Mickey Waffles
For my final Disney recap post, I've decided to share a bit about one more thing in Disney that I absolutely cannot get enough of...the food! I should preface this by saying that, if I tried to write about every single amazing restaurant, and dish, that I've had in Disney, this post would be WAY to long! I can't possibly get to all of it without Paddling In Pearls becoming a Disney food blog. That being said, I'm going to tell you a little about the Disney Dining Plan, and A FEW of my favorite food spots that I visited on my trip last week. I could see how there might be a misconception among first timers about Disney food being "park food." But take my word for it, Disney has world class dining, and the food is some of the best I've ever had. That's saying a lot for a person who is a vegetarian, and newly gluten free. Since going gluten free, I have found it extremely difficult to eat out. As a result, I've taken to cooking, and I've gotten really, really good at it. Disney makes gluten free eating so easy, and so delicious, that it's one of the very few places, where I prefer their gluten free meals, to my own. They will pretty much modify any meal to make it gluten free. As I mentioned last week in my post about Disney's California Grille, they just make it SO easy!
Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar
Dole Whip
The Disney Dining Plan is an option for guests staying on property. There are some different options, but my family has always opted for the standard dining plan. At $60 per person per day, you get 1 snack credit, 1 quick service credit, and 1 table service credit, for each day of your trip. You can distribute your meal credits as you please throughout your visit (in other words, you can have 2 snacks on one day, and none on another day). We have found that with this dining plan, we literally never get hungry. It's SO MUCH FOOD! If you are wise about how you use your credits, you can really get a lot for your money. Snacks for example; a water bottle is a snack. However, any restaurant in Disney will give you a cup of water for free, and your quick service meals come with a beverage. So using a snack credit on a water bottle would be kind of a waste. Instead, I like to use my snack credits on snacks that are unique to Disney. Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars, and Dole Whip Floats are a couple of my favorite Disney treats. Also, select items in the Disney candy stores, like the Confectionary on Main Street, are considered to be snacks. One day at Hollywood Studios, Alyssa had chocolate covered marshmallows, and I had a chocolate covered pineapple. Both were quite large, filling, and oh my goodness, were they delicious! There are so many wonderful snack items to choose from!
Pecos Bill
Hurricane Hanna's
A quick service meal, is basically a counter service, where you order your food, pick it up, and bring it back to a table. These menus commonly consist of things like burgers, sandwiches, pizza, salads, etc. But each quick service location is a little bit different, with food that is unique to that spot. Every Disney resort has at least one quick service location, and the parks have many. On the Disney Dining Plan, a quick service breakfast consists of an entree and a beverage. A quick service lunch/dinner consists of an entree, a side, a dessert and beverage. I like to vary how I use my quick service credits, using them for different meals on different days. Last week, while in the Magic Kingdom, we had dinner at one of my favorite quick service spots, Pecos Bill, in Frontierland. The old fashioned saloon vibe is so much fun! I also had a few quick service lunches at Hurricane Hanna's at the Yacht Club. This was not only a delicious meal, but I loved that I could bring my food back to my lounge chair, and eat it poolside!
Cape May Cafe
Table service meals are either where you sit down, a waiter or waitress comes to take your order, and brings it to your table, OR, buffets. On the Disney Dining Plan, at a sit down restaurant, you get an entree, a dessert and a beverage. At a buffet, it's all you can eat. One of my favorite ways to use a table service credit, is dinner at Cape May Cafe, at the Beach Club. This is a seafood buffet, which is funny, because I don't even eat seafood. However, there are SO MANY other options, salads, soups, side dishes, etc. that I always leave full to the max! Cape May Cafe also has a wonderful character breakfast buffet.
Narcoossee's
Alyssa and I, on the deck at Narcoosse's, with Cinderella's Castle in the background
On the Disney Dining Plan, there are some restaurants that are 2 table service credits. These are the more expensive, and a little fancier, restaurants on Disney property. The food at these restaurants can simply not be topped, and the ambiance is on point. Two of my top three Disney restaurants fall into this category. One is California Grille, which I talked about in this post. The other is Narcoossee's, at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort (which, by the way, is so beautiful! I could literally spend hours in the Grand Floridian lobby, shopping, taking in the sights, and listening to the live pianist and band). Besides having an incredible meal, Narcoossee's is located right on the Seven Seas Lagoon, across from the Magic Kingdom, with an amazing view of Cinderealla's Castle. In my opinion, the view alone is reason enough to eat there! At night, this is a great spot to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks, as well as the Electrical Water Pageant. Hollywood Studios fireworks can also be seen in the distance. Eatting at Narcoosee's has become a tradition in my family. We have dinner, and then sit outside on the deck to watch the fireworks. It's always a special night. I usually make it a point to eat at Narcoosee's at least once during each visit.
So, are you hungry yet? I am! Since I've been home I have been having major Disney food withdrawel! I know that these Disney Recap posts have been longer than most, but, for anyone planning a trip to Disney in the future, I hope you found them to be fun informative! Or, maybe I've inspired you to start planning a trip of your own! I've had a blast reflecting upon my vacation, and sharing my magical memories with all of you! Next week, it's back to talking fashion, and outfit posts! Until then, have a magical weekend!
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