food IS a theme park
We have some VERY good news for our friends across the pond! The 2017 Walt Disney World Free Dining Offer is now available for United Kingdom Residents! When you book a selected Walt Disney World holiday, you’ll receive free dining for your family!!
We also have some interesting potential changes to the 2017 Disney Dining Plan — read on to find out!
Doesn’t Mom deserve a little spoiling this Mother’s Day? Maybe it’s time for a Disney Day!
You, Mom, and Disney. What Could Be Better?
Personally, I think she’d be happy to spend a little time with YOU — and throwing in a Mickey Ice Cream Bar wouldn’t hurt. 😉 But if you’re looking for something just a little more special, check out these options! [Read more…]
We are big fans of Epcot around here, just like you are. It may not be the original Disney World Park, but it holds a charm that few other spots in the Disney universe can. After all, walking around there feels like you’ve stepped into the dreams of Walt Disney himself. It didn’t start life as the Experimental Prototype City Of Tomorrow for nothing!
Epcot!!!
The park has evolved a bit through the years, but we’re still enchanted by its dual personalities: Future World, celebrating technology and the promise of what’s to come; and World Showcase, which encourages visitors to embrace cultures from around the globe in order to learn from them. [Read more…]
So, what’s #OnTheList this week? Why, it’s a breakfast item that is worth waking up early for every single time…
… because nothing says “Good morning!” quite like a plate full of MICKEY WAFFLES!!
Today, we head to the west coast for a guest review of Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel. Let’s take a tour — courtesy of guest author, Liz Jostes.
For our family’s first trip to Disneyland, I booked breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen. Since we were staying at the Disneyland Hotel and our flight home wasn’t until the afternoon, it was a perfect and convenient stop on our final morning on property.
Goofy’s Kitchen is located next to the pool area in the Disneyland Hotel, and a short, easy walk from the Downtown Disney District (for those not staying at the Disneyland Hotel).
As you walk through the doors of Goofy’s Kitchen, you enter into a lobby and wait for your turn to check-in and pay for your meal (gratuity is automatically included). Then you are welcome to meet Goofy while waiting for your table. [Read more…]
There’s a lot to love about Epcot during just about every season. With the Epcot Food and Wine Festival in the Fall, and Holidays Around the World celebrating Winter holidays, this has truly become a festival Park!
But Spring in the park is especially beautiful as the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival gets going. (I know. It doesn’t feel like Spring everywhere. But trust me. It does in Florida.)
The Flower and Garden Festival, which runs through May 30, opened last week, and we were there for the very first day! After an afternoon of Eating and Drinking Around the World, we came away with pictures of all of the dishes — and more than a few new favorites! Today, we’d like to share with you our Best of the Fest — our top picks from the new dishes that you can enjoy when you visit this year’s Festival.
debuted at the 2016 Flower and Garden Festival, and it brings with it the fresh flavors of the Caribbean. Everything that we tasted here was a winner!
La Isla Fresca Dishes
But we especially liked the option to choose between Jerked Grouper or Chicken (although we went for both! :-D) But seriously — not everyone is a fish lover, and not all folks eat chicken. So having a dish where you can decide, but still enjoy the flavors, is a great idea! [Read more…]
Are you in the midst of planning your next Walt Disney World vacation? Then you’ll want to know that Disney has increased the price of the Disney Dining Plans for the Quick Service, Standard, and Deluxe Dining Plans as of March 9, 2016.
$44.13 per night ages 10 and up
$19.04 per night ages 3 to 9
(Increase from earlier 2016 pricing of $42.84 and $17.47)
Standard Dining Plan
$63.70 per night ages 10 and up
$22.85 per night ages 3 to 9
(Increase from earlier 2016 pricing of $61.84 and $20.96)
Deluxe Dining Plan
$115.08 per night ages 10 and up
$35.49 per night ages 3 to 9
(Increase from earlier 2016 pricing of $111.57 and $32.56)
This pricing was obtained through booking online reservations on DisneyWorld.com.
We’ve got TONS of Disney World Dining Tips — including a full chapter and price break-down and comparison on whether the Disney Dining Plan will save YOU money — in our big, bold 2016 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining!
With more than 530 pages, The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs, how to save dough on your Disney dining, and more!
With sample dining itineraries, plus multiple bonus features and reusable worksheets, you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to get your copy of The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining E-book — and use code HAPPYPLACE for an extra $4 discount for a limited time!
What are your thoughts on the latest pricing information for the Disney Dining Plan? Please chime in with a comment.
