Tips And Tricks For The Best Disney World Eating Experience

Any wizened Disney parkgoer will tell you there's theme park food, and then there's Disney theme park food. Sure, you'll find burgers, hot dogs, and complex carbohydrates galore at Walt Disney World Resort, but the Most Magical Place on Earth is also home to its fair share of culinary gems -- including the world's first Michelin-starred theme park restaurant.

What separates Disney World from your standard dining destination is that it's complicated. Really complicated. Most guests are too busy getting to grips with the likes of Genie+ (Disney's paid skip-the-line service that replaced FastPass in 2021) and the overwhelming task of trying to navigate from Point A to Point B within the 27,520-acre resort to give Disney's sprawling culinary scene the strategic attention it requires.

Fortunately, now you don't have to. As a former Disney World cast member and lifelong visitor of the parks, I've spent years mastering the art of eating well at the resort. From scoring the perfect table to dining on a budget (yes, it's possible), I've compiled my top tips to make your trip as tasty as possible. All prices mentioned here are accurate as of publication and -- like everything at Disney -- are subject to change. Here's everything you need to know before your next vacation.

Read more: Waiters Reveal What Restaurants Get The Best Tips

Don't Be Afraid To Order Off The Kids' Menu

Nobody has ever accused Disney World of doling out small portions. Its adult meals are notoriously large at both quick service and table service restaurants, to the point that Disney itself has previously claimed it will slim down its entrees to cut costs.

This is a blessing sent directly by Mickey Mouse himself if you're diving into dinner with a big appetite. However, if you're not ravenous, you can always order from the kids' menu at quick-service restaurants. While this won't offer the same dishes as its grown-up counterpart, plenty of restaurants -- such as Magic Kingdom's Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café, EPCOT's Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue, and Animal Kingdom's Pizzafari -- feature a select few duplicates on a smaller scale.

As a bonus, kids' meals also come at a fraction of the cost. Empanadas con Queso, for example, cost $14 on EPCOT's La Cantina de San Angel's adult menu (served with rice and beans) but $9.50 on the kids' menu, which also includes a drink and side of fruit, corn chips, and nacho cheese with your smaller portion. It's a joint victory for your taste buds and your wallet.

Eat During Off-Hours To Avoid Crowds

There's a reason why Disney World's portions are so big; the park is huge, exhausting, and takes a lot of calories to navigate. If you tend to fall into the nearest quick service whenever you run low on fuel, odds are you'll be surrounded by hundreds of other hangry parkgoers desperately trying to get their hands on chicken strips and a Sprite at the same time.

To avoid the crowds, try being more strategic with your meal timings. Generally speaking, restaurants are at their least busy first thing in the morning, with Disney declaring 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. to be its breakfast rush hour. For lunch, try to eat between 11 a.m. and 11.30 a.m., or at the very end of the lunch shift, which is around 4 p.m. As for dinner, try waiting to eat as late as possible.

If you don't mind missing (or have already seen) that park's nighttime spectacular, it's also worth trying to overlap your mealtimes with showtimes. The exception is any restaurant that offers a view of said shows, such as EPCOT's Rose & Crown Dining Room, the Polynesian's Tiki Terrace, and Magic Kingdom's Crystal Palace, which all fill up during Luminous The Symphony of Us or Happily Ever After.

Choose Your Character Dining Experience Wisely

Not all character dining experiences are built equal. The restaurants offering this option will give you the chance to snap a pic with a handful of select characters, but they differ from location to location. If you want to say hi to the big cheese himself, Mickey Mouse appears at Chef Mickey's (obviously), The Garden Grill Restaurant, Hollywood & Vine (only during lunch and dinner), Topolino's Terrace (at breakfast), Cape May Café (again, only at breakfast), Tusker House, and 'Ohana (once again, only at breakfast).

If you opt for one of Disney World's most popular character dining options, prepare for a relatively hectic experience. These restaurants run like clockwork, so you'll definitely get your allotted time with some characters. However, the busier restaurants -- primarily Cinderella's Royal Table, Chef Mickey's, and 'Ohana -- will often not offer the same quality interactions as those slightly more below-the-radar options, such as The Garden Grill Restaurant and Tusker House. Ironically, the least popular character dining arguably also offers better, more unique food options, so it's a win-win situation.

Book A Late Breakfast To Enjoy Two Meals At Once

Considering the price (and the sheer amount of food involved), it's not only rare to book a table service breakfast and lunch at Disney World, but downright unwise. If you can't decide which meal you want to experience, however, there is a sneaky way you can get a taste of both -- you just need to be extremely smart about your reservation.

At restaurants that offer both a breakfast and lunch service -- such as Crystal Palace, a whimsical Winnie the Pooh character dining experience at Magic Kingdom -- the buffet options are swapped out the minute the morning meal slot ends. If you book the last breakfast slot (typically around 10.30 a.m.), you'll be there in time for the final 15 minutes or so of bacon, eggs, and churro Mickey waffles, and also get to sample the creamy mashed potatoes and succulent country fried chicken offered at lunch.

