Disney Restaurant Tips for Families with Young Kids
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Walt Disney World is home to hundreds of restaurants, from quick-service locations to character dining experiences. During your vacation, it’s likely your family will eat out more often than you do at home. If you’re traveling with toddlers or preschoolers, that can sometimes come with a few extra challenges.
My husband and I have been visiting Walt Disney World with our two young kids, currently ages 5 and 2 ½, for years. Along the way, we’ve picked up a few simple strategies and found some products that help make Disney restaurant meals go more smoothly. In this guide, I’ll share the Disney dining tips that work best for our family and the items we actually pack for our trip.
Before You Leave Home
If I could give one piece of advice to parents traveling with young kids, it would be that a little preparation goes a long way. That applies to so many parts of a Disney vacation, and dining is no exception.
Taking a few minutes to make a reservation can save you from a long wait for a table. Reviewing the menu ahead of time can help make sure everyone finds something they’ll enjoy. And with the My Disney Experience app, much of that planning can be done from the comfort of your home or hotel room before you ever arrive at the restaurant.
Make Dining Reservations
Most table-service restaurants at Walt Disney World allow guests to make reservations. If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you can begin booking dining reservations up to 60 days before your arrival date.
Include everyone in your reservation, even infants, so the restaurant can provide the correct table size for your party.
Review the restaurant’s cancellation policy ahead of time. Plans can change quickly when traveling with young kids, and many locations charge a fee for late cancellations or no-shows.
Schedule meals around your kids’ typical nap times and bedtime whenever possible. We’ve found that an early dinner is usually much more enjoyable than trying to push through a meal with overtired kids.
Review the Menu
Menus for Walt Disney World restaurants are available through the My Disney Experience app. Before choosing where to eat or making a reservation, I highly recommend taking a quick look at the menu ahead of time to make sure there’s at least one thing each of your kids will eat.
If you’re planning a quick-service meal, many locations also offer mobile ordering. We especially like to use it on busier park days. My husband can take the kids to find a table while I pick up our food, which helps get everyone settled and eating a little faster.
Whenever we can spend less time waiting and more time eating, it’s a win in our book.
What We Pack for Disney Restaurant Meals
These are a few of the items we regularly bring to Disney restaurants with our kids. None of them are necessities, but they’ve helped make restaurant meals easier for our family over the years. They’re small enough to toss into a park bag or suitcase and have been helpful during our Disney trips with young kids.
Leak-Proof Cup
Why we bring it: Disney kids’ cups seem to get knocked over at least once every trip. Having a leak-proof cup helps reduce spills and keeps drinks contained while kids are eating and playing.
What we use: 12oz Stainless Steel Insulated Kids Water Bottle
Disposable Placemats
Why we bring them: The placemats create a clean surface for snacks, meals, coloring, or other toys that we bring while waiting for our food. They also make cleanup a little easier when the meal is over.
What we use: 20 Pack Disposable Placemats
Snack Cups
Why we bring them: When traveling with young kids, we always bring snacks with us. They can make a big difference when you’re waiting for your meal to come or if they decide they don’t like the food options on the menu after all, it’s nice having a backup option just in case.
What we use: Whiskware Stackable Snack Containers
Silicone Toy Straps
Why we bring them: Our youngest went through a phase where everything ended up on the floor. These help keep cups and toys attached to the high chair.
What we use: 4 Pack Silicone Toy Straps
Travel Toys and Activities
Why we bring them: There’s usually some downtime between ordering, eating, and waiting for everyone to finish their meal. Having a small activity can help keep young kids entertained during those slower moments.
Favorites we pack:
Magnetic Puzzle
Mini Magna-Tiles
Water activity books
Play-Doh minis
What we use:
Quick Disney Dining Checklist
Before your next Disney restaurant meal:
Make a reservation if available
Review the menu ahead of time
Use the My Disney Experience app to manage reservations or mobile order
Pack a few familiar snacks
Bring a leak-proof cup
Pack one or two small activities for the wait
Final Thoughts
Walt Disney World is home to some of our family’s favorite restaurants, and trying new places has become one of our favorite parts of each trip. I hope these tips help your family feel prepared so you can spend less time worrying about mealtime and more time enjoying the experience together.