28.2 This Not That Dining (Magic Version)

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[00:00:30] Happy Summer, M&Ms. If you are wondering where our new content is this week, well, it's not here. We are on our summer break. We're taking our vacation this week, but you know that we will still be here for you on the other end. We're coming back with new episodes, new content, new arguments, new ideas, and everything you need for your daily dose of Disney. Your weekly Disney fix is not going anywhere for long.

[00:00:52] Enjoy your summer and of course know that we are not leaving you with nothing. Enjoy some extra magic with an extra magic version episode this week and then we will be back with you real soon. Coming up, you gotta do this, not that. When you're planning your Disney World vacation, we know that you have a list of things that you want to eat and enjoy. And there are some cliche answers. You know, what is the best princess meal? It might not be the one you think.

[00:01:20] Stay tuned to the very end because we are going to give you all of our tips on the restaurants you should do when you have a craving. And do you know how many animals are in Animal Kingdom? Because we're going to let you know that as well. Hey there, everyone. Welcome back to another episode. I am your host, Allie. I'm here today with Carla and Katie. This is going to be such a fun conversation. How are you guys this morning? Alive and well. Excited to talk about this new thing we're doing.

[00:01:48] Yeah, today's going to be really fun. Yes, it is. When it comes to planning Disney, I feel like there are all of these well-known, I don't know if you want to call them cliches, but go-tos maybe. Go-to things. Go-to restaurants. Go-to snacks. Go-to rides. And I think because we're experts, because we've got all the time, because we plan trips for people all the time, we have our own idea of what may be the best option for someone when you are looking at all of these different things.

[00:02:16] So we are going to dive into that in a little bit. Today is going to be fun. We're trying something new. We are going to do this, not that. The idea here is you're planning your trip to Disney and you're thinking, I have to do that one thing. And the cliche option that everybody talks about is what pops into your mind as that one thing. We get these questions all the time. Oh, we really want to experience fill in the blank. And we are able to give insider information.

[00:02:46] Well, you know, the actual best way to experience that is to do it like this. We're going to be talking Disney dining today. That's such a popular topic, right? People love to eat. They love to eat. As soon as these trips get planned, as soon as you book your vacation, the next thing that you are focused on seems to be the food, right? Okay, where am I going to eat? What am I going to eat? How am I going to enjoy it? So we want to dive in today, talk about some different categories of Disney dining

[00:03:15] and how we think you can have the very best experience. We're calling it this, not that. That is going to be the option that just pops into everybody's mind, the most popular option. And then the three of us have brought a do this instead option that we're going to talk out and kind of decide what is the this you should do instead of the that. We're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, we are diving in. This, not that. This episode of Moms Behind the Magic is brought to you by BabyQuip. BabyQuip.com.

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[00:05:40] Where can I go to get pizza? Things like that. And that is the angle we're looking at with this episode here. We're going to start with Princess Meal. It is the classic. When you are planning a vacation, especially if you have young kiddos, especially. But I think even if you don't, princesses live at Disney World. And that is a fact. And that is a fact that everybody young to old knows. And when you're planning your trip, eating with the princesses, especially if you've never

[00:06:09] been to Disney World, that just feels like this mystical, magical thing. Do you agree with that? Yeah, it's pretty magical. I love it. My kids love it. I, as an adult, love interacting with the characters. I had a fantastic interaction with Mirabelle at a character meal. I'm all for it. I think it's a big part of the magic. Well, I love taking my kids to do it. And I think that when somebody is planning their first trip, they're like, I heard you can eat with the princesses. Is that true?

[00:06:39] And this is a hard one for me because what is, Carla, the very first thing that people think of when they say you can eat with princesses? Cinderella's Royal Table in Cinderella's Castle at Magic Kingdom. So that's like the pinnacle, right? That's the top tier. It shows when you're trying to get your dining reservation and it's not available. It shows in the price tag. Everything about it is magical and grand, or at least so you think, right? Right. And I think it is on a lot of levels.

[00:07:08] And we're going to talk about it as we give our rebuttal. If you were giving your insider advice, what would you say is a better alternative to Cinderella's Royal Table if you were going to do Princess Meal? Katie, what would you say? I would say I actually think that Akershus is the better Princess Meal. I know we have talked in past episodes about how Epcot is fantastic for a park to go meet characters, right? Like we talk about how Epcot is maybe even the best park to go meet characters, but you

[00:07:37] have to wait in line for characters, right? Then the advantage of character dining is you're sort of shortcutting the line by also having a meal. So whenever you go to Akershus, you also are getting to meet several princesses. I think five princesses. I just feel like we have had really good experiences at Akershus. My girls have been so wowed interacting with the princesses there and they really like the food too.

[00:08:05] It's like Nordic sort of cuisine, Swedish meatballs and stuff like that. Or I think they have salmon too. I'm not a big seafood or fish eater and I ate the salmon at Akershus. So I'm going to go next with my this because I'm not sure what Carla's going to say. And I actually agree with Akershus, but I have a couple of little notches I had to put in there. I would actually say do this for breakfast.

[00:08:31] So if you're thinking this, not that I would say not Cinderella's Royal Table, do Akershus breakfast instead. And here's why. If you want that ultimate Disney experience, you're in the castle. That does feel ultimate. And to me, that's the only argument I can really find for why Cinderella's Royal Table could be the better option. Couple of reasons why I think Akershus breakfast is better. Number one, the menu is more pleasing to more of your family. I actually think that lunch and dinner menu is a little too isolating.

[00:09:01] And at breakfast, you're going to just get breakfast favorites and classics that everybody's going to enjoy. Number two, breakfast at Akershus is less expensive than Cinderella's Royal Table. And if you're using the dining plan, it only takes one dining credit. Whereas no matter what, Cinderella's Royal Table, no matter what time of day, is going to take two. So on a princess experience that is just as good, if not better, where you meet just as many princesses, you're spending less of your dining credits or less of your money.

