Next week, my husband and I will be celebrating our anniversary up at Disney and I am getting so excited! Today was the finishing touches day where we set up all of our reservations and I got a pretty good idea of what will be happening. We are passholders, so we will also get a sneak peak of the new Fantasyland expansion on the trip. All this has left me very excited and given me the idea to talk about some of my favorite (healthy) dining locations throughout the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot... Hollywood Studios will wait for another day :)
Quick Service
There are a few different dining options at Disney, counter service is usually the cheapest and can be quite tasty!
1. Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe serves sandwiches and burgers. The good news is that they have a lots of vegetarian options like a veggie sandwich that is delicious and a veggie burger. I am not quite as keen on veggie burgers since they can be quite unhealthy and tend to fall apart, but Disney's are pretty good. The Cafe is located in Tomorrowland across from Cinderella's Castle and is open for lunch and dinner. Perk, kids get grapes and carrots with their meal!
2. Yak and Yeti in Animal Kingdom has some of our favorite food in the parks! It is pan-Asian and delicious. Although I have never been to the quick service area, I wanted to add it in because of all the wonderful things I have heard. The menu includes dumplings, pork and chicken dishes and sweet and sour veggies upon request. I have also heard they will do steamed vegetables on request as well. This is a great option if you are wanting some good Asian food but don't want to make the trek to Epcot. Yak and Yeti is also right next to the Expedition Everest ride... Bonus!
3. Aloha Isle in Magic Kingdom's Adventureland is a great place to stop in for some healthier sweets. I feel like we stop here every time we go to Disney since they are one of the healthiest options for some cold, tasty sweets! Aloha Isle mainly specializes in Dole-whip. You can get a few different flavors including vanilla pineapple swirl and orange. They also have Dole whip floats available with orange juice if you really want to splurge!
Seated Dining
1. Tokyo Dining in the Japan pavilion at Epcot is a great place to watch the fireworks while eating sushi, noodles, and the many grilled options. It is a step up in price from the quick service options, but it is good. The best thing abut the restaurant is the fireworks view. With massive windows facing the water, you are front and center to Epcot's night showcase. If you are wanting to kick the meal up a bit, opt for the Teppan dining next door at Teppan Edo. After dinner, check out the massive shopping area downstairs, it is a must see anytime we are in Epcot!
2. La Hacienda de San Angel has one of the best dinners I have ever eaten at Epcot. The Pescado a la Talla is what I get every visit and what all others in the party wish they had gotten. Tilapia with roasted corn and sweet cactus leaves is just filling enough to be worth the price and does not leave you with the feeling you will need a wheelchair to leave. Be prepared, you will be doing a lot of sharing if the others with you got something else.
Tip: This location has an amazing view of the fireworks as well, make sure to ask for a table near the windows and have a reservation around 8:30 if you would like to see them.
3. Yak and Yeti has made it on both the top quick service and seated dining lists because it is just that good. The Seared Miso Salmon is amazing and the Dim Sum Basket for Two is a must get! This is also one of the few locations that has a good salad with Ahi tuna, mixed greens and ginger dressing... Yum!
Character Dining
Disney is synonymous with character dining since most people are there to see the characters anyway, right? Sadly, I have only ever gone to one Character Dining location and have not been terribly eager to visit another. On our next trip to Disney, we will be eating at Cinderella's Royal Table. This is the restaurant inside the castle and offers character dining with Cinderella. Once we go, I can let you know about the foods, but until then, there is The Crystal Palace.
The Crystal Palace is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and has all of the Winnie the Pooh characters available to autographs and pictures. The characters are great and the food is ok, especially for the price jump from your quick service and seated dining locations. For this, you are definitely purchasing the character time more than the food. On a brighter note, it is one of the best breakfasts I have had at the parks. Yes, there are plenty of unhealthy chocolate pancake and french toast options, but they also have an omelet bar where you can get an egg whites omelet along with some bran muffins.
This is, of course, not the place for a healthy breakfast smoothie or chia overnight oats, but it is a pretty good option for breakfast with some characters on the side!