Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina: Insider Tips for a Smart Dinner

By Samantha B. · Mom of five · Winter Park, FL

Published June 11, 2026 · Updated October 27, 2026

At a Glance

• Best for: Couples, adults and celebration dinners. Older kids who like steak do fine; toddlers on a park-day schedule don’t.
• Where: The Walt Disney World Dolphin, in the space where Shula’s used to be. You can walk there from EPCOT.
• Reservations: Accepted. For how to get one, see How to Get a Reservation (and What to Do When It’s Booked).
• Disney Dining Plan: Not accepted.
• Typical cost: $$$$, one of the pricier dinners on property. For real totals, see What Dinner Really Costs: Sample Budgets.
• Time needed: Plan on a slow, sit-down meal. Don’t squeeze it between rides.
• Don’t miss: The free duck fat fries trio that comes soon after you sit down. Then the dry-aged ribeye.
• Ask your server: Which cuts are dry-aged tonight, before you order.
• Skip: Filling up on fries, ordering one side per person, and wearing shorts. Men are reportedly expected to wear collared shirts.

This guide is for adults and older-kid families who want a real fine-dining steak dinner without leaving Disney property. The biggest win is ordering well. Ask which steaks are dry-aged, take it easy on the free fries and share sides, so your money goes on the steak you came for.

Is Bourbon Steak Worth It? The Short Answer

Yes, if you want one real steakhouse splurge on your trip. Probably not if you’re bringing young kids or counting on the Disney Dining Plan.

Bourbon Steak at the Walt Disney World Dolphin is a serious chef-driven steakhouse that happens to sit on Disney property. It isn’t a themed Disney meal with a steakhouse menu. If that’s what you’re after, it’s one of the strongest special-occasion dinners in the EPCOT resort area. If what you need is a quick, kid-proof refuel after a park day, you’ll pay fine-dining prices for a meal that doesn’t suit how your group is eating that night.

Why it earns the splurge

• It’s chef-driven. This is a Michael Mina concept. The kitchen cares about technique and finish, like a dry-aged ribeye finished with truffle butter, and doesn’t lean on spectacle.
• The service is polished. It feels like a high-end city steakhouse, not a resort restaurant moving tables. For an anniversary, a milestone birthday, or a parents’ night out, that’s a big part of what you’re paying for.
• The dry-aged cuts are the reason to go. The value is in the aged steaks. Some cuts can come standard or dry-aged depending on the night, and that one question changes what you get for your money. See Choosing Your Steak: Dry-Aged vs. Standard Cuts.
• The starter is free. Mina’s signature trio of duck fat fries with dipping sauces arrives soon after you sit down, at no charge. It’s a real perk and also a trap, covered below.

Who should pick something else

If you have little ones in tow, the Dolphin has more casual options under the same roof. Rosa Mexicano is a livelier table-service pick, though it’s also not on the Dining Plan. A quick-service bite between activities keeps everyone happier than a two-hour steak dinner. For the full family picture, see Bringing Kids, Celebrations and Dietary Needs.

Pro tip: The Swan and Dolphin aren’t run by Disney, so think of Bourbon Steak as an off-Disney splurge that happens to be on property. Disney perks don’t carry over, and the Dining Plan is the big one. Guests who expect them to are usually the ones who leave feeling they overpaid.

What happens if you walk in without a plan

The food isn’t usually the problem. The trouble comes from three avoidable mistakes:

1. Overspending on the wrong cut. If you order a “standard” steak without asking about aging, you can pay near-top-tier prices without getting the dry-aged experience that makes this place worth it.
2. Eating at the loudest hour. The weekend 6–7 PM rush is when the room is busiest. Tables can run behind even if you have a reservation, which is rough after a long park day. See Best Time to Book: Seating Times Compared for the quieter windows.
3. Filling up early. The free duck fat fries are tasty, and it’s easy to keep going. Add a shared appetizer and you can be half-full before a premium steak arrives. That’s the costliest way to waste this meal. See The Complimentary Duck Fat Fries Trio: How to Pace It.

Is it a fit for your night?

• [ ] Is this a celebration or a “one big dinner” night rather than a quick refuel?
• [ ] Would most people at the table actually order steak?
• [ ] Are you paying out of pocket, not with Dining Plan credits?
• [ ] Can your group comfortably sit through a long, adult-paced dinner?
• [ ] Are you ready to ask which cuts are dry-aged that night?