Are you ready for some Club Villain Thrills?! DFB welcomes guest author AM Appleby with a review of Club Villain at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Let’s take a look at this Walt Disney World event that has now been extended with dates into March 2016!
What is our fascination with villains? Do they perceive themselves as villainous or simply misunderstood? Whatever your reasons, the four villainous characters at this Club Villain in Disney’s Hollywood Studios are well worth your time!
Club Villain Marquis
Club Villain
As soon as they became available last fall, I purchased tickets to the newest Disney villain bash, Club Villain. My seven-year-old daughter and I enjoyed the last villains party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Villains Unleashed, in August 2014, but Club Villain was a complete departure (it is still a hard ticket event at $129 per person, tax and gratuity included).
The wait time to meet Maleficent at Villains Unleashed was four hours at the start of the party. Needless to say, we didn’t wait for her that evening. I honestly knew nothing about Club Villain when I purchased, I was just excited for another villains event!
Club Villain takes place in Sunset Showcase, located just behind Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. The venue was indoors, which was lovely on the rainy evening we attended, and included a full buffet dinner and two bars serving wine, beer, and a signature cocktail specially created for each villain. Host Dr. Facilier, and his club manager Kanzo, kept everyone entertained. Music throughout the evening was provided by DJ Thibodeaux, creating a loud and festive Mardi Gras atmosphere. The food was inspired by traditional New Orleans cuisine, and I will tell you now — it was delicious!
Stage
DJ Thibodeaux Booth
Dr. Facilier
The check-in podium was located in the front of the building. We arrived 20 minutes prior to our 7:45PM reservation time (there was one seating time the evening we attended), and we were given our invitation, which included our table number and scheduled times to meet the characters: Cruella de Vil, The Evil Queen, Maleficent, and the Queen of Hearts.
Invitation with Table Number and Meet the Villains times
All of the guests were welcomed into the building promptly at 7:30PM, where the DJ was already spinning tunes. The food was [Read more…]
For many of us, there’s nothing better than planning a trip to Disney. I mean, sure…attractions and cool resorts and stuff. But best of all is the FOOD!
What happens if you have a super uber picky kiddo (or other member of your party) among your ranks though? It can really rock your trip. But it doesn’t have to!
And that’s why I dedicate a lot of attention to making plans with picky eaters in the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining. This is a great time to pick up your copy of this handy guide because it’s just been completely updated for your 2019 travel plans!!
Today, I want to share some of the tips that I’ve scattered through the book on how to deal with the pickiest eaters when you’re in Disney World. Need some help with this subject? Read on! [Read more…]
We previously shared with you our picks for the Best Disney Dining Plan Value in Disney Signature Dining. Today, we continue our series exploring which Disney Restaurants offer the best value for your Disney Dining Plan credits!
One of the biggest questions that we get here at DFB is whether or not the Disney Dining Plan is a good deal. To begin answering the question, we armed ourselves with calculators and menus and ran the numbers to see which spots had the most expensive average entrees.
But it’s more than that, isn’t it? I mean, no matter how much the average check runs, if the food or the atmosphere doesn’t appeal to you and yours, it won’t be a good value, no matter how you slice it.
With the calculations in mind, we were curious to determine which One-Credit Disney Table Service Restaurants offered the best deal or value price-wise — but also could be recommended by the experts here at DFB for atmosphere and food quality. All of the restaurants that we considered are One-Credit spots, meaning they’ll require just one credit to dine with the Disney Dining Plan.
Here are our picks for the restaurants that give you the best overall bang for your Disney Dining Plan buck when it comes to single credit table service spots.
When we set out to determine which one-credit restaurants offered you the most in terms of sheer cost, one trend emerged immediately: you can’t go wrong by spending your credit on a Character Meal.
We Can’t Resist Eating with this Guy!
And with only one exception (Cinderella’s Royal Table), all Disney World character meals require only one DDP table service credit.
And while character meals are not one size fits all — you should definitely check out our tips before booking one — they’re for sure an experience everyone can enjoy with a little planning.
As for our favorite, this year we are really enjoying character meals that are served family-style like ‘Ohana’s breakfast. These include Garden Grill at Epcot, which you can now book for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
Chip n’ Dale Visit with You During Meals at Epcot’s Garden Grill
Or enjoy the Princesses at Akershus. You can still enjoy the koldtbord selections and all you care to eat, but meals come plated.
Princess Cinderella at Akershus in Epcot’s Norway
But my favorite remains the Best Friends Character Breakfast at ‘Ohana. For a combination of cute characters (Mickey in a Hawaiian Shirt, and Lilo is awesome!) and delicious food, it just can’t be beat.