Request Your View As Early As Possible

Just because a restaurant boasts a nighttime view doesn't mean all tables get a piece of the pie. If you book a restaurant offering a view of the fireworks, such as Rose & Crown Dining Room, Narcoossee's, or 'Ohana, don't presume you'll waltz into a premium seat. Usually, only select tables are privy to that view, and if you don't request it, there will almost always be people two steps ahead who've managed to nab the tables before you.

The same goes for restaurants with notably more desirable dining areas. At Magic Kingdom's Be Our Guest Restaurant, for example, you may prefer to sit in The Grand Ballroom, The West Wing, or The Rose Gallery, while at EPCOT's epic underwater experience Coral Reef Restaurant, everyone knows the tables by the tank are superior to all others. To guarantee the table of your choice, you'll sometimes be able to request certain seating areas when you check in to your dining reservation on the My Disney Experience app. If that isn't an option, it's best to arrive at the restaurant early to put in your request; if they can, cast members will almost always try to make it work.

Skip The Sides To Save Money

Remember those gargantuan quick-service entrees we were talking about earlier? Well, they don't always need to be quite as big -- or expensive. A lot of quick service restaurants across Disney World's theme parks price up their entrees as a combo, bundling the main with a side such as fries, potato chips, or salad. If you're not hungry enough to justify paying for both, you can request to just order the entree without the side.

In the process, you'll also manage to save a few dollars per person. While that sounds relatively minimal, it can easily add up over the cost of an entire vacation -- especially if you're a family of five dining multiple times a day -- leaving you with extra cash for something even more fun, like a post-lunch Mickey Premium Bar or buttery popcorn to munch on during the fireworks display.

Check Dress Codes Ahead Of Time

Disney World is one of those strange but wonderful places where you could have lunch in a tank top and sweatpants or an elaborate tulle dress inspired by your favorite princess and still fit in. If you want to dine at one of the more upscale restaurants, however, there are slightly stricter expectations of what you can and cannot wear.

Resort table service restaurants, including California Grill, Cítricos, Narcoossee's, and Flying Fish, all request that guests follow the minimum dress code requirements. For men, this means khakis, slacks, or dress shorts and collared shirts, with jeans only permitted if they're in good condition. The latter is true for women too, who also have the option to wear capri pants, skirts, dresses, or dress shorts. Tank tops, flip-flops, swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups, and torn clothing are all forbidden.

Stricter still is the dress code for Victoria & Albert's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. This isn't your average theme park restaurant; this is Disney's first Michelin-starred restaurant, with prix-fixe menus starting at $295 per person in its Dining Room. Guests are expected to dress the part in elegant semi-formal or formal attire to fit in with the restaurant's glamorous style. To avoid disappointment (especially at Victoria & Albert's, where cast members tend to be more stringent with the dress code), be sure to check out the full requirements for each table service restaurant on the Disney World website before your trip.

Always Tell The Restaurant If You're Celebrating A Special Occasion

First of all, a disclaimer: Wearing a birthday badge will not guarantee unlimited Lightning Lanes, a private meet-and-greet with Mickey Mouse, or a night in the Cinderella Castle Suite. Cast members have the ability to create magical moments, but it's not a requirement -- and they almost certainly won't sprinkle extra pixie dust on your day if you demand that they do so.

With that in mind, there's nothing wrong with gently letting the restaurant know it's your birthday, whether that's by indicating it's a special occasion while checking in for your reservation on the My Disney Experience app or telling a cast member when you arrive. Often (but again, not always), this will result in extra magic, such as a complimentary dessert or drinks. Regardless of whether you have a table service meal booked, be sure to pick up a birthday pin at guest services to boost your chances of other magical moments, such as birthday well-wishes from cast members and characters alike, or maybe even the occasional tasty treat courtesy of Mickey.

Breakfast Is Cheaper (But Not Necessarily Better)

Breakfast is almost always the cheapest meal at table service restaurants, buffets, and character dining. At Cinderella's Royal Table, for example, it will cost you $69 per adult for the first meal of the day versus $84 per adult for dinner. If you're looking to experience a sit-down meal for less, that's all the information you need. However, if you want to prioritize quality over price, breakfast may not always be your best option.

Generally speaking, Disney World restaurants -- especially those serving buffets -- tend to have worse reviews for breakfast than any other meal. While there's the occasional outlier, such as Kona Cafe at Animal Kingdom Lodge and Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge, that's largely because breakfast tends to be very similar from restaurant to restaurant. The likes of 'Ohana and Topolino's Terrace are best enjoyed after breakfast when the more diversified dishes like the Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings, 'Ohana Bread Pudding, and Ratatouille Fritters come out to play.