If you checked most of these, Bourbon Steak is likely worth it. If you checked two or fewer, a more casual spot will probably make for the better evening. For real numbers before you commit, see What Dinner Really Costs: Sample Budgets. To lock in a table, see How to Get a Reservation (and What to Do When It’s Booked).

What Bourbon Steak Is and Where to Find It

Bourbon Steak is a chef-driven steakhouse inside the Walt Disney World Dolphin. It’s on Disney property, but Disney doesn’t run it, and once you sit down that difference is easy to notice.

The concept

Bourbon Steak is Michael Mina’s steakhouse brand, and the Dolphin location follows the same formula: premium cuts, polished sides, a strong bourbon program and a complimentary starter that sets the tone (covered in The Complimentary Duck Fat Fries Trio: How to Pace It). It has been serving dinner since mid-2025, so it’s an established spot now and has had time to settle in.

A few things to know before you go:

• It took over from Shula’s. Bourbon Steak sits in the Dolphin space that used to be Shula’s Steak House, the hotel’s longtime steakhouse. If you remember Shula’s, expect the same “serious steak dinner” idea with a more modern, chef-led menu.
• The room is dark and classic. Think low lighting, rich wood and leather tones, and a grown-up dinner feel. Nothing about it is themed or character-driven, and that’s on purpose.
• It feels like fine dining. Disney-run signature restaurants often still have a bit of theme-park energy, like matching T-shirts at the next table or a celebration button on someone’s shirt. Bourbon Steak feels closer to a big-city steakhouse that happens to be a short walk from EPCOT.
• It isn’t on the Disney Dining Plan. Plan to pay out of pocket. For the full cost picture, see What Dinner Really Costs: Sample Budgets.
• It takes reservations. Because the Swan and Dolphin aren’t Disney-run, booking works a little differently. See How to Get a Reservation (and What to Do When It’s Booked).

Where it is: the Dolphin, in the EPCOT resort area

The Dolphin is the big coral-and-turquoise hotel with the giant dolphin statues on top, on Crescent Lake between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. Its neighbors are the Swan, the BoardWalk and the Yacht & Beach Club. Marriott operates the hotel, so you’re not in a Disney-owned building, even though it sits right in the middle of Disney’s busiest walkable resort area.

How to get there

Pro tip: If you take a rideshare, enter “Walt Disney World Dolphin” as your destination, not “Swan and Dolphin.” The Swan, the Dolphin and the Swan Reserve are three separate buildings with separate entrances. If you’re dropped at the wrong one in dinner clothes, you’ll spend 10 minutes walking around the property looking for the right door.

Quick arrival checklist

• [ ] Confirm your destination is the Dolphin, not the Swan or the Swan Reserve
• [ ] Coming from EPCOT? Leave through International Gateway, not the main entrance
• [ ] Taking a boat? Check that Friendship boats are running that evening. Weather and schedules can pause service.
• [ ] Give yourself a cushion: the walk is pleasant, but the Dolphin is a large hotel and finding the restaurant inside takes a few minutes
• [ ] Dress for the room, not the park (see Dress Code, Atmosphere and Service Expectations)

Why the location matters

Being next to EPCOT’s back gate makes Bourbon Steak one of the easiest true steakhouse dinners to fit into a park day. You can finish World Showcase, walk out, change shoes if you planned ahead, and sit down without dealing with a bus or a parking lot. For routing ideas on EPCOT and Hollywood Studios days, see Fitting Dinner Into Your Park Day.

How to Get a Reservation (and What to Do When It’s Booked)

Bourbon Steak takes reservations, but don’t assume it books like a Disney-run restaurant. Check every channel, book as early as you’re allowed, and keep watching after you hear “no.”

Why booking here works differently

The Walt Disney World Dolphin is on Disney property, but Disney doesn’t run it. That changes how you book. Disney-run restaurants follow one rule: Advance Dining Reservations open 60 days before arrival, at 6:00 AM Eastern, in My Disney Experience. Swan and Dolphin restaurants can use their own booking channels and their own windows. Restaurants at this resort have been bookable both through Disney’s system and through the hotel’s own site, which links to an outside reservation platform. The window and the availability can differ between the two.

So you can’t count on one search to tell you everything. If My Disney Experience says “no availability,” the hotel’s channel may still have a table, and the reverse can happen too.

Pro tip: If the restaurant charges a cancellation or no-show fee, look at its cutoff, often about a day before the reservation. That’s when people with “maybe” bookings drop them, so the hours right before that deadline are often a good time to find a table.

