Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort
The dining efforts are certainly improving, with a couple of selections designed for the whole family.
The Turf Club
Cuisine Type: American
Serving Style: À la carte
Breakfast: Not open
Lunch: $ $
Dinner: $ $
: Yes
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆
The Turf Club has brought more dining options to Saratoga Springs. The limited but appealing selection of entrées is a bit of a step up from The Artist’s Palette, though remember that it’s just a quick trip to Downtown Disney and all of its interesting eateries. The ambiance is a very clubby one that is child-friendly.
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Basic dining is served up to match your vacation needs. It’s always nice knowing you don’t have to go somewhere for every meal!
Olivia’s Café
Cuisine Type: American
Serving Style: À la carte
Breakfast: $
Lunch: $ $
Dinner: $ $
: Yes
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆
A nice table-service destination, it has limited seafood choices, with good options in chicken and beef. The ambiance is light and pleasant, and is very kid-friendly.
Dining at Moderate Resorts
Moderate resorts certainly do not have all the innovative and entertaining dining options that the Deluxe resorts do, but they have very accommodating food courts that serve many of your dining needs. Many of these resorts are also a quick trip away from Downtown Disney, giving you a nice array of other dining choices.
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
This island-themed resort has enough dining options to keep most families happy.
Shutters at Old Port Royale
Cuisine Type: American
Serving Style: À la carte
Breakfast: Not open
Lunch: Not open
Dinner: $ $
: Yes
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆
The entrées are definitely intended for a big dinner, with big steaks and chicken selections. The ribs are the only ones with much of a Caribbean flair, so you might try those. The menu really doesn’t have as much to offer kids as you might like, so if you’re dining with your family, you should consider going elsewhere.
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
The heavy convention traffic will keep the restaurants here busy, but it’s still a great place to grab several of your meals during your vacation.
Maya Grill
Cuisine Type: American
Serving Style: Buffet (B)/ à la carte (D)
Breakfast: $
Lunch: Not open
Dinner: $ $ $
: Yes
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Significant improvements to the menu make this a good choice. Still, I would only visit if I were staying here, and would not make it a destination otherwise. Mexican-inspired selections are now your best bet, but traditional American entrées are offered, too.
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort
While some of the dining may be a bit of a hike from your room, this may be one of the best Moderate resort choices, especially when you can also boat over to the restaurants of Downtown Disney.
Boatwright’s Dining Hall
Cuisine Type: American/Southern
Serving Style: À la carte
Breakfast: $
Lunch: Not open
Dinner: $ $
: Yes
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
You can get a good breakfast for right at $10 and a dinner for just over $20. Each has some American standards, as well as some fun Southern-inspired dishes like jambalaya. A great table-service restaurant, this is the best one available at a Moderate resort.
Dining at Value Resorts
The food courts at the Value resorts are all basically the same, all decorated to celebrate the themes of their respective resorts. Seating is in one long hall that can get noisy at mealtimes, but it’s a fun and vibrant environment. The food is offered from a series of cafeteria counters formed into a semicircle, with options including burgers, sandwiches, salads, wraps, desserts, and many packaged foods. Pizza can be ordered from a separate window, and there are small bars with beer, wine, and spirits for sale that also are open to the nearby resort pools.
DID YOU KNOW?
You might consider using your Disney Dining Plan snack credits for some carry-out food from your resort food court. This can serve as a breakfast on the go and can help you stretch your food dollar.
These courts are certainly not elegant, but they serve the needs of most families, with an adequate range of choices and the convenience of being in the resort and near the pools. These courts all accept the Disney Dining Plan :
• End Zone Food Court (All-Star Sports Resort)
• Intermission Food Court (All-Star Music Resort)
• World Premiere Food Court (All-Star Movies Resort)
• Everything Pop Shopping and Dining (Pop Century Resort)
HIDDEN MAGIC!
What are my favorites in the resorts? Here are a few to consider:
• Best resort fine dining: California Grill
• Best resort character meal: Chef Mickey’s
• Best counter-service meal: Pepper Market
• Best fireworks dinner setting: California Grill
• Best dinner show: Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review
• Most over-the-top cocktails: Tambu Lounge at the Polynesian Resort
• Most fun dining at a resort: Whispering Canyon Café
• Best steakhouse: Shula’s Steak House
• Best trendy dining: Jiko—The Cooking Place
• Best noncharacter buffet: Boma—Flavors of Africa
Summary
Dining in the resorts ranges from convenience to celebration, as the full gamut of needs seems to be matched. You now know that whatever Disney resort may be your home during your visit, you at least have a food court that will fill your basic daily food needs. And there are so many more dining experiences to be had, if you’re looking for that!
