Am trying to come up with a nice place for a Sweet 16 dinner for DD (Oct. 2). Want to surprise her with a cake; make it special. Obviously too late for BOG or anything princess. We currently have a reservation at Chefs de France, but from the reviews it seems really crowded and loud. And since we are a family of 5, at most restaurants, we never seem to get the quaint 4-top table by the window–almost always “the big table” by the restroom or server station. Doesn’t need to be “signature” dining; just don’t want to feel harried or rushed.
Thoughts? Thanks!
Do you want to eat in the parks or is a resort OK? How about Sanaa?
California Grill? Jiko? Flying Fish? Narcoossees?
We’ll have a car, so anywhere is fine. How is Sanaa at night? Was wondering about “missing the view.” Looks beautiful.
You can always go out after and do the night vision viewing, it would be different. My favorite is Jiko, but that view is more water and for five would be pretty expensive.
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What about Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge? You could take the boat over from MK at the end of a MK park day.
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We just did DD sweet 16 at WDW. Our special dinner was at Cali grill. Ordered Cinderella slippers at arabis brothers near POC. Engraved name and sweet 16 on one side and the date on the other. Waiter brought out in the covered dome.
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I haven’t been at Saana yet, I am looking forward to it. If you guys like Indian that should be a nice pick.
Looking on the site for 10/2 party of 5 for about 7:00, I see Boma, Kona Café, The Wave and Whispering Canyon Café. (that is Sat night/Sunday morning at 12:15)
I have heard a lot of good for Whispering Canyon Café. Good luck.
Thanks all! I’ve got a few more ideas now.
I just checked on DME, there there are nearly 100 locations with ADRs available for a party of 5 in the 7:00 - 8:30 time range - so availability shouldn’t be a serious problem. For a “special” meal, I would go with one of the signatures; the decor, food, and service are all top-notch. Down side is that with tax and tip you can expect to spend $60-75 per adult, and a 2+ hour “fancy” dinner is not always enjoyable for some younger kids. Except for CG, all of the signatures show availability, even V&A - that would be a REALLY sweet 16 dinner ( but that’s over $150/person and is restricted to 10 and older).
If you can give us a little more to go with, I’m sure we can provide more focused recommendations…
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How about trying one of the new places at the Four Seasons resort? Both Capa and Ravello look amazing.
We also really enjoy bluezoo for special events – it’s our go-to for last-minute “need to impress folks coming into town” restaurant.
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What great suggestions, everyone–thank you all! I think we’ve decided to stay within our dining plan budget, so signature is out.
May seem crazy, but I think we’ve settled on Tokyo Dining. It was one of the most relaxing dinners on our last trip (and the kids–even my youngest–still talk about the seaweed). If the waitstaff can sing happy birthday in Japanese to my language-loving DD, then she will be oh so happy.
Another side benefit: No one in our family is exactly super crazy about the Japanese desserts offered, so having a special cake instead won’t make us feel like we’re missing out on any other amazing Disney desserts that we would normally choose as part of the dining plan.
Reservation is at 7:00. Hopefully we can get a decent IllumiNations viewing spot after.
I think I’m at peace. Thanks for the help!
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Bluezoo looks amazing! I will put that in my back pocket for a future anniversary trip with DH. I wish the Swan and Dolphin would/could join in on the dining plan. They seem to have a lot to offer.
So far we’ve eaten at bluezoo, Kimonos, Picabu, and Fountain, and they’ve all been really great. Because we’re meh about food offerings at the Studios, that’s where we tend to go for a sit-down meal on a day at the Studios. We’re TIW people instead of dining plan people, so that does help some.
The last meal we had at Tokyo Dining was wonderful! It sounds like a great plan!!
My DS10 chose Tokyo Dining for his birthday lunch and it was wonderful. Their sushi combo plates are a great deal in the dining plan.
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If you just want somewhere fun for the family I would recommend the 50’s Prime Time Cafe in the Studios. It is a family favoritie of ours and we have celebrated several birthdays there. You can order a special cake from the cake hot line and have it sent here too.
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We do have a reservation at Prime Time for one of our days, but I could only get a 4:00. We’ve never been there, and it looks like a lot of fun. I did have the concern of having leftover cake to haul around for evening/Fantasmic/bus ride. We ended up tossing the remains of DH’s awesome bday cake one year after Sci-Fi for same reason. Sad, sad, sad . . . 
Actually, I think your idea of Tokyo Dining is a good one. If I am going to eat Japanese food at EP, that is my first choice. I like the atmosphere, and the food is very authentic (I lived in Japan for 4 years, so I know Japanese food quite well). Teppan Edo is good, but no better than any of 3 or 4 similar restaurants I have 20 minutes from my house…
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