If I'm talking about our trip, I've probably got this backwards. I'm meant to hype up the hotel first, tell you how we're getting there, what we're planning on doing, and oh yeah, where we plan on dining as an afterthought.
Who am I kidding? We'll get to the good stuff first.
ADRs (Advanced Dining Reservations) have been made for the following places:
Breakfast at Kona Cafe
Why? Did you not SEE the Big Kahuna in the previous post? This is our absolute favourite place for breakfast in Disney World, located at the Polynesian Resort, and where we hosted our Newlyweds Breakfast the morning after our wedding.
I'm not a breakfast girl at all. In fact, I'll let you in on a secret - I never eat breakfast at home. I only ever seem to eat breakfast on vacation, and only sometimes. I wish I could eat this everyday though. It's a big plate of sausages, bacon, ham, breakfast potatoes, eggs your way, french toast and the most amazing pineapple macadamia pancakes. A serious case of eyes bigger than stomach syndrome as I can never finish it, but it sets you up for a day at the Magic Kingdom
Lunch at Via Napoli
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| (c) Disney |
Why? This is a new pizzeria that's just opened in the Italy pavilion in Epcot. We haven't had the opportunity to try it yet, but have heard nothing but great things about it. It was a toss up between here and Tutto Italia, the pavilion's Italian restaurant, which we also haven't tried.
Lunch at Yak & Yeti
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| (c) thedisneytraveller |
Why? This place has been open in Animal Kingdom since 2007, and we actually made a reservation to eat there in 2008 but I had too much time to think about it and ended up cancelling. Reading a couple of newer dining reports piqued my interest again enough to make another reservation: it was the green bean fries. I absolutely adore green beans, and although not the healthiest snack in the world, TGI Fridays in the US coat them in breadcrumbs and deep fry them. I've since discovered these are on the menu in Yak & Yeti too - perfect!
I've been wanting to try the cream cheese wontons as a dessert for ages, and Mr E fancies the chicken wings, so it's back on the list for now!
Lunch at Sci-Fi Dine In Theater
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| (c) Disney |
Why? This is one of our old favourites! We had lunch on our first trip in 2007 and whilst Mr E ended up loving it, I actually wasn't that keen. When we were planning our 2008 trip, Mr E made a request for a return visit and I was persuaded by a few Disney fans that you need to stick to the basics here (burgers and shakes). This has been a definite favourite ever since! The burgers are amazing, and cooked to your preference (medium here!) and the thick shakes and lovely and filling.
Dinner at California Grill
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| (c) The Affordable Mouse |
Why? We first had a stunning meal here in 2008, but this restaurant was made very special to us last year, when we held our wedding reception in one of the private rooms (cocktail hour in the Sonoma Room, reception in the Napa Room). I may be biased, but it was the best wedding food I've ever had! The filet steak with teriyaki sauce here is to die for, and the pork medallions with the goat cheese polenta are just melt in your both - both entrees we had on our wedding day. Despite not being able to secure a decent reservation time with a month's notice (we got 9.30pm), this will be a great early anniversary dinner.
Dinner at Trail's End Restaurant
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| (c) Disney |
Why? We're not huge buffet people, but I do like it when I find a good one. We've been assured that Trail's End is a hidden gem in Disney World - it's certainly not the California Grill, but worth a visit. It's the cheapest of the buffets in Disney at $22.99 a dinner, and one of the only ones that doesn't offer a character meal. The fare is fried chicken, chilli, ribs - what's not to like?
Dinner at Raglan Road
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| (c) Attractions Magazine |
Why? We've actually eaten at Raglan Road 3 times. The first in 2007, we absolutely loved it. The second in 2008, we were underwhelmed. The third, in 2010, was an accident. We'd booked T-Rex for our group and they couldn't accommodate an extra 2 on our reservation, so I switched the whole group to Raglan Road. It was a great meal! Since we were in a larger group, I was able to share the Smokie City (haddock, potatoes, cream, cheese) appetizer with someone, since Mr E doesn't care for fish - it was amazing! I followed it with my usual It's Not Bleedin' Chowder, but I think that may have been too much seafood and cream even for me. I might have the Smokie City as my main next time!
Dinner at 50s Prime Time Cafe
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(c) Disney
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Why? Another of our favourites. We cancelled at the last minute in 2010 due to a late lunch, but looking forward to heading back. The pot roast is superb, and the PB&J milkshake, although sounding disgusting, is lovely!
Lunch at Le Cellier
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| (c) Disney |
Why? We've had dinner here once, and had lunch 3 or 4 times. We actually prefer lunch to dinner since it's a bit quieter, nice to get out of the heat, easier to get a reservation, and a bit cheaper. It seems that's about to change since Disney have made the Dinner a 2 TS credit meal on the Dining Plan, whilst the lunch remains at 1 TS Credit. The cheddar cheese soup here is lovely (remember to dip your pretzel bread!) and the signature mushroom filet is worth the hype. The chocolate moose is a cute (and delicious!) dessert.
In addition to all these ADRs, we're looking forward to winging the rest. Even though that might seem like a lot, it's a 14 night trip and we usually have at least a reservation a day, so it's less than we usually have. We're hoping to eat at Beaches and Cream one night, and maybe squeeze in a visit to Sanaa on another.
