Your favourite Disney restaurants please!

[PoptartPoptart]

Please tell me your favourite Disney restaurants!
We are off to Florida August 2017 for a much anticipated holiday of a lifetime with the kids (both boys 11 & 13). The last time I went was over 18 years ago so obviously a lot has changed since then!
We have the basic meal plan included in our package, but we want to book some special restaurants while we're there, even if it means they are not covered by the plan and we have to pay for them. We will also be celebrating 2 birthdays while we're there - my 40th (eek!) and DS's 12th birthday.
So far on the list we have Coral Reef at Epcot, Character breakfast at the Contemporary hotel, Be Our Guest in the Magic Kingdom and TRex at Disney Springs.
I also want to venture out of the resort and go to Denny's!
Any recommendations on your favourite places to eat please!

The Cheesecake Factory at mall at the Millenia

Longhorns steak house!

Tuskers at animal kingdom

We went to be our guest for the the first time on our most recent visit and I have to say I wasn't that impressed.... Crystal palace with pooh and friends was much nicer.

Trattoria al forno on the boardwalk and then a lot of the restaurants around the lake at epcot - French, Japanese were good. I also like hard rock at the village. Not to everyones taste but outside I liked Applebys.

Oh yes cheesecake factory was lovely

Sci fi diner at Hollywood studios

Le cellier and octoberfest at Epcot

Ooh also texas roadhouse (also outside) is brill. Great steaks and very quirky. Definitely don't go there if anyone has a nut allergy! Peanuts everywhere.

We've been to both the T-Rex and the Rainforest cafe at downtown Disney and both were good for the atmosphere and novelty factor. We also did Planet Hollywood last summer at Downtown Disney which was awful. Really bad food an service. We had to wait almost 2 hours for our table as they'd overbooked a huge party. For breakfast either the IHOP or Cracker Barrel do really good pancakes. I can't wait to go back! 30 days and counting!! Have a fantastic holiday!

You'll have to book on the day the listings open to get Be Our Guest. Make sure you are up and ready to hit the button.

We really like:

Sanaa at the Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village
Mama Melroses in Hollywood Studios
The Whispering Canyon Cafe at Fort Wilderness (make sure to ask for the ketchup and don't tell the DCs what is about to happen...)
Yak and Yeti in the Animal Kingdom
Turf Club at Saratoga (very quiet and out of the way but the food is always nice and if you eat on the terrace its really peaceful. You can then wander across the river to Downtown Disney when you've eaten.)
T Rex is cool but is just the same as the rainforest cafe. You're there for the animatronics and not for the food.

We've eaten at most of the restaurants at disney over the years. It really depends on what you want. If you're after characters you'd go for different places but with 11 and 13 these are good options but not too pricey. There are some very expensive restaurants at disney.

I would recommend the dining plan which includes table service. It would feel very rushed eating in quick service places for the whole holiday. The best quick service IMO is the Yak and Yeti Local. The Moroccan place at epcot is also good (in fact Epcot is generally the best place to head if you're on quick service meals)

The only place I wouldn't recommend is the Sci Fi Drive In. Dark, souless, you have your back to two of your group and I really pity the people who have to work there and watch the same set of film clips on a 20 minute loop time after time after time....

Golden Corral for an amazing buffet breakfast!!

Oh, forgot 'Ohana at the Polynesian. The food is amazing (and never ending) and the kids do coconut races around the restaurant.

Teppan edo in japan in Epcot - great fun as they cook the food in front of you
Quick service - I second yak &yeti, also sunshine seasons in epcot - both great non-burger restaurants.
You also need to go to beaches & cream at the beach club hotel to have a kitchen sink

Wow, thanks everyone for your recommendations, some great ideas that I'll look into. Please keep them coming!

Also recommend The Cheesecake Factory and Longhorns. We were pretty underwhelmed with Be Our Guest - we had dinner so got to meet The Beast but other than that, it was nothing special.

Breakfast at Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom is a huge buffet and is really good. Expensive but lots of characters came through and we were stuffed enough to not eat again until dinner.

If your on FB search for Disney Foodies. Lots of reviews and photos of food from the parks.
Currently planning our trip in August.

Teppan Edo is fantastic, Crystal Palace for breakfast on your first full day, Rainforest Cafe and T Rex are great dining experiences.

Mama Melrose was delicious.

Outside the parks: Bahama Breeze, Longhorn Steakhouse and Dennys for breakfast!

Sci fi dine in was my sons favourite, although I agree it's a weird seating situation!

Coral reef, liberty tree tavern, t-rex (ask to be seated in the ice cave), rainforest cafe at animal kingdom, house of blues, hoop De doo revue, probably loads more- however we don't do character meals so can't comment on them!

If you are going to universal at all then Mythos is really good, regularly voted best theme park restaurant.

Loads of good places at Disney Springs, Ghiradelli for dessert is a good pick. We also like House of Blues

Oh yes Mythos is good

We are off in 10 days so also been researching - have a look on the Orlando trip advisor site as there's pages of info there- there are obviously some favourites as many are suggested repeatedly by different people

Dd loved Be Our Guest - was always her favourite film when small so when we went this year it was our number one adr. She's 14 now but was in heaven eating lunch in the west wing!

Other favourites:

Tusker house at Animal Kingdom - character breakfast

50s Cafe at Hollywood Studios - they are all in character and tell you off for not eating veg, elbows on table etc. DD has always loved it.

Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom for a character lunch.

Sci Fi diner at Holllywood Studios - book ADR to sit in a car.

Tapenyaki at Epcot's Japan

Also at Epcot - France, Chinese, Italian and Mexican (it's very dark inside though)

Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom too

We go again next February and will have a dining plan for first time. However as we are going to US too we will have spare meal vouchers. Taking dd's friend who's never been. They are hoping for:

Cinderella's Table if at all possible - to see Belle! Never been before so will be looking first thing 180 days in advance!

Be Our Guest (again)

O'Hoano - breakfast with Stitch at one of the hotels

50's Cafe again I think at Hollywood Studios

Not sure at Epcot - maybe try for the princess meal perhaps or a character meal with Chip and Dale, although I did love the Japanese tapenyaki too.

Not quite decided at Animal Kingdom either - maybe Tusker House again for their huge breakfast or perhaps the sit down one over near the Everest ride.

At Universal, Dd always wants to eat in the Harry Potter places.
In city walk we normally go to Bubba Gump and Hard Rick Cafe. Though there's a new chocolate themed one just opened/opening.

We are only having the dining plan as it was free with our hotel booking as decided to stay at a Disney hotel when we take dd and her friend. Also thought it was a good way for her friends parents to budget - don't need to take spending money for food as have a quick service and a table service meal, plus two snacks each day and a regular resort mug. We will just cover US days and anything extra such as drinks in the parks.

Hula baby

Cinderella was not as difficult to get as it's made out. We are going July school holidays and it was still available 2 weeks after my 180 day window opened. BOG was available a month after!

I got BOG on first day I was able last time. But wasn't able to make any chances to the time thereafter and wasn't able to choose a time much initially. So glad it's easing!

Good news re Cinderella's Table too :)

Rainforest cafe at Animal Kingdom. But take cardigans as the air con is fierce.