How far ahead to book

• Weekends: Book as soon as your window opens, on whichever channel opens first. Friday and Saturday dinners at a showpiece steakhouse fill up with convention guests and locals as well as park visitors.
• Holidays and celebration dates: Book the moment you can for Thanksgiving week, Christmas through New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day. Expect those dates to go quickly.
• Weeknights: These are usually easier, but book early anyway if the meal is a planned splurge. Don’t count on walking in.
• Flexibility helps: If you’re open to a different night or seating time, you’ll have more options. For which times are worth targeting, see Best Time to Book: Seating Times Compared.

Your booking game plan

• [ ] Find out the booking window on both My Disney Experience and the hotel’s own channel before your trip
• [ ] Set a reminder for the morning your earliest window opens. Disney-run dining opens at 6:00 AM Eastern, but confirm whether the hotel channel follows the same time
• [ ] Search your ideal date, then nearby dates, then a smaller party size if your group can split up
• [ ] Book the best table you can get, even if the time isn’t ideal, and keep looking for a better one
• [ ] Note the cancellation deadline in your calendar so you don’t get charged for a backup booking you no longer need
• [ ] Look again 24–48 hours out and on the morning of your dinner, when last-minute cancellations tend to show up

When the date shows fully booked

“Booked” often doesn’t stay booked. Plans change, people double-book, and convention schedules shift, so tables free up all the time. It usually happens at random hours, though, and someone who happens to be refreshing at that moment gets it.

You don’t have to be that person. Set a SupaPark Drop Watch on your date and party size, and SupaPark will alert you as soon as a cancellation opens a table. You then book it yourself in My Disney Experience or through the restaurant’s own system. SupaPark only watches and alerts. It never makes, holds, or confirms a reservation for you, and Drop Watch alerts come by email even on the free plan.

Smart habits while you wait

• Hold a backup. Keep a confirmed booking at another restaurant until you get the Bourbon Steak table, then cancel the backup before its cutoff.
• Smaller parties get in more easily. Two-tops open up more often than tables for six. If your group is flexible, watch for a smaller size or split into two tables.
• Act quickly on alerts. A freed-up table can disappear within minutes. Have the app logged in and your party details ready.
• Be realistic about walk-ins. You might get a bar seat on a quiet weeknight, but don’t plan a celebration around it.

Best Time to Book: Seating Times Compared

Book the early dinner slot, around 5:30 PM. The room is calmer, you’re more likely to get the table you want, and you’ll still have time for an evening in the parks.

Bourbon Steak’s food is the same at every seating, but the experience around it changes a lot with the time you book. The same reservation can feel relaxed at 5:30 PM and stressful at 6:45 PM on a Saturday. Here’s how the windows compare.

Seating Windows at a Glance

Why Early Dinner Wins

• The kitchen and staff aren’t stretched yet. At 5:30 PM, the room hasn’t backed up with tables finishing late. You’re seated close to your reservation time, and service is at its most attentive.
• You can choose your table. Window tables go to whoever arrives while they’re still open. Early diners get first pick, and later seatings get what’s left.
• You get the view while it’s still light. An early table lets you watch the light change over the lagoon through dinner. Late seatings mostly lose that and see the water only after dark.
• It splits your day well. Leave the park in the late afternoon, which is often its hottest and most crowded stretch. Have a long dinner, and you’re done with time to spare. “Fitting Dinner Into Your Park Day” has the walking routes.

Pro tip: When you book the early slot, add “window table if possible” to your reservation notes and say it again when you check in. It isn’t guaranteed, but at 5:30 PM the host usually has open window tables to choose from. By the 6–7 PM rush, they’re mostly just filling whatever table opens up.

When the Weekend Peak Makes Sense (and When It Doesn’t)

On Friday and Saturday, 6–7 PM is the busiest time in the room. If your evening is tightly planned, like a nighttime show, a Lightning Lane window you need to make, or a bedtime for kids, skip it. A reservation doesn’t guarantee you’ll sit down on time. If the tables ahead of you run long, you could wait in the lounge for 15–20 minutes before you’re seated, and a steakhouse dinner that starts late finishes late.

The peak works fine if dinner is your evening plan. If you’re celebrating, want the buzz of a full dining room and have nothing after, you’ll enjoy the energy. Just build some slack into your plans.

The Case for Late Dinner

A table after 8 PM is the next-best option. The room is quieter, staff aren’t rushed, and window tables often open up again. The catch is the time. You’ll likely miss the evening view of the water, and if you were in a park all day, you’ll be eating a heavy steak dinner close to 10 PM. It works for adults who like to eat late. It’s tough for families running on fumes.

