One of the things I love most about visiting the Disney Parks is the food. Between signature dining and unique treats, there is so much delicious dining around you! But if you’re concerned that restaurants can take time away from riding all the fun attractions, here is how to time your Disney meals like an expert.
Why it’s a Good Idea to Plan Your Disney Meals
Now, you may be thinking, “Why does it matter what time I grab some chicken tenders from the nearest counter?” The truth is that it can make a BIG difference when it comes to enjoying the parks. Here are some things to consider:
- The goal is to eat when everyone else is riding, and ride when everyone else is eating. This is key to minimizing lines.
- Choosing certain restaurants at certain times will give you special opportunities, such as early park access or spectacular views of the fireworks.
- Disney offers so much more than chicken tenders (although they certainly have those too and they are tasty). With a little planning you can savor gourmet meals or simply add some delicious variety to your day.
- Many people get so caught up in having fun that they forget to make time for a quality break (resulting in unhappy kids and grumpy adults). While you don’t need to stick to a rigid schedule all day, it helps to go in with an idea of when you want to take breaks and refuel.
- Like popular attractions, popular quick-service dining locations will have long lines at standard meal times, especially between 12 – 1pm and 6-7pm.
- Lastly, you can reserve table-service restaurants up to 180 days in advance. Especially if you’d like a reservation at a spot like Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table, you want an idea of what time you’d like to eat even before you login to check for availability.
How to Time Your Disney Meals
So everyone will have a slightly different perspective on this, but I thought I’d share with you how I try to plan my meals at Disney.
Breakfast
Goal: Pre-Park Opening
I don’t usually reserve a breakfast in the parks, but when I do it is always before the park officially opens. Why? Because once that rope drops I want to be in line for my favorite attractions while the lines are the shortest of the day. For certain locations, such as Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table, an early reservation also allows me to take photos in front of the castle with a minimal amount of people and get early access to Fantasyland.
Pre-park opening breakfasts at the parks will place you even closer to popular attractions. For example, you can have an early breakfast at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot and then jump right onto Frozen Ever After as soon as the clock strikes 9:00. Or, dine at Be Our Guest and head straight to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
One catch to this is that the restaurants typically start reservations at 8:00AM, so if there are morning Extra Magic Hours (usually from 8-9am) you want to have a later breakfast instead (or dine at your resort before you head to the parks).
If you’re not interested in a table-service reservation in the morning, you still have a few great options. All Disney Resorts offer food courts with selections of pastries and breakfast items. Or, bring some snacks for your room and munch before you head out.
Lunch
Goal: 11am or 1pm
The goal here should read, “anytime that is not 12-1pm.” Lunch lines can get ridiculously crowded, even extending until 1:30 during busy seasons. The last thing you want when you’re trying to take a break is to wait in yet another long line.
Time your lunch so you can avoid the crowds. I highly recommend looking through the menus for quick-service restaurants in each park (they’re available online: Disney World and Disneyland). Plan your day at the parks to put you in the right location at the right time (roughly). This way you’ll know you’ll have something everyone will enjoy and won’t get stuck with chicken tenders (again, delicious, but we can do better than that).
If you had an early breakfast, target 10:30-11:00am for an early lunch and then ride some attractions while everyone else is eating.
I only recommend making table-service reservations for lunch if they are character meals (they take up a lot of park time so you want to make them count). These give you a little more leeway because you won’t be worrying about lines. Aim for a time between 11:00am – 1:00pm and structure your FastPasses after your meal (as lines will be longer by then).
Dinner
Goal: 4:30pm or During the Fireworks
Early Dining
Ok, I know 4:30 may seem really early for dinner but hear me out. Disney serves HUGE portions. Plus, it’s really hard to pass up those desserts. And, like lunch, the waits can be really long starting at 6:00pm.
Dining around 4:30 gives you an opportunity to take a break, relax, and enjoy your dinner without worrying about rushing to see the fireworks or letting the kids go too long without food. It’s also much easier to find a reservation at 4:30 than it is to at 6:00. And if you took my advice about an early lunch, you’ll be perfectly timed to enjoy a wonderful meal in the late afternoon.
Figure that you’ll be done around 6:00, so as everyone else is heading towards the food, you’ll be heading towards the rides. By this time of day, many people with young children have left for the day too.
Fireworks Dining
Another option, if you don’t mind seeing the fireworks from a new point of view, is to time your dinner during the show. You’ll get to sit, enjoy the view, and relax while everyone else is crowded into Main Street.
This plan works for Magic Kingdom and Epcot. For Magic Kingdom, I recommend this if you’ve already seen the fireworks from the front at least once as they are truly different experiences. You can book a table at Cinderella’s Royal Table and see fireworks over Fantasyland from INSIDE CINDERELLA’S CASTE! (Forgive the excitement, I just think it makes dinner more magical)
Because IllumiNations takes place in the center of the lagoon at Epcot, you can get a great view from anywhere in the World Showcase. Two of the best restaurants to reserve during fireworks are the Rose & Crown Dining Room and La Hacienda de San Angel. You can also catch a view from Tokyo Dining, Monsieur Paul, Spice Road Table, or Cantina de San Angel (quick-service).
Remember to make reservations at least an hour before showtime and be willing to request and wait for a table with a “fireworks view”.
Exceptions
There are a few exceptions to this plan. If you’re planning on heading back to the resort for a nap before returning to the parks, try for a 5:00pm dinner. This will give you the benefits of an early dinner while still leaving plenty of time for rest.
If you’re leaving the parks for the day before the evening, try for a 7:00pm dinner back at your resort (or in Disney Springs). This will give you a set time you know you need to leave the parks, so no one will be trying to stall too long.
Snacks
Goal: Anywhere, Anytime
So I can’t resist Disney snacks (the rule in our family is that we can get any snack as long as we only get one and share it). Typically mid-afternoon and evening are when we start craving a bite (especially with an early dinner).
Just like with quick-service meals, be sure to take a look at the snack counter menus so you know which treats you really want to try. For example, I have a Disneyland Snack List: dole whip, Mickey beignets, and a corn dog (seriously, they have the best corn dogs ever).
If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, remember that there are a variety of options you can use snack credits on. These include pastries, popcorn, ice cream, drinks, and even side dishes in some cases. Just try not to waste snack credits on bottled water and sodas – you can get free ice water from any quick-service counter and soda is cheaper if you just pay out of pocket.
Lastly, don’t forget to drink your water! I know it’s not exactly a “snack”, but you’d be surprised how many people spend all day in the California or Florida heat and get dehydrated because they simply forget to drink.
This is the plan that works for me and many others. But remember, every family is different and has different needs. You may need to time your meals around breaks or naps (especially if you have small children) or perhaps you have certain appointments you need to schedule around. Create a plan that will work best for you!
Now, I wouldn’t be a good “mouse expert” if I didn’t share one last tip that will make all of this easy. A vacation planner that specializes in Disney will give you personalized advice on all of this. I’ve worked with clients traveling with infants up to couples in their 60’s planning an adults-only vacation. I help them find the perfect time for dining reservations and offer quick-service recommendations they love. I also help them make the most of their Disney Dining Plans.
Did you know that working with someone like me is 100% free if you’re booking a Disney vacation package? You’ll pay no more than if you booked through Disney yourself and you get your own personal concierge to help you navigate all of the incredible options of a Disney vacation. Sounds great, right?
If you’d like to learn more about how I can help you with your Disney vacation, send me an email at jtullino@themouseexperts.com or request a free quote.
Bon Appetit!
What questions do you have about dining in the Disney Parks?
