Hi Joao Pedro,
Welcome to planDisney! I'm so happy you dropped by with your question about planning Christmas dining with your family at Walt Disney World.
First, let me assure you that all of the Walt Disney World theme parks, resorts and the restaurants and stores at
Disney Springs are open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In fact, those are some of the busiest days of the year. So you will be able to find a restaurant to meet whatever style of dining or level of dressiness that you desire.
My family has been spending
Christmas at Walt Disney World since 2019. Our tradition is to have our big, fancy meal on Christmas Eve at
Jaleo at Disney Springs. We usually alternate between having a big brunch on Christmas Day followed by a light dinner or a big dinner that evening.
For lunch/brunch on Christmas Day, we favor
The Boathouse at Disney Springs or the
Grand Floridian Cafe in the Grand Floridian. If we have a big midday meal on Christmas Day, we usually will have a lighter dinner such as the bar menu at
Steakhouse 71 Lounge in the Contemporary,
Bar Riva at the Riviera Resort,
Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar at Disney Springs or
Three Bridges Bar & Grill at the Coronado Springs resort. (None of the lounges take reservations, so it is first come, first served.)
For a more formal Christmas dinner, we've eaten at
Jiku at Animal Kingdom Lodge,
Morimoto Asia and
Toledo -- Tapas, Steak & Seafood.
Most of the restaurants will feature special holiday drinks, appetizers or entrees in addition to the regular menu. And all table service restaurants accept
reservations 60 days in advance.
So you have some time to
browse the long list of Walt Disney World restaurants to find the one or two that sound perfect for your family's tastes for your holiday meal.
One thing to note: If a restaurant is inside one of the four theme parks, you must have valid tickets for admission to access the restaurant. We are long-time annual passholders whose passes are blocked out during that week. So we limit our Christmas dining to resorts and Disney Springs.
I hope that's helpful, Joao Pedro. If you look through the list and have more questions about specific restaurants, please feel free to check back with us. We're always happy to share our thoughts and recommendations, based on our experiences as long-time Disney guests.
Happy planning,
Wilma