Completely forgot about the Wave, silly me, but my pick for breakfast. And agree with Citricos (we were chatting with the server about V&A, next thing we know we were getting bread service from there!)
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Iād love to go to V & A - have not found a type of food that I wonāt try yet (wellā¦tripe maybe and I donāt think theyāll serve that at V & A no matter how fashionable offal gets 
) Cal (DS18) would love it too, but Ben is too young anyway, and I donāt know if Iād ever trust him to sit still in a smart restaurant at any age!
I cancelled Cali grill last trip because I decided none of us would enjoy it because weād be stressing about Ben. We tried Brown Derby at lunch and it was a nightmareā¦sigh. This is why Iām the queen of the character buffet!
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I am so happy that someone else feels the way I feel about CG. I keep on thinking I will try it again since obviously I must have missed something, but I will have to visit V&A first, so that may ruin me for everything else.
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Tangierine Cafe - Always on our list.
Boma - Unique food and locale.
Crystal Palace - TOP notch food on a buffet. Fantastic - unique - character interactions. MUCH better than I expected.
Flame Tree Barbecue - Still our favorite CS.
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So wait a secondā¦Cali Grill isnāt the best place in the entire World? 
Iām shocked, SHOCKED I say.
I guess this is why Iāve been so hesitant to try it. Iām always worried that Iāll automatically be disappointed if someplace doesnāt live up to the hype Iāve built up in my head.
Our next trip is to celebrate our 15th anniversary and Iāve been so tempted to try V&A. Iām on the fence.
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Do it.
California Grill is a good restaurant, but the highlight is the fireworks. Other signature restaurants have just as delicious food, so itās not like it would blow your mind compared with say Jiko or Citricos. Now, V&A will do that.
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I almost added V&A for my upcoming trip but I have neāer tried Raglan Road and I know it is crazy but I miss DTD so I did not make the change. Plus with TiW, three signature meals and a couple of dining plans I just could not justify it. I guess something to look forward to.
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I also think HDDR is getting our vote for our oct trip! I donāt think Iāve ever heard one liner say anything negative about it!!
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This sounds way more show-offy than I intend, but Iāve been going to California Grill since it opened in 1995. It was kind of a supernova back then, and is pretty much responsible for all the signature restaurants that followed. Most of which have caught up or passed it, food and wine-wise.
Being a DVC owner, I go to Top of the World, which is a lot lower-investment way to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
The menu does seem to have recovered from a long skid, but the one time I went there post āre-imagining,ā I found the service indifferent and scattered. The wine list isnāt run of the mill, but the markup is hysterical, even by Disney standards. I canāt plan my trips six months out, and getting a table on the short notice I can give is impossible.
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I canāt say enough how you shouldnāt be intimidated. The servers are the best of the best, and have no desire to embarrass you or show off. The big fellow at the entrance is the maitre 'd, not a bouncer, even if he is built like an offensive lineman, and would probably rather jump off the mezzanine than see his guests have a bad evening.
Yeah, itās hard not to gush, but Iāve gone with friends who range from having grown up hunting and eating squirrel to ones who go to Michelin-star places weekly, and everyone comes away raving.
EDIT: price-wise, itās not small change, but given the quality and presentation, itās kind of a bargain compared to tasting menus in New York or Las Vegas.
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@BGK, the dilemma for me is whether my wife would appreciate the $$ spent on V&A or would she rather me put it toward something else. From absolutely everything Iāve heard and read, the experience is incredible, the staff is fantastic and it really is a great meal. For that, Iād be willing to pay the $600-ish dollars. Iām just trying to gauge if DW would be āWOW, this is incredibleā or āWOW, $600?!?!ā 
Now that Iām a DVC owner, I donāt see many meals at California Grill in my future. Dinner at Citricos and fireworks from BLT? Yes, please. I will say, that I do like getting dessert and a drink from the California Grill as a much cheaper option and recommend it to anyone who doesnāt want to pay for a full meal there.
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eating in the main room without the wine pairing and it wonāt cost that much. ā¦not to say is cheap, but if given the choice of a week in a deluxe or a split stay between ASSp and a few nights in a deluxe if it meant the savings went to V&A, Iād take option two in a heart beat.
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Actually, since it is our anniversary, Iāve been setting aside some extra money here and there. Since the trip isnāt until October, the cost isnāt really an issue. Itās more of a mindset. But the more I look at itā¦
If I were going to go big, what do you recommend? (I guess I should have started a new thread because this isnāt on topic). Main dining room or Chefās Table?
The Chefās Table is the biggest of the big. VERY difficult to get ADR (20 seconds past midnight and the only availability for my entire trip was at 180+7). Private table just off the kitchen, 10 courses (plus chocolate board), 5 1/2 hour dining experience. Dinner for 2 with one wine pairing and 2 wagu beef add-ons, tax and tip came out to approx $900. There were 6 of us at the table when I ate there and it was a LOT of fun, but if itās just the 2 of you, you might want to consider the Queen Victoria Room; same menu as the Chefās Table, but in an intimate formal dining room setting.
Unless you are SURE that DW would love the ex[erience, I recommend going to the regular dining room for your first visit. It will still likely be the best meal that you have ever had (for sure at WDW) and it will give you a chance to guage whether or not you want to go for the āfull dealā at the CT.
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Thanks, bswan. That makes sense.
My disclaimer: I have not tried any of the signature dining options due to the fact that my I cannot justify the cost for the kids who would not appreciate themā¦ if they could get PB&J or pizza at every meal, they would.
So here is my list (from a vegetarian with picky kids point of view):
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Sanaa - beautiful environment with amazing views and the best food Iāve had at Disney. Bread service is delicious! (And the kids can still order their pizza there.)
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'Ohana - love the atmosphere, entertainment, and views of the castle at night, and the vegetarian option is so yummy, the kids do not even complain about the lack of pizza. Oh, and the Lapu Lapus!
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Tusker House breakfast - pre RD, love the walk through the quiet park (like @NeedaTurkeyLeg said!), and the food is different and yummy - with some typical breakfast options to please the kids. It gets my vote for best character meal in WDW.
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Sunshine Seasons - great counter service options for vegetarians - itās the only place weāve found at WDW that serves a chicken meat alternative, which is a nice break from the same old veggie burgers, grilled cheese, and cheese pizza options at other CS places.
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Donāt know if I caught 'Ohana on a bad night or what but we were all a bit disappointed. Of course it could be that we had been running all day, we were close to the end of the trip and we were dragging. Fatigue kills a lot of enthusiasm.
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Fellow vegetarian here! Def. agree on Sunshine Seasons - very veggie-friendly.
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What bswan said!