Disney World Blog Discussing Parks, Resorts, Discounts and Dining | Only WDWorld

Disney World Vacation Planning: Reservations Are Required!

2011-03-21T06:04:00.000-04:00

Nothing can ruin a day at Disney World faster than realizing that you are not able to get a table in one of the Disney World restaurants for dinner. Although making reservations for dining ahead of time used to only be needed for the busiest times of the year, it has really become a necessity whenever you want to dine at one of Disney World's Table Service Restaurants.

Popularity Has Its Price

Dining at the Disney World Restaurants has grown in popularity over the last several years. From the advent of the FREE Dining promotions to the growing popularity of the Disney Dining Plan, more people are now dining at the Disney World Table Service Restaurants.

This is not a bad thing, but it does mean that prior to arriving for your Disney World Vacation it is important to plan which Disney World Restaurants you would like to eat at and on which nights. Then, starting up to 180 days prior to your vacation, you need to visit the on-line Disney World site to make reservations.

No Tables For Walk-Ups

Many of the most popular Disney World Restaurants are filling up ahead of time to the point that they do not take "day of" reservations and rarely have space for walk-ups. This leads to long lines at the few restaurants that do save space for walk-ups. At the end of a long day in the Disney World Theme Parks, the last thing that your family is going to want to do is wait 1 to 2 hours for a table to eat.

Plan Ahead And Be In Control

In order to make the most of your Disney World Vacation, planning your Table Service Meals (aka sit down restaurants) ahead of time is required. Although that may be against your nature to plan where you are going to eat weeks or months in advance, by making the FREE Reservations ahead of time you put yourself in control of where your family will eat. You also reserve a time to eat and avoid excessive waits, which is definitely desired after a busy Disney World day.

Disney World Restaurants
Disney World has some great restaurants that are practically attractions themselves. Each provides a unique dining experience. Dining at Disney World is something that should be a part of every Disney Vacation. Whether you choose to visit one or many Disney Restaurants during your vacation make the experience a stress free one by making your dining reservations ahead of time.

Dining Reservations At Disney World Now May Be Made 180 Days In Advance

2009-10-27T05:57:00.004-04:00

Effective immediately, you may make your Advanced Dining Reservations (sometimes referred to as ADR) for a Disney World Restaurant up to 180 days prior to your resort check-in date.

This reverses the 90 day window that was in place for several months. If you voiced your dissatisfaction over the smaller window, your opinion does count and Disney has changed back to the longer reservation window.

To make Dining reservations for any Disney World Table Service meal you can either call Disney World Dining Reservations at (407) WDW-DINE (407-939-3463) or by using Disney World's online system at: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/

The on-line system is very easy to use. Just make sure that you have your resort confirmation number handy and the system will link the Dining Reservations to your room reservation.

You can get more information on how to use the on-line reservation system here: http://www.onlywdworld.com/2009/06/you-can-now-make-disney-world-dining.html

Kouzzina By Cat Cora Is Now Open At Disney's Boardwalk

2009-09-02T06:00:00.007-04:00

Kouzzina by Cat Cora is now open for business at Disney's Boardwalk in the location that was formerly called Spoodles.

Cat is the first and only female to appear on Food Network's “Iron Chef America”. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York and has gone on to be an executive chef for Bon Appétit magazine.

Cat has also hosted instructional cooking demonstrations for Disney Video on Demand,and been a featured chef at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

The Kouzzina is a Mediterranean inspired restaurant serving breakfast from 7:30 - 11:00 am and dinner from 5:00 - 10:00 pm.

From the menus shown in the pictures here are some of the entrees:

Breakfast:

Turkey Sweet Potato Hash with two eggs and arugula salad
Vegetable Flatbread - Scrambled Eggs, Roasted Peppers, Spinach, and Feta.
Stacked Kouzzina Breakfast - 2 Poached Eggs, Kalamata Olive Toast, Artichoke Spread, and Sweet Potato Hash
Spinach, Tomato, and Feta Scrambled Eggs

Dinner

Oak Fired Pork T-Bone with Farmhouse Greens and Citrus-Fennel Marmalade
Cinnamon Stewed Chicken with Tomatoes, Herbed Orzo, and Marithra Cheese.
Traditional Whole Fish - Pan Roasted with Braised Greens, Greek Olives, Fennel, and Smoked Chili.
Slow Cooked Lamb Shank - Served with oven baked Gigantes Beans and Pepper Sauce.
Fisherman's Stew - Scallops, Seasonal Fish, Shellfish, Fennel, Grilled Bread, and Ouzo Butter.
Wood Grilled Flank Steak - with Fresh Herb Saitsa and Kouzzina Potatoes.
Pastitsio - Greek Style Lasagna with Bucatini Pasta, Cinnamon Stewed Meat Sauce, and Bechamel.
Char-Grilled Lamb Burger with Olives, Feta, and crisp Sweet Potato Fries.
Spiced Briami - Oven Roasted Vegetables, Oregano, Marithra Cheese served with Herbed Orzo.

