Do you need a dining plan in September or can you get walk ins?

[dreamfinder]

What are the BEST restaurants at Epcot? We want to splurge on one fancy meal at the world showcase. We both love Italian, Mexican, and Chinese cuisine so one of those three is good.

Of those 3, I would suggest trying to Via Nappoli in Italy. Mexico isn't bad, but is known more for the ambiance than the food. And China is just meh. Best restaurant in Epcot? I'd say Monsieur Paul or Restaurant Marrakesh. Plenty of people will disagree with the latter as it is Moroccan food. But if you want a really good dining experience, most people will suggest you take the 10-15 minute walk or boat ride out of Epcot's International Gateway and go for one of the restaurants at the Epcot area resorts, like BlueZoo or Kimonos.

 

[CamiCan]

Thanks for the advice. Since our itinerary does NOT include free dining, we've decided to "wing it" on the first day at Epcot, look around, and then make reservations for one nice meal a day for the late that week. We are both foodies and want to try different cuisines of the world in style. From what I read on here, it should be easy to use park hoppers to spend the day at one park and return to Epcot for a nice dinner for 2 or 3 of the days we are there; right?

 

[bee]

Thanks for the advice. Since our itinerary does NOT include free dining, we've decided to "wing it" on the first day at Epcot, look around, and then make reservations for one nice meal a day for the late that week. We are both foodies and want to try different cuisines of the world in style. From what I read on here, it should be easy to use park hoppers to spend the day at one park and return to Epcot for a nice dinner for 2 or 3 of the days we are there; right?

You should consider making a reservation before your trip for your nice meal in Epcot. The more popular restaurants fill up very quickly and you may be left with few options if you wait until the same week. That said, I once (ONCE!) was able to get a reservation for La Hacienda de San Angel for around 7:30 that same afternoon. Yes, you will be fine using your Park Hopper to go to one park in the morning/afternoon and Epcot in the evening. Just give yourself adequate time (Disney says 1.5 hours when traveling within WDW) to get there so you don't miss your reservation and aren't charged the no-show fee!

 

[Princess Sara]

We have been going every September for 12 years and you will need reservations. Park numbers are low but they are not empty. We booked our dining at the 180 mark and struggled to get all the times we wanted. There has only been 2 of us going for the last 5 years so I wouldn't think that because there is just 2 of you they can squeeze you in somewhere. Hope it works out for you.

 

[lilclerk]

If you're foodies, you may enjoy having your dinners at Epcot snacking around the world at the Food & Wine booths. Then you don't need to worry about reservations, too.

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2014-...val-marketplace-booths-menus-and-food-photos/

 

[BrerJon]

Yup, you'll be going during the Food & Wine festival so there won't be any shortage of things to eat.

I think if you don't have dining plan and thus aren't wedded to every meal having to be a waiter service one, you don't need to go mad on reservations as they can be restrictive. They are important if you go in busy times, as walk-ins will be tough, but if you want to eat dinner at 4 o'clock or lunch at 11am it's usually possible to get in, especially if you tell them you are willing to wait.

I agree with your plan of going to Epcot on day one, seeing what things are like and then choosing a restaurant for a reservation later in the week - there's no point making a reservation for something that sounds good until you've seen it and know what you're in for. As long as you're flexible on times there will almost always be something available a few days out.

If you go to https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/ you can enter a date, preferred time and number of people and it will show you all the options - I just did a search for 2 or 3 days ahead and there was tons of places to choose from, so no need to book in my view until you've actually been to the park.

By the way I recommend going to Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom for lunch at around 10.30 or 11; no reservations are needed, but for dinner it's the hardest reservation to get in WDW, but the food and theming is the same whenever you go.

 

[BrerJon]

What are the BEST restaurants at Epcot? We want to splurge on one fancy meal at the world showcase. We both love Italian, Mexican, and Chinese cuisine so one of those three is good.

The Italian, Mexican and Chinese restaurants are OK but similar to what you'd get anywhere.

My favourite restaurant is Biergarten, the German buffet. It's great fun, has lots of entertainment to watch, and good food. Also Restaurant Marakesh is good in Morocco, and Teppan Edo in Japan is amazing as the chefs make the food at your table.