Which DVC Restaurants Will Your Kids Love?

Have your theme park habits evolved since you joined the Disney Vacation Club program? I know that mine have. Before I became a member, I’d spend every waking hour at the parks, trying to squeeze every minute of magic from my vacation. 

Nowadays, I enjoy hanging out at DVC resorts nearly as much as riding Haunted Mansion. And that behavior causes me to eat at DVC hotels frequently. 

I’ve noticed something along the way. When you stay at some resorts, it’s an ironclad rule that you’ll dine at specific places there. So, which restaurants will you visit during your DVC stay?

The Artist’s Palette

I’m focusing on Walt Disney World today, although I strongly considered Wind & Waves Grill at Vero Beach and Ulu Café. The reality is that Vero Beach is a bit niche, though, and the vast number of dining options at Aulani make Ulu Café a shaky choice.

Conversely, most DVC members wind up at The Artist’s Palette at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa during their stay, often multiple times. The convenience of this restaurant makes it hard to resist. It’s a restaurant right by the lobby that also features an adjoining general store. So, it’s one-stop shopping for your food and dining needs. 

Even though you’ll probably spend more time eating at Disney Springs, The Artist’s Palette’s large menu and inviting setting will lure you into the building. It’s also an ideal grab-and-go location, which will be a recurring theme with this list. 

Beach Club Marketplace

Much of what I just said about The Artist’s Palette applies to Beach Club Marketplace as well. Neither restaurant will ever be your first choice for the finest cuisine in the area. 

In fact, you can walk across the street to Disney’s BoardWalk or enter EPCOT via the International Gateway to eat much better. But there’s a lot to be said for simplicity during a DVC stay. Sometimes, we all want to hang out at the resort and take it easy. 

Beach Club Marketplace is ideal for this in that it’s right by the hotel lobby. Also, it shares its space with a very good store that’s larger and longer than most hotel shops. So, you can kill two birds with one stone by ordering a pizza and then shopping while you await your order. 

Capt. Cook’s 

Then, we have Capt. Cook’s, which is a bit different from the first two entries. You’ll go here for the food more than the convenience! That’s really saying something since it’s also an easily accessible restaurant.

Courtesy of the Disney Tourist Blog

You’ll find Capt. Cook’s in the majestic Great Ceremonial House, a place you’ll want to visit during your stay at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. That statement is true even when you’re spending the week at the Island Tower. You’ll still feel pulled toward the original hotel lobby.

While there, you can shop and dine on both floors and even grab a Dole Whip just outside the building. However, you’ll get the best bang for your buck at Capt. Cook’s, whose Polynesian dishes are flavorful but inexpensive by Disney standards. I suspect that I’ve eaten here more than any other DVC restaurant over the past decade. 

Contempo Café 

I haven’t discussed two vital factors with Disney dining yet. The first is that the introduction of Mobile Ordering changed the way DVC members dine. Now, we can order whatever we want, making all the substitutions we need, and then pick it up on our schedule, not Disney’s. 

That’s an essential enhancement for DVC members, as we’re frequently hopping around the parks and resorts. We’re Disney pros and possess a strong idea of how we want to spend our time. 

Often, we’d like a high-quality breakfast to fuel us for a hectic Disney day. Contempo Café is ideal for guests at Bay Lake Tower because we can order breakfast, eat our meal, and then hop on the monorail moments later. The monorail security checkpoint is 50 feet from the restaurant. 

That strategy works just as well at dinner as well. After a few hours at the parks, we can exit the park and board the monorail. During the brief ride to the Contemporary, DVC members have ample time to Mobile Order dinner. Then, after the meal, we can shop on the Grand Canyon Concourse or return to our rooms and recover from a fatiguing park visit. 

The Mara

This Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurant features many of the positives I’ve previously mentioned. It’s also conveniently located next to the pool, the arcade, and Simba’s Cub House. So, this is a centralized spot for you and your traveling party to relish your vacation.

From a dining perspective, there’s comfortable seating at the restaurant, including some of the same options you’ll find in DVC Villas. Also, there’s an outdoor seating area in tranquil surroundings. The one caveat here is that it can get a bit loud due to the nearby pool. 

Most importantly, this place sells Zebra Domes. That’s reason enough to make time for The Mara during your trip, and my family usually does. 

Olivia’s/Good’s Food to Go 

Finally, we have the originals in the DVC library. These restaurants have satisfied generations of owners, dating back to when Old Key West still went by the Disney Vacation Club Resort. 

Photo Courtesy of DisneyTouristBlog.com

Good’s Food to Go is right on the corner of the hotel lobby near the boat docks. So, this place has proven the lazy compromise choice for tens of thousands of members over the years. 

Meanwhile, Disney designed Olivia’s as a multigenerational dining experience. Families can look at the pictures on the walls, which show the faces of previous diners. 

This restaurant celebrates the entire DVC program, and it serves a legendary fried chicken dish to boot. When you stay at Old Key West, you’re likely to dine at one, if not both.