TS Experts...HELP!

[cjlong88]

Alright, friends....this year from December 25 - January 2 we have the gigantic splurge family trip to WDW! There are five of us total including myself, my husband, my in-laws, and my BIL. We will be staying at Yacht Club. Traditionally all of us are "eat as we go" type people. Grab something from mobile order and munch on it as we walk to the next thing. With this trip being much longer than we are used to and with it being the first time all 5 of us are going together, I suggested to everyone that we slow down and enjoy some of the TS options. They were reluctant (time is money!), but since my husband and I are fronting the bill for the entire trip, my in-laws seem up to taking things slower. For reference, the longest trip to WDW they have ever taken was 4 days. This one is NINE! They see that if we go the same pace as usual, we will be tired and cranky by the end of the trip.

I have a rough itinerary sketched out and took into account where we would be on the trip, what our food likes/interests are, etc. We have done a few table service places over the years, but we are definitely newbies. SO! This is where you ride-or-die Table Service aficionados come in...Please impart your wisdom!


Places we have done that we would enjoy doing again based on past experiences:

• Boma, Beaches & Cream, Ale & Compass, Trattoria al Forno,

Places we have never done but would like to possibly, maybe, kinda try for this upcoming trip:

• Hollywood Brown Derby, Topolino's Terrace, Wine Bar George, Il Mulino, Citricos, Morimoto Asia

We would like to do one TS per day. Is there anything you do or do not recommend? What am I missing? Help!

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

DH and I used to get 1 date/year and it was always at Jiko.
Tiffins in AK is also fantastic.

If flying fish is back that’s a great dinner as well.

 

[ZellyB]

We love Hollywood Brown Derby but usually do it for lunch on a HS day. We just plan for a lighter dinner if we do a big lunch there. I LOVE their Cobb salad.

We were also big fans of The Wave at the Contemporary. We still enjoy it as Steakhouse 71, but maybe liked The Wave a bit more. Still it's a great choice on an MK day. It's a quick walk or monorail ride over to the Contemporary and makes for a nice break during a long park day.

 

[georgina]

Wow, going during a very busy holiday week! There will be some competition for those ADRs.

I haven't been to many on your list, but we have enjoyed Il Mulino a few times.

The Boathouse at DS was good too. Remember that many of the DS restaurants are available to book on Open Table. You can book Wine By George for December now. Morimoto Asia is not yet available for Dec but keep an eye on it.

 

[Smugpugmug]

The only ones I have been to on your list are Boma (breakfast), Beaches and Cream, Morimoto Asia and Topolino's (dinner).

TBH I would not recommend Beaches and Cream and Morimoto Asia. The ice cream at Beaches is Edy's brand and it's not anything special. Same goes for the food. Since you're staying at Yacht Club, it'll be easy to walk over from your room but if you just want the ice cream you can order from the to go window. With Morimoto, we thought it was meh. Not awful but not really worth the money either. Service was also really slow and it took forever to get even glasses of water for the table.

I haven't done Boma for dinner in maybe a decade but the breakfast was good. A lot of unique options mixed in with some breakfast staples such as bacon, eggs, waffles, etc. Plus you can get the POG juice!

We've done Topolino's dinner twice and it was great the first but meh the second time. My veal was dry and overcooked but my sister ordered the rigatoni and loved it. I have not done the breakfast but my family is thinking of trying to get it for our checkout day.

 

[SteveH]

Keep in mind for Il Mulino you can book on OpenTable or call direct at 407-934-1199.

 

[cjlong88]

DH and I used to get 1 date/year and it was always at Jiko.
Tiffins in AK is also fantastic.

If flying fish is back that’s a great dinner as well.

I was debating between Boma, Jiko, and Tiffins during one of our AK days. My in-laws are somewhat adventurous, but I'm nervous that their idea of adventurous eats is very different from mine. I figured Boma might be safer since it's a buffet and they can be as adventurous as they would like.

Looks like Jiko has a dress code -- is it similar to California Grill?

 

[cjlong88]

Wow, going during a very busy holiday week! There will be some competition for those ADRs.

Yes, we have been during this week in 2018 and 2019. It's our favorite time to visit, even though it can be insanely busy. I figured having one TS reservation each day for such a long trip will be a good way to ensure we don't have to stress too much about one of our meals when the parks are crowded.

Which TS restaurants will be the most competitive to snag?

 

[focusondisney]

I think the best thing to do is just check menus & see what you’d all enjoy. We’re not adventurous eaters at all, so haven’t been to anything at AK/ AKL.

We’ve been to Brown Derby several times, but not since they added the 50th menu. Always very good. Had dinner at Topolino’s twice, delicious & excellent service. We took the skyliner there & back so it was pretty convenient too. We’re planning Citrico’s in September. We ate there many years ago but we preferred Narcoossee’s so hadn’t gone back. But the remodel looks lovely & the menu looks good so we’ll try it again. We like Yachtsman’s over Ale & Compass, but again, we just prefer that menu. It is nice to have dinner at your own resort at least once. Especially relaxing during a busy week.

We had both dinner & lunch at Steakhouse 71 on our last trip. We preferred lunch. The dinners were ok, nothing exceptional. We really enjoyed the steak sandwich & onion rings at lunch.

The Boathouse at Disney Springs is excellent. Pretty varied menu, the steaks are excellent. Tables can be close & it can be a bit loud depending where you’re seated. But the food is worth it. And you can book on open table.

Boma, Beaches & Cream, Citrico’s & Topolino’s are probably the harder ones on your list.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Looks like Jiko has a dress code -- is it similar to California Grill?

