Top 5 DVC Resorts for Foodies
All of us eat to live, but foodies live to eat. These gourmands care so much about their meals that they build entire vacations around the dining options.
Remarkably, Walt Disney World has evolved into a food mecca, a place where guests can dine better than they could in many metropolitan areas. Disney Vacation Club members know this, and it’s one of the many reasons why we buy. Here are the top 5 DVC resorts for foodies.
Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas
Photo courtesy of: Disney Tourist Blog
Do you know what’s even better than fine dining? The answer is devouring your meal while staring at the ocean, a lush garden, or a bustling pool.
The atmosphere can elevate any dining experience, something DVC fans quickly recognized at Aulani. This resort hosts several memorable meal options.
My favorite is KA WA’A, the luau that includes prime rib and fresh seafood served in a buffet style. Many DVC fans favor ‘AMA ‘AMA, which only recently reopened. It’s a meal featuring traditional Hawaiian flavors, including the restaurant’s namesake, a fish called the ‘ama ‘ama.
Then, there’s Makahiki – The Bounty of the Islands. It’s a harvest celebration available at the resort each day. By the way, the breakfast here is phenomenal as well.
Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Photo courtesy of: Disney Tourist Blog
For the longest time, DVC members supported Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge. It was our best-kept secret, the place where we could always get a table and still expect world-class cuisine.
Alas, Disney changed that when it upgraded Artist Point with a character dining experience. Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White has become one of the toughest Advanced Dining Reservations to book.
This character greeting allows fans to interact with Snow White, members of the Seven Dwarfs, and even the Evil Queen. However, foodies love the meal for its unique components like Sorceress Spell of “Tricken” Chicken, a plant-based dish, and “Cottage” Beef Stroganoff.
Remarkably, two other restaurants rival this experience in ambiance and menu quality. Many DVC members have grown up with Whispering Canyon Café, which features a raucous atmosphere, overflowing skillets of proteins, and more ketchup than you could ever need.
Finally, Geyser Point Bar & Grill combines breathtaking lakeside dining with rustic cuisine. The bison burger here is one of the most novel entrees in Orlando.
PS: Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge also counts, as the two DVC properties share the same campus. I listed Copper Creek since Geyser Point debuted as part of that expansion.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas
Photo courtesy of: Disney Tourist Blog
Critics of Disney’s Animal Kingdom suggest that the park and its accompanying resort are in the middle of nowhere. Management recognizes this and uses fine dining as a lure at Animal Kingdom Villas.
The twin resorts here host three restaurants with name recognition among foodies. You’ll find ardent supporters of Jiko – The Cooking Place, Sanaa, and Boma – Flavors of Africa.
When you ask three different DVC owners here which eatery they prefer, you will likely get three different answers. I say this because TripAdvisor currently lists 2,386 restaurants in Orlando. Boma ranks 92, Sanaa slots above it at 70, and Jiko tops them in 42nd place.
Yes, you’ll find three of the top 100 restaurants in Orlando at Animal Kingdom Lodge! And many fans would rank a Quick Service spot, The Mara, as one of the best breakfasts on the Disney campus.
For foodies, Animal Kingdom Villas qualifies as destination dining. As a pro tip, you should snag some Zebra Domes every time you visit this resort! The general stores sell them as grab-and-go desserts.
Disney’s Beach Club Villas
Photo courtesy of: Disney Tourist Blog
I’ve selected Beach Club Villas for reasons both internal and external. Let’s start with the latter.
When you stay at this resort, you are either a boat ride or a walk across a bridge from Disney’s BoardWalk, home to several exemplary restaurants like Flying Fish. You’re also a similar stroll away from the International Gateway and all the blessed restaurants at the World Showcase.
Both Beach Club and Disney’s BoardWalk Villas would justify a place here for their location alone. However, Beach Club ups the ante with two, arguably three, DVC favorites.
Cape May Café combines seafood on a par with Flying Fish (well, close enough) with a character dining experience starring Minnie Mouse and friends. Meanwhile, Beaches & Cream Soda Shop works as a throwback to the Happy Days era, where everyone ate burgers and chugged milkshakes.
DVC members love ordering ice cream to go at Beaches & Cream or snagging some attention inside the restaurant by selecting the Kitchen Sink, the most decadent of all Disney desserts.
Finally, Beach Club’s sibling, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, hosts Yachtsman Steakhouse. For steak lovers, this place represents the pinnacle of Disney dining. This place embodies the glorious foodie opportunities at Walt Disney World.
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Photo courtesy of: Disney Tourist Blog
When you stay at any of Walt Disney World’s monorail resorts, you effectively gain access to all three.
So, while I could have just as easily included the other two resorts, I picked Grand Floridian because it’s objectively the best. Personally, I dine the most at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, but nothing there can match Victoria & Albert’s.
Foodies want to sample the cuisine at the best places in America. A few years ago, TripAdvisor declared Victoria & Albert’s the second-best choice overall. The only other place on par with this Grand Floridian restaurant is Restaurant Daniel (Boulud) in New York City. It’s mind-boggling that you’ll find a place this highbrow at a theme park resort!
Remarkably, the Grand Floridian doesn’t stop there. I can and have ranked the Grand Floridian Café as one of the hidden gems of Disney dining. When 1900 Park Fare is open, its Strawberry Soup dazzles even the most refined palates, too.
Frankly, you’ll never have cause to dine anywhere else when you stay at the Grand Floridian. Its dining options are the gold standard in the industry.
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