Recommendations for middle-school boy?

[skimom]

I have 3 young girls, and a middle-school aged boy. We just got reservations at Cinderella's castle for the breakfast.... poor ds will be bored to tears, I'm sure.

Are there any dining experiences (character or not) that a guy this age will find cool?

Wendy

 

[daannzzz]

If he is at the "I'm to cool or old for Disney" age I don't think any of the character meals will be great for him. Other places that are fun,with some interaction and/or "different" dining expeirences are
The 50's Prime Time Cafe
Whispering Canyon (at the WL)
The Sci-Fi Dine In
'Ohana

Some of them have activities that cater to smaller children but they also do somethings that yous son may find amusing.

 

[skimom]

Thank you!!

He's looking forward to our Disney trip (our first *real* vacation as a family!), but I don't think Cinderella's castle is going to appeal to him too much. He really is a good sport... and I even caught him playing with my 2yo dd and her new kitchen playset (but he'd never admit that to his friends!!!). He'll go, he won't put up a fuss, and he may even secretly enjoy some of the things geared towards the younger kids. I don't want him to think the trip is all about the girls, so I really want to make sure to do something for him! (Which is one of the reasons I chose the All-Star Sports resort!)

Wendy

 

[daannzzz]

The interior of the Castle is interesting and the restaurant is certainly not too childish or too "Princessy". He may actually like it. Everyone should have a good time at any of the restaurants I mentioned as well.

 

[Greg K.]

Whispering Canyon can be a LOT of fun -- the servers are a riot, and the food is quite good.

We've also enjoyed the character breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. They rotate around different characters, but very often Mary Poppins is there, with some of her friends -- Bert, the penguins, Alice in Wonderland, and sometimes the Pooh characters. Sometimes Peter Pan and Capt. Hook pop by, too.

The Luau show at the Polynesian is exotic, but it's been a few years since I was there. (Do they still have dancers who twirl torches?!)

The Sci-Fi diner might be his cuppa ... or maybe the Prime Time Cafe, both in MGM.

I have to say, though, he just might get a kick out of the castle. Usually, Peter Pan and Hook go racing around the outside of the building ... and there is just something weirdly enjoyable about having a waiter in tights asking you "More orange juice, m'lord?"

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We all enjoyed All Star Sports. The food court has the best counter service food we've had at WDW. My DH & DS had a great time at the arcade in the evenings. It is the only value resort we've stayed at, but we enjoyed the atmosphere more there than at some of the Deluxe & moderate resorts we've stayed at. As for a special meal, my DS(12) likes eating at some of the nicer sit-down restaurants. It makes him feel like a "grown up". We always let him choose a couple places he wants to eat at. This trip he chose CG & AP. Alot depends on his personality. The ESPN club, could be a good choice. Perhaps you could have him look at the menus, and choose a restaurant that he wants to eat at. Have a great trip!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

My 11yo son likes Prime Time Cafe and was really excited to be returning there, but I think they might be closed when we are there in January, which really bums my son out.

Would he enjoy a silly place like Whispering Canyon or Prime Time (that's the type of place we like) or a more upscale place? Artist Point would be nice or California Grill. Does he like buffets or sit-down meals?

T&B

 

[tidoublegger]

I too was going to suggest Whispering Canyon Cafe and Prime Time. He may also get a kick out of the Japanese restaurant in Epcot (sorry, forget the name) where they cook your food in front of you. ESPN or Rainforest Cafe may be appealing too. Hey, anyone would like Chef Mickey's too...we all have a kid inside of us! : )

 

[skimom]

Ohhhh.... thanks everyone!

Soooooo much to think about! I went to WDW as a kid, but didn't do any of the character meals/special dining/etc. I think I am looking forward to it all just as much as my kiddos! The girls were thrilled today when I told them I scored the CRT ressies! I think I said something like "I got up really early this morning, and I called and got tickets to eat in Cinderella's castle." My 5yo dd had a really worried look on her face and asked "do we get to go too????"

I'm glad to know the castle won't be too girlie for my ds. It sounds like fun!

DS could go for either sit-down or buffet style, and he likes all types of food. The girls on the other hand are more difficult to please. But if there's pizza, pasta, or chicken tenders involved, they'll be ok.

tidoublegger, is the Japanese restaurant you're referring to called Mitsukoshi Teppanyaki Dining Room? If so, the Frommer's guide says it's an upscale version of Benihana... which the kids would LOVE, but we have a similar restaurant in town that we've been to several times (we eat out a lot!). I love it too, but I think I want to stick to places that are totally different than at home.

We've been to a Rainforest Cafe before, but it's been a long time, and we've moved since then so it's not something we can do again. That may be a good option.

I'm glad to know about the food at the All-Star Sports - especially for quick bites when no one is really hungry enough for a sit-down meal. It will be easy to grab something and take back to the room.

Stupid question alert.... but do you have to be staying in a particular resort to get ps for the restaurants there? The Frommer's guide has lots of info for each restaurant, including "customers" - the Whispering Canyon Cafe, for example, has "Hotel guests" listed under "customers." So that means I can't get in unless I'm staying at the WL?

And how hard is it to get ps arrangements for everything except CRT? I am soooo not a morning person, and I don't want to get up really early everyday for the next several days! I was so excited when I got the CRT ressies that I couldn't go back to sleep! Should I get up early for the Fantasmic dinner package? Anything else? I think we've decided on Chef Mickey's too.

Any other must-visit restaurants for my kids first trip? (And it's something we're probably not going to get to do again for a while...)

Sorry so long! I'm just so excited and want to make this a great experience for the kiddos! (Plus I only realized last night that we're 90 days out!) I'm planning on only 1 special event/ps each day so we don't get too stressed over schedules.

Wendy

 

[wide awake]

Isn't the restaurant at Norway in Epcot supposed to be like a "real" castle ? Maybe he would like that...or the corny humor at Hoop de doo ?

 

[tarheelmjfan]

You don't need to be a resort guest to eat at any of the restuarants. I think that's their way of saying that mostly tourists eat there, not locals. For any PS other than CRT, or PSB you don't need to worry about booking exactly 90 days out. Chef Mickey's also fills up rather quickly, so if you plan on dining there, you may want to book that next. You can pretty much book the others, as you see fit, no rush. However, if you are considering one of the dinner shows, the sooner you book, the better your seats are, plus they do fill up faster than the rest. Have a great trip.

On a side note, if you like fettucine alfredo, it was delicious at ASSp. YUM!!! I could have eaten there every night, and I usually balk at the idea of counter service food. Enjoy!

 

[gigi1313]

for a non-dining experience that will definitely appeal to a middle school aged boy... two words... DISNEY QUEST!!! also, if he's into fishing, try booking him into a fishing excursion... boating? rent some water mice (speed raycers?) for a half an hour or an hour... biking? take the girls to the petting zoo while ds and dad go for a bike ride thru the campground... and last but not least, our fave disney dining experience... Hoop Dee Doo Revue!! great fun... corny jokes, songs, etc plus great family friendly food! it's a sure-fire hit, imo...

ENJOY!

 

[1stNoel]

DISNEYQUEST! They do have the FoodQuest Cafe there, it's run by the Cheesecake Factory. Get some pizza and watch the Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters game. Perfect for a middle schooler.