Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DINING
in
WALT DISNEY WORLD
TIME WAS THAT YOU COULD HAVE JOKED
that a chapter about dining in Walt Disney
World was an oxymoron. Whatever else it was (and it was many wonderful things),
DisneyWorldwasnogourmetparadise.Forthemostpart,infact,therestaurantswere
as much entertainment as the rest of Disney World: Then and now, fast-food joints
feature character decor, and the waitstaff at the Epcot pavilions sport native costumes.
Over the years, however, Disney's food-and-beverage department has not only
vastly expanded but has succeeded in upgrading the full-service restaurants around
the World. Now there are 9 or 10 first-class restaurants and perhaps an equal number
of B+ establishments. The wine lists have been seriously improved and expanded
(there's even a wine bar,
Martha's Vineyard
, at the Yacht & Beach Club).
Of course, if the average parents roaming Walt Disney World were primarily con-
cerned with pleasing their palates, the hottest dinner ticket in the parks wouldn't be
the
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
. In fact, if you want to know what Disney World
visitors really like, look at the numbers: Every year, they consume 1.6 million turkey
legs, nearly 10 million hamburgers, 7.7 million hot dogs, 46 million sodas, and 5 mil-
lion bags of popcorn.
So for many families, food is a secondary consideration, but if you do care about
dining out on your vacation or you'd like to experiment with different cuisines,
The
Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World
, a.k.a. the “Big Book,” includes detailed re-
views of the sit-down establishments in the World.
LILIANE
One thing parents should be aware of is that both full- and
counter-service restaurants at Walt Disney World serve very substantial por-
tions. You can easily put aside parts of dinners for lunches the next day (if
you have a fridge in your room), split an entrée, or load up at lunch and go
light on dinner.
