Hi Jessica,
Welcome to planDisney and thank you for your question!
Jessica, from my experience, some of the restaurants with dining reservations might not have a “to-go”/order ahead option, you would need to eat inside the restaurant. For example, somewhere like
Chef Mickey’s might not have a to-go option because the experience is inside, eating and dining with the characters. On the other hand, there are restaurants like
Trattoria al Forno on Disney’s Boardwalk that have reservation options and a “To Go” option within the
My Disney Experience mobile app.
My suggestion would be to go ahead and make the reservation for your favorite restaurant, if you’ve eaten there before, you may know the lay of the land better. Once it’s time to check-in for your reservation mention to the hostess that you’re hoping to order your food and get it in to-go containers for your family. No promises here, but see what happens. If there isn’t an option for your food to be boxed up, maybe ask for a specific seating area that tends to be less crowded, for example in a corner near a window. You could get good views and hopefully enjoy your food in a more secluded area. Also, keep the timing in mind, the restaurant could be a little less crowded at 3:00 p.m. versus 6:00 p.m. for example. I always aim for a late breakfast/lunch or early dinner.
Another suggestion would be to try a new restaurant that may have that “to-go” option already set up in the mobile app or a new restaurant that definitely has an option to eat outside! I mentioned
Trattoria al Forno earlier, prior to last year, I had never eaten there nor ever been on
Disney’s Boardwalk. My husband and I decided to go to the restaurant for the first time just based off of some of the menu offerings, now we go there every time we go to the Walt Disney World Resort. That’s how much we love it! You never know, a new Disney favorite could be out there waiting on you!
I hope this “Bit By Bryanna” is helpful as you begin planning for your next Walt Disney World trip. If you have any other planning or vacation questions in the meantime,
please feel free to reach out, I’m always happy to help!
The Magic Is Calling,
Bryanna