Disney - Dining Ideas

DINING IDEAS

WATER IS ALWAYS FREE!!!! You can ask for a cup of ice or water and it's free! You can also bring in your own Crystal light packets and make it flavored water if you want! Bottled water is not included and must be paid for.

We stayed at Fort Wilderness (sleeps 6) and had a FULL KITCHEN in our room! We ordered groceries ahead of time and they were delivered to our room.  We made breakfast in the room most days - we were late nighters not early risers! We also had lots of drinks and late night snacks...and when we did have leftovers we could refrigerate them and heat them up later!  And I will admit, I also ordered a case of daiquiri pouches to the room - you know when Mom needed her own special "Capri Sun" after a long day:)

Cabin had a bedroom with a queen bed/two bunk beds, Murphy bed and a sofa in the living room  - lots of sleeping room! Full kitchen and your own picnic table out on the deck!

DID YOU KNOW? Disney allows you to bring in your own food/drinks to the park...they will check your bags at the entrance, but they don't stop you for food/drinks.  We froze water at night (put in a large ziploc bag) and carried them in the bottom of the stroller...I brought in snacks and cokes...I have heard people bringing in their own sandwiches for lunch, etc...but I had the dining plan so we ATE very WELL!

You can pay for your meals - however, it freaked me out to pay $100-200 per meal for us all to eat and I would have been stressed out if they didn't like it or didn't eat it all - so I went with the meal plan! Trust me - we ate hundreds/thousands of dollars in food so it was well worth the small investment! I know that if we were paying "per meal" -I would have made everyone split entrees and no desserts:(

If you stay at a DISNEY RESORT you can add the Dining Plan to your package (or get it FREE during certain times of year - contact CupcakeCastles for when!)  The Dining Plan allows each person in your party two or three meals per day (we choose two meals) PLUS 1 SNACK per day (a drink/ice cream, etc)

The meal includes: ENTREE, DESSERT, and a BEVERAGE 

The best part: YOU CAN ORDER ANYTHING ON THE MENU! So if you order a salad - it's covered...if you order the most expensive steak - it's covered!  So let them eat steak!  and save room for dessert because EVERYONE gets one!  You will be overly full by the end of the trip!

LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE!!! We had 6 days/5 nights so we had FIVE Table Service (sit down meals) and FIVE Quick Service (order at counter and carry to your table with no waitress) meals - I thought we had six so OOPS!!! At Table Service meals you still have to pay the gratuity (and any additional items ordered - appetizers, alcoholic drinks, etc)

ANOTHER PERK: With the dining plan, you get a RESORT MUG for each person which allows UNLIMITED drink refills at your resort (not in the parks) - The mugs are $15 each normally so with 6 people this is a $100 in souvenirs! We didn't really stay at the resort much to use the refills, but got some here and there - and we also carried the mugs into the parks (ponytailed onto the stroller!) so we could take drinks to go easier!

Here are a few tricks:

• If you don't ask, they will give you a medium drink - but a large drink is also included in the meal plan.  Most restaurants don't give refills so this can be a big help!

• If you are using a "Quick Service Meal" the kids can order from the Adult menu (table service if under 9 years old, they MUST order from the kids menu)

• You don't have to order a meal for everyone at Quick Service - we had 6 people and sometimes only used 4 "meals" and shared - remember they come with dessert so LOTS of food!

• You can also substitute a side (fries/salad, etc) for a DESSERT

• At ANY meal, if your child has allergies, you can ask for special items - or ingredients list - Disney is well versed on allergy issues and know what to recommend to eat. 

MY FAVORITE DINING VENUES!

Remember: you MUST book your Table Service restaurants BEFORE your trip (like WAY WAY WAY before) - if you try to do in the park, you will have to eat lunch at 4 pm or later - no joke!  If you use a travel agent, they can help with your dining reservations too.

