How do you like to eat on a disney vacation?

[EvilQueen-T]

With all the options for food on a disney vacation how do you decide? We have a family tradition what we call "eating outside the box" aka we don't eat at chain places that we could get at home and we like trying different things so whenever a new place opens we're on it but we also have a few favorites. For example, when I travel with my granddaughter for her it's not a vacation if she doesn't have lunch at the patisserie in France...apparently that ham and cheese croissant with a strawberry tart has her name all over it lol. We also like things like the specialty meals during food and wine but mainly it's one sit down/table service meal a day and we play the rest by ear. So how do you food at disney?

 

[belledream]

We like to try new places every time. It's honestly one of the things we find most fun! Sometimes we choose for a specific menu item, or we choose for the atmosphere of the restaurant itself, even if there isn't anything particular on the menu we are dying to try.

We also eat out of convenience/location based. We don't park hop, therefore we eat in or around the park we're at, and we try to minimize travel time, i.e. - this year, going from Typhoon Lagoon straight to Disney Springs, instead of heading to Disney Springs from any of the parks or our resort.

 

[Schneewittchen]

We tend to have particular habits in the parks. We don't park hop, we're totally commando-style, rope drop to fireworks.

If it's an extra magic hour day we have oatmeal in the motorhome at Fort Wilderness or some kind of quick service in the parks with cardboard tasting coffee and such. If it's a later opening park day or a no park day, we might do the breakfast buffet at Trail's End Restaurant.

Lunch is usually a quick service of some sort (except Epcot). At MK, we don't want to waste time, so we always go to Pinocchio Village Haus, Columbia Harbor House or Pecos Bill's. At Epcot, there aren't as many rides, so we can usually splurge and take that hour long break to do something nice at lunch - San Angel Inn or Restaurant Marrakesh, etc.

Usually one snack a day involving pineapple flavored soft serve or a lemonade slush.... the occasional mouse-shaped cookie.

Dinner is character or signature dining for us. In the parks, we want AC and a real break. We're like regulars at the Crystal Palace and Akershus. DH and I usually want a couple of really nice steak or seafood dinners during the trip, so we usually do that on check-in day and the day before we check-out or on our goof-off day.

Perhaps we try two or three new restaurants per trip. I'm just starting to plan the April 2017 trip, so I'm looking at snagging reservations for a few we've never tried - Biergarten, Narcoossee's, Tusker House and Skipper Canteen. I just saw a review for Tiffins, so maybe we drop Tusker House. I guess it depends on whether or not the children are behaving when I make the reservations.

 

[AndrewsJ]

To all of the above...I like the way all of you think! I have discovered foods I never thought I would eat while dining in WDW restaraunts. We always try to go to at least one place we have never tried, maybe more, and mix in our favorites like Sanna, Via Napoli and Restaraunts Marrakesh. I am dying to try Homeconing and the Polite Pug at DS along with any and all of the other new offerings.

 

[zurgandfriend]

usually 3 nice breakfasts, Kona Café, Grand Floridian Café and Whispering Canyon and a big dinner in the evening, we try to mix it up with a few favorites and a few new places.

 

[Mickey5150]

I go to WDW to eat and drink, pretty much everything else is a bonus. I go every year during F&W so at Epcot it's all about trying to eat at every booth at least once. Columbia Harbour House and Flametree Barbecue are my 2 gotta have places in the theme parks. Disney Springs is tough, I've always been a huge Raglan Road fan but with all that has opened this past year I may skip it on my next trip. It's my favorite restaurant in the world, but then again so has been Jiko's and Flying Fish. Man there is such awesome food in DIsney, just eat everything, thats my goal.

 

[parkhopper1213]

With all the options for food on a disney vacation how do you decide? We have a family tradition what we call "eating outside the box" aka we don't eat at chain places that we could get at home and we like trying different things so whenever a new place opens we're on it but we also have a few favorites. For example, when I travel with my granddaughter for her it's not a vacation if she doesn't have lunch at the patisserie in France...apparently that ham and cheese croissant with a strawberry tart has her name all over it lol. We also like things like the specialty meals during food and wine but mainly it's one sit down/table service meal a day and we play the rest by ear. So how do you food at disney?

