Normally, where to eat would be the most important part of a
vacation for me. However, as much as I
love Disney, I am not completely convinced their food is anything to write home
about. With that being said, when in “the World”, it is always wise to have a
plan especially when it comes to dining!
As mentioned in my previous post, we did a different meal
plan this year compared to last. Reason
for this was the deluxe meal plan offers: too.much.food. Those who know me best will attest, if I’m
claiming it’s too much food, it’s too.much.food. Don’t get me wrong. Last trip we ate and ate
and ate some more and really didn’t complain.
But quite frankly who needs appetizers and dessert at every meal. Want? Yes! But, need? No!
So, we simply booked the Disney Dining Plan: 1 quick service
meal, 1 snack, 1 table service meal and a refillable mug for 4. Dining plans cannot be purchased for children
under 3, so Frances either ate from our plates or shared with her brother and
sister. And guess what? It worked. I have to admit, because we carried a 2 year
old around a majority of the time, I worked up quite an appetite, so there were meals where I
found myself wishing for more. But for
the majority of the time, there was more than enough food, and I think we
enjoyed each meal more because we weren’t super stuffed from the previous
meal.
Another benefit to the lesser meal plan, we weren’t
constantly rushing around to arrive on time for reservations. The other plan included more table service
meals which equals reservations. We
usually had in mind which quick service we would aim for but didn’t have any
constraints beyond that. It was quite
nice!
Now, of course, we had to supplement this meal plan by
bringing our own breakfast, snack foods and drinks, but that really was not a
problem, especially since we drove. Breakfast was mostly a breakfast bar or
granola bar along with drinks from our refillable mugs. Snacks mostly consisted
of the same thing: granola bars, peanut butter crackers, cheese crackers, gummies
and Capri Suns.
Our dining strategy this go ‘round: more ethnic food and restaurants we didn’t
dine at last time. The line up…
Quick Service:
Restaurantosaurus, Animal Kingdom
Backlot Express, Hollywood Studios
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café, Magic Kingdom
Tortuga Tavern, Magic Kingdom
Boulangerie Patisserie, Epcot (France)
Beaches Pool Bar & Grill, Grand Floridian
Table Service:
1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian (character meal)
Nine Dragons Restaurant, Epcot (China)
San Angel Inn, Epcot (Mexico)
Coral Reef, Epcot
Crystal Palace, Magic Kingdom (character meal)
Thoughts on our dining experiences:
·
I love character meals because of the interaction
with the characters. I don’t love
character meals because you are constantly awaiting interaction with the
characters. Read: the kids are extremely distracted and not in a
good way! We did three character meals last year, and
only two this year. I think two was
ample!
·
I considered it a score that we were able to eat
in the Airstream trailer attached to Restaurantosaurus. There are only two booths in the trailer, so
this was a biggy! Thank you Disney Food Blog for the heads up. Another plus here: the kids meals are served in a sand
bucket with shovel!
·
Our most relaxed meal was at the Nine Dragons in
Epcot (China). I think it was because
there was not much in the restaurant to stimulate the children. Believe it or not, even they need a break
from all of the action. It was a simple,
quiet meal. And crazy enough, the kids
have already asked to go back!
·
We also loved the atmosphere at San Angel Inn.
We lucked out and were seated right along the water with a perfect view of the
volcano. Don’t forget to ride the Gran
Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros.
It was a favorite!!!
·
We didn’t have reservations at 1900 Park Fare,
but they were able to seat us within 30 minutes.
·
We aren’t big seafood fans, so Coral Reef will
probably not be on our list again. Plus we weren’t seated anywhere near the
large “aquarium” so the kids weren’t too impressed.
·
I can’t believe we didn’t eat at Casey’s Corner
(Magic Kingdom) this trip. It was definitely a favorite last time.
·
We hope to eat at Tony’s Town Square next
visit. We cancelled reservations there
to dine at Crystal Palace. We are glad
we did, but still want to give it a try!
·
Snacks that deserve some recognition:
Butterfinger Cupcake from Starring Rolls (Hollywood Studios) and caramel popcorn from Karamell Kuche (Epcot, Germany).
