Disney Dining Plan - Pitstops for Kids

Disney World monorail resort restaurants: where to go and when

We love the Disney World monorail: it’s iconic, fun, fast, and easy. Strollers slide on and off with ease, lines are always at a minimum, and for kids, it’s a ride in itself. We try to take the monorail as often as possible during a Disney trip, in order to keep stress at a minimum.

Our top Disney monorail tip: use this transportation to travel from the Magic Kingdom to Disney World monorail resort restaurants for fun or relaxing meals.

First, a quick tutorial: the Disney Resort loop connects the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian via monorail. A second monorail line connects the Magic Kingdom with the Transportation and Ticket Center: this is how you can get directly to Epcot or connect to other parks and resorts via bus. The resort loop is what we’re focusing on today, and it goes in a single direction: from the Magic Kingdom, it stops at the Contemporary, then the Poly and the Grand Floridian, in that order. Therefore, if you’re at the Grand Floridian, the Magic Kingdom will be the very first stop (3-5 minute ride, tops).

Our dining pick in each Disney World monorail resort:

Chef Mickey:

A classic dining experience in the Contemporary, Chef Mickey is our pick for the first dining you do in the World. Why? It hits all the buttons: you ride the monorail directly into the building, you see Mickey and his gang almost immediately, and you eat a buffet meal (read: no waiting). I know the Contemporary gets some grief, but I like the wide, bright atrium where Chef Mickey is located, and appreciate the very classic Disney feel of this restaurant. Use the dining plan to book this character meal (or experience sticker shock when you get the bill), and enjoy this experience just before entering the Magic Kingdom for the first time of your trip. Need to see the menu?

Where to go to chill: Find some quiet in the convention section of the hotel. Even if there’s an event going on, which is almost always, the hallways outside the meeting spaces are usually peaceful.

Kona Cafe:

Aloha! Welcome to the Polynesian. We think O’hana gets all the attention (and certainly deserves its fair share), but Kona Cafe is often overlooked, and has many of the same menu items in a more relaxed, quiet atmosphere. For a break from the parks, this is what you need! Have the Tonga Toast at breakfast, or go all out at lunch or dinner, making use of the sushi bar and wonderful seafood entrees. Kona Cafe is listed as casual dining (for use with the Disney Dining Plan), and adult plates range from $15-$29. View the menu here.

Where to go to chill: Head through the lush gardens to the Polynesian beach, of course. If you’re lucky, you’ll snag a hammock or swing chair. No, you don’t have to be a resort guest to use these!

1900 Park Fare:

For our money, 1900 Park Fare is where to go for that special character meal outside the parks, especially if you’ve already seen Mickey and Co. 1900 Park Fare is home to the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast, the Wonderland Tea Party, and Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner. What does this mean? Reservations are crucial (up to 180 days in advance). Use the dining plan to book these expensive meals.

However, if character dining is not on your wish list, take a ride to the Grand Floridian (or take the boat…you’ll see the dock right across from the monorail station), and head to the quiet, crowd-free Grand Floridian Cafe instead. We loved the breakfast here, and had empty tables on either side of us, even during Spring Break.

Where to go to chill: Head outside, past the Gasparilla Grill (quick service restaurant) to find a chair overlooking the marina. Kids can watch the boats come and go and (maybe) you can catch a few minutes with your eyes half-closed.

Whispering Canyon:

Ok, this Wilderness Lodge restaurant is not on the monorail loop, but it’s within park distance without getting in a car or bus. Here’s how: from the Magic Kingdom, take the ferry to Fort Wilderness and the lodge.

Unlike Grand Floridian Cafe or Kona Cafe, Whispering Canyon is NOT the restaurant to retreat to when you’re on stimulation overload from the parks. Instead, hit up this restaurant before your park day, like we recommended with Chef Mickey. We like to come here for a fun lunch after a restful morning, and take the boat straight to the Magic Kingdom afterward. It’s large, loud, and usually crowded, and the wait staff love to play practical jokes, tease, and sing. Expect to be entertained, not relaxed. Here’s your menu!

Where to go to chill: After or before your meal, head either to the grand lobby to sit in a rocking chair by the fireplace, or walk out back to the pool area, where kids will enjoy seeing the ‘creek’ that flows from the indoors to the outdoors.

Moral of the story: don’t be afraid to make good use of Disney transportation! The Disney monorail resort restaurants provide extra Disney magic (and a chance to catch your breath), and you don’t need to be a guest at one to stop by, enjoy the ambiance, and relax!

Disney done right: Dining in the ‘World’

February 2, 2011 By Amy Hagstrom

Healthy? No. But they'll burn it off in the parks!

If you’re looking for tips on how to save money on meals in Disney World, this is not the place. Nor will this article tell you where to find the best fries, best pizza, or best cinnamon roll (although that would be the Main Street Bake Shoppe). Instead, this article is all about how to make dining in Disney easier…on you, your kids, your schedule, and your sanity. Because let’s face it, during a Disney family vacation, sometimes a meal feels less like a welcome repast and more like one more line to wait in, one more crowd to fight, and one more battle to get your children to behave. If you follow the tips below, it doesn’t have to be that way!

1. Opt into the Disney Dining Plan if you qualify. Will the dining plan be the cheapest way for your family to dine in Disney World? Perhaps so, perhaps not. It really depends on what type of meals your family enjoys. But that’s not the point: even if it costs you a few extra dollars when compared to dining out-of-pocket, we believe it’s worth it. Why? Because every time you order a burger at a counter service restaurant or the kids beg for a $5 tub of popcorn, you won’t feel ‘nickel and dimed’. You’ll be able to say ‘yes’ more often than ‘no’, and you won’t have to worry so much about each drink that comes with each meal and the price of that side dish of mac and cheese your kid had to have but never touched. You will have to pay attention to your number of counter service and table service credits, but Disney makes that easy for you by including a running tally on every food receipt.

2. If your kids are character crazy, reserve Character Meals. That’s right, I said ‘reserve’. Disney calls it an ‘AR’ (Advanced Reservation), and even if you’re visiting in the off-season, you’ll need one. Different restaurant venues will showcase different characters, so find the one (or more) that fits your family and plan to spend an hour or so with the characters while eating and relaxing in the air conditioned indoors instead of sweating in lines in the parks. Our favorite is the Pooh and Friends meal at Magic Kingdom’s Crystal Palace. (Bonus tip: reserve a table at a park-venue restaurant before park opening; you’ll be allowed to enter early for great photo ops by near-empty park attractions.)

Pit Stops' Grandpa becomes part of the act at Hoop-Dee-Doo!

3. Schedule your day around lunches for before 11:30 am or after 2 pm. It really does make a huge difference: not only will eating during off-peak hours save you time and hassle at the service windows and ensure you get a table, but it will free you up to tour the park while everyone else is eating. (Bonus tip: this works at ski resorts, too!)

4. Save buffets for the end of the day. Unless you were blessed with super-bionic angel children, your kids (and you!) are worn out by the end of a Disney day. Instead of asking them to sit still and wait for their table service meals, consider scheduling buffets for this last meal of the day. Everyone gets fed faster, has more choices, and can move around. Our hands-down favorite was Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Boma (easy to access via Disney transportation after a day at Animal Kingdom).

5. Enjoy dinner and a show. This tip goes double if you’re on the dining plan, since you’re able to use your points even for bundled dinner events such as the Fantasmic or Candlelight Dinner packages. Doing so allows you to relax and enjoy your meal without worrying about getting a good seat for the show: Disney reserves a spot for you. And some meals include a show of their own: our top pick was Fort Wilderness’ Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my kids laugh so hard!