From the Children's Menu you will find:
Breakfast:
Fresh Fruit Plate
Mickey Waffle
Pancakes
French Toast

Dinner:

Grilled Chicken Breast
Grilled Fish of the Day
Cheese Pizza
Meaty Macaroni

Kouzzina will be a welcomed addition to Disney's Boardwalk, providing yet another wonderful Dining option for those who want something different to eat something beyond the ordinary while on their Disney World Vacation.

La Cava del Tequila Brings Another Great Destination For Adults At Epcot

2009-09-01T19:39:00.005-04:00

The long rumored tequila bar has finally opened inside Epcot's Mexico Pavilion connected to the San Angel Inn .

La Cava del Tequila is a 30 seat establishment that is a perfect addition to the Mexico Pavilion, with nothing else like it at Disney World. It makes a wonderful fit, calling on the long standing tequilla making history and heritage of Mexico. It is open from noon until Epcot closing each day.

There are more than 70 different varieties of tequila on hand. They present an excellent range of this liquor distilled from the agave plant. You will find tequilas priced from $8 to $50 for a rare specialty variety.

They do not have a bartender, but rather a "Tequila Ambassador" to educate the Disney World guests on the history of tequila making and helping them make their selections.

If you do not care for drinking tequila straight, they also make exotic margaritas, utilizing a variety of flavored salts, spices, and tropical fresh fruits. Certainly this will be an experience to remember.

To accompany your drinks you may also order a variety of tapas style delights including: freshly made guacamole, mahi mahi tostada with diced mango and avacado, and blue crab tostados with chipotle mayo and Valentina sauce.

This is certainly a new destination for adults to try during their Epcot visits. This would be a nice place to get away from the heat for a while and relax in the beautiful Mexico Pavilion.

Only WDWorld's Top 7 Disney Dining Plan Restaurants

2009-04-28T06:03:00.002-04:00

The Disney Dining Plan continues to increase in popularity for people who are vacationing at the Walt Disney World Resort. Whether you are paying full price for the Dining Plan or you are taking advantage of the current Free Dining Package promotion, you want to maximize the value of what you get. This article will tell you how to do just that.

For those of you not as familiar with the Disney Dining Plan ( DDP ) let’s start with a brief explanation. The basic DDP includes one table service meal ( entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage), one counter service meal ( one entrée or combo meal, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage), and one snack ( wide variety of food items available all over Disney World that cost $4.00 or less). The adult (ages 10+ ) cost of the Dining Plan is $39.99 per day. The child (ages 3-9) cost of the plan is $10.99. During the meals you may order anything you want off of the normal menus at the Table Service and Counter Service restaurants, with very few exceptions.

The key to getting your money’s worth is to maximize the value of the restaurants that you visit and the items that you choose to eat. Your choices will determine whether the Dining Plan is a good deal or not.

By choosing the right Table Service Restaurants on your trips, you can pretty much guarantee that you will get a great deal. ( Note: we will only list restaurants that require just 1 dining credit per meal for this ranking.)

Without further ado:

Only WDWorld’s Top 7 Disney Dining Plan Table Service Restaurants (in reverse order)

7. Tony’s Town Square – This full menu sit down restaurant that is located within the Magic Kingdom is patterned after the Italian restaurant that you see in the classic animated film Lady and the Tramp. If you are lucky, you may be able to watch part of the Spectromagic Parade while you eat. It made the list due to its menu choices and location within the Magic Kingdom.

6. Chef Mickey’s – Only 2 buffets make the Top 7 and both include Disney Characters. This family favorite located at the Contemporary Resort ranks especially high on the must do list if you have young children, as Mickey Mouse himself is present along with several of his friends. Not only do you get an above average buffet meal, but you get personal interaction with each of the characters as they make their rounds to each table. Excellent photo opportunities and character meeting time.

