Our Favorite Disney Dining Experiences

This week, for Destination Disney, we’re sharing our 6 Favorite Restaurants at Disney.  Truly, this one is a hard one to narrow down to just six!  We love dining at Disney.  Each place is unique and fun!  But, without putting a lot of thought into it, here are some of the restaurants that my family would definitely say, “Let’s add that to our list for next time too!” 

1. ‘Ohana – in the Polynesian Resort
We had heard SO MUCH about this place over the years that we decided to add it to our list of ADR’s for our last trip.  It just worked out to be our last evening on property; and we were so glad it happened that way.  The experience at ‘Ohana was so wonderful that Brian even said “Next time, let’s do this one on the FIRST AND LAST night of our trip!”  (He’s not going along next time, but we do have it scheduled for one visit.)  Not sure why, but I absolutely went crazy over the noodles(and the fire-grilled meat was pretty yummy too!)

2. Akershus – in the Norway Pavilion of Epcot’s World Showcase
We have done breakfast at Akershus a few times now.  I’m pretty sure we’d all eat there for the breakfast platter alone (that potato casserole is way yummy!); but the pastries, fresh fruit, and interaction with the princesses are all top-notch too.  This is a meal that I always recommend to friends – especially those with little girls who want to dine with the princesses.  Compared to dining at Cinderella’s Castle, this experience only takes ONE table-service dining credit – and the photo package is INCLUDED.

3. Tusker House – in Africa at the Animal Kingdom
We added a breakfast at Tusker House to our dining schedule on our last trip and we were all just thrilled that we did!  With the exception of Brian, none of us are big breakfast people at home; so the fact that breakfasts are making #2 and #3 on our favorite restaurants list is really something.  This is a HUGE  breakfast buffet with “themed stations” – one for breads, one for cereals, one for meats, etc.  While Ian was content with your basic bowl of fruit loops, the rest of us tried some new, interesting, and very delicious things.  And the juice . . . well, there really are no adequate words to describe that juice.  Let’s just say we’re heading back for more in September (because it would be wrong not to).

4.1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian
This has also become a “must do again” dining experience.  If it were up to me, I’d go back for the strawberry soup alone.  Gracie enjoys the traditional foods like chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn.  Last time, there was a delicious cheesy pasta dish.  The meat-carving station has two-kinds of meats (beef and pork) – last time, the guy carving the meat was very interactive and fun (he loved our t-shirts)!  But, the best thing about this restaurant is the interaction with the characters.  Sure, you can meet Cinderella in the parks – but the stepsisters and stepmother are a bit more elusive.  And they are SO fun! 

5. Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness Campground
Can I count this as a restaurant even though it’s also a dinner show?  I hope so! This was another experience that came highly recommended to us.  We tried it on our first night of our last trip; and I think it just might become a first-night experience.  The show is interactive and fun and a wonderful way to kick off a trip at Walt Disney World.  The service is hilarious and the food is delicious and very well-presented.  I can’t think of any complaints that we had about this restaurant/experience.  I’d go back again for the friend chicken and salad alone (the dressing is delicious!) 

6. Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney
Yes, #6 on our list is a quick-service restaurant.  It’s also the only restaurant that we ate at TWICE on our last trip.  We arrived in the area too early to check in at our resort, so a visit to Downtown Disney (and some lunch) were in order.  We decided to try something new and the menu at Earl of Sandwich sounded varied enough that we could all find something we would like.  No dining plan yet, so we paid out of pocket for this first experience.  That first day, I tried the cheese soup (YUM!)  I was super-impressed with the kids’ meal offerings, though.  Gracie tried the pizza sandwich which she just loved; and Ian went for peanut butter & jelly.  Both were on round bread/rolls and were toasted!  They were delicious!  We loved it so much that we went back again later in the week, using a quick-service dining credit the 2nd time around.  Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures.

What are your favorite restaurants at Disney?  If you have a blog, post about them and then link up here. If not, just leave me a comment below.