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New One - 1st Timer :)

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Wed, 12/30/2009 - 15:59
Annie
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Joined: 06/20/2008
Posts: 1610

mrhub wrote:
My DW just called on Sunday morning for our family trip in June and made all our ADR's. We actually got everything we wanted which surprised me for June figuring that would be one of the busiest times of the year.

clapping Yay! Would love to hear where you're eating (I love Disney food...)

Wed, 12/30/2009 - 16:06
Natalie
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Joined: 12/17/2009
Posts: 23

caitiesus wrote:
Natalie - what are you thinking about for food? My husband and I use the dining plan regularly and we LOVE it - it saves us a ton of money...but it has to be used right to save the money.

What kind of food do you like? I am sure we would all be happy to help so you can have a list when you call in for dining reservations!

Wed, 12/30/2009 - 16:16
Natalie
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Posts: 23

caitiesus wrote:
Natalie - what are you thinking about for food? My husband and I use the dining plan regularly and we LOVE it - it saves us a ton of money...but it has to be used right to save the money.

What kind of food do you like? I am sure we would all be happy to help so you can have a list when you call in for dining reservations!



Hi Caitiesus,

I am a bit of a foodie, but my husband will just about eat anything. We love nice and ellegant sit down dinners, but can also appreciate good and healthy on the go food. We'll be looking to pick up something quick for lunch and for most nights we'll have a good sit down dinner. Good seafood is probably our favorite including sushi. We also appreciate a good steak once and awhile. We appreciate any ethnic food with Thai and Vietnamese being our favorites recently. I think mainly we just want to avoid the hotdog and hamburger places. I have to say once we are pooped after a long day, a room service pizza sounds grand. Deli sandwiches are great for lunches. Eating out and trying new things are our favorite things to do.

I think we'll opt for the meal plan unless this $750 giftcard deal works out for us. We'll probably only spend money on park tickets and food, so we may opt to use the $750 towards food. It would help cut down the cost of our trip.
Wed, 12/30/2009 - 16:23
Annie
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Joined: 06/20/2008
Posts: 1610

Great idea to use the gift card for food. mickey

And we do love talking about Disney food, so I can't wait to hear the responses you get here Smile

As for sushi -- Tokyo Dining in Epcot's Japan is supposed to be quite good (easier to get in without an ADR), as well as California Grill at the Contemporary (ADR needed far in advance) and the Kona Island Sushi Bar at the Polynesian Resort (no ADR needed...or even taken, I think).

For steak, we love Yachtsman Steakhouse (at the Yacht Club Resort) and Le Cellier (at Epcot -- very hard to get an ADR), but I've also heard great things about the steak at Jiko (Animal Kingdom Lodge) and Shula's (at the Dolphin Resort).

Wed, 12/30/2009 - 16:35
Vettelover
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Joined: 03/28/2009
Posts: 4658

Natalie, I would have to agree with Annie about the steaks at Shula's, to me they are the best on Disney property, although a tad on the expensive side but worth it. As far as seafood goes, one of the best but often overlooked is The Flying Fish on the Boardwalk, I have to say a very delightful place. awesome

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Wed, 12/30/2009 - 16:47
Natalie
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Joined: 12/17/2009
Posts: 23

mrhub wrote:
My DW just called on Sunday morning for our family trip in June and made all our ADR's. We actually got everything we wanted which surprised me for June figuring that would be one of the busiest times of the year.


Yay! cool I hope we are as lucky in April.

Wed, 12/30/2009 - 16:50
Natalie
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Joined: 12/17/2009
Posts: 23

Annie wrote:
Great idea to use the gift card for food. mickey

And we do love talking about Disney food, so I can't wait to hear the responses you get here Smile

As for sushi -- Tokyo Dining in Epcot's Japan is supposed to be quite good (easier to get in without an ADR), as well as California Grill at the Contemporary (ADR needed far in advance) and the Kona Island Sushi Bar at the Polynesian Resort (no ADR needed...or even taken, I think).

For steak, we love Yachtsman Steakhouse (at the Yacht Club Resort) and Le Cellier (at Epcot -- very hard to get an ADR), but I've also heard great things about the steak at Jiko (Animal Kingdom Lodge) and Shula's (at the Dolphin Resort).



Thanks Annie and Vettelover! Wonder if it's possible to make dinner reservations now even though we don't have our room, tickets, etc locked in yet. It sounds like we may need to lock in early. I think we have a Shula's in town if it's a chain. Any advice on quick eats?
Wed, 12/30/2009 - 17:32
Natalie
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Joined: 12/17/2009
Posts: 23

I'm really enjoying this blog about restaurants http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/the-best-restaurants-series/.

