Top 5 Table Service Restaurants at Walt Disney World

In keeping with my little Disney theme here on Must-Have Monday, I have decided to write about the restaurants you must visit while you're at the happiest place on Earth.  It makes me happy to write and think about all things Disney.  I have a little over a month until I get to book my Disney dining reservations for our June 2015 trip and I'm already planning where we will eat!

First of all, if you stay on property, you MUST book the Disney Dining Plan.  The Quick Service plan is cheaper, but you will want the Table Service.  To be honest, there's really no other way to do Disney.  The meals are just as much a highlight of the trip as the parks, especially for the adults.  We can't travel when free dining is offered, but we always pay for it and it's always worth it.  If you can travel when free dining is offered, then that's just a bonus!  Enjoy!  The following are all table service restaurants that I highly recommend for your next Disney vacation!

These restaurants are my top five, from my personal experience.  There are plenty of restaurants at Walt Disney World that I have never eaten at.  One of these days I will visit them all!  There are also plenty of restaurants that I would not recommend, but that's another post for another day.  That being said, here are what I consider the top five table service restaurants at Disney.

1. Ohana.  "Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten."  Do you know that quote from Lilo & Stitch?  Sidenote, Stitch is probably one of my favorite Disney characters to meet at the parks.  Ohana is in the Polynesian Resort, which is one of the monorail stops. You can park at the Polynesian or park at the Ticket Center and hop on the monorail to get there.  On our last trip, we didn't have time to go back to our resort before dinner, so we took a boat ride from Magic Kingdom.  While Ohana does have a Lilo & Stitch breakfast buffet, we've never attended.  We've always gone for dinner and we probably always will.  There is entertainment at dinner, but it's not a character meal.  Ohana is Polynesian food served family style to your table.  The servers come around with chicken, steak, and pork on skewers and give you as much as you want.  The rice, noodles, and vegetables are also all-you-can-eat.  Come hungry to Ohana, and I promise you will leave stuffed.

2.  Crystal Palace.  This is the Winnie the Pooh character buffet inside Magic Kingdom and the breakfast is delicious.  You really get more bang for your buck when you book buffets, especially when you're on the Disney Dining Plan.  If you're traveling with a child under three, she can eat off your plate as well.  As with all character buffets, each character visits your table, signs autograph books, and poses for pictures.  Bring your own camera, the Photopass photographers don't come to the restaurants.  The character's "handlers" will take pictures for you, though.  Book your reservations early, and you have access to the park before anyone else!  You can even get your pictures taken in front of the castle with no crowds in the background.





3.  Garden Grill.  Garden Grill is in Epcot, inside The Land.  We tried this one for the first time on our last trip because we booked late and it was one of the few restaurants we were able to get reservations for.  We loved it so much, we will probably be going again in June.  The food was clean and fresh.  Most of the vegetables were actually grown in the same greenhouse that the boat ride goes through!  It's a really great lesson in farm-to-table for your kids.  This is also all-you-can-eat, and the server will bring out seconds and thirds of anything you would like.  It's fun because the restaurant rotates.  It goes slow, don't worry about motion sickness, but it's fun to be able to see the inside of The Land attraction.  The bonus?  It's also a character buffet!  Meet Chip & Dale and their friends, which when we went happened to be Farmer Mickey and Pluto.  Dale is probably my second favorite character to meet.  He's so silly and the kids love him.  I have the cutest video of Dale cheering up my very cranky then-three-year-old at Goofy's Kitchen at Disneyland.

4.  1900 Park Fare.  This is inside probably the fanciest resort on Disney property, The Grand Floridian.  It's so nice inside that I was a little embarrassed going dressed in my shorts and tank top. Everyone is dressed differently, though, so don't be, I'm just weird like that.  1900 Park Fare is the Cinderella dinner, where you meet the Princess herself, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, and those evil stepsisters, Drizella and Anastasia.  While the food is good, and the strawberry soup is to die for, this dinner really is all about the characters.  They are amazing.  Lady Tremaine and the stepsisters are so evil and never break character.  They are absolutely hilarious.  They fight with one another over the Prince, and they will plant big red kisses all over your little boy's face.  Cinderella and Prince Charming also dance beautifully in the middle of the ballroom.  Once again, don't forget your autograph books and cameras!




