Good Eats @ Disney, Orlando and area?

[SupsD]

I am planning a trip to Orlando to go to DisneyWorld and Universal. I am renting a car so reasonable driving distance is okay. I am just wondering what places are good to eat at a reasonable cost and places that are more of a culinary experience.

I heard about an all you can eat lobster place in Orlando but no one seems to know the name of it.

Thanks.

[bunnyfoo]

I stay on property when I go to Disney and my favourites are:

- Boma for dinner at the Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Jiko for dinner at the Animal Kingdom Lodge
- California Grill for dinner at the Contemporary resort
- Brown Derby for dinner at MGM
- Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club Resort (be prepared to wait around dinner time)
- Chef Mickeys for breakfast at the Contemporary Resort (mostly because it's a tradition)
- Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort for coffee and dessert (the pressed pot coffee is fantastic)

Boma and Chef Mickeys are buffets. Chef Mickey's has the usual breakfast fare (waffles, pancakes, eggs, fruit) but I love going because it's a character meal! It's right beside the park so we usually go for a later breakfast after going to Magic Kingdom on early entry days. Boma has African style food. I'm not sure how authentic it is because I've never been to any other African restaurants.

Jiko, California Grill and Brown Derby are regular restaurants with the first two mostly for quiet dining. I don't see as many children in these restaurants as other Disney restaurants. I usually head to the Brown Derby for dinner before going to the Fantasmic show. You can also try to time your dinner at the California Grill with the fireworks at Magic Kingdom. You'll have a fantastic view.

Beaches and Cream has the best burgers on property. It's set up like a diner! It's a little tricky to find so you might have to ask for directions once you're at the Beach Club. It's a nice break if you happen to be at Epcot in the middle of the day.

That's all I can think of! I'm sure someone else will post about restaurants outside of Disney!

[GemInite]

I went like 10 years ago but the #1 thing i member is the ponderosa buffets were Godly (then again i was like 14).

In Disney World itself I ate kids meals everyday since everything else was sooooo expensive.

[gmark2000]

Bahama Breeze was the best restaurant we ate at last month. It's near DTD.

There's a Disney food website. Do a google search. We were disappointed with Ohana at the Polynesian Resort.

[Bincent]

Check out this post that I had from last year... Not sure about the quality of the restaurants, but I'm sure you can probably find reviews somewhere on the net for the ones listed on this site.

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179144


Save money at some restaurants by purchasing discounted gift certificates from Restaurant.com. Some of the certificates give you 50% off your meal and others are for a specific amount (usually $25) but you get them at a discounted price (usually $12.50 or less).

Among the restaurants I've seen offered are Baskerville's in the Grosvenor Resort near Downtown Disney and Havana's Cuban Cafe on Palm Parkway, plus lots of other options from Japanese to French to barbecue! There are usually some restaurants listed in Cocoa Beach, too, which may come in handy if you're taking a Disney Cruise, since the port is nearby.

Restaurant.com certificates are usually valid for a year. Note that you can only use one certificate per restaurant per month (but that means you could use one at Baskerville's and one at another restaurant during your vacation, for instance). Occasionally there are other restrictions, so be sure to read the information provided on the site carefully. Some restaurants require you to buy a certain number of entrees, for instance.

The Restaurant.com web site has extensive reviews, photos, menus and other information about the restaurants -- check it out! You can print the certificates out right on your own printer (no need to wait for them to be mailed). No membership fee is required and this site is legit.

http://www.restaurant.com/

[SupsD]

Thanks for the posts! I'll take a look at them.

No one knows anything about this all you can eat lobster place? :cheesygri

I was watching FoodTV and they showed this Stone Crab thingie in Florida, looks yummy too. :)

How late do the restaurants stay open within Disney? Anything open for those late late night snacks? :)

Thanks

[PC-stuff]

Here is a list of Orlando restaurants.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g34515-Orlando_Florida.html

Boston Lobster Feast is listed in there.
it is an all you can eat.. but not very highly rated.

Two places that I liked are:
- Buba Lous Bodaceous BBQ (sp?). The name alone was enough to attract me.
There are few around Orlando area.
- Sweet Tomatoes - lots of fresh soups & veggies

Joes Stone Crab is world-famous, very expensive and the crab is pretty good.
But it is in Miami Beach.

[shuffle]

Just outside of the park - go here! All you can eat crab, lobster, and prime rib.

http://www.iloveorlando.com/angels-prime-rib.html

Angels is the name, it'll run you just under $30 USD per plate. Don't eat for the day and head down for an early supper. They have some basic sushi and filler items as well.

[Arrgh]

We went to Disney last March. Ate at the Ponderosa many times.

Lst March in Orlando there are all kids of brochures everywhere. Almost everyone of them would have coupons for Ponderosa, with free kids meals or $4 kids buffet. My kids just loved it and kept asking to go back to Ponderosa.

In order to save, while my wife was tending the kids at night, I drove out to the supermarkets to buy the stuff that we'd make our own sandwiches and cut fruit. We brought containers and a backpack with wheel. Used thermal bottles to take milk or orange juice. Saved lots of money that way.

