Annabel--You must have missed my first post recommending California Grill! I agree, is among the best food in Disney. I also suggest trying for a reservation during the fireworks. It's one of the best places to see them from!

Patrick:

I have a review of Jiko buried somewhere here at Fodors... Basically, the food was pretty good, but the service was horrific. I can't remember the details without my notes, but courses got skipped, orders were incorrect, etc.

On our last trip we immensely enjoyed Calif Grill. Have you been there before?

To the OP: I would add Sci Fi Diner in MGM to your list with kids. Really fun. I also find kids love the fish restaurant in Epcot (The Sea section) where you sit in front of a huge aquarium. (Although the food is better at the boardwalk's Flying Fish.) I've yet to find a decent ethnic restaurant in the countries of Epcot... have not been to Japan yet, and thinking it might be fun with kids watching the slice and dice. (Just don't "try this at home." ) Over in MK, Aunt Polly's on Tom Sawyer's island is nice for PBJ or cold chicken.

Have fun!

We were at Disney World the first week of June. These are the restaurants we tried:

MGM: Brown Derby had great service and atmosphere, but our steaks were just so-so. The appetizers and desserts (Yum, grapefruit cake!) were much better.

Epcot
Rose & Crown Pub: the beer is better than the food (the cottage pie was very peppery.)
Yakitori House: ok, but not great.

Norway: we did a princess lunch at Akershus (normal kids menu) and the food was much better here. The cold sampler fish plate was very tasty, nothing weird. My hubby had lamb and cabbage (which he enjoyed) and my salmon nicoise salad was great.

My brother enjoyed the Garden Grill in the Land and said the food was really good. They did the character lunch with Chip n' Dale.

Magic Kingdom: Liberty Tree Tavern was one of the best restaurants we ate while in WDW. The NE pot roast and pasta dishes were wonderful. The waiters sang an unusual New England birthday greeting which was fun.

Animal Kingdom: We hated Tusker House. The food was blah, the service people were rude, and trying to find an open table was a royal pain. This was the worst counter service restaurant we tried.

We also ate at Whispering Canyon for dinner and Artist Point for dessert (Wilderness Lodge.) W.Canyon was great fun if you get into the spirit of things and don't mind the deafening noise(the waiters are hilarious.) The BBQ plates were delicious (we couldn't finish it all.) I wish we had time to eat a full meal at Artist Point; the desserts were incredible and the atmosphere was the best we encountered in any WDW restaurant (quiet and elegant.) They gave our 10 yr. old a birthday certificate and put a candle on her cake (which Akershus restaurant would not do.)

We also did Ghiradelli's for sundaes in Downtown Disney on a Saturday and they were wonderful (great atmosphere and selections.)

Fayala

Why are you boycotting France? Just wondering!?! It is not real France. It is a WDW ATTRACTION, you pay in USD, not Euros. I don't understand. The people that work there are just people, like you and me.

The France Pavillion has wonderful perfumes and cosmetics. The food, pasteries, champagne and strawberries are always a must for us.

I definitely want to add my recommendation for Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge. The food was fabulous. Someone said they had bad service there. We didn't encounter that at all; our service was excellent. We also love Norway for dinner. They also have a small carryout bakery which sells sandwiches as well. We've done that several times for lunch. My husband loves the buffet at the Germany pavilion, but I have to be just in the right mood for that because it can be a bit heavy. One of my personal favorites is Restaurant Marrakesh at Morocco because I am a bellydancer and adore the food there. We've pretty much given up on doing character meals with the exception of the Princess one at Norway. Our daughter would never forgive us if we didn't do that! Oh, and a visit to Epcot is never complete for us without some pastries from France, though often the line to the bake shop is out the door.

Boycotting France???
When did that happen? Do all the wine shops selling Bordeaux's and Burgundy's know about this?

Hi--we are multi-repeat WDW visitors. We recently ate at Morocco for the first time in many years. The food was not good, and even my husband who was very eager to go back after so long a time of not eating there thought that it approached being inedible.
CA Grille is our favorite--a very expensive evening, but on the meal plan would be a bargain. We still like Spoodles, but the tapas and flatbread pizzas, not the entrees. For breakfast, we *love* the Wilderness Lodge and what we call the "Cowboy Breakfast"--not its real name. Great fun for all ages!!!

From 9/30 thru 11/13 (weekends) Epcot is holding the annual food and wine festival. Booths are set up in each country (including a few countries not represented in the World Showcase) with samplings of foods and wines from $1.25-$5.95. We attend one of the wine pairing lunches at Alfredos in Italy each year. Their website has minimal info, but you can call (407)WDW-DINE to ask about the dates that you will be there.
If you like sushi/tempura, there is a great little restaurant (more of a bar) on the right (opposite direction from the teppenayaki dining) above the store in Japan. It's a great view of the lake and great escape from the crowds!
We were sorely disappointed in the Rose and Crown, food was so-so and although we arranged priority seating, and checked in 40 minutes early to try to ensure an outside table for the fireworks it didn't work out (keep in mind there is never a guarantee). We were also a little disappointed in the Coral Reef-food was ok, but to maximize your view, sit at a table away from the glass.
We are big fans of Boma in AKL and had a very good lunch in the French restaurant and at Cinderella's castle in MK.
Don't be discouraged from trying to get in someplace even if you have not made reservations - you can call from your room, check with guest services at the park - a great idea if you're looking for a recommendation for something special or even check with the hostess at the restuarant. We walked up to the hostess at Tony's(MK) and were told it would be a 2 1/2hr wait. I walked over to guest svcs for an alternative and she made arrangements for us to be seated at Tony's within the 1/2 hour.
We checked at MGM and they recommended the Fantasmic dinner pkg - it turned out to be a good option for anyone planning on seeing the show anyway.
You just never know....
Have a GREAT time!

