Your Disney vacation budget is never as big as you’d like. You must spend money on travel, tickets, accommodations, and souvenirs. These needs shrink your food budget, and you might wince when the bill comes for your latest meal. Sometimes, you deserve to live a little, though. And a handful of Disney restaurants justify the hefty cost. Here are seven Disney restaurants that are worth every penny.
Be Our Guest
Image: DisneyThe hottest meal at Walt Disney World has claimed that title since its opening in 2012. Even today, odds are good that the restaurant will be sold out months in advance of your arrival. You’ll need Advanced Dining Reservations to dine here, and Disney’s even altered the rules recently to charge more.
Dinner at Be Our Guest is a prix fixe meal featuring authentic French cuisine. This three-course meal starts with delicious appetizers like artisanal meats and cheeses or escargot, and it ends with a tray of desserts including the legendary Grey Stuff. You’ll lick your fingers after you’re done, as it’s one of the finest meals on the Disney campus.
The ambience at Be Our Guest is impeccable, too. You’ll enter a castle and sit in one of the three marvelously designed dining areas. Belle’s Library, Beast’s Study, and The Grand Ballroom are the options, and I’m fondest of the last one. Disney’s done a special effect that creates the perception of snow, a lovely disconnect during a 100-degree day in Florida. Even at a higher price, Be Our Guest remains one of the best places you can eat during your vacation.
The BOATHOUSE
Image: DisneyDisney Springs is home to many Signature Dining experiences and a few other eateries whose prices may give you sticker shock. I actually recommend several of them, depending on the composition of your party and your travel style. But one towers above the rest.
At The BOATHOUSE, you’ll dine by the water, and the nautical theme is unmistakable. A sailboat is even one of the possible seating areas here. While you’re here, you can ride one of the Amphicars, a combination of boat and car that is available for an admittedly stiff fee ($125 at time of publication). It’s a lovely trip, but you’ll want to eat here even if you could care less about Amphicars.
The food is the gold standard at Disney Springs. I also believe that the prices are more reasonable than the restaurant’s reputation would suggest. It famously opened with a steak that cost $115, and opinions locked at the time. Since then, I’ve eaten here a couple of times for less than $60 for a party of two, which is pretty good for Disney. Then again, I’ve also had meals in large parties where the tickets averaged $55 a person or more. A lot depends on what you order here, but the seafood and steaks available are fabulous.
The BOATHOUSE is my go-to nice meal at Disney Springs.
California Grill
Image: DisneySince the earliest days of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the restaurant on the top floor has been associated with Disney’s high life. It was once a dinner show where semi-washed up celebrities would perform, an honor that has since transitioned over to Epcot’s festival concerts.
In the modern era of Disney, California Grill is where people go when they want to tower above other vacationers. From the top of the resort, guests dine on some of the finest cuisine in the wide world of Disney. The Pork Tenderloin dish here is one of the most recognizable entrees to the point that I’ve purchased an official cookbook to get the recipe. And the wine selection here is spectacular.
At California Grill, you’ll pay a lot for dinner, but you’ll spend the most on brunch. It’s the price you pay for bottomless mimosas and endless Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes. The brunch here is legitimately the best at Disney and the priciest, too.
Of course, the strongest selling point at the restaurant is something that’s only valid for a brief period each night. California Grill’s deck features a direct line of sight to the fireworks presentation at Magic Kingdom. You’ll see Happily Ever After from eye level with the fireworks in the sky, an otherwise impossible opportunity. You simply have to watch the show this way at least once in your life.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Image: DisneyI’m going to let you in on a secret here. I’m not that crazy about the food at Cinderella’s Royal Table. Were I the king of this castle, I’d yell, “Off with their head!” at the person/victim that designed the entrees on the menu. I always struggle to find something to eat here, at least during the main course. The small plates and desserts are decadent enough to wave away this minor irritation, and I have a childlike palate anyway.
Why am I recommending such an expensive meal when I don’t love the entrees? Cinderella’s Royal Table provides not one but two inimitable opportunities for theme park tourists. You get to sit inside Cinderella Castle and feel like royalty while you dine. And you get to meet a slew of official Disney Princesses, one of whom will pose with you before you ever sit down for dinner. The rest will come to your table and entertain you while you eat.
A meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table is a bucket list item for any self-respecting theme park tourist.
The Hollywood Brown Derby
Image: DisneyIn the earliest days of Hollywood’s Golden Age, the derby hat signified wealth and prosperity. One enterprising restauranteur designed an entire eatery in the shape of a derby hat. Despite the cheesy nature of the shape, this establishment became the go-to place for studio bosses to do lunch.
The Brown Derby opened in 1926, but it had fallen out of favor by the 1980s. Disney chose to reinvigorate the brand by introducing their own version, the Hollywood Brown Derby, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This place is so authentic that there’s even a version of the original Cobb salad on the menu. Why is this important? The original Brown Derby invented the Cobb salad!
The cuisine here is decidedly upscale, even by Signature Dining standards. I wouldn’t settle for an ordinary meal, though. At The Hollywood Brown Derby, you may Dine with an Imagineer three times a week. These experiences cost a bit more, but the experience totally justifies the cost. You can learn many insider stories about the inner workings of Disney while devouring a four-course meal. It’s a spectacular opportunity that’s only available at this restaurant.
Spirit of Aloha
Image: DisneyImagine if you could have the food from ‘Ohana, the bread from Kona Café, and all the beer that you can drink. No, I’m not describing Heaven, but I also can’t rule out the possibility that an eternal paradise would include such offerings.
Yes, the cuisine at Spirit of Aloha is from the same kitchen that prepares meals for other restaurants at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Pork, chicken, ribs, and veggies are All You Care to Enjoy here, meaning that when your skillet is empty, you just ask for more.
The same is true of the alcoholic beverages. A limitless supply is part of the meal price, as is the tip. So, the price that you pay (in advance) is what your meal will cost, which helps. Plan to eat and drink as much as possible to maximize your investment since Spirit of Aloha isn’t cheap.
While I mark out over the food here, it’s not even the best part. A terrific show takes place in front of you while you eat. The first half of it is like a cornball Hallmark movie, one where everyone but a man and woman know that they’re inevitably going to become a couple. But the second half has fire-dancing and hula skills that will blow your mind. It’s astonishingly good.
Storybook Dining at Artist Point
Image: DisneyThe newest dinner on this list is a character meal starring Disney’s first Princess. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs triggered the world’s obsession with Disney animated movies, and she finally stars in a meal of her own, too.
Hosted at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Artist Point was already a Signature Dining experience featuring tasty cuisine. For whatever reason, however, foot traffic to the restaurant has slowed in recent years. Park officials saw an opportunity to reinvigorate Artist Point without altering its theme. They came up with Storybook Dining as the way to remind guests of the greatness of Artist Point.
The results are splendid. Diners get to interact with Snow White and two of her Dwarfs, Dopey and Grumpy. The Evil Queen also attends, although you should decline if she tries to offer you any food. Speaking of the cuisine, Storybook Dining is a prix fixe meal with magical concoctions. Some of the items smoke and glow, adding a bit of mystery and excitement to the affair. Fans of Disney’s first Princess owe it to themselves to dine here.
