, stone, right in the belly of the Lodge......I can smell it now. We eat there so often, it feels like home to me. *siiiigh*:cloud9:

[LibertyTreeGal]

What was i thinking? I take my vote back and am changing it to the GF tea room!!!

[Disney Doll]

Hmm. Maybe a toss up between 'Ohana and Boulangerie Patisserie.

We skipped 'Ohana for so many years not realizing what we were missing. Our first visit we caught the fireworks by sheer luck and it was very magical. I also had a feeling we were expecting (we were) and all that talk about family made me feel sappy. So now it holds special meaning for us.

As far as visited so often it feels like home I would have to say the Boulangerie Patisserie in the France pavillion. We eat there at least a couple times each trip. DH and I cannot get enough of those ham and cheese croissants. Such a simple meal, but so delicious. I love sitting out in the little bistro chairs just taking in the atmosphere. And of course we get dessert!

[bruin1344]

For my family it's Cape May Cafe. Everytime we set foot in there I feel like I have never left. We know the place like the back of our hand, like our own dining room.

Jay

:ditto:

[Rhetoric2000]

BUT my favorite is Casey's Corner...setting outside by the red strip umbrella's listening to

the Piano Man, watching everyone walk by and gazing up to the wonder of Cinderella' Castle.


Can't believe I missed that one. Great shout.

[Marceline]

What was i thinking? I take my vote back and am changing it to the GF tea room!!!

Oh my goodness, you certainly are on to something here. :thumbsup: Gardenview Tea Room for the win!!! :D

[MarkC]

I have to throw out a vote for Biergarten. Maybe it's because I'm very social and I have teenage boys who like to eat. However, we all love it and never miss it. There are several others as well but if I had to list just one, it would be Biergarten.

[Septbride2002]

Casey's is what jumped into my mind first - We LOVE it there!

Second would have to be 50's Primetime Cafe - I love the food there and I love the atmosphere.

~Amanda

[jakeybake]

I'm psyched there are so many folks who feel the same way I do about Cape May Cafe. Even though it is quite popular I often feel like it's overlooked.

I guess I stand corrected!

Keep 'em coming!!

Jay

[Belle--86]

oue favorite is LTT-- we always eat here the last night of our trip. IT 'S A TIME WE REFLECT ON THE MEMORIES OF OUR TRIP.:)

[steamboat willy]

Never been to GF Tea Room.....what's up? :confused:

[jenny1976]

Tutto Italia and Grand Floridian Cafe for us! Although also O'Hanna's. We just love the latter one for breakfast and the previous 2 for quiet romantic dinners! LOVE WDW!!!:cloud9:

[DVC2004]

For us it's Ohana. Me and DH walked in back in 2001 (yes, you could just walk in then!) and were treated to such a great meal and friendly service we went back a second time during our trip. It's been a must do every trip since. We love the food and the ambiance and the firewroks. It's very special to our family. And up until then I was a picky eater. I thought I was going to pass out when I saw those legs on the shrimp. LOL. But I tried them anyway and boy was I glad I did.

[PlutoPlanet]

For us it's Boma. The food is different than what we can get at home and always very good. The atmosphere makes us feel like we really are at Disney.

[ThanxForNoticin]

For us it's Boma. The food is different than what we can get at home and always very good. The atmosphere makes us feel like we really are at Disney.

Agree 100%. Boma just has a very special feel and is our favorite - followed closely by 'Ohana.

[PETE FROM NYC]

A few years ago, my answer would have been Tony's for breakfast, but that is no longer a breakfast spot.
Now, I would have to say Crystal Palace for breakfast.
We never do hotel meals, takes away from park time.

[Sneaky Pete]

I think that Liberty Tree Tavern is prolly the closest I have to a special restarant. I love the food but my kids will miss the characters. I also like Whispering Canyon.

[disneyworld55925592]

its the simple colmbia harbor house at MK. We eat lunch there everytime we are in MK!

[Charlee]

For me and my family it is the Crystal Palace. We only ate at CP for the first time in 2007 and now has a very special place in our families hearts and is a must do.
We love the atmosphere, the airiness of the place, the fact that we are eating in the Magic Kingdom and the friendly servers. It is our first morning tradition for a breakfast at CP and then a great day in the Magic Kingdom.
I can't wait for a few years and it will be a big family vacation and all of us able to go to the Crystal Palace.

