10 Things I learned About Dining at Disney

 

These are some great tips!  Brandy wanted to share with everyone what she learned about the food options, on her first trip to Walt Disney World. One of the biggest components of your Disney trip will be where and what to eat.  Walt Disney World has become a mecca of new food experiences. As well as some classic American options done very well.  Take time to enjoy the different foods, you might discover a new favorite.

1. Portion sizes are huge! 
Everything from snacks to dinner is shareable.  If you eat 3 meals plus a day, I would recommend sharing unless you have huge eaters in your family.

2. Don’t overeat you will be miserable in the Florida heat.
I only made that mistake once.  The breakfast at Garden Grill was so good.  Not to mention, I paid $80.00 for my 2 boys and myself for breakfast.  I kept thinking I’m going to get my monies worth and I kept eating and eating.  BIG MISTAKE!  I felt sluggish and tired for about 2 hours afterwards.

3. Take time to enjoy the incredibly themed dining options.
Every place from snack bar type places to table service meals are wonderfully themed and transport you to a new place.  Some are done better then others.  If you take time to look around you will see small details that are easily missed.

4. Quick Service meals at Disney are not typical fast food.
We have visited quite a few other amusement parks and tourist places.  The food is always blah.  Usually worse then your typical fast food.  Honestly it reminds me of cafeteria style food.  That is not the case at Disney.  Every thing is tasty, fresh and full of flavor.

5. Table service meals take lots of time out of your day.
While table service meals are a nice break from the heat and crowds, they are also huge time suckers.  You have to really think about what is important to your family, time in the park riding rides or eating at a sit down restaurant.

6. Get the popcorn bucket ASAP!
After you purchase a popcorn bucket full of popcorn for $10.00 you get $2.00 refills the length of your stay, with no limit as to how many time you can refill the bucket.  I really like how the bucket came with a lid and detachable handle so that you can easily attach the bucket to a backpack, belt loop, or stroller.

7. Table Service meals are a great way to take a mid day break.
The middle of the day, usually 11 – 3 is the hottest part of the day.  After you have been in the parks for a few hours it’s nice to go take a few hours indoors to eat lunch and relax.  Added bonus, after little ones cool down and their tummies get full, they are known to take a nap in the stroller. It took my family right around 2 hours for each table service meal.

8. Kids meals in the hotel food court come with 2 sides and a drink.
There is very small print on the menu in the hotel that says kids meals include 2 sides and a drink.  Most people I saw only take one side per kids meal and don’t get a milk or juice box.  Even if your child doesn’t want the sides or drink go ahead and take it for later.  You are being charged the same for a kids meal with or without the sides and drink.

The first day, I wasn’t aware of the sides and drinks being included in the kids meals.  I figured it was an additional charge.  I knew my children wouldn’t finish all of the kids meals.  For that reason, I left the sides and the drink.  The next day I noticed that the menu said includes 2 sides and a drink.  From that day forward I took the sides and drinks for both kids meals.

9. Some of the Starbucks drinks at Disney, don’t taste the same as other Starbucks.

I worked at Starbucks for 4 years.  I’m a little bit of a Starbuck snob.  Every time we travel we must find a Starbucks for my caffeine fix.  I have to been to so many different Starbucks and they always have the same tasting beverages.  They might be too sweet or not sweet enough.  But those are easy fixes just ask for another beverage be made or ask for an extra pump or two of syrup.

I ordered an iced Chai latte in Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios.  Each time the Chai was different tasting.  I requested a new one be made and it was the same taste.  I even requested extra pumps be added.  Not awful but very weak tasting.  It just wasn’t the same as regular Starbucks.  At Animal Kingdom I ordered a Mocha Frappuccino and it was the same as what you get at any other Starbucks.

10.  The sweet treats are very sweet.
My family isn’t huge dessert people.  Maybe that is the reason why every dessert or snack I ordered was incredibly sweet.  Everything from the cupcakes (we had lemon, strawberry, and chocolate) at Be Our Guest to the food court desserts at Art of Animation were good, but overly sweet.  The exception to this was the desserts in the World Showcase they were divine.

(Thanks Brandy)