Most "themed" restaurants in WDW

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Karlipants's picture
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Most "themed" restaurants in WDW

This Dec DH and I are taking his parents and little sister (21, not really little) to WDW for the first time... I really want to show them how imaginative the imagineers are, not only in the parks, resorts, and attractions, but in the restaurants (table service OR quick service).

What are your top 5 themed places to eat at WDW?

They don't necessarily have to be top rated... just top themed!

Here are the few that I know...

1. Sci-Fi Dine in
2. 50's Prime Time Cafe
3. Rainforest Cafe
4. TRex
5. Planet Hollywood

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Good question. I'd say

1. Marakesh
2. San Angel Inn
3. Coral Reef
4. Be Our Guest (not actually been there yet so just going from reviews)
5. Cinderella's Royal Table

Ask me on a different day and i may come up with 5 different answers wink

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fmknightuk wrote:

1. Marakesh
2. San Angel Inn
3. Coral Reef
4. Be Our Guest (not actually been there yet so just going from reviews)
5. Cinderella's Royal Table

These are great! The only one that i've actually been to is Be Our Guest and it is beautifully themed! And they have excellent food and service, not to mention tasty wine!

I've seen San Angel Inn and we are def contemplating this one for our visit! I love that you can sit next to the temple and if you're lucky get seated next to the water and watch the boats pass by.

I love the idea of Coral Reef.. My fear is being sat next to the tank only to have disruptions throughout our meal from guests trying to take a closer look.

Cinderella's table and Marakesh have been added to my research list! Thanks!

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Well Karli, TRex, Rainforest & Planet Hollywood are not Disney restaurants.

Truthfully, I we think the Brown Derby is the most authentically themed restaurant. If you every saw the episode of I love Lucy where she was in the Brown Derby and saw William Holden, that's what we remember every time we are there.

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mrhub wrote:
Well Karli, TRex, Rainforest & Planet Hollywood are not Disney restaurants.

I contemplated putting that I knew that those three restaurants were not Disney affiliated when I typed this out.. Just thought i'd throw them out there so that everyone knew I already knew what those three were... I'm def not a fan of any of them.

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Oh don't get me wrong, we love the Rain Forest, it's great, just didn't want you thinking it was a Disney restaurant.

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Karlipants wrote:
fmknightuk wrote:

1. Marakesh
2. San Angel Inn
3. Coral Reef
4. Be Our Guest (not actually been there yet so just going from reviews)
5. Cinderella's Royal Table

These are great! The only one that i've actually been to is Be Our Guest and it is beautifully themed! And they have excellent food and service, not to mention tasty wine!

I've seen San Angel Inn and we are def contemplating this one for our visit! I love that you can sit next to the temple and if you're lucky get seated next to the water and watch the boats pass by.

I love the idea of Coral Reef.. My fear is being sat next to the tank only to have disruptions throughout our meal from guests trying to take a closer look.

Cinderella's table and Marakesh have been added to my research list! Thanks!


You don't need to worry about that, I've eaten there twice and not seen anyone out of their seat to take a closer look. After all, you can walk round the other side to get a better look in the seas.

I can't really add to the restaurants already listed, I think they are the most heavily themed restaurants.

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To really wow somebody with a restaurant I would say:

Cinderella's Castle - good food
Be Our Guest - same thing
Sci-Fi for lunch , we never did dinner
Spirit of Aloha at the Poly very good food
Hoop De Doo Revue, very fun

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Thanks everyone! Loving your suggestions and ideas! mickey

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Spirit of Aloha Dinner show is awesome...

San Angel Inn is also great whether or not you get a seat by the water!

I would say The Coral Reef was disappointing last year...I won't be going back until they change the menu...

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Karlipants wrote:
fmknightuk wrote:

1. Marakesh
2. San Angel Inn
3. Coral Reef
4. Be Our Guest (not actually been there yet so just going from reviews)
5. Cinderella's Royal Table

I love the idea of Coral Reef.. My fear is being sat next to the tank only to have disruptions throughout our meal from guests trying to take a closer look.

Cinderella's table and Marakesh have been added to my research list! Thanks!

