Hey! Who wants to help me decide what to eat on my upcoming WDW solo trip?
I have a few must-repeat dining choices nailed down already (Raglan Road, Boma, San Angel Inn) but I want to branch out and not get stuck just repeating favorites on this trip. A couple new additions to the itinerary are Skipper Canteen, GF Cafe for brunch (never set foot in the GF before!) and HEA Dessert Party on my final night. I also want to graze around the world on my full Epcot day, as this is my first time at the Flower and Garden Festival and some of the special booths look super yum! But that still leaves a few open dining slots on my TP that I would like to fill with new-to-me dining choices, and thatās where I need your expert opinions!
I need a thumbs up or down on the following options (thoughts / comments are also welcome!):
1. AK: Lunch at Yak and Yeti? or sample a few small plates at Nomad Lounge? (or bus to Sanaaā¦Iāve been there twice before and love it, but Iām not sure I want to walk all the way out of the park in the heat of the day). Menu items Iām eyeing: Wok-fried green beans and Lo Mein at Y&Y vs Chicken Satay and Pad Thai at NL. Are these as tasty as they sound?
2. HS: Cobb salad at HBD. Yes, I am considering an ADR here just for this one menu item alone. Does it really live up to the hype? Or are there other menu items that are worth considering? Other option is to not eat at HS at all, as I am only planning to be there one day from late afternoon to closing . . . I could eat elsewhere before hopping over, then grab Chick-fil-A on my way back to my hotel that night (love CFA and we donāt have any where I am from!)
3. Epcot TS: Teppan Edo vs. Restaurant Marrakesh. Never done either of these, but they are high on my wish list. Food-wise, I lean towards TE. Setting and ambiance is more appealing at RM.
4. Splurge temptation: Spirit of Aloha. Worth the money or not? I am primarily intrigued by the entertainment rather than the food itself.
5. Coronado Springs: I am staying here for my last two nights. Any of the dining options at this resort particularly noteworthy? Anything that is worth sacrificing a meal elsewhere for?
I have not been to WDW in a long long time, we are going in June. We opted for Spirt of Aloha, and if we had an extra night in epcot would have went with Marrakesh. Me and DW went to Marrakesh 20 years ago and loved it. We chose Biergarten because DD17 is a little picky and we were there on our last trip when she was small. We chose SoA because HDD might be to silly for DD. What ever you decide you will enjoy.
Instead of making an ADR at HBD think about eating at the HBD Lounge. You can enjoy your Cobb salad and do a little people watching at the same time. My DH and got to watch the Storm Troopers march by as we enjoyed a cold drink and tasty food.
I had no idea what a Cobb salad was when I ordered it. I thought it was amazing ā so much so that Iām going back to HBD during my upcoming trip. Like you Iām trying not just to repeat favourites, but this is a must-do for me.
Oh, how fun that you got to watch the Storm Troopers go by! I will keep this in mindā¦sounds lovely, but it depends on how badly I think I will be in need of AC!
Sounds like I need to try it!
Did you happen to try to HBD grapefruit cake? Thatās apparently another āclassicā that everyone needs to try at least onceā¦
We really enjoy Yak & Yeti. Itās our go-to restaurant when weāre in AK. We usually split the chicken tikka masala because itās so big but on occasion have an appetizer meal (firecracker shrimp, won ton soup, and pork pot stickers). Recently weāve been going to Satuāli Canteen because itās new and we really like that as well but weāll be back to Yak & Yeti on our next trip in May.
The cobb salad at HBD is amazing. One of my favorite things to order in the park. Again, we split it because itās so big but the appetizer version is good for one. Unless you like A LOT of salad. In which case get the entree size. You wonāt regret it.
This will be our first trip and so weāve never been to either show. We were initially thinking about the Spirit of Aloha as well but as I started binge researching, all of the reviews I have seen have been highly recommending Hoop Dee Doo for both the Food and Show quality. I doubt you could go wrong with either.
Is it worth the money? From everything Iāve read the answer is yes. I believe the tip is included in your ticket price and if you enjoy an adult beverage with your meal, the all you all care to enjoy Beer Wine and Sangria could easily pay for the ticket price using the Disney price points on those beverages
One more thing to consider is that HDD has AC and SOA is covered but open air.
Went to HDDR spring 2017 with our kids and we enjoyed it. Pretty good food, a fun show, and a one and done (well at least for many years). We had a nice waiter but one that only made it to refill DHās beer 1x during dinner. So maybe donāt count on getting your $$ worth that way. Havenāt been to SoA in many many many years but hoping to try that next spring break trip 2019.
++ For Yak and Yeti ā¦ best in the park lunch I have have ever had ā¦ try the Ahi Tuna Nachos and ask for a table upstairs if your looking to escape all the hustle and bustle.
Last fall the dining at Coronado Springs was a bit jumbled up due to the refurbishment. Hopefully others can give some more recent insights.
You didnāt carry the HEA Desert party down to your numbered items, but thatās also high on my list.
Tepapan Edo is a good choice, but unlike you I value it higher for itās ambiance over Marrakesh.
I saw the equivalent of Spirit of Aloha many years ago and while not disappointed, have never desired to go back if that helps.
Send me a message if you would like to bounce around other ideas
I appreciate all of the comments! Based on the feedback Iāve gotten so far, I now have ADRs for both Yak & Yeti and HBD (for Cobb salad!). Since Iāve yet to hear any rave reviews about the dining options at Coronado, Iām not going to sacrifice any of my other dining plans to leave room in my itinerary for eating there.
Iām still on the fence about Teppan Edo vs. Marrakesh at Epcot. Iām also torn about whether to spring for Spirit of Aloha . . . Since itās open-air, I think the temps will be much more pleasant at the 8:15 show rather than the 5:15 show. But Iām not a fan of the idea of eating a buffet dinner that late in the evening! Maybe I will leave SoA for another trip at a cooler time of year.
For what its worth, I would vote for Marrakesh over T.E. But my family has a great Japanese place right around the corner (and, FWIW, we have pretty decent Moroccan options as well) so we eat Japanese much more often than Moroccan.
I donāt think either are phenomenal, but I donāt mind the ambiance in Marrakesh.
