Finding Millys

Disney Dining is back! Who here has missed it? I certainly have! Once of the best things we found when visiting Disneyworld was that the Dining Plan took away our worries of over-spending on food and drinks during our stay. It’s so easy to tap your credit card and lose track of how much you spend but with the Dining Plan we didn’t have this worry at all.

We’ve yet to experience the current and new dining plan as when we visited last year we had the food vouchers. We actually quite enjoyed the food vouchers as it meant we could take them more or less anywhere and weren’t restricted to counter service or sit down services. We do have a trip coming up so I will be sure to give full details/reviews on this to see how it compares.

The current dining services that they are offering come in two packages which can be added on as an optional extra to your stay. In contrast to previous years pre Covid when the dining plan was included on your Disney Resort stays for free (For UK visitors).

First up is the Quick Service Dining Plan. This is considered a ‘faster’ option for families that are on the go and are looking for minimal planning when it comes to making reservations for dining (as there’s not a need for it). I have to agree with the above as we have found previously that this particular plan gives you the option to walk up to quick service counters and dine without making a reservation. There’s also such a variety of places to eat that there would always be something for everyone.

On the other hand some may argue that the quick service menus often have the same kind of food on it. The typical burgers, fries, chips and pastas. However, we found that this isn’t the case anymore. Yes it is a lot more of the ‘quick’ foods that don’t require the fancy added details but there is variety! Some examples of quick service places that I would personally recommend that have a variety include:

Centertown Market – Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort – Accessible via the Skyliner straight from Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The menus here are vast and cater to many dietary needs. When staying here we often ate at this quick service restaurant as there were so many choices. A personal favourite of ours was the Mixed Grill Platter and the Fish Tacos! For their full menu Click Here.

Capt.n Cooks – Disney’s Polynesian Resort – Accessible via the monorail from Magic Kingdom. Again, another varied menu which is in a Disney resort. A lot of visitors forget that they can visit the Disney resorts and dine there without a reservation. The Polynesian features themes from Hawaii with the added touch of Moana and Stitch. I highly recommend visiting Capt.n Cooks and some menu favourites of mine are the Pulled Pork Nachos and their signature Moana Cupcake. For their full menu Click Here.

Cookes Of Dublin – Disney Springs – A big favourite of ours and one we have been to a few times. If you’re into traditional pub foods then this is a must see. Found in Disney Springs and next to the Raglan Road restaurant is Cookes of Dublin. The only downside to this place is the lack of seating however the food choices are worth the wait. A favourite of ours is the Fish and Chips and the Hog In A Box. For their full menu Click Here

The Mara – Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Slightly harder to get to as there is no monorail or skyline service here. However you can quite easily hop on a resort bus from the Disney Parks or drive over! This is probably one of my favourite places to eat at purely because you not only have good food here but you can see some animals too! Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to a range of animals including Giraffes, Flamingo’s and Zebra which is free for resort guests and visitors to see. The dining options here are great and we can never resist a plate of Zebra dome desserts. Our favourites include their simple chicken strips and their three cheese flatbreads. For their full menu Click Here

As you can see there is a wide range of places to eat with your quick service dining and I would encourage anyone to try the resort quick service options too. Not only will you experience something a little different but all the resorts have their own gift shops and unique atmosphere too so you will see something different in each one. Characters are also often seen walking around the resorts, especially on rainy days so this is a must see !

To pair with your quick service dining meal you each get 2 quick service meals a day, so this could be breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, dinner and breakfast, whatever you fancy. You will also receive 1 non alcoholic/alcoholic drink per meal – The symbol you see next to this in the image above states that this doesn’t include all alcoholic drinks so be sure to check with your server when ordering. You also get 1 snack credit each a day too which can be used on various snacks and drinks, as well as a refillable resort mug.

It’s a lot! In previous years when we have had the dining plan we often found towards the end of the vacation that we had a ton of meals left over and so we would convert them into snack credits and grab a bunch of chocolate from the gift shops. I’m not sure if they still allow this so be sure to check! This is something I want to check when I return at the end of this year!

The refillable resort mugs are WORTH IT. Trust me. Even if you buy yourself one. Do it. Last year we paid for our mugs and after the first two days we got our money’s worth. Drinks average at $4 in Disney resorts and so after a day or two you’ll find that you will be glad to have got them. This works at any Disney resort so when heading to another resort for a quick service dining you can refill your mug. What we often do is grab a bottled drink as our free option with the meal to save for later and refill our mug as a second option!

Moving onto the full dining option!

Similarly to the quick service dining plan you still get your refillable mug, snack credit and 1 drink with your meal. The only difference is that rather than 2 quick service options a day you get 1 quick service and 1 table service a day.

If you’re wanting to dine at some of the sit down restaurants then this will definitely be the best option for you. There’s a huge variety of sit down options and one’s that are usually very pricey without the dining plan, so you will definitely get your money’s worth.

Some of my personal favourite sit downs are:

Be Our Guest Restaurant – Disney’s Magic Kingdom – Reservations for this dining experience fill up very quickly so I would recommend hopping on the app to book this in advance. We have been here for breakfast and lunch/dinner and enjoyed it both times. I personally preferred the lunch/dinner menu to the breakfast but you may really enjoy it and it is a great start to the day at the park! There are multiple dining areas to eat in from the Ballroom to the Tower, all are decorated beautifully and for any Beauty and The Beast Fan, they will love it! Some of the meals I really enjoyed were the grilled filet mignon and their dessert trio. For their full menu Click Here.

Boma, Flavours of Africa – Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – My favourite place to eat. If you’re a lover of buffets then you will love this place. Boma offers a variety of foods in an all you can eat style dining experience with views of the pool and savannah outside. Some of my favourites from their menu are the zebra domes, salmon and their salad bar too. Much like the Mara from their quick service dining option, this is set in the heart of Animal Kingdom Lodge where you can experience the African savannah and culture. It is a truly peaceful and friendly atmosphere. For their full menu Click Here

Coral Reef Restaurant – Epcot – Again, if you’re an animal lover like myself this too will probably be a favourite of yours as it is mine. Whilst dining you’ll find your tables are facing the beautiful aquarium inside the restaurant featuring various species including some fan favourites that look just like the Finding Nemo fish. The menu is varied and if you aren’t a fish lover then that’s okay because there’s non fish options as well! My personal favourites and one’s I would recommend are the Shrimp Scampi and Surf and Turf! They used to do an incredible turtle cheesecake but It doesn’t appear they do this anymore sadly! For their full menu Click Here

It’s safe to say that there are a huge list of places to eat from, whether this is a sit down service or a pop in and pop out quick service dining. If you’re asking if it is worth it, my very quick and solid answer is YES. If you price up how much some of the restaurants cost, some range from $70 per person, which after several days can rack up the bill quickly. If you’re wanting to try some new places then either dining option would be of benefit during your visit.

My personal recommendation as it is what works for my family and I, is the quick service dining. The reason behind this is because you aren’t tied down by a dining reservation. We’ve done the full dining before and found that we would often plan our days just around where we ate which quickly became exhausting and quite limiting, especially if you are one’s to veer off site from Disney to go shopping quite a lot at the malls. We prefer the quick service option as you can base what you eat off of what you fancy at that moment in time, and if you don’t like the menu then you can quickly change your mind. On the other hand the full dining is still a great addition to the vacation especially if you are wanting to experience a sit down meal on a daily basis. Not all of the sit down restaurants are ‘higher end’ and many offer a relaxed and casual atmosphere.

Have you used the dining options before? How did you find them?

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