Favourite Family Style Restaurant/ Food at WDW?

The question about Ohanas got me thinking - with 2 small kids, I love family style dining. ;

Generally, I'm not a big fan of buffets (although I LOVE Chef Mickey's) - by the time I get my kiddies settled, they're asking for 'x', or wanting to run back and get 'y', and then a character might come and throw the whole organization out the window (wrt me trying to keep everyone happy, and trying to eat too). ; ; Obviously, fine dining presents different challenges (and for those of you who don't have small kids right now, or have really short term memories of what it was like with yours - that means any restaurant where the food doesn't come in a box. ; Just kidding. ; Generally, I refer to the spots around the World showcase at Epcot, where there are several courses, nice ambience, and an expectation of best behaviour for wee ones and others...)

But, thinking about the breakfast at Ohanas made me realize I really did like eating there. ; Sure the food was great, and the characters wonderful (who doesn't like dancing with Mickey? or hugging Stitch?). ; But the thing that struck me the most was being able to have a breather as the food was brought to the table - I could serve the kiddies, they could have whatever they wanted, and I could partake as well - when it was relatively warm! ;

I think Ohanas was my favourite family style breakfast, and maybe Whispering Canyons at Wilderness Lodge my favourite family style supper (although, Liberty Tree Tavern at MK is my favourite because of the turkey - but the kids activities at Whispering Canyons was hugely popular with my kids).

Does anyone else enjoy family style dining, or is this a twist that appeals mostly to moms with young kids?

 

Does Hoop De Doo Revue count? ; If not then it's definately Whispering Canyon!

As for "fine" dining at WDW, we have the best time when there are children that put on a "show"!LOL

 

Hoop Dee Doo is my family's favourite spot to dine at WDW - my husband even wants to see it twice next time!

 

btw, does anyone else what to do the pony express ride with their kids at Whispering Canyons?

 

ESPN Cafe, Pizza from the Boardwalk, Whispering Canyon @ WL, Ohana ; @ Poly & dessert at Ghirardelli's are some of our fav's at WDW.

We would like to try the California Grill at the Contemporary.

/obligatory

 

Ya just had to post that picture!?!?!?!?!? ;

Oh man, could I go for a visit to Ghiradelli's right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Don't know what it is about that place that makes their ice cream concoctions taste so good.

Blame this guy for the awesome flavour.



So I decided to do a little investigating. Who am I foolin' I went to google.

Found this on Ghirardelli 's site.
It's all about the microns.

The Ghirardelli Difference

As America's longest continuously operating chocolate manufacturer, Ghirardelli has established its position as America's premium chocolate company for more than 150 years.

We are one of very few American manufacturers that make chocolate starting from the cocoa bean through to finished products. Throughout the process, we take special steps to ensure that our premium chocolate delivers our signature intense, smooth-melting chocolate taste.



; ; * Intensive quality assurance in the selection of cocoa beans means that Ghirardelli accepts only the highest-quality beans. We reject as many as 40% of the beans that are offered to us. Beans that are not selected are sold to other manufacturers.
; ; * In all of its chocolate product, Ghirardelli uses a proprietary blend of cocoa beans that has been refined over the company's 150-year history to provide the company's distinct and intense chocolate taste.
; ; * Ghirardelli roasts the cocoa beans in-house to ensure the company's signature flavor profile is consistently maintained in all chocolate products. We also use a different roasting process whereby we remove the shell first and then roast the small nibs inside. Because the nibs are fairly uniform in size, we have more control over the temperature and time, so we can get a more specific flavor. Other companies roast their beans before removing the shell, which requires over-roasting the outside portion of the bean in order to roast the inside. This could impart a burned flavor to their chocolate.
; ; * Finally, Ghirardelli uses an intensive refining process to ensure that its chocolate truly melts in your mouth! Ghirardelli has no grainy feel because we refine most of our chocolate flakes until they are 19 microns (human hair is 100 microns in diameter). Other mass market chocolates are refined to only 40 microns.

http://www.ghirardelli.com/about/ghirar ... rence.aspx

 

send me your address bill in a pm and i will send you something special from Ghirardelli's when we are down next week!

 

I love to order stuff online and have it shipped to the resort that we are staying at! ; Last Easter I purchased these little bundles with an Easter Bunny and gave them out to the CMs!

Can't wait to get their peppermint chocoloates!

 

Hi All,

Ohanas without question.

It is the only restaurant my children insist on when we are planning a trip to WDW.

When the kids were younger we used to use it as a bit of a bribe. Be good or we wont go to Ohanas.

We also used it to get them to try other restaurants. Tomorrow we are going to Ohanas but tonight we are going to try the Merekessh in Epcot.

Feel free to borrow those strategies.

Cheers,

Goofy Steve