I know you didn't ask me but I went to Jiko last month with my sister and friend. I would say about 60-70% of people there were wearing theme park clothes (t shirt and shorts). A few people wore button up shirts/khakis and dresses but they were in the minority. I think as long as you are not wearing a swimsuit, ripped jeans or a tank top you'll be okay.

Also I recommend Jiko 100%. It was the favorite meal of the trip for all 3 of us.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

I was debating between Boma, Jiko, and Tiffins during one of our AK days. My in-laws are somewhat adventurous, but I'm nervous that their idea of adventurous eats is very different from mine. I figured Boma might be safer since it's a buffet and they can be as adventurous as they would like.

Looks like Jiko has a dress code -- is it similar to California Grill?

How do they define adventurous? How do you? For me those are the best 2 meals I have eaten on Disney property (Jiko and Tiffins) but my daughter are Doritos at tiffins because she didn’t like her lunch. My son was in heaven.

 

[Pens Fan]

You have picked some really great options! The reality is that even with your extended stay, you can't hit all of the great TS restaurants. That said, a few of our favorites that you didn't mention are Homecomin', Raglin Road, Boathouse and Skipper Canteen.

 

[Erica Ladd]

My 2 cents (w/inflation you can imagine what it’s worth!!)

Homecoming- awesome biscuits and a great option when at DS
Beaches and Cream - close by and good comfort food and dessert. You don’t need fancy ice cream to have a delicious sundae
Sanaa or Boma - never been but would like to try either especially to see AKL
Space 220 - try the lounge, get a drink&app
Shulas - if you LOVE steak. If you love Italian, then Il Mulino
Big River Grille - when you need that pub food fix and can enjoy people watching on the boardwalk (prolly no need for an adr lol)
One totally character meal just for the fun of it (ie Chef Mickey’s or Garden Grill) not necessarily the best food but hey it’s the fun of it! Breakfast or lunch/dinner
I’ve never been but EVERYONE says Toppolinos so there’s always that.

Let us know what you choose and how they are!

 

[gharter]

To be fair you are comparing apples and oranges..
Your first list is average restaurants at best. The second is a list of many signature. Not a fair comparison.
Given the option:
Il Mulino is the BEST Italian restaurant at WDW
Topolinos for dinner is awesome! If you time it right, you can watch HarmoniUS from their balcony.
Flying Fish did not miss a beat when they reopened.
Wine Bar George - NOBODY at WDW has a by the glass program close to WBG. The staff is top notch and know their stuff.
We adore Jikos. The staff were super helpful, the food and wines wonderful.
Jaleo in DS, one of the best meals we have had.

 

[cjlong88]

To be fair you are comparing apples and oranges..
Your first list is average restaurants at best. The second is a list of many signature. Not a fair comparison.
Given the option:
Il Mulino is the BEST Italian restaurant at WDW
Topolinos for dinner is awesome! If you time it right, you can watch HarmoniUS from their balcony.
Flying Fish did not miss a beat when they reopened.
Wine Bar George - NOBODY at WDW has a by the glass program close to WBG. The staff is top notch and know their stuff.
We adore Jikos. The staff were super helpful, the food and wines wonderful.
Jaleo in DS, one of the best meals we have had.

I’m glad to hear Il Mulino is really good! Being right next to it will make for an easy walk from YC. I’ve wanted to try Wine Bar George ever since I first visited, but we just don’t make it over to Disney Springs a lot. Hopefully we can more so this trip. Jaleo is another one that I eyed the menu, but we will probably only visit Disney Springs at a max twice, most likely once for lunch and once for brunch.

I didn’t create the two lists to compare them necessarily. I guess I just wanted to show what we have done in the past (which is very limited TS, although we had positive experiences at each) and what peaked our interest based on the list of restaurants Disney offers. I think it would be great to do a mix of casual and signature restaurants.

 

[cjlong88]

My 2 cents (w/inflation you can imagine what it’s worth!!)

Homecoming- awesome biscuits and a great option when at DS
Beaches and Cream - close by and good comfort food and dessert. You don’t need fancy ice cream to have a delicious sundae
Sanaa or Boma - never been but would like to try either especially to see AKL
Space 220 - try the lounge, get a drink&app
Shulas - if you LOVE steak. If you love Italian, then Il Mulino
Big River Grille - when you need that pub food fix and can enjoy people watching on the boardwalk (prolly no need for an adr lol)
One totally character meal just for the fun of it (ie Chef Mickey’s or Garden Grill) not necessarily the best food but hey it’s the fun of it! Breakfast or lunch/dinner
I’ve never been but EVERYONE says Toppolinos so there’s always that.

Let us know what you choose and how they are!

I forgot that we have eaten at Sanaa and really enjoyed it! Since the reopening I noticed the menu was more limited, so I took it off my list. Maybe things will change.

I also was eyeing Space 220 but I feel like that will be next to impossible to get. How far out into my trip would I need to look when my 60-day window arrive?

 

[rangerxenos]

Another vote for Jiko, I ate there for the first time in April and it was fantastic.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Another vote for Jiko, I ate there for the first time in April and it was fantastic.

For me, May. Also fantastic! As far as the person who asked how hard to get reservations, I got up first thing at 60+5 to get reservations. Wanted to change the time, so starting a few hours later, every day or more, I tried, no luck. Every other restaurant I've seen a last minute availability pop up except there.

 

[cjlong88]

May I ask what are your favorite dishes at Jiko? Looking at the menu it looks fantastic!

 

[Smugpugmug]

May I ask what are your favorite dishes at Jiko? Looking at the menu it looks fantastic!

I ordered the Lamb Shank and the Bobotie Mac and Cheese as an add on. Both of them were delicious. They tasted better than any other meal that I've had at WDW hands down. My family and I are going to same week as you so we're hoping that we can grab a Jiko reservation then as well. Here are some pictures of each.