Hey there, hi there, Lucy! You're as welcome as can be here at planDisney. I'm so glad you've stopped by with such a great planning question.
I can't imagine a better way to celebrate a birthday than with a magical adventure at The Most Magical Place on Earth. And a 70th?! How special and exciting! If you're anything like me, the most important part of a Disney vacation or birthday celebration is the food, so let's get this planning party started!
My first suggestion for a casual yet fabulous birthday dinner
has to be
Steakhouse 71 at Disney's Contemporary Resort. The Resort and restaurant are just one monorail stop or a short walk from Magic Kingdom, and it is absolutely worth the short trip. I celebrated my last birthday dinner here, and it was incredible. The service was second to none, the food and cocktails were absolutely delicious, and the atmosphere was relaxed and casual. My filet mignon, garlic mashed potatoes and creamed spinach were what dreams are made of, but I
must recommend that you try the Bacon and Eggs appetizer. I swear, I think this was one of the best dishes I've ever eaten! After dinner, if Magic Kingdom is still open, you can head back there to take a bus back to your Resort. However, if it's not, I recommend hopping in a
Minnie Van via the Lyft app from the Contemporary to your Resort for a small fee. This is my favorite, convenient and fast way to travel from Resort to Resort. Plus, you arrive right at the front of your Resort in polka dot style!
Since you're staying at
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter (perfect choice!), you can take a scenic, slow-moving boat ride from your Resort to
Disney Springs and back. And while there is a seemingly endless list of
fantastic restaurants in Disney Springs, my recommendation for a casual yet oh-so-scrumptious birthday dinner is definitely
Chef Art Smith's Homecomin'. This place just has too many delicious award-winning favorites to list, but some of my must-haves are the Church Lady Deviled Eggs, Thigh High Chicken Biscuits, Braised Short Ribs, and strawberry moonshine. Do
not leave without trying the traditional Southern Hummingbird Cake ... It's a pineapple-banana cake with cream cheese frosting served with vanilla bean ice cream, and it just melts in your mouth. Mmm. It's the perfect treat to make any birthday celebration sweet!
Speaking of sweet treats, if you choose to have dinner at Steakhouse 71 (or any of the other participating restaurants), I suggest ordering a
Mickey Mouse Celebration Cake! When you're making your dining reservation on the Walt Disney World website or My Disney Experience app, you will be prompted to order either a dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate birthday cake, and then SURPRISE! The cake will be delivered to your table at the end of your meal. I ordered a dark chocolate Mickey cake (complete with ears!) on my daughter's birthday, and it was so adorable and delicious and the sweetest way to make the birthday celebration even more magical and memorable.
I hope this helps, Lucy, and I hope you all have the most amazing time celebrating such a milestone birthday! Please feel free to stop by any time with any questions you may have. You've got a (foodie) friend in me.
See ya real soon,
Mandy