Park Re-opening Questions: What is the Safest Way to Dine?
If you're visiting Walt Disney World in 2020, you might be wondering how to keep yourself and your family as safe as possible from the coronavirus. Recently, the Texas Medical Association published a graphic representation of risk factors of certain activities which has been replicated and reproduced by many other organizations. What all of these representations seem to have in common is the classification of dining indoors at a restaurant as either high or moderate-high risk. This is because people remove masks to eat but are in an indoor space where stagnant air may cause virus to linger.
Following is the said chart, and we promise this will be the most science-y thing in this post today.
But, while this post is in no way an endorsement to visit Walt Disney World during the pandemic, we understand that those who already had trips planned or needed to reschedule canceled trips want to enjoy all that Disney has to offer, including the food. In this post, we will offer some advice on what to do.
Carry-In: The Safest Option?
The Walt Disney World theme parks allow guests to carry in coolers. You can also use grocery delivery services or even Amazon to have food delivered to your resort. This means that you could theoretically feed yourself and family without having to rely on Disney dining at all.
Here are a few things to be aware of:
The cooler dimensions must be 24" by 15" by 8" or less. No coolers that you have to pull behind you are allowed. Think small coolers or picnic pouches.
No loose ice is allowed in coolers. You can cool your food with ice in clear plastic bags or frozen gel packs.
Bell Services will no longer hold or deliver third party grocery deliveries for you. This means you need to hold off on making an order until you are on site and then you need to wait to meet your delivery and take it to your room.
When you eat food you carry in, you need to be stationary. In other words, find a spot and park it before removing your masks. This prevents people from walking around the park maskless.
You can rent a locker to store your cooler. You might want to bring extra sanitizing wipes to disinfect after touching the locker/key.
You should have extra sanitizing wipes in your room as well to disinfect the items that are delivered. Never disinfect surfaces you will later ingest (like an apple) but disinfect packages (like the plastic contain lunch meat comes in). For apples and such, rinse them in the sink.
You can also leave the park and go to your room to eat and then return to the same park if this is more convenient.
Check ahead of time whether your room has a mini-fridge. Don't expect a lot of space in the fridge if your room has one. You might also want to check on the status of a microwave.
While carrying in might be the safest option, in our opinion, it can also be the least fun option. After all, who wants to be planning food, preparing food, meeting their delivery person, and missing out on Disney snacks and Disney park time. But it dining in gives you complete control over your food and can save a lot of money and may be the right option for those who are concerned about safely dining.
Cheeseburger bao from Satu'li Canteen where you can mobile order.
Mobile Order
If you have not used this service already, we are disappointed in you. Really. Mobile ordering is the best thing to happen to Quick Service dining - well - EVER. What you need is the My Disney Experience app loaded onto your smartphone and a credit card entered into the app.
Mobile ordering is the safest way to dine out at Disney. Think of it as curbside-to-go at your local restaurants. You order on your app, pay on your app, go to the location and click a button when you arrive. They will prepare your food within minutes and then let you know when it's ready and at what window to pick it up. Then you just go and get it. You don't have to stand in line, and you don't have to interact with a Cast Member. It's lovely. AND it's expanded to even more Quick Service locations right now.
Take It Outside
While the Texas Medical Association classified dining indoors as a moderate-high risk, dining outdoors is a moderate-low risk. This is because of better air circulation. So when you can, choose a counter service restaurant with outdoor dining.
Some of the best options include:
Flame Tree BBQ (Animal Kingdom)- our favorite even before the pandemic. Expansive outdoor seating on a gorgeous terrace.
Satu'li Canteen (Animal Kingdom) - the outdoor seating isn't amazing unless it's nighttime in Pandora, but for the food, we will sit anywhere.
Yak and Yeti (Animal Kingdom) - the counter service arm of this restaurant is just a pick up window, but you can then take your food into an outdoor courtyard to eat.
Pinocchio Village Haus (Magic Kingdom) - the most expansive outdoor seating of all options. Other options in this park include Pecos Bill, Gaston's, and Cosmic Ray's, though the outdoor seating is somewhat less than exciting and less expansive at these locations.
Backlot Express (Hollywood Studios) - only recommended because the outdoor seating is the most expansive here and the menu, while lackluster, is basic enough to feed most types of people.
Rosie's All-American Cafe or Anaheim Produce (Hollywood Studios) - both of these locations are on Sunset Boulevard where there is a general seating area near the intersections of Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards. You can get your food and then proceed to the top of the street where there are several tables. While the seating is less extensive than Backlot, the food at these two places is arguably better.