5. 1900 Park Fare – This buffet meal includes a visit from Cinderella and Prince Charming. Although this isn’t quite the same as eating in Cinderella’s Castle, the Grand Floridian is a gorgeous resort and eating here gives you an excuse to check it out. The buffet is better than average, but the real reason to come here is to see and meet Cinderella.

4. Tutto Italia – This Italian restaurant located within the World Showcase of Epcot has wonderful homemade pastas and entrée selections. It is very pricey if you are not on the Dining Plan. While on the Dining Plan you are able to ignore the menu prices and eat whatever you wish to try. This allows you to relax and truly enjoy the meal.

3. Coral Reef – A unique restaurant situated in the Living Seas Pavilion in Epcot. An entire wall of the restaurant is glass and allows you to see into the main tank of the Living Seas. The feeling is upscale and the menu includes steak and seafood choices. Again forget the prices and eat whatever you are in the mood to try. Excellent dessert choices top off this must do dining experience.

2. Les Chefs de France – You feel like you are transported to Paris to enjoy this dining experience within the France portion of Epcot. A varied menu gives you many choices including: Beef, Seafood, Chicken, Lamb, Duck, and Vegetarian dishes. This restaurant suits families or romantic meals for two. Another wonderful meal will be had if you choose to eat here.

1. Le Cellier – Within the Canada section of Epcot you will find the crown jewel of theme park restaurants. This cozy restaurant will not disappoint. Its specialties include steaks, but you could also get plank grilled salmon or one of several other entrees. The desserts are also something to look forward to. Unfortunately the secret is out and reservations are hard to come by. You definitely need to make reservations well ahead of time if you want to eat here. This is my family’s favorite and I highly recommend it.

Get the most out of the Dining Plan
Utilize these Only WDWorld Top 7 restaurants to help you get the most out of your Dining Plan Experience.

If you need tips on choosing counter service restaurants: Disney Dining Plan – Maximizing Counter Service Credits

For Dining Plan Snack tips: Disney Dining Dilemma – Maximizing the Snack Credits

Get the most out of the Dining Plan, but also use it to take some of the stress out of dining at Disney World by allowing you to ignore the menu prices and let your family eat whatever they want!

Disney Dining Can Be A Wonderful Addition To Your Vacation

2009-04-12T20:06:00.007-04:00

Eating at the Walt Disney World Resort Restaurants can add even more magical memories to your vacation. If you don't do your homework though, they can lead to some of your most frustrating vacation experiences as well.

A recent comment to Only WDWorld reminded me that with higher crowd levels and increased popularity of the Disney Restaurants and the Disney Dining Plan, it is more important than ever to plan ahead.

This commentator mentioned that they did not have a good experience trying to eat during two days of the past week, which happened to fall during the busiest season of the year for Disney World besides the week between Christmas and New Year's.

During the busy seasons, planning ahead cannot solve all of your problems, but it can certainly help minimize them.

Table Service Restaurants

It is very important to make reservations ahead of time if you wish to eat dinner at a Disney World table service (sit down) restaurant. During a busy time of the year it is an absolute necessity. Although it may sound crazy that you need to decide which restaurant you are going to eat at 90 days ahead of time, that is when you are able to make dinner reservations. If you are thinking about trying one of the more popular restaurants then the closer to that 90 days prior date you make the reservation, then the better your chances are of getting a reservation during the time you desire. You can make reservations by calling 1-407-939-DINE.

Getting a walk up reservation ranges from difficult to impossible depending upon the night. Even if you were successful in the past without reservations, why leave things to chance? You invest too much money in a Disney Vacation, just take the extra time to make your dinner reservations and don't risk not being able to eat at the restaurant of your choice.

Counter Service

The counter service restaurants can also get crowed during the lunch hour. A key is to eat a little earlier or later than the normal Noon to 1:00 pm lunch time. Also avoid places that are near the exit of a large attraction just letting out. Find places a little more off the beaten path and your chances of getting served quickly increase dramatically.

Summary

Eating at the Disney World Restaurants can greatly enhance the vacation experience. If you have children, the Character Dining Meals bring many memorable moments and cherished pictures to populate your scrapbooks.

Nobody enjoys waiting in long lines for their food during a long enhausting day. Although you may be having a wonderful time, waiting in line when you are hungry is not fun.

Planning ahead is your best defense.
Choose your sit down restaurants well in advance a make reservations as close to the 90 day prior mark that you can.
For the counter service locations, avoid the busiest time of day, especially the places that are in high traffic areas. Find a place a little off the main path and the crowds diminish greatly.

