4 Obscure Rules You Didn’t Know About Eating in Disney World

Deciding where to eat in Disney World is already hard enough as it is — there are SO many restaurants to choose from!

We have our favorites, of course, but we also try to branch out and try restaurants that we haven’t been to in a while, or sometimes we save up for an extra special experience at a more expensive table service restaurant. If you’re planning your Disney World trip and have gotten to budgeting for food and planning out your dining reservations, we have something you need to keep in mind — there are some STRANGE rules about eating at some Disney World spots.

Age Restrictions

Believe it or not, there are a few restaurants in Disney World that have age requirements! Don’t worry, though; these aren’t any of the quick-service spots around the property, and they’re not any of the more casual table-service restaurants, either.

These age restrictions are put in place at some of the most expensive and fancy restaurants on Disney World property. You’ll find them at:

• Takumi-Tei: Guests must be 8+
• Victoria & Albert’s: Guests must be 10+
• Monsieur Paul: Guests must be 10+

These age restrictions are just due to the nature of each of these restaurants. They’re truly fine dining, which also means that many kids won’t like what’s on the menu anyway — and these places don’t have a kids menu!

Dress Codes

In a similar vein, many of these fine-dining restaurants have dress codes that must be adhered to. Unfortunately, your theme park attire or pool flip-flops are NOT going to cut it here:

• Victoria & Albert’s: Semi-Formal/Formal attire that “respects the restaurant’s elegant and opulent aesthetic”
• Monsieur Paul: Attire that is clean, neat, in good condition, and adheres to the restaurant’s sophisticated and upscale aesthetic
• Takumi-Tei: Attire that is clean, neat, in good condition, and adheres to the restaurant’s sophisticated and upscale aesthetic

For Monsieur Paul and Takumi-Tei, it’s likely that theme park attire that isn’t “inappropriate” will be all right, but a regular t-shirt and shorts may not cut it. It’s a little hard to navigate, so if you have space in your bag, maybe bring another nicer shirt or skirt or dress to change into if your regular attire won’t cut it.

Time Limits

There’s one restaurant in Disney World that even has a time limit! Yes, you can only dine in here for a select amount of time and it’s because of the low amount of space inside the restaurant! Yep, we’re talking about Oga’s Cantina in Galaxy’s Edge.

Oga’s Cantina is a super immersive experience for Star Wars fans, but it’s quite small. While there are a few tables in the bar, there are more standing-room tables, which means that you have a maximum of 45 minutes to spend in the bar. 

We know, we know, that doesn’t sound like a very long time, but there’s also a limit of two drinks per person! Two drinks in 45 minutes can hit you pretty hard, so be sure to pace yourself, and if you’re planning on drinking both drinks, you may want to make your reservation for later in the evening when the sun is no longer baking you from high in the sky.

Dining Plan

While many restaurants in Disney World do use the Disney Dining Plan, there are a few out there that do NOT! A few of the restaurants that don’t accept the Disney Dining Plan are:

• California Grill
• Space 220
• Summer House on the Lake
• Wine Bar George
• STK
• Takumi-Tei

To check if the restaurant you’re planning on dining at takes the Disney Dining Plan, just check the Disney World website or My Disney Experience app!

There are also some restaurants that use TWO of your Disney Dining Plan credits, instead of just one, due to the popularity of the restaurant. These include:

• Cinderella’s Royal Table
• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
• Story Book Dining at Artist Point
• Be Our Guest
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue

If you’re planning our your Dining Plan credits, it’s also important to note that Disney World lounges count as a Table Service credit! So, stopping by Nomad Lounge or Dahlia Lounge and choosing to use a DDP credit there will take one away from your overall table service credit count.

And at some restaurants, most notably Chicken Guy! in Disney Springs, their Disney Dining Plan credits are a little wonky, so you’ll want to look into them ahead of time. At Chicken Guy!, you can use a quick service credit to get an entree and a drink with no problem, but a combo meal is NOT included! That side item will have to be paid for separately.

Overall, there are some truly strange rules around dining in Disney World, but as long as you do some research ahead of time and know what’s coming, you’ll be just fine. Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest Disney news!

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What’s the strangest dining rule you’ve ever come across? Tell us in the comments!

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