Early Morning Dining at Walt Disney World Resort

June 15, 2013 by 2 Comments

Early Morning Dining at Walt Disney World Resort

Early morning dining at Walt Disney World can be a great experience! Not only will you get a head start on your Disney day by eating early, but depending on which restaurant you choose, you might even get to experience the parks almost completely empty. Imagine getting a photo of Cinderella Castle before the park opens!

If you’re relying on Disney transportation for your vacation, early morning dining might seem to pose a problem. Disney buses begin running one hour prior to park opening, but you need to be at your ADR before that. Don’t worry! Disney has a simple solution for you. The night before your reservation, just let the concierge at your resort know that you have an early morning ADR and will be needing bus transportation. They will arrange for a Disney bus to pick you up on the morning of your reservation. In order to take advantage of the empty parks and get some great pictures, you may want to add on an additional 30 minutes to your travel time.

Now that you know how to get to your early morning dining experience, what restaurants can you schedule an early morning ADR at in order to find some great views of the empty parks? Here are a few of the best restaurant options for delicious food and fabulous photos:

  • The Crystal Palace – At this Victorian greenhouse inspired restaurant, you can dine with Winnie the Pooh and friends. The food here includes a breakfast buffet with stuffed French toast, omelets, pastries, and much more. An early meal will also allow you to snap beautiful pictures of empty Main Street, U.S.A. with Cinderella Castle at the end.
  • Cinderella’s Royal Table - You can enjoy breakfast with the Disney princesses inside Cinderella Castle. The cuisine featured here includes American dishes such as steak and eggs, stuffed French toast, baked quiche, and more. Like The Crystal Palace, an early ADR at Cinderella’s Royal Table will allow you to take fabulous photos of the Magic Kingdom.
  • Hollywood & Vine - At this breakfast buffet, your little ones will love meeting their favorite Disney Junior stars during this musical meal. Guests at Hollywood & Vine will enjoy a breakfast buffet including Mickey waffles, frittatas, fresh fruit, and more. Early in the morning, you will also be able to get some great shots of a nearly empty Hollywood Studios.
  • Tusker House Restaurant - This Animal Kingdom restaurant is often said to be one of the best character dining experiences at Walt Disney World. With an early breakfast at Tusker House, you will join Donald and friends for a Dining Safari filled with American foods, as well as, foods with an African influence.
  • Akershus Royal Banquet Hall - At the Norway pavilion in Epcot, your little princess can dine with some of her favorite Disney princesses inside a medieval castle. American cuisine is served at Akershus for breakfast. With an early ADR here, you will be able to take great pictures of Epcot, including World Showcase which more than likely won’t open until a few hours later.

Have you ever enjoyed an early breakfast in the parks? Let us know which early morning dining experience is your favorite in the comments below!

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Early Morning Dining at Walt Disney World Resort

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Filed Under: Around The 'Disney' World, Do and See, Food, Parks & Resorts, Planning, Planning 101, Quick Tips, Tips &Tricks, Tips and Tricks, Transportation Tagged With: , , ,

D23 Member Mixer at House of Blues Orlando June 3rd 2013

June 5, 2013 by 1 Comment

D23 Member Mixer at House of Blues Orlando June 3rd 2013

Thanks to our dear friend Tony, last night my husband and I were lucky enough to participate as some D23 Members gathered for food and Drinks at House of Blues Orlando. It was a terrific opportunity to socialize with friends and members of the official Disney fan club.  A reserved seating area was held for members and up to 3 guests, so we were all separated from the rest of the diners in the restaurant. Dinner and drinks were not covered by D23 or House of Blues, but we didn’t mind that at all, and were just thankful for the opportunity to be there. Upon checking in, we were all presented with wonderful swag bags that included one 15-percent-off coupon good on all merchandise in the House of Blues store, tickets to 2 tribute bands who would be performing at a later date, and a few other small gifts provided by by D23.

House of Blues Orlando, is known for their Shrimp & Grits, Pulled Pork Sliders, Jambalaya, and Hand Stretched Flatbreads.

A fun addition exclusive to the D23 party was a Specialty Cocktail menu. The menu included fun beverages with creative names such as True Love’s Kiss and Electric Lemonade Parade!

My group and I tried both of these and they were delicious!

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Be Our Guest Restaurant Honored with National Innovation Award

May 31, 2013 by 1 Comment

Be Our Guest Restaurant Honored with National Innovation Award

Just six months after opening its doors, Be Our Guest Restaurant at Magic Kingdom Park earned national recognition for the groundbreaking dining experience being provided to guests in New Fantasyland.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts received an Operator Innovation Award from the National Restaurant Association (NRA) for the technology at the restaurant. An independent panel of expert judges recognized Disney for driving advancement in the foodservice industry.

“The 2013 Operator Innovations Awards winners redefine how the industry views innovation and will serve as the benchmark for other operators to apply the same innovative spirit within their own operations,” said Jeffrey W. Davis, convention chair for NRA Show 2013.

At Be Our Guest Restaurant, state-of-the-art touch-screen terminals allow guests to customize their orders so chefs can efficiently prepare and serve a meals to their liking. The personalized, streamlined experience enables Be Our Guest restaurant to serve more than 3,000 meals at lunch each day.

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WDW Planning Strategy – How To Tackle Those ADR’s

May 29, 2013 by 4 Comments

WDW Planning Strategy How To Tackle Those ADRs

There are a lot of things to consider when planning your WDW vacation, like what to bring, where to stay, when to go, how to get there, and where to eat! For those of you who don’t know, ADR’s can be made 180 days before your WDW vacation, and for those staying on WDW Property, they can be made 180 days in advance plus 10 days (so you can essentially make all your ADR’s at once for you whole trip at that 180 day mark) – just one of the perks of staying at a WDW Resort hotel.

What is an ADR? It stands for Advanced Dining Reservation, and it’s used at Disney Table Service dining locations. How it works is you pick a dining time, and when you arrive at the restaurant at that appointed time, you will be marked as next in line for an available table. So an ADR doesn’t technically eliminate all waiting time, but it does ensure that you will get to eat at your favorite Disney spots, and that your wait time will be minimal (usually less than 15 minutes in my experience)

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Top 10 Best WDW Park Restaurants for Adults

May 16, 2013 by 7 Comments

Top 10 Best WDW Park Restaurants for Adults

When it comes to the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, it’s a food lover’s playground. And while burgers and fries are a theme park staple, there are tons of other types of foods to tempt to your taste buds. For adults who are looking for more than chicken nuggets and French fries, look no further. Disney has got you covered. From Moroccan flavors to Margaritas, there is so much to choose from, you might even forget to check out the theme park attractions!

Here are my top 10 recommendations for the best WDW Park Restaurants for adults. I’ve included casual fare and fine dining favorites. Interested in checking out the resort restaurants? Don’t forget to check out my list of the top 10 best resort restaurants for adults.

10. Yak & Yeti – Located in the Animal Kingdom Theme Park, this is one of the few places in the park to enjoy a non-character table service meal. Serving Asian inspired foods, it offers a nice mix of traditional and fusion style food. Check out the Kobe beef burger and the Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp. If you’re looking for a quieter meal, ask for a seat on the second floor. It’s a great place to recharge in the park. The decor in this restaurant provides a nice backdrop for a meal, as well.

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