Let the dining experience enhance your trip, and not diminish it, by planning ahead.

Ratatouille Star "Remy" Now Appears Regularly At Epcot's Les Chefs de France

2009-04-07T06:37:00.001-04:00

The star of the Disney Pixar film "Ratatouille" is now a regular patron of Epcot's Les Chefs de France restaurant.

The Disney Imagineers have created their newest and smallest audioanimatronic figure to appear at Disney World. The Remy character is a 6 inch tall rat with soft fur, cute pink paws, and chef's hat (of course).

Chef Remy is now making appearances at Les Chefs de France Monday through Saturday for 40 minute “Bon Appétit from Chef Remy” shows several times each day.

Remy entertains the patrons through movements and lively banter. Along with his Maitre d' assistant he will make stops at each table in the restaurant so that everyone can interact with him. He may even start dancing if the mood and the music appeal to him.

Remy is considered part of the Living Character initiative created for Disney Parks. Disney Imagineer Holger Irmler who worked on this project said, “By combining technologies, our Living Character initiative creates new levels of guest interaction and brings characters to life like never before. Things we do are so complex, yet our goal is to make them seem so magical to our guests.”

Remy follows in the large footsteps of the previous Living Characters. the first was Lucky the dinosaur that debuted in 2004.

If the food alone wasn't enough reason to visit Les Chefs de France, this added entertainment certainly is a reason to head there now. Remy will be performing there now through September 5th, 2009.

Chef Cat Cora To Open New Restaurant at Disney's Boardwalk

2009-03-18T06:13:00.004-04:00

Celebrity Chef Cat Cora from the Food Network will be opening a new restaurant called Kouzzina at Disney World's Boardwalk.

Cat is probably best known for being the only female to appear on the Food Network's Iron Chef show.

Kouzzina, which means "kitchen" in Greek, will serve Mediterranean cuisine inspired by the Mississippi born Chef's Greek roots.

The new restaurant will replace the currently operating Spoodles on the Disney Boardwalk. Expected opening for this new Disney owned and operated restaurant will be this Fall.

Cora stated that Kouzzina will feature “time-honored recipes passed down from my ancestors, as well as my favorite Greek and Mediterranean dishes that my family loves.”

Disney World's Culinary Icon - The Dole Whip

2009-02-05T18:05:00.009-05:00

I dare you to name a Disney World food creation that has garnered more attention than the Dole Whip.

The Dole Whip is a non-dairy, soft serve, frozen creation that has sparked numerous web postings and discussion board rants.

I'm not sure if it is the wonderful taste and consistency of this frozen pineapple flavored treat, or the feeling that you truly are in Adventureland when you have one of these in your hands that makes this snack a must do for each Magic Kingdom visit for so many Dole Whip faithfuls.

The Dole Whip is sold mainly at the Ahola Isle Refreshments stand near the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House in the Magic Kingdom's Adventureland. I understand that it may also be available in the Polynesian Resort.

Primarily, the Dole Whip is served like soft serve ice cream in a bowl or cup, or a float (as pictured) when served with Pineapple Juice. Both of these concoctions are can be had for one Dining Plan Snack Credit (see Only WDWorld's Top Dining Plan Snack Values ).

Although I thoroughly enjoy this tropical treasure, I am truly amazed by the buzz and attention that this snack garners.

If you Google or search on Yahoo: "Dole Whip" you will get over thousands upon thousands of sites that may have information concerning the Principle Pineapple Treat for Walt Disney World.

You can read about people who dedicated portions of their lives trying to duplicate the proper flavor and consistency of their vacation memory. They take their Dole Whips very seriously, and have spent a great deal of time, effort, and money in their pursuit of a quality homemade version of their favorite Disney treat.

If you have never tried a Dole Whip, what are you waiting for? Make sure you put it on your list of things to do during your next Disney Trip. When visiting Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom look for the Aloha Isle Refreshments sign as pictured above.

I do not necessarily buy into all of the hype, but I do agree that the Dole Whip is a mighty tasty and refreshing treat.

For under $4.00 or a Snack credit, you too can experience what everyone is raving about!

Disney Dining Plan - Maximizing Counter Service Credits

2009-01-19T05:55:00.011-05:00

While on a Disney World vacation, dining can be one of the most expensive parts of your trip, so it is important to know how to get the most for your vacation dollar.

