Making the Most of YOUR Disney Dining Experience {FAVORITE Disney Tip}
Making the most of your Disney dining experience is so important! Â The Character Meals, Fine Dining/Signature Meals, and even the counter service and snack opportunities are all part of a magical Disney vacation! Â You plan your meal times, locations, and experiences WELL before you arrive in the parks, so you want to make the most of them! Â For this week’s {FAVORITE} Disney Tip, I asked my awesome readers on Facebook for some tips when it comes to Disney Dining. Â Here is what they said:
1. Â Take your time. If you are in a rush to get back to the attractions, you are going to miss a lot. Dining in WDW is an experience. Take time to really look at the theming of the restaurant. If it’s at a resort, arrive early and explore, shop in the gift shops. After dinner, stay and look around, explore the grounds.
2. Â Dress it Up. Â Part of a character meal is the THEMING! Â I mean, if you are going to dine with the Fab Five, why not show your love for them? Â Or, dining at Akerhaus with the princesses? Â A tiara, magic wand, and a princess dress are a must! Â Visit the Disney store, or make your own, character shirts for everyone in your family if you’re dining at Chef Mickey’s. Â Make sure your little princess is in her finest-either with a dress from the Disney store, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, or a t-shirt you make on your own. Â There are so many awesome possibilities!
3. Â Eat at the castle one time…just to eat in Cinderella’s Castle! After that, definitely eat with the princesses at Akershaus! It’s only 1 table credit each and the princesses there are AWESOME!!!!! Â Many times Cinderella’s Royal Table fills up fast, or maybe you aren’t planning on visiting EPCOT during your trip. Â Keep in mind that dinner at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian is an excellent choice to see Cinderella at dinner.
4. Â Make your preferences/needs known. Â Disney is very accommodating, so don’t be afraid to ask, if you do have special dietary needs call ahead; and at QS just talk to the CM, if you do TS the chef comes out to discuss your needs, which is often fun to meet the chef!
5. Â Timing is everything. Â If you schedule a meal at Crystal Palace before the Magic Kingdom even opens, you’ll get some priceless photos on Main Street USA when it’s NOT crowded. Â Or, if you choose a time when breakfast is beginning to overlap with lunch, your character interaction can be fabulous. Â When dining somewhere like California Grill, you could get an early dinner reservation, then watch Wishes from another MK resort. Â This would allow you to experience two resorts, and the fabulous fireworks!
Thanks so much to all the Facebook fans who gave input for this post! Â I greatly appreciated it! Â I’m blessed with such amazing readers!
What tips can you offer? Â I’d love to know! Â Disney Dining is always a learning experience!
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This is useful information! I did not think about theming for a character meal. We always feel rushed at character meals. That is not because we are in a hurry but because the characters seem to be.
Oh really? I have not had that experience, thankfully. I think that the characters just need to keep moving, but we have had them linger at our table sometimes, or come back again.