Food

Adding Magical Experiences: Dinner Packages and More at Walt Disney World

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Please note: Many indoor restaurants remain closed or with limited service. Please check the Walt Disney World website for the latest information.

We’ve already talked about Character Dining, but there are so many other special dining options at Walt Disney World resorts that include more than just eating. Some are complimentary upgrades, and others you pay a premium for.

There are few dinner experiences that are just so unique, they are noteworthy on their own.

Before we had our daughter my husband and I had an excellent meal at Restaurant Marrakesh in the Morocco Pavilion in EPCOT. This restaurant, besides serving excellent Mediterranean food, features bellydancers tableside. So cool! In addition, when we ate there we got priority seating for the Candlelight Processional, a special Christmastime show offering. No additional fee required.

I’ve noticed over the years that Disney World often offers dining packages with priority seating for in demand shows. Sometimes, like in this instance, it is offered for free by taking a less desirable dining time (late afternoon), other times it’s offered up as a premium package with desirable reservation times followed by the show.

The Biergarten Restaurant in EPCOT’s Germany Pavillion offers German fare like sausage and saurkraut along with a show. Oompa music, yodelling and more are showcased at this buffet. I’ve always wanted to do this, but the idea of eating heavy meat and potatoes when it’s hot outside is never appealing. Maybe next visit.

San Angel Inn Restaurante in EPCOT’s Mexico Pavilion offers a unique nighttime dining experience all day long. It appears you are the base of ruins under a night sky. Food here often offers a mixed rating, but the setting often makes up for it.

Be Our Guest restaurant in the Magic Kingdom has been a hot ticket since it opened. And Disney has noticed, making it a premium offering for dinner. The theming of this restaurant is unmatched and truly an experience. In the past, the restaurant was counter experience (read cheaper) for lunch, but that may have changed.

Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge not only offers excellent fine dining African cuisine, but you can also view the Lodge’s Sunset Savanna area which includes Giraffes, Zebras and more! This is included in your experience, no upgrade! We did this on last visit and had a delicious meal with top notch service.

Raglan Road in Disney Springs is a crowd favorite, not so much because of the food, but because of the live music and Irish step dancing. It’s not making any foodie’s list, but the entertainment is enjoyable. I haven’t been myself yet.

If you are looking for dining with a Magic Kingdom Fireworks view, California Grill at the Contemporary Resort is one of your best bet. This is a hot ticket though can and be difficult to get, as the Grill has a sterling, legendary reputation, and perfect views. Narcoosee’s at the Grand Floridian is also an excellent choice. Known for their seafood, they also have excellent steaks.

An inexpensive option is some take away food from Captain Cook’s at the Polynesian and watching the fireworks from a grassy area on the hotel property. We did this and had a wonderful, relaxing evening, complete with the famous Dole whip! The barbecue sandwiches were tasty too.

If you want the best views of EPCOT’s end of day spectacular HarmoniUS, Rose and Crown’s patio in EPCOT is where it’s at. You can purchase a dinner package for a premium and watch the show from your table, or take your chances with a regular dinner reservations. Other options without the premium “package” price tag include La Hacienda de San Angel in Mexico Pavilion and Spice Road Table offering a Mediterranean small plates menu in the Morocco Pavilion.

There are also dessert party packages for both Magic Kingdom and EPCOT shows. At last visit to the Magic Kingdom we did the dessert package, and although it was pricey, I thought it was worth it for a special treat. The desserts are all you can eat and excellent. After you finish eating you sit in a special roped off area in the grass directly in front of the castle. As someone who doesn’t like fighting crowds for anything, this allowed us to relax and spread out. It also saved us a lot of time as some can wait hours staking out the best spots for the fireworks.

I also sat in a premium seating area for EPCOT back when it was Illuminations. I don’t recall how I scored this spot, but it was on my trip with my husband. We were on the opposite side of the lagoon from World Showcase and it didn’t strike me as a particularly good spot. Watching the EPCOT show is not nearly at a premium as the fireworks in Magic Kingdom, so I would skip this.

This is just scratching the surface, there are plenty of other premium dining packages that incorporate show reservations, tours and other unique experiences that can tap into your special interest.

Adding Magical Experiences: Character Meals at Walt Disney World

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Please note: That as of writing character meals are being offered in a limited capacity and are not running in a “normal” fashion. This post is created to help future visitors make informed planning decisions.

One of the best upgraded experiences you can have at Walt Disney World resorts are Character Meals, and no, they aren’t just for kids! Adults enjoy them too. Why would you want to have a character meal?

  1. Save time. Waiting in line for character meet and greets eats up valuable park time. With character dining, the characters come to you! They rotate around the room to each table while you dine. Talk about convenient!
  2. Certain characters can only be experienced via meals.
  3. Character meals are available outside the parks and even at select off property locations, making it a great activity on a non-park day.
  4. Character dining food is consistently good. Meals offered via character experiences are truly great, with some food only accessible via character meal. And who doesn’t like Mickey waffles?

I’m only going to highlight a few of my favorites here. For a great overview and the most up to date information about all Character Meals visit this comprehensive listing at the Disney Food Blog.

Breakfast

Breakfast has the most available options by far when it comes to character dining. We have done three breakfast options – ‘Ohana at the Polynesian Resort, the Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club, and Trattoria al Forno in the Boardwalk. Note that none of these places are inside the parks! That’s by design. Why waste precious morning park time eating, when you can get on most rides?

Each experience was entirely different and unique.

‘Ohana as the name suggests offers a Hawaiian experience with delicious exotic fruits. Characters you encounter include Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and Pluto. We chose this breakfast because we wanted an excuse to go to the Polynesian, and had heard of the fantastic food. This is a pricier restaurant and thus breakfast was a more reasonable option for us. Unfortunately, recent reports are that the service and especially food quality have slipped here. I hope they improve soon. The food here is served as much as you wish to your table.

