Eating at Disney World

How horrible is it that I have not taken part in my own meme for the past two weeks?!  I’m going to combine the last 2 weeks’ topics into one answer post, since they are both related to Food & Drink.

• What are ways you have found to cut the cost of staying fed and hydrated?  One of the things that I love about Disney is that they allow you to bring in your own food and drinks.  Most parks don’t allow for that, so I find it a big plus with Disney!  Because of that, we always bring in our own snacks and drinks.  Frozen water bottles and frozen juice pouches thaw out and make great thirst refreshers throughout the day.
• Where are your favorite places to eat when on a Disney Vacation? We were very impressed with the character breakfast at Akershus in Norway (in World Showcase in EPCOT) – delicious food.  We’d definitely consider a repeat at that restaurant.  We also enjoyed the food at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian (where we dined with Cinderella and friends).  Anywhere that they are serving their Disney-grown strawberries is a hit with me! We also LOVE both Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex Cafe in the Downtown Disney Marketplace.
• Are there some restaurants you would like to try? Sure!  I totally wish money were no option because I would love to sometime try dining at a restaurant in each country in World Showcase – I think that would be great fun.  I would very much like to try the new restaurant in the Italy pavilion.
• Have you ever experienced "Character Dining"?  (Disney offers various character dining options throughout their parks and resorts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  You can find more information about character dining options here.)  Yes, and I touched on that a bit in my first answer, above. We absolutely LOVE character dining.  I resisted it for many years, thinking it would be a waste of money since you can see the characters throughout the parks.  However, since experiencing character dining, we’ve seen that the attention you get from the characters during the dining experiences is top notch!  We wouldn’t do a Disney trip without planning at least one character meal now.  As a matter of fact, Brian (yes, Brian) even recommended doing one per day next time!
• Which restaurant has the best Kids Menu? Most of the in-Disney places that we eat have about the same menu (because we often go for the quick-service options).  However, the Kids menus at Rainforest and T-Rex are nice (though somewhat pricey). 
• What has been your favorite dining experience while on a Disney Vacation? Our first character meal – the Pooh lunch at Crystal Palace on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom – made a big impression on all of us.  Eating at the Grand Floridian on our last trip was also a lot of fun!  And, we also enjoyed dining with friends at Mama Melrose’s – their flatbread pizzas are yummy!
• Why is it important to make reservations if eating on property? If you want to get into the restaurant of your choice, then reservations are a must, especially if you’re traveling during busier times.  When I’m vacationing at Disney, I tend to want to get the most out of my time – waiting for a table in a restaurant doesn’t work well with that goal.
• Share some "out of the box" ideas for feeding your family, other than making reservations or eating at a Quick-Service.  Pack food – we often carry in snacks for a quick pick-me-up throughout the day and then eat meals off-site later in the day.