Ma chère Mademoiselle, it is with deepest pride, and greatest pleasure that we welcome you to planDisney.
When it comes to planning my own Walt Disney World vacations, I get very excited about all the amazing dining options. Like Anton Ego from Ratatouille, I don't just like food, I LOVE it! Madellin, make sure you take advantage of making advance dining reservations. One of the many
benefits to staying on property is the ability to make reservations up to 60 days in advance of your trip plus the length of your stay (up to 10 days).
If you want the best chance of getting a table at the restaurants you set your heart on, here's a tip: Decide beforehand what restaurants you'd like to eat at and when. I'd even encourage you to choose some backup options, just in case. Set your alarm nice and early on the first day you can make your reservations (60 days before your trip). Make sure that your credit card information is accurate and up-to-date on your My Disney Experience account. At 6:00 a.m. start booking your restaurants. Book the final day of your trip first and work backward. This will give you a greater chance of making reservations at some of the more popular restaurants.
The Disney Dining Plan is a fantastic way to have all of your meals paid for ahead of time. One less thing to worry about on vacation has got to be a good thing, right? Unfortunately, at this moment in time, we haven't been told when the Disney Dining Plan will return. A few months ago, the
Disney Parks Blog announced that they do plan on bringing it back. However, they have not put a timeframe on this yet. I know that's not the news you wanted to hear, Madellin.
I do have another suggestion for you: my planDisney friend, Greg, recently gave me a great idea that I'd like to share with you. If you purchase
Disney Gift Cards between now and your vacation, you can bring these with you in order to pay for your meals. This method is not all that different from the Disney Dining Plan in that you're basically paying for your meals ahead of time. You can purchase Disney Gift Cards from many major retail locations. I've even noticed that certain stores sometimes offer deals on them (e.g. $45 for a $50 Disney Gift Card). Not a bad idea, right?
If you're looking for restaurant recommendations, let me offer two. A fantastic quick-service restaurant is
Satu'li Canteen in Disney's Animal Kingdom. The food is really fresh and delicious (as you'd expect in a place like Pandora). If you're looking for something a bit fancier,
California Grill is hard to beat. The service is outstanding, the food is delectable, and the view of Disney Enchantment is spectacular.
I hope that's helpful, Madellin. As Lumière once said, "If you're stressed, it's fine dining we suggest!" Have a magical (and delicious) Disney trip.
ChEARS,
Mike