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The Delicate Art of Disney Dining Decisions

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Posted on April 10, 2018 by waltdisneyworldblog

Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Snacks, snacks, snacks!!! Oh the plethora of culinary options. While there are definitely snacks I think you should make a point to hunt down at WDW, and quick service options I recommend over others, only your table service meals really need planing. We usually have 1 table service a day, and typically it’s dinner. This is for a couple of reasons:

Mornings are the best time to be in the parks. If you arrive at rope drop you can enjoy 2-3 hours of reduced crowds before the late sleepers start arriving. It’s also cooler in the morning. I don’t like to waste that time eating breakfast. An apple & trail mix on the go, or a cinnamon roll and coffee from Joffrey’s works for me.
Table service meals tend to be more filling. It’s harder to run around enjoying attractions in the hot sunshine with a full belly.

Andy and I love food. Maybe we’re even “foodies.” Trying new flavors and textures of cuisine/wine/beer/cocktails/coffee excites us and we love sharing these experiences together, as well as with our family and friends. Our passion for food and my desire to plan a fluid vacation mean I spend a lot of energy considering our table service reservations during our trip. (Andy would probably claim I obsess, but isn’t planning half of the fun!?)

Confession: I have trouble committing to my dining plans at Disney World. There are so many choices! I make initial reservations as soon as I can. (180 days out if you’re staying at a WDW resort hotel.) Planning is essential and you’ll hear me say that one million times over. But, I often end up tweaking and changing what I have – chasing the dream of the perfect dining reservations combo. (Is this zeal or obsession?)

It’s a game of strategy. Sort of an algebraic equation:

cuisine type preferences + dining time + restaurant performance + location ÷ favorite must haves + new experiences = PERFECT DINING PLAN!!

Eureka!

You must balance the type of cuisine you enjoy with the reservation time making sure it’s in the park you’re visiting (or not visiting) that day. I’m constantly combing my favorite Disney sources like Disney Food Blog, for their latest opinions which influence my decisions. Which restaurants are performing consistently high? Which offer amazing service? Finally there’s the pull of old favorites, or forgoing somewhere I had a positive experience a couple of years ago to try something new.

I realize that for some people table service restaurants aren’t that important. Plenty of people are happy to grab quick service for their entire trip. I’m not judging! There are plenty of delicious quick service options. Flame Tree Barbecue at Animal Kingdom, for example. Or, Earl of Sandwich in Disney Springs. Yummy. (And many more!)

But if you’re going to make dining reservations, and you’re like me, you want to make sure your choices are optimal. So how do you apply that magic formula to your planning? I let the Extra Magic Hours guide when I visit what parks. Depending on the park and its proximate locations (i.e. The Contemporary is just outside Magic Kingdom), I decide the best cuisine location in that area. It’s hard to curtail Epcot and Disney Springs restaurants because of their numerous choices. That’s when I turn to sources like Disney Food Blog, who are eating in the parks frequently, to assist in my decision.

Sometimes I still end up changing my mind. For example, we were planning to dine at Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom on our upcoming trip where dinner is sort of Thanksgiving traditional. Liberty Tree has a fantastic reputation for consistently delicious food. Though it has great ratings, there’s something about the pot roast, turkey and stuffing vibe in June we couldn’t get past. So we opted to try out the Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen instead, Magic Kingdom’s newest table service spot. The Jungle Cruise theme has high appeal and the food is reportedly pretty good.

And don’t get me wrong – most table service spots are going to provide you with some tasty chow. I can’t recall a truly lousy meal on any of my trips. But each trip some spots stand out above the rest.

So my advice? You do you! If you want to go crazy and research – go for it! Or perhaps you want to just roll the dice and choose a spot. Either way, here are the ESSENTIAL THINGS you should do:

1.) Make reservations!! I really can’t say that enough. And make them as early as you possibly can. Trust me.

2.) Ensure your location is convenient. Due to the size of Disney World it can take a couple of hours to get from one point to another. Don’t pick a restaurant in Animal Kingdom if you plan to spend the day in Magic Kingdom.

3.) Make reservations a time that works for your schedule. If a big lunch makes you uncomfortable, skip table service then. Don’t schedule dinner at 5:00 if you normally eat late. Do what makes sense for you and your family.

4.) Have an open mind. Remember you’re on vacation. Wherever you end up dining, relax, enjoy, and savor the experience!

See ya real soon!

