When people think of dining in Disney World, they think of the magical table-service restaurants in the parks. However, there are dozens of restaurants at the Disney resort hotels that are just as magical but much easier to get into.
Today we’re going to take a look at ten bucket list restaurants at the Disney Resort Hotels! Remember that Disney buses do not travel between resorts, so you’ll have to go from your resort hotel to a park or Disney Springs and then transfer to the hotel destination. The exception would be if you’re traveling from a hotel on the monorail line to another hotel on the monorail line or using the Skyliner.
10. ‘Ohana
Disney’s Polynesian Resort is home to ‘Ohana. This family-friendly restaurant hosts two very different meal services, and both are lots of fun!
At the Best Friends Breakfast, you’ll enjoy an American breakfast with a South Pacific twist. While characters such as Stitch have not returned to breakfast yet, we are hoping they will soon!
The dinner menu has a much more South Pacific theme, and it’s all you care to enjoy served right to your table!
9. Artist Point
Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is a picture of rustic elegance with a National Park Lodge theme and offers Storybook Dining with modified character interactions with Snow White, The Queen, Dopey, and Grumpy. Good food and a fun time!
8. Big River Grille & Brewing Works
Big River Grille & Brewing Works at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn is the only working brewpub in Disney World. This casual dining restaurant serves craft beers, and there’s even an onsite Brewmaster crafting beers behind floor-to-ceiling glass observation windows. Enjoy your bbq and beer at the indoor seating or at the waterfront seating. There’s also a kid-friendly menu with hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, pasta, and grilled cheese.
7. Yachtsman Steakhouse
The Yachtsman Steakhouse is located at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. The overarching theme is New England fishing towns and the menu complements that theme with both surf and turf options. The main feature here is obviously the steaks, and you can even watch the butchers cut steaks by hand in the dry-aging room and then prepare them in the open kitchen. The décor is woody and nautical with an upscale but accessible feel.
6. Boatwright’s Dining Hall
Boatwright’s Dining Hall looks like an old shipyard. It overlooks the beautiful Sassagoula River at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, and it is a model of southern hospitality and traditional NOLA cooking like crawfish bisque, jambalaya, shrimp and grits, prime rib, catfish, and Mississippi Mud Pie or Pecan tart for dessert. The restaurant is casual dining and serves dinner only.
5. Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
The Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is returning from its pandemic shutdown, and it is a hoot! It was one of the first dining options at the Disney Resort Hotels, and it is also a personal favorite!
This two-hour dinner show at The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort has a wild-west theme with singing, dancing, and vaudeville comedy. Dinner is all you care to enjoy fried chicken, smoked BBQ ribs, salad, baked beans, cornbread, and strawberry shortcake with unlimited soft drinks for everyone and unlimited draft beer and sangrias for guests over 21 years of age. The show is lots of fun, and there’s a lot of audience participation.
4. Sanaa
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is a totally unique resort location in Disney World. Sanaa showcases the best part of the lodge: the savanna. There are over 30 species of animals on the savanna, and you can see many of them through the domed windows inside this themed restaurant. They serve lunch and dinner, and the menu includes traditional African dishes and some familiar American dishes as well.
3. Jiko
Jiko – The Cooking Place is also at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, but it is a signature dining restaurant with a dress code. The inside is beautiful with twin wood-burning ovens that glow and mimic the beauty of the African sunset. The menu includes traditional African, Indian, and Mediterranean dishes with steak, chicken, seafood, vegan, and vegetarian options. The menu changes seasonally, so it’s always different based on what’s fresh. You can even make reservations for an afternoon safari followed by dinner at Jiko.
2. Chef Mickey’s
Location, location, location. Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is a really cool experience in a really great spot. It honors the theme of the resort in a very modern feel with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, and Goofy all dressed in chef uniforms. The restaurant serves breakfast and dinner in an upbeat and exciting atmosphere. One of the most unique and special things about this restaurant is that it sits just underneath the monorail, so you’ll see it zooming by above!
1. Victoria & Albert’s
Reopening in 2022, Victoria & Albert’s is a grand, luxurious, exclusive, and expensive restaurant at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. The restaurant has earned high marks and several awards including a AAA Five Diamond Award every year since 2000.
Victoria & Albert’s uses seasonal ingredients to create a delectable and ever-changing menu. Guests are expected to hold up the standard by abiding by a dress code. Men must wear dinner jackets and dress pants, but ties are optional. Women should wear a cocktail dress, nice pants suit, or skirt and blouse. Guests who arrive wearing jeans, capri pants, flip flops, or tennis shoes will not be admitted!
In addition to the delicious food, the restaurant houses more than 4,000 bottles of wine in 700 different varieties. Sommeliers are on hand to make pairing suggestions.
If all of this sounds extravagant, you’re right. The price reflects the opulence. Prices range between $185 for a seven-course meal and $235 per person for a ten-course meal. You’ll pay even more if you want to dine at the Chef’s Table or would like a wine pairing.
What Disney World resort restaurant is on your bucket list?