Which meal is best to start off our trip?

[disneymomma2010]

We just decided to go in September during free dining. :joy: We will be arriving on Saturday probably around 3. We want to eat a table service around 8:00. Where is the best place to kick off our trip? We want new experiences this trip so I'm trying not to eat at any of the places we have been before. Thanks!

[faline]

Without knowing your dining history or where you plan to be on that first day, it's a bit hard to provide some recommendations. Do you want to keep your meal to 1 table service credit or are you prepared to use 2 table service credits?

Some of my favorites include:
Citrico's
Nacoosee's
California Grill
Le Cellier
Kona Cafe
Brown Derby
Jiko
Yachtsman's Steak House

[disneymomma2010]

Ok sorry :blush: here's more info. We have 8 year old boys so we would not eat at most of the two credit places you listed. I am considering one two credit meal, which would be spirit of aloha or cinderellas royal table, most likely crt.

Here is where we have at in the past:
breakfast at Ohana
lunch and dinner at Whispering Canyon
dinner at Boma
dinner at 1900 park fare
dinner at coral reef
lunch at teppan edo
breakfast at Hollywood and vine
50's primetime cafe

[ElenitaB]

Are you planning on going to the parks that afternoon/evening? Which park?

If it were us back when my DS was 8, we probably would have begun at Epcot. Our choice for dining would have been Garden Grill or Teppan Edo (which you already have on your list).

Another place we would hit our first day/night was DHS, and there we would have gone to 50's Prime Time.

If you're not planning on going to a park, how about T-Rex or Raglan Road in Downtown Disney (which for us would include a visit to the Lego Store)?

Have fun planning!

P.S. Your 8 yr old DS's want to go to CRT? It was at 8 we made our last visit there. He was NOT happy and his facial expressions made that very clear in every last picture I took! LOL They might enjoy Hoop-Dee-Doo a bit more.

[disneymomma2010]

Good ideas! I had thought of going to a park (mk or epcot), but just to eat, and then maybe catch the fireworks. We wouldn't have time for much else.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I'd start with Garden Grill. Get started with some good food (and family style, since you'll probably be hungry after travelling), great character interaction and if you make it a bit before 8pm, you could catch Illuminations!

[mydisneygirls]

I would suggest eating a little earlier (say around 6:30) at Crystal Palace and then you could watch the parade and then the fireworks. What a better way to start off your trip. I saw you might do Spirit of Aloha as you 2 TS meal. I would definitely skip that (more for adults I think) and go to Hoop Dee Doo or Mickey's Backyard BBQ. I've enjoyed these much better than CRT and I think your 8 yr old sons would too. I would also check park hours on the night you arrive. MNSSHP is in Sept and the park closes early some nights.

[mgmnut]

We kicked off our last trip at Hoop-Dee-Doo and think it was a great start after a long travel day. MK is just a boat ride away.

[buzznwoodysmom]

Our first night tradition has always been dinner at Ohana's. We check into our resort, explore, swim, then get ready for dinner. We try to arrive early so that we can spend time shopping, walking on the beach at the Poly, and having a drink or two while we wait to be seated. Ohana's is super fun for kids of all ages, and we think the food is wonderful! After dinner we head back to the beach for fireworks and then take our first spin on the monorail. For us our trip hasn't "officially" begun till we do this, and it's become a very special family tradition for us.

[Reedy Creek Buccaneer]

I vote for Jiko. So gooooood!

[FloridaTeacher]

Do Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary for breakfast. It's a great buffet and Character experience. :thumbsup:

[Jillirose]

We like Via Napoli, for pizza and salads. But, when our son was 8, he would have picked SciFi Dinner Theatre hands down. I have a hard time spending a TS on SciFi, so we usually pay and save the TS for a 2TS dinner.

[disneymomma2010]

Our first night tradition has always been dinner at Ohana's. We check into our resort, explore, swim, then get ready for dinner. We try to arrive early so that we can spend time shopping, walking on the beach at the Poly, and having a drink or two while we wait to be seated. Ohana's is super fun for kids of all ages, and we think the food is wonderful! After dinner we head back to the beach for fireworks and then take our first spin on the monorail. For us our trip hasn't "officially" begun till we do this, and it's become a very special family tradition for us.

This sounds very nice. We planned on doing this last year but family joined us last minute so we had to lose our Ohana ressies. I may consider this again, but hubby wants new places and we eat Ohana every year for breakfast. About how many hours before mk wishes do you make your ressies?