How To Plan Your Dining Reservations at Walt Disney World

Posted on May 8, 2014 by waltdisneyworldblog

Hello friends! As promised from my post earlier this week, I am sharing my dining reservation strategy with you. I’ve been using this method for many years now, and I find it to be the best, most efficient way to plan my time at WDW.

Here are the two firm truths about planning a WDW vacation – short or long. 1.) Walt Disney World is expensive. 2.) Walt Disney World is gigantic, with hundreds of options for things to do. If you don’t at least spend a little time planning your trip before you go – you will end up wasting precious time. Using the WDW Blog Disney Vacationing Theorem we know that Truth 1 + Truth 2 = THE ULTIMATE TRUTH. See below:

WDW is Expensive + Nearly Infinite Ways to Spend Your Time =
TIME IS MONEY!!

Like my lesson for the day? It’s true. I promise. But here’s the deal – I’m not saying you have to pre-plan every minute of your trip. In fact, I frown upon that. Over-planning is a great way to be miserable during your vacation. You can’t control everything at Disney World. Buses run on loops. Attraction queue line times fluctuate. It’s all about balance. Your planning should have structure – but not be overly full. And your plans should be FLEXIBLE.

When I start to plan my WDW vacation I start with my Table Service dining reservations. Why? Disney World restaurants are not like regular restaurants. Availability is limited, reservations do fill up and a stand-by wait time can be hours. MAKE RESERVATIONS. And make them early. You had better believe I am online or on the phone 180 days out from my vacation to make dining reservations. If you do that, you can usually have any restaurant you want at any time you want.

As you know from my last post, my upcoming trip was short notice. As soon as we had booked our room we got working on planning and making said dining reservations. Here’s how I go about it.

First, I make a chart for the number of days I am going to be on vacation, and I include a bisection for each of the four main theme parks: Below the WDW Vacation 2014 block I have 7 spaces down the left side of the paper, one block for each of the days on my vacation. Across, to the right of the WDW Vacation 2014 block I have 4 large blocks for the 4 main theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.

Once I have the grid in, I start to fill in the blocks across for the 4 parks and the blocks down with the specific dates of my trip.Once all the dates are filled in, I visit Disney’s official website to find out what hours each of the 4 parks are open every day. AND most importantly, what the Extra Magic Hours are for the days of my vacation. Extra Magic Hours are extra times, either before a park opens or after it closes that are available ONLY to guests staying at a Disney Resort Hotel. EMHs (Extra Magic Hours) are a great way to visit your favorite attractions with lightened wait times. I place morning EMHs above the parks regular hours, and night EMHs below. I also highlight the EMHs so I can see them apart from the regular park hours. I do this because I almost always take advantage of the EMHs when they are offered. You’ll also notice Epcot is divided into two. That’s because Future World (FW) and World Showcase (WS) have different hours. Once everything is filled in, I take a look at the chart with a PENCIL (so you can make changes) and circle what park I think I’ll visit on what day. This is almost always dictated by the EMHs. Above you can see that on Friday, May 9 the park hours aren’t filled in. This is the theoretical day I arrive at WDW. I won’t go into the parks that day. Instead I’ll hang by the pool, go shopping at Downtown Disney, visit Disney’s Boardwalk, or buy tickets to Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach.For me, this all comes down to what parks I love and the EMHs. On Saturday, May 10 I circled Disney’s Hollywood Studios because it has morning EMHs. I then drew an arrow over to Epcot because I’ll probably finish my day there. Same thing happened on Wednesday, May 14. I chose to take advantage of the morning EMHs at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but have myself jumping to Animal Kingdom that afternoon.

Once I have this tentative plan sketched out in pencil I consider my dining reservations. Typically my family will eat at one Table Service Restaurant a day, and eat at Quick Service spots for the rest of the day. Usually our Table Service picks are for dinner, but now and again we’ll go for breakfast or lunch. This is where the WDW Blog Vacationing Theorem comes into effect. To make the most out of your time you want plan your Table Service dining reservations to be in the park you’re visiting that day. If you’re in Animal Kingdom for the entire day, but you have dining reservations at Epcot, you will lose time traveling to Epcot, which could take up to an hour. If you had dinner at Animal Kingdom you could spend that hour visiting an attraction or two.