Chapter 14
Dining in the Parks
In This Chapter
• Find out what you can get other than stale popcorn and overpriced sodas
• Select dining experiences that will enhance your park experience
• Figure out how to keep your food budget under some control
Why would I dedicate a chapter of the book to theme park restaurants? Surely it’s all popcorn, burgers, and fries, right? Actually, the Walt Disney World theme parks provide many American families with some ventures into never-before-experienced foreign cuisines. And the dining can be fun, too! Character visits, entertaining service, high-quality meals, and scenic dining vistas can contribute to an enjoyable vacation.
Of course, a series of uninspired, overpriced meals can also ruin a vacation quickly. Cost has long been an issue here. Just as you wonder why a soda in the movie theater costs $5, here you will flinch when you see some of the menu prices. However, if you plan well, you can keep your expenses down while still enjoying quality food, entertaining venues, and memorable experiences. Read on—I walk you through the myriad of choices before you arrive at the theme parks, park by park.
Table-Service Dining in the Magic Kingdom
Take it from me—dining at the Magic Kingdom isn’t that bad. It’s just that, with Epcot’s broad array of world cuisines just a monorail ride away, it’s hard to compete. The food you’ll find here is usually well prepared, if not very creative or adventurous. Families will find no problem filling the kids’ bellies quickly before moving on to the next ride. Consider this a park where you keep your food budget down by having more counter-service meals. That being said, there are some fun character meals as well, so don’t overlook them. Let’s start by looking at the table-service restaurants.
&
nbsp; HIDDEN MAGIC!
What are the Must Do! dining options in the Magic Kingdom? That’s easy!
• Character Meal : The Crystal Palace Pooh beats Cinderella for character frequency, food selection, and overall value.
• Table Service: Liberty Tree Tavern New choices opening up in the Fantasyland expansion might unseat this choice.
• Counter Service: Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Café We’re talking about a fixin’s bar that turns your burger into a four-course meal!
• Snack: The Dole Whip in Adventureland The tasty array of pineapple-flavored desserts is an easy choice.
• Honorable Mention: Hot dogs at Casey’s
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Cuisine Type: American
Serving Style: À la carte
Breakfast: $ $ $ Prix fixe
Lunch: $ $ $ Prix fixe
Dinner: $ $ $ $ Prix fixe
: Yes—2
Location: Fantasyland
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Breakfast here has perennially been the hardest seat to get in all of Walt Disney World—not for the cuisine, but for the setting (the throne room within the castle in the Magic Kingdom) and the company (Cinderella makes the rounds). Lunch and dinner are now character meals as well, although that and the addition of other Princess-themed meals have not done much to alleviate the pressure for a table; you’ll still have to make your reservation at the earliest possible date if you hope to get a table here.
The food used to be just okay, but has gotten quite a bit better of late. The morning features an all-you-can-eat meal of American breakfast standards. Lunch and dinner offer only a few entrée choices, with basically a single pasta, seafood, beef, pork, and poultry choice per meal.
The experience with Cinderella and the other princesses (typically Belle, Ariel, Snow White, and Aurora) is a must-do for anyone with a little girl in tow. However, while it’s still a hard-to-beat experience, you may actually prefer the Princess meals at Restaurant Akershus in Epcot, where you get the same princesses and marginally better food all at a lower cost. If you can’t get in here—don’t consider it settling if Akershus is where you end up.
The Crystal Palace
Cuisine Type: American
Serving Style: Buffet
Breakfast: $ Prix fixe
Lunch: $ $ Prix fixe
Dinner: $ $ Prix fixe
: Yes
Location: Main Street, U.S.A.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Located just past the end of Main Street, U.S.A., this bright, cheerful dining room is hosted by Winnie the Pooh and his friends. The American buffet has lots of the standards your kids will want, with just enough variety to keep most adults happy. It is not a huge buffet, but the locale makes it a great choice. Certainly, it’s a more affordable alternative to Cinderella’s Royal Table, and if your kids are Pooh fans, it should be considered a Must Do! meal for you and your family.
Liberty Tree Tavern
Cuisine Type: American
Serving Style: À la carte (L), family style (D)
Breakfast: Not open
Lunch: $
Dinner: $ $ Prix fixe
: Yes
Location: Liberty Square
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
American comfort food has a home at the Magic Kingdom. Lunch has some interesting selections, including a decent stab at a vegetarian entrée, but sticking to Thanksgiving-style foods is always a best bet here. Dinner used to be a character meal hosted by Minnie and her friends, however, that ended in 2009. The dinner here, a family-style bounty of roasted meats and strictly Turkey Day–themed sides, might be the best noncharacter table service available in the Magic Kingdom now. The cozy New England restaurant interior provides a charm that goes well with the food in front of you.
The Plaza Restaurant
Cuisine Type: American
Serving Style: À la carte
Breakfast: Not open
Lunch: $
Dinner: $
: Yes
Location: Main Street, U.S.A.
