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Best Value Two-Credit Restaurants on the Disney Dining Plan for 2020

Disney World has so much to offer when it comes to dining — everything from incredible snacks to Table Service meals, all the way up to the good stuff — Signature Dining. But eating the best of the best comes with a steep price tag — both out of pocket AND on the Disney Dining Plan. On the Dining Plan, these choice restaurants will cost ya TWO table service credits!

Cinderella Castle

If you’re going to be dishing out two of your credits on a meal, you want to make sure you are getting the ultimate value for using them! That’s where we can help! We’ve gathered together some repeat favorites as well as a crop of new additions to our list of BEST two credit restaurants at Disney World. 

We crunched the numbers to see which two-credit restaurants actually had the most value when you use the Disney Dining Plan. We looked at average prices across the menus as well as adding together the most expensive items from each category that comes included with the Dining Plan: entree, dessert, and a drink. We also took atmosphere, service, and the full experience into consideration. So, which two-credit restaurants provide the most bang for your buck?

California Grill – Contemporary Resort

Located at the top of the Contemporary Resort, California Grill is a long-time fan favorite. With both an excellent menu and a wide selection of wine and mixed drinks, this is a highly sought-out restaurant. One of its key features, aside from the food, is the stunning views of Magic Kingdom California Grill provides!

Views of Magic Kingdom

California Grill is definitely one of the more pricey options at Disney World: if you were to order the Grilled Colorado Bison Loin ($62), paired with a glass of Honig Cabernet Sauvignon ($22), and finished the evening with their selection of Farmhouse and Artisanal Cheeses ($23), that would run you a total of $107!

Bison Strip Loin at California Grill

The menu is diverse, featuring wood-fired handmade pizzas, freshly prepared sushi, steaks, fish, and more — all of which are prepared incredibly well.

California Grill also offers a prix-fixe brunch at a whopping $95 per adult and $56 per child and will cost you two dining credits as well. But with mimosas, a bloody mary bar, charcuterie buffet, sushi, entrees, and more, it’s quite the experience and can be a wonderful way to start your day.

Brunch at California Grill

Check out our review of brunch at California Grill here!

Easily one of the biggest draws of California Grill for many is the views, especially in the evening. Each night, when Magic Kingdom’s Happily Ever After fireworks (or, if you don’t happen to have a ticket, any of the Special Event fireworks, like those during the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!) begin, the lights are dimmed and the music is piped in for everyone to enjoy.

Fireworks from California Grill!

If you want the best view, try to request a window table with a park view. Don’t have the best seat in the house or dined earlier that evening? No worries! You have access to their extensive outdoor viewing patio adjacent to the restaurant for perfect views! If you ate earlier in the evening, just be sure to show your receipt for access.

Fireworks!

With top-notch food and stellar views, not surprisingly, reservations for California Grill always go fast so be sure to book a table at 180 days out if you want to dine here!

Click here to see our review of dinner at California Grill

Topolino’s Terrace (Dinner) – Riviera Resort

As the newest two-credit restaurant, Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera had a lot to live up to! This spot JUST opened in December 2019, and this rooftop restaurant features both spectacular views and a spectacular menu.

the view from Topolino’s Terrace

It took one dinner at Topolino’s for us to agree that this new addition to Disney’s Signature Dining list deserves its place there. The service and food were all phenomenal. The pasta is all hand-made, and everything we tried from seafood to burrata was all incredibly fresh.

Pastas

The prices here certainly merit two dining credits! From a $40 Herb Fettuccine to a $52 Tomahawk Veal Chop, you’ll have an easy time racking up a hefty bill if you aren’t on the Disney Dining Plan!

Tomahawk Veal Chop

Topolino’s Terrace also has an impressive drink menu, with wines from around the world such as Planeta Chardonnay from Sicily ($20 a glass) and Emblem by Michael Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley ($18 a glass). All of their hand-crafted cocktails we tried were quite good. We especially loved the Modern Fashioned ($17) with its Riviera emblazoned ice cube!

Modern Fashioned

Like California Grill, Topolino’s boasts views of fireworks as well. Guests can see the evening fireworks at Hollywood Studios and Epcot, though music isn’t piped in and it’s not quite as good of a view as at California Grill. This is a nice plus, but we would come more for the food than the views of the fireworks, to be honest!

Epcot Fireworks View

If you want to check out Topolino’s Terrace but don’t want to part from two precious dining credits, they have a wonderful character breakfast that will only run you one dining credit per person! Not surprisingly, breakfast made our list of best one-credit picks! You can read our review of that here!