[00:09:28] And if you're not using the dining plan, Cinderella's Royal Table is one of the only prepay meals on Disney property. So when you book that reservation, you have to pay for it. Comes out of your bank account right away. And so I think for all of those reasons, and my last one that I have in mind, I think this is a really good one. People are all of the time saying Epcot's not a kid park. Epcot's not a kid park. And we talk all the time and debunk that all the time. Here is a way where you're going to start your day at breakfast with the princesses and

[00:09:56] your kids are going to fall in love with this park that you're already going to love. You're going to have love at first sight with Epcot. And if you are a person that feels like you're going to need to nurture that relationship for your kids, start their day with a banging princess meal. Yeah. Yeah. And I personally have not been to either of these options. You know, it's no secret here that I don't love character meals. And especially if they're face characters, it makes me even more awkwardly social.

[00:10:21] But I think if I had to input my opinion here, I think I would go with the third princess option, which technically isn't all princesses. I would do 1900 Park Fair at the Grand Floridian. It's newly reopened. It is a mix of princesses. It has Aladdin as Prince Ali. It has Mirabelle, which is cool. It has Tiana in her new Bayou outfit.

[00:10:48] So to me, this is kind of touching on maybe you wouldn't go to a princess meal if you have two or three boys with you. Maybe that wouldn't be your first thought. But maybe the little dudes in your life want to see a prince or, you know, they want to hang out with Mirabelle or Tiana. They still have Cinderella over there in her gown, which so you're still checking off that princess. And then the menu wise, people love the food there. They love the strawberry soup.

[00:11:16] I just think it's another alternative option that is fantastic. Yeah. I think for purposes of this conversation, I would love to give 1900 an honorable mention because I actually would put this personally, maybe even above Cinderella's Royal Table. I think the only reason Royal Table comes out on top here is if you have that magical moment of, I want to go to Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boutique and then I want to go eat in the castle. It's what my dreams are made of. Well, if that's what your dreams are made of, I get it.

[00:11:44] But in my opinion, at that point, you're really not picking it for being a princess meal. You're picking it for its location and its atmosphere. And if you are truly trying to find the better princess meal, I think the answer is Akershist. And I actually love that you threw out 1900 Park Fair and I want to give it an honorable mention because it is outside of a park. So it's an experience you can have on a non-ticketed day. And it really kind of opens the conversation of what defines a princess meal. A princess is there, so it counts.

[00:12:12] But you also get these other really super unique interactions, including Cinderella, who is at Royal Table. So I think what a great honorable mention. And I don't want these meals to be passed up when you're considering what to do. You only pick Cinderella's Royal Table if eating in the castle matters to you. And that is how I feel about it. Exactly. Bingo. So eat at Akershist, not Cinderella's Royal Table. Okay. Our next category.

[00:12:37] I'm excited about this one because I don't like the one that people pick. When everybody says, I want to eat with Mickey and the gang. Carla, where are they going? Almost every single time. They're going to Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort. This is not the right choice, okay? I cannot get behind Chef Mickey's. I actually am very vocal about saying this. I would put every single Mickey meal ahead of Chef Mickey's. Carla, we'll start with you this time.

[00:13:07] So here's one of my biggest issues with character meals, other than the characters themselves and me being weird. I always feel like with character meals, you have to forfeit really great food for that character interaction. And you're paying a high dollar amount for a meal that I wouldn't pay if I was at home going on a date night with my husband. Like I just wouldn't even fathom paying that for a meal, right? So for me, when I'm paying that much, I expect to have really amazing food.

[00:13:36] And if there's characters there, then that's kind of the perk in addition to the meal, that spark that you're looking for. So in that instance, I would 98% of the time recommend Topolino's Terrace for breakfast. With Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Donald and their artistic outfits, I actually have done this one and fairly recently with my daughter and with another gal from actually our podcast team on the back end. But we had a fantastic time.

[00:14:06] I just thought it was bright in there and it was airy and the food was amazing. I mean, you could have steak and eggs. You could have these amazing waffles. It was just like 10 out of 10 experience. I loved it. What do you guys think? I like Topolino's Terrace and I do think that it is probably the favored pick for where you should go. I'm probably going to say that I have the honorable mention on this one, which would be Garden Grill.

[00:14:34] Garden Grill is the hill I die on for the best Mickey meal. I will defend it forever. Your Garden Grill is Stacy's barnstormer. But no, but listen to me though. I say all the time in my Facebook community, my Disney planning Facebook community, people who say that they love Chef Mickey's are people that have not been to Garden Grill. That's what I say. Because I love Garden Grill. It's a smaller restaurant. It's not noisy.

[00:15:02] You have a quieter atmosphere, which if you have kids with sensory issues, being in a smaller place matters. On top of that, like because it is a smaller restaurant, you get to see the characters multiple times. It's not like you just get to see Mickey once and then he's gone, right? Like Mickey's going to keep coming around probably two or three times throughout your meal. So you have a lot of opportunities for the kids to have affection with the characters and to snap that perfect picture.

[00:15:30] Additionally, I do think the menu there is fantastic no matter what time of day you go. And I kind of love the novelty of part of what is being served you on the menu is from ingredients that were grown in the land pavilion, like right there where you are. I think that that's cool too. Not the goldfish crackers though, right? Not, not, no. The goldfish cracker tree is non-existent. I don't love that they put the goldfish crackers on the macaroni.

[00:15:58] And hot tip, I always tell my, our server, put the goldfish crackers on the side, right? Like we don't need those on the macaroni. You know what the problem with putting this as the alternative Mickey meal is? I think when people envision themselves eating a Mickey meal, which I think we coined that term on the podcast, right? Like what's what we call a meal like this? Yeah. They don't get enough of the fab five at that meal. That is your chip and Dale meal, in my opinion.