The breakfast buffet available at the Cape May Cafe was much more classic in nature including the legendary Mickey waffles. Characters that join you there (complete with adorable beach gear) are the classic characters Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Daisy Duck and Donald Duck. We probably had the most character encounter time at this location with multiple visits by each one.

The Bon Voyage Breakfast at Trattoria al Forno was just starting to be offered at our last visit, and the quality of service and food was spotty. The food offerings which were more brunch in nature, were interesting and different from the norm. It was a prix fixe meal with a few options.The reason we chose this meal is because the characters present are Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder and Ariel and Eric. Flynn was an especially fun encounter. I’m not sure we would go running back, but I would definitely give it another chance considering they have a few years of experience now under their belt.

I would be remiss without mentioning the two most popular character breakfast options Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto, and Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom featuring Ariel, Belle, Princess Aurora, Jasmine, Snow White and of course Cinderella. Both offer more classic breakfast fare. I have not been to either but I hear Chef Mickey’s can be a bit loud.

Before the shutdown, Disney was beginning to offer some early morning breakfast package options that included early access to the parks or even a no wait access to certain rides. Depending on the price this could be a good value. If memory serves venues included Crystal Palace and Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom, Garden Grill and Akershus House in EPCOT, Tusker House in Animal Kingdom and Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios. Tusker House especially has historically been a sort of “hack” to access Animal Kingdom early before opening. Same for Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom. Something to watch for when character meals fully return.

Lunch

For lunch we’ve done two character meals Akershus House and Tusker House.

Akershus House in Norway Pavilion in EPCOT offers Norwegian food for lunch (they also have a breakfast buffet with more standard fare). Because of this, it’s less popular for lunch, but my adventurous eater didn’t mind one bit. Lots of seafood offerings. This location features what I call Princess Palooza including Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, Princess Aurora, Ariel, Mary Poppins, and Jasmine. Eating in this unique location was a delight for my then four year old and she participated in a restaurant mini parade in her dress with the princesses. Really good memories. We chose a late lunch slot which worked for a great mid-day break in the air conditioning, and if memory serves lead right into a long toddler nap while we pushed her in the stroller around World Showcase. Win!

We’ve eaten at Tusker House in the Animal Kingdom twice, and I would eat there again. The first time we did, we were childless, but the food, along with priority Lion King seating, enticed us. We were not disappointed. It’s a buffet featuring amazing dishes from the African continent. The second time we went with our daughter and it was just as good as we remembered. That time we got River of Light show priority seating. Both times we were visited by Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Mickey Mouse, and Minnie Mouse in their safari gear.

The only other truly noteworthy lunch character experience is the Garden Grill in EPCOT featuring Chip and Dale, Mickey and Pluto. Chip and Dale I hear are especially a hoot. I also hear good things about the food which is served family style to your table. But the coolest thing about this location is that the restaurant itself rotates! You are on the move, slowly, and can enjoy different views of the Living with the Land attraction. It’s on my to do list for sure.

Dinner

We have never done character dinner for a few reasons namely cost, but also this leads into another prime park time, and thus not a great option. Much of what is offered for dinner is similar to what is offered for lunch, just more expensive. One notable exception is the Happily Ever After Dinner at 1900 Park Fare which is supposed to be amazing. Excellent buffet offering featuring Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine (the Wicked Stepmother), Anastasia and Drizella (Cinderella’s Stepsisters). The villain component is what is most appealing here and makes for a great experience. It’s on my bucket list.

Another unique character offering for dinner is Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Dopey, Grumpy and the Evil Queen also make an appearance.

As you can see, no matter what character or cuisine you like, there is something for everyone in character dining. I’d recommend at least one character dining experience each visit. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Options at Walt Disney World

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Recently, I had a friend who was looking for inexpensive Vegetarian options in Walt Disney World Resort. Through some sleuthing I came up with the following list. They used it successfully on their visit. Disney menus are changing all the time. For the most up to date information on Vegetarian options visit the Disney Food Blog vegetarian guide.

Snacks and food options in each Disney park

  • Be wary of soups; some contain chicken broth, even if they are labeled “Vegetable” or “Cream”. Ask about ingredients to confirm.
  • While several Chinese dining locations offer meals that sound vegetarian, they are often cooked or served in chicken broth.
  • Garden burgers are available at nearly all burger locations, even if it’s not listed on the menu.

The classics available everywhere: Popcorn, Mickey pretzel, Mickey ice cream bar (dove bar)

Continue reading →

Touring Plan: What to Eat at the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival

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So the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival has turned into quite the crowd pleaser, but fewer know that the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival not only has beautiful garden displays, but also has turned into a food event in its own right. Unlike other Disney special events, both of these festivals take place over several weeks, which means less concentrated crowds. Best of all, there is no additional admission. A win-win for everyone.

This year the Flower and Garden festival has been extended an unprecedented 90 days from March 2 to May 30, 2016. Limited viewing topiaries, food and even an interactive children’s garden are all part of the festival this year.

This is one of the reasons why I chose to go during April with my family in 2016. I can’t wait to snack on all the new pop up stands available during the Flower and Garden Festival. Check out the video below on some of the tasty foods offered in 2015.

Dining at Disney: Is the dining plan right for me?

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Update: Disney Dining plans are on hiatus due to the pandemic. I expect them to make their triumphant return in 2022.

For anyone staying on property at Disney World, it’s the million dollar question, “Is the dining plan right for me?” Although much debate has gone on about it, and it is personal preference, I would in general say “No.”

The idea of a prepaid plan is appealing. It provides an all-inclusive feel to your vacation, and who doesn’t love that? I would argue, the convenience of the plan ends there. Continue reading →