Disney offers a couple of different Dining Plans that involve prepaying for meal credits.

In a previous article, I wrote about How to Maximize Your Disney Dining Plan Snack Credits, today I will share with you a plan for getting the most of of your Counter Service Credits.

By definition, a Counter Service meal is where you go up to a counter and order your food and then receive it, pay for it, and find a place to sit down and eat. Disney World has a wide variety of counter service food locations throughout their parks and resorts.

With the various Disney Dining Plans, a Counter Service credit entitles you to: An entree or combo meal, dessert, and a non-alcoholic beverage. We will discuss some of the best locations on the Disney World Resort Property to redeem these credits and maximize the value of your Dining Plan.

Animal Kingdom:

Flame Tree Barbecue: Two great choices here: (1) 1/2 slab of St. Louis Barbecue Ribs + Baked Beans + Corn Muffin, Soft Drink, and either Key Lime Pie or Chocolate Cake

Cash Value = $16.17 + tax

(2) 1/2 Rotisserie Chicken + Baked Beans + Corn Muffin, Soft Drink, and either Key Lime Pie or Chocolate Cake
Cash Value = $15.17 + tax

Epcot:

Sunshine Seasons (in the Land): Two great choices here: (1)Grilled Salmon with Kalamata Olive Pesto sauce and two sides, Soft Drink, Chocolate Mousse Cake or other wonderful desserts
Cash Value = $16.27 + tax

(2)Rotisserie Pork Chop with two sides, Soft Drink, Chocolate Mousse Cake or other wonderful desserts
Cash Value = $16.27 + tax

Tangierine Cafe (in Morocco): Chicken and Lamb Combo Shawarma Sandwiches- served with hummus, Tabouleh, and a Tangierine CousCous Salad with a Fresh Moroccan bread, Soft Drink, Baklava Pastry

Cash Value: $18.54 + tax

Hollywood Studios:

Toy Story Pizza Planet: Pepperoni or Vegetable Pizza, Salad, Soft Drink, Mickey's Crisped Rice Treat

Cash Value: $13.07 + Tax

Magic Kingdom:

Cosmic Ray's (Tomorrowland): 1/2 Chicken and BBQ Rib Combination served with Mashed Potatoes and a seasonal vegetable, soft drink, Carrot Cake or Triple Chocolate Cake

Cash Value: $19.67 + Tax

Disney Resorts:

Most of the Disney Resorts have a food court that you can redeem your counter service meals at as well. Shop around and see what you can get at the resort you are staying at.

Downtown Disney:

This is my favorite Counter Service location in all of Disney World and certainly a top-notch Dining Plan Value.

Wolfgang Puck Express: They have too many wonderful choices to pick just one, but I will for the example. They specialize in Italian food (Salads, Sandwiches, Pasta, and Gourmet Pizza).

Rigatoni with Chicken Alfredo, Soft Drink, Creme Brulee.

Cash Value: $18.85 + tax.

So there it is, at least one Counter Service Restaurant in each of the Disney Parks that offers wonderful food that will also help you maximize your dining dollars. Don't settle for hamburger and fries, when you can have so much more!

Update for Planners: Disney World Changed Dining Reservation Process

2009-01-04T13:18:00.004-05:00

For all of you that are planners here is some news that you will be interested in:

Disney World has changed the Window of time that you are allowed to make reservations for Dining at the Disney World Resort Restaurants. Instead of the 180 day window that we have been used to, it has now been changed to 90 days.

This is a big change for those of us that have diligently planned ahead. Expect the phones to be busier, and the competition to be fierce at the 90 day window for some of the harder to get restaurants. The official window now is 90 days prior to your vacation stay at the Walt Disney World Resort. This means that if you are staying on property, you can make reservations for your entire stay at 90 days from your arrival.

If you have already made reservations for a trip under the old system, don't worry, they are still good. The change only impacts new dining reservations.

As always, plan ahead and make sure that you mark your calendars for the 90 day mark in order to make your dining reservations.

First Time Tips - Disney Restaurant Research

2008-11-05T05:59:00.003-05:00

When you visit Walt Disney World, dining can be one of the best or one of the worst parts of your trip. I hoping with the tips that I am providing today and through other posts, I can help make it one of the best.

I have written earlier about the Disney Dining Plan and the benefits it has. For a first time visitor, the pre-paid dining definitely helps keep your trip on budget and their are times of the year, where Disney will include the Dining Plan for free as part of a package.

