Food matters on a vacation. When we went to Mexico, the all-inclusive resort had the BEST food and we loved it! Comparatively, my mom went on an all-inclusive trip nearby where the dining options were terrible and it significantly affected her trip. Either they ate gross food the entire time or they paid out of pocket for something better, certainly not convenient. That’s why I believe in doing your dining research ahead of time, even if you’re going to Disney World where it seems like the food will be the last thing on your mind!

DISNEY DINING PLAN

First thing’s first, if you plan to stay at a Disney resort, watch for the free dining plan deals. They’re only done at certain times of the year but by my calculations (people, meal preference, number of days, etc.) a deal like that could save my family around $2,000. Even if you aren’t able to get the free dining plan, the dining plan itself sounds like a decent bargain. There are a variety of foods offered and I’m told that you really do get a lot of food for the price. You pay per person for the duration of your stay at the resort but there are tiers to choose from that vary in number and type of meal (sit-down versus quick meal).

I see pros and cons for resort guests to choose the dining plan. On the dining plan, you’re dining where you’re approved to be and can get anything you want from the menu. I imagine that this is pretty freeing! I’ve also heard that a lot of the quick dining restaurants don’t care if you share meals and it is really a lot of food. It’s at least worth looking into and crunching the numbers for your family, guys.

DINING RESERVATIONS

We believe that we can keep our costs down by planning to enjoy most of our breakfasts and dinners at the rental home. We also plan to take advantage of the fact that we are allowed to bring in coolers with homemade lunches! That said, we have decided to book at least a few fancy meals at Disney because I wanted the kids to get a chance to experience that kind of magic! I’m often told that the character breakfasts are the most magical dining experiences to look into so I did a lot of digging on which spots to check out!

My husband wanted to avoid booking a breakfast reservation because he hates breakfast food (I know, I don’t know what’s wrong with him either!) but there’s a big benefit to booking a breakfast reservation: You get into the park early if it’s before the park opens! This is beneficial to us since we aren’t staying on property thus have no access to Extra Magic Hours.

These are some of the restaurants that book up the fastest so be sure that you are hopping online or on the phone bright and early on your 180 day mark to make your reservations. For resort guests, some of these reservations open up 190 days in advance of your stay so be sure to look into the ones you’re interested in before the big day. I prioritized my list ahead of time and then set an alarm so that I would be ready to snag our spot at the table!

WHERE TO EAT

Everybody has their own opinions on what’s the best so it’s really hard to decide where to go and what to do. Some are known for their ambiance, others for their gourmet meals, and others for their spectacular character presentation. I really had to weigh what my children would care about most but also ensure that we would have decent menu options. I do love that Disney displays each restaurant’s menu for every meal right on the page.

There are so many restaurants that I can’t possibly detail each one for you but I thought I’d spotlight the ones I hear about most.

Yak & Yeti (Animal Kingdom) seems like it’s most often recommended because of the great food!

Tusker House (Animal Kingdom) has a great character experience with family-style eating and an African theme. Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Mickey are all dressed in safari clothing to fit the theme.

‘Ohana (Polynesian Resort) is a buffet/family style restaurant at Disney’s Polynesian Village resort. Most people have said that the Hawaiian-themed food is great. The menu itself isn’t vast but it seems like most people agree that what they have is delicious and moderately priced. The perfect characters for a family-friendly breakfast here are Lilo & Stitch!

Chef Mickey’s (Contemporary Resort) is a pricey meal but usually people say that the food is good and Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto make for a nice character experience.

50’s Prime Time Café (Hollywood Studios) is known for its fun and unique atmosphere. It’s a very playful 50s theme and guests boast of delicious homestyle comfort foods.

What have we missed? Where is a MUST-EAT place for you when you go to Disney World and why?

Follow along with our Disney journey at #QuirkyQuestforMickey or here on the blog!