I have to tell you, one of my favorite hobbies is EATING!! You'd really never know it, I'm very small framed and must have a pretty good metabolism, but I can usually outeat my husband who is literally twice my weight and then some. Disney is a great place for me to enjoy this favorite hobby of mine. One weekend, a couple years back, we decided to head up to Disney just because we had a hankering for O'hana's restaurant at the Polynesian Resort. So we left on a Friday, had dinner on Saturday, and came home on Sunday. Never even did a park, just ate.
There are so many dining options in Disney and I certainly cannot name them all, but I will name my most favorite places, and offer up some advice on the dining plans that Disney offers with vacation packages. So here goes....
There are two main types of dining around Disney. Sit down dining and counter service dining. For on-the-go and in a hurry or in the parks, I recommend counter service. The exception to this is Epcot. You should really try one of the restaurants in the countries for a nice sit down meal. For leisure, atmosphere, and the experience, I recommend sit down dining. Counter service in all of the parks and resorts is really not badly priced for what you get and the food it not bad either. Some of the sit down restaurants can be really quite expensive, but some are worth the money. We usually eat a late breakfast and an early dinner with snacks in between to cut costs. If you go to Downtown Disney, you MUST eat at the Ghiradellis Ice Cream Shop-we always hit that after dinner. Boy is it expensive, but soooooo worth it!! Now...to name a few of our favorite sit down restaurants (I will not name counter services because for the most part, they are all very similar in price and items). Please see my review of parks for park restaurants, I will only be naming the dining on disney property, not so much in the parks.
Ohana's at the Polynesian Resort-Family style buffet served to you on the table. Pork, steak, shrimp, chicken, and sausage are the meats, potatoes, vegetables, wings, dumplings, are also accompanied. The dessert...to die for bread pudding with a banans cream sauce and ice cream. We always do dinner here though there is a breakfast buffet as well. The thing we love about this restaurant is the atmosphere, food, and that it is all you can eat. The atmosphere is like a Hawiian themed with bongo sounding music in the background. Not loud at all, but nice. The price is usually about $35-40 per person and definately worth at least one try. Cocktails are very colorful and unique, and also quite tasty. They run $8-15.
The Whispering Canyon at the Wilderness Lodge Resort-Again, family style buffet served to you on the table. I recommend this restaurant for a big breakfast. We've done both breakfast and dinner, but I prefer the breakfast. Breakfast comes with ham, sausage, bacon, eggs, waffles, biscuits/sawmill gravy, and hash browned potatoes. Again...all you can eat and wonderful atmosphere. Let me give you a heads up...this restaurant is loud and obnoxious. That's the point. The servers all yell at one another and you (they are suppose to be portraying old grumpy mountain people). They don't really yell at you, just to you. They are all very friendly in a gruff sort of way. Whatever you do, do not ask for pepsi products!! They will make a spectacle of it (or have someone with you ask for a pepsi product just to get a spectacle out of it;)! Also, make sure to ask for ketsup for your potatoes, I won't tell you what happens, but it will be fun to find out!! If at all possible, go when its someone's birthday and tell the servers and watch the action. This is one of the funnest restaurants we've ever been to and we always go there with our guests we take to Disney with us. It's always a big hit. Price around $25-30.
Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club Resort-Again...another buffet (are you seeing a pattern?). This time though you actually have to get up out of your seat to go make your own plates. We do dinner here, though there is a breakfast buffet as well. This is seafood themed and well I love it because I love seafood. There is crablegs, fish, shrimp, seafood casseroles, and for land lovers there is roast, ham, chicken, BBQ, etc. The desserts here was really good as well. Lots to choose from. A nice fresh atmoshere and a very friendly staff. Price around $35-40.
Trails End at the Fort Wilderness Resort-Another buffet...get up and get it yourself style. We've only eaten here for dinner, not sure about lunch and breakfast. This is more rustic and filling food with fried chicken, bbq, and other hearty meats, vegetables, and sides. Very filling and tasty. This restaurant is in a little cowboy like village and the atmosphere around it is quite nice. I recommend it, it's very casual-but nice. This is the most reasonably priced buffets on Disney at around $20-25 per person.
ESPN at the Boardwalk Resort-Sorry, not a buffet. My husband LOVES this place as would most sports fans. The atmosphere...fun and sporty. Food is pretty good, but the highlight is the wings and beer. If you love wings, you will love this place. My husband always takes the men in the group with him while visiting, I've only been once and it was okay. A little loud, but hey...its a sports bar. Prices run between $10-20 on average.
Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex at Downtown Disney-Both are owned by the same company and are very similar in concepts. Both have a very nice atmosphere, but food is expensive and just okay. Worth trying with kids and maybe at least once for adults because it is fun. Food runs about $15-40 a plate (and $15 is for a sandwich or burger) and drinks in general are a bit costly, but fun and colorful and do come in soveneir cups.
Those are just a few of our favorites, we've eaten at many others and if you have any specific questions on a particular one, just ask and I'll let you know if we've eaten there or not. Also, all prices were for adult, kids are usually about $10-15 cheaper. If doing sit down restaurants around Disney, I recommend you make reservations well in advance. They now have online reservations, which is wonderful. It's only been up and running for a little over a year now I think. Take advantage of this. I have included this link to the home page, along with a link to allears.com where you can find the menus for all of the restaurants on disney property. Happy eating....until next time, we'll talk about things to do other than the parks on Disney property.
