Why You Should Pick Your Quick-Service Meals Ahead of Time
Three meals a day. That’s the standard for most families. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. So those are three meals that you’ll have to plan for during your Disney vacation. If you’re on the Deluxe Dining Plan you may be dining at Table Service Restaurants for your whole vacation but if you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, the Quick-Service Dining Plan or paying out of pocket you’ll probably be eating at your fair share of Quick-Service restaurants. A Quick-Service restaurant is another term for Fast Food, because many of these restaurants are much more than Fast Food. With many offering salads, rice bowls, flatbreads, even some offering chicken breasts, roasted beef, salmon. At each of the Disney parks, Disney resorts, and Disney Springs there are a large variety of quick-service restaurants. You may think you can just fly by the seat of your pants with these restaurants but today’s post is going to focus on why you should plan these restaurants ahead of time.
- Best Food Choices for Your Needs and Wants
Everyone has their own preferences and desires. Some people are looking to get burgers and fries, whereas others may be looking for a soup and a sandwich. You know what you’re most likely to be looking for on any given day, especially if you take into account what you’ll be eating during other parts of the day at Table Service restaurants. So you want to make sure that you are heading into a restaurant that is going to have something you actually want. Take a look at the menus ahead of time to make sure you’re dining somewhere you will want to eat what they are offering.
2. Location
When you’re coming off an attraction and it’s meal time you will eat at the first place you see. Little do you know there may be a better place 2 doors away. There are so many dining options, you don’t have to settle for the first place you see. By looking at your plans for the day you’ll have an idea of what area of the park you’ll be in around meal time. By looking at the map ahead of time and seeing what your options are, you’ll be able to make a better choice. When you’re rushed, you’ll make a rash decision. There’s nothing worse than eating and then leaving a restaurant unhappy, just to find a better restaurant moments later. Talk about food envy.
3. Hours
Not all quick-service restaurants have the same hours. Look ahead of time to see if the restaurant you want to dine at is even open when you’re hoping to dine at it. Many of the food carts and kiosks have odd hours. So you can’t necessarily count on them being open when you expect. This is very true of the dining options found on Sunset Blvd at Hollywood Studios and the small kiosks in Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland.
4. Time between Meals
If you have a reservation at a certain time, planning ahead will make sure you don’t arrive at that meal full. Take a look at what meals you have reserved and figure out where the gaps are. Fill these gaps with appropriate meals or snacks and you’ll arrive at your precious restaurant reservation hungry.
5. Save Yourself Time
By having your quick-service restaurant picked out ahead of time you will save yourself precious time. Time you could be spending shopping, riding an attraction or meeting a character. Don’t waste 15 minutes trying to find the best option at the moment. Those 15 minutes are precious.
6. Not All Quick-Service Restaurants are the Same
Gone are the days where every restaurant serves the same meal. Some quick-service restaurants have unique items that you can’t find anywhere else in the park. You can’t assume that once you’ve located a quick-service restaurant that they’ll serve what you’re looking for. So do your research ahead of time to find the best option for you.
7. Less Stress
You want to experience as much joy as possible during your magical days at Walt Disney World. And that can mean, for many of us, avoiding stressful situations. You know you are going to have to eat during your days at Walt Disney World so why make it stressful for yourself. Plan ahead and then follow your well laid out plan.
Dining can be such a wonderful element of your Disney trip. With hundreds of choices, there’s bound to be lots of great choices for you and your crew. So take some time to research and then enjoy all the incredible meals during your Disney vacation. Check out these previous posts about dining that may help:
Ways to Pick Your Disney Restaurants
Dining Plans at Walt Disney World
Breakfast at the Magic Kingdom
Breakfast at Hollywood Studios