Your experiences at our dining picks!?

[Inkdrainer]

We just booked all of our dining at the 180 day mark for our Nov/Dec trip, and without surprise this trip is all we can talk about anymore! I didn't have any trouble getting what we wanted, with the exception of a very late late dinner at Le Cellier (all that was left, but naturally we took it happily!).

Anyway, my family has never been to any of these restaurants except Tony's Town Square Restaurant, San Angel Inn, and 50's Prime Time Cafe. We've also never done a character meal before, so this will quite an adventure for us and we want to hear your opinions or experiences on the places we've picked. So many of you have done literally everything!
All are dinner reservations.

Le Cellier
Liberty Tree Tavern
The Plaza
Hollywood and Vine w/ Fantasmic seating
Garden Grill
The Crystal Palace
50's Prime Time Cafe
Biergarten
San Angel Inn
Tony's Town Square Restaurant

[MsMin]

We just booked all of our dining at the 180 day mark for our Nov/Dec trip, and without surprise this trip is all we can talk about anymore! I didn't have any trouble getting what we wanted, with the exception of a very late late dinner at Le Cellier (all that was left, but naturally we took it happily!). Anyway, my family has never been to any of these restaurants except Tony's Town Square Restaurant, San Angel Inn, and 50's Prime Time Cafe. We've also never done a character meal before, so this will quite an adventure for us and we want to hear your opinions or experiences on the places we've picked. So many of you have done literally everything!
All are dinner reservations.

Le Cellier- ate here last Dec. and it was good, loved the pretzel sticks but my niece ordered the open range chicken and I thought it took half the night to catch the bird. I think you have to experience it...
Liberty Tree Tavern-- never ate there
The Plaza- haven't eaten here either...
Hollywood and Vine w/ Fantasmic seating or here
Garden Grill or here
The Crystal Palace-- or here
50's Prime Time Cafe --or here
Biergarten-- ok I ate here for lunch and didn't like it b/c I don't like sausage and the chicken song tends to get old when you don't like sausage. Maybe they have changed the menu since I've been there.
San Angel Inn- Not on the top of my list but I would return-- I've eaten there about 3 or 4 x's and the last time my food was dried out like it was sitting under a heat lamp or something. Wasn't worth the price, I had better at the Cantina outside. Prior experiences were good.
Tony's Town Square Restaurant- went here last Dec. and I didn't like my appetizer or entree and desert took 20 mins. My son loved his, he ordered the Spinach Manicotti and loved it. I love the location and the desert thing was a problem w/ the kitchen which I'm sure is atypical.
If you are wondering where we eat it's more like Coral Reef, Spoodles, Alfredo's, LeCellier, Japan, CRT, Chef Mickey and Concourse Steakhouse. Sorry I can't be of more help..... We have an older crowd and tend to avoid buffets. Your picks sound great, I'm sure you'll enjoy them. Have a great trip....

[tinksmom02]

Con only comment on LeCellier (and only for lunch), but it was fantastic! We enjoyed every part of our meal! Make sure you try the cheddar cheese soup!

[Pop Centurion]

Liberty Tree Tavern - Excellent comfort food and friendly service.
Crystal Palace - Excellent food also. Buffet style so there wasn't much intereaction with a waiter/waitress except for drinks.
Garden Grill - We only eat Chicken, Turkey, & Fish so the food didn't really appeal to us. The service was great though and they even brought out Chicken tenders and Mac & Cheese from the kids menu because we didn't eat much of what was offered.

[Vinny]

I have only been to two of your selections (Garden Grill and Le Cellier) and can tell you that they are both very good. Both have good food, service and atmosphere. There are even a few characters at Garden Grill. When I was there a year ago they had Mickey, Pluto, Chip, Dale and a few others.

[psychotekkie]

Loved Biergarten. Lots of fun and good food.

Loved Crystal Palace. Awesome food and lots of characters.

Haven't tried the rest so I guess YOU'LL have to tell ME!

[GrmGrninGost]

I think you choose well. LeCellier is great, one of my very favorites!Liberty Tree Tavern has very good food, and the characters are great. We try to go there once per vacation. We have only been to The Plaza for lunch. The Cheesesteak is great! The Garden Grill? It used to be my favorite until they changed the catfish recipe and the potatoes. The Crystal Palace has good food and Pooh. Hard to beat. And the 50's Prime Time? We've been twice, and I can't wait to go back! Good home cooked style food and the waitresses make you eat your veggies and use good table manners! Imagine that!

[SBETigg]

Hollywood & Vine, not a favorite here but if you like buffets, it should be good for you and having the Fantasmic package is great.

San Angel Inn, my kids' favorite WDW eatery. We're here once a trip. The seating is close together but the atmosphere is awesome and the food is good with the exception of the chips and salsa(not good). We've always had good service but I've heard from people who haven't.

[DizneyRox]

Le Cellier - Great but rushed
Liberty Tree Tavern - Fantastic!
The Plaza - ???
Hollywood and Vine - Pass on this one
Garden Grill - A nice change
The Crystal Palace - Never been, they have Pooh characters.
50's Prime Time Cafe - A great place, but not the same as it used to be.
Biergarten - Must see!
San Angel Inn - Never been inclined to try it.
Tony's Town Square Restaurant - Never been, not a fan of MK, so it's often overlooked.

[mrsgaribaldi]

I love Le Cellier, we've eaten there twice and always had a great time. We were not rushed, our servers were excellent. I love the bread sticks and the steaks.

Crystal Palace we did a character breakfast in 2000. The food was good and we had kids with us so there was alot of interaction.

Biergarten we also ate in 2000. Food was good, kids loved the dancing. We never did alot of sit down dinners on our own so that's why we never went back to these places, not that they were bad.

Hollywood & Vine was my favorite buffet. They had a turkey pot roast that was delicious

Never tried the others, sorry. I really like the look at San Angel Inn though. I would like to try it sometime

[Tigerlilly]

We ate at Le Cellier and Liberty Tree a month ago.
Le Cellier was good but I did not think it lived up to the hype. Our waitress offered us complimentary smoothie or milkshakes as we came into the heat so that was a HUGE plus. The breadsticks as everyone mention are great. I had a tomato appetizer that was awesome. The only thing I did not like was I had the S'mores desert and it was not very good. It was exceptionally hard. Almost impossible to eat. Dense I guess is the word. The marshmellows were not toasted, just rolled in jimmies. I did not like it at all. My 2 year old daughter ate the marshmellows with glee

Liberty Tree was great. I had no expectations going in and it was the best meal of our trip. Service was great, the atmosphere was wonderful. I ordered the fried cheese appetizer for my son and it was MORE than enough for us to share (DDP) and was really good. I cannot say enough good things about LIberty Tree. It will be a repeat for us next time we go.

The other place on your list I have eaten at is San Angel. San Angel is more of an experience. Be warned it is DARK in there but the view is spectacular. Where else can you dine in moonlight with the glow of a volcano near by?
The food was good but nothing hugely special. They have added A LOT of seating since the redo of the ride. It still seems cramped.

Have a great time!!

[AwPhooey]

Le Cellier I've eaten here twice and both times have been excellent. Great food and attentive service!

Liberty Tree Tavern I've eaten here for the character dinner and enjoyed it very much. I love Thanksgiving dinner, so I loved the food. It was also very cool to see characters dressed in colonial era garb.

The Plaza I've never eaten here. In fact, I'm not sure if I've ever read a review about this restaurant.

Hollywood and Vine w/ Fantasmic seating I ate at H&V several years ago for breakfast and it was pretty decent.

Garden Grill I believe my family ate here on our first trip and I was only 7, so I don't remember much about the food, decor, etc.

The Crystal Palace I ate breakfast here on my most recent trip and really enjoyed it. Standard buffet breakfast, but the restaurant is very nice inside and it was great to see Pooh and friends.

50's Prime Time Cafe I've eaten here once and enjoyed the food quite a bit. The service was pretty good. If you don't want the wait staff to be in character (e.g. giving you a hard time about eating all of your veggies) I believe you can tell the host/hostess when you check in.

Biergarten I've never eaten here, but I want to try it out sometime.

San Angel Inn I ate here on my most recent trip and really enjoyed the food and the ambiance/environment. The waitress was very nice (we learned a lot about the process CMs from other countries go through in order to work at Epcot), but it took a while for our food to be cooked and/or brought to our table.

Tony's Town Square Restaurant My family ate here several years ago and we enjoyed it, mostly because the CM was extremely friendly (she was from a town near where we lived). I don't remember much about the food.

[magickingdom67]

Lets see...

Le Cellier- absolutely fantastic, try the cheese soup
Liberty Tree Tavern-Went here years ago and was pretty good
The Plaza-never been
Hollywood and Vine w/ Fantasmic seating-Pretty good though nothing stands out
Garden Grill- never been
The Crystal Palace-Family favorite, plus Pooh and Company
50's Prime Time Cafe-Food is very good and lots of fun if you have kids.
Biergarten-Didn't like the group seating and found it too loud.
San Angel Inn-Atmosphere is great but food is so so
Tony's Town Square Restaurant-Went here for breakfast years ago, which was good

[Mickey'sGirl]

Le Cellier Had lunch there in 2006. The food was good, but we wont kill ourselves to go back.
Liberty Tree Tavern We will be eating there for the first time in October.... I'll let you know.
The Plaza Sandwiches and Ice Cream -- It is a small restaurant, and a nice place for a "normal" lunch.
Hollywood and Vine w/ Fantasmic seating Did this for the first time in April. We all thought the food was fantastic, and the pre-arranged seating was a great bonus for Fantasmic!
Garden Grill This is likely our favourite Character meal -- The food is fabulous, and the character interaction is great.
The Crystal Palace We've been for both breakfast and lunch. Service is hit and miss, but the food is decent!
50's Prime Time Cafe Fun atmosphere, but we aren't crazy about the food. The milkshakes are terrific.
Biergarten Tried it for the first time on New Years Day this year. WE really enjoyed the show and the food
San Angel Inn We haven't been in years, but the setting is one of the loveliest at WDW for sure! I recall that we enjoyed the tortilla soup -- We are going for lunch in October so I'll have to refresh my memory!
Tony's Town Square Restaurant Tony's is all right. My kids enjoy the food -- but we absolutely love the restaurant. The animation cells are wonderful to look at.

I hope this helps!

[DawsonAR]

Looks like you have several great places to eat. I have eaten at some and below are my thoughts.

Le Cellier I have eaten here twice. One time was EXCELLENT and the other was very good.

Liberty Tree We have eaten here several times. Each time the food has been good. We love the atmosphere.

The Plaza I ate here one time. I had never given the place much thought and I was surprised when I really enjoyed the food. Most people over look this one.

Hollywood and Vine We have been here twice and each time we enjoyed the food. The atmosphere is somewhat loud but still enjoyable.

Garden Grill We eat here every tirp. We love this one. The food is good and the atmosphere is great. This one is relaxing even though it is a character meal.

Crystal Palace We have eaten here many times. We are skipping it this year. Not because it isn't good, because it is. It is just not a place you can relax and have a nice meal. It is loud and very high energy. It is enjoyable and I'm sure we will do it again.

50's Prime Time We have eaten here four times. The food it good, but not the best at Disney. I will eat here again but its just not at the top of my list.

San Angel Inn We have eaten here four or five times. We like it a lot. The food is sometimes excellent and other times good. I love the atmosphere. Very good place to relax.

Tony's Town Square I have been here one time. My food was just OK but my husband really like his. We are giving this another try on the next trip. The kids really liked it.

Have a great trip. I'm sure you will enjoy!

[FriendsofMickey]

Le Cellier - Ate here last September. I agree that it did not necessarily live up to the hype, but it was still very good. I had the cheddar soup that is usually raved about, but I found it very, very salty. I had the Creme de brule dessert - IT WAS FANTASTIC! Not a lot of it, but I plan on ordering it again this year.

Liberty Tree Tavern - Character interaction was great. Food was good. We will be returning this trip.

Garden Grill - character interaction is IMO one of the best. We have eaten here twice once in Nov '05 and Sept '06. The food was ahem.. both times, the desserts in '05 were all chocolate and beat '06 (again IMO). Definately worth one visit for character interaction, but we will not be visiting this coming trip.

The Crystal Palace - rates overall one of our favorite. Buffet is good and character interaction is good.

50's Prime Time Cafe - visited in '05 - for us, the food was the bad! I cannot remember what I ordered, but can remember the green beans were so salty, I could not eat them. NONE of us finished our food. Also, our waitress; though good with the table beside us, did not really do anything more than tell us it was no wonder our children didn't eat dinner, since we did not finish ours either. All in all, we will not visit again. (Though I do realize that if we ordered the same dish today, it might be great... everyone has bad days).


We haven't eaten at your other choices.

BTW: It looks like we will be down there at the same time. We will be there end of Nov - Dec for 10 days also.

[Shugoondola]

LeCellier - One of my favorites. Food has always been excellent. I will admit that service can be slow at times, but that's ok; it's worth it.

Liberty Tree Tavern - Another favorite of mine for lunch and dinner.

The Plaza - Never been.

H & V - No complaints. Food and service have always been very good. There are other buffets at WDW that I like better, though. Can be loud. A good place to eat in MGM.

Garden Grill - Never been.

Crystal Palace - Good, but I like LTT better and other buffets around the World.

50's Prime Time - OK, but I'm not a real big fan. Ate there once and don't really need to go back. It does have a nice theme.

Biergarten - Never been.

San Angel Inn - Nice atmosphere, but you are packed in like sardines. Not my favorite food. Other places in World Showcase that I like better.

Tony's - Never been.

Bon appetit!

[mook3y]

Le Cellier
Love it, near the top of our list. My favorite is the filet with mushroom risotto. The pretzel and bread sticks are yummy too

Liberty Tree Tavern
Food was good and loved all the character interaction here. Some of our favorite pictures of our kids for last years trips were taken here.

The Plaza
no idea

Hollywood and Vine
Only eaten breakfast here. It was good.

Garden Grill
going for first time this year.

The Crystal Palace
Good buffet

50's Prime Time Cafe
Food was really good and it is a lot of fun... so long as you don't mind getting picked on a little. Theming is awesome.

Biergarten
another not until this year...

San Angel Inn
We loved the atmosphere and liked the food.

Tony's Town Square Restaurant
ate there once and will take a major revamping of menu before we will try it again.

[auntfrannie]

Le Cellier: Really good but we always end up waiting longer even though we have ADRs.

Liberty Tree Tavern: Good Thanksgiving type food. The character interaction was outstanding!

The Plaza: Never been

Hollywood and Vine w/ Fantasmic seating: Didn't do the Fantasmic seating but the buffet was nice; service was very good.

Garden Grill: Never been

The Crystal Palace: We did breakfast; buffet was ok but I can't get too excited about breakfast.

50's Prime Time Cafe: Good "just like Mom used to make" cooking. We've always had great interaction with the CMs.

Biergarten: Great atmosphere. I was very pleased with the buffet selection.

San Angel Inn: Never been...trying for the first time in Aug.

Tony's Town Square Restaurant: Just ok. I wouldn't make a point to go again.

[kathiep]

We had a great experience at Crystal Palace. Good food & service; lots of character interation.

Biergarten is a must for us on each trip. Lots of selection on the buffet; the atmosphere is terrific and we really enjoy the show.