How to Dine at Disney World

Dining at Disney World is not just turkey legs, hot dogs, popcorn and Mickey bars. Oh, no. Just like the Disney World attractions, you will pretty much find something for everyone.

There are seasonal and special treats offered throughout the parks and the resorts. Each park has a “hidden in plain sight” Starbucks or Joffrey’s cart to caffeinate you for your day. Epcot’s World Showcase even has festivals built around food.

All of the parks and resorts have “grab and go” locations, food stands, and quick service counter restaurants. Table service runs the gamut from fine dining to character breakfasts. You can make reservations for dinner shows, special fireworks dessert parties and evening show/dining packages. There is even a progressive dinner around the  monorail resorts that you can participate in.

The dining doesn’t stop at the parks and resorts either. Nearby Disney Springs has many dining options as well. Anyone from a foodie to a chicken nugget purist will find something to satisfy.

Advance dining reservations can be made 6 months in advance for table service restaurants on property in addition to some of the Disney Springs eateries. Disney World also offers several different Dining Plan packages which are accepted at some Disney Springs locations as well.

For my group, the food experience in and around the parks is just as important as the attractions are. We try new restaurants every time we go as well as whatever special festival food we can get our hands on.  Here are some of the things that we have learned along the way.

1. Make Advance Dining Reservations

Reservations can be made 180 days in advance to everyone. The window is open to locals, resort guests or visitors not staying on property. The only requirement is a park ticket for those restaurants located inside the parks. While not all of the dining locations fill up that soon, some of them are difficult to get a reservation at if you wait too long after that 6 month mark.

If there is a place your group really wants to try, make the reservation. You can always cancel. Just remember that you need to cancel 24 hours prior to your reservation arrival time or you will incur a penalty charge per person on the reservation. Reservations can be modified depending on availability any time before that 24 hour cancel window.

We try to secure ours as soon as the window opens and then check back and modify as needed after we make our advance FastPass+ reservations.

2. Consider the Disney Dining Plan

Guests with reservations at on property Disney resorts can purchase a dining package. These packages are not cheap. There is generally a Free Dining Plan offer for late spring & summer vacation dates. However, free dining cannot be combined with any other offer and room only discounts can sometimes save you more money in the long run. Be careful and do the math.

We have always gotten the Disney Dining Plan with quick and table service and have loved it. It is super convenient to not have to worry about anything but tipping at each table service meal. I think that it has also encouraged us to try new things.

For us, it’s worth the price for the “magic” of having already paid for everything. The convenience and flexibility of it are a draw over cost effectiveness here. I have crunched the numbers after trips to see if we saved any money, and we did not. However, we came within $50 of what we would have spent out of pocket for the three of us. Shelling out $50 for convenience is worth it to us.

It is a TREMENDOUS amount of food, even for folks who like to eat. Rest assured, no one will go away hungry. That being said, your kid becomes a “Disney adult” at 10. For children 10 and up, you are charged the adult dining plan rate. EVERYONE on your resort reservation has to be on the meal plan. If your kids are generally big and adventurous eaters, it may be worth it. For picky eaters, the cost is probably not worth the bowl of mac and cheese at every meal.

If you are only looking for something to fuel your day in the parks, the dining plan is probably not for you. Like to eat, try new things and appreciate a park break? The Disney Dining Plans are something to consider.

3. Snack around the world

Can I just leave it at that? Seriously, strolling around the World Showcase at Epcot and sampling little snacky tidbits from different countries? What’s not to like about that? It’s especially true during the food festivals which are, at this point, nearly all year round.

During Flower and Garden, for example, grab different selections from the festival food booths and let everyone try some. Sharing allows your group to try a bunch of different offerings without shelling out a ton of money.

We have used Dining Plan snack credits on $8-10 menu items. A meal for a few snack credits on the Dining Plan? Count me in. If you are staying on property for more than a few days and plan on eating at an Epcot festival, the Dining Plan could be a real asset.

Even if you are paying out of pocket, snacking around the world is a fun and delicious way to take a break between attractions.

4. Use Meal Time to Relax and Cool Off

An argument can be made that locking yourself into dining reservations 180 days before your trip takes the spontaneity out of things. Many Disney vacationers also think that table service dining sucks up precious park time. I totally understand where they are coming from, but don’t agree with it.

Here’s the thing. If you are having fun running around the parks all day and have used up your first three FastPasses and then some, what better time to take a little break than sitting down with a table service lunch or dinner? It’s a nice way to relax and refuel for the rest of the park day.