Katsura Grill (EPCOT) - the most exciting al fresco dining at EPCOT tends to be taken over by Table Service, but at Katsura Grill, you can get your bento box and eat it in the Japanese garden.
Yorkshire County Fish Shop (EPCOT) - the fish and chips window in the Rose & Crown building is a place where you can grab a bite if you are into fish and chips. This place shares seating with the Rose & Crown beer garden so at times it can be busy, but it is one of my favorite places to grab a drink at EPCOT and sit by the lagoon.
Regal Eagle Smokehouse (EPCOT) - one of the newest dining options, the Regal Eagle is at the American Adventure pavilion and serves barbecue.
Visited by a bird at the outdoor seating at Flame Tree BBQ, simply one of my favorite places to be.
Table Service Al Fresco
If Quick Service doesn't quite cut it for you, then consider a Table Service location where you can get the full experience... just outside. There are several great options but all will require an ADR, which given limited seating may not be guaranteed. If your heart is set on table service dining, we recommend trying to secure these when the current 60 day ADR window opens.
Please note - these are our favorites and not an exhaustive list.
Rose & Crown (EPCOT) - simply my favorite place to dine upon the World Showcase Lagoon because the patio juts out over the lagoon and the breeze is lovely. The menu is excellent as well. You can dine in the beer garden or on the patio al fresco.
La Hacienda y La Cantina (EPCOT)- in the Mexico pavilion, this is another lovely option along World Showcase Lagoon.
Spice Road Table (EPCOT) - covered but al fresco dining in the Morocco pavilion along the World Showcase Lagoon.
Nomad Lounge (Animal Kingdom) - this is really the lounge option at Tiffins and shares many of the same menu items, but a more casual atmosphere with large open air windows and fans.
Tony's Town Square (Magic Kingdom) - this Italian restaurant is just to your right as you enter the Magic Kingdom and is a great location to watch the goings on by the flagpole area of Main Street USA. The food has received mixed reviews, but we are always pleased with the food here. One thing to note - the outdoor seating is quite limited but lovely if you snag it. This is also the ONLY outdoor table service restaurant at the Magic Kingdom, sadly.
Hollywood Brown Derby lounge (Disney Hollywood Studios) - the only table service with outdoor seating at Hollywood Studios is worth mentioning, though honestly, I'd be headed to EPCOT if I were you. I've never found the food at Disney Hollywood Studios anything to write home about.
The Boathouse (Disney Springs) - many say this is the best outdoor dining experience at Disney, hands down. People have loved the Boathouse from the time it opened, and now it has even more going for it with a ton of outdoor patio seating along the bay.
Homecomin' (Disney Springs) - also a favorite for its food, there is an outdoor dining patio.
Geyser Point Bar and Grill (Wilderness Lodge) - this is both a counter and table service, and has outdoor seating overlooking Bay Lake.
My kiddo, many years ago as a young princess, enjoying dinner with us on the patio of Tony's Town Square - a perfect viewing spot for parades.
Dine Around World Showcase
If you are traveling to Walt Disney World in 2020, before Thanksgiving, you are also in for a treat with the Taste of Food and Wine Festival, which is currently ongoing and will continue until November 23rd. This festival features 20 kiosks around World Showcase where you can grab bites of interesting foods from around the world and drinks to go with them. Because of Disney's "no walking and eating with your mask off" rule that went into effect recently, we feel there is a really good chance that outdoor seating will be found near each kiosk so you can enjoy your purchases.
Having enjoyed Food & Wine in the past, we highly recommend this option. It makes for a memorable and fun evening as you dine, drink, and stroll your way around World Showcase.
The Obvious Rule
Finally, we feel we should state the most obvious and important dining safety rule of them all: Wash your hands. Wash them before dining and wash them again after dining. While hand sanitizer is not quite as effective as washing with soap and water, you should also always carry this with you in case you can't find soap and water (probably an impossibility at Disney, but we feel we must mention this). It wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to also carry sanitizing wipes. And pay with a card or charge to your room when you can, rather than paying with cash which has touched many hands and can carry germs.
We hope we have provided you with some good dining options if you are visiting Walt Disney World in 2020. We know this can be a stressful time for all, even when you are on your way to the happiest place on Earth.
Is there other advice we can give to make your visit easier? Tell us on our Facebook page, where you can also follow us and share articles with friends. Until then, we'll see you...