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Sandwich platters provide a fast lunch or dinner in this Main Street, U.S.A., setting. There’s nothing bad here, but nothing to go out of your way for, either. This is a good choice for lunch, especially because of the central location, price, and quiet atmosphere. The grilled sandwiches are the best items on the menu.
Tony’s Town Square
Cuisine Type: Italian
Serving Style: À la carte
Breakfast: Not open
Lunch: $
Dinner: $ $
: Yes
Location: Main Street, U.S.A.
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Taking its inspiration from Lady and the Tramp, this Italian eatery is a disappointment for someone looking for a good Italian meal. Part of the disappointment, too, is that the theming to the movie could have been far more fun and filled with atmosphere, but ends up being a dull experience. Stick to the traditional red sauce–based pastas at dinner and the classic Italian sandwiches at lunch. You might find yourself a bit disappointed with the value for price here, but it will do in a pinch.
Be Our Guest Restaurant (not yet open)
With the Fantasyland expansion, we will have a new table service restaurant to try out. Themed to Beauty and the Beast, guests will be transported into the great dining hall of the Beast’s Castle for a regal meal. It’s believed that this will not be a character experience, but will be sure to draw in huge crowds when it opens, so if it’s open by the time you visit, you should try to get an Advanced Dining Reservation.
Counter-Service Dining and Snacks in the Magic Kingdom
Counter service is a good choice in the Magic Kingdom, because table-service restaurants are notable only if they’re character meals. Take advantage of those that have fixin’s bars to make an ordinary burger a bit more of a special lunch.
Aloha Island
This Dole-sponsored stand is a great source for pineapple-based snacks, both healthful and otherwise. The Dole Whip is famous among Disney fanatics and is a great way to cool off in the summer sun.
Gaston’s Tavern
A new addition to the park courtesy of the Fantasyland expansion, this should offer the first really good counter-service dining in the most popular section of the park.
Casey’s Corner
Great hot dogs ($5) and a good fixin’s bar are just the start. A small stadium-themed seating area shows old black-and-white sports-themed Goofy cartoons.
Columbia Harbour House
Fried fish and a few sandwich choices highlight this Liberty Square eatery, most for around $7. If you have a burger eater in the group, you’re out of luck.
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café
The selection here is the broadest in the park for service counters, with burgers, barbecue, chicken, salads, and sandwiches. Kosher items are on the menu as well. It’s a bit of a hassle to order here, as you have to get in one line for burgers, another for chicken, and another for salads. There’s a fixin’s bar and a lot of indoor dining space, including a futuristic lounge singer/robot that will entertain the kids.
The Lunching Pad
Really just a food stand stuck under a Tomorrowland ride, it does offer the popular turkey legs.
Main Street Bakery
This is a great place for treats, but not the best for a full lunch. The cafeteria selection is okay, but there are simply better places to eat. If you have a sweet tooth, this is your place. A variety of sweets are available, some even made on the spot. I like the crispy rice squares, but the caramel apples seem to be a big favorite—and who am I to argue with that?
Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn and Café
This is my favorite counter-service restaurant in the Magic Kingdom for the fixin’s bar. The bar has a bit broader selection than others, including nacho cheese, and the burgers are pretty good. You won’t find a lot of other selections (barbecue sandwich an
d a decent turkey wrap), but if burgers ($6) are on your mind, I recommend that you mosey on in. Seating includes indoor and outdoor tables.
The Pinocchio Village Haus
Pizzas and salads for around $7 highlight this Italian-inspired fast-food restaurant that’s much better than in past years, but still not the best choice in the park.
El Pirata y El Perico Restaurante
This Mexican food–themed counter is often closed seasonally, so don’t count on it being open when you visit.
The Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station
Also open seasonally, this Asian-inspired menu has several different meal bowls ($7) available. Seating is outdoor but covered.
Table-Service Dining in Epcot
I can honestly say that there have been times when I was in the Orlando area on business and considered paying $60+ for a park pass to Epcot just to have dinner in one of the many exotic and fun restaurants there. I didn’t do it, but the food there can be just that good. Cuisine from literally around the world makes visits to the park even more memorable for the meals you have. They don’t have to be expensive; counter-service and snack-stand foods are often as well made as the ones served in their table-service sister restaurants.
That being said, if you have any interest in trying new foods, make sure you plan your time at Epcot well. Be sure you get to one of the table-service restaurants in the World Showcase sometime during your visit. With the great fireworks show there, it’s well worth your time to schedule more than one dinner at Epcot.
Restaurant Akershus
Cuisine Type: Norwegian/American
Serving Style: Varied
Breakfast: $ $ $ Prix fixe
Lunch: $ $ $ Prix fixe
Dinner: $ $ $ Prix fixe
: Yes
Location: Norway Pavilion
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Walt Disney World, 2012 Edition Page 16
