Restaurants - Resort Restaurant or Off Site

[Wendy]

We are finding that we tend to eat less and less at the restaurants on Disney property, we will have snacks and the odd counter service meal, but on the last visit we didn't have a meal at a Resort restaurant at all.

We have our favourites, the Cheesecake Factory, Longhorn, Charleys, Columbia, Villa de Flora at Gaylord Palms all of which are off site. I think the only restaurant I would probably go to now would be the Yachtsman and that would only be if Ricardo was there.

Do you prefer to eat at Disney Restaurants, are you like us and eat off site or do you combine the two?

[uscwest]

Donna and I still enjoy dining at the Disney restaurants, especially the signature ones. Of course we have our favorites where we go almost every time such as JIKO and Yachtsman. We always give Ricky a heads up that we are coming so that we make our ADR when we know he is there. If he is on vacation we normally choose a different restaurant.

[robertcraig]

I like to try different resturants each year. I always go to RAGLAN ROADAND off site I sometimes go to PERKINS for breakfast

[Slowhand]

We only tend to eat on site when we are actually staying on Disney property....apart from the first and last nights of our vacation when it has now become a ritual to dine at the YSH so that we can say "Hello" and "Goodbye" to Ricardo.

At least when we eat off site, we don`t have to plan 180 days ahead!!!

[Keith]

We've almost completely abandoned Disney restaurants for offsite ones.

As I sit here trying to think of a must do Disney restaurant now, I can't.

In a way, it's a bit depressing, I used to love wandering round EPCOT nipping into le cellier for a nice evening meal. California grill, yachtsmans and so on. They just got too expensive for the experience and quality of food/service v offsite.

Of course, the dining plan hasn't helped. There's no last minute walk in to most nice restaurants now and I really feel that some of the restaurants have changed the menu according to what they're willing to "give away" on the plan. ie. portions down, more expensive ingredients swapped so that the whole menu is still workable on the dining plan credits.

California Grill the other night, $175 for the two of us albeit really nice table and view of the fireworks. Charleys a few nights later $95 down to $70 with one of their almost always available $25 off coupons. Sorry to say but the food was much better at Charleys.

Disney have a captive audience and it's working out great for them but I'm very glad we were persuaded to hire a car and thus are able to dine offsite nowadays.

[Slowhand]

Well put Keith, those are my sentiments entirely.

As you say, having a car enables you to have some great meals at a fraction of the cost that you would pay on site.

[Wendy]

......................... but I'm very glad we were persuaded to hire a car and thus are able to dine offsite nowadays.

Oh can I say it, can I, can I.............I'm going to anyway......................We told you so!!

[Dawn]

More and more offsite now.

In fact next trip we're planning one character meal and a last night dinner on site. Everything else will be snacks or offsite or eating at the villa.

Stupid dining plan has ruined it all.

[Watchinherskip]

Think you are spot on with the demise caused by the dining plan. In general, it seems like it was much better service all ways round in our first trips to the park in the late 1980's.

But that said, we always eat in the park. We have enough chains where we live that going out on Idrive doesn't thrill me at all.

We do love to sneak away a bit....we found Olivia's in OKW to be a nice place.

[disney-fan]

Wow good question we go to Disney 3 to 4 times a year . Two trips ago we decided to try all different restaurants
off property so we would not eat same type of meal twice . We do like trails end in Fort wilderness and we always
ate at Chief Mickeys but over the last few years the quality went down and the price went up so off property we go.
How ever being from NewEngland a trip to EPCOT for fish&chips the out door stand is still a must.


Mike