Introduction

To all who come to this hungry place, welcome. You are about to consume the most up-to-date and delicious version of the Walt Disney World Dining Guide. This year’s edition will include many new restaurants, counters, and kiosks, as well as updates to your old favorites.

“You’re going to Walt Disney World…again?” This is a question I’ve gotten from co-workers, cousins, neighbors, and my dad. It’s hard to answer, so I rely on what’s probably pretty close to the truth: I’m going back because of the food. In the past five years, I’ve been to Walt Disney World around twenty times, and I have not even come close to scratching the surface—especially when it comes to the world-class dining. I still have restaurants I want to visit, ones where I’d like to return, and new restaurants are constantly popping up.

As with most things, dining preferences are subjective. Your server could recommend that the tuna tartare on their menu is the best they’ve ever had. However, this wouldn’t mean much to you if you aren’t into seafood. With this in mind, I will do my best to stay reasonably objective in order to provide you with the perfect amount of information for you to be able to make informed decisions on what you choose to eat at Walt Disney World.

That being said, there are certain places at Disney World that the majority of guests tend to love or loathe. You well may be in the minority and enjoy a restaurant that most people think is awful. It doesn’t make you wrong. It makes you human. However, I do not plan on steering you wrong by recommending dining locations that aren’t worth your time and money. A great vacation at Disney World can hinge on the ability to manage your time and get the most bang for your buck. I am here to tell you which places you should make a reservation and (perhaps more importantly) which locations to avoid. Keep in mind that this is just one girl’s viewpoint, but it is a girl who has eaten a lot of what Disney World has to offer.

Think for a moment about your vacation identity. Are you the kind of person who thinks their time spent in a Disney park is precious and the less time spent sitting down in a restaurant and being waited on the better? Are you a parent who has a picky eater for a child? Are you a parent who is the picky eater of your group? Are you adventurous, wanting to try any and all new food and drink while on vacation? Lucky for you, all these tastes are accounted for and celebrated in Disney World.

My plan for the book is to travel to all four theme parks, Disney Springs, and the Boardwalk. Then, I’ll highlight the best of the specialty dining at the resorts. I’ll give you a broad overview of the menu and insert any of my personal preferences along the way, so even if our tastes differ, you will know what kind of cuisine to expect at any given restaurant.

But first, a few words about the dining reviews you’ll encounter in this book, and then an overview of the Disney Dining Plan.