Admit it: one of your favorite things about planning your trip to Disney is choosing where you’ll be eating! But did you know that some of the best bites aren’t even at the Parks; they’re at the Disney Resorts!
Did we just blow your mind? Not to worry– we’ve compiled a list of our favorite Disney Resorts for dining!
Disney’s Polynesian Resort
We’re getting the party started at this Magic Kingdom-area Resort at Walt Disney World where you’ll find a bevy of tropical flavors!
‘Ohana hosts an all-you-care-to-enjoy character breakfast (with Lilo and Stitch!) and an all-you-care-to-enjoy dinner with a popular selection of foods — many with a special island twist! For instance, at breakfast you’ll be feasting on Pua’a — sausage links and ham topped with pineapple compote — instead of just your ordinary breakfast links. You can satisfy your sweet (and carb!) tooth with ‘Ohana’s freshly made pineapple-coconut breakfast bread!
Of course, dinner at ‘Ohana is where you want to slow down and savor your meal (after all, you’re on island time, right?) with a selection of freshly grilled meats served tableside on skewers and unlimited piles of peel-n-eat spicy grilled shrimp.
This is also the spot to snag the Poly’s infamous ‘Ohana Bread Pudding a la mode topped with warm caramel sauce and fresh slices of banana! This is a guest favorite for good reason!
And ‘Ohana’s just one option in this tropical food paradise; we haven’t even gotten into the rest of the Polynesian’s restaurants, including Captain Cook’s, Pineapple Lanai (for Dole Whip outside of the Parks!), Kona Cafe, or the funky and fun Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Our next stop brings us to the Animal Kingdom area of Walt Disney World for a walk on the wild side — culinarily speaking, of course! Animal Kingdom Lodge boasts some of the biggest restaurant names on the Disney World foodie scene: Jiko – The Cooking Place (a signature restaurant featuring African flavors and wine), Boma (an extensive, African- and Indian-inspired buffet), The Mara, and Sanaa are all top-notch options when it comes to both food quality and visually-striking theming.
Sanaa is a personal favorite of ours with its Indian Bread Service which features a wide selection of Indian-style flatbreads like naan, kulcha, and paratha with various chutneys and dips. It’s so good and filling that it could easily be a meal, or split one if you’re digging into a saucy Potjie Inspired, too!
Another bonus of dining at Sanaa: you could have a front-row (er, window!) seat overlooking one of the Resort’s savannas. That means you may see zebras, giraffes, cranes, and more pass by your window during your meal! Talk about dinner with a view!
Mara is the Resort’s quick service spot where you can get tasty sandwiches, creative entrees, and guest-favorite Zebra Domes. Zebra Domes are tasty white chocolate ganache-coated nibbles shaped like a dome with dark chocolate ganache drizzled on top like zebra stripes — hence the name! The flavor is heavy on Amarula Liquor, so if you’re a fan, you have to give these a try!
Disneyland’s Grand Californian Hotel
Meet us all the way over on the west coast for our last destination: Disneyland’s Grand Californian — and boy, is it grand! The Craftsman-inspired design soars in the lobby, and the dining’s great, too!
From its huge rustic timbers to its subtle Arts & Crafts details, this Disneyland resort is as much a feast for the eyes as it is a mecca for good food! The Grand Californian boasts two upscale signature restaurants — Napa Rose and The Storytellers Cafe. While both serve modern Californian fare, Napa Rose is helmed by award-winning chef Andrew Sutton, elevating its profile considerably.
You can order from Napa Rose’s prix-fixe Vitner’s Table Menu, the House Menu, or even ask the chef to customize the menu to your party’s preferences. Whichever you select, prepare for an epic culinary adventure! From seafood to steaks, frogs legs, stuffed quail, and everything in between, the food is as beautiful to look at as it is to taste!
Meanwhile, over at Grand Californian’s Storytellers Cafe you can take part in Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Character Breakfast which serves killer Chilaquiles and Bloody marys. The dinner buffet selections include a carving station with assorted pastas, salads, meats, and seafood that get changed out regularly!
In addition to these table service options, the Grand Californian also has a brand new poolside restaurant, GCH Craftsman Bar & Grilland a popular quick service spot called White Water Snacks where you can often find specialty cupcakes!
With so many different styles of hotels and just as many different takes on food, it’s no wonder that some of our favorite dining just so happens to be at Disney’s Resorts and hotels!
Which Disney Resort restaurant do you think has the best food? Let us know in the comments below, and tell us which dishes you’d recommend!
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We were surprised that you missed the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian!! They have yummy pineapple macadamia pancakes (gluten free too!) and the lunch and dinner are delicious too!!