Ahh...free dining, everyone's favorite promotion! While the word "free" associated with pretty much anything puts us into a frenzy, it especially sets us aglow when used in a sentence with the words "Disney" and "dining". 

Just because dining is free doesn't mean you shouldn't make the most of it. You should start practicing now so by the time the dining plan is coming out of your pocket your dining mistakes are far behind you. 

Here are my top 3 picks for each category of dining and where to find them. 

Quick Service: This generally makes me groan...and I get visions of burgers and chicken fingers swirling in my brain and can't bare the thought of sustaining off the small selection of menu items for my vacation. Believe it or not the quick service selection is expanding and you truly can find something decent to eat on the quick service plan if you know where to look. 

• Chicken Fingers-Let's start with the basics and be really honest with each other...sometimes the kids menu is where it's at. The Disney World chicken fingers are delicious. They are breaded and fried and are delicious. They are also consistent, in my opinion you won't find a bad chicken finger in Disney World. These are my guilty pleasure and you can find them everywhere. 

• Panini Sandwiches-Studio Catering Co. in Disney's Hollywood Studios is a gem in the mine. You can find delicious panini sandwiches here that are hearty and delicious. My favorite is the Pressed Tuscan Deli sandwich which has smoked turkey, provolone cheese, caesar dressing, pesto and tomatoes and is grilled to perfection in a panini press. 

• Taco Salad-Sometimes you just need something different and the Pecos Bill Tall Tale Cafe in the Magic Kingdom is just the place. I love the taco salad...let's be honest...what I really love is the taco salad shell! It's something different to break up the monotony of burgers and fries.  

Plus Dining: There are so many options in the plus dining category it really depends what your family's preferences are and if you want to have a character experience during your meal or not. 

• 50's Prime Time Cafe-Disney's Hollywood Studios is home to one of my favorite restaurants, 50's Prime Time Cafe. There is nothing I don't love about this place. The atmosphere is fun, the milkshakes are exactly the way God intended milkshakes to be...thick and fattening! The meatloaf really does taste like Mom's and Dad's brownie is the perfect solution for a sweet tooth. Yum, yum yum. 

• The Plaza-Magic Kingdom is home to the Plaza Restaurant...this cute little place is next to the ice cream parlor so it always smells delicious. The sandwiches are big, the fries are thick and the desserts are yummy. The chairs aren't overly comfortable and it's not very spacious to make a reservation for lunch if you want to eat here!

• Liberty Tree Tavern-Another favorite in the Magic Kingdom. This is a must have for our family. Think Thanksgiving dinner but with none of the hard work or football afterward. This meal is served family style so you can eat all you want without having to go through a buffet line multiple times. There are three kinds of meat (the flank steak is my favorite) the stuffing is delicious, the mac n' cheese is Stouffers and the gravy is salty and thick. 

Deluxe Dining-The ultimate in the dining experience, this plan is my favorite. The signature dining restaurants really have so much to offer and this is where foodies are born. 

• Narcoosees-This is hands down my favorite signature dining experience. You may have seen the octagonal shaped building on the water at the Grand Floridian...this is Narcoosees. If you haven't eaten here, you haven't' lived. The smell of this restaurant literally drew us in. We docked at the marina at the Grand Floridian one day and got a scent of the most delicious smell our mouths were watering before we could figure out where it came from. We literally knocked on the windows of Narcoosees until someone let us in so we could make a reservation for when they opened. The atmosphere here is my favorite, it's comfortable and elegant and I love the view looking out over the water. Everything here is delicious, surf and turf, chopped salad and crab cakes. I am not a seafood fan but I can't live without the crab cakes...they are the stuff dreams are made of!

• Le Cellier-There was a groan of frustration world wide (or so I believe) when Le Cellier went from one table service credit to two but I personally think it's well worth the extra point. The pretzel bread alone gets my vote. That's not even including the deliciously thick Canadian Cheddar Cheese soup and the amazing filet over mushroom risotto. The atmosphere is quaint and comfortable and the food is delicious. 

• Artists Point-I'll admit that the first experience I had here was less than remarkable. Several years later we tried it again and I was blown away that we didn't like it the first time. The menu has a lot to offer and the quality of food is unmatched anywhere in the park. The filet is USDA Prime beef and cuts with a fork, literally. It is melt in your mouth good from start to finish. The soup is amazing, the filet is outstanding and if you don't explode from the first two courses you'll enjoy the dessert as well. 

So there you have it, my two cents on the dining plan selections. If you want to take advantage of the free dining offer or the Disney Dining Plan but aren't sure where to start, you're in good hands! Michele@PixieVacations.com