The topic I wanted to discuss today is determining whether a certain restaurant is right for your family. Besides the recommendations of others, some times it is just nice to know what is on the menu and what the prices are for a particular restaurant.

While today I am going to help you do even better than that! I am going to provide two links that each give you a list of each of the on-property Disney Dining locations, including counter service and snack carts. They also have full listing of menu items and prices for each location.

They are:

Both sites have basically the same menu information, and get updated fairly regularly.

By having this information available to you when you are trying to plan where you may eat is a tremendous benefit. This is especially helpful if you have a picky eater in the family.

So give it a try! Pick a location that you have been thinking about eating at and look up it's menu. Hopefully the menu will have something that appeals to you and your family.

The research will not make the food prices any lower, but you will know what to expect and what to budget for if you do choose to eat there.

This is another case where planning ahead can definitely make your Disney World experience go much smoother. It will also make you a hero to your family for choosing the perfect place to eat every time!

T-Rex Comes to Downtown Disney

2008-10-16T05:49:00.003-04:00

A T-REX has invaded Walt Disney World's Downtown Disney marketplace. A T-REX Cafe that is.

On Tuesday October 14th the restaurant opened and I must say it rates high on the cool factor. The restaurant is operated by Landry's Restaurants Inc, which also operates the Rain Forest Cafe.

The outside of the buidling is very impressive and it gets your attention right away with the giant dinosaur skeleton and the mountain facade.

Although I didn't get a chance to go inside I could see the animatronic T-Rex among other Dinosaurs inside. The retail shopping area also includes a Build-A-Dinosaur shop from Build-A-Bear.

The menu has a good selection, but I think the entertainment factor alone is enough to want to be able to visit this new restaurant. I am sure that this will soon be one of the most popular destinations in Downtown Disney.

Enjoy the pictures!

Character Dining at Disney World

2008-10-08T05:57:00.003-04:00

At Walt Disney World, even meal time can be a magical experience.

Disney World offers many Character Dining experiences where you can get up close interaction with your favorite characters during your meal. During these Character Dining experiences Disney Characters will typically come to each table while you are dining for personal interaction and photo opportunities.

If you enjoy the Disney characters and especially if you have young children these experiences make an excellent addition to your trip. They are all available as part of the Disney Dining Plan (DDP) with most of them being just one table service credit. You may also participate in these dining experiences even if you are not participating in the DDP.

You may make reservations starting at 90 days out by calling 1-407-WDW-DINE.

Here is a list of the currently available Disney Character Dining Experiences:
(B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, & D=Dinner)

Magic Kingdom:
A Buffet with Character at the Crystal Palace (B,L,D) - Winnie the Pooh and Friends
A Fairytale Lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table (L) - Cinderella and the Royal Family
Once Upon a Time Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table (B) - Cinderella
Dreams Come True Dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table (D) - Cinderella

Epcot:
Chip ‘N’ Dale’s Harvest Feast at the Garden Grill (L,D) - Chip 'n Dale
Princess Storybook Dining at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (B,L,D) - Princesses other than Cinderella

Hollywood Studios:
Playhouse Disney’s Play ‘n Dine at Hollywood & Vine (B,L) - Playhouse Disney Characters

Animal Kingdom:
Donald’s Safari Breakfast at Tusker House Restaurant (B) - Donald Duck

Disney Resorts:
Contemporary Resort:
Chef Mickey’s Fun Time Buffet at Chef Mickey’s (B,D) - Mickey, Goofy

Grand Floridian Resort:
Supercalifragilistic Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare (B) - Mary Poppins
Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner at 1900 Park Fare (D) - Cinderella & Prince Charming

Polynesian Resort:
‘Ohana’s Best Friends Breakfast featuring Lilo & Stitch (B) - Lilo and Stitch

Trip Planning Part IV - Making Dining Reservations

2008-09-30T05:59:00.001-04:00

In the earlier parts of this Trip Planning series, we talked about: Choosing When to Visit, How Long to Visit, Where to Stay, and now it is time to plan Where to Eat.

Believe it or not, there are many Walt Disney World restaurants that you need to make reservations nearly 6 months in advance in order to get to eat there. So, instead of complaining about that fact, let’s just incorporate deciding where we want to eat into our planning process.

Where to Start
The first decision to make is whether or not you will be purchasing the Disney Dining Plan. The Dining Plan has many features that make it great for some, but not worth while for others. The simple rule of thumb to determine if the Disney Dining Plan is right for you is this: Will you eat at one sit down restaurant each day of your trip? If the answer is yes, then it is in your best interest to investigate further. If not, then the Disney Dining Plan may not be for you.

