Best Disney World Dining Options

Ohana @ the Polynesian is a must...
Sanaa @ Animal Kindom Villas is awesome, or if you want a buffet hit up Boma.
Sci Fi Diner is fun.
Be Our Guest has the best theming of any restaurant, but the food sucks outside of breakfast. Only do breakfast here.
For character meals Crystal Palace for breakfast, and Chef Mickey's for dinner.
WATCH THE FIREWORKS FROM CALIFORNIA GRILL!!! Seriously you won't regret it..

And.. of course... Trader Sam's at the polynesian is the best bar around.

ETA: Don't miss out on the turkey legs...

Do not do the meal plan.

/thread

You don't need the dining plan to eat at any restaurant. In fact, a select few don't take the plan. And some of the best places require two "Table Services" (you only get 1 per day).

What it comes down to is if you're going to spend $65/day per adult (ages 10+) in cash going by your normal habits. It's actually tougher to keep up with that with larger groups because not everyone will be using their snacks and very few people use all of their quick service meals.

The plan doesn't include alcohol or appetizers. And if you do end up wanting a "Signature" meal which takes two tables services, you may end up spending cash at other places anyway to eat at the places you want.

For example, going for 5 days? 5 Table Services, 5 Quick Services, 5 Snacks per person.

Cinderella's Castle for breakfast? 2 Table services.
Le Cellier Steak House? 2 Table Services.

Now you only get one other meal that isn't a non-sit down dinner meal. Every breakfast buffet is a table service. Even some places for lunch are included (The Plaza, Beaches and Cream).

What this comes down to is that it limits your choices while at the same time, you spend extra money out of pocket. No gratuity included. Expensive as hell.


It used to be great and they got a lot of people hooked who now think they have to rely on it. It included dessert. Fewer restaurants required 2 table services. Gratuity was included. All for just over $30/day per person.

I'm a DVC member and that gives me access to the Tables in Wonderland card. It's $150 up front but saves me 20% on almost all restaurants, and includes all food and drinks (alcohol) and the 18% gratuity. It pays for itself with a party of 4 after about 5 or 6 meals.

If you want a comparison and are good with spreadsheets Download This

The spreadsheet needs to be updated with current prices which you can do on your own on the "lists" tab, but other than that is a great tool. I would save a "clean" copy first, then "save as" after any changes because once you set it up and run the macro (hit the button), you can't get it back to its original empty state.

How many Pedo's Paradise Platinum Premier Points do you have?

The best way to do Disney is to do the things YOU want to do and not the things Disney wants you to do.

My advice is to pick the places you want to eat using the disneyfoodblog and allears.net to help locate the best places within your budget. Do a little work with the spreadsheet making best guest estimates on how much you'll spend at each restaurant. And see that you'll save close to a grand by staying away from the DDP.

My favorite places to eat are:

Le Cellier for dinner
Cinderellas Royal Table for Breakfast. Ask for a seat by the window facing fantasy Land. If you get the earliest booking, you can get into Magic Kingdom early and walk down Main Street with the park empty. It's surreal.
Chef Mickey's for breakfast
'Ohana for dinner
Teppan Edo for dinner (Japan)
Liberty Tree Tavern for Dinner
Beaches and Cream for lunch
Sci-Fi Dine In Theater
Be Our Guest

The last two are more for the ambiance than the food.

Doing the meal plans isn't a bad way to go. 3 meals a day and a snack is enough food, but you may want more. I don't remember the names of all the places, but there is an Asian Restaurant near Mt. Everest that was fantastic. Epcot has the best food of any of the parks. The pastries and sandwiches inside the french restaurant are outstanding. There's a little place around liberty square in magic kingdom called Gaston's Tavern. There was one of the most delicious drinks I have ever had in my life there. It's some kind of lemonade thing, but man is it good. The cinnamon rolls in there are also fantastic. Definitely the place to go in Magic Kingdom for a snack. Fairfax fare in Hollywood Studios has really good ribs. Really there is good food all around, it just depends on what you are trying to spend.

Yachtsman
Narcoossee’s
Via Napoli
Artist Point
California Grill

All worth checking out

quote:

---

Tusker House for breakfast

---

Couldn't agree more.. It the best breakfast option on property imo

Yachtsman for steak > Le Cellier IMO. Bread rolls with roasted garlic is an added bonus

Also, the new Silk Road restaurant in Epcot is worth checking out.

ETA: yes, meant spice road.

quote:

---

Silk Road restaurant in Epcot

---

Spice Road Table?

I ate there within a couple weeks of its opening. It was so good that I went back a second time during that trip. I went a year later and they had completely changed the menu. It was really disappointing.