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I wonder if you can give me some advise. My Dad (in his late 50s) is going to a conference near disney and he plans on going to EPCOT, MK and DTD as he only has two days and has not been to WDW before, he has been to DL about 16 years ago.
He has asked for my advise and im not sure as I have not traveled solo.
Please can you gove me some advise on good places to eat solo at EPCOT, MK and DTD and any solo touring tips for MK and EPCOT to pass on to him??
__________________
Clare Loves Stitch
"sometimes the right path is not the easiest one"
Grandmother Willow - Pocahontas
Proud DVC owner at BWV from March 2011
I wonder if you can give me some advise. My Dad (in his late 50s) is going to a conference near disney and he plans on going to EPCOT, MK and DTD as he only has two days and has not been to WDW before, he has been to DL about 16 years ago.
He has asked for my advise and im not sure as I have not traveled solo.
Please can you gove me some advise on good places to eat solo at EPCOT, MK and DTD and any solo touring tips for MK and EPCOT to pass on to him??
i just spent four days in WDW solo, and it was great! i did a trip report you can read, with some comments on solo dining in particular...you can read it here:
as for your good places to eat request, i found that i preferred eating at table service places rather than counter service (eating alone at a CS place makes me feel kind of like a jerk, when large families are searching for a table and i'm taking up one all by myself). at epcot, i ate at chefs de france and it was fantastic. for my MK day, i took the monorail to kona cafe in the poly, and at the end of the day, i took the boat to wilderness lodge to have dinner at artist point (HIGHLY recommended!) i can't comment on DTD, as i didn't go there.
It would depned on if your Dad is looking for table service or counter service meals. Tableservice take up more time where counter service is much quicker. I solo quite often and these are my favorites.
At DTD
I love Earl of Sandwich. I get my meal and sit out at one of the tables outdoors and people watch.
I have heard good things about Wolfang pucks express.
At MK
my favorite counterservices that i frequent are
Cosmic Rays - has 3 different food bays a lots of variety. then I go and sit to watch Sunny Elcipse yeah I love that
Columbia Harbour House, its across from the HM its a nice quiet place to eat. I get my food and go upstairs to sit by a window to look out.
for table service I would go with The Plaza Restaraunt ( need adr)
And then at EPcot... favorite Counter services are Sunshine Seasons over by Soarin they have lots of variety there to choose.
In World Showcase I like the Yorkshire County fish shop, the Mexican counter services and if I am looking for the typical burger type meal, then I like Liberty Inn, they have a decent fixins bar.
for Table service, I love the beirgarten, but you will be seated with other people and I like the Rose and Crown. Sometimes I like to travel over to one of the nearby Resort hotels. so when at Epcot or DHS I like to go to Beaches and Cream and get the burger or the No way jose as my meal... as a grownup ou can eat dessert for a meal just don't tell the kids or he may enjoy the ESPN club on the Boardwalk with its 100's of TVs all on sports channels even in the bathrooms.. my nephew said there were screens over each urinal
For MK , I like to head over to Kona Cafe for a meal( its table service,but rarely need a Adr for solo or even Capt Cooks snack company.
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If your dad is a social fellow, I would definitely recommend Biergarten in the World Showcase at Epcot. You get seated at a table with other guests (Beer Hall style), so he'd have someone to talk to and enjoy the meal and show with. We've always had great experiences being sat with really nice and interesting people there! Actually last time, there was an older gentleman at our table who was solo and he was such an asset to have. He had some amazing stories, and even had a piece of the Berlin Wall that he collected with him. Really interesting guy...maybe your dad can be like that for some other travelers!
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I've done WDW solo and enjoyed both CS and TS meals without a problem. At MK, my favorite TS places would be Liberty Tree Tavern (I like lunch better than dinner there) As far as CS goes, I like Columbia Harbour House. The upstairs seating is usually fairly quiet.
At Epcot my favorite CS place is Sunshine Seasons; lots of variety and lots of places to sit. As far as TS goes, there are so many places, it's hard to choose, but I think my favorite is Via Napoli, followed by Tutto Italia.
In DTD: I loved Earl of Sandwich and Wolfgang Puck Express.
The best thing about a solo trip is that you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. You can plan as much or as little as you like! It completely depends on your Dad's style! I've done several solo trips now--4 I think. I much prefer sitting down for a meal, I feel less rushed then if I sit down to have a CS meal and I see families wandering around with their trays looking for a table.
If your Dad would like to interact with other diners Beirgarten is a good choice, but there are some other options as well. Teppan Edo seats several groups at the same show table. The other option is that you can eat the full menu at several of the restaurant bars: Narcoossees, the Wave and Flying Fish come to mind immediately, and I'm sure there are others!
