Walt Disney World Dining Tips

Here are 10 excellent tips to make the best of your Walt Disney World dining experience.

10. Make advanced dining reservations (ADRs).
 

Even during the “slow” times of the year (early January, first half of December...), you definitely need to make reservations for Walt Disney World table service restaurants. 

Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort property can make all of their dining reservations for the length of their stay up to 180 days in advance, and don’t think that's a day too early! Remember that certain dining experiencies - in particular Disney character dining such as Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom and other signature restaurants like Le Cellier at Epcot - book quickly so it is really important to get your name on that table as soon as possible.

You can make your dining reservations online through the official Disney site http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/ or by calling (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463). Note that this is not a toll-free number, and that you will need to take into account different time zones if you want to be among the first callers.

9. Do your WDW homework.

There are more than 70 table service restaurants and over 100 counter service locations at Walt Disney World serving everything from Sushi to Hamburgers. 

Read the online restaurant reviews on sites such as AllEarsNet and have a look at the sample menus that you will be able to download from the official Walt Disney World dining site.

Share this information with the rest of your party, make a note of what type of food everyone likes and dislikes, and plan accordingly. Remember that you want to reduce nasty surprises in your WDW vacation!

8. Be on time (or even a few minutes early).

At some WDW restaurants, Disney will only hold your reservation for about 10 minutes. Make sure you plan plenty of time to get to the restaurant, too. 

Bear in mind that if you're going to rely purely on Walt Disney World transportation, you are going to need to factor in potential delays and longer routes.

It would be very frustrating to miss a dining reservation that you made 180 days ago, just to arrive 30 minutes late! Please don't make this mistake.

7. Try to eat at unpopular times.

This should not be hard for those of you that are used to eating late, or foreign travellers. 

At Walt Disney World, the common dining times for Americans are 08:00 am for breakfast, 12.00 pm (noon) for lunch and 6 pm for dinner. So consider a10.00 am reservation for a WDW breakfast, a 2 pm lunch and an 8 pm dinner at the Walt Disney World parks and resorts. This is true for counter service restaurants, too.

6. Plan around the parades, fireworks and shows.

You don’t want to plan an 8 pm dinner at Epcot when Illuminations is at 9 pm. 

If you are inclined to have a table service meal on that day, consider booking a lunch and then grabbing some counter service food to go and eat while waiting for the event to begin.

Remember to check the theme park calendars before booking your WDW dining reservations. Again, you can find this in the official Walt Disney World site.

5. Let the WDW restaurant know about food allergies.

Walt Disney World has done a wonderful job at accommodating food allergies and can create a delicious meal for all types of dietary restrictions. Several of our friends have celiac disease and we always let the restaurant know ahead of time and then again when we arrive. Most times the chef has actually come to our table personally and discussed the situation with us as he/she explained alternative dining options.

Don’t be shy, and even if you are – it’s better to be shy than sorry! Don’t let a food allergy get in the way of fabulous dining at Walt Disney World.

4. Eat breakfast in your room.

This definitely saves time AND money. All Disney World guest rooms now have a small refrigerator so this is a new tip. You can stock the fridge with milk, juice, water and have cereal, bread and other breakfast items in the room. The resort food court or gift shop sells these items.
 
3. Buy the Disney Dining Plan.

The Disney Dining Plan takes the guess work out of knowing how much to plan for your trip, and it is less expensive than buying the same food a la carte. The only question is whether your group will actually be inclined to each that much food!

2. Allow enough time to enjoy the meal.

I plan about an hour and a half for each table service meal at Walt Disney World. 

Sometimes you may have to wait for a table, it takes a while for the characters to get to every table, and many of the restaurants are “attractions” themselves. Look around and enjoy the atmosphere. Enjoy the food. Relax and soak in all of the fabulous WDW details strategically crafted by the clever Imagineers!

1. Book your WDW vacation with an authorized travel agent.

Specialized travel agents are critical to making the most of your Walt Disney World vacation. They have usually eaten at almost every restaurant in the theme parks, so you will receive awesome advice at zero additional cost:  Do you want a romantic restaurant? Enjoy seafood? Want to eat with Mickey Mouse (who doesn’t…)?

If you book with the right WDW travel agent, he/she will even make the reservation for you. They can take the stress out of planning your Disney World dining for you. 

Don’t forget, their services are FREE. Check on online message boards and popular Disney fan sites for a reputable specialized and Disney authorized travel agent. We can personally recommend Castles and Dreams Travel and MEI Mousefan Travel.