Considering it’s the Most Magical Place on Earth, there may not be a BETTER place to celebrate your birthday than Disney World!
No matter what you do, where you go, and what you eat, you’re basically guaranteed an AMAZING birthday for the record books — especially if you eat at certain restaurants!
As long as you’re spending your special day in Disney World, you can’t really go wrong with any restaurant, any café, or any bar, but for the absolute BEST bday experience, there are certain restaurants that take the cake!
Depending on what your IDEAL birthday meal and vibe is like, these are the 11 best Disney World restaurants for your birthday dinner!
For the Adventurous Foodie
If your idea of the ultimate birthday dinner consists of foods you’ve never tried before, words you can’t pronounce, and a backdrop of exotic animals strolling on a literal savanna, then you NEED to make a reservation for Sanaa!
This beautiful African- and Indian-inspired restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge is paradise for the adventurous foodie, with its shareable Indian-style Bread Service, African-inspired Biryani, and Goan Seafood Curry! Oh, and the Serrradura (aka Butterscotch Pudding with Almond Coffee Streusel, Pineapple, Mango, and Breton Shortbread) is better than any birthday cake.
Make the Famous Sanaa Bread Service at HOME! Click Here to Find Out How!
For the World Traveler
Some people visit Disney World for the whimsy, for the characters, or for the nostalgic rides, while others visit for the travel experience, and the sense of discovery. If you’re the type with a stamp-filled passport, who loves exploration and journeys, then you’d do well to spend your birthday lounging at Barcelona Lounge.
Beautifully designed, chic, and sophisticated, this Spanish-accented bar in Disney’s Coronado Springs is more about the transportive, travel-inspired experience than the Disney nostalgia, and more about hanging out with friends than siting down to a full-course meal. Any seasoned traveler will feel right at home snacking on Spanish Charcutería, cheeses, olives, and hummus, paired with boozy coffee drinks, hard cider, and ALL the Gin Tonics!
Click Here for More on the Tapas and Drinks at Barcelona Lounge!
For the Oenophile
For certain adults, a birthday dinner isn’t complete without a nice glass (or bottle) of fine wine. In Disney World, the ultimate birthday destination for such an oenophile is Wine Bar George.
The owner is a certified Master Sommelier, so you can rest assured your wine selections will exceed expectations. Plus, the Disney Springs restaurant is spacious enough to host large groups and overload your table with celebration-worthy plates like Crispy Mac & Cheese Bites, Santa Carota Short Ribs, Grilled Whole Greek Sea Bass, and Olive Oil Cake — just add a candle and make a wish!
Click Here to See the $30 Drink at Wine Bar George in Disney World
For the Princess
Well, this is an easy one. If you fancy yourself Disney royalty, then you obviously NEED to spend your birthday in nothing less than a literal castle. Basically, you need to have dinner at Be Our Guest.
The prix fixe dinner experience at this Beauty & the Beast castle restaurant is a luxurious meal fit for a queen (or, uhh, princess), with lavish options like Maine Lobster Bisque, Herb-salted Pork Tenderloin, Center-Cut Filet Mignon, and ALL the Grey Stuff you can handle!
Is Be Our Guest Still a Must-Do Disney World Restaurant? Click Here to Find Out!
For the Surf & Turfer
In Disney Springs, one of the marquee restaurants would feel right at home in any coastal city. The BOATHOUSE just oozes decadence and charm, with a snazzy menu to match, making it a worthwhile birthday destination for just about anyone. Especially if you have a penchant for surf & turf.
The bread and butter at this waterside restaurant is steak and seafood, and what better way to splurge on your birthday than with a spree of Oysters on the Half Shell, Coriander-seared Ahi Tuna, Filet Mignon, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, and a Brownie Sundae. Go wild! Just hope that someone else is picking up the bill…
Click Here for Our Latest Review of The Boathouse in Disney Springs!
