Staying and Dining at Disney World
Advice on Disney World Restaurants and Resorts
From the Disney World dining plan to the benefits of the value resorts to a listing of some favorite restaurants, suggestions for your next trip.
Disney World has more than 20 on site hotels and over 100 restaurants to choose from. Here is some advice on what to look for when planning your trip.
Disney World Resorts
Disney’s All-Star Resorts really are a great deal. For as low as $82 a night, the rooms are very nice, plus each All-Star Resort (Music, Movies and Sports) has a gigantic swimming pool, a regular size pool and a heated wading pool, an arcade and games room, an outdoor play area, a gift shop, a laundromat and a full service cafeteria. Plus, here is a tip. Be really nice to the person checking you in, and if it is a slow time of year they may upgrade you, for free, to a 1 bedroom suite that has two full bathrooms with a kitchenette that sleeps up to five people (couch and chair in living room fold out).
If you can afford something more upscale, the Beach Club Resort is pretty amazing. It has a white sand beach front, a huge ship wrecked boat that your kids can climb up to the top and then lunge down a water slide into an adjacent sand bottom pool, as well as a river current pool, several hot tubs, a fitness center, jogging trails, water sports and tennis courts. You can even walk to Epcot from this resort. But rates are significantly more expensive, anywhere from $315 to $495 a night depending on what time of year you go (September is less expensive than March).
The Animal Kingdom Lodge is also an interesting choice because, depending on where your room faces, you can view the animals on the reserve with the possibility of having a giraffe come up to your balcony. Guests at the lodge can also take advantage of exclusive guided tours of Kilimanjaro Safarais at the Animal Kingdom park, for an additional fee. They even offer rooms with bunk beds for the kids. The rates vary from $225 to $495, depending on the time of year you go and whether or not you want a view of the Savannah. Again, if it is a slow time of year they tend to upgrade you to a Savannah view for free because it really is the best part of staying at this resort.
Another benefit to staying at any of the Disney resorts is that all of your transportation is included in the price, such as your roundtrip bus ride from the airport to the hotel, transportation from your hotel to all the parks and downtown Disney, and transportation from park to park. This saves you the cost of renting a car as well as parking charges.
Disney World Dining Plan
If you stay at a Disney resort, the Disney dining plan is definitely the way to go. You really will save a good chunk of money, about 30% off regular menu prices. The dining plan can be used at any of the restaurants at the parks, water parks, resorts, and downtown Disney. It offers one table service meal at a sit down restaurant, one quick service meal at a takeout counter (both include an entrée, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage or buffet) and 1 snack that can be used for anything from chips to ice cream to bottled water. This is per person (including kids – they have their own menu) for each day you stay, but you can use them in any amount or sequence you wish i.e. if you want to use two quick service meals one day and two table service the next day, that's fine. Each meal just gets debited off your dining card, which expires when your vacation ends, so use them up. You must book the Disney dining plan in advance, you cannot book it once you are there.
Dining Reservations
Make all your dinner reservations before you go. In fact you can reserve a restaurant up to six months in advance, with no penalty if you cancel. Unless you are going at an extremely slow time, this is the only way to get the restaurants you want and to eat at the time you want. Cinderella’s Royal Table is especially popular and definitely requires booking six months in advance. Some favorite restaurants you may want to try: San Angel Inn Restaurante at Epcot, the Beach Club Breakfast Buffet at Cape May Café, Coral Reef Restaurant at Epcot, Le Cellier Steakhouse at Epcot and Cap’n Jack’s at Downtown Disney.
If you are celebrating a special event at your dinner, like a birthday, be sure to mention it when making the reservation. You will be amazed at what they come up with. For example, guests having dinner at the Coral Reef restaurant surprised the birthday person in their party when a scuba diver showed up in the wall tank holding a Happy Birthday sign.
Hope your trip to Disney is a great one. Be sure to see Gail's other articles including:
