Guys, I found it. I found it! No need to look any further. I found the best place to have dinner at Disney World: Story Book Dining at Artist Point.
Well, it’s my favorite place to have dinner at least.
I had the pleasure of eating there in January before the pandemic hit. Unfortunately, it is not one of the restaurants that opened back up with the parks, but it will reopen. And when it does you must go there.
Read on for why I love this restaurant and think you must visit it on your next Disney World Vacation.
The Setting
Story Book Dining at Artist Point is at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, a gorgeous deluxe level resort located on the Seven Seas Lagoon.
The restaurant is toward the back of the hotel’s main lobby, which is impressive on its own. It’s a great place to explore while you are waiting to be sat at your table. (Check out the bridge and river inside the lobby!)
The restaurant itself is not all that large. But it’s full of tables of varying sizes and plush, comfortable chairs to enjoy your meal with your family.
As you would expect, the theming and restaurant decorations are full of Disney magic. Snow White’s story is the focus and the room is decorated to look like you are in a magical forest.
There are trees with gorgeous square lanterns hanging from the branches scattered throughout the room. The trees have branches full of leaves that stretch across the ceiling.
The table settings, chairs, and tables have a woodsy theme to them, which includes a tiered tray in the middle of the table made to look like a tree. This tray is an important part of your dining experience. More on that later…..
Character Dining at its Finest
This is a character meal. Snow White, Grumpy, and Dopey make their way to visit with each table during your meal.
The best part is the Evil Queen! She has a fixed location where she hangs out and poses for pictures. Your server will tell you when it is your turn to visit with the Queen.
She was so fun to talk to. She makes rude comments, looks like she is having a miserable time, and seems generally put out that she must be there. Guys, she is the best.
My favorite part was how the characters enter into the restaurant. An announcement and a song play while Snow White, Grumpy and Dopey prance out and dance around the room for a minute or so. All the while, the Evil Queen remains at her post, arms crossed, looking super annoyed at the merriment happening around her. It’s so funny.
The Evil Queen made the experience for me. She is so fun.
Disney Photopass photographers are there to capture your interactions with the Evil Queen. This is where having Memory Maker comes in handy. You will need to bring your own camera to capture your meetings with Snow White, Grumpy and Dopey.
The Food
This is a prix fixe meal, meaning you pay one price and enjoy appetizers, main course, and dessert. There are also various alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks you can order for an additional price.
Unique to this dining experience is you don’t have to choose between the appetizers and desserts. You can enjoy them all!
Remember that tiered tray I mentioned earlier that is in the middle of each table? This is where it comes into play. Each person orders their own entrée, but the appetizers and desserts are for everyone to share. All the options are brought to the table and arranged on the tiered tray for all to enjoy.
I’m not sure if the menu changes at all, but when we were there, we had three appetizers to try. They included mushroom bisque, shrimp cocktail, and a platter with crackers and black truffle (YUM), fruit preserve, pickles, and chicken.
My favorite was the mushroom bisque. It was so flavorful and delicious.
The main course options are what I would categorize as your typical American fare. There is something for any diet, including steak, pork, fish, chicken, and vegetarian options. I opted for the prime rib, which was delicious and included horseradish-mashed potatoes. We all got different entrees, and everyone enjoyed their meal.
In fact, we enjoyed the appetizers and our main courses so much, we forgot to save room for dessert! But we couldn’t let those goodies go to waste, right?
Like with the appetizers, all the dessert options come to your table for everyone to share. My favorite was the Fairy tale Gooseberry Pie because I’m not a huge fan of chocolate. If you are a fan of chocolate, you will be in heaven. Chocolate gems accompany a sponge cake, and there is a dark chocolate-apple mousse as well. There is also a special dessert of popcorn and ganache heart.
Very Allergy Friendly
My son has a severe peanut and nut allergy. The restaurant worked with us to make sure everything he consumed was safe and nut free. Our waiter even let me know when coconut oil is used, as that can be an allergen to some.
In general Disney is a great place to eat if you have allergies. They take extra time to talk to you and tell you what on the menu is and is not safe to eat based on the allergy. The chef will even come out and talk to you if needed. This restaurant was no exception.
Tip: When making your dining reservation make a note of any allergies in the group. When you check in for the meal remind the host of the allergy.
How Much it Costs
This is a pricey meal, at around $60 per adult and $39 per kid. Drinks cost extra, depending on what you order. For myself, my husband, and our three kids our bill came out to be $274.
However, this is a fantastic restaurant to go to if you have the Disney Dining Plan. It is only worth ONE TABLE SERVICE CREDIT. And since drinks are included when you are on the dining plan, it makes heading here even more worthwhile.
We were on the dining plan on this trip, so even though our bill was $274, our only out of pocket expense that night was the tip.
I am a huge fan of the Disney Dining Plan (see this previous post as to why). The fact that this restaurant is only a one credit meal makes it a steal.
We enjoyed our time at this restaurant. The food is amazing, the character interactions are fun (I could hang out with the Evil Queen every night), and the ambiance is magical. As I said before, it is one of the best places to eat at Disney World.
I highly recommend making reservations at Story Book Dining at Artist Point on your next Disney World vacation.
I am a travel agent with Magical Vacation Planner. I make it easier for you to plan an unforgettable vacation with your family. Click here to schedule a Magical Vacation Discovery Call to learn more and get your free, no-obligation quote.
Or head here to request access to my exclusive Disney Vacation Planning Vault, full of worksheets and resources you can use to plan your next Disney vacation.