[Pigtunia]

Ohana's. We are "home" once we arrive for our traditional first night dinner. It is "our" place. Even the singer/entertainer recognizes us now! Our trip wouldn't be complete without Ohana's. We love the vibe, the food, the views, the smells..aaaahhh..

Geeeez! What I was going to say..almost word-for-word!

O'hana sets the mood for the entire trip!:mickey:

[nicster]

I feel so left out, I just haven't gotten attached to any one place yet. Although, we do have ressies for Cape May Cafe on our first evening... maybe the beginning of something wonderful:blush:

[swampfox28]

A few years ago, my answer would have been Tony's for breakfast, but that is no longer a breakfast spot.
Now, I would have to say Crystal Palace for breakfast.
We never do hotel meals, takes away from park time.


EVERYONE says Crystal Palace...!

I'm just not the Winnie the Pooh fan I used to be and my kids aren't, either. DS, 12, would probably eat anywhere (food, right?!), but DD can take or leave Pooh - she's all about princesses.

Do you guys STILL reccomend it that much? Or is it for those die-hard Winnie and Friends' fans?


-Sarah

[FlaTinkRAMESAM]

Ohanas for dinner. Ate there for the first time in December for our Christmas trip our first night there. Amazing... had my huge birthday dinner there in April, and now we are going again Saturday night (again, our first night for this trip). It is so warm and welcoming and happy. :) and yummy!

[dml]

Mine is Ohana's character breakfast. Its my oldest dining memory as a child. My entire family still loves dining there every trip. Our trip is not complete if we don't have breakfast there!

:mickey::mickey:

[Simba's Mom]

Our special "we're at WDW" place is, of all places, Tangerine Cafe sitting at the outdoor portion to the right, nearer the rest rooms. We have to eat there at least once a trip, at around 8:30, then stay sitting there for Illuminations. While it may not be the best, most "up front" spot for seeing Illuminations, not many people go back to that area, so we can see well enough, especially for as many times as we've seen it.
I have to laugh at all the people who said Crystal Palace. Years ago it was my favorite place to eat at WDW, that is, before it became a character meal with a buffet. Back then, it was a cafeteria-much more peaceful at relaxing to eat there.

[hlkeck]

I feel silly posting this, but if we don't eat at Cosmic Ray's at least once a trip - something's not right!

Not the world's greatest food - but it's good, comes in handy at the right time, and we enjoy the talking trash can out front when we can find him!

[artyboy]

For Dinner: Either Artist Point or Citrico's. The staff at both always recognizes us, we love the look and feel of both places and we've had consistently good meals there.

For Lunch: I can't go to WDW without having a long, civilized lunch (with martinis!) at Brown Derby! It makes me feel like I've stepped back in time, and the service and food are always top-notch!

We're be eating at all three in October!!!

[joonyer]

We also go like 'Ohana for dinner, and go there every trip. We really like the food and atmosphere, and although our boys are older now, our regular dinners there bring back special memories form when they were little and had such a great time participating in the coconut races and hula hoop contests.

[Rich Mc]

I must say favorite is Citricos! Food, Service, Room... all great!

[goofball]

Narcoose's is our favorite. We eat there every time we go. I have a bunch of others that I love but I simply can't skip Narcoose's. I always schedule our dinner during Wishes. It is just the most romantic and deleicious place in the World:mickey: IMHO.

[Lillygoose]

I will cast my vote for breakfast at 1900 Park Faire. We have never been disappointed in the food selection and there always seems to be something new to try that we didn't see the last time! It is all good! :mickey:

[cjdami]

Well there are a few....but my fave place to eat is LeCellier in Canada. Their steaks are just totally yummy!
Chef Mickey's is another fave for breakfast!!

But I have to say that DH and I would go to Victoria and Albert's every chance we get! The food, service and ambience is like almost nothing anyplace else we have been!! It's one of our faves!! We just love it! :mickey:

[SallyMcQueen]

Even though we have only been there once, it was the most fun meal we had....Biergarten. It was so relaxed and the music and food and the :beer: were great. This may sound silly, but when I walked into the bathroom it was like stepping back to my childhood. I grew up in Milwaukee and every supper club/restaurant we went to had a bathroom that looked like that. I can't wait to go back!