5.  Raglan Road.  This is one of the many restaurants at Downtown Disney.  Raglan Road is a true Irish pub, and many things in the restaurant are imported from Ireland, including the band and the dancers!  When you book your reservation, make sure you will be there when both are performing., they really do create the atmosphere.  While my husband loves the Shepherd's Pie, my favorite part of the meal is the bread pudding for dessert.  Although it is a pub, it is still very family friendly, so don't hesitate to bring your children.

Must Haves for Airplane Travel with Kids

It's Must-Have Monday!  I'll be honest, I'm starting to struggle coming up with these "must-have" lists.  But, since we just recently booked our next Disney trip (June 2015!), I thought this would be a good topic.  We have traveled with my son since he was a year old.  Our next Disney trip will be his 7th trip!  All seven trips we have taken an airplane.  It's probably safe to say he's been on a plane at least 10 times.  Each time is different.  Once, when I was traveling with him alone (he was two), we had to make a stop at Dulles.  It was just supposed to be a stop--no changing planes.  The best-laid plans right?  Well, as we were taxiing to our gate, our plane got hit by a fuel truck!  No joke!  There was no real emergency, but they did make us exit the plane and wait for a new one before continuing on to our final destination.  I must say, it's always a fun story to tell.  Definitely one for the baby book.

Since I feel like I'm somewhat an expert in the area of flying with kids, here are my must-haves for airplane travel with children.

1.  A Car Seat.  Don't check it; bring it on the plane with you and have your child sit in it.  Number one, it's safer and the FAA recommends it.  Number two, it keeps your kid contained during the entire flight.  I've been on many a flights (remember, we're always going to Disney) where kids are all over the place; in the aisles, standing on the seats, etc.  Not my kid.  He's always well-behaved strapped in his car seat.  Number three, you have your own seat if you are renting a car when you reach your destination.  Your kid will be comfortable and safe.

2.  An iPad or Tablet & Headphones.  You already know that we are an iPad family.  An iPad on an airplane is a must-have because it helps pass the time quickly.  Even our two-hour flights to Florida get a little long, so an iPad allows your kids to watch a movie, play games, read books, listen to music, etc.  Headphones?  Well those are for all the people around you.  Yes, I have actually been on flights where the children were using an iPad without headphones.  Very annoying.  We buy the kid-size ones, not earbuds, they're more comfortable and your kid is more likely to use them.

3.  Snacks & Sippy Cup.  If you're on a flight that is only a couple of hours, the flight attendants typically only come around once with snacks and drinks.  If you're traveling through rough air, they may not even reach your seat.  Bring pre-packaged snacks (fruit snacks, small bags of animal crackers or chips, etc.) or package your own in snack bags.  DO NOT bring a huge bag of pretzels!  Bring more than you think you'll need, and don't forget about your return trip.  If your child is sippy cup age, make sure you bring one on the airplane with you (and don't forget to pack a few in your luggage as well). I have even spilled those tiny airplane cups before, so you can imagine the damage a three-year-old can do.  If you are bringing a baby on board a plane, TSA will allow you to bring formula or breast milk through security.  They just have to test it first.

4.  Quiet Activities.  Although I think the rules are starting to change, typically electronic devices cannot be used until you reach 10,000 feet.  This means no iPad until you are well under way.  Bring a small book, a few toys, a coloring book or (even better!) a Color Wonder book.  We brought a latches puzzle with us once, and that was great, but it was kind of bulky in the carry-on.  I've also seen those really neat quiet books that you can make.  I'm thinking about making one for the baby for our trip next June.  Remember, any activities you bring can also double as rainy-day or even restaurant activities when you reach your destination.

5.  Blanket & Travel Pillow.  Airplanes are cold!  Chances are, you're bringing your kid's blanky with you on vacation anyways, so you might as well throw it in your carry-on to bring on the airplane as well.  My son loves his little "Nemo" travel pillow.  You know, the kind that wraps around your neck?  It makes for a comfortable airplane ride, and it's also a special lovey to have at your home-away-from-home for the duration of your trip.