Let's start with the Top 10 full-service restaurants in the Orlando area, as selected by you. And because we respect your time, we're presenting our list on one page, instead of making you click through some lame slideshow. On to the list!
10. Confisco Grille
Islands of Adventure, Universal Orlando
Located in the Port of Entry, this table service restaurant serves salads, soups, burgers, sandwiches, fish, pasta, and fajitas, for lunch and dinner, with prices ranging from $9-18. Have you eaten at Confisco Grille? Tell us about it.
9. Lombard's Seafood Grille
Universal Studios Florida, Universal Orlando
Lombard's serves a variety of fried seafood, salads, burgers, and a lobster roll, starting around $11 and up to $22 for a sirloin steak dinner. You can get a reserved space to watch the park's evening lagoon show, Universal's Cinematic Spectacular, with a special dinner dining package, which costs around $45 per person for adults, and $13 per child. Have you eaten at Lombard's Seafood Grille? Tell us about it.
8. Liberty Tree Tavern
Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World
Serving lunch to order, with pot roast, roast turkey, hamburgers, and salads ranging from $15-20. Dinner is a variety of roasted meats and sides served family-style for a fixed price, around $19 per person for children and $39 for adults.Have you eaten at Liberty Tree Tavern? Tell us about it.
7. Teppan Edo
Epcot, Walt Disney World
This Japanese Teppanyaki-style restaurant offers a variety of steak, chicken, shrimp and scallop combinations, as well as sushi and appetizers. Entrees range from $18 for the vegetables to $32 for the filet mignon. Have you eaten at Teppan Edo? Tell us about it.
6. Le Cellier Steakhouse
Epcot, Walt Disney World
Themed the wine cellars of historic Canada hotels, Le Cellier's most popular dish might be its Cheddar Cheese Soup, available at lunch and dinner. You'll also find a selection of beef, venison, pork, chicken, salmon, and pasta, from $26-56. If you're looking for something uniquely Canadian, try the poutine fries, too. Have you eaten at Le Cellier Steakhouse Tell us about it.
5. Mythos Restaurant
Islands of Adventure, Universal Orlando
Located inside an impressive cavern on the shore of the park's lagoon, Mythos typically serves salads, burgers, steak, fish, and a pasta and a risotto of the day on its seasonally changing menu. Prices range from $10-20 at this table service restaurant, where reservations are recommended. Have you eaten at Mythos Restaurant? Tell us about it.
4. Be Our Guest
Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World
The most popular recent addition to Fantasyland, Be Our Guest is one of the toughest tables in the Walt Disney World Resort, so book early if you want to eat here for dinner. Set in the Beast's Castle, Be Our Guest offers three dining rooms depicted in or inspired by the Disney's Best Picture Academy Award-nominated animated classic, Beauty and the Beast. While Be Our Guest is a reservation-only, table-service restaurant at dinner, it's walk-up counter service at lunch. (Waiters will bring your food to your table, either way.) You'll need to arrive early to avoid a long wait. The French bistro-inspired menu (steak, chicken, salmon, pork, and lamb) runs $18-33 for entrees at dinner. At lunch, the selection of salads and sandwiches cost between $9-14. Have you eaten at Be Our Guest? Tell us about it.
3. Finnegan's Bar and Grill
Universal Studios Florida, Universal Orlando
A table-service Irish pub, serving Guinness beef stew, corned beef, and fish 'n' chips, along with a bar selections, featuring popular Irish beers. Though it's billed as as bar, it's family-friendly restaurant, too, with a children's menu available. Have you eaten at Finnegan's Bar and Grill? Tell us about it.
2. The Hollywood Brown Derby
Disney's Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World
A replica of the original Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, this table service restaurant is the Studios' top dining experience -- and its most expensive. The Brown Derby's most famous dish was the Cobb salad (named for Bob Cobb, the original restaurant's owner), and you'll find it on the menu here, as an appetizer or entree, and served with original Cobb dressing. Entree prices range up to $41 at lunch or dinner, with other options including chicken, pork, lamb, duck, salmon, and beef. For dessert, the most popular choice is the Brown Derby's original Grapefruit Cake, a yellow cake layered with grapefruit-cream-cheese frosting. Have you eaten at The Hollywood Brown Derby? Tell us about it.
1. Monsieur Paul
Epcot, Walt Disney World
Located above Chefs de France, Monsieur Paul is named for legendary French chef Paul Bocuse, whose family operates both of the France pavilion's table-service restaurants. This is Disney World's most expensive in-park restaurant, open only for dinner and with entree prices around $40-50 and a three-course fixed-price menu around $90. Selections include steak, chicken, fish, duck, and lamb. The restaurant's signature dish might be its Soupe aux truffes V.G.E.. Created by Paul Bocuse and named for former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (the VGE in the title), the soup offers beef broth and finely diced oxtail, carrots, onions and celery, with a larger dice of mushroom pate, flavored with generous slices of black winter truffle and crowned with puff pastry, for around $30 a la carte. For families suffering potential sticker shock, a children's menu is available, with entrees around $13-16. Have you eaten at Monsieur Paul? Tell us about it.
Didn't find your favorite Orlando theme park restaurant? Browse our theme park listings, then rate and review the restaurants you visited on your most recent visit!
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Do you feel lucky? Well, do you punk?
No. Ask yourself "did I vote for/review my favorite restaurant?" and if your answer is no, then that's something you might consider rectifying in the future.
My favorite restaurant in Orlando is Le Cellier, so it was up there, but not quite as high as I'd have liked. I can't really argue with the list as a whole. I haven't been to Lombard's, Confisco, or Monsieur Paul so I can't really say.
I am very interested in trying out the restaurants at Dragon Alley and Hogwarts.
The Disney Dining Plan doesn't pay-off for breakfast. There is more value from lunch and dinner since they include the drink, entree and dessert. Breakfast omits the dessert. Plus, the more expensive entrees are for lunch and dinner. Since the quick and table service meals are quite filling, I am usually not hungry in the morning. A snack for breakfast is sufficient. Some hotel rooms offer refrigerators. I store my breakfast snacks there for convenience.
It's a big mistake to call the Disney Dining Plan a deal. It is not. It is a pre-paid meal plan that ensures that your 2 meals (lunch and dinner), 1 snack, and 1 resort mug is covered in a trip where it is already extremely expensive to eat there. In my own analysis, I am likely ahead at least $10 per day, but sometimes I could be behind depending on where I eat. On average, you expect to get your money's worth. This is fine since you don't know if Disney will inadvertently increase prices.
One thing to keep in mind, Disney already makes its money from the food. There is tremendous mark-up on the food at the restaurants. Disney is pricing their dining plans based on what customers are ordering on average. They aren't losing money, nor are they profiting much more by offering the plans. Customers will know if they are gouged from the dining plan itself and will avoid it if they think it isn't a good deal.
Doing the math for vacation is fine, but it is still a vacation. If you really want to save money, skip some table service restaurants and bring an occasional snack. You can also use your snack credits for breakfast. I believe I benefited from the plans, which is why I recommend it.
The majority of theme park restaurants are built for quick service and high volume. There are better cheaper restaurants on yelp.
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