Mickey Waffles!
And while buffets are great for a bounty of offerings, sometimes it’s nice to sit back and let the food come to you — especially if there’s a baby or toddler along for the ride.
Hot on the heels of character meals though, you should probably also consider other buffets or all you care to enjoy service formats if you’re truly interested in “getting your money’s worth”.
Boma Buffet
Boma at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge doesn’t offer characters — but I don’t see that as a bad thing. The food here is interesting and delicious. Don’t miss the Soups or the Carving Stations at Dinner! (Here’s the recipe for that killer Coconut Curry Chicken Stew!) Breakfast offers some great pastries and more.
Breakfast Pastries from one of our favorite buffets — Boma in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge!
Then of course, there’s the Zebra Domes. 🙂
Zebra Dome Yum
The restaurant serves breakfast and dinner, and we’ve enjoyed both. And because Boma doesn’t feature characters, I find the ambiance to be a little more relaxing as a result.
But don’t forget spots that offer all you care to enjoy, but do the heavy lifting for you. If you wish that everyday was Thanksgiving Day (but without the clean up!), then make your advance dining reservation for Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom. Besides getting a hearty helping of history, you’ll also see endless platters of Turkey with all the trimmings.
The Full Dinner Spread at Liberty Tree Tavern!
And that is truly something to be thankful for.
But if you’re looking to spend those credits wisely, then don’t leave Magic Kingdom just yet. Because any Disney Food Bucket Lister will tell ya — you’ve gotta book dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant at least once.
Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom
For starters, this spot is truly magical. If you’ve ever wanted to tumble through a movie screen and join in the action, this is your chance to do it, as Beast’s Castle has been reproduced in painstaking detail.
The Enchanted Rose in the West Wing
But then, there are some pretty great reasons to eat here as well. Of course, the menu is French-inspired. We’ve tried pretty much everything, and give high marks to the Potato Leek Soup, the Pork Chop, and of course, the Grilled Strip Steak!
Grilled Strip Steak
And if you enjoy a glass of wine or a beer with dinner, take advantage of ordering one here — the only spot in Magic Kingdom where you can enjoy this indulgence.
Chimay Blue at Be Our Guest Restaurant
Choosing Dessert may be tough. We enjoyed most of the options, but the Master’s “Grey Stuff” dessert will be the most high-profile.
What’s that? You’d like to go to the REAL France?
Well, I can’t deliver that to you at Disney, but I can get you pretty close to the real deal. If you travel over the Epcot, that is. When you get there, head to World Showcase for some of the best spots to spend those table service credits.
Beautiful Les Chefs de France in Epcot’s France Pavilion
While many of the restaurants in this international village boast steep pricetags, we love some better than others. And in terms of beautiful atmosphere and consistently delicious food, Les Chefs de France gets a gold star from me.
I know, I know. Epcot international dining can be less than authentic. But all of the restaurants in the France Pavilion are owned by the Bocuse Group, and I’ve enjoyed lots of fare that reminded me of my time traveling as a student through France and Switzerland.
A la flamme Alsacienne
Service can be slow and reserved. But the restaurant offers a beautiful setting.
But as I mentioned, you aren’t limited merely to France in Epcot. There’s a whole world out there, of course. When it comes to fun and value, consider Teppan Edo.
Teppan Edo in Epcot’s Japan Pavilion
This Japanese Habachi-style experience is as much food theatre as it is eating. The chefs here are wonderful at all of the tricks that you might expect to see in a Japanese steakhouse. We especially like the fire-based ones. 🙂
And the food is bountiful. While I’m partial to ordering the Steak, I also love the combos here. Steak and Chicken or Steak and Shrimp give you the opportunity to enjoy different textures and flavors.
Steak and Chicken at Teppan Edo
And with bountiful sides, I guarantee you won’t leave the table hungry.
And there you have it! With so many varied experiences, flavors, and settings, it’s hard to go wrong with Disney Dining. But you won’t go wrong if you decide to try a few of our favorite one-credit options!
We’ve got TONS of Disney World Dining Tips — including LOTS of restaurant suggestions for your every need — in our big, bold 2016 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining!
With more than 530 pages, The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 20+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs!
With sample dining itineraries, plus our “Disney Dining at a Glance” section, featuring “Where Can I Find?” options, you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to get your copy of The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining E-book — and use code HAPPYPLACE for an extra $4 discount for a limited time!
Now, I’d love to hear from all of you guys! What are your best picks for value when it comes to DDP one credit table service spots? Leave a comment with your favorites!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
