This was inevitable. I just knew that I would get around to discussing one of my favorite topics: DISNEY FOOD. The reason it comes up now is because I'm finishing up the plans for our upcoming family trip to Disney World, and my dining reservations need to be finalized.
We can fly by the seat of our pants on almost everything we do at Disney these days, but I can't be firm enough about how absolutely critical it is to set your dining reservations ahead of time. Countless visitors to Disney World every year are stunned and terribly disappointed when they walk up to the many amazing table service restaurants on property and discover they can't get a table because the restaurant is full...all day...all week...all trip. I always feel so badly for the poor, exhausted, beleaguered dad, who is standing there with his ballcap half falling off, a whining two year old tugging on his fingers, some strange chocolatey substance smeared across his shirt. He is so excited at the thought of sitting down to dinner to recharge his batteries, only to be told that there are no tables available. The dad gets a confused look on his face and says, "We'll wait," but the cast member smiles politely and explains that there are no tables for the rest of the day. It is truly like the cast member is speaking in a foreign language. The dad eventually wanders back out to face the rest of his hungry horde, and I'm always glad at that point when the cast members DON'T chime in with "Have a magical day!" I spoke to one family during our last trip who couldn't find a single table service reservation for their entire seven night stay. They were VERY tired of Disney pizza and hamburgers by the time they headed back to the airport. I'm sure they thought the Chili's at MCO was like the promised land as they got ready to head home.
Don't get me wrong--counter service at Disney World has its place. It's very convenient, and there are a lot of different choices. These days, you can even get nice, healthy choices like grapes or carrots with the kids' meals. The pizza is pretty good...until you have had it for three days in a row. My son (pizza connoisseur) says the pizza is best at Pizzafari at Animal Kingdom, though if you ask me it's the same exact pizza they serve at Pinocchio's at the Magic Kingdom. Josh is also of the opinion that the pizza served at Pizza Planet at Disney's Hollywood Studios is EXTREMELY disappointing. (He doesn't realize that again, it's the same exact pizza. Josh's real problem is that Disney Imagineers are missing the boat when it comes to Pizza Planet. They should have themed that place exactly like the restaurant in the Toy Story movie...right down to the rocket-shaped crane machine with the little green aliens in it. If they'd done it right, my little boy would be in heaven, and I'd be spending buckets of quarters trying to win aliens, which is a win-win for Disney. I hardly ever fault Disney's Imagineers, but in this case, they got it very, very wrong, and they are disappointing kids everywhere.)
As usual, I've wandered off track, so let's get back to the topic of reservations. There is just something about wandering into a table service restaurant for a nice sit-down meal late in the afternoon or early in the evening that rejuvenates me. I can soak up the air conditioning, rest my tired feet, and have a friendly Disney cast member serve me a terrific meal. I think I could handle a short 2-3 day trip of exclusively counter service meals, but after that point I would be done and you would have to stick a fork in me. (Not to mention the great dining experiences I would be missing...like the mushroom filet at LeCellier...in favor of yet another counter service pizza). So...the bottom line is this: don't get left out in the cold. Make your ADR's early, often, and in abundance. You won't be sorry!
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