Favorite Disney Restaurants

Ahhhhh, Disney. The most magical place on earth! At the time this blog will go live, my husband and I will be on our seventh trip to Disney together, and you can be sure we’re already planning on going back soon! As much as we love the parks, resorts, and shopping areas, one of our favorite parts about Disney is the food!

One of the most frequently asked questions we get when people find out our unrelenting love for Disney is: where are your favorite places to eat? Eating in Disney can sometimes be hit or miss, and it’s never fun to “waste” a meal on a not-so-great dining experience!

So in honor of our trip, today, I’m sharing our four favorite restaurants on Disney property, why we love them, and what you can expect pricing and experience-wise when eating there!

1. Trattoria al Forno

Photo source: Easy WDW

Whether you dine for Brunch, lunch, or dinner, expect your food and service to be outstanding! Nestled on the corner of Disney’s Boardwalk, Trattoria al Forno serves Italian cuisine and features an open kitchen design. Here, you’ll discover the diversity of Italian food, with well-known favorites and authentic dishes.

We first tried this restaurant on our honeymoon, and every time we’ve visited Disney since, we’ve always made plans to eat here! Everything we’ve eaten there for both breakfast and lunch has been outstanding. We especially love their artisan pizzas!

Location: Disney’s Boardwalk

Cuisine: Italian

Price: Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

2. California Grill

Photo Source: Orlando Sentinel

If you’re looking for a location at Disney to celebrate a special occasion, look no further than Disney’s California Grill! Located at the top of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the California Grill overlooks Magic Kingdom, giving guests a unique view of a Disney classic. This restaurant features a wide variety of cuisine from around the world, with American Seafood, and Sushi staples. Included any reservation is the exclusive opportunity to watch Magic Kingdom’s fireworks and light show from the rooftop!

We’ve only dined at Disney’s California Grill once, on our honeymoon, and we had an amazing experience! When we arrived (early) for our reservation, we were seated in a cocktail area and brought drinks and ordered some hoerderves. We were seated (early!) at our table, and experienced one of the best meals we’ve ever had. We both opted for a mango chicken dish, which was cooked to perfection! It was a little small portion-wise, but it left us room for a complimentary crème Brule, which they kindly gave us as a celebration of our honeymoon!

Location: Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Cuisine: American, Seafood, Sushi, and other rotating global cuisine

Price: High

Meals: Brunch, Dinner

3. Nine Dragons Restaurant

Photo Source: Meal Trip

The Nine Dragons Restaurant is a large restaurant located in the heart of Epcot, China that features Pan-Chinese cuisine in an authentically decorated space! You can expect traditional favorites, along with new dishes and flavor combinations.

This restaurant had some of the best Chinese food I’ve ever had, and I know for SURE that it was THE best Chinese food Nick has ever had! He literally checks their online menu every few weeks to make sure they have his favorite dish: “Typhoon Shelter Shrimp.”

Location: Epcot China

Cuisine: Pan-Chinese

Price: Moderate

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

4. Whispering Canyon Café

Photo Source: Mission Food

Don’t let the name fool you: there’s anything but whispering happening here! This family friendly restaurant is located inside Disney’s Fort Wilderness Lodge Resort and has all sorts of antics going on! Yelling, hollering, running, and ketchup corralling are just a few of the noteworthy items you might expect here.

This is my favorite restaurant when it comes to experience! It’s super casual, so fun, and the food is delicious too!

Location: Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort

Cuisine: American & Barbeque

Price: Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Have you been to Disney? What restaurants would you recommend? Leave a comment below!

Best of Family Photos 2018

I think I want to make it my goal to photograph more families in 2019, because looking back through my family sessions from this year made me realize how precious these memories are! To the families I’ve had the pleasure of photographing: taking the time to invest in memories and moments of your family is never ever a waste. I am so thankful to have been the one to document these precious and fleeting moments for you! 💛

Best of Senior Photos 2018

Senior sessions are always one of my FAVORITE parts of my entire year! With all of my seniors, I have two goals: to capture them authentically, and for them to feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. I love seeing seniors who might not feel comfortable in front of the camera initially walk away feeling encouraged and loved - and like they are totally capable of doing whatever they set their hearts and minds to!

I had so many sessions at lots of beautiful locations this year, but when I went back through my records, I could hardly believe that just about 50% of all of my senior sessions this year happened at Hartwood Acres Mansion. And for good reason! It is such a beautiful location with so many different spots that lend themselves to amazing backdrops!

My seniors had their sessions through freezing temps (in the single digits!!), rain, snow, thunderstorms, humidity - and all of them handled their shoots like pros. To all of my seniors: I am so incredibly grateful for you! You are going to do amazing things - I hope you believe it! 💛

Chrissy & Chris: Cozy Pittsburgh In Home Couples Session

I had the pleasure of photographing Chrissy and Chris’s wedding day nearly three years ago (to see their wedding, click here!), and I was so excited when they recently invited me to their new home for a couples session! I had a great time hanging out with these two first time home buyers, along with their adopted dog, Edda! Chrissy and Chris - thank you for the pleasure of taking these photos for you and for showing me around your new home! 💛

Behind the Scenes 2018

2018 has been one heck of a year from start to finish! There are SO many people who have helped make this year’s weddings and shoots possible; without them, things would most certainly would not have been the same!

