Favorite place for PS?

[MissMagnolia]

Where would you consider a MUST for PS during your visit to WDW? My DH and I will be going Jan. 10-17th with our 8-month-old DD, 3-1/2-year-old DS, MIL, and friends with their 3-1/2-year-old DS.

We have PS for the Crystal Palace lunch the day we are at MK. Any other good suggestions? We will have rental cars, so going from place to place won't really be a time issue.

Thanks!

 

[Terk-1]

Magic Kingdom:
1. Crystal Palace (characters)
2. Cinderella's Royal Table (breakfast is characters)
3. Liberty Tree Tavern (dinner is characters)

EPCOT:
1. Garden Grill (characters)
2. Le Cellier
3. Rose & Crown

MGM:
1. 50's Primetime Cafe

Resorts:
1. Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club
2. 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian (characters)
3. Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge
4. O'Hana's at the Polynesian
5. Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary (breakfast is good, dinner is awful)

 

[tci1212]

Chef Mickeys is our #1. We always book that for the 1st day there. It has so much Disney fun,the kids love it.

 

[2minny]

We've been to 1900 Park fare and Cinderella's Royal table. Both were great (food at 1900 was better). This time we're trying Princess Storybook breakfast at Epcot, however the ice cream social at Epcot sounds fun too.

 

[MissMagnolia]

What is the ice cream social at Epcot?

 

[gopherit]

We have 3 kids and have "done Disney Dining" with everything from an 8 month old to a now 8 yr old (our ds are 8 and 7 now; dd is 3). Our favorites, in no specific order: Chef Mickey, Garden Grille, Sci-Fi (our kids think the atmosphere is too cool and were mesmerized -- however, some folk's kids didn't like it), Prime TIme, Teppanyaki (my 8 mos old dd loved this, and so did my boys -- then 4 and 5). The kids enjoyed the view at Coral Reef (but dh and I thought the food was overpriced, even by Disney stds). Pooh is generally well regarded by kids your children's ages -- I would go for Park Fare or Crystal (when my kids were that age, WL had a Pooh Bear b'fast and so did OKW, but that's not there anymore, I don't think). DD loved Storybook B'fast in Norway; not sure, though, what a 3 yr old boy might think! I know MY boys were not inclined to attend! (Princesses! Ewww! Yuck!)

One thing we found is that our kids generally did not eat much at the character b'fasts. If you don't have to pay for them (such as with an infant), it's no big deal. But when you do.... well, DH and I found that b'fast was too important to have them hyped up on atmosphere (and letting $15 pancakes go cold... what can you do with them? And who wants to carry a cold pancake in a doggy bag through the park? Wasted.) So we began doing fewer b'fasts and more lunches or dinners. We ate b'fast in the room (my kids are pretty hungry when they wake up, and it's hard to tell them to "hold it" until we can arrive at a b'fast, unless it's pretty nearby! We also stay in the DVC rooms, so we have a full kitchen -- that helps a LOT.) We find we increasingly get more bang per buck out of the character dinners. I realize someone else posted they thought CM's was gross, but our crew of 8 (BIL and SIL and their 3 yr old) LOVED it. And at dinner, EVERYBODY was hungry, and more inclined to sit and rest instead of being tigger-ish and bouncy! ANother tip -- if you do a buffet meal, try to get an early seating. The food will be fresh and ready, and the wait staff, I think, more accommodating! It has never failed yet for us, in any case!

Hope this helps -- enjoy your trip!