Disney Dining Experiences You Must Try

When you vacation at Walt Disney World, you’re a tourist, and I am devout in the belief that you should act like it.

Take big swings on unforgettable opportunities, things you could never do at home, and that includes your meals.

Here are seven Disney dining experiences you must try.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

Let’s start with one of the greatest dining experiences in the world.

Each year, tens of millions of guests travel to Walt Disney World, with nearly 20 million of them visiting Magic Kingdom.

All of them gaze in wonder at the wonder that is Cinderella Castle.

Few of them have any idea that the castle harbors a few secrets.

For starters, you can eat a meal inside the castle. Even better, you’ll be the invited guest of Cinderella!

You’ll meet her right after you enter her royal dining hall’s atrium. She’ll even take a picture with you.

Then, one of her guards will escort you to your table, and you’ll dine like royalty.

Many of the tables feature a view of the outside as well, giving you a glimpse of New Fantasyland and sometimes even the fireworks!

Coral Reef Restaurant

If you haven’t figured it out by now, these recommendations don’t necessarily reflect the best places to go for the food.

While Cinderella’s Royal Table delivers a high-quality fine dining experience, its lofty price raises questions about value.

At Coral Reef, the food raises questions about who’s cooking it and whether they went to culinary school.

Okay, I’m joking because I unabashedly adore the place and eat here regularly.

But the online perception of Coral Reef is about the same as how Michigan fans feel about Ohio State. The hate is real.

You shouldn’t care, though. First, how hard is it to mess up seafood and steak dishes?

Sure, you may not feel like you’re eating the food of a Top Chef, but it’s fine.

More importantly, you’re dining at one of the largest aquariums in the world. THAT is what matters here.

You want to spend a meal at Coral Reef to admire all the fish swimming in their natural habitats.

Humorously enough, these sea creatures are literally swimming with sharks, as you’ll notice Jaws a time or two during your meal.

Seriously, where else can you interact with sharks and NOT be the meal?

Coral Reef is phenomenal, and I’ll never understand how anyone could argue otherwise. Then again, I’m not a foodie.

The Edison

I’ve mostly left Disney Springs restaurants off this list, although a few, like Paddlefish, deserve a mention.

You dine on a paddlefish boat named after Lillian Disney, the matriarch of the Disney clan and Walt’s wife.

But I had to include The Edison, which is probably the most fascinating place I’ve ever eaten at Disney Springs.

This place is definitely a restaurant, but it’s also a showcase for many of Central Florida’s most unique performers.

Gymnasts, acrobats, burlesque dancers, and live bands perform shows at this restaurant.

I also love the flashy steampunk theme, which appears in odd places…like the walls.

You’ll find monitors on the walls around your tables, and the videos they show are *ahem* abnormal.

The Edison mixes arcane animated clips with black and white movie scenes, none of which I recognize…and I ran a movie website for 20 years.

There’s a style and a vibe at The Edison that’s so decidedly un-Disney. You’ll feel like you’re taking a different vacation here.

I highly recommend the experience, especially if you’re a fan of odd curiosities. 

Jungle Skipper Canteen

The sad truth is you cannot ride Jungle Cruise all the time during a Disney vacation.

The Cast members are quite clear on the point. They’ll make you get off the boat. It’s like a rule and stuff.

Do you know what the next best thing is, though? At Jungle Skipper Canteen, you can enjoy the experience for longer.

Your boat ride will only last for a few minutes, while a meal at this restaurant will take an hour.

During that time, your server will inundate you with puns, just as if you were on Jungle Cruise.

The difference is that on the boat ride, you’re one of dozens of passengers. So, you’re not singled out.

At the restaurant, it’s just you and your Skipper, the latter of whom has a caustic wit and ample free time to target you.

I don’t know whether “death by puns” is a thing, but if it is, you may very well die laughing at Skipper Canteen.

Sanaa

You remember how I praised Coral Reef despite the restaurant’s shaky reputation for its menu?

Well, if I described that place as a must-try experience, you can imagine how I feel about Sanaa.

This restaurant serves some of the finest African cuisine in Orlando, and that’s not me saying that. It’s the Orlando Sentinel.

The wine list here is also exquisite, yet neither of these reasons is why you should dine at Sanaa.

Many of the tables here overlook the savannahs at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

So, Sanaa is eerily similar to Coral Reef as a dining experience, only you’re watching animals instead of fish.

Also, there are no sharks, and the animals are a bit more playful. Fish…don’t really do much.

Space 220

I hate to be cliché, but a meal at Space 220 is an out-of-this-world experience. Literally.

You enter the restaurant and board something called a Stellarvater. That’s a term for a space elevator.

You’ll look down at the floor and watch your pod lift off.

In a matter of moments, you’ll leave Florida and then Earth’s atmosphere.

Your Stellarvater achieves escape velocity and sends you to an orbital spacecraft 220 miles above Earth’s surface.

Dorothy, you’re not in Kansas anymore. Or Earth, for that matter.

When you enter the dining room, the digital walls create an immersive experience.

You’ll stare out from your space station and watch various astrological events occurring there.

Sometimes, you’ll notice astronauts performing job duties, and they even bring their pets.

In other instances, an unidentified object may fly by. It’s best not to dwell on the existential implications of that.

The whole experience is wholly unforgettable. Here’s my review from my first time eating there.

Please keep in mind that I’m a jaded travel writer. Few things impress me. Space 220 WOWED me.

Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White

I’m shying away from character greetings as a rule in this article, but I’ve made two exceptions.

Cinderella’s Royal Table would make this list without the Disney Princess’s presence there.

The best part of the experience is eating inside Cinderella Castle. Cinderella being there is just a happy bonus.

But Storybook Dining deserves a mention due to its unique setup.

I think of this place as Fantasyland: The Meal.

You live out the fairytale story of Snow White by entering the forest, which is how Disney has themed the restaurant.

The backdrop is surprisingly immersive. You’d be surprised what a few tree branches can do to change the vibe of a place.

Then, we have the other parts of the story: Snow White, the Seven Dwarfs, and the Evil Queen.

These characters aren’t the only reason why I recommend this restaurant, but the Evil Queen and Grumpy elevate the experience.

A buddy of mine accidentally found himself feuding with Grumpy during our meal, and I still laugh at the thought of that moment.

Storybook Dining is accurately named, as your entire meal will tell a story, something you won’t find anywhere else at Disney.

Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below, and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!

Feature Photo: Disney