For the Classic “Special Occasion” Experience
The perfect mix between fine dining and Disney World nostalgia, California Grill is the perfect go-to for any birthday celebration.
It checks ALL the boxes: lavish dining room, EPIC Magic Kingdom views, and a splurge-worthy prix fixe dinner menu filled with sushi, steak, pasta, and EARidescent Grand Marnier Soufflé! If you time it just right, you can blow out your birthday candle while watching the fireworks show through the floor-to-ceiling windows!
Click Here to See the 50th Anniversary Dishes at Disney’s California Grill
For Comfort Food With a Group
Of all the days, your birthday is definitely a day deserving of a comfort food FEAST. For such an occasion, you can’t do better than Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ in Disney Springs!
This Southern comfort staple is large and comfy enough for a big group of your friends, with TONS of shareable birthday-worthy dishes like Thigh High Chicken Biscuits, Okra Fries, Art’s Famous Fried Chicken, and Country Fried Steak. Oh, and you probably won’t find a better birthday cake in Disney World than the famous pineapple-banana Hummingbird Cake!
Click Here to See Some of the Newest Menu Items at Homecomin’ in Disney Springs!
For Top Chef Fans
Disney World has become quite the iconic destination for foodies! The parks, resorts, and Disney Springs have increasingly filled with amazing restaurants from world-famous chefs, and if there’s one destination worthy of a foodie birthday, it’s Jaleo by José Andrés.
This sprawling Spanish gem in Disney Springs is the ultimate go-to for anyone who LOVES celeb chefs! The restaurant in general is also just beautiful, lively, and innately celebratory, with a tapas-filled menu that’s GREAT for groups. And frankly, the idea of spending your birthday eating 36-month cured ham shoulder just sounds…right.
We Stuffed Ourselves With Carbs and Cheese at Jaleo in Disney World!
For Your Dad
Between the Jungle Cruise campiness and the endless dad jokes, Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen is the OBVIOUS choice to take your dad on his birthday!
The atmosphere is immersive and fun, the Cast Members are at their kitschy best, and the food is adventurous and delicious! The whole family is sure to love the Lost and Found Soup, the Falls Family Falafel, and the “Hardy Har Char” Siu Pork!
Click Here to Read About the SECRET MENU at Disney World’s Skipper Canteen!
For Dinner With a Show
Dinner and a show can mean a LOT of different things in Disney World, but nowadays, the best of the bunch is dinner with a Nighttime Spectacular. We’re talking FIREWORKS!
There are lots of restaurants in the parks and resorts where you can get great fireworks views, but one of our faves (and one of the most universally crowd-friendly for just about EVERYONE) has gotta be La Cantina de San Angel in EPCOT. You simply can’t beat the combo of sitting on the massive covered patio on the lagoon, marveling at fireworks, and eating all the tacos and nachos you can handle!
Click Here for Pics and Vids of the ‘Harmonious’ Fireworks Show at EPCOT!
For Cake (and ‘Cue) On The Go
Not all birthday dinners NEED to be lavish multi-course affairs! The Polite Pig in Disney Springs is proof that high-quality entrees (and STRONG cocktails) sometimes come in Counter Service form!
Make a whole night of it! You can get a delicious dinner of Burnt Ends Meatballs and Low & Slow Brisket, with a slice of killer Red Velvet Cake for dessert! Then end the night in truly epic fashion by seeing the new Cirque du Soleil show!
The Polite Pig is Coming to Orlando International Airport! Click Here for Details!
Whether you’re looking for the fully immersive Disney princess experience, a prix fixe meal with a view, or simply a lineup of Gin Tonics, these are some of the BEST Disney World restaurants for just about any birthday dinner!
If You Can Only Go To ONE Disney World Restaurant…Go Here!
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What’s your favorite Disney World restaurant for a birthday dinner? Let us know in the comments!
The post 11 of the Best Disney World Restaurants for Your Birthday Dinner first appeared on the disney food blog.