It’s time to talk about food (Big Surprise, right?). Pros and Cons of Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Resort Table Service dining, to be exact. As always, I’m providing information mostly based on my own experiences and opinion – I like to be completely honest. This means I’ll do my best to give you balanced reviews. Since there are three resorts on the Monorail, I thought we’d, you know, make this simple and take one at a time. Thus, part one is Disney’s Contemporary table service dining options – it gets the #1 spot because it’s my favorite resort. Let’s talk food!
Walt Disney World – Resort Loop Table Service Restaurants (Part 1)
Hop on the monorail from the Magic Kingdom and you are just a stop or three away from some of the very best dining those genius Disney chefs can dish out! The best part of this deal is that you can easily avoid in-park dining if you want to. Not that the Magic Kingdom’s food is all bad, but it is somewhat limited if you want to get away from the crowds a bit and maybe have an adult beverage (currently only available in-park at Be Our Guest for dinner). On the resort loop, you will find quite a variety of experiences to choose from and while I’ve not eaten at every restaurant in every monorail resort, I’ve eaten at enough of them to make some well-informed recommendations. I’ll also include the number of table service credits each eatery requires for those of you who use a dining plan.
Contemporary Resort Table Service
Chef Mickey’s (buffet, 1 TS credit) – Character dining at its best. I’ve covered the joys of meeting the Fab Five (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto) in a couple of previous posts because we have had many excellent times at Chef Mickey’s for both breakfast and dinner. Pros: No waiting in line in the Florida heat to meet these beloved characters – you get one-on-one time for plenty of prime photo ops. The buffet, while not extremely imaginative, is full of decent, basic food with plenty of choices that are sure to please even the pickiest eaters. Cons: It’s loud, super crowded (usually), and you can often find a bunch of families with ill-behaved children. It’s worth it, though, especially since boys and girls alike will enjoy the character lineup here.
The Wave (1 TS credit) – Raymond and I stopped in for a late lunch and ate in the bar. What a delightfully unexpected surprise! We shared several things which were all absolutely delicious and we each enjoyed a fantastic glass of red wine. The menu offers fresh, sustainable, locally grown ingredients. Pros: Good eats for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner. Expect a decent selection that is designed to please almost everyone. The dinner menu includes beef, pork, chicken, seafood, and a couple of vegetarian options as well. Cons: Décor is Dark and a little dreary – feels like you’re in a basement.
California Grill (2 TS credits) – LOVE this place. I thought our dinner here on our 25th Anniversary Celebration trip (October, 2014) was absolutely fantastic with some extra-special touches just for us. Raymond wished we’d gone someplace quieter. To me, pretty much everything about this place is great – the atmosphere, the view, the food, the wine list. 
Yes, it’s expensive and while we’ve taken our kids to eat here, I would categorize the California Grill as a best-appreciated-by-adults dining experience. Pros: Excellent menu and service, great view of Magic Kingdom, guests are welcome to watch Wishes from the restaurant (If you had dinner there early, you can come back later the same evening.). Cons: If there are lots of children present, the noise and action can kind of kill the romantic atmosphere – make a late reservation to minimize the impact.
Check back soon for Parts 2 & 3 – Table service options at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.
Have you eaten at Disney’s Contemporary Resort? What restaurant(s) would you recommend?