[camy47]

I've been to Orlando numerous times....but to be honest not too many of the places we ate at really stuck in my mind!

A great restaurant was Cafe Tu Tu Tango on International Drive. This is a Spanish Tapas style restaurant that is really neat because it doubles as an art gallery. There are actually artists in the restaurant that you can watch do their work as you eat! Since it is tapas, you can have a meal that's easy on the budget or one that's quite extravagent. I would try and make a reservation if you can, we went for lunch and the place was packed! Oh...and the Sangria is to die for!!! :O)
www.cafetututango.com

If you go to any chain restaurants like Perkins, Golden Corral or Ponderosa, several offer discounts. Most hotels will have coupon books in the lobby...but also ask the front desk. We discovered by accident that the Denny's beside our hotel offered all guests a 15% discount! Not bad when combined with the $4.99 Grand Slam breakfasts!

Another suggestion would be to order the Orlando Entertainment Book before you go. Just like the Toronto one, there are tonnes of 2-for-1 coupons for restaurants in the area. www.entertainment.com

Oh....and if you are going to Universal there are lots of decent restaurants just outside the park (Hard Rock Cafe, Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, Emeril's etc.) As we discovered it was probably better to eat lunch at one of these places as we ended up paying about $10 for a burger, fries and pop inside the park...and it was awful!!! Most of the restaurants here have special offers too....like Dinner and a Movie for $19.99 (tickets sold at the park). Next time I go I will definately take advantage of the offers.

I will try and think of a few others....have a great trip!!!

[Mark099]

I stay on property when I go to Disney and my favourites are:

- Boma for dinner at the Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Jiko for dinner at the Animal Kingdom Lodge
- California Grill for dinner at the Contemporary resort
- Brown Derby for dinner at MGM
- Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club Resort (be prepared to wait around dinner time)
- Chef Mickeys for breakfast at the Contemporary Resort (mostly because it's a tradition)
- Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort for coffee and dessert (the pressed pot coffee is fantastic)

Boma and Chef Mickeys are buffets. Chef Mickey's has the usual breakfast fare (waffles, pancakes, eggs, fruit) but I love going because it's a character meal! It's right beside the park so we usually go for a later breakfast after going to Magic Kingdom on early entry days. Boma has African style food. I'm not sure how authentic it is because I've never been to any other African restaurants.

Jiko, California Grill and Brown Derby are regular restaurants with the first two mostly for quiet dining. I don't see as many children in these restaurants as other Disney restaurants. I usually head to the Brown Derby for dinner before going to the Fantasmic show. You can also try to time your dinner at the California Grill with the fireworks at Magic Kingdom. You'll have a fantastic view.

Beaches and Cream has the best burgers on property. It's set up like a diner! It's a little tricky to find so you might have to ask for directions once you're at the Beach Club. It's a nice break if you happen to be at Epcot in the middle of the day.

That's all I can think of! I'm sure someone else will post about restaurants outside of Disney!

You forgot Whispering Canyon at the Wilderness Lodge. Family style (all-you-can-eat) ribs, chicken, sausage, and all the fixins'. Great value -- especially for lunch -- at about $15 per person. Obnoxious waiters and fun atmosphere.

Boma is a must try. Excellent food. Not necessarily for the budget conscious.

We also love Chef Mickey's for the atmosphere, but the food hasn't been as good the last few years, however. Breakfast is definitely better than dinner. The best character meal in terms of food quality is the Princess' breakfast @ Norway in Epcot. You need to book early, and you need to have a little girl with you or you might get funny looks.

The Earl of Sandwich @ DTD is a nice alternative to McDonalds. Also, the food at the Rainforest Cafe is better than it has been in a while.

As for offsite:

Olive Garden is near CrossRoads and will often have the $7.99 all-you-can-eat pasta special.

Red Lobster is at CrossRoads -- they have specials on Tuesdays.

TGI Fridays, Uno's (Pizza), and Chevy's (Mexican) at CrossRoads are also very good for those on a budget.

If you like steaks... Charlies is rated in the top 5 in the USA. It's about a 15 minute drive and worth it. Everything is BIG at Charlies. A little pricey, but well worth it.

[bunnyfoo]

You forgot Whispering Canyon at the Wilderness Lodge. Family style (all-you-can-eat) ribs, chicken, sausage, and all the fixins'. Great value -- especially for lunch -- at about $15 per person. Obnoxious waiters and fun atmosphere.

Someone mentioned to me that an even better deal than Whispering Canyon is having the AYCE lunch at Fort Wilderness which is $12.99. Never had a chance to check it out though. Use to be $9.99 a couple years back. Great ribs at Whispering Canyon and bottomless milkshakes!! Yum :) Not good for going to the parks afterwards though *lol* Make sure you ask for the ketchup and extra straws when you go :D Also fold up your menu and ask for refills of your drink ;)

Another way you can save money on lunch in Magic Kingdom is by getting a double burger and then splitting it. At Peco's Bill you can order a double burger and then order an extra bun and then put on lots of toppings at the fixins bar. The wrap sandwich there is pretty big too so that's another one that's good for splitting.

[ptimp]

really should try Boston Lobster Feast..