Lara:
If you want to dine at a restaurant in one of the theme parks, you'll have to use a theme park ticket to get into the park. The good news, though, is that many of my most favorite restaurants are actually OUTSIDE of the parks at the resorts. In fact, one of the most delicious, best value meals I've eaten was at Shades of Green's Mangino's. You can strategically choose the restaurants you want to eat at in the theme parks on the days you plan to visit the parks, and enjoy some hidden gems at the resorts which can allow you to also explore that hotel's amenities.
On my most recent visit, we dined for the first time at
Narcoossee's at the Grand Floridian resort. Not only did we get a fabulous meal and view, we enjoyed the fireworks and then toured the lobby and its fun shops before leaving. I highly recommend finding one or two meals at a resort while you're on vacation. Other recommendations:
If you have any additional questions between now and April, feel free to come back and ask us.
Whitney