There are lots of dining options all over Disney property. You will find quick service, fast casual, table service, all-you-care-to-enjoy style, and signature dining. If you are looking for a nice night out, a signature dining restaurant would be a good choice.
When we go to Disney World we try to have a least one night out at a nice restaurant. Sometimes we take the whole family and sometimes it’s just me and my husband. The signature dining restaurants are definitely good for date nights.
The cost will, of course, be a little more than a regular table service restaurant, but the food and ambiance usually makes up for that. You can even see fireworks from some of the restaurants. Plus, the service we have received at the signature dining restaurants we’ve been too has been fantastic.
So here are some of our favorite signature dining restaurants:
This restaurant is located at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. From the moment you check in you can tell this is one of Disney’s signature dining restaurants. A cast member will take your name and then ask you to sit on a certain bench. The reason they do this is so that they don’t have to yell your name in the hallway and we found that out because, not realizing this, we switched benches and saw the cast member who checked us in look at us on a different bench and make a note on her pad.
When it is your time to be seated the cast member will come to you and escort you into the restaurant. The first stop is the case that holds the different cuts of meat you can order. The case itself is very nice and it’s good to have a visual of the different cuts before you order. The cast member will then guide you to your table.
Now for the important part; the food. We found the food here to be outstanding. Everything from the appetizers to the desserts was delicious and the steaks were some of the best we have had. This has become one of our favorite date nite places.
Some other bonuses were the cast members and the location. The cast members were wonderful. This is especially true of our waiter, Raymond, who went above and beyond. He was just fantastic. The other bonus was the location. Since the Yacht Club is right by Epcot, we were actually able to catch some of the higher fireworks from Illuminations; very cool surprise.
This restaurant is located at the Contemporary Resort on the 15th floor. What makes this restaurant so special, aside from the delicious food, is the amazing views of Magic Kingdom. From the moment you arrive until Wishes ends, you can see why this is a popular signature dining restaurant.
When you arrive at the Contemporary, make your way inside and you will find the desk for California Grill. They will take your name and check on your reservation. If it is time for your reservation, one of the cast members will escort you to the California Grill elevator. This part was pretty cool; the elevator goes directly to the 15th floor.
Once you step out the elevator you will be in the restaurant and will see the big windows with the beautiful views. The windows line the whole restaurant, so you will have a good view no matter where you sit.
The food was delicious, it definitely stands up to the signature dining prices. Everyone in our dining party enjoyed the food, including the kids. Plus, they offer over 300 wines to choose from, 50 of which are available by the glass.
To end the evening guests are allowed to use the restaurant’s observation deck to watch Illuminations, with the narration piped in to the deck so guests don’t miss any part of the fireworks show.
If you ate at the restaurant before it’s time for the fireworks to start you can bring your receipt back and use the observation deck to see Wishes. So make sure to hold on to that receipt!
It’s easy to see what the draw is for this restaurant. I mean, what is more magical or says “Disney” more than dining inside Cinderella Castle? Seriously, it’s pretty amazing to be escorted inside the castle to meet Cinderella.
While you are in line waiting, make sure to look around at all the little details. After you take pictures with Cinderella, it’s time to make your way up the winding castle stairs to the dining room.
The dining room is beautiful and the views from the windows overlook Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom. You can actually look from one castle to another, because you can see Beast’s castle from some of the windows.
This is a character dining experience, so the kids should have their autograph books ready to go. Cinderella’s princess friends will come around to greet each table, take pictures, and sign the autograph books. Each princess spent a good amount of time with us. In addition to meeting Cinderella, the kids got to meet four other princesses. The kids also received Wishing Stars, wands (for the girls), and swords (for the boys).
The food was good, not the best we have had a signature restaurant, but you are paying more for the location and the character experience. We did feel the menu was a little limited, but we all found something we liked.
You really can’t beat the ambiance in this restaurant. We kept looking around at all the details and there are a lot of them to see. I loved looking up at the ceiling. Lots of detail right above you.
We had breakfast here and were lucky enough to be the last ones out after breakfast. It was nice to get pictures of an empty dining room. If you want a real treat then you should try for dinner reservations. If you time it out right and can get a seat by the windows, you will get to see some of the fireworks from Wishes while inside the castle. Now that’s pretty cool.
So those are a few of our favorite signature dining restaurants. It’s always good to try new place each time you visit Disney World, but there’s nothing wrong with holding on to some favorites.
Which signature dining restaurants are your favorites?
Thanks for reading!
*Liz*
Want to keep up with Disney news, get tips, and see more pictures of Disney World? Join the fun in our Facebook group, follow us on Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!
Need FREE help planning your trip? Contact Dream Makers Travel Agency today! Getting your tickets for the parks and special events, reserving your FastPasses, and making your dining reservations are all included in the planning.
Liz
I love all things Disney, but my main love is for Disney World and I'm always planning for the next trip. Before becoming a Disney blogger, I was a radio DJ, so I guess I'm just continuing in the communication industry, just in a different form. I love talking Disney and I could talk about Disney all day. That's why I started blogging and created the Facebook group. The Disney community is full of friendly, helpful, and happy people...and I love being a part of it! If there is any Disney subject you would like to see covered just let me know! Need help planning your Disney vacation. Feel free to contact myself or Melissa at Never Stop Dreaming Travel Co. We love helping people plan their trips! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to check out our Countdown to Disney app! Feel free to email me with suggestions of things you would like to see in the app :-)