Walt Disney World Table Service – Where are We Going Next?

Walt Disney World Table Service – Where are We Going Next?

First, I was busy booking dining reservations, now I’m busy tweaking them.  I’ve noticed some definite trends in where we choose to eat. We like what we like and deviating from the tried and true is risky sometimes. Since this is a short trip, we’re not taking too many chances on not having great dining experiences.  Here are the restaurants we’ve got in our near future and why we picked them.  (I’ll point out the ones that fall in our favorites category.)

This Trip = Four Days and Nights

Via Napoli (Dinner) – We like the atmosphere and menu at this eatery in World Showcase’s Italy pavilion.  While it doesn’t make our list of top faves, it does offer sharable appetizers, pizzas and pasta dishes.  While we will be sampling some of the Food & Wine Festival booths on our way to Via Napoli, we know we’ll enjoy sitting down and relaxing with some decent fare and a glass of wine.

Tusker House (Breakfast) – WAY up on our list of favorites, it’s hard not to book a meal here.  Full disclosure – we’ve only ever eaten breakfast at Tusker House, but it’s so good in every way!  The buffet has something for everyone and the characters (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy) are absolutely adorable. I love this character dining experience above all others.

Narcoossee’s (Dinner) – Booked for its proximity to our resort (Bay Lake Tower), Narcoossee’s has never disappointed us.  As this is our pre-Wine & Dine half-marathon dinner, we wanted to be able to get to bed early yet still enjoy plenty of tasty entrée options.  We love this restaurant’s location on the Seven Seas Lagoon at the Grand Floridian Resort.  They have a big deck on the water and will gladly keep your food warm if a fireworks show is going on in Magic Kingdom. 

Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen (Lunch) – This one’s a favorite as it should be for everyone!  I’ve spoken about my love for the Canteen before and why we need more in-park dining like it.  If the menu hasn’t changed, I’m ordering the exact same delicious dish I had last time I was there (Perkins Thai Noodles).  Bonus – I can have beer with my lunch in Magic Kingdom if I want to. 

Raglan Road (Dinner) – A family favorite for many years, one horrible visit has kept us away for quite some time.  We’re ready to give Raglan Road anther try, but I’ll be honest…if the food and service haven’t improved, I’ll be ready to write this place off for good. Probably. Maybe.     

Morimoto Asia (Dinner) – This one is currently way up on our favorites list (like near the very tippy-top).  In fact, this reservation was originally for Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’, but I was doing that tweaking thing when a Morimoto reservation became available in our preferred time slot.  Don’t get me wrong – Homecomin’ is good, but Morimoto’s is better.  If I can find a way to squeeze a Homecomin’ lunch in, I’m doing it.

That wraps up the plans for this trip. Are any of your favorites on the list? The rest of our meals will be Food & Wine Festival food and quick service meals or snacks. We have a Tables in Wonderland discount card that doesn’t expire for a couple more months and we’ll be able to use it at each of the places I listed. I’m pretty excited about our choices! No pressure, Disney chefs, but I bring my lunch to work every single day so we can splurge at Disney World and I’m counting on you!!!

What are your favorite table service restaurants at Walt Disney World? Have any been a disappointment? Let me know and as always, thanks for stopping by…Lisa.

WDW Things I’m Most Looking Forward to…

You, my Disney-loving friend, will recognize the feeling: It seems like forever since we last visited our favorite vacation destination. Our dining plans were made months ago, our FastPasses have been booked, our Magic Bands should arrive any time and the wait is nearly over! Now that I can finally say, “Next month I’m going to Walt Disney World!”, here are 30 completely random things I’m looking forward to…

Would any of these be on your list?