So for example, on Sunday, May 11, I circled Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom has evening EMHs, so I would plan to be at MK all day and night. So logically I want to make dining reservations for a Magic Kingdom restaurant. On Wednesday May 14th, I have morning EMHs at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and then plan to hop over to Animal Kingdom to finish the evening. I should plan to make Table Service reservations for breakfast at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or dinner at Animal Kingdom. Lunch reservations could be made at either park, depending on when I want to hop from one to the other. Since Animal Kingdom closes early (6 PM), another choice would be to have dinnerat my Resort Hotel after Animal Kingdom is closed.

Once I have planned what meal I want to eat in what park, I start looking for reservations. If you’re calling 180 days in advance, you shouldn’t have any problems snagging what you want. If you’re like us this year, planning a short notice trip, you just need to be a little flexible with your times and restaurants. We had no trouble making satisfactory reservations for our upcoming trip in June. Once I have my dining reservations made, I like to highlight the block where they occur, and write the place and time off to the side (PINK). I also marked my park visiting plan in purple. This paper becomes my go-to physical reference for what’s going on, before I leave for my vacation. The My Disney Experience Application on my phone (or on Disney’s website) is my digital copy. The My Disney Experience App really makes it easy to see what you have going on each day. Love it.

Here’s a recap of my Table Service Dining Tips:

Reserve Early! – You should be prepared to make your reservations 180 days out from your vacation, or as soon as you can if you’re planning a last minute trip. This will grant you the most choices.
Plan to eat where you’re playing! This is where my chart is useful. If you’re going to be in Epcot – eat in Epcot. This will save you the most time. (Again referencing the WDW Blog Vacationing Theorem stated above.)
Keep your times consistent! If you make reservations for dinner every night, make them for about the same time. This will keep your body from going haywire.

One last word: the strategy listed today is really all about time and making the most of it. It doesn’t factor in other dining considerations such as character dining. If you have kids who would love Mickey & Friends character dining – find a place that does that! But be logical about it. If you’re at Magic Kingdom, make a reservation for Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary. Yes,The Contemporary is outside of Magic Kingdom, but it’s right next door just a short walk or Monorail ride away. You won’t waste much time in transit.

ABOVE ALL, be prepared AND be flexible. Have a game plan going in, but be prepared to change. On my last trip to WDW I probably changed or canceled at least 2 of our dining reservations. Maybe you wind up wanting to spend more time at one park over the other, or you decide you want to just cut your day short and go back to the hotel for a pizza and a swim. Go with it!

P. S. Just so you know, the chart I made up for this post was just an example chart. It was much prettier than my charts usually end up looking when in process. See below for my working draft of our upcoming trip… Needless to say, I made a nicer draft in the end.

M. M. – T-REX at Downtown Disney

Posted on September 16, 2013 by waltdisneyworldblog

How is it Monday already!?! My busy weekend, which included my husband and I buying our first house (!!) and moving, probably has something to do with my bewilderment. I’m ready to admit that I almost slacked today and skipped writing this post. I’m tired, and I have a million things still to clean and unpack. But somehow I just couldn’t go a week without posting. I knew I would be washing windows and unpacking dishes thinking about how I should have blogged. So here we are – MUNCHY MONDAY!

This week we are traveling to Downtown Disney – a foodie paradise. Currently there are over 28 various spots to grab a bite to eat, ranging from an AMC Dine-In Theater to an authentically Irish-themed pub, to a Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Soda Shop. You can find table service restaurants and quick service dining, as well as stands offering drinks and snacks. The choices are amazing. Perhaps even more amazing still, is the fact that Downtown Disney is under-going an extensive renovation and expansion that will include even more dining delights. When the project is complete, Downtown Disney will be called Disney Springs.

On our last trip, my family and I ate dinner at T-REX. If you’re familiar with Rainforest Cafe, then you’ll have a great idea what this restaurant is about. Owned by the same parent company, T-REX is a prehistoric dining adventure.

My beautiful Mum giving a smile. Look carefully behind her and you can spot a wooly mammoth and a few jellyfish in the background.

My Grandmother, taking in the restaurants action.

My Grandmother, taking in the restaurant action.

As you approach the restaurant, you’ll see a mountainous structure with a cave-like opening. Perched atop is a very large dinosaur skeleton, green ferns, and palms. Inside, is a prehistoric wonderland. At the front of the restaurant you can locate the bar area, which has an oceanic theme. Behind the bar is a large saltwater fish tank on which a giant octopus is perched, with its tentacles stretching over the blue, water-like ceiling. Colored jellyfish are suspended from the ceiling, mingling with the octopus tentacles. The restaurants tables are nestled into several themed rooms such as an ice cavern and fern forest. While the rooms have individual themes, they are open to each other and one theme flows into the other. Everywhere you look there are animatronic wooly mammoths, giant bugs, and dinosaurs – including a 15 foot tall T. rex. About every twenty minutes there is a “meteor shower,” and the entire restaurant springs to life with movement and sound. With so much going on, this place is a sensory mecca.