First, I'll tell you what everyone going to Disney MUST have, it's the book "Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World".

In 2003, myself, hubby, 10 yr old son, my sister, her two girls age 6 and 8 and my 73 year old mother went to WDW. By going in the middle of May (low crowds) and by reading the book mentioned above as well as going to www.wdwinfo.com to ask a million questions I planned a wonderful trip of a lifetime!

We ate in the park for just about every meal, Crystal Palace (was good, not great, but good), but the Pooh characters made it worth while. We also ate at the Sci-Fi cafe for lunch in MGM, good shakes, and burgers. We ate at The Garden Grill at Epcot, it was good and our waiter was wonderful, he picked at Mom the whole time, she loved it! But he was also very attentive to her and to all of us! We ate at the Rainforest Cafe in the Animal Kingdom, it was just okay, I'm very hot natured, but it was very chilly in the restaurant and the service was slow, the food was pretty good. It was a fun place to go once, but I doubt I'd go back.
We ate at the Polynesian resort at 'Ohana, it was good, but what we really enjoyed there was that after dinner we went out the back door and while it was dark we watched the electric light boat parade on the water, it was so nice just relaxing on the beach watching the parade.
Our best meal (and we all agreed on this) was at Liberty Tree Tavern, we had roast turkey, sliced roast beef, a huge bowl of real mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, mac and cheese, green beans and hot rolls and for dessert they bring out this huge iron skillet of hot apple cobbler and also a big bowl of vanilla ice cream. It was delicious! And I love that just about every meal I just mentioned (other than 'Ohana) had the Disney characters that visit, it kept the kids entertained, heck even us adults loved it!!!

My Mom died last month, when I look back on our Disney pictures with her, I can smile. She had never been to Disney---didn't even want to go, but my sister and I 'kind of' made her, but after she was there she LOVED it! Especially all the shows. I know you asked about the meals, but one show NOT to miss is 'Fantasmic' in MGM! It is amazing!

Enjoy your trip!

Any more recommendations on counter/fast food places that get you out of the sun for awhile, i.e. into some air conditioning?

Also, is California Grill worth TWO dinner points? Basically we can do Cal Grill, OR both Boma and Ohana. I think we'd rather try two places than just one.

as an overall observation I dont think the food is wonderful at Disney. But here are some recommendations from our trip.
1. Marrakesh - Morrocan restraurant- sucked bigtime.
2. Brown Derby - overpriced and weird atmosphere. Seems fancy with decor, but kids everywhere and everyone wears sweatpants everywhere.
3. Artists point at Wilderness Lodge. Really good and very romantic.
4. Contemporary California Grill excellent!
5. Spoodles on the boardwalk we very much enjoyed the appetizers and sangria.
6. for counterside. ..I especially enjoyed the roasted turkey leg in mgm and the sausage sandwich at Epcot Germany.

To tracy--we make a point of going to California Grille every time we go to Disney. We pay ~$200 for dinner for 3 adults. If you are going w/kids, it may not be worth it to you, but it is really good "nouvelle" CA cuisine. I just made that term up, (of course!!), but you have to compare it to a fine dining establishment anywhere in the country.

Important note: dining reservations are now accepted 180 days in advance of the first reservations. Additional days' reservations can be added up to 190 days in advance as long as the first reservation is no more than 180 days out.

The BBQ place at Animal Kingdom that was mentioned in an earlier post is "Flame Tree Barbeque" and it was recently voted the best food at AK and is our favorite. The down side is that the seating is all outdoors - no AC.

I love Boma at the Animal Kingdom lodge - the color scheme and lighting are muted enough that is not a clangy, noisy buffet. We had a party of 13 and were able to have a comfortable conversation.

I wasn't impressed with Crystal Palace.

Your kids might enjoy the free Campfire Sing-Along & outdoor movie at the Fort Wilderness Campground. You can buy inexpensive s'mores kits. It is a good thing to do on your arrival day or after Animal Kingdom or a water park. There is a restaurant at Fort Wilderness called "Trail's End Buffeteria" that has good food - not fancy, just tasty. Here is a link with information:
http://www.buildabettermousetrip.com...-campfire.html

We love Mama Melrose at MGM-Studios. Another bonus is that it is a quieter retreat from the overstimulation that is Disney.

Just a word of warning - you've received many recommendations for Brown Derby but that is a "Signiture Dining Experience" and will cost you two dining credits. Cinderella's Royal Table probably counts for two and I'm sure Jiko does too.

Check the Disney Restaraunts forum at www.disboards.com - Click on the Disney Dining Plan sub-forum and go to the threat called "Confirmed Snacks included in dining plan / add yours here" I'll give the link but don't know if it'll work:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1109080

That'll help you get the most from your snack credits.

You say that you are going in the fall - WDW can be quite busy during October break and Thanksgiving. Be sure to have a good touring plan.

What we generally do is have a great breakfast prior to getting to Disney. Also we take a knapsack with snacks and water bottles that can be filled up in the park. We may have something to eat in the park but are not 'starving' because we have our snacks and waterbottles, so are able to eat light. We then have a good dinner on the way home. Having snacks and water bottles are especially important for traveling with small children.