When I tour solo, I use the 20 minute rule. I don't wait in line for anything with a SBL of more than 20 minutes. I collect FP in the morning, while riding anything that has a short wait. In the afternoon, when it gets crowded, I have a collection of FP to use so that my wait times are short all day!
I've never toured solo either, but places to eat in Epcot that immediately spring to mind are Teppan Edo and Biergarten, because you're seated with others, so you have a chance to talk to people. Something else I would say that's great about Disney - if you're on your own, you can still get lots of photos of your time there, as the Cast Members will happily take your photo.
Thanks for all this great info- I showed my Dad and he was so happy so many people were willing to help, Bless him!
He wasnt sure if he would like solo Table Service or Quick Service so he opted for oth Teppan Edo TS on his Epcot day and QS on the MK day - I have passed on your reccomendations.
He managed to find another person from his company that is going to the Conference who wanted to go to Universal Studios with him and to DTD so I have booked them Paradiso 37 on there first night there. They also both loved the idea of Saana meal and animals in the dark! (does any one know when it gets dark there atm??) so I have booked them both Saana for an evening during the week as he wont get to experience AK.
Great info about photos and FP and single rider lines (I have not even noticed these before)
He also wants to eat at a steakhouse close to his hotel (courtyard marriot) does anyone have any experience of steak houses off property because I have no idea!!??
__________________
Clare Loves Stitch
"sometimes the right path is not the easiest one"
Grandmother Willow - Pocahontas
Proud DVC owner at BWV from March 2011
All the suggestions you got are good and what I would have recommended. We loved the Biergarten, even though my husband was worried about sitting with others; it turned out we shared the table with folks who lived only an hour away from us in Virginia! Teppan Edo has been recommended by others I know who often eat alone at WDW. You get a meal and a show with the chef performing as he/she cooks your food.
CHH in MK is one of our favorite CS places to eat, and the upstairs portion is quiet for a nice break. The Tangierine Cafe in Epcot is a lovely place for a solo diner, as you can sit at a table outside and people watch or even catch a musical performance, often with belly dancer. Or perhaps he'd like some bar food at the Rose and Crown pub, or even just a fish and chips from the window to eat on a bench by the lake. At DTD, Wolfgang Puck Express, Earl of Sandwich, and the Cooke's CS next to Raglan Road are all good choices. You can sit in the garden area that adjoins both Cooke's and RR, and get a nice Guinness on draft to go with your fish or sausages.
I like the Disney Food Blog to preview restaurants, particularly expensive ones. They give fun (in my opinion) reviews that may gush about how wonderful something is, but will also say the item was poorly seasoned or on the small side, etc. if that is the case. They include some non-Disney dining locations as well. the disney food blog I also recommend looking at the menus at www.allearsnet.com under Dining to get an idea of what's available and interesting.
Hope he has a great trip--and it is getting dark on the east coast around 7:30 pm now, but it is staying light later each day. Summer fireworks are often not held until 9:15 or 9:30. You can make a custom calendar like the one I made for Orlando in June right here: http://www.sunrisesunset.com/calendar.asp
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YA Librarian
Last edited by yalibrarian; 04-04-2011 at 03:22 PM..
Reason: spelling!
Which Courtyard? The one in the Marriott Village? If so, that's close to Johnnie's Hideaway and not too far from Charley's Steakhouse across from Celebration. You can find info on both on this website (must be the same owners):
Hope he has a great trip--and it is getting dark on the east coast around 7:30 pm now, but it is staying light later each day. Summer fireworks are often not held until 9:15 or 9:30. You can make a custom calendar like the one I made for Orlando in June right here: http://www.sunrisesunset.com/calendar.asp
thanks for the great advise and this website is amazing thanks
Quote:
Originally Posted by Straitlover
Which Courtyard? The one in the Marriott Village? If so, that's close to Johnnie's Hideaway and not too far from Charley's Steakhouse across from Celebration. You can find info on both on this website (must be the same owners):
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That sounds like the Marriott Village location. That is near Johnnie's Hideaway. When you leave DTD up towards Apopka-Vineland (away form the parks), you take a right at the dead end on Apopka-Vineland (Johnnie's in in the shopping center across the road form you at that light). Cross under I-4 and take a left on Vineland. The Marriott Village (on Lake Bryan) is right up that way on the left I think right before you get to the outlet mall.
Sorry its taken so long but I just wanted to let you know thanks to all your recommendations my dad had a great time and I think hes hooked on disney too now!!
thanks again
__________________
Clare Loves Stitch
"sometimes the right path is not the easiest one"
Grandmother Willow - Pocahontas
Proud DVC owner at BWV from March 2011
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just don't tell the kids or he may enjoy the ESPN club on the Boardwalk with its 100's of TVs all on sports channels even in the bathrooms.. my nephew said there were screens over each urinal 
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