“Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas.”- Monorail Announcement

If you’ve ever heard that announcement before, that means you’ve been on the monorail at the Happiest Place on Earth.

About the Monorail

For those of you that don’t know, the Monorail is a transportation option available in the Magic Kingdom area and that connects to Epcot. The Monorail stops at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Magic Kingdom, The Ticket & Transportation Center and EPCOT (which involves a transfer). The monorail usually starts running approximately an hour before the parks open and an hour after they close. 

Benefits of Dining on the Loop

 

The best part about restaurants on the monorail is that they are just a few stops away from the park. Which means, if you don’t feel like indulging at the park (I will offer a favorite of mine at MK & Epcot too), you can just jump on the monorail and grab some dinner.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

First up on our monorail restaurant tour is Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, the signature hotel of the Walt Disney World Resort. This resort is home to many, many popular options both fancy and casual.

A favorite table service restaurant of mine at the Grand Floridian is the Grand Floridian Cafe. This casual location offers views of the resort while staying on theme. Plus, the menu here will be sure to please even a picky palette. They offer options such as steak, fried chicken, meatloaf and even salmon.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom

Ahhhh, the Magic Kingdom! Does it really even need an introduction? A favorite for many visitors to Orlando, the Magic Kingdom is home to the iconic Cinderella’s Castle.

Tucked away in Liberty Square is Liberty Tree Tavern, a great restaurant for lots and lots of comfort food. This all you care to enjoy feast is themed after Colonial America and includes favorites like turkey, mac and cheese and dinner rolls. Plus, they have a delicious ooey-gooey dessert. This restaurant is in a perfect location for after dinner fireworks and parades. If you want to learn more about Liberty Tree Tavern, check out my full review here.

Disney’s Contemporary Resort

The next monorail stop is at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The Contemporary is an ultra modern themed hotel that the monorail goes straight through. It’s often a spot for guests to visit even if they aren’t staying there. Like other monorail loop hotels, the Contemporary is home to a multitude of dining options ranging from casual to character dining to formal.

A great option at this resort is The Wave of American Flavors. It has an upscale yet casual feel which makes dining here a delight. Plus, the menu changes depending on the season which makes returning to this spot fun. They are also very accommodating with changing up dishes which is great for those fussy eaters (like me!). To learn more about the Wave, check out this review.

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Longing for those tropical island vibes? Head to the Polynesian Resort, our next stop on the monorail loop. This resort will make you forget that you are at a theme park in Florida. Home to Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, this resort is chock full of authentic South Pacific experiences.

One of the most popular restaurants on Disney property and one that I enjoy, is ‘Ohana. If you’ve ever seen Lilo & Stitch, you know that ‘Ohana means Family. And that’s exactly the experience you will receive. The family style restaurant boasts classic polynesian cuisine and decor. Servers come around with skewers of different meats and you receive items such as lo mein and stir fried veggies as sides. You will definitely walk out of here very, very full!

EPCOT

Epcot is the other theme park that is connected to the monorail. Although you cannot pick up the monorail from one of the aforementioned resorts and go directly to Epcot, you can transfer. By taking the monorail to the Ticket and Transportation Center you can head over to the next concourse and go directly to Epcot. Epcot is the home of the World Showcase, which features 11 different countries, and some of the best dining in Disney. Most of these countries have some type of dining options, which allows for a lot of variety.

One of my new favorite restaurants in Epcot is Tutto Italia in the Italy Pavilion. Tutto Italia offers classic Italian dishes that make you feel as if you’ve been transported to the actual country. Offerings include classics like Chicken Parm, Risotto and fresh pastas, among steaks and fish. Luckily, this restaurant is on the further end of the World Showcase, which will allow you to walk off your delicious filling meal. For more on Tutto Italia, read my full review here. Since Epcot is so big, I thought I would offer two options.

Coming in second is Les Chefs de France in the France Pavilion. Here you can dine on a prix fixe menu, comprising of an appetizer, dinner and dessert. The food is good and I think it is totally worth it if you are on the dining plan and want the prix fixe. To learn more about the meal at Les Chefs de France, check out my blog.

There you have it….. Some of my favorite restaurants accessible via monorail. These restaurants are easily accessible and really delicious. Let me know if you’ve ever tried any of these restaurants and which is your favorite in the comments below…..

Bon Appetit……………

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