On a non-food note, booking a table service breakfast can also be a pretty inefficient way to use up the hours when Disney World's theme parks are most empty. Between shorter lines or a generic breakfast that you could just as easily pick up at a quick service restaurant, the choice is easy.

Use Mobile Order As Much As Possible

The days before Disney World had Mobile Order were dark, gray, and chaotic -- at least, that's how we remember it. There's really no stressing just how convenient this feature is when you're desperate for a quick energy boost but don't want to waste time waiting for a budget-friendly hotdog at Casey's Corner instead of standing in line for Space Mountain.

Mobile Order is available through the My Disney Experience app (which, in case you hadn't realized, is basically the heart and soul of your Disney World vacation). To order food, all you need to do is press the plus symbol at the middle of the screen, click "Order Food," choose a restaurant, and then select and pay for your offerings just like you would through the likes of Uber Eats or Postmates.

The difference here is that Donald Duck isn't going to shoulder his way through the crowds to hand-deliver your chicken strips. You'll still need to go and pick up your food, but instead of waiting in line, just let the restaurant know that you've arrived and grab your food once it's ready at the designated Mobile Order counter.

Skip The Fountain Water And Ask For Cups To-Go

There are two reasons why you may want to avoid buying bottled water whenever you get thirsty at Disney World. For one thing, it's expensive -- at about $4 a bottle, you could easily spend a small fortune trying to avoid dehydration. Even more critically, the water sold at Disney World is Dasani, which is infamously bitter (and placed pretty poorly in Mashed's rankings of bottled water brands).

The good news is it's not the only option for water at Disney World. Even better, the other option is free. All Disney World eateries -- whether quick service or table service -- will give you a free cup of water if you ask. If you drop by a quick service restaurant, you aren't even obligated to order food to secure your free H20. It's worth noting that these restaurants will only provide cups of water; they won't fill up your bottle. However, you can always ask for a few cups of water and pour those into your bottle for yourself. You can also track down each park's water refill stations (EPCOT has the most).

Your Best Meal Probably Won't Be In The Park

Though guests enjoy Disney World's theme park food considerably more than its competitors, the best meal of your vacation will probably be found elsewhere. Some of the highest-rated restaurants on Disney World property are located in the resorts, not the parks themselves, making them well worth the visit.

Tripadvisor's highest-rated Disney World restaurant is Victoria & Albert's -- which, as previously mentioned, isn't exactly the most affordable dinner. Slightly cheaper are other well-reviewed hotel restaurants, such as California Grill at Disney's Contemporary Resort, Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney's Yacht Club Resort, and Sanaa at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. Disney Springs also has a solid restaurant lineup, with highlights including Chef Art Smith's Homecomin' and The Boathouse.

While the FOMO can be real when you leave the park for a few hours, it's pretty easy to access some of the hotels from the theme parks. Disney's transportation system is surprisingly robust, meaning there's always a bus, monorail, or Skyliner to get you where you need to go. If you're at Magic Kingdom (which has the weakest dining options of all the Disney World parks), you can even make your way to Disney's Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian resorts for lunch or dinner by foot.

Plan Your Table Service Meals In Advance

Spontaneity isn't easy at Disney World. By its very nature, a vacation to the theme park requires meticulous planning, with the most popular restaurants booking up months in advance -- two months, to be precise.

Disney drops new Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) 60 days ahead of time at approximately 6 a.m. EST. If your dream is to dine at one of the resort's most popular restaurants, such as the galactic-themed Space 220 Restaurant or the princess dining experience at Cinderella's Royal Table, you'll need to set a reminder to get online or pick up the phone to try and place your booking ASAP on that day.

If you're staying at a Disney hotel, however, you have an advantage. Hotel guests can book tables for their entire trip (up to 10 days in length) as of 60 days before their arrival. Since you're fighting a smaller pool of people, that improves the odds of securing tables at even the über-popular restaurants for later on in your trip.

Don't Be Afraid To Ask Cast Members About Last-Minute Availability

If you don't manage to get your dream dining reservation, all hope is not lost. It's not totally impossible to secure a last-minute table by approaching the cast members on the host stand and asking if there are any empty tables from no-shows. There's no guarantee that they'll say yes (and you definitely shouldn't go in blind, assuming you'll get all your dining reservations this way), but multiple guests have described successfully using this tactic.

Disney's Mobile Dine Walk-Up Waitlist makes this even easier. There's no guarantee that restaurants will offer this option on any given day, but you can see where a waitlist is currently available via the My Disney Experience app (where else?) or by scanning the QR code in the restaurant lobby. If the waitlist is available, all you need to do is add yourself to the list and wait for the notification and text telling you your table is ready. While you'll receive an estimated wait time, it's often pretty inaccurate -- both in a good and bad way -- so you may not want to stray too far from the restaurant in the meantime.

Read the original article on Mashed