It’s a notable fact that we are increasingly seeing more British visitors each December, and we are delighted that more and more people are getting the idea for Christmas on holiday.
It makes a lot of sense, especially when it comes to simplifying the whole Yuletide experience and taking some of the stress out of the occasion. Orlando is a truly delightful place to be at this time of year, and it makes for a unique experience to have a lot of things done for you.
Christmas decorations? Yes, virtually everywhere you look. Great shopping and gift-giving ideas? Absolutely guaranteed. Special occasion vibe? Orlando has it in spades. Proper Christmas dinner? Yes, but…
OK, this may be where we have to provide a helping hand, as it is not often obvious exactly where you should go for that traditional British staple in the USA, especially as the idea of turkey and stuffing is associated more with November than December over here.
That’s right, the American holiday of Thanksgiving is actually their big turkey blowout, and many people opt for something different for their main Christmas Day meal, something like a standing rib roast, crown roast of pork or roast ham. It’s also worth noting that Americans tend to serve turkey with mashed potatoes rather than roasties, and green beans instead of brussels sprouts, but you should still get a version of stuffing, plus cranberry sauce and/or jelly.
This all means our British visitors need a bit of help and advice on the way to ensuring their main dinner is as good as they’d get back home – if not better. The one thing you will almost certainly need to do, though, is book online in advance. Most options do book up, and you don’t want to be left out.
The first thing to note when looking for your ideal meal is that Christmas Day dining is often about a buffet choice, albeit an upscale one. You will usually get the full roast turkey option, among other meats, but it will be a set-fee, help-yourself choice in many instances, so be ready for that essential fact. You will also find the majority of these at the best hotels in the area.
The Tropicale restaurant at the Caribe Royale hotel on World Center Drive is a good example, with a magnificent buffet on offer from noon to 4pm, featuring a dazzling variety of dishes, including fresh fruit and pastries, bruschetta and charcuterie, salads, applewood-smoked bacon, creamy pesto vegetable orzo, asparagus Almondine, sushi, seafood paella and a carving board featuring slow-roasted turkey, sage stuffing, cranberry relish and gravy, as well as pork, prime rib and salmon, plus a selection of hot and cold desserts. It costs $78 per adult ($25 for children) and should be booked on this link.
Similar options will be at the Italian-themed Citron restaurant at the JW Marriott Orlando at the Grand Lakes Resort, with their buffet running from 3-9pm (click here to book), and the Rosen Plaza Hotel on International Drive (11.30am-4.30pm; click here to book).
Of course, a la carte choices still also exist in many restaurants, but finding turkey on the menu is more of a challenge. You won’t see it at many fine-dining options, but each of Denny’s, Perkins and Bob Evans restaurants offer a turkey plate, with mashed potato, stuffing, green beans and gravy, and it can usually be ordered as a take-away choice, too. The Metro Diner chain, with three restaurants in north Orlando, features a roast turkey family meal for four at just $49.
One other possibility is a prix fixe menu that includes turkey, and you’ll find a well-priced option at Toojay’s Deli, with five locations in the central Florida area (11am-8pm; see more on this link). They also offer a full take-away turkey dinner at $49.99 for two and $120.99 for five.
You may also be looking for something a bit different, in which case La Luce restaurant at the Hilton Bonnet Creek might be for you, as they are offering an Italian-themed Feast of the Seven Fishes, featuring the likes of risotto con aragosta (lobster and tarragon risotto) and pesce alla griglia (grilled fish). See more on this link.
Or how about a full-on steak feast, with lip-smacking “extras” like a peppermint Holiday Martini and Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned? For this, head for the fab STK Restaurant at Disney Springs, where their Christmas offerings include seasonal Wagyu beef and Prime Rib (book on this link).
For that truly traditional British style, however, there are a couple of our favourite choices you can seek out. The Best of British pub in the heart of holiday villa territory in Davenport does a genuine full Christmas Dinner, but it books up fast, so you’d need to call right away on 1 863 866 2002.
It’s probably no surprise, though, that our top recommendation goes to the Irish-themed Raglan Road at Disney Springs, where they really know how to turn on the traditional dinner style, as well as provide authentic dancing (in seasonal costumes) and other live entertainment. This year’s Christmas menu is butter-and-herb roasted turkey, mashed potato, duck-fat roasties, honey-glazed carrots, bacon-glazed Brussels, sausage meat stuffing, red wine jus and cranberry sauce. It costs just $39,99 for adults and $19.99, which represents outstanding value hereabouts. But, once again, this is hugely popular so you’ll need to be quick to make a reservation. It is well worth the effort, though, and the whole of Disney Springs is wonderfully festive for the month.
Look up more Christmas dining options throughout Orlando on this Visit Orlando link.
Have you been in Orlando for Christmas before? Tell us about it on the friendly AttractionTickets.com Community Facebook page, on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram.
