Disneyworld dining tips

These tips will not necessarily save you money but lots of time and will be really fun for everyone in the family. Disneyworld dining is a real treat for people who live on a strict budget the whole year and really go all out on vacation. There are so many options and a wide range of costs anyone can find a great place to eat!

1. Always make advanced dining reservations through Disney before your trip for any place you might a nice sit down (Disney refers to it as table service) meal. The high demand places such as character dining and Le cellier for example fill up quickly. You can now make reservations 180 days in advance of your check in day. You will need to call at that 180 day mark to get the really hard places. The best advice I have for this is call and make the reservations at the end of your trip for the castle so it is like getting 180+ to get those reservations.

2. If you want a little less stress we always choose the Disney dining plan not because we save substantial money but the food in essence is pre-paid. This is so much less stressful because if the kids don't eat well it feels less overwhelming. Plus it frees us up to select meals we probably would never choose under the out of pocket option. Disney dining plan has pros and cons but for us it is simpler and we do save a little money but less stress in crucial to having a good Disneyworld vacation.

3. If you have kids do at least a couple of character meals in your Disneyworld dining experience. This is a table service meal where the characters (which you will know ahead of time) come to your table for pictures and autographs while you eat. We try to do the princess characters (Norway in Epcot or Cinderella's castle) because to see those characters in the park are very long lines so it saves time and it's fun for kids. We also usually do a character meal with Mickey, Minnie, and others also because of time savings and everyone has a blast. These meals are not cheap if you pay out of pocket but they are crucial to maximize your time especially if it your first visit.

4 Most places have a decent kids menu but do not be afraid to ask for something not on the menu. No grilled cheese on the Disney dining option then ask your server and Disney will do its best to accommodate you, we do this all the time! Most counter service (fast food) offer a modified kids meal for $5-6 so the price is pretty reasonable. All meals come with two sides such as applesauce, grapes, or carrot sticks but in tiny print on the menu you can substitute for fries and a cookie so read carefully. You can also substitute soda for milk or juice is you like just tell the Disney employee.

5. My last tip seems so ridiculous but it has two parts so read carefully. When you go to order at a counter service meal there will be 5-10 registers to order from and you can go on either side of the counter. The employee will rotate from one side to the other which make the line go faster. Always go to the far left register on the left side and your line will move faster 90% of the time. Part two is while you are standing in line decide what every member in your party is going to eat before you get to the register. If you stand in line for 10-15 minutes you should never have to get to the register and turn to your kids and go What do you want to eat? This is not only wasting your time but everyone else waiting to order. This is extremely annoying to those waiting and guess what chances are they paid close to the same to get there as you so please be courteous to others.


Disneyworld dining is fun but definitely not cheap. It typically requires alot of research to determine how to maximize our Disney dining experience. Always try to choose places that the whole family will enjoy and hopefully like the food. If you are picky eaters why would you try to eat at a Moroccan restaurant. Use common sense and go out of your box on vacvation but not so far out you are intimidated. Have fun with you Disneyworld dining!