Read our FULL review of Topolino’s Terrace here!

Cinderella’s Royal Table – Magic Kingdom

If you’re looking for a classic character dining experience, look no further. At Cinderella’s Royal Table, you get to dine INSIDE Cinderella’s Castle and meet with several Disney Princesses, including, of course, Cinderella.

Cinderella

You certainly can’t get more fairytale-esque than dining inside the castle itself! The Castle is ornately decorated throughout, and getting to ascend those plush red winding stairs to the open dining room is a moment many guests who choose to dine here will likely always remember from their trip. It’s truly beautiful and memorable. It is Cindy’s Castle, after all. 😉

Vaulted Ceilings and Regal Flags in the Dining Room

Cinderella’s Royal Table is also a great use of your two credits from a price perspective, especially if you have little ones – their prix-fixe lunch or dinner is $75 per adult and $45 per child before tax and gratuity! Breakfast is $62 per adult and $37 per child before tax and gratuity. Breakfast is obviously not quite as great of a value as lunch or dinner, BUT if you book early in the morning, it can allow you some great photo opportunities in front of the Castle before the crowds roll in for the day! Note reservations at this restaurant must be paid in full at the time of booking!

Beef Tenderloin at Cinderella’s Royal Table

Lunch and dinner options here include, among others, a Tenderloin of Beef, Seared Pork Rib Chop, or the Chef’s Fish of the Day (prepared by the Chef at Cinderella’s request to show off the Kingdom’s fresh fish, of course!) Breakfast features options like Shrimp and Grits, Beef Tenderloin and Egg, or a Caramel Apple-stuffed French Toast (basically dessert for breakfast — NOTHING wrong with that!)

Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table

Cinderella’s Royal Table is another hard-to-get reservation. If you have little princes or princesses in your family that REALLY want to eat in the castle (or maybe just you really do — no judgment here!), make this the FIRST restaurant you book as soon as your 180-day window opens for Advance Dining Reservations to be sure you don’t miss out!

Check out our latest review of breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table here!

Be Our Guest (Dinner) – Magic Kingdom

Be Our Guest is another two-credit restaurant that leans heavily into atmosphere and theme. If you have fans of Beauty and the Beast in your party, you will definitely want to check this restaurant out! Located in Fantasyland, you have a chance to dine inside the Beast’s castle!

Entrance into Beast’s Castle

This is basically like walking straight into the animated movie in the best way possible. The restaurant is straight-up gorgeous. You can be seated in the Grand Ballroom with falling snow outside the windows, the spooky West Wing with flashing lightning, or the Castle Gallery with a giant music box of Belle and Beast in the center of the room (we especially love the West Wing! Keep your eye’s on the portrait of the prince on the wall when a petal falls from the Enchanted Rose!). You also have the opportunity to meet your host, The Beast, in his study ONLY at dinner when you dine at Be Our Guest.

Grand Ballroom

When Be Our Guest originally opened in 2012, it was a one-credit location for dinner and quick-service for breakfast and lunch. In 2018 the menu changed to a prix fixe 3-course meal for dinner, with breakfast and lunch remaining quick-service. With the increase in quality, so too was the price increased — dinner was elevated to two-credit, Signature Dining, meaning the price tag for paying out of pocket went up significantly as well.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Appetizers for your prix fixe dinner include options such as Maine Lobster Bisque and Escargot. Entrees range from Center-cut Filet Mignon to Pan-seared Sea Scallops. And of course, no trip to Be Our Guest is complete without dessert. All guests are served a trio of sweets on an edible sugar paper print of the Enchanted Rose, including a white chocolate “Chip” Cup of that famous Grey Stuff (it really IS delicious!).

White Chocolate “Chip” Cup

Without the Dining Plan, prix fixe dinner at Be Our Guest would cost $62 for adults and $37 for kids. The food served at dinner is quite good with the switch to the prix fixe menu, but the main sell for most folks on Be Our Guest is the chance to dine in Beast’s Castle. The restaurant really is something to behold!

Read our review of the Signature Prix Fixe Menu at Be Our Guest here!

Morimoto Asia (Dinner) – Disney Springs

As a consistently top-rated restaurant by DFB, Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs delivers top-quality food and is an excellent option to consider for a two-credit dining experience.

Morimoto Asia

In terms of value, you can certainly rack up a hefty bill here! For entrees, the Madagascar Jumbo Shrimp will cost you $39 and  Mongolian Beef Filet clocks in at $52! If you got the Filet, combined with a glass of Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon ($20) and finish off with a Churro Fondue ($13), it’ll run you a total of $83.

