Hi Matthew,
I'm so glad you joined us here at the Disney Parks Moms Panel! Thanks for submitting your question.
There are plenty of restaurants at the Walt Disney World Resort that you can enjoy outside of the theme parks. You can dine in restaurants in both the resort hotels and in Disney Springs without having to purchase a ticket (in fact, I'd wager that some of the best restaurants are outside of the theme parks). And since you're here, I'm going to go ahead and tell you about a few of my favorites.
Favorite restaurants with kids:
1900 Park Fare located in
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa and
'Ohana, located in
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. Honestly, my favorite meal of the day is breakfast and I absolutely love these restaurants to enjoy my favorite meal. These are both incredible character experiences; the former has Mary Poppins and a few of her friends as well as a delicious buffet. The latter includes Lilo and Stitch and an unlimited meal served family style at your table.
For a romantic dinner for two, my favorite is the
California Grill located atop
Disney's Contemporary Resort. The view is stunning, the food is sublime and if your reservation is a bit later in the evening, you may be able to see the fireworks from Magic Kingdom Park from the rooftop.
Bon appetit!
Best Wishes,
Amy S.