[disneymomma2010]

Do Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary for breakfast. It's a great buffet and Character experience. :thumbsup:

We are planning on doing either chef mickeys or cape may cafe for breakfast during one day of our trip.:thumbsup:

[disneymomma2010]

I would suggest eating a little earlier (say around 6:30) at Crystal Palace and then you could watch the parade and then the fireworks. What a better way to start off your trip. I saw you might do Spirit of Aloha as you 2 TS meal. I would definitely skip that (more for adults I think) and go to Hoop Dee Doo or Mickey's Backyard BBQ. I've enjoyed these much better than CRT and I think your 8 yr old sons would too. I would also check park hours on the night you arrive. MNSSHP is in Sept and the park closes early some nights.

Is Mickey's Backyard BBQ on the dining plan? We would eat there but I never see it on the dining plan list. I like your crystal palace idea and thanks for the tip on mnsshp. They dont have scheduele out for it yet but last year they didnt have it during the first week of september, which is when we are going, so maybe we will be ok.

So many possibilities! :crazy: And im so undecicive!

[disneymomma2010]

Are you planning on going to the parks that afternoon/evening? Which park?

If it were us back when my DS was 8, we probably would have begun at Epcot. Our choice for dining would have been Garden Grill or Teppan Edo (which you already have on your list).

Another place we would hit our first day/night was DHS, and there we would have gone to 50's Prime Time.

If you're not planning on going to a park, how about T-Rex or Raglan Road in Downtown Disney (which for us would include a visit to the Lego Store)?

Have fun planning!

P.S. Your 8 yr old DS's want to go to CRT? It was at 8 we made our last visit there. He was NOT happy and his facial expressions made that very clear in every last picture I took! LOL They might enjoy Hoop-Dee-Doo a bit more.

Yes my boys love the castle. They have a toy one that they play with all the time. They said they would like to eat inside of it. I just have to decide if I really want to use two table credits for it. Im just starting the planning of this trip so I haven't made my mind up on anything yet and I'm toying with the possibilities. Ah, planning is half the fun :cloud9:

[disneymomma2010]

One more question.... the food looks great at Ohana for diner, but do they offer anything else for the kids? I don't think my boys would enjoy this family style meal, although dh and I would.

[luvindisney]

We always start our trip out at Ohana!

[tinksmom02]

One more question.... the food looks great at Ohana for diner, but do they offer anything else for the kids? I don't think my boys would enjoy this family style meal, although dh and I would.

Yes! Your server will be happy to provide something else, if your kids don't like the (delicious, delicious) food. My niece and nephew declared the chicken nuggets they had at 'Ohana last year to be the "best ever." ;)

Having said that, I would take this one if you can get it, although, if you want to be seated at 8 and you want a seat by the windows for Wishes, I'd probably get there around 7pm to check in. I think 'Ohana is a great way to kick off a trip! We don't have a traditional first night meal, but we do try to hit 'Ohana for dinner once each trip. It is COMPLETELY different from breakfast, so your husband can rest easy.:mickey:

[joonyer]

I would also recommend 'Ohana for dinner. It's great fun, with the coconut races, hula-hoop contests and the big fire grill, & live music too, our kids love it. A must do for every trip.

[Kairi_7378]

We always start our trip in Epcot. I would eat at one of the WS restaurants, Garden Grill, or Coral Reef. Maybe allow your son to help pick the restaurant for the evening.

[Disney-4-Me]

We just took 2 little boys, aged 5 and 10 to CRT last October. Although they were adamant that they were NOT going to enjoy the princesses, they both ended up doing just that. They posed proudly with their swords when the princesses came around.

Another great way to start your trip would be to go to Chef Mickey's. It's a great way to get into the Disney Party mood. They characters are great and everyone can find something they love to eat!

[Janmac]

For a one TS credit, Ohanas at supper is a fun time. We have done this with kids and I don't remember there being a problem with the food with them. Some of the adults had difficulties. Sometimes adults are pickier than kids.

Anyway, we had one shy kid who had a great time watching the fun and another kid who joined in. Our table was not near a window but we were still able to see the castle changing colors.

Eating at Ohanas at supper is a whole different experience than breakfast. You can have Disney fun without using a park ticket, and then watch either Wishes or the Electrical Boat Parade (my personal favorite for many decades) from the beach.

Great way to start having magical days.

Jan

[buzznwoodysmom]

This sounds very nice. We planned on doing this last year but family joined us last minute so we had to lose our Ohana ressies. I may consider this again, but hubby wants new places and we eat Ohana every year for breakfast. About how many hours before mk wishes do you make your ressies?


Even if you have eaten at Ohana's for breakfast, dinner is very, very different. We often eat at Ohana's for both breakfast and dinner within the same trip and it has never felt repetitive at all. We feel that dinner at Ohana's is a very unique dining experience! I think your family would love it.