Morimoto Asia Churros

If you want to go REALLY crazy, you can spend 4 credits for dinner to get the whole Morimoto Peking Duck for two as a split entree. This was SO SO good. Like, mind-blowingly good. But for $60 out of pocket, maybe save your dining credits and stick to the meat and fish dishes or pay for it without your Dining Plan!

Peking Duck at Morimoto Asia

Note that you could order from a nearly identical menu at lunch, and it’ll only cost you one dining credit (no surprise here — we picked lunch as a best bet for one-credit dining options!). But if you want a Signature Dining experience for dinner, with the service you come to expect with that, you can’t go wrong with an intimate dinner at Morimoto Asia!

Read our full review of Morimoto Asia here!

Le Cellier – Epcot

Le Cellier Steakhouse has been a classic favorite of ours (and many guests!) for a loooong time! Nestled in the Canada Pavilion in World Showcase, this steakhouse is located in a “cellar” (hence the name), and features a menu of delicious steaks and yes, POUTINE (it IS Canada after all, eh?)

Le Cellier Filet

We still adore just about all the iterations of the Le Cellier Filet Mignon (is Truffle Butter Sauce EVER a bad idea? Nope!). And their Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup is the stuff dream are made of. And the Poutine? Oh, the Poutine! Drowning crispy french fries in thick gravy and cheese curds? Just stop, Le Cellier! It’s all too much to handle right now! 🙂

Beef Bourguinon Poutine at Le Cellier

Le Cellier is expensive – perhaps overpriced for some – so if you have the Dining Plan, this could be a great use of your credits. Ordering their famed Le Cellier Filet Mignon will run you $59.00. Combined with a $20.00 glass of a Bordeaux Blend, and their (delicious) Maple Crème Brûlée for dessert at $12, brings your total bill to a whopping $91.00 for one person! Your 2 credits will definitely go to good use here if you’re looking for Signature Dining at Epcot.

Le Cellier also has a prix-fixe brunch for $67 per adult and $39 per child. We’ve consistently adored the food from Le Cellier and the ambiance is wonderful — it really feels like you’re dining in an underground, dimly lit cellar! If you want a quiet, intimate, and memorable spot for lunch or dinner, this will fit the bill nicely!

Read our most recent review of Le Cellier here!

Jiko – The Cooking Place – Animal Kingdom Lodge

We’re finishing our list today at Jiko – The Cooking Place, found at Animal Kingdom Lodge. When we asked our team their top two-credit spots, this was the clear top choice! The resort has great one credit table service options, including Boma and Sanaa, but if you want a truly next-level dining experience, Jiko won’t disappoint!

Wide Shot of Jiko’s Dining Room

If you’re looking for a two-credit dining experience but are having difficulty finding reservations for California Grill or Be Our Guest, this is a great alternative and, in fact, a bit of a hidden gem! Jiko is also the perfect place for date night – with low lighting and a quiet atmosphere, this restaurant has a truly ROMANTIC vibe!

Jiko Wine Tasting Room

While other two-credit restaurants may offer a beautiful view or character meet and greets, Jiko shines when it comes to their food. Beautifully plated and absolutely delicious, this is a food lover’s paradise.

Botswana-style Beef Short Rib

We’ve practically written love songs about the Oak-grilled Filet Mignon served here. It’s seen a few iterations over the years, but is still just as knock-our-socks-off delicous! It’s served over the most incredible mac and cheese with a South African Wine Glace. SO. GOOD.

Oak Grilled Filet with Mac and Cheese

With other equally delicious entrees such as the Bone-In Grilled Rib-Eye ($57) and Cape Malay Seafood Curry ($47), and a positively gigantic selection of stellar African wines, Jiko may quickly become your new favorite signature restaurant! The spot is romantic, has an eclectic menu, stellar service, and is sure to please! Hold on, going to book an ADR right…now….

Read our latest review of dinner at Jiko here!

With so many incredible dining options around Disney World, it’s a tough choice to decide if being a big-spender on a two-credit signature meal is worth it. For some families, sticking to one-credit spots is perfectly fine. BUT, if you’re looking for a special meal at a location with truly stellar service, dynamite food, and that little something extra that you’ll only find in Disney World, all of these restaurants we’ve shared will aim to please!

What is your favorite Signature Dining experience at Disney World? Tell us all about it in the comments!



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