The “Behind the Scenes” yearly blog post has become one of my favorites because you get to see some of the faces who help make things possible throughout the year! I have been blessed to work with some amazing second shooters and assistants this year (whose faces you will see in the photos below!). A HUGE thank you to: Nick (my husband!), Alisha, Sara, Taylor, Ashley, Kim, and Jess, all of whom have been a huge help in one way or another! And to all of my friends, family, acquaintances, and clients who have encouraged and supported me throughout this year: I could not be more thankful for you! And most importantly, thank you God for the blessing of being a part of so many incredible moments and memories!

Rebecca + Yeddie: Oakland Engagement Photos

Novembers in Pittsburgh can be hit or miss. I remember last year, November was almost summer-like just until the end - and then we went straight from “summer” to winter, seemingly almost overnight! This year we’ve seen some crazy cold temps and LOTS of rainy weather. But Rebecca and Yeddie were completely unfazed! When I mentioned moving their session to a different day/time with the looming forecast of all day rain before us, they decided they wanted to go for it anyways - which I so admire! So I pulled out the bubble umbrellas and my rain jacket and met up with them on a cold (and wet!) November afternoon!

Their session took place in Oakland in some of my favorite locations! We started off at the Mellon Institute, so they could get the hang of being in front of the camera without having to worry about posing/moving with an umbrella, or with the surrounding rain! Then, we hopped over to the Frick Fine Arts Building, utilizing the Schenley fountain (with umbrellas in tow!), and the interior of the building - which has so much beautiful, natural light! It also just so happens that Yeddie spent a large majority of his college career taking classes inside that very building, providing the perfect personal touch!

About 20 minutes before their session ended, the rain stopped, giving us the perfect window of time to finish out their session outside of the Cathedral of Learning!

Rebecca and Yeddie, you two are such a joy to work with, and I can’t wait for your wedding in 2020! 💛 Thank you for an awesome afternoon!

Kelly + Daniel: Doubletree Monroeville Wedding Photos

If you’ve seen my work before, you know that I’m a HUGE fan of color - so Kelly and Dan’s sangria and gold fall wedding was a DREAM! Their day was full of color, and oh-so full of love!

One of the things I admire most about Kelly and Dan is their commitment to remembering what really mattered on their wedding day. Sure, the details were beautiful and everything came together beautifully, but at the end of the day, it was SO easy to see that these two are in it for the long haul - better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and health. Their joy radiated throughout the entire day!

And I can’t neglect to mention their INCREDIBLE friends and family, who we were so privileged to walk alongside throughout the day! This was my second wedding with Kelly’s extended family (see the first here!), and truly, they are some of the most energetic, excited people we’ve had the honor of working with!

Kelly and Dan, I pray that your marriage continues to become all that it was meant to be and that you continue to be an example to those around you of what true love looks like! So thankful to have been a part of your day!

Vendors:

Ceremony: Anne Ashley United Methodist

Reception: Double Tree Hotel Monroeville

Bride’s Dress: White Orchid, Maggie Sottero Gown

DJ: All Pro DJ

Makeup and Hair: Ulta at the Waterfront

Cake: Spinola's Bakery

Florist: Colasante's Flowers in the Park

Erica + Rio: Hartwood Acres Engagement Photos

The day of Erica and Rio’s session was BRIGHT and SUNNY. This might sound like a strange thing to say if you’re not from Pittsburgh, but if you’re a Pittsburgher heading into December, you know that we don’t get very many non-gray days once winter hits! In fact, I read a statistic that said we have about 306 cloudy days a year, which means about 84% of our year is cloudy (via this source). To give some perspective - Seattle only beats us by two days. TWO days!

So when the sun came out towards the end of November for Erica and Rio’s session, I was FLOORED! These two came all the way up from Virginia, so I was so thankful they had a beautiful day for their engagement session!

Erica and Rio are goofy and in love, and are both teachers in Virginia! They met at freshman orientation at Clarion University and started dating in December of 2013, and Rio popped the question this past April on the golf course Erica grew up playing on.

It was such an honor to photograph this incredibly fun couple, and I cannot wait for their wedding in 2020! 🎉

Moore Family: Lake Forest Gardens Christmas Tree Farm Photos

Isn’t it crazy when life comes full circle?! Just a few years back I was photographing Amanda and Jeff for their pregnancy announcement, then for their maternity photos - and now for Atlas’ first Christmas at Lake Forest Gardens! 🎄We had such a great time walking through the rows of trees - even though it was a little muddy, and a little cold, but they were such troopers through it all! Amanda and Jeff, thank you for having me take these photos for you. It was such an honor!

Tsung Family: North Shore Family Photos

I’ve had the pleasure of photographing this sweet family a few times over the last couple of years - and they are truly some of the kindest people I’ve had the pleasure to work with! This year was especially special, considering they’re moving out-of-state towards the end of this year! So, of course, the city made the perfect backdrop as a tribute to their years spent in Pittsburgh.

Eva, Allan, Peter, and Carolyn - you will be missed! Prayers for a smooth move and transition into your new norm! 💛