disney dining plan | the disney food blog

DFB Video: Are These Disney Upgrades Worth it? Part 1

Happy Weekend! We’re back with another DFB Video today, and we’re asking (and answering) some questions: “Are These Disney Upgrades Worth it?”

Minnie Van

There’s no shortage of ways to upgrade your Disney World vacation. For instance, should you buy park tickets that allow you to visit one park for one day, or should you spring for Park Hoppers to visit more parks? Will your family be satisfied with the Quick Service or Standard Disney Dining Plan, or would the Deluxe Dining Plan be a better choice? These are just two of several of the topics we are covering when we ask, “Is this Disney World upgrade worth it?” Find out our thoughts in our latest DFB YouTube video! [Read more…]

Review: California Grill at Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort

By AJ 9 Comments

If Walt Disney World dining establishments competed for superlatives, California Grill atop Disney’s Contemporary Resort would vie for several titles.

Learn About:
California Grill

Disney World Restaurants

Best Dinner View? Best Sushi? Most Likely to Knock Your Socks Off? Yup — it would make a strong case for all.

And, in truth, we’ve included Cali Grill in lots of our lists, including 56 Must-Read Disney Dining Tips, where we tout that view, and 36 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do at Walt Disney World, where we highlight the extraordinary sushi.

One of the more exciting (and for some disappointing) aspects of dining at California Grill is its ever-changing menu. The intent is to adapt to local availability of ingredients — seasonality, in other words. And what that means for this signature restaurant is that the dishes you have one night may very well be absent from the menu the next.

But it also means the dishes on the menu are always high-quality and seriously fresh. And that’s why we keep going back — because there’s always something new (and thankfully always a couple of old favorites, though they might look a little different).

California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

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Limited Time Only! Ahhh-mazing Bacon Macaroni & Cheese Flatbread at Magic Kingdom’s Pinocchio Village Haus!

By AJ 6 Comments

Disney food friends, this is an urgent message — an urgent PIZZA message for those visiting Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom between now and September 5! You must make your way to Pinocchio Village Haus for a truly awesome flatbread that a cast member tells me will only be available until next week!

Pinocchio Village Haus

The Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Flatbread is the flatbread of the month at Pinnochio Village Haus. It starts with a crispy flatbread crust and is topped with sour cream, macaroni and cheese, three cheese blend, chives, and crumbled bacon bits!

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Flatbread

This is a seriously delicious — and seriously filling — flatbread that combines some of my favorite things! The sour cream is an inspired choice of “sauce” that gives the whole thing a tangy, addictive quality (as if the three cheese blend and bacon weren’t irresistible enough!). But even if you’re not a huge Sour Cream fan, the whole thing blends together so well that it won’t stand out to you.

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Flatbread

The macaroni and cheese is made with soft elbow noodles that contrast with the crispy crust (baked to golden brown!) and the chewy bacon bits.

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Flatbread

The whole thing is basically a savory delight, complete with the bright green chives which provide a welcome, fresh respite from the intensely (ahhh-mazingly) salty, cheesy flatbread.

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Flatbread

This one is SO. GOOD.! I’m bummed that this seasonal flatbread will be gone on September 5 because it’s something I would totally get again and again if it was a permanent part of the menu. Here’s hoping it’s popular enough to become a recurring special addition!

Don’t Miss Out on the ALL the Best Snacks Walt Disney World Has to Offer!

Get four awesome e-Books FULL of Disney park dining advice, bundled for 30% off the already discounted price! Yep, we’ve scoured the parks to find any and all snack choices — from the mundane to the spectacular — and we tell you all about them (with full-color pictures!) in our snack guides! These are updated every year, so you know your guide will be perfect for your upcoming trip, and they’re bundled with our DFB Guide to WDW Dining!

This money-saving bundle includes all of the following:

All four are being sold together — for 30% off the already hugely discounted bundle price. Use code BUNDLE18 at check out to get the discount. It’s a $63 value for under $30!!

With this Bundle of e-books you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips to plan the best Disney World vacation ever. And with our handy e-book format, you can download the Guides to all of your electronic devices and take them with you wherever you go!

And with our 100% money-back guarantee, what do you have to lose?

What’s your dream flatbread combo? Tell us in the comments!

Top Tips for the 2018 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival!

By AJ and the DFB Team 10 Comments

Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival begins NEXT WEEK, and it continues until November 12, 2018. That’s 75 days of food, wine, demonstrations, celebrity chefs, special events, seminars, etc., etc.

Epcot’s 2018 International Food and Wine Festival

Yeah, it’s a lot. And whether you’re a Food and Wine pro or a newbie, navigating this massive (and massively popular!) Festival can be a little overwhelming. That’s where your old pals at the DFB come in! We’ve accumulated a lot of experience in our LOOONG relationship with Food and Wine — and we’ve assembled all of that experience in one place: the DFB Guide to the 2018 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival!

Here are some of the most popular FAQs from DFB readers and Food and Wine visitors — with answers direct from the DFB Guide!

[Read more…]

Recommended Disney World Dining Plan One Credit Restaurant Values

By AJ and the DFB Team 4 Comments

Purchasing the Disney Dining Plan (or scoring free DDP!) for your Walt Disney World vacation can mean real value for your vacation dining — but some uses of those Disney Dining Plan credits (officially called entitlements) are better than others.