My kids have order other items in the past that weren't part of the dinner offerings. They can bring out a big bowl of Mac N Cheese if your kids would like the meats offered, but don't like any of the sides. Just know that if your kids order and only eat a bowl of Mac N Cheese, or a burger, or chicken fingers, you'll still be charged the full Ohana's price for them. At least that has been our experience in the past.

When Wishes is at 9 we usually try to make our reservation around 7, 6:30 at the earliest. But if you have to make your reservation later they do dim the lights and pipe in the Wishes soundtrack during the fireworks. You may even be lucky enough to score a table up at the window and get to view Wishes from your table. There are also lots of tables that aren't right up at the window, but still have a decent view of Wishes, and then there are some tables that can't see it at all. It's just luck of the draw I guess. Either way, if you plan to see Wishes in the park on another day then it's probably not that important that you see if from Ohana's, just an added bonus if you can!:thumbsup:

[LudwigVonDrake]

Dinner at 'Ohana :tasty: :eat:

[FiggyFan]

Here is something to think about: How about spending the first evening on the Boardwalk? For kid friendly food, there is the EPSN club, or if you are seafood lovers, the buffet at Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club resort. There are many other choices in the area, including several choices on the Boardwalk, and the restaurants at Yacht Club, Dolphin, and Swan resorts are a short walk away. You can watch the fireworks of Illuminations - our favorite viewing place is the bridge closest to the Dolphin and Swan, preferably with an ice cream from Seashore Sweets in hand. There are street performers putting on interactive (audience participation) shows.

This would be a relaxing way to unwind and stretch your legs after a day of travel.

I will say that this would appeal to me more if I was driving. By the time you get done, both Epcot and the Studios will be closed, and getting back to your resort will probably require two busses, with a transfer at Downtown Disney.

[KatrinaJ91]

Yes my boys love the castle. They have a toy one that they play with all the time. They said they would like to eat inside of it. I just have to decide if I really want to use two table credits for it. Im just starting the planning of this trip so I haven't made my mind up on anything yet and I'm toying with the possibilities. Ah, planning is half the fun :cloud9:


This should be a no-brainer...it will definitely be worth it if your boys would be excited about eating inside the castle! This is what Disney is all about...the food is great there, the atmosphere amazing and your boys excitement will be the best memory of all!

[mydisneygirls]

Is Mickey's Backyard BBQ on the dining plan? We would eat there but I never see it on the dining plan list. I like your crystal palace idea and thanks for the tip on mnsshp. They dont have scheduele out for it yet but last year they didnt have it during the first week of september, which is when we are going, so maybe we will be ok.

So many possibilities! :crazy: And im so undecicive!

Yes, Mickey's Backyard BBQ is on the DP. It is a 2 TS credit. The calendar shows They have it on Thursdays and Saturdays for the first 2 weeks in Sept.

[dizneydeb22]

This should be a no-brainer...it will definitely be worth it if your boys would be excited about eating inside the castle! This is what Disney is all about...the food is great there, the atmosphere amazing and your boys excitement will be the best memory of all!

I would have to agree! What better way to start a Disney World vacation, than inside the Castle!

If this is not possible, my second choice would be O'Hana. As OP have said, breakfast and dinner are totally different experiences!

No matter how you start your vacation, I hope you have magical time...sending much pixie dust your way! :tink:

[disneymomma2010]

Thanks everyone! :thumbsup: I checked the ressie options for Ohana and there was only one left available! So I booked it! Got 8:15 but I wanted 7:00. Looks like we will miss the EWP.:( But at least we got a ressie! Thanks again! Everyone was very helpful!

[buzznwoodysmom]

Thanks everyone! :thumbsup: I checked the ressie options for Ohana and there was only one left available! So I booked it! Got 8:15 but I wanted 7:00. Looks like we will miss the EWP.:( But at least we got a ressie! Thanks again! Everyone was very helpful!

Excellent!!!

Maybe you'll be sprinkled with "pixie dust" and get a table near the window. I believe you can see the EWP from the window seats, as well as Wishes. Good luck, and I hope your family enjoys Ohana's as much as mine does.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Ohana for dinner:mickey:

[cer]

Thanks everyone! :thumbsup: I checked the ressie options for Ohana and there was only one left available! So I booked it! Got 8:15 but I wanted 7:00. Looks like we will miss the EWP.:( But at least we got a ressie! Thanks again! Everyone was very helpful!

Excellent choice. That's exactly what I would do!

[TexansInNY]

We always eat at Chef Mickey's the first night. I love seeing all the pictures with the plate from over the years!

[olivegirl]

For us its OHANA!!! Every year we dine here for dinner and truly love everything about this place! The food is woderful, the servers very nice and overall the atmosphere is great!! Never been disappointed!! :thumbsup: