Hiya Pals!
Disney is well known for many things, it’s nice to know once you enter the Disney gates, you’ll leave all your troubles behind! It is usually warm there, and you know you’ll have fun riding all the rides, but something people often overlook is the dining in Disney World. Did you know Disney is known for its world class chefs, state of the art restaurants, imaginative cuisine, and immersive restaurants? Let’s take a deeper look at dining in Disney World.
How to Choose Your Restaurants
Choosing a Disney restaurant can be a little overwhelming, especially if you’re new to dining in Disney World!
Location
One thing to consider when choosing a restaurant is your proximity to the location. If you’re planning on being in Animal Kingdom one day you might not want a dining reservation in Magic Kingdom. We try to pick a location inside the park we’re going to be at that day, or one that is easily accessible to that park. This cuts down on transportation time and gives you more time playing in the parks!
Another thing to consider is if you have a park ticket for the day. Some restaurants are located inside a park and will require a ticket for entrance. If you have a resort day planned, meaning you don’t have a park ticket for the day, you’ll need a restaurant that is located outside the park gates. But don’t worry, there are lots of great ones to choose from! Including some of our favorites like Chef Mickey’s, Sabastion’s Bistro, and Boma.
Types of Food
Obviously, different restaurants serve different types of food. So, if there’s a type of cuisine you don’t like steer clear of that restaurant. If you like to try new things, then fear not! Most restaurants, especially buffets, have options for pickier eaters as well as adventurous eaters. You can find restaurant menus listed for every Disney World dining location on the MDE app. If you need more help finding it check out our blog post on MDE!
Pricing
In addition, different restaurants have very different pricing. Your character dining, and signature dining experiences will be the most expensive, but most immersive experiences. Next price category will be table-service restaurants, which still offer great theming. Lastly, you’ll have quick service restaurants which will be the cheapest.
When to Make Reservations
For places like character and signature dining that fill up quickly, you’ll want to book your reservations as soon as possible. This means 60 days before the first day of your trip. You can call or book online, and reservations open at 7am Eastern time. Obviously, some restaurants book up faster than others, so it’s best to know where you’d like to go so you can book them right away in the morning at the 60-day mark. This is where having an amazing travel agent like ERICA KOCHER can help you! She can book your dining reservations for you and help make your trip run smoothly.
Where We Ate Last Trip
Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White
We had a late dinner here, and we were excited to dine here again. It had been several years since we had this meal, and it was better than I remember! The menu is American cuisine and is Prix Fixe. The table shares three appetizers, each person picks their entree, and then three desserts are shared with the table as well. At the end of the meal, you are presented with the Huntsman’s Box as a final reward. The price for dinner is $65 for adults and $39 for kids, which puts it on the pricier end, but it is delicious. You can also redeem the Disney Dining Plan here, however it’s important to note that it will require 2 table service ‘points’.
Dinner here is Character Dining, so you’ll meet The Evil Queen, herself as well as Snow White, Dopey and Grumpy. The character interactions are great, and during our meal the characters came around at least twice. After dinner you’ll be summoned by The Evil Queen. The best part about meeting all these characters is, there’s NO line!
Cape May Cafe
We ate breakfast here, and it was our first time at this location for breakfast. Breakfast was served buffet style and had a range of options. While this wasn’t our favorite breakfast buffet, we really enjoyed it. They have typical breakfast fare, and serve signature Salted Caramel Beach Buns. I was particularly fond of the Mickey waffles with fruit compote and whipped cream added to the top. It was the standout dish to me! The price for breakfast is $47 per adult and $30 per child. You can also use the Disney Dining plan here.
Breakfast here is Character dining so you’ll meet Mickey, Minnie, Donnald, Daisy and Goofy all dressed in their beach attire. Seeing the characters ready for the beach was a true delight! It’s what made us want to book dining here, and it did not disappoint! It’s important to note that only breakfast here is character dining. They serve dinner here as well, but it does not have character interactions.
Be Our Guest Restaurant
We ate dinner here, and it was our first time dining since the menu change. It is now a prix fixe menu where you choose an appetizer, entree, and dessert is served as a trio. The menu is French inspired for very obvious reasons. Upon arrival you’ll be directed to one of three rooms: the West Wing, the Grand Ballroom, or the Rose Gallery. It is always fun to dine in Beast’s Castle and experience walking into a Disney movie! Pricing for dinner is $70 per adult and $41 per child. It is important to note that the Dining Plan can be used here, but it also requires 2 table-service meals.
During dinner, Beast will make an appearance in all the rooms. He walks around and waves to everyone. In our experience, you have to be quick with your camera or you may miss him! I preferred when you were able to meet him and take pictures with him in a separate room after dinner. If you’ve ever wanted to actually “try the grey stuff” this is the restaurant for you!
Balancing It All
Generally speaking, we try to get reservations at two or three character or table-service restaurants per trip. The rest of the time we try to eat around the parks at quick-serve places, or in our hotel. This helps us balance not only monetarily, but time wise as well. Each character or table-service location requires approximately an hour of time. Character dining can often require more time (1.5-2+ hours) since characters come to your table.
Mobile Ordering
While in the parks we try to use the mobile order feature in MDE. This feature allows you to order food from several quick service restaurants and pick your arrival window. You can filter your choices based on location, time and more. It is extremely helpful while in the parks because it allows you to order food while waiting in a line for a ride or attraction. When your order is ready you just head to the counter and grab your food. We mobile ordered at quite a few different locations this past trip. It truly makes dining in Disney World just a little bit simpler, which helps when wrangling hangry todds, teens and even significant others!
Overall, Disney is well known for their dining experiences, and they are really trying to step up and make sure it’s not only delicious food, but also convenient. During the EPCOT festivals they take the food options up a notch by making them even more beautiful too. In our experience you’ll never be let down by the food when your Disney World vacation is over! So that leaves only one thing left to do- decide where you’re eating your next Disney World meal. We’d love to hear from you! Let us know on social media, or comment on this blog. Where are you eating when you dine in Disney World?