Even if you are not using the Dining plan, I would strongly recommend eating at least a couple meals during your stay at one of the Disney sit-down restaurants. Why, you may ask? The reason is that these restaurants are part of the Disney experience and skipping them means that you will be passing up memorable opportunities.

So the first task is to choose how many sit down restaurants you will visit during your trip. If this is your first visit I would recommend not choosing more than one per day. The reason is that you can end up turning your trip into an over scheduled mess where you feel that you are always rushing to get to your next dining reservation. One per day gives you one definite time that you need to be somewhere, but doesn’t over do it.

Next, you need to determine your basic plan of which park you will visit on which day. If you do this before choosing your restaurants, it can help by narrowing down your restaurant selection for each day. It will also help minimize travel time and stress levels.

Then you can choose restaurants based upon where you will be spending the bulk of your day. These steps are very important, especially if you are trying to save money and purchase the tickets that only allow you to visit one park per day.

Where Should I Eat?
The list of choices, of where to eat, are plentiful, so choosing can be a difficult task. The ages of your group can help you decide which restaurants will work best.

If you have younger children, you will definitely want to choose at least one Character Dining Experience. Not only will the children be impressed with the characters, these restaurants are typically either buffets or limited menu family style places which keeps the waiting down to a minimum.

If your group is a little bit older, you can branch out to the more upscale sit down restaurants. Each of the parks have sit down restaurants, as well, as most of the resorts, Disney’s Boardwalk, and Downtown Disney. You can get to any of these locations using the free Disney Transportation system.

There are websites available, such as: http://www.allears.net/ where you can see the complete list of Disney World restaurants and up to date menus with prices for each one. I will often use one of these sites to determine a new restaurant to try for my next trip.

How Do I Make Reservations?
Once you have decided where you would like to eat each day, make your list with alternates and call Disney World at 1-407-WDW-DINE to make your reservations. You may make them up to 180 days in advance. The closer you make them to that 180 day mark, the more likely you will get your first choices. Remember to write the information along with your confirmation numbers down since they will not send you anything through the mail to confirm.

Summary
Planning your sit down restaurant dining well in advance is an important part of your Disney Vacation planning process. Remember to not to over do it. One per day is typically enough for most groups. Stick to that level until you have visited a few times and decide if you really want to schedule more than that. The ability to be flexible and spontaneous is part of the fun at Walt Disney World and if you are too fully scheduled that disappears.

The Disney World restaurants definitely add to the overall vacation experience and should not be missed. A goal should be to try at least one new restaurant per trip and revisit some old favorites.

Disney Dining Dilemma - Maximizing the Snack Credits

2008-09-26T19:14:00.008-04:00

One of the age old dilemmas for those of you like myself that have used or are thinking of using the Disney Dining Plan is getting the most value for your money.

Today I will give some helpful hints in maximizing the use of those snack credits. Often the snack credits are overlooked in the list of Dining Plan features, but successful use of the snack credits can make the difference between a getting a “good” deal with the Dining Plan to getting a “great” deal.

There are a couple of different strategies that can be taken to maximize value:
1. The first strategy is to use the snack credits to help eliminate any OOP (out of pocket) food expenditures during your trip.
2. The second strategy is to buy the best snack options the each park has to offer that can be obtained with a snack credit. Best can be defined as highest quality or quantity as the case may be.

Strategy 1 – Minimize Food Expenses
Strategy 1 is pretty straight forward. Any time that you were going to purchase a food item OOP you would see if you could use a Snack Credit for it (like a bottle of water or Diet Coke). This method allows you to avoid overeating and keep you expenses down by using the prepaid credits instead of spending additional money. With this method you are maximizing the value by reducing the total amount of expenditures for food on your trip. This strategy also prevents those who pile up unused snack credits at the end of their trip because they were afraid to use the snack credits on something that wasn’t worth it and end up buying the first items that they see in order to use them up.

This strategy also suggests that you look for breakfast items that you can use snack credits towards instead of paying OOP. All in all this can be a very effective use of the snack credits and reduce your total food expense.

Strategy 2 – Maximize Snack Value
While the first strategy is pretty strait forward and just takes the discipline to buy what you would normally buy, but pay with snack credits where ever possible. The second strategy takes some research and planning to accomplish successfully. Here the idea is to absolutely get the maximum value out of each and every snack credit.

