We love eating in Disney World restaurants, which is probably why our middle name is “Food.”
Cinderella at Cinderella’s Royal Table
But when you dine at Disney World restaurants, you do agree to abide by the rules. Many restaurants are going to require an advance dining reservation (or if you’re willing to chance it, trying the Mobile Walk-Up Waitlist, if any spots are available). You also need to cancel your reservation within a certain amount of time if you don’t want your credit card to get charged. We turned to you, our DFB readers, to ask you about the restaurant rule you would like to see slashed, and you told us! So let’s see what you said.
Prix Fixe Menus
We saw a few answers come up several times and one of the biggest things you’d like to see Disney World restaurants get rid of is the prix fixe menus that are the ONLY menus at many Disney World restaurants (Be Our Guest, we’re looking at you). DFB Reader Emma said, “Too many restaurants are prix fixe only, which means that if you’re on a budget and/or not a big eater you have to miss out entirely because it isn’t worth the cost. They should be optional but not compulsory.”
Space 220 has a prix fixe menu
Hank agrees, “Drop the pre-fix menus or just make them optional.”
Melissa commented, “All the prefixe. I want what I want not a mess of a plate or skillet I have to take before asking for more of what I really want off it, nor do I want an app, entree and dessert. Entree and dessert do for me”
Disney World Is SUPER Obsessed With Prix Fixe
10-Year-Olds Considered Adults
Another issue many of you have is that 10-year-olds are considered as adults in Disney World, and therefore, must pay adult prices for food. Dafna wrote, “It’s time to stop treating 10 year olds as adults. If there’s one place on earth where a 10 year old doesn’t want to be treated as an adult, it’s Disney World.”
Salena agrees, “Kids charge adult at 10 my son eats not enough and they still want to see character.”
Mickey at Chef Mickey’s
Jennifer commented, “Definitely 10 yr old being considered adults for pricing. Our son turned 10 this past year, and that now means even the cheapest character meals would be $200 for us. Just can’t justify that with our budget.”
Of all the answers you gave us, this was the one we saw the most!
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Portion sizes for adults
Some of you are unhappy with the larger portion sizes for adult meals and would just like to eat off the children’s menu and you would like to see that changed. Susie wrote, “Not being able to request smaller portions, especially at family style locations. I cannot eat that ginormous plate of food, I hate wasting it, but I still want the experience.”
Tanya added, “Being unable to get smaller portions but still paying full price.”
Kid’s Meal at the Polynesian
Sonya commented, “Let adults order from children’s menu. I have a bad stomach & the kids menu has more bland food. Plus I can’t eat all the food on an adult order.” Some locations will let you do this, you will just need to ask.
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Checking in on your phone
Some folks don’t like having to use the My Disney Experience on your mobile phone to check in to a restaurant. Racer said, “The whole checking in on your phone thing. The host is standing at the podium. Just go up and tell them you’re there and have a reservation.”
Check in desk at California Grill
We often see complaints from Disney World visitors who feel like they already have to spend so much of their vacation time on their phones.
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If you’d like to participate in these kinds of discussions, be sure to follow us on Facebook. And stay tuned to DFB for more.
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I would like it to back to first come first serve at the restaurants. Planning 60 days in advance, you may not want that restaurant or that type of food when you get there. Taste buds change. I would also like to see Disney cook better foods. They keep raising the prices and the taste and quality of the food is going downhill.
I agree with parents saying 10 year olds shouldn’t have to pay adult price’s on food. Also adults should be able to eat off the kids menu, sometimes you don’t want a huge meal.
Checking in using your phone is optional. We always check-in by walking up to the podium.
Regarding wanting to order off the kids menu, I’ve been doing that at some Disney World restaurants for years without any issue.
And, I agree about the Prix Fixe menus. I rarely am able to eat the app since it’s usually a salad of some sort and I can’t eat salads. We went to Disneyland Paris last year and I was surprised at the number of restaurants that were Prix Fixe. Luckily, not all were.