Cory Graffeo

With so many places to grab a bite at the most magical place on Earth, picking a favorite can be a little difficult. There truly is something for everyone to enjoy. Not everybody has the same taste in food or enjoys the same flavors. Just because these are my favorite places does not mean they will be yours! These reviews are based on my personal thoughts and experiences. I HIGHLY recommend checking out Disney Food Blog for a more in depth look at menus and reviews of every Disney World restaurant. 

Here is a list of my favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner options:

Breakfast: My favorite breakfast on property is The Wave. This table service restaurant is located inside of Disney’s Contemporary Resort which is located near Magic Kingdom® Park. They offer typical breakfast food, but with a little flare. Even the “basic” breakfast items taste better here in my opinion. The sweet potato pancakes are delicious as well as the egg’s benedict. Oh yes, and they also have Mickey waffles! My favorite part of breakfast at this location is the refillable mimosa. You can get as many as you would like and they also have the famous POG juice you can get instead of orange juice. All you have to do is ask! 

Lunch: I love grabbing lunch at Satu’li Canteen! This is a quick service location at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park inside Pandora – The World of Avatar. Here you can find options that you can’t get at most quick service locations. They serve up delicious beef, shrimp and chicken bowls. Meat not your thing? They also have some plant based options as well. My kids are not adventurous eaters so they enjoyed a hotdog and the cheeseburger steamed pod (which strangely gives Big Mac vibes). There is a lot of seating both indoors and outdoors. I highly suggest checking it out next time you’re in this park!

Dinner: This one is going to get mixed reviews, it always does and I am fine with that. My all time favorite restaurant on Disney property is Be Our Guest. This is a signature dining experience located at Magic Kingdom® Park. This meal will cost a pretty penny as it is a prix fixe menu and it is located inside of the Beast’s castle. Some will argue that the food is not worth the money, but I disagree. I think that if you are prepared for the type of food you will be pleasantly surprised. I may be a little biased because this is my favorite movie ever, but I have never been disappointed with anything I have eaten here. Also, this is the only place you will get to meet the Beast! Make sure you try the grey stuff; it really is delicious! 

Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of other restaurants that I LOVE on property. These are just my top three, but I could go on and on about all the fabulous dining options. There are also some places that I hope to try soon that may take the top spot! Let me know what your favorite restaurants are in the comments! 

Are you wanting to plan a Disney vacation but think you can’t afford it? Think again! There are many ways to save money and still have the most magical vacation ever. People ask me all the time how I afford to go to Disney so much. The truth is I just plan well and pinch pennies where I can. 

Here are some saving tips:

1. PLAN AHEAD.

I always plan my vacation as soon as packages become available for the dates I am wanting to visit. Dates open up 500 days in advance. By doing this, I can make a $200 deposit and make payments up until a month before my trip. There is no minimum payment or evenly monthly payment required. This gives me the flexibility to pay whenever I want so I do not feel stressed about any payments coming up. 

*For cruises, you must put down a 20% deposit and due dates are a little different, but payments are still accepted whenever as long as it is paid by the due date!

2. DISNEY GIFT CARDS!

You can use gift cards to pay for your entire vacation! I typically buy Disney gift cards anytime I go shopping. When I’m at the checkout, I just grab a $25 card. If I don’t spend as much on groceries, I may buy a larger amount. Also, many stores have discounts on gift cards! For example, if you have a Target Red Card (debit or credit) you receive 5% off on purchases, and yes that includes gift cards! Sam’s Club and BJ’s also have deals. You can also combine all balances onto one card so you don’t have to keep up with several different ones. 

If you are a stay-at-home mom or just have some extra time on your hands, there are a lot of good apps where you can make some extra money or redeem points for gift cards. My favorite apps are Fetch and Dabbl. With Fetch, there is literally zero skill. All you do it scan receipts from ANY purchase you make. Did you get gas? Scan your receipt. Groceries? Yep, that too. Literally, any receipt can be scanned for points. You can redeem these points for Visa gift cards to buy Disney ones with as well as tons of other options. Dabbl is another good app to use if you are patient and do not mind taking surveys. A good thing about this app is that you can redeem points directly for Disney gift cards. They offer double and triple points A LOT so it is really easy to get a gift card in a reasonable amount of time. I have personally made over $400 for a trip with these two methods. If you want more information, email me and I can send you a referral code! 

3. Get a Side Job

Things like Instacart and DoorDash are great for a little side hustle. You can use the side money to go strictly to your vacation fund! You also get to work when you want and for however long you want! 

A dream vacation may seem expensive or out of reach, but it is definitely doable no matter what your budget is! Just stick to a plan and you can pay off your trip in a reasonable amount of time!

If you would like more information on any of the tips above, feel free to email me and I will be happy to help! 

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