Here are some of my favorite “maximum snack” uses for each of the parks:
Animal Kingdom: Dino Bite Snacks in Dinoland: Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich – these are 6” + diameter fresh baked cookies with 3 scoops of ice cream smashed in between. This is my ultimate snack credit item!

Magic Kingdom: Aloha Isle – Adventureland: The Famous Dole Whip or the Dole Whip Float. These are both excellent snacks for a hot day and a favorite use of the snack credit. Auntie Gravity’s – Tomorrowland: Fruit Smoothies with non-fat yogurt. Main Street Bakery – Main Street: Numerous desserts and bakery items.

Epcot: Boulangerie Patisserie – France: There are a number of Pastry Items in this French bakery that make wonderful dessert and or breakfast items. You can’t go wrong, just make sure that the item you choose has the snack symbol. Also in France you will find the Crepes des Chefs de France where you can get Chocolate or Strawberry Crepes with your snack credit. On the other side of the World Showcase is the Norwegian Bakery: Kringla Bakeri og café- which also has many great fresh baked items that can be obtained with your snack credits.

Hollywood Studios: KRNR – Near Rock-n-Roller Coaster: A variety of smoothies made with non-fat yogurt can be had here.

Disney Resorts: you will also find that in the General Store section of each resort gift shop there are a number of items price at $4.00 and under that can be obtained with your snack credits.

Summary:
So whether you choose Strategy 1 or 2 or a combination of both, have fun using your snack credits. There is no excuse to have a bunch of them left over at the end of your trip. Go out, use them, and enjoy!

Leave a comment and let me know what your favorite snack “find” is.

Disney World Dining - Epcot

2008-09-26T19:09:00.007-04:00

With the start of the Food and Wine Festival Today at Epcot, I thought I would take the time to write about all of the eating opportunities that exist there year round.

Epcot is certainly my favorite Walt Disney World place to eat. The variety and quality of the food that you can get throughout the World Showcase keep me coming back again and again.

Instead of talking about all of the options that exist at Epcot (which would be a very long list), I will mentioned some of my favorites in both the Counter Service (CS) and Table Service (TS) categories.

Counter Service Locations:
Tangierine Café – Morocco: This is certainly my wife’s favorite CS location in Epcot. If you are on the Disney Dining plan, it is one of your best values. We enjoy the lamb and chicken Shawarma platter, and my children like the Mediterranean Specialty Meatball platter.

Sunshine Seasons – The Land: The menu is a wonderful departure from typical theme park food. This cafeteria style CS is located in The Land (Soarin’) building. Several podlike stations exist from which to choose from. Personal favorites include: Half Rotisserie Chicken and the Grilled Salmon.

Yorkshire County Fish Shop – Great Britain: My daughter loves to get the traditional English Fish & Chips. Nothing fancy, but never a complaint.

Others that we eat at depending upon our mood for different types of food include: Cantina de San Angel – Mexico, Yakitori House – Japan, and the Liberty Inn – America.

Table Service Locations:
Le Cellier Steakhouse – Canada: This is definitely our favorite restaurant. We have enjoyed the ambiance, service, and definitely the food. Word has gotten out on this place and reservations are definitely difficult to come by. During busy seasons you need to make reservations as close to 180 days out as you can, in order to get the day and time that you want.

Coral Reef – Living Seas: We have had some excellent meals here. The service has been more hit or miss here - one night wonderful, another not so good. We have had excellent food and have not been disappointed on that end. This restaurant sometimes gets poor reviews, but I enjoy it and will continue to go back. The views of the sea life swimming by make for a unique dining experience.

Chefs de France – France: The service and food is excellent here. The ambiance is also very nice as you get the feeling that you are in a fine French café. The only drawback is that the menu is somewhat limited and picky eaters may have few options.

Biergarten – Germany: This is the only buffet on the Walt Disney World property that my family consistently enjoys. We all can find plenty of food that we like and the atmosphere and entertainment make it a fun evening.

Others we have tried include: Restaurant Marrakesh – Morocco, Tepan Edo – Japan, we used to enjoy the old restaurant (Alfredo’s ) in Italy, but have not tried the new one Tutto Italia yet.

Summary:
Our Disney World Vacations would not be complete without the Epcot Dining experiences. Often we will plan these meals months in advance and make reservations at 180 days out, so that we can eat at our favorites. This is certainly a part of our trips that we look forward to.