Thu, 12/31/2009 - 03:32
MrHub
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Joined: 10/29/2009
Posts: 9504

Natalie,
You should be under the 180 day mark do you can book reservations, The more expensive places will require a credit card to hold the reservation and some you have to pay for ahead of time like Cinderella's Royal Table. Also, i would not recommend getting the room sevice pizza, did that once and will never do it again! All I can say is "Blaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Annie,
Well our January trip (23 days away, Hurray!),some of the breakfast meals include:, Kona Cafe', Tusker house, Cape May Cafe', 1900 Park Fare, Prime time Cafe and we will probably do the Rail Forest. (Crystal Palace closed while we are there).
Dinners include/; Le Cellier Steakhouse, Brown Derby, California Grille, Ohana's, & the Plaza Restaurant. That's not all, but its a start.

Sat, 01/02/2010 - 03:13
caitiesus
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Joined: 03/11/2009
Posts: 682

Food is one of our favorite topics here! If you are looking for good steak, there is a restaurant at the Contemporary called The Wave.

Some people aren't big fans of the restaurant...but the steak I had there was the second best steak I have ever had in a restaurant (only below Ruth's Chris!). It was their beef tenderloin and the entire meal was delicious!

If you are willing to try new things, Boma is another great choice - African buffet so you can try a little bit of everything.

In Epcot most things are really good. I have heard the Italian restaurant is over priced and the CHinese is very eh...but almost everything in World Showcase is awesome!

Here is a site with the menus for every restaurant in Disney World -http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm. If you have any questions we would all be happy to help you out!

Sat, 01/02/2010 - 08:39
Annie
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Joined: 06/20/2008
Posts: 1610

Natalie wrote:
Annie wrote:
Great idea to use the gift card for food. mickey

And we do love talking about Disney food, so I can't wait to hear the responses you get here Smile

As for sushi -- Tokyo Dining in Epcot's Japan is supposed to be quite good (easier to get in without an ADR), as well as California Grill at the Contemporary (ADR needed far in advance) and the Kona Island Sushi Bar at the Polynesian Resort (no ADR needed...or even taken, I think).

For steak, we love Yachtsman Steakhouse (at the Yacht Club Resort) and Le Cellier (at Epcot -- very hard to get an ADR), but I've also heard great things about the steak at Jiko (Animal Kingdom Lodge) and Shula's (at the Dolphin Resort).



Thanks Annie and Vettelover! Wonder if it's possible to make dinner reservations now even though we don't have our room, tickets, etc locked in yet. It sounds like we may need to lock in early. I think we have a Shula's in town if it's a chain. Any advice on quick eats?

You can make reservations 180 days in advance of your trip (as was mentioned), whether or not you have hotel/tickets/etc. Anyone can make restaurant reservations, even if they're local or staying off-site, so no need to have a reservation. awesome

Reminder, too, that you can make reservations by calling 407-WDW-Dine or booking online: just click on a restaurant you like (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/restaurants/) and go to the "book online" link on the right hand side.

Disney Food Blog (I love that site, too!) has a good primer with screen shots of the process: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2009/06/16/online-dining-reservations-launched-at-disney-world/

Sat, 01/02/2010 - 08:41
Annie
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Joined: 06/20/2008
Posts: 1610

mrhub wrote:
Also, i would not recommend getting the room sevice pizza, did that once and will never do it again! All I can say is "Blaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Annie,
Well our January trip (23 days away, Hurray!),some of the breakfast meals include:, Kona Cafe', Tusker house, Cape May Cafe', 1900 Park Fare, Prime time Cafe and we will probably do the Rail Forest. (Crystal Palace closed while we are there).
Dinners include/; Le Cellier Steakhouse, Brown Derby, California Grille, Ohana's, & the Plaza Restaurant. That's not all, but its a start.

Room service pizza = gross!

Your restaurants sound awesome, MrHub! Will you tell us how you like the Plaza? I've never been.

Mon, 01/04/2010 - 19:37
Natalie
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Joined: 12/17/2009
Posts: 23

Ok, ok no room service pizza for me yuck !!! I'll have to get creative for those late night munchies.