The Ice Cavern.

With a restaurant that is so focused on entertainment, I always find myself skeptical of the quality of food. I was very pleasantly surprised here. Not to be outdone by the decor, the T-REX menu delivers. The kitchen, appropriately named The Kitchen of Fire, is located behind a long fire pit. On the wall behind the fire pit you can see chickens rotating in a giant rotisserie. The menu is quite expansive, with something for any taste. Most of the menu flavors are true American, though there are some light Italian touches. Food is easily organized into sections: Appetizers, Salads, Soups, Carnivores, Pastas, Burgers & Sandwiches, and Seafood. Mixed drinks can be found in a section labeled “The Watering Hole,” and there are plenty of beer and wine selections as well. Desserts are can be located in “The End is Near.” Each and every item has a clever, prehistoric reference in its name, such as: Fossil Fish-N-Chips, Pork-Asaurus Sandwhich, Layers of the Earth Lasagna, and Jurassic Salad.

On our visit, I ordered the Paleozoic Chicken Sandwich: pizza dough with grilled chicken, lettuce, bacon, Pepper Jack cheese, avocado, tomato, and lemon aioli. It came with my choice of side (french fries!), and it was absolutely delicious. The portion was big, the chicken was cooked perfectly, and it was full of tasty flavors. My young cousins were with us, and one of them was kind enough to give me a bite of their Cosmo’s Cheesy Macaroni. Let me assure you I would’ve devoured any of the unfinished noodles, but he cleaned the bowl leaving me high and dry. Can’t say I blame him.

Open for lunch and dinner, T-REX is a very popular spot to eat. In the busy seasons the wait can be excessive. My family had a reservation, and we still had a fair wait to be seated at our table. That being said, we were also a party of 14 altogether. Bottom line: make a reservation. That goes forever and always, at any Disney dining location.

Between the active theme and the large number of tables inside, this restaurant is noisy. Downright loud, really. It’s hard to hear anyone that is not seated next to you or across from you. Additionally, the meteor shower that occurs every twenty minutes includes flashing lights and thunder-like rumbles that may be frightening to very young children. This is not the spot for a quiet, romantic dinner. But, T-REX is definitely a fantastic place to dine with kids of all ages. Overall, I was really impressed with the environment and food in this unique dining spot. My family and I had a blast.

M.M. – Prime Time Cafe

Posted on August 12, 2013 by waltdisneyworldblog

Welcome to week two of MUNCHY MONDAY! Last time we launched MUNCHY MONDAY by paying homage to my favorite WDW snack: Pineapple Dole Whip. Whenever I say Pineapple Dole Whip, I hear the sparkling sound of an angel chorus singing harmonious “ahhhhs” in my brain. It’s just that good.

But as delicious as Pineapple Dole Whip is, sometimes you need a full meal. So this week MUNCHY MONDAY is devoted to a delicious restaurant that delivers lunch and dinner with a side of silliness: 50’s Prime Time Café at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

As the name suggests, stepping inside this restaurant is like stepping into the 1950s. But more specifically, your mom’s kitchen in the 1950s. Teapots and other knickknacks are scattered about, the walls are covered in wallpaper, square black and white tile stretches out over the floor, the chairs are decked in vinyl and chrome, and lacy curtains hang in the windows. Old fashioned televisions with knobs dials are scattered around the restaurant playing clips from classic black and white television for your enjoyment as you eat.

The menu shows off the entire family’s best recipes. Favorites include Dad’s Grilled Pork Chop, Aunt Liz’s Golden Fried Chicken, Cousin Ann’s Traditional Meatloaf, Mom’s Old-Fashioned Pot Roast, and Grandma’s Chicken Pot Pie. There are plenty of mashed potatoes, green beans, and collard greens to go around! Milkshakes make a special treat with dinner. Be sure to try the 50’s Prime Time Café’s specially flavored Peanut Butter and Jelly Milkshake! For the adults in the house, specialty cocktails are served from Dad’s Liquor Cabinet. Or, check out the Tune-In Lounge where you can watch television, try one of the classic cocktails, and order from the menu if you get hungry.

