I am also getting much more relaxed about the ADRs as my kids are older (and more able to be hungry/make informed decisions about what they want to eat) and also as we have tried so many restaurants now.
This is making me rethink our Thanksgiving week trip....
This was a favorite pre-pandemic when my kids were little because they'd spend half of dinner dancing with the oompah band. Are they back to having dancing on the dance floor? we went once in 2021 or 2022 and it was more of a performance and less interactive.
True, one difference is heavy holiday times - I have a few free alerts set up and I get beaten to the ADR.
Here's us - kids are 13 and 9 and developing foodies (although the 9yo does still tend to order pasta at Space 220, still). When they were younger, we would do at least 1 ADR a day because we needed the break: we'd take an afternoon pool break, shower, "dress for dinner" with the girls in princess dresses and adults in dressy wear. Usually after dinner we'd go to bed. Now the kids want to park commando all the time, last 2 years we've closed down MK and EP at EEH, and the grownups need the break! But the kids will often want to do QS or specific food booths now. And because the kids are park commandos, we tend not to go to DS.
I'm helping a family of first timers with little kids plan a trip with ADRs so this is good practice for me...
Our top 3 (on our 7+ day trips, we try to go to all of these):
- California Grill
- Flying Fish
- Topolino's (dinner and/or/and breakfast)
We also try to try at least one NEW (or new in the last 10 years) restaurant. Upcoming (Thanksgiving + birthday) trip we're trying
Shiki Sai and
San Angel Inn, and not going to our top 3, in favor of DD2's birthday.
Other frequent choices:
Character meals:
Artist Point (love the Queen!);
Topolino's breakfast;
Garden Grille;
Crystal Palace;
1900 Park Fare
Epcot:
Le Cellier, Teppan Edo (Biergarten, see above);
Space 220, the
wine cave in Italy*
HS:
Brown Derby (the Cobb salad and grapefruit cake)
MK:
Be our Guest;
Skipper Canteen**
AK:
Tiffins (the whole fish and the butter chicken, and the theming!!),
Tusker House
*we discovered the wine cave 10+ years ago - no reservations, no one really went in. It was dark and cool, it had meat and cheese that DD1 as a toddler would happily eat, and DH and I could enjoy some wines. It was such a calm and peaceful adult place that we were able to bring our kid!
**best cast members (almost a tie with the Queen at Artist Point): we visited when the restaurant had been open a month or so, and I asked our server how long the restaurant had been open and he answered very seriously, pointing at the banner, "since 19.." (whatever it said, 1911? something) I just laughed and he kept a totally straight face.
We also love Victoria & Albert's but that's not an every trip thing LOL. One wedding anniversary and a 50th birthday...