Hoop de Doo Musical Revue - although this one is at the Fort Wilderness Resort (a boat ride from Magic Kingdom) - this dinner show is WELL WORTH IT!!  At about $57/adults, and $30/kids - includes a FABULOUS dinner show that will have you laughing the whole time!  Dinner is unlimited salad, ribs, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, and strawberry shortcake!  I had picky eaters, so we also requested hot dogs and macaroni and cheese which they accommodated. AND THE BEST PART!!! Unlimited draft beer, wine, and sangria is included! This was much needed after a few days in the park - just enough to take the edge off:)  If you use your dining plan, this show costs TWO table service meals, but I still think it is WAY WORTH IT! If you go to the last show of the day (8:30 pm) you can sit in the front of the room using the dining plan (we were one table away from the stage)

HOLLYWOOD AND VINE (at Hollywood Studios) - this a Buffet-style TABLE SERVICE restaurant - if using the dining plan, it counts for ONE meal. There are certain times you can book a meal and get preferred seating for the FANTASMIC show at night!) Trust me this is WAY worth it - we had to eat "dinner" at 3:30 in the afternoon to get this- HAHA! But for the Fantasmic show we were in the middle section (arrive 1 hour early for the show to make sure you get a seat - they suggested 30 minutes, but the theatre was filled up by then!)

This is our front and center view of Fantasmic!

50s Diner (at Hollywood Studios) - this is good old-fashioned cooking like Mom used to make! The waitresses will " yell" at you for elbows on the table or not cleaning your plate - the kids loved it!

Coral Reef (at Epcot) - the food here was AMAZING!!! We ordered steak (told ya!) - mahi mahi - and lobster (all included on the dining plan!!) and it was all melt in your mouth incredible...and the desserts - OMG were fabulous - The middle one is Jack Daniels mouse or something crazy like that When everyone gets a dessert included, you get one of each and try them all! This was my favorite meal - and you eat "UNDER THE SEA" with the fish/sharks swimming by your table - great atmosphere...amazing food!

Coral Reef- this is for (5) people - one went home sick for the day:( Total $165.50 - all but the alcohol and $9 lobster tail (we added for fun!) included on the dining plan!

        

CHARACTER BREAKFAST - is a must for little kids - this time we did the Crystal Palace (at Magic Kingdom) - the kids get to have autographs and pics taken with characters during the meal.  Crystal Palace was a Buffet breakfast - and Disney has the BEST SCRAMBLED EGGS in my opinion! In the past we have done Cinderella's Royal Table and Aloha Mickey - many of my friends have done Chef Mickey - they are all very good - you CANNOT be late for your reservations - you have 15 minutes at character meals or they cancel your reservation (that is why I don't suggest travelling too much for meals- it can get very stressful!)

Crystal Palace Breakfast - This is for (4) adults (kids over age 9) and (2) kids - total $171.74 - 

Included on the DINING PLAN!

 

Rainforest Cafe (at Animal Kingdom or Downtown Disney) - you do NOT need a ticket to eat at either restaurant- they are located outside of park).  The ceiling is incredible - there are random rainstorms and "animals" throughout - and of course we ate STEAK! This is restaurant where your "beverage" can also be a smoothie (no alcohol in it) and the volcano for dessert is to die for!   

Rainforest Cafe - 6 meals - over $200 paid on the dining plan!

LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE: WE booked at the Downtown Disney location - we had to take 2 buses to get there and were over an hour late for our reservation! At MOST restaurants (not Character ones) they will accept you late but it is a stress to get there so again, I don't recommend travelling!

Note: If you eat at the Animal Kingdom location, there is a park admission area behind the restaurant so you can skip the long lines to enter Animal Kingdom

Quick Service Meals - remember this is order a counter and seat yourself meal (no waitress and no tips)

All have different themes based on where you are - I don't have any amazing recommendations but the Desserts at Pizzafari (in Animal Kingdom) were AMAZING! You don't make reservations - you just stop in and order- if it starts to rain - RUN into a quick service meal BEFORE the rest of the crowd thinks of it - that way you can eat and stay out of the rain (make sure to put a poncho on your stroller first!)  If you figure each quick service meal is roughly $10-12 per entree - so a QUICK SERVICE meal for 6 people could run $60-75 easy! Don't forget to ask for your FREE WATER!

Ok - now I am very hungry!!! And I LOVE the Dining Plan! We ate hundreds/thousands of dollars in meals and we ate much better than I would have allowed if we were paying for each meal! Just make sure to use ALL of them! If you have too many leftover in the end of your trip- pay for the poor person in line behind of you who is paying cash for their meals:)

If you like this post, find out LOTS of great deals on TIFFS DEALS facebook page!