Waiters clad in yellow aprons and waitresses in pink gingham dresses are all members of the family here, and they treat you as if you’re at home. Mind your manners and keep your elbows off the table or you may just hear a mini-lecture. Be sure to eat your veggies too, if you don’t, they may be spoon fed to you or you may be denied dessert (not really of course!).

When it comes time to order dessert, you’ll be handed a View Master to take a look at the menu. Flipping through, you’ll see choices such as warm apple crisp, ice cream sundaes, and cheesecake. No sweet tooth will go unsatisfied in Mom’s kitchen.

50’s Prime Time Café brings great home-style favorites to the table and their silly antics guarantee you’ll have plenty of laughs as long as you’ve brought your sense of humor. As with any Table Service restaurant, be sure to make a reservation.

W.T.D.W. – Epcot, World Showcase – Mexcio

Posted on August 8, 2013 by waltdisneyworldblog

¡Hola amigos! ¿Come están ustedes? I hope this finds you all well this week. I realize that I’m posting this week’s WHAT TO DO WEDNESDAY on a Thursday, and if you’re astute you noticed I missed MUNCHY MONDAY this week as well. It has been a week of life highs and lows. Sadly, my husband’s aunt passed away unexpectedly, and we spent the early part of the week celebrating her beautiful life and attending her funeral services. A day later, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary!! It’s been a busy week with very little time for writing until now.

So this week on WHAT TO DO WEDNESDAY (ahem, Thursday…) I want to take us to Mexico in the World Showcase at Epcot. Hugged around a beautiful lagoon, the World Showcase is home to eleven countries. Mexico is first on the leftmost side as you approach the World Showcase from Future World. Colorful and celebratory, with plenty to see and experience, I always look forward to visiting Mexico.

As you approach Mexico you are welcomed by an Aztec inspired pyramid with warm terra cotta colors and splashes of turquoise. The landscape surrounding the pyramid is rich and thick. As you step inside, you will notice expressive, wood carved animals in bright, vibrant colors. These fantastically carved animals are from the Oaxacan culture, and are an important part of Mexican Folk Art. Many beautiful carvings are on display with details about their history and significance. Often, there is an artist working at a table surrounded by carved animals of all shapes and sizes. Further inside, you will enter the Plaza de los Amigos. I love the ambiance of the plaza. It is perpetually just past twilight, and twinkling lanterns suspended overhead glow softly upon a Mexican marketplace. Fountains trickle water, creating relaxing, peaceful background sounds. Carts and tiendas (shops) feature jewelry, glassware, leather goods, clothing, instruments, books, sombreros, and many authentic merchandise items for sale.

In the back of the Plaza de los Amigos, you can find the entrance to the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros. This charming boat ride is a cultural tour of Mexico with a fun twist created by the three caballeros: Donald, Ponchito, and José. Lovable Donald Duck is missing, so Ponchito, and José go in search of him and you are along for the ride. Unbeknownst to them, Donald is off enjoying the Mexican culture; trying on sombreros, snapping pictures, listening to a mariachi band, and taking an ocean swim. This ride is very kid friendly and there usually isn’t much of a wait, even during peak seasons.

If you’re hungry there is plenty of opportunity to grab a taste of Mexico. San Angel Inn Restaurante, a Table Service restaurant, is located in the Plaza de Los Amigos set amongst a Mayan pyramid and smoking volcano. A second Table Service restaurant, La Hacienda del San Angel, offers a flavorful menu and beautiful views of the World Showcase Lagoon. If you want to try a flight of tequila, La Cava del Tequila in the Plaza de Los Amigos offers a variety of tequila tasting options as well as Mexican beers, wines, and light snacks. If you’re looking for something quick and easy, try the Cantina de San Angel. There you’ll find treats such as margaritas, tacos, empanadas, nachos, and guacamole. ¡Ole!

We always have a good time having a margarita, trying on sombreros, and relaxing on the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros. Keep an eye out, if you’re lucky you may be able to see a live mariachi band or meet Donald Duck. Donald often appears in Mexico for meet and greets wearing a colorful sombrero and serape. It’s a great opportunity to snag an autograph and pose for a unique photo!

Until next time, ¡Hasta luego amigos!

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WDW is Expensive + Nearly Infinite Ways to Spend Your Time = TIME IS MONEY!!

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WDW is Expensive + Nearly Infinite Ways to Spend Your Time =
TIME IS MONEY!!