We like to go with the flow. We eat when and where we happen to be a the time. We had a quick service dining plan one time and our whole day centered around making sure we got our money's worth by using our credits. If we are not very hungry then we split a meal. For our past few trips, I've been bringing small cereal boxes and we have breakfast in our room to save some money. Lunch and dinner at off hours works great. Less crowds and better chance of finding a table.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Pretty much the same - there are favorites (you never know when they'll suddenly be gone for good!) and there are always new things to try. We love both.

 

[BackOTheLine]

The words "reckless abandon" come to mind...

 

[mouse_luv]

We'll have ADR's for a handful of days we are there but the rest is by ear and where we are at the time at what we feel like eating. For instance, if we're in MK in the am/afternoon and want lunch it's usually somewhere like Cosmic Rays. We used to make a rare lunch TS ADR for Plaza once a trip but not anymore. Then we have our fave TS places we always make for like Teppan Edo normally for a nice dinner.

 

[Cowboy Steve]

For the most part, we like to try new places. Like someone stated above, when we are on vacation I don't want to eat at places I can eat at home lol!

There are a few rare 'repeat' exceptions: BOG is a must. I am happy to say we FINALLY got a dinner reservation this trip! We have done the QS lunch in the past. And we are doing 'Spririt of Aloha' dinner show for the second time. Saw the HDDMR 2 trips ago. Looking forward to some new for us places in Epcot on this trip (Tepan Edo and Spice Road Table), as well as Tiffins in AK and Jungle Navigation Co. at MK.

 

[prfctlyximprct]

At home, I work out, and I don't eat too much junk food. In Disney, I'm like an animal released from a cage.

 

[bethymouse]

'Ohana is usually a must. One signature meal per vacation is something we usually do as well.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

I read this thread title and thought to myself, "like slobs"

We evaluate all menus, like ALL MENUS, to decide which places appeal to us according to where we plan on being on a given day. We book at least one brand new spot and one resort restaurant. We try to try new places, but once you've found places that you enjoy, it's hard to skip them!

Also, we try to take advantage of our resorts QS. DH and I started that tradition on our first trip together and have upheld it since. We love trying it's different offerings and just relaxing.

 

[networkpro]

Haha, we make our ADRs based on the EMH park schedule and try to stick to only table service locations with a few notable exceptions: Flame Tree, Boma, and Hoop-De-Doo. Unfortunately this leaves us so full that we almost never get to eat any of the wonderful snack options.

 

[DisneyFans4Life]

The last couple of trips we've taken we've had the DDP and had ADRs setup for every day we were there. We have a trip coming up in March, but won't be doing the DDP. We've decided that if we want to eat a TS meal, we will just check to see what's available that day and go from there.

 

[tglancy]

We usually try at least one new place per trip and we have a list of places we have to go to. Breakfast at Crystal Palace is a must. Dinner or lunch at Mama Melrose and dinner at Be our Guest. Next time we go (in April) we are going to try San Angel and Rose and Crown. We also do a lot of quick service and, unless it's a buffet breakfast, eat something at the hotel room like a pop tart or a power bar.

 

[SeanWM48]

definitely want to try new places especially with how many have opened in the last 2 years at Springs.

that said my personal favorites that I need to hit every trip are trail's end and T-Rex.

usually try and hit at least one "expensive" big-time dinner. Todd English Bluezoo and Artist Point for example

 

[Courtney6682]

As the mom of the bunch I always let my husband and kids pick their favorite spots to eat...LTT is a must for my daughter and Cape May is a must for my husband...I just go along with whatever they want...I usually end up with one pick lol...so I always choose something new where we havent' eaten before

 

[sammysmom225]

My daughter and I are Big foodies, we try to rotate our dining when it is just the two of us.. Her favorite is Tony's which we try to do each trip, we usualy eat a early lunch and late dinner, we try not to park hop.. This trip in Oct she is bringing some friends for the food and wine, and Halloween party . I try to book buffets with such a large group, this way everyone finds something they like..A dole whip is a Must for me, and love the lobster burger at grand Floridian café. This trip we are eating Brown Derby Fantasmic package and club villain in Hollywood studios. Cape May Breakfast on day we arrive. Tusker house in Animal kingdom.. Le Cellier early lunch and La Hacienda in Mexico for first time for late dinner at fireworks. The crystal palace and fireworks dessert party for the Halloween party , then Be our guest for breakfast and Tony's for late lunch and back home