Hi Sara,
Welcome to planDisney! And a very happy birthday to you a few days early. There's no place better, in my opinion, to mark a birthday, anniversary or other special event than Walt Disney World.
My family has celebrated a lot of holidays and milestones with Disney meals over the years, so I'm happy to give you a list of ideas for your birthday dinner. Because your birthday is less than two weeks away, you may find that some of the most obvious choices with fireworks views, like California Grill or Narcoossee's, are unavailable. (Though it's always good to keep checking in case of cancellations.)
But there are plenty of fabulous spots that should fit the bill for you and your partner.
For rooftop dining with a view, I recommend
Toledo -- Tapas, Steak & Seafood atop the Gran Destino Tower at the Coronado Springs Resort or
Topolino's Terrace at the Riviera Resort.
We often start a visit to Toledo with a drink in the Barcelona Lounge on the ground floor, then go upstairs for dinner. We've enjoyed everything we've eaten there, especially the Chef's Signature Dinner for Two. If we have skipped dessert, we will pop into the adjacent Dahlia Lounge for warm churros with chocolate sauce.
We haven't eaten dinner at Topolino's, only had snacks and drinks in the lounge. But we have heard from friends that the food there is special. I think I would have trouble choosing among the appetizing-sounding entrees.
Both Toledo and Topolino's have warm, cozy atmospheres and terraces where you can see fireworks.
At Disney Springs,
Jaleo is one of my family's favorites for special occasion dinners. We eat here every Christmas Eve and always choose the tasting menu so that we have no decisions to make. We sit back, sip a glass of wine and wait for yummy bite after yummy bite to appear in front of us.
Dinner on the porch at
The Boathouse or at
Wine Bar George, especially on the balcony, can also be a delicious, romantic option at Disney Springs.
Over in the Epcot resort area, I recommend
Flying Fish at BoardWalk or
Amare in the Swan Reserve. I'm still thinking about the scrumptious red snapper I had on my last Flying Fish visit. And, though we've only visited once, we loved the Mediterranean flavors and the bright atmosphere of
Amare.
Or consider
Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Like you, the restaurant is celebrating 25 years right now. Every meal we've eaten here over the last quarter century has been memorable, whether we had steak, seafood or the vegetarian specialties.
I hope these suggestions, most of which my family has visited multiple times, give you some good ideas for your birthday dinner, Sara. Once you've made your choice, I'd recommend that you make a
dining reservation as soon as possible to secure your spot.
And make sure you pick up a birthday button at your resort front desk or a Guest Relations location. You never know when your celebration might inspire a sprinkling of pixie dust for your day!
Happy celebrating!
Wilma