We were lucky enough to get tank side seats and weren't disturbed at all, but i suppose that there is always that risk. Marakesh is lovely inside. If you do decide to go, try and get a table next to the stage area where the belly dancer and moroccan musicians perform, if you get seated too far away it doesn't feel as authentic mickey

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We really enjoyed Askerhaus in Norway for the Princess dining. The meal was excellent and it wasn't very crowded.

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In no particular order, these are some of the restaurants I think are the best 'themed'...

Sci Fi Drive In
San Angel Inn
Marakesh
50's Prime Time Cafe

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I put Biergarten on my list of heavily themed. I like being surrounded by the quaint village (town?) Maybe not as dramatic as others, but I would say it is not any less themed than San Angel Inn, which also has a really cool atmosphere.

So many have such good theming that it is hard to list a few.

50's is great! Especially if you are seated IN a kitchen.
Doing Sci-Fi for the first time in Sep.
Be Our Guest, even though we didn't care for the food.
Tusker House, I think the buffet/market area is just great. I love it!

(Ok, so I am weird, I know!) wink

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fmknightuk wrote:
Good question. I'd say

1. Marakesh
2. San Angel Inn
3. Coral Reef
4. Be Our Guest (not actually been there yet so just going from reviews)
5. Cinderella's Royal Table

Ask me on a different day and i may come up with 5 different answers wink

On Coral Reef-- we have an ADR for our honeymoon. This is the restaurant I really wanted to go to because I LOVE the ocean and marine animals. Therefore, I really want to be by the tank. Is there anyway to do this in advance...or will they let me request that at the podium? We have already specified its our HM and we will definitely be wearing our buttons. haha

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KanineKrunchies wrote:

On Coral Reef-- we have an ADR for our honeymoon. This is the restaurant I really wanted to go to because I LOVE the ocean and marine animals. Therefore, I really want to be by the tank. Is there anyway to do this in advance...or will they let me request that at the podium? We have already specified its our HM and we will definitely be wearing our buttons. haha

I don't believe you can request it in advance, but you can ask at the podium and say that you are prepared to wait till a tankside table becomes available. I'm sure wearing buttons will help as well crossfingers

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There is also a rumor that the Spirit of Aloha could be having its last show on Oct 1. Unknown if its the last show or just until they get a new location with the DVC coming in. This is from the Tikiman's FB page. Maybe I'll have to start a petition "Don't Let The Spirit of Aloha Die" or maybe do one of those posts on FB with me holding a sign that says " Hey Disney, if I get 1,000,000 likes before October, will you keep the "Spirit do Aloha" alive? "

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mrhub wrote:
There is also a rumor that the Spirit of Aloha could be having its last show on Oct 1. This is from the Tikiman's FB page. Maybe I'll have to start a petition "Don't Let The Spirit of Aloha Die" or maybe do one of those posts on FB with me holding a sign that says " Hey Disney, if I get 1,000,000 likes before October, will you keep the "Spirit do Aloha" alive? "

Wow, when do you think we'll know for sure? Claude's sister and her family are getting ready to book an ADR for spirit of aloha the week of October 21st.

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I would tell them to still book it. Probably won't know till the last minute. But all the rumors are that the first phase of DVC is starting before the end of the year.

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Thanks for the heads up. I have the Spirit of Aloha show booked for November.

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Oh no! We were debating doing this last October and ended up with Hoop De Doo instead! I hope it's not a permanent closure!

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The website that MrHub is referencing tends to be pretty accurate however without an official announcement on the Polynesian DVC it's hard to say what is actually going to happen. Chances are pretty good the the possible construction will start on the Luau Cove side of the resort since it will be the "least" intrusive.

Keep your reservations if you have them, but I would make a back-up plan just in case.

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Bummer! I hope it is not a permanent closure. We were waiting until the girls were older to do the luau. Too little too late.

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I imagine they are going to make a new location at one of the DVC buildings for "The Spirit of Aloha", but as Kristen said , Disney hasn't even officially anounced building DVC at the Poly yet. We all know how things can suddenly change with Disney.

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Kristen K. wrote:
Keep your reservations if you have them, but I would make a back-up plan just in case.

Already have one. Smile

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Awh man! I've always wanted to go to the luau sad

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