[00:16:24] So if I have a family that's like, we really want to eat with Mickey in their head, I think they're actually thinking of more than just Mickey. Like chef Mickey's is the most popular often because it has the whole gang. At Topolino's, Carla mentioned you get Mickey, Minnie, Donald Daisy. So you're, you're getting a lot of those headliners. You're just missing like Pluto and Goofy. The other one I was actually going to throw into the mix here. And I think this might be the honorable mention because I think Topolino's is the this, not that. It is the nicer restaurant.

[00:16:54] The costumes are so fun. Oh my gosh. They're so cute. Ballerina Daisy is amazing. The other one I would actually throw out there is Tusker House. And the reason I throw it in there is because you are getting Donald, Daisy, Mickey and Goofy. I think missing Minnie Mouse is a big deal. I really do. When you're looking at these type of meals and we're huge Topolino's fans. And that's why I think Tusker House maybe doesn't get the spot, but the food, this might be the hill I die on.

[00:17:21] This buffet, this food, it is so, so flavorful and so good. My kids love to get like just a Simba waffle, which is awesome for them. But I can get some sort of African infused breakfast, which is so perfect for me. And you really do get to meet a lot of the characters. So I'm going to say the answer here though is Topolino's. If you want a Mickey meal, I'm with Carla, even though my answer kind of was Tusker House because it's a personal preference. I think Topolino's eat here, not there being Chef Mickey's.

[00:17:51] I will say that both of your selections do have the characters all day, which is definitely a perk. Whereas Topolino's is only in the morning. That's a great point. But it still reigns supreme. Either way, our listeners have multiple options now of better places to go than Chef Mickey's. Please don't go to Chef Mickey's. What do you think the lore of Chef Mickey's is? To me, it's, I feel like it's kind of the nostalgia of where it's located and seeing it from the monorail.

[00:18:21] And I feel like that's part of it. I kind of think it's the characters, honestly. I think it's having the whole set there. Fab five. I mean, I missed it. Daisy is my personal pick. She's my favorite. Oh, the way she dances around. Yeah. Yeah. She has such sass and charisma at Topolino's. She's my favorite of the gang, which is partially, I guess, why my choice is what it is. But I think the real lore of Chef Mickey's is it's all day characters and it's the Fab Five.

[00:18:51] So you do have to sacrifice somebody to go so elsewhere. But I think if you pick Topolino's, you can have the time in your day to go meet Pluto and Goofy and you can still get all those interactions in. Sure. All right. I feel really good about that one. All right. The next one I'm excited about. This is a tip we give all the time. I have families that come to me and they say, we love to eat Italian. Where should we go?

[00:19:13] And the number one pick I see people when they're filling out their dining request form for me, if we haven't had a good conversation about it, or when they're just opening the conversation, they want to go to Tony's Town Square in Magic Kingdom. And part of the reason is because I think they believe that they're going to get this really immersive, themed, authentic Italian meal that reminds them of being in Lady and the Tramp. And I understand that's what it's supposed to be.

[00:19:43] But this just does not hit the mark for me. I don't think it's authentic. I don't think it's that good. I think the cheesy bread appetizer is awesome. That new one where you like pour the Alfredo. So that stuff is worth going for. And if you can have a glass of wine on the outside patio, that's great. And I'm going there for those things, for sure. But if I want good Italian, you cannot pick Tony's. You can't. I will start on this one.

[00:20:12] The best Italian food on Disney property. It's really interesting because normally I say any sort of best in a genre of food is going to happen in Epcot. I'm actually going to recommend you do this on a down day or even on your Epcot day. You leave Epcot through the International Gate and walk on over to the boardwalk to go to Trattoria Al Forno. Trattoria is so, so good. Trattoria, I recommend the lasagna. I dream about that lasagna.

[00:20:42] I think it's perfect. It has like two sauces, many cheeses. It is easy to access on your Epcot day. You just leave the International Gate or you can just, on a down day, you can head on over to the boardwalk. There's nothing more that I love than starting my trip, sitting there for a good Italian meal and a glass of wine. And I literally always get the lasagna. Do you like Italian food? Because I love it. A hundred percent. Who doesn't? Yeah.

[00:21:11] Does a bear poop in the woods. I wish we could stop telling everybody about Trattoria because I'm tired of the reservation being so difficult to get. Yeah. Because it is so freaking good. And we have put, we have all died on the hill for this restaurant. Yeah. I think it's about kind of the ambiance of being on the boardwalk as part of it. My gosh, if you get a table outside, which I have had the pleasure of doing and during sunset, it's like the most amazing experience drinking an Aperol spritz.

[00:21:40] I mean, you're drinking wine. I'm drinking an Aperol spritz. I'm literally in Italy when I'm there. The food is amazing. I had this pasta with shrimp and lemon and butter and it knocked my socks off. Hmm. Whenever I went to Trattoria, I ordered this gnocchi pasta dish that, again, was totally incredible. Their menu is just so good. I talked in a previous episode about having the food sads and missing foods from back home.

[00:22:09] And Trattoria Al Forno is the perfect resolution to my problem. I am obsessed with how good the gnocchi is there. It is so good. So definitely you got to hit Trattoria Al Forno. Yeah, it's the answer. If you want good Italian and you're heading to Disney World, please skip Tony's Town Square. Don't go there because you want good Italian. And honestly, skip Tutto in Italy. That's the Italian. Yes, for sure. I was just going to say that. Tutto is not very good. I hate to say that.

[00:22:38] We were so hot on our summer trip last summer when I went with my whole dance studio and we just needed a quick break. We walked into Tutto back in the Italian pavilion, which you think should have the best Italian food on property. It for sure should. We walked in. It was completely empty. Could just get a table for like 15 of us. We got our food and I was just like, man, we should have. That's how bad it is. You can walk in and get a table for 15. Exactly. I was like, we should have just walked the extra 10 minutes to Trattoria. This is crazy.

[00:23:08] It was not good at all. Not even close. And if you do want to eat in the park, I mean, you would go to Via Napoli over Tutto. Yeah. And really Via Napoli, if you have that pizza craving, it's a great place for pizza. Obviously, that's what it's most known for. It does have a full menu, but I've had the pizza there and it's fantastic. I'm not sure it's as fantastic as everybody claims it is. Like, it's just really good pizza for Disney standards, which pizza always kind of been

[00:23:35] a, like, you know, you don't go to Disney for pizza, right? Well, and to your point, you said they have a full menu at Via Napoli over in Italy, but You wouldn't even know. And you wouldn't know. And again, this is where I'm going to go back to Trattoria and say, eat here, not there. If you want a full Italian menu, you're not going to get it at Via Napoli. You're going to go over to Trattoria. It's much better. But, you know, because we keep pushing Trattoria, you might not be able to get a reservation so you might have to go to Via Napoli. And that is still a better option than Tony's Town Square.

[00:24:05] Correct. I agree. Okay, that's good. Get the lasagna or I guess whatever Carla and Katie said are probably good too, but I'm telling you that lasagna is where it's at. It's so good. Allie doesn't have to be right all the time. Definitely not. I think, okay, we should do a taste test and see which one is the best dish. Okay. Yeah, let's do it. This next one, this next one is hard for me. I had a kind of a hard time here and I'm interested in this conversation. A lot of people, oh, everybody knows about me that I love a view.

[00:24:34] That is true for my resort. We talk about it all the time. I've said like, I've even brainwashed my son. And now even if we're in a small town in a holiday inn, he goes and opens the curtain. He's like, got to check out that view. You know, like he's all in on the view now as well. I don't know what's funny or that part or the fact that Allie is trying to convince us that she stays in a holiday inn. I do. I travel for dance competitions, cheer competitions, tournaments.

[00:25:03] Like there's a lot of holiday inn happening. I'm not at Disney World, but elsewhere. Yes. So it's not just hotel rooms that I really want a good view. I also, when we check in for any reservation for dining, I will tell, well, a side story. I got our little friend group here into some big trouble on our trip in January because I will check in for every restaurant and I will just say, hey, we want a really good table. We want a good view.

[00:25:32] If there's a table by the window, we want it. We'll wait an extra five minutes if it means we can have a table. I'll wait an extra 20 if it means I'm going to get a great view. What will you not wait? Well, apparently I'll wait a really long time because we, as a friend group, podcast friends, went to Disney in January. We had a dinner reservation for Toledo over on top of the Grand Estino Tower at Coronado Springs. We were stoked. We were all so excited to go try this dinner.

[00:26:01] And one of the best things about this restaurant is it has wall-to-wall windows on both sides because it is known for its view. It's a really spectacular top of a tower restaurant with a view. So when I checked us in, I said, we want a table by the window with a good view. Can, you know, do you think that can happen? And she was like, yes, I think I can make that happen. Well, an hour and a half later, we still did not have a table. And I went over and I was like, hey, what is going on? Like, where's our table?

[00:26:31] And she was like, well, you said you wanted one by the window and it would have been ready a long time ago, but we're waiting on a window. I was like, well, I would not have waited 90 minutes. So Carla, to answer your question, had she told me it was going to be 90 minutes, I would not have said- We won't wait 91 minutes. We won't wait 91 minutes. And then she was like, well, good news. A table just opened up and it was the worst table in the restaurant. We were half on a backside window, half on a full white wall. We could not see the beautiful restaurant. We were on the pool side.

[00:27:00] It was so, so bad. And then it was just not a good experience. So a view matters to me. I was slightly bitter that entire meal because we had no good view, even of the restaurant. Slightly bitter. We were all pretty. We were all pretty missed. Yeah. We digress though. We're still obviously very bitter about it. What is the one restaurant that you think of when you think of a view? Where's everybody going? Everyone is going to California Grill. And Carla, you had a great experience at California Grill. I did.

[00:27:29] You really can't say anything bad. About this restaurant. It, just like you just described, it's on top of the contemporary and it is wall to wall windows. Now, depending on where you get set, you will not have a great view because on my 40th birthday, this is where I chose to go just as a big celebration, celebratory meal, something special for my husband and I. And they try to set us in like this back little private room. And I was like, oh no, no, no, no. It is my 40th birthday. I need a better view.

[00:27:59] Anyway, so we got the better view. We had a great meal. There's nothing bad to be said about this, but I kind of wanted to expand thoughts on views because I think when everybody thinks of a restaurant with a view, they automatically think of a castle and they think of any restaurant on that monorail loop. There's, you know, three great ones with views. There's California Grill. There is Ohana. And then there's, which we just recently experienced with Narcooses.

[00:28:27] But can I go ahead and give my this instead of that? Yeah, please do. For my view, I'm picking to be on the Showcase Lagoon at Epcot because fireworks views just in general can get cramped. And we know how I feel about crowds. So I have experienced this before there. I am going to pick La Hacienda de San Angel. Angel. Angel. Angel.

[00:28:55] I was just thinking like Allie always says this word so nicely. And here I am going to butcher it. Anyways, it's the Mexican restaurant in the Mexico Pavilion on the Showcase Lagoon. The lights dim during the fireworks. You are literally sitting in the water with the fireworks and the show is in front of you. And I don't know. It's a really special experience and just something different than that typical castle view. I like your pick. I like your pick because there are so many good views.

[00:29:24] Like we just talked about the boardwalk view, right? There are so many good views and aesthetics to look at and well thought out areas at Disney World that I like that you're putting us in a new location. And La Hacienda, it's an easier reservation to get. And it's not like a big banger restaurant. It's not even the main restaurant in the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot. It's a great underrated kind of flying under the radar option.

[00:29:49] And anytime you could line up with a firework show is obviously the pinnacle. I like that pick. Whenever I was thinking about what my pick would be for this category, I was thinking, gosh, there are so many incredible views on Disney property. Like whatever you're looking for, Disney has it. But I actually think the best restaurant with the best view is probably Sanaa. You can dine. I was going to say that. Mm, see?

[00:30:19] That's a view people don't think about. It's a great one. Exactly. That's a great answer. You can dine and you have this beautiful view right beside these windows of the animals out on the savannas. And the menu is pretty good as well. You have the adventurous stuff. You also have some more typical stuff that you might find. It's just, it's a really great option for a meal with a view. And it's more laid back. You're not like trying to deal with all the park craziness and everything. It's at a resort.

[00:30:47] So you're just sort of chilling that day, hanging out, looking at the animals. You know what? Not only is it at a resort, but it's at a really beautiful resort. And even to just go hang out in the lobby over there is absolutely stunning. And then to walk out in that little fire pit area that is surrounded by the savannah and the animals and stuff is really cool. Yeah. Yeah. For those that don't know, Sanaa is at Animal Kingdom Lodge. And this restaurant is situated on a savannah.

[00:31:14] It is a quick service breakfast option, mostly serving guests at Kidani Village, which is where it's located. But especially at dinnertime and especially near sunset, this has some of the best food on property. That butter chicken dish that I always get. I think about it often. And it's kind of bread service. Bread service. Yes. Katie and I just stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge last year with a bunch of people. And we ordered four bread services to go and brought them up to the room.

[00:31:43] And it was just the best night. We had opened a bottle of wine and just ate bread service. And it was fantastic. What a great answer. I love that answer. I went with Ohana because I wanted to keep it in the scope of Magic Kingdom. And I was thinking between, Carla, you mentioned California Grill, Narcooses, and Ohana. I think of the three, it's very obviously the most family friendly, the most laid back of the other. The other two feel very formal.

[00:32:10] And I think you get that really centered, straightforward view of the Magic Kingdom skyline. And if you get sat by a window, especially with your family, it's super enchanting and magical. So I went with that one. So I'm glad we kind of have representation of several views on Disney property. I like them all. And this is our show and it's our game. So I almost think we could say eat here, here, and here. Not there. Because there are so many views that you can, they can really talk up for being great. For sure. Yeah. Okay.

[00:32:40] I love that. And at Ohana, you're going to get that central Magic Kingdom view, but you're going to get it at a more relaxed environment and a lesser dollar. Hacienda de San Angal, you're getting the World Showcase Lagoon, which, come on, be real, my favorite area ever. And Sanaa, you're getting a savannah, but you're getting it outside of the park. So a giraffe could literally be walking by your window while you're having some of the most delicious food on property. Oh, Chivo. Oh, fühlt sich das nach Sommer an.

[00:33:10] Die neue Sommerwäsche von Chivo begeistert mit leuchtenden Farben und fröhlichen Trints. Feine Spitze, leichte Mikrofaser und sommerliche Schnitte sorgen für pures Wohlgefühl, selbst an heißen Tagen. Entdecke jetzt die neue Wäschekollektion von Chivo und finde deine Lieblingsstücke für den Sommer. Das gibt es nur bei G. Meditieren, Yoga, Joggen, nichts entspannt mich. Echt? Mich entspannt meine Steuer total.

[00:33:40] Steuer? Wie Finanzamt? Die Steuererklärung? Ja, ich habe ganz locker über 1000 Euro Zugriff bekommen. Hast du geheime Connections? Nö, nur die Wieso-Steuer-App. Wow, und das ist einfach? Klar, die macht fast alles automatisch. Plötzlich fühle ich mich so entspannt. Hol dir dein Geld zurück. Tief und entspannt mit Wieso-Steuer. Alright, we're back. And these next couple, especially this next one I'm very passionate about.

[00:34:07] I have a lot of families ask me, we are a big seafood family. We love seafood. When they say that, they then want to go to Coral Reef in Epcot. And I don't know if it's because Boy Meets World filmed an episode there, or Full House filmed an episode there, or if it's just because it's at Epcot, so everybody assumes the food there, no matter what the genre of food is. Is that the right way to say that? Genre of food?

[00:34:35] No matter what type of food it is, it's going to be great, and it's going to be the best it can be at Epcot. Coral Reef is not it. I think this restaurant is bad. I've never been there, but in my head, it's dark and dingy, and it stinks. Yeah. Yeah. That's all I got. Like, have you been there, Katie? So, I'm not a seafood lover, so I have not been to Coral Reef.

[00:34:56] But let me just say, there is something that doesn't sit well with me to go to a restaurant and eat the thing that is swimming right past me in an aquarium, okay? Like, that's very disturbing to me. Yeah. I agree. I need some separation. Think of how they feel. Think of how they feel. It'd be like Sanaa serving up some giraffe. Yeah. Yeah, so there is some fantastic seafood on Disney property.

[00:35:22] And if you're a seafood lover, this is not where you are going to go. Coral Reef is not it. The best seafood on Disney property, the best food on Disney property, it can be found at the boathouse at Disney Springs. This is Allie's Hill. Do not – this is a great hill to die on. Do not confuse this for Paddlefish, the big boat that's in the water, and think that that big boat is the boathouse. The boathouse is just past that restaurant, the big ship restaurant. And it's down on the water.

[00:35:53] There are about a bajillion rooms you can sit in, and then there's a deck. I've got to be honest, I don't like sitting inside. I think inside is really, really loud and hard to function in. But when you get a table outside – Zan and I have had date nights there where we just get table for two in the corner. I've eaten with friends there out on the deck, out on the water. The fish are in the water. You can't see them. It has a full oyster bar. So if oysters are your thing, which they're not mine, but shout out to my friend Nikki, they are hers.

[00:36:23] And I went with her, and I was like, try these oysters, and I need your feedback because you're kind of an oyster expert. She was like, best I've ever had, by far, so good. And I just think this restaurant does every single thing right. It's five stars for me. And if you want seafood, you've got to go to Disney Springs, and you've got to go to the Boathouse. I feel like the Boathouse is the obvious absolutely yes, you should do this. But if we wanted an honorable mention for this category – No, we got it. You got it. We said – Oh, okay. We got it.

[00:36:50] Then I was going to say flying fish on the boardwalk is also another really good one for seafood. I have a friend and also a client who every time they go to Disney, flying fish is the place that they've got to go. Yeah, you know, I need to go there because I've heard the same thing. People rave about flying fish, and it's so underrated, and people don't think about it. So I think we should all go, and then that should be our new restaurant that we push so that we can get that reservation at Trattoria again.

[00:37:19] But I would venture to say, because we just recently experienced, and I just mentioned it a couple minutes ago, that Narcoosi is a fantastic place to go for a seafood meal. Everybody at the table had steak and lobster. Other than me, I had this amazing – gosh, I want to say it was sea bass or something. It was basically like a delicious fish, and you can get a view of the fireworks from there, and you're on the water.

[00:37:48] It is a really special restaurant, you know, as far as can you take kids there? Yes. Should you take kids there? Maybe not. Like, leave this, you know, kind of for that more special occasion. But it is a great option. Yeah, I agree. I think it's not our this option because of what you just said. When we went to Narcoosi's, it was just five adults, and it was on our arrival night. It was the first time we all got together, and it was the best to sit down with a group of friends,

[00:38:17] have that view of Magic Kingdom, just starting a trip, steak and lobster. I mean, that is adult Disney. That's what a Disney adult is to me, you know what I mean? And so boathouses definitely, I think, are this. And I think Flying Fish is probably a great honorable mention. I just think it's a little – Flying Fish is fancy and expensive, and that's why I think it's not my go-to other than Coral Reef. But at the end of the day, mostly it's just Skip Coral Reef. Yeah, 100%.

[00:38:44] Okay, what about if you're going to have a good steak? Here's the issue. STK Orlando is at Disney Springs, and STK is a massive steak chain. And people like to go experience big chains that they've heard of. And it's called STK, and it's known for the steak. And we actually had, at our dance event in June, they rented the top level of STK. There's like a bar up there.

[00:39:11] And they rented it out for us to have drinks and mingle with other dance instructors and things before the event began. And I had never been there. And so we were like, well, why don't we take our faculty, and we'll just have a steak dinner before we go on up to the bar and have our mingling. So we ate at STK for the first time before that little get-together. And it was good. It's fine. This is not the steak dinner that I would go to if I were at Disney World.

[00:39:39] If I'm at Disney World, I'm not picking a chain with a steak that tastes like, you know, a chain, really good chain steak that I've had before. Where's the best steak you've had on Disney property? I'm a steak girl. Like I said, we were not seafood people, but we are steak people. If we're going out somewhere for fancy dinner, it's we're having steak. So there are two that I really love and one of which I frequent more. It's not the one that I'm going to mention right now.

[00:40:05] But my husband will tell you, Matt will tell you, the hill that he dies on is the best steak he ever ate was at La Selle in Epcot. We love a good steak. Very occasionally, like an anniversary or something like that, we will pull out all the stops and go to a really fancy dinner somewhere that's like, you know, a couple hundred bucks for the two of us. We did that on our honeymoon and had these great dry aged steaks. And it was fantastic.

[00:40:34] We did it again in Epcot. I want to say this was like two years ago. We went on a date there now. But Matt was like, this is the best steak I've ever had in my life. And I had to agree. That was a great steak. So I really enjoyed it at La Selle. I say La Selle is probably one of the best places to get steak on Disney property. Katie, correct me if I'm wrong. Is there not a candle made of butter that they light? There is. Yes.

[00:41:03] They will light the candle butter and then like you can pour it over your food. How cool is that? That's incredible. Yeah, I want that immediately. Carla, what about you? Where would you go instead? So I would stay in Disney Springs. I would actually go and this is probably not one you would even think of is Wine Bar George. So they don't have a huge menu there. But the things that they do have, they do really amazing and really well.

[00:41:31] And they have this two different types, but they have family style platters. I've been with just my husband or I've been with some other friends. And it is basically like this giant platter of a skirt steak, which also when I think of a great steak dinner, skirt steak doesn't really cross my mind. Just because if you've ever had a bad skirt steak, then you know it's chewy and gross and whatever. This is not. This is amazing.

[00:41:56] I'm a sucker for crunchy, crusty, sweet onions and potatoes and, you know, whatever mushrooms. And then throw on some chimichurri sauce and it's like heaven. And they have amazing wine selection there. And it's just super quiet and quaint. And you can sit out on the balcony and overlook everybody that's going to the boathouse. It's amazing.

[00:42:22] And I definitely know it's probably not the best steak on Disney property, but dang, it's very good. Yeah, I think Le Cellier is probably the right choice here for the better steak. And especially for a crowd that's maybe thinking, oh, I want the best, the best of the best that I can get. So I'm going to STK. You know what I mean? I don't like that. I think that's kind of like a lot with this next one we're going to do too. The option I said, knowing that Le Cellier was probably going to be mentioned and be the right choice.

[00:42:51] Honorable mention I was going to throw out there is another obvious one. And it's just Steakhouse 71 because it's, let me tell you the reasons why. Number one, it's less expensive. It's a more casual steakhouse. It really is. But it still really qualifies as a steakhouse. And those sides are really, really good. Oh my God. They're so good. And I don't really like the food at Magic Kingdom.

[00:43:13] So on a dinner night, if I want a great meal on a Magic Kingdom day, it's a five minute walk over to Steakhouse 71, which is in the bottom of the Contemporary. So it's kind of my fix and solution to the poor food experience inside the park. And you get a really good steak. So I'm going to throw that on the honorable mention list with Carla's. But just know that if you're looking for the better steakhouse, you're going to hit up Le Cellier and Epcot over STK at Disney Springs for sure. Absolutely. All right.

[00:43:41] Our last one here, and we're going to talk about, and then we're going to play a fun game, is Family Fun Restaurant. I think there are some hidden gems here where if I'm looking for a really fun experience and I have little kids, everybody, and I mean everybody, wants to go to T-Rex Cafe at Disney Springs. And or Rainforest. Can we just throw them in as one? No.

[00:44:07] We should because it's like Rainforest Cafe, but prehistoric. You know what I mean? Leave the animatronics to Disney. Okay, fine. It's terrible. It's not good. Go see the big dinosaur. Go look in the gift shop if you have a dino lover. But if you are thinking to yourself, oh, my kids would love this meal. I just want to do a meal for my kids. Well, first of all, the whole trip is probably for your kids. And second of all, there are better dinner options where you can say, oh, I want to take my kids here.

[00:44:38] What are they? Carla, what are they? Well, mine is probably going to be a lot different from yours. There are a ton of them. And I know the one Katie's going to talk about because she absolutely loves it. A fun one that I have experienced in the last couple of years and isn't that well-known or much talked about is the Hoop-Dee-Doo Review over at Pioneer Hall at Fort Wilderness. It's a little bit of a trek to get there, but it is so worth it. It's basically like this zanny comedy dancing.

[00:45:07] It's basically dinner and a show. And your dinner is going to be fried chicken, macaroni and cheese. There's unlimited beer and wine, which is like unheard of with a Disney meal. And as far as pricing, it's really, in my opinion, probably less expensive than a lot of character meals. It is a prepaid meal. It's one of those. I mentioned Cinderella's Royal Table was one of only two. Good point. This is the other one. This is the one where you do pay ahead. Not only is it a prepaid meal, but it also comes in categories.

[00:45:35] And the categories are based on where you're going to sit. I definitely recommend paying the extra $8 and sitting front and center. Because the show is interactive. They dance around. There's parts of the show where you get to stand up and actually participate. My kids love it. It's actually fun for all ages. So whereas Rainforest Cafe or T-Rex are really only fun for your kids. Because when you get that bill, you're like, what in the heck just happened to me? This one, dad's going to have fun.

[00:46:04] Mom's going to have fun. Everybody's going to have fun here. Yeah, it's great. The downfalls are the prepay factor and it's hard to get to. You mentioned both those things. It's over at Fort Wilderness. And I just think you've got to either take an Uber or a minivan or a Lyft, or you're going to have to take multiple transportation options to get there. It's going to be park to resort or whatever. So keep that in mind if you're planning on going there. Katie, what you got? Okay.

[00:46:30] Before I say what my choice is, this is a category that I feel goes under the radar whenever people are planning their trips. People are either like, I want fine dining, steak and seafood, or I want a character meal. This is sort of an in-between kind of category where it is fun dining and it is good dining without involving characters. And I feel like that's kind of a hidden gem in and of itself because your kids are going to have fun and they're also going to stay seated and engaged in the meal without a whole

[00:46:59] bunch of hoopla. Except all the hoopla at Hoopty Doo. Lots of hoopla over there. Yeah, all the hoopla at Hoopty Doo. I also feel like I have to slightly defend T-Rex Cafe because in our Disney Springs draft episode, I hardcore stood for T-Rex. I do think it's a good restaurant. I still stand by this category and don't go to T-Rex because there are other better options for just a fun family meal.

[00:47:27] So now I'm going to let you know what my pick is. There are several spoofy restaurants on Disney property that are just sort of like fun gag restaurants. And my favorite of those is Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge. I love Whispering Canyon Cafe. Whether you go for breakfast with like the bottomless skillets, you get really great breakfast food and it's literally unlimited portions. They have unlimited milkshakes there. Everything on the menu is fantastic.

[00:47:57] But we've gone for dinner, like Carla and Becky and I have gone there for dinner before. It's just a really great spoofy restaurant. The kids are going to like be engaging with the waiter. They're going to be blowing paper straws at you. They're going to make it rain napkins on you. And if you ask for ketchup, something really funny happens. And we're going to leave that. Yeah, I'm going to say this. I'll say this. This was actually my choice too. Like imagine you can have a meal where the food is great, but the kids are like playing the whole time.

[00:48:27] They do horse races. There's horses like heads on a stick or whatnot. And they have ring toss things and the servers are marching them around. And like you said, Katie, you asked for ketchup because when we did, it was so, so much fun. My son was actually sick the night before we had this reservation. It was really weird. I was like, oh no, it's good. And we were staying at Wilderness Lodge, which is the reason we gave this restaurant a try. I had heard such great things. And I was thinking, oh, he's not going to make it.

[00:48:57] And he started to perk up and felt better. So he went. And I swear by the end of that meal, like you would have no idea that he was ever feeling badly. He was laughing and standing on his chair and running around and, you know, ordering ketchup. It was just such a fun experience. One of the most fun times we've ever had at a Disney meal. So eat at Whispering Canyon, not T-Rex. I promise you, even if your kids love dinosaurs, they will still enjoy the Whispering Canyon cafe. So all in.

[00:49:24] Can I just say another one that I think is super popular that would be that option is Syfy. Syfy over at Hollywood Studios. Syfy drive-in theater. Syfy dine-in. Well, dine-in. It's like drive-in, but it's dine-in. Yeah. Yeah. That whole experience, I think people, that is their first pick at Hollywood Studios because they think it's going to be like this family fun experience. And don't get me wrong. The environment inside is super cool, but just everything else about it just doesn't make any sort of sense. So don't go there.

[00:49:53] No, I think people think they're going to have the fun that they will have at Whispering Canyon. And I don't know what they think. They think that they're going to a drive-in and it just doesn't make sense in a dining setting. It's not good. Especially with weird dinosaurs on the screen. If you're going to Hollywood Studios and you want like a fun, spoofy meal, you got to do 50s primetime, right? Yeah. That's where like the servers are your cousins and they're telling you not to put your elbows on the table, right? It's another great one. Our family loves that one too. Yeah. I've never thought of the servers being your cousins. Yeah. It's hilarious. Yeah. That is funny.

[00:50:23] All right. Well, I feel really good about this list. So eat here, not there. Do this, not that. Princess Meal, go to Akershus for breakfast or honorable mention 1900 Park Fair. They're over Cinderella's Royal Table. You want to eat a Mickey meal? You're going to go to Topolino's over Chef Mickey's or honorable mention, I guess, Garden Grill, even though I don't really think that's a Mickey meal. Or Tusker House. Or Tusker House, which is my other pick.

[00:50:49] If you want good Italian, do not go to Tony's Town Square. Hit up Trattoria Al Forno on the boardwalk. You want a good meal with a view? You will get that at California Grill. But you can get it maybe a little bit less stuffy over at Ohana. Or think about different views outside of the box. Hit up La Hacienda de San Angol or Sanaa, which is over at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village. You want good seafood? You're going to skip Coral Reef. You're going to hit up The Boathouse.

[00:51:18] Honorable mentions to flying fish and arcooses, but those are really expensive, kind of fancy meals. You want a good steak? Please skip the chain. Don't hit up STK in Disney Springs. Go to Le Cellier. Drop some money at that meal. Have the butter candle and enjoy a really good steak over at Epcot. Shout out to Wine by George and Steakhouse 71, but I think Le Cellier is where it's at. And if you want your family to have a really fun kids experience, skip T-Rex Cafe.

[00:51:47] That is lame. Go to Whispering Canyon Cafe. I swear you will be dying laughing. You will have a blast. It'll be a memory you will never forget. Or honorable mention. Give Hoopty Doo Review a try. I think that's a great list. And it's some good insight for people planning a trip. You know you're planning your dining. You know you're struggling with how you're going to get the best experience for the different types of meals that you have. And I hope this was super helpful. Got some trivia for you guys. Go for it. Yeah. Let's do it. All right. Carla. No.

[00:52:17] Don't start with me. Mickey and Minnie Mouse. They both share a birthday. It's November 18th, 1928. What film came out that gave them that birthday? Steamboat Willie. That's right. That's right. Wow. Really? Katie. How far apart are the garbage cans at Disney World? Oh gosh. Okay. I don't know this one, but I'm going to guess 60 feet. Is it 60 feet? Correct answer is never more than 30 steps away from a garbage can.

[00:52:47] That is true. No matter what. That's why it's so clean. Yeah. You're never walking around looking for a trash can. They're never more than 30 steps away. Okay. Carla, what is the tagline? I feel like Carla's are easier. I hope so because I'm really bad at Disney trivia. Okay. What is the tagline for Walt Disney World? The. Why am I? Carla, you are a Disney World local. Why am I questioning myself? It is the most magical place on earth. Yes, that's correct.

[00:53:17] You almost said the happiest. Gosh, I wanted to say happiest. I almost did. That would be Disneyland for those listening that didn't know. Okay. Katie, how many happy haunts live inside the haunted mansion? Oh, that's easy. 999. And room for one more. Okay. Carla, what is the largest pavilion at Epcot? Oh, wow. Let me think about this. Shout out to Becky for coming up with these trivia questions, by the way. Yeah.

[00:53:44] My instinct wants to say, gosh, I don't know. I'm going to say Japan. I don't know if that's going to be right. Oh, the land over six acres. Oh, see, I don't know if I would have, I was categorizing that as that. That was a tricky question there. Can you please ask the question? What was that? The largest pavilion in Epcot. I would have considered that was something in World Showcase. But I guess. It was trickery. Did you know that, Katie? I did know it was the land pavilion. They need a lot of space to grow those veggies. I was just thinking about the country.

[00:54:14] I was too. Yeah. I was off on that one as well. Yeah. All right, Katie. Approximately how many animals live in Animal Kingdom? Oh, gosh. Can you give her like a window? This is unfair. I know. This is really tough. I don't know the answer. This is Becky. If you think about zoos, it could literally be like anything. 999. 999. Yeah. Wait, let's say. Let's break the tie and we both say a number and whoever's closer. Okay. Okay. You go first.

[00:54:43] I'm going to say. Think of all the birds. 1800. 1800. Oh, that's a lot. That's a lot of animals. I have no idea if that's high or low. I'm going to say 1100. Okay. 1700. Oh. Dang. Katie wins. I was just over. Wow. Approximately 1700. Good job. All right. That's insane. That was great. Good job, ladies. I don't know if I would have gotten any of those right, to be honest.

[00:55:10] I get really nervous with trivia in my mind blanks and then even obvious things I start to forget. All right. Well, now you're better equipped to make some more choices that are going to make sense for your Walt Disney World vacation. Do this. Not that. Just because we said so. And because we know what we're talking about. That's going to do it for us on another episode of the Moms Behind the Magic podcast. Make sure you're joining us in our social media feeds on Facebook, Moms Behind the Magic podcast. Get all of your questions answered so you feel even more like a pro.

[00:55:39] And until next time, we are sending you some fun, love, and joy. And you send us back some five-star reviews on Spotify or wherever you listen. Hashtag FLJ. And we'll see you real soon.