Table service dining at Magic Kingdom can be a great addition to your Walt Disney World vacation. Many guests work hard to get those pre park opening reservations at both Be Our Guest and The Crystal Palace. But there is much more to table service dining at Magic Kingdom than an early morning dining reservation. These 10 Tips for Table Service Dining at Magic Kingdom will guide you through making reservations and enjoying some of the best Disney food on property.
Tip #1: Magic Kingdom offers eight table service restaurant locations. Be Our Guest in the new Fantasyland offers table service for dinner. The Diamond Horseshoe is located in Liberty Square, as is the Liberty Tree Tavern. Liberty Tree Tavern in Liberty Square serves lunch and dinner, and Crystal Palace on Main Street USA serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Plaza Restaurant and Tony’s Town Square are also on Main Street USA. Skipper Canteen is the newest location at Magic Kingdom, and is located in Adventureland. The only option that is character dining is The Crystal Palace. The last, and very popular, Cinderella’s Royal Table is also located at the Magic Kingdom.
Tip #2: Magic Kingdom is home to the most popular restaurant on Disney property, Be Our Guest. This location continues to be extremely popular with guests. Even booking a reservation at 180 days in advance doesn’t guarantee you will get a seat. It is a quick service entitlement for breakfast and lunch and 2 table service entitlement for dinner. Also, it is not considered a character meal. Beast arrives occasionally, but is not guaranteed. Belle is rarely, if ever, at Be Our Guest.
Tip #3: Consider a Magic Kingdom area resort for a lunch or dinner meal. You may think that leaving the park to eat is a poor choice. However, the monorail gets you to a Magic Kingdom area resort fairly quickly. In turn, dining outside the park at one of these gives you a break from the parks, a good meal, and you can go right back to the Magic Kingdom if you want to.
Tip #4: If you are paying out of pocket for a meal, consider lunch. While breakfast may be the least expensive meal out of pocket, lunch is a great option as well. Most locations serve very similar, if not the same, selections for lunch and dinner. So you can enjoy a good dinner-like meal at lunch time prices.
Tip #5: Enjoy the restaurant for its atmosphere. A great location for atmosphere is Liberty Tree Tavern. Each room is themed after colonial times in this 18th century home. It is divided into rooms to reflect the Revolutionary period. It takes after famous people like Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. A bonus, the food here is REALLY good!
Tip #6: Plan a meal on the off times of the day. Keep in mind that when you are eating at Magic Kingdom, you are in the theme park. So everyone will want to eat at about the same time! Eating lunch around 1 or 2PM, or dinner around 4PM or 7PM will allow you to enjoy a less crowded meal. Also, by timing your meals around off peak times, you can then ride attractions during off peak times. If everyone is eating between 6-7PM, and you’ve already had dinner, you can enjoy attractions with less waits!
Tip #7: Time your dinner so it coincides with a Disney parade. It’s a good idea to stake out a spot for a parade at least 45 minutes or so in advance. Consider booking a lunch or dinner reservation at Tony’s Town Square or The Plaza Restaurant so you can step out onto Main Street USA to get a spot for the parade. This puts you on Main Street for the parade, and in a good location.
Tip #8: Don’t be afraid of the hidden gems. The Plaza Restaurant is REALLY good. The sandwiches here are amongst the best on Disney property. Also, it is a great place to pay out of pocket, as the prices are reasonable. Another “hidden gem” at Magic Kingdom is Tony’s Town Square. This is themed after Lady and the Tramp, and has a really fun ambiance to it.
Tip #9: It is possible to get a last minute dining reservation at the Magic Kingdom. Be Our Guest is known for not only being the hardest to get into, but also for having last minute walk up reservations. It doesn’t hurt to try! The Skipper’s Canteen is currently walk up only. They take your name and give you a buzzer. When it is your turn, you are seated. A place like Tony’s or the Plaza are great for walk ups as well.
Tip #10: If you have a pre park dining reservation, arrive 20 minutes early. When you arrive, you will follow the sign to the turnstile that is taking guests for early morning reservations. They will take your name and check your confirmation number. At that point, they may let you into the park. This is the perfect time to wander Main Street in a practically empty park. The photographs during this time are priceless, and you’ll be glad you got up early!
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