Disney Dining Plan
The Disney Dining Plan is a prepaid dining option that can be added to a Walt Disney World Vacation Package or added to a stay at a Disney Vacation Club Resort by DVC Members. The "Basic" Disney Dining Plan (and the most popular) provides one Table Service Meal, one Quick Service Meal, and one snack per night of your stay.
There are over 100 restaurants that accept the Disney Dining Plan on the Walt Disney World Resort Property. Finding the best Table Service Restaurants to dine at with your Disney Dining Plan credits includes finding places where you get your money's worth and have an enjoyable dining experience. When children are part of the dining plans entertainment is a big plus, as is minimizing waits for food.
Best Disney Dining Plan Restaurants For Kids
As the typical Disney World Vacation lasts 6 nights, we have chosen the Best 6 Disney Dining Plan Restaurants for Kids including 3 locations within the Disney World Theme Parks and 3 locations at beautiful Disney World Resort Hotels.
A favorite of families for years, Chef Mickey's is a must do for families with children. It is located in the Contemporary Resort and features a delicious buffet. The best part is that everyone gets to visit with Mickey Mouse himself as he visits each table besides performing engaging in-meal entertainment along with Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck. Reservations fill up fast so you must plan well ahead of time and make reservations in order to dine here. Although they serve Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, the Dinner is the best use of your Disney Dining Plan Credit.
Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Located within the Norway Pavilion in Epcot is a wonderful opportunity to dine while surrounded by a multitude of Disney Princesses. Here you will get a chance to meet and talk to Aurora, Belle, Jasmin, Mulan, Snow White, and more. You will dine in a Norwegian Castle with a chance to enjoy both American and Norwegian fare. This is the best way to meet the Disney Princesses and you can do it for only one Disney Dining Plan Table Service Credit.
Crystal Palace
There is always something special about dining inside of the Magic Kingdom and the Crystal Palace is the best place to dine with kids. It has a wonderful buffet that is sure to please the entire family and you will get a chance to interact with Winnie The Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and the gang from the Hundred Acre Wood.
1900 Park Fare
Many young girls look forward to seeing Cinderella when they visit Disney World. Many parents don't realize that there are actually 2 different dining experiences where you can meet the favorite Disney World Princess. The most famous is dining within Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom. The lesser known, but still an excellent experience can be found at the Grand Floridian Resort at 1900 Park Fare.
The Grand Floridian is the flagship Disney World Resort Hotel and it is worth visiting.
While dining at the Buffet at 1900 Park Fare you will get to meet Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine & the Stepsisters. This makes for a great evening at it can be had for only one Table Service Dining Credit.
Coral Reef
For a more grown-up dining experience that will still be enjoyable for the children try the Coral Reef at Epcot's Living Seas Pavilion. This one of a kind restaurant has a glass wall that is actually part of the main tank within the Living Seas Pavilion. Watch numerous species of fish, sharks, rays, and sea turtles swim by as you enjoy the meal. The most upscale of our choices, it is still only one Disney Dining Plan Table Service Credit to dine here.
'Ohana
Families always have a good time at 'Ohana which can be found within the Polynesian Resort. The fixed menu meal is served family style, so once you are seated the servers start bring food to your table. The food is really good and it is entertaining how they bring the meat to the table on giant skewers to serve everyone. The Polynesian entertainment is great fun for the kids and the coconut race is a must do (pictured above.)
This is another very popular restaurant where reservations must be made well ahead of time. This is a family favorite and it has become tradition for many to dine there at least once each Disney World Vacation.
Great Disney Dining
Each of these 6 Disney World Restaurants have the elements that make for a great Disney Dining experience when your trip includes children. Each location is unique, with entertainment that you will not find anywhere else. Five of the six choices (all except the Coral Reef) provide either buffets or family style dining where you will be eating almost immediately after you are seated. This is a tremendous help with children who are tired from a long day at Disney World. They are also an excellent use of the Disney Dining Plan from a financial sense. Each is quite expensive if you were to pay to visit them and pay out of pocket, but only take one Disney Dining Plan Table Service Credit to dine there.
Dining at Disney World is a great part of the Disney Experience that should definitely be part of your vacation. By using the Disney Dining Plan to its full advantage, you can help yourself have a vacation that will provide memories for years to come. Lastly it is strongly recommended that you make reservations for all of these restaurants up to 6 months in advance to make sure that you can obtain a seat. The Disney World On-line reservation system makes the process very simple.
Enjoyed the read.
Can you purchase a Dining Plan if you are NOT staying at one of the Disney properties? (i.e. staying wtih friends)
Great Question Bev - The answer unfortunately is no. The Disney Dining Plan is currently only available as an option while staying at one of the Walt Disney World Resorts or while staying at a Disney Vacation Club Resort.
If the Disney Dining Plan is added, it MUST be purchased for the entire party staying in the room and it must be for the duration of your stay in that room.
"...but only take one Disney Dining Plan Table Service Credit to dine there."
does this mean one per person? so if there are 2 parents and 2 kids, we each must use 1 Table service credit to eat here (net: 4 table service credits)?
Anonymous - You are correct - each meal would take one Table Service Dining Credit per person, so a family of 4 would use 4 credits for a meal.
There are some Disney Signature Restaurants that require 2 Table Service Dining Credits per person, or 8 credits for your family of 4 to dine there for one meal. Most often the Restaurants only requiring one credit are a better use of your Dining Plan Credits.