If you can find a quick service with seating and AC, what argument can you really make against that? It beats a cobbled together lunch on the run of popcorn, corn dogs and Mickey bars. I think a rested, cooled down travelling posse is a happy travelling posse. What better way to take a load off or round off a day of heavy park hopping? All that walking, people! So much walking.

I’d argue that taking some precious park time to sit down and rest and refuel will “save” you park time later. It might help you to hang until park close without all the whining and hangry attitudes. In the long run, you may be able to deal with the day more efficiently and enjoy yourself more if you take the time to chill out a bit.

5. Utilize Mobile Ordering

Using the My Disney Experience app, orders can be placed at quick service locations on the fly. Simply make the meal selections and then click on “prepare my order” when you are ready for your order to be made.  When the notification comes in that your meal is ready, saunter up to the special Mobile Order line and bypass the regular ordering line. VIP meal pick up is the best.

The meal is charged to the credit card that you have under your My Disney Experience account. If you are a Dining Plan, the credits will automatically be taken from your entitlement.

6. Check out the Resorts and Disney Springs

What better way to check out the resorts than to have a meal at one of the many restaurants? Park hopping between Epcot and Hollywood Studios? Stop and grab a meal along the boardwalk or at one of the several Beach and Yacht club restaurants. Make an early dinner reservation at one of the monorail resorts and then head over to the Magic Kingdom to end your evening there. (That works especially well if there are evening Extra Magic Hours).

Several of the resorts have character meals and/or dinner shows. Take in a little entertainment with your meal! For more in depth information, check out 6 Ways to Use the Disney Dining Plan at the Resorts.

Disney Springs has a ton of great dining locations. Take an afternoon break from the parks or head over on a non-park day and do some eating and shopping.

Don’t limit yourself to eating in the parks. There is a whole other world of food out there at the resorts and Disney Springs.

7. There is FREE water

I have said it before and I will say it again. Florida does not have the same sun as the rest of the United States. It is a blazing death star and you will be walking 10+ miles a day under its cosmic force. You will need to hydrate.

Free cups of water at any quick service location are yours for the asking. And, if you can brave the world’s grossest and stickiest floor, you can try out a variety of Coke products (with mixed results) at Epcot’s Club Cool in Future World. Personally, I would stick with the free water, but to each his own.

8. Try Something Different

If you are a foodie at all, this is a no brainer. If not, you are on vacation. Spread your wings a little. Experiment a little outside of your comfort zone. Epcot’s World Showcase is a smorgasbord (literally in the case of the German pavilion) of multi cultural delights.

Whether you want a formal sit down table service experience, a boat load of yummy caramel based goodies or good old fashioned fish and chips, Epcot has you covered. It’s a great way to expand the palates of adventurous kiddos and a terrific way really absorb the theming of the different pavilions.

9. Take advantage of resort Grab and Go Locations

One of the best pieces of advice that I can give you is to take advantage of the grab and go locations at the resorts if you are staying on property. Getting everyone up and at ‘em and to the bus stop to get to the parks for Extra Magic Hours or rope drop is no small feat.

Having a place inside your resort where you can grab a cup of coffee, juice for the kids, a muffin, yogurt or breakfast sandwich is invaluable. Use it! Especially if you don’t have big breakfast eaters in your group. Personally, I’d rather get to the parks before they get crazy crowded, ride to my heart’s content  and then relax with a quick service sit down meal at lunch.

Just snag some quick items before you get in line for the bus. Trust me.

10. Combine dining with Fireworks Viewing and People Watching

Let’s face it. People watching, under normal circumstances, in fun. At Disney World it’s an Olympic sport. Grab your lunch and a cold drink and set yourself up on the hub grass at Magic Kingdom. Maybe sit down at one of the random tucked away tables around Asia in Animal Kingdom. Watch the crowd go buy as you sip on that iced Latte or frozen Chai. After struggling against the human tide to make your way through Pandora or Fantasyland, you have earned it.

Similarly, a good meal and a fiery display are a perfect way to end the day. Dinner and a great view of the fireworks goes hand in hand at Epcot. Pretty much any outdoor seating area around the Showcase Lagoon is fair game. Just make sure to snag a reservation first.

Munch on BB-8 cupcakes, colorful macarons, or Frozen themed desserts at one of the fireworks dessert parties at Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom or Epcot.

Whether you are grabbing that turkey leg, trying out poutine, or enjoying some Norwegian delicacies, dining at Disney World is the “other” attraction. Everyone has to eat, right?