  • Dinner at Morimoto Asia
  • The scent of Bay Lake Tower’s lobby
  • Every detail in Animal Kingdom (like how the sounds in Pandora change throughout the day)
  • Pre-race people-watching in our runDisney corrals
  • Dawa Bar beer
  • Looking out over Animal Kingdom from the tea train on Expedition Everest
  • Singing with the Dwarfs in the mine…Heigh-HO!
  • Crossing finish lines!
  • Monorail announcements!
  • Crispy Pork Belly
  • 19.3 miles of one-on-one time with Joseph at Disney World
  • Yak & Yeti eggroll
  • Every second on the PeopleMover (gotta rest those feet!)
  • That first glimpse of Cinderella Castle
  • Balloon vendors on Main Street U.S.A.
  • Soaking up my favorite Spaceship Earth scenes (for a little while longer)
  • Watching for Raymond on the race courses (and trying not to run by him accidentally)
  • The Backside of WATER!
  • “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow….”
  • Everything in Mitsukoshi
  • Random character meetings
  • A maintenance service elevator waiting just for me
  • The wildest ride in the wilderness!

That was only 30 things and there are about a million more! I can’t remember when I’ve been more excited about vacation…time to start packing! Are you headed to Walt Disney World this fall? What are you most excited about?

Disney Dining – Tusker House Breakfast

Great location, perfect for families and groups of all sizes, wonderful variety of buffet foods, AND fantastic Disney characters! What a perfect way to start the day in Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

Disney Dining – Tusker House Breakfast

Once upon a time, our family made character dining experiences a must-do on every Walt Disney World visit.  Just because we may have outgrown that tradition (for now), doesn’t mean we can’t make room in our touring plans for a Disney vacation meal that still includes some character interaction from time to time – especially if the menu is great.tusker-house-mickey-lyndsey-and-joseph

I’d heard great things about the menu at Tusker House and realized that an early breakfast there would give us a jump on our full day of action-packed Animal Kingdom plans.  Our group of seven consisted of a wide variety of food preferences and varying degrees of pickiness – what could be easier than a buffet packed with both traditional breakfast fare and several more exotic, African-inspired flavors?  I chose an 8:35 reservation & we arrived extra early…better to beat the crowds and be first in line for Kilimanjaro Safaris after breakfast.

At the park entrance we were directed to a specific Tusker House waiting area where a very kind Cast Member told us how to find the restaurant. After a short wait, we were on our way.

Once inside, our excellent server, Kat, showed us around the food stations on our way to our table. She explained that the foods were arranged to make it as if guests were shopping in a marketplace. There were no lines…simply move from station to station and fill your plate as you desire.  We arrived at our table, Kat left to get coffee and juice, we headed for the market/buffet.tusker-house-buffet4 tusker-house-buffet3 tusker-house-buffet2

So many options! It was hard to decide where to begin. Along with bacon, eggs, ham, Mickey waffles and the other usual crowd-pleasers were more unique choices from salads to curry, bobotie, and a carving station.  I took small portions of a few things, intending to go back for more after round one.  I’m wary of buffets sometime and want them to be super clean and well-stocked.  These food stations were beautifully maintained.tusker-house-breakfast-plate3 tusker-house-breakfast-plate2 tusker-house-breakfast-plate1

Kat had let us know to expect characters to come by our table, one at a time. Sure enough, the well-paced arrival of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy allowed us plenty of time to eat while pausing for photos. I thought they were all terrific, but Goofy was extra fun.  The characters are all dressed for safari with their own individual styles.tusker-house-donald-and-megan

Just before Daisy made her entrance, I stepped back over to the buffet intending to take a few pictures and maybe grab a couple more foods to sample. Unfortunately, the reason Kat had made an effort to explain how the buffet is supposed to work became clear – a huge, long line had formed! This was no marketplace, this was a slow-moving nightmare. I decided I was finished eating, but made an effort to take a few pictures for you by squeezing in between people here and there. (Find menu details here.)tusker-house-goofy

Our breakfast was over moments before the scheduled park opening & we were on the first Kilimanjaro Safari of the day. We had a great time in Tusker House and would recommend it to small families and large groups alike. The food’s plentiful and tasty, the characters charming and fun, the atmosphere and setting are well-themed and highly detailed.  Just as we’d hoped, Tusker House was the perfect way to kick off the day at Animal Kingdom.

Do you enjoy character dining at Disney World?  Have you tried Tusker House?  What did you think?