Dining at Disney

Perhaps a silver lining in all of the torrential rain that dampened my Disney vacation was getting to eat at many of the parks’ exclusive restaurants. Disney also offers dining plans that can be customized to include a number of full-service, quick-service, and snack dining options for each person, each day of the vacation. Obviously an attempt to bolster business at their pricey food joints, these plans may just have more folks choosing to eat in the park, rather than carry in peanut butter and jelly.

Below is a brief review of each restaurant I ate at.

But before I go too far, as promised two posts ago, here’s the link to my online photo album from the trip.

RAINFOREST CAFÉ – Downtown Disney

This chain restaurant actually has two locations at Disney, the other being (appropriately) allocated to Animal Kingdom. I ordered the shrimp stir fry in sweet-and-sour sauce, sauce on the side. The vegetables were very fresh and crunchy, perhaps even a tad undercooked. The blend of veggies was nice overall, although more than three broccoli spears would’ve been better, along with fewer water chestnuts. The shrimp were plump, juicy, and full of briny flavor without being rubbery. And the star of this dish was the generous scoop of jasmine rice plopped in the center. With its sticky texture and nutty/sweet flavor, this Asian grain proved to be far more authentic than the average parcooked white rice.

Unfortunately, the one thing that broke this otherwise good meal was the sauce. Way too much sweet with little sour. Actually, the whole thing just needed more flavor. I used a few spoonfuls of the sauce, and then added some salt to kill the sweetness. I’m glad I requested it on the side, or else my dinner would’ve been swimming in sugary sweetness. With the right sauce, this may have been a good dinner.

The atmosphere, that of a tropical rainforest is fun, but can grow old quickly. Wait staff yelling “volcano” every time the signature dessert comes out of the kitchen gets obnoxious.

HOUSE OF BLUES – Downtown Disney

This is another chain restaurant. In addition to offering live music most nights of the week, they also does some good Southern cooking. I ordered a grilled salmon over shrimp risotto jambalaya.

It was a curious and delicious melding of Italian and Southern cuisines. The thick slab of salmon was seasoned perfectly with a salty rub and had a rich, meaty flavor. The risotto was made of perfectly large and soft-grained rice served in a tomato sauce with fresh asparagus and shrimp. This blending of flavors worked out very well without being overly sweet, salty, or even spicy.

GRAND FLORIDIAN CAFÉ – Grand Floridian Hotel

The casual atmosphere of this café is offset by the hotel’s high charm and class—typical of the Victorian era it depicts. Like many Disney restaurants, the menu here is limited. Most dishes are a bit on the exotic side, and picky eaters may be out of luck. Case in point: the cheeseburger, seasoned with lobster and other surprising ingredients. The closest thing to a conventional dish is the (small) half rotisserie chicken with a side of mixed field greens.

Here I ordered the mahi mahi in a popcorn breading. The presentation of this dish was something to comment on as well. The fish arrived in a square bowl, served over corn, peas, and crayfish meat in a lobster broth-like sauce. Garnishing it was some fresh popcorn—odd and hard to get on a fork. But the popcorn breading was very different in a good way—it had a sweet, mildly salty, light flavor that complemented the meaty texture and flavor of the white fish. It wasn’t heavy like a typical oily breading. The taste of lobster was well represented in the sauce, and the crayfish and veggies made nice accompaniments.

Also typical of Disney restaurants, there’s no soup or salad to start you off, unless you care to shell out $7 - $10 more for an appetizer. If you’re lucky, you get bread, as we did here. A basket of hot multigrain raisin bread (very Victorian) and sourdough rolls was served with fresh butter and coarse salt. Both breads were delicious, and filling on their own!

This casual café maintained the Victorian charm of the Grand Floridian, yet was a moderately priced (by Disney standards, about $20-$25 per entrée) place to dine.

RAGLAN ROAD – Downtown Disney

This Irish pub was a very unique and enjoyable dining experience. The menu was rich in traditional Irish fare such as shepherd’s pie, beef stew, and lamb. I chose a chicken and wild mushroom pot pie, served with a side of fresh field greens. The pot pie was a complete single-serving pie, versus the more common restaurant version that is baked in a casserole with a thin crust on top and then sliced up like lasagna. The crust was braided around the edges and had a flaky, tender texture and rich taste. The inside layers of the crust seemed half baked, but it could have been the rich chicken and mushroom filling. Honestly, I liked the soft, doughy texture on the inside, although I suspect many would disagree.

Other meat dishes were served with Guinness or wine infused, giving plenty of authentic Irish flavor. Traditional soda bread with olive oil and honey for dipping started the meal off. Irish music and dancing added the fun and atmosphere of this enjoyable dining experience.

PECOS BILL’S – Magic Kingdom

I wouldn’t normally mention this little fast food joint, but as a kid I always thought Disney made great cheeseburgers. They still do. And at this quick-service location they offer all the traditional burger condiments, plus fresh sautéed mushrooms and onions. There are also chicken wraps, hot dogs, and even a vegetarian burger on the menu. According to a Disney press release, burgers served in their parks are at least 80% lean, and the buns have whole grains blended in. Apple slices (which I opted for) are a no-extra-charge replacement for fries. Too bad they tasted like old fruit.

It’s nice to see Disney trying to be a little healthier, but it’s even nicer to know they still make fantastic cheeseburgers.