Due to the excellent recommendations here's what I have reserved so far: California Grill, Coral Reef, Le Cellier, and Flying Fish. We're going to lock in our hotel reservations probably around the end of Jan or first of Feb. Once we do that, I'll look into booking Victoria & Albert's. Is it a must do? We have a 5 star, 5 diamond restaurant/resort here and the restaurant wasn't extremely impressive from a cost to food perspective. It looks beautiful online and we are both foodies, so if it's excellent in your opinions we'll give it a shot!

Since we'll be broke after these places, do you all have any lower cost favorites for our remaining two nights, especially ones that are fairly easy to get into w/o an ADR? It would be nice to have some flexibility worked in. We pretty much like all kinds of food and trying new things. We just want to avoid the usual hotdog and hamburger spots...maybe wink

Thanks again for all of the recommendations!! My stomach is growling just thinking about it.

Mon, 01/04/2010 - 21:15
MrHub
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Joined: 10/29/2009
Posts: 9504

Oh Annie, the Plaza resaurant is great. We have never had a bad mean there! Their Angus Chuck Cheeseburger is awesome! But pretty much everything is, and we usually don't get ADR's for there. We just try to hit them off peak and the wait is usually only 15 minutes or so. Check out their menu:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=150

The place is small and fills up quick when busy, and they only have sandwiches and one salad, but theres ice cream for dessert!

Natalie, this would be a good choice for you too, but it can get full quick, but it always one to check out. Alot of people overlook it!. Also the Kona Cafe' in the Poly is a really good place to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner. We usually have reservations, but I have never seen the place full!
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=188

Tue, 01/05/2010 - 14:30
SpaceAce
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Joined: 07/06/2008
Posts: 2532

Natalie -- reading through some previous posts, we've got mixed reviews around here on V&As. Most of the members who have tried it absolutely love it. But there are several members who have determined that the cost is just too steep for the return, and therefore won't book the restaurant. Just an observation.

Also, for less-expensive good eats, I agree that Kona Cafe is a good choice. The breakfast "Tonga toast" is a particular favorite. Also, there's Trail's End over at Fort Wilderness. It's an inexpensive buffet, but gives you the chance to explore the grounds over there, which is always fun.

For quick-service dining that isn't burgers and fries, I always recommend Wolfgang Puck Express and Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney, as well as Flametree Barbecue in Animal Kingdom. Tangierine Cafe in Epcot's Morocco is well-liked, too.

I'll keep thinking...

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Mon, 03/08/2010 - 19:40
LeCellierBuff1963
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Joined: 08/30/2008
Posts: 529

Hi again, Natalie!

Happy New Year! Wink Since your trip is in April, 2010, I have time to reply to your December 28, 2009 reply to my original post of December 25, 2009. I might as well remember dates because I neither eat them nor go out on them. For relatively inexpensive good eats, many good suggestions have been posted.

I like Trails End Buffeteria which by Disney standards is a great bargain. To get there without a car, you generally take a vehicle (bus, monorail or boat) to the Magic Kingdom and take a boat from there to Fort Wilderness. In general, for sit-down restaurants, you can't beat Epcot's World Showcase. As previously stated, Italy's Tutto Italia is very good but overpriced even for lunch, though it is easy to get in without an ADR. Ditto Morocco's Restaurant Marrakesh, an underrated gem of a restaurant located in a re-creation of a sultan's palace. Your husband would like the belly dancer at dinnertime.

Jim

Tue, 03/09/2010 - 05:20
SpaceAce
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Posts: 2532

LeCellierBuff1963 wrote:
Hi again, Natalie!

Happy New Year! Wink Since your trip is in April, 2010, I have time to reply to your December 28, 2009 reply to my original post of December 25, 2009. I might as well remember dates because I neither eat them nor go out on them. For relatively inexpensive good eats, many good suggestions have been posted.

I like Trails End Buffeteria which by Disney standards is a great bargain. To get there without a car, you generally take a vehicle (bus, monorail or boat) to the Magic Kingdom and take a boat from there to Fort Wilderness. In general, for sit-down restaurants, you can't beat Epcot's World Showcase. As previously stated, Italy's Tutto Italia is very good but overpriced even for lunch, though it is easy to get in without an ADR. Ditto Morocco's Restaurant Marrakesh, an underrated gem of a restaurant located in a re-creation of a sultan's palace. Your husband would like the belly dancer at dinnertime.

Jim

Hey Jim! Great suggestions. PSCAlculator has a good Trail's End review up this month: http://pscalculator.net/psreview_057.shtml

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2007 Wilderness Lodge
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