Although character meals are a pretty amazing way to spend your Disney time, I have a list of my favorite tried-and-true Non-Character Meals that kids just love!
1. Be Our Guest – This restaurant is hard to beat and almost impossible to get a reservation! Although the Beast can be found at dinner time he does not make appearances for lunch so try visiting during Quick Service hours – it’s Character Free! This is a win-win since most of the lunch menu is the same as the dinner menu but at a much lighter price and you will still get the same amazing atmosphere. Located in the heart of the New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom, Be Our Guest offers an unique dining experience your family is sure to love. The food is to die for, and who doesn’t want to dine in a castle?
After your meal, Cast Members will allow you to check out the castle and take a few photos for the albums. There are 4 themed rooms to explore, each with their own Enchanting atmosphere. When you stop by make sure to try the Grey Stuff, it’s delicious!
2. T-Rex Cafe – It’s hard to go wrong with the dinosaur-themed dining amid prehistoric creatures and periodic meteor showers. Your kids will be amazed at the life-sized animatronic dinosaurs—including a 15-foot-tall T. Rex! Head to the Downtown Disney Area in the Downtown Disney® Marketplace for the T-Rex Cafe or just stop in and check out the ‘Dino-Store’ gift shop to assemble your very own plush pet dinosaur at the Build-A-Dino® By Build-A-Bear Workshop®!
3. Rainforest Cafe – This restaurant is by the same company who brought you T-Rex Cafe but for those of you with fear of Dinosaurs I would suggest trying Rainforest Cafe instead. This restaurant is so good it currently holds two locations – one at the Downtown Disney® Marketplace and other at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Gather your party of explorers and journey deep into the Amazon, where you’ll dine in the company of animated animals to the sounds of thunder claps and sudden rainstorms. Singing birds, trumpeting elephants, chest-pounding gorillas and schools of brightly colored fish welcome you to the jungle! If you stop in make sure that you save room for the “Journey’s End Sparkling Volcano”.
4. ‘Ohana – Located at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. (This is one of my favorites.) Although breakfast service does feature characters the dinner experience is Character Free. ‘Ohana features all you can eat amazing Polynesian food. Even picky eaters will find something within their comfort zone, but most likely the kids will be too busy playing a part in the show to worry about that. Hawaiian spirit flows through the building as they play the ukelele, hand out leis and teach hula dances. Kids can also play with hula hoops and compete in coconut races using only brooms! If you play your cards right, a hidden gem at ‘Ohana is to request a window view just in time for Wishes over the castle. For a little extra magic ‘Ohana even dims the lights and pipes the Wishes music into the restaurant during the show. I can’t think of anything better to go with an amazing Banana’s Foster.
5. Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater – Located at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Commissary Lane, this restaurant features a unique dining experience within the parks! Ever wanted to take the kid’s to the drive-in? Well now you can! Take a blast to the past in this 50’s themed drive-in theater restaurant. Kids love playing in the cars so make sure to request a car ‘booth’ because there are a few seats that do not feature the car seating. Let the kids order a glowing Character Punch, or a classic 50’s milkshake for some fun additions to your meal. The ambiance is dark as if you were outside watching a movie of course, so it’s a good place to cool off from a hot day at the parks. The featured movie’s are black & white, silent sci-fi classics so as not to be too scary for the kids. This is sure to be a unique experience.
What are some of your favorite dining experiences in Walt Disney World? Leave us a comment and let us know.
Have a Magical Day °o°
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