Favorite Family Restaurants

[FenwayGirl]

Traveling with 3 Generations:
Me - Gramma
My Son
My Daughter in law
Granddaughter 16
Grandson 9
Grandson 4 (this grandson is non- verbal autistic)

Any recommendations for places that worked for you?

[Genie1953]

Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge would be my first choice but I noticed you have an autistic child. It's loads of fun for children and adults alike but it does get loud. Garden Grill at Epcot is smaller and quieter and dinner does have characters. Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom is great too. They have characters as well.

[CanadianWDWFan]

Both my boys are autistic and when they were younger always enjoyed 'Ohana's as well as Chef Mickey's. At 'Ohana's they liked that the buffet comes to your table and they always enjoyed the character interaction at Chef Mickey's.

Today, we all really enjoy Tokyo Dining. One place we always have said we would all enjoy but never have been is Coral Reef.

[Kairi_7378]

Whenever we travel to WDW, my husband makes one request: quiet(-ish) meals. We have had great family meals at Kona Cafe and Sanaa. We weren't fans of the food at the Grand Floridian Cafe but you can not beat the location. My son loved watching the orchestra in the lobby! Coral Reef might be a good fit for your family. My son also loves CA Grill and Artists' Point.

[FenwayGirl]

Thanks for the recommendation. I have been to Whispering Canyon and love it, but think it might be too much for the little one. Ohana, Garden Grill, Crystal Palace Chef Mickey are on our potential lists! We dont think that he will wait in line for the characters, so this is a sure way for him to get exposure.

[cer]

Just a note, Ohana dinner does not have characters, but they do at breakfast. At dinner, they have entertainment - hula dancing and coconut races for the kids.

[FenwayGirl]

Thanks. I am thinking that a lot of our meals will be character breakfasts as that is his best time of the day

[LandFan]

Biergarten! Boma and Sanaa as well.

[TheSnappyPappy]

Ohanas is definitely a favorite of our family. No matter if we stay on property or off, we always make it a point to go. Biergarten (we are German). Pecos Bills USED to be our favorite lunch spot, but the change in the menu is really really disappointing. Cape May is good, but the kids may not enjoy the fish like adults. We usually stay at the Fort Wilderness Cabins, so we usually do Trails End as our last dinner at WDW. Its nothing fancy, but it is good home style food.

[BrerGnat]

Chef Mickey is a complete sensory overload nightmare. If the little one is noise sensitive, avoid this place! Mine had a meltdown from the noise of this place when we were eating next door at the Contempo Cafe! If the child is a sensory seeker, he will probably love it though.

Both my boys have autism and we have had good luck at Kona Cafe, TRex Cafe (with noise reducing headphones on), Via Napoli, Captain's Grill, Big River Grill, and Beaches and Cream.

We mostly relied on quick service places though. Wolfgang Puck Express, Columbia Harbor House, Sunshine Seasons Food Court, Gasparilla Island Grill (great option on ML day...it's a nice break from the parks but just at Grand Floridian so it's a boat or monorail ride away. Easy to get back to MK afterwards)

[deedee73]

I would suggest looking at the restaurants that have the characters he likes the most or that you feel he would enjoy the most. Rainforest Cafe in AK is great & not as chaotic as the DS location. Garden Grille has characters at all meals served & it is quieter there than most other character meals. Crystal Palace has a lot of open space bw tables as does Cape May & the character interaction at both are top notch. May I suggest the Pirate & Pals Cruise out of the Contemporary resort for viewing the fireworks & the Electrical Water Pageant. It is a little pricey but being out on the water is amazing and NO crowds to deal with so the sensory overload doesn't occur. If Chef Mickey is considered than I would suggest the earliest dining or the last to avoid the majority of crowds. The brunch may also be a good option. My top ADR for the youngest would be Coral Reef & request (& wait) for a table close to the aquarium. It is so peaceful there & being able to dine with the fishes is so so cool. I hope you all have a magical trip.

[bostonchic13]

For a character meal-Ohanas...loved mickey,lilo and stitch
For a Table service-Mickey's Toontown Faire...loved the Lady and The Tramp theme

Both had great service & food

[Arielfan98]

Ok I am not in a family, rather a young 19 year old. However, I thought I'd suggest a non-character meal that is a good alternative for a long day at MK. The Wave at the Contemporary was surprisingly very accommodating to large families with small children. I went there in January and noticed a lot of families with a lot of little kids. They typically seated them in the large booths on the sides of the restaurant and handled the large parties well. I may have gone at a "slow" time, but the restaurant was very quiet and not packed. I think this is a good option if the adults are worn out and need to take a break from character stuff. The Wave may also be good for the children who may need quieter restaurants.

[joonyer]

When our kids were younger, our favorite was 'Ohana.
Now they are older and their favorite place to go as a family is Teppan Edo.