Cinderella Castle Views

Here at the DFB, we help you make the most of your credits with videos like How to Master the Disney Dining Plan and info about the Best Uses of Quick Service Credits.

This time, it’s all about the one-credit table service Disney Dining Plan! We scour menus to try to find the monetary values, but we also consider food quality and the atmosphere in which guests dine. Because it doesn’t matter how much money you’re saving by using your credits if the restaurant’s environment and food are duds.

So here are our 2018 picks for Recommended Disney Dining Plan One Credit Values!

Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs

Easily one of the most spectacular restaurants in terms of decor and ambiance, Morimoto Asia in Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs also offers tremendous value. But the best part? The food is outstanding!

Orange Chicken

Dinner at Morimoto Asia is a signature affair and requires two DDP credits, but for 2018, lunch remains one credit — and it’s a credit very well spent! Some entrees here cost nearly $40, and there are plenty of options for alcoholic beverages if you’re looking to up your value even further.

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2019 Disney Dining Plans AND Disney World Vacation Packages Announced

By AJ 16 Comments

Details for the 2019 Disney Dining Plans have been announced! Disney Dining Plans are a popular program available to Disney Resort guests booking a Disney World Vacation Package.

The Disney Dining Plan

Before we dive into the details, just a reminder that to be eligible to participate in the Disney Dining Plan, you may need to book a Walt Disney World Vacation Package (also called the Magic Your Way Package). The Package includes your stay at a participating Disney World Resort and base Park Admission tickets for everyone in your traveling party.

Let’s take a look!

2019 Disney Dining Plans

2019 Quick Service Disney Dining Plan

Entitlements for the 2019 Quick Service Disney Dining Plan include the following for each guest (ages 3 and over) per night of your package stay:

Two Quick Service meals (entrée or combo meal at lunch and dinner and a beverage)
Guests under 21 years of age can choose one non-alcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages — i.e. Artisanal Milk Shakes, Fresh Smoothies, Premium Hot Chocolates, or Soda, Coffee or Tea — where offered). Guests 21 and older can can choose either one non-alcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages where offered) or one single serving mixed cocktail, beer, or wine (where offered) within their meal entitlement.
Two snacks
One Resort refillable drink mug per person, per package

For full details — including pricing — see the Quick Service Dining Plan, click here.

2019 Standard Disney Dining Plan

Entitlements for the 2019 Standard Disney Dining Plan include the following for each guest (ages 3 and over) per night of your package stay: [Read more…]

21 Myths About Walt Disney World Food DEBUNKED

By AJ and the DFB Team 14 Comments

The World of Disney food is a complex and ever-changing one, and that makes keeping track of it all darn near impossible. That’s why you have us. 😉 Here we will unravel 21 of the most prolific Myths About Walt Disney World food!

Ready to Head to Disney World?

1. The kids’ menu is only for kids.

Y’all, if your vacation is packed full of Advance Dining Reservations and tasty quick service joints, you’ll want to know that this myth doesn’t hold water. Anyone can order from the kids’ menu — and if you or your traveling companions have eyes that are bigger than your stomachs, the kids’ menu might be just right for you! Often you can find similar offerings, both common (like chicken nuggets at Columbia Harbour House) and not so common (like sustainable fish bowls at Satu’li Canteen).

Kids’ Chicken Nuggets Meal

Whether you’re looking to save stomach space, hate wasting food, or want to save a little money, don’t neglect the kids’ menu!

2. Only sit-down restaurants are high quality.

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TWO Additional Table Service Restaurants Now Serving Alcohol in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

By AJ 39 Comments

It was HUGE NEWS when it was announced that four Table Service restaurants in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom would start serving alcoholic beverages in late December 2016.

Glass of Wine at Be Our Guest Restaurant

Why? Because — with the exception of Dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant which opened in late 2012 — Magic Kingdom had always been a dry park, in keeping tradition with Walt Disney’s wishes for his original park, Disneyland.

And that’s why it remains relatively big news today that Crystal Palace and The Plaza Restaurant in Magic Kingdom have both just begun serving alcohol as well, with a selection of beer, wine, and a specialty cocktail at each location.

[Read more…]

DFB Video: How to Master the Disney Dining Plan

By AJ and the DFB Team 6 Comments

Hey, friends! We’re back with another DFB Video today, and we’re talking about how to make the most of the Disney Dining Plan!

No Way Jose Sundae at Beaches and Cream

If you’ve chosen to participate in the Disney Dining Plan during your Disney World vacation, you want to make sure you’re absolutely getting the most bang for your buck. So today’s video gives you tips and tricks on how to do exactly that so you are maximizing the value of your Dining Plan. Are you ready to learn how to master the Disney Dining Plan? Then settle in and watch our latest DFB YouTube Video! [Read more…]

Best Disney Dining Plan Quick Service Credit Restaurants in 2018

By AJ and the DFB Team 5 Comments

With the 2018 Disney Dining Plan including alcoholic and specialty non-alcoholic beverages, it’s more difficult than ever to figure out where to go to make the most of your DDP.