The Joys – And Meals – of September – with Magical Dining from Visit Orlando !

September is a great time to be in Orlando. OK, so there isn’t a BAD time to be here, but the month that follows the full-on summer of August has extra special appeal for our visitors.

Not only does it mark an easing of the crowds and frenzy of the long summer season, but it brings in a whole new aspect of the Orlando experience – Magical Dining.

For those new to holidays here in the Theme Park Capital of the World, Magical Dining is a special restaurant programme dreamed up by the Visit Orlando tourist organisation with the express intent of encouraging people to try out a greater range of dining opportunities.

Introducing Magical Dining from Visit Orlando

Now in its 17th year, Magical Dining has grown from being just a “month” to being more of a season, from late August to early October (in 2022, August 26 to October 2), and offers prix fixe dining at more than 100 of the area’s finest restaurants.

It is hugely popular with locals, as it provides a chance to sample a wide range of venues and cuisines and, at $40 a head, it represents excellent value, as the a la carte menus for a three-course meal at many of the outlets could easily be almost twice that.

Happily, it also has great tourist appeal, too, as many of the 100-plus choices can be found in Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld, as well as along the busy corridor of International Drive and Restaurant Row (the locals’ name for the section of Sand Lake Road west of I-4 that features just about the highest concentration of dining outlets in town).

For those who like to travel a bit further afield, there are multiples choices in Winter Park and downtown Orlando, and even some as far north as Lake Mary, Altamonte Springs and Apopka.

It is an absolute cornucopia of dining delights, all with a much lower price tag than you’d expect for the quality on offer.

Dive into a Restaurant Bonanza with Magical Dining

The key question, of course, is how to enjoy it all. Well, thanks to Visit Orlando, it’s easy. Their website gives chapter and verse on this year’s programme, along with the full list of participating restaurants and, more importantly, their Magical Dining menus.

Each menu offers a multiple three-course selection of starters, main courses and desserts, and you are free to select one of each for the $40 price. A few restaurants offer upgrades (like a larger steak) or enhancements (like shrimp or scallops as an extra), but there is no hard-sell to try them.

And the good thing is that you can check them all out in advance, every menu, every dish and every extra, as well as details like whether a restaurant has the option of outside dining. You just need to go to the online listing and see for yourself.

You can also look them up by cuisine – including the likes of Japanese, French and South American options – or by gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian selections, or just by where to find them in the different parts of Orlando, such as Winter Park and Restaurant Row.

The only thing you need to make sure of is to ask for the Magical Dining menu when you sit down at your chosen venue (oh - and also to book in advance – this is a POPULAR dining choice).

The Michelin Bonus in this Year’s Magical Dining Experience.

This year, there is also an additional selection on the official listing that has earned notable international status. For the first time, following a special gala night in June, Florida has been granted Michelin Guide honours, and that has extended to a number of Orlando’s finest.

Half a dozen of those Michelin-commended bistros are on the 2022 Magical Dining list, so there is extra appeal for the likes of The Ravenous Pig (Winter Park), Z Asian-Vietnamese Kitchen, The Strand, Maxine’s On Shine, Kabooki Sushi (all downtown) and Four Flamingos at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress resort in Lake Buena Vista.

We are big fans of both The Ravenous Pig and Maxine’s On Shine, while the new Four Flamingos is also highly recommended for its modern take on classic Florida dishes by celebrity chef Richard Blais.

What’s New This Year in Magical Dining?

As well as the Michelin Six, 2022’s line-up also boasts 14 restaurants that are either brand new or this year’s additions to the programme, including the four fine outlets of Bosphorus Turkish Cuisine (one each in Restaurant Row, Winter Park, Lake Mary and Winter Garden).

There’s also the Lebanese cuisine of Cedar’s, the new eye-catching I-Drive outlet of The Hampton Social at Pointe Orlando, and the mighty meaty choice of BoVine Steakhouse in Winter Park.

Another new name to look for in downtown Orlando is that of The Monroe, a cool, retro hangout that serves up imaginative childhood favourites with a gourmet twist (don’t miss their fab Florida Salmon and decadent Dream Brownie) and also showcases some of the city’s history.

This year’s chosen charity is also new. Every year, Magical Dining selects a worthy local cause to support, and $1 from every meal served goes to that charity. Last year’s total reached a whopping $289,000, and this year’s beneficiary is The Able Trust, helping to expand job opportunities for people with disabilities.

Our top tips for Magical Dining in 2022

Far be it from us to pick out particular restaurants from the huge choice on offer, especially when the standard of dining has never been higher thanks to the added interest from the Michelin Guide folks.

But, if you twist our arms just a little, we can highlight a few that have all earned Debbie’s Villas rave reviews, especially in the Disney area.

The Disney Springs district offers both the Spanish flair of Jaleo and the elegant Californian style of Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, while there is also Todd English’s Bluezoo and the refined Italian experience of Il Mulino New York Trattoria at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort.

And, if you’re looking for that standout steak experience, you can’t go wrong with the two I-Drive area exemplars of A Land Remembered at the Rosen Shingle Resort and the glittering Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse opposite the Pointe Orlando.

But the best recommendation is just to get out there and sample a selection of this Magical Dining extravaganza. You won’t be disappointed – we can practically guarantee it.

Have you tried Magical Dining Before? What restaurants did you enjoy most? Tell us about them on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.