Planning a Walt Disney World vacation is an imposing task. While ticket packages, resort selection and attraction itineraries may get the majority of your attention, dining is an important consideration as well. Many popular restaurants, such as Le Cellier, are impossible to get into without an advance reservation. Even a quick breakfast or lunch will go smoother if you take time to investigate the best and most memorable dining locations before you arrive.
Breakfast
A full, healthy breakfast is an important meal before heading out for a long day of walking around the Disney parks. If you're staying at a Disney resort, you will find a variety of menu options at your resort's food court. While this is a quick and convenient way to grab a meal, keep in mind that other resort guests will have the same idea and the dining area can get quite crowded around 8 or 9 in the morning. Each of the four theme parks also hosts a character breakfast, for which reservations are strongly recommended. If you're looking for a quick breakfast to eat within the parks, your choices will be limited to pastries, juice and coffee.
Lunch
You will most likely be eating lunch inside one of the theme parks if you are spending a whole day at Walt Disney World. Counter service restaurants abound in all of the parks and a burger, salad or sandwich is never far away. On hot days, making reservations at a table service restaurant provides a welcome chance to sit inside an air conditioned building and relax for a bit. Heading to a nicer restaurant, such as one of the many dining locations in the World Showcase at Epcot for lunch rather than dinner is also a smart way to get the same food for a more affordable price.
Dinner
If you want to try out one of the many spectacular resort restaurants in Walt Disney World, dinner is a good time to go. It won't interrupt your time in the park, since you can make plans to go at the end of the day and head back to your own resort afterward. For dinner and a show, head to the Hoop de Do Revue at the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground or Disney's Spirit of Aloha Show at the Polynesian Resort. If Fantasmic! At Disney's Hollywood Studios is on your agenda, you can get preferred seating with the Fantasmic! dining package. Just reserve the package for lunch or dinner at either The Hollywood Brown Derby, Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano or Hollywood & Vine and you can get VIP vouchers for that evening's show.
Snacks
Visiting Walt Disney World can be a surprisingly tiring experience, especially for first-time guests who are anxious to do it all. Unlike many theme parks, Disney allows guests to bring their own food and beverages into the park. To save money, pack some small snacks such as chips, crackers, granola bars, trail mix or fruit. Bring a water bottle for each member of your party and refill them at water fountains throughout the park. If you do decide to grab a snack in the park, avoid overpriced chips and soda that you could get anywhere, and try more distinct options such as the stuffed pretzels at Min and Bill's Dockside Diner in Disney's Hollywood Studios or the Dole Whip at Aloha Isle in the Magic Kingdom.
Ethnic Foods
Epcot provides an unparalleled opportunity to sample cuisine from various countries on your Disney vacation. From Mexico to Canada, the opportunities to eat and drink your way around the world are ample. To truly make the most of this opportunity, visit during the annual Food and Wine Festival, held each fall when you can sample small servings of food and drink from each country as you meander through Epcot's World Showcase. An often overlooked opportunity to try distinct ethnic cuisine is also available at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, where the Boma buffet and Jiko present a variety of sweet and savory African dishes.
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