Lunch: The Quiet Option, If It’s Available

If Bourbon Steak is serving lunch during your trip (check current hours, because they change), a weekday midday table is usually the least crowded time to go. The menu may be shorter than at dinner. It’s still a way to try the place without a big night out. It only makes sense on a resort day or a planned mid-day break, though. Giving up good morning-to-afternoon park hours for a long lunch is usually a bad trade.

Quick Decision Checklist

• [ ] Want the calmest room and the best table? Book around 5:30 PM.
• [ ] Have a show or Lightning Lane return after dinner? Avoid weekend 6–7 PM.
• [ ] Spending the full day in a park and fine eating late? Book after 8 PM.
• [ ] Taking a rest day and lunch is on the schedule? Try a weekday midday table.
• [ ] Want a window table? Ask in the reservation notes and again at check-in.

If your preferred time is already full, see “How to Get a Reservation (and What to Do When It’s Booked)” for how to keep checking.

Fitting Dinner Into Your Park Day

Treat Bourbon Steak as the main event of your evening. It works best on an EPCOT day, a Hollywood Studios day, or a slower resort day, and it’s a poor fit for a rope-drop-to-close marathon.

A proper steakhouse dinner here usually runs two hours or more once you add drinks, the complimentary fries, a shared starter and dessert. That’s a big piece of the evening, so plan your day around it.

The two parks that make this easy

The Dolphin sits in the EPCOT resort area, between EPCOT’s International Gateway and Hollywood Studios. Both parks connect to it by walkway and Friendship boat, so you never need a bus or a car.

The EPCOT play: dinner first, show second

The best route here is an early dinner followed by a walk back into EPCOT for the nighttime show. Most people do it the other way around.

Pro tip: If you leave EPCOT through International Gateway for dinner and come back the same way, you’re re-entering the same park. You don’t need a Park Hopper, just your same-day ticket. You also skip the post-show crowd, because thousands of people leave through that exit right after the finale. You’ll be walking in while they walk out.

Here’s how the evening goes:

• [ ] Spend the afternoon in World Showcase. The nations nearest International Gateway (UK and France) make for an easy exit.
• [ ] Head out through International Gateway with enough time to walk over without rushing.
• [ ] Have dinner, keeping an eye on the clock against tonight’s showtime (check it the morning of, because it changes).
• [ ] Walk back into EPCOT and watch from the UK or France side. You’ll be close to the exit when it ends.
• [ ] After the show, head out through International Gateway again, or wait for the crowd to thin.

If you’d rather see the show first and eat afterward, you’ll need a very late reservation, and you’ll arrive tired and in a crowd.

On EPCOT festival evenings, World Showcase and International Gateway get noticeably busier. Allow extra time to get out of the park.

The Hollywood Studios play: finish the day there

Hollywood Studios usually closes earlier than EPCOT, which makes dinner a natural way to end the day. Ride your priorities, leave in the late afternoon or early evening, and walk or take the boat over. If you want to see the Studios’ nighttime entertainment, eat before it, not after. Boat lines can back up badly once a show lets out.

Park-hopping logic

• Walking to the Dolphin isn’t a park hop. Leaving a park for dinner and going back to the same park doesn’t need a Park Hopper.
• Studios by day, EPCOT by night does need a Park Hopper. Dinner fits neatly in between, since the Dolphin is roughly halfway along that route. You can hop any time the parks are open, as long as the park you’re heading to has capacity.
• Without a Park Hopper, choose your dinner night based on whichever park you’ll already be in that day.

Picking the right evening

Before you pick a date, check the crowd forecast for your trip. Put Bourbon Steak on a lighter EPCOT or Studios day, or on a planned rest day. Don’t put it on the day you’re chasing headliners at a busy park. Lighter days mean a more relaxed afternoon, a shorter exit, and more energy for a long meal. If your date is fully booked, see How to Get a Reservation (and What to Do When It’s Booked).

If you squeeze it into a rope-drop-to-close day

You can, but here’s what it costs you:

• You lose the best evening hours. Two-plus hours in the evening is when wait times often ease, so you’re giving up some of the day’s best ride time.
• You show up worn out. After 10 hours of walking, a slow, expensive meal is harder to enjoy, and kids are rarely at their best.
• You may need to change clothes. Shorts and park sneakers may not suit the room (see Dress Code, Atmosphere and Service Expectations), so you’d need a detour to your hotel or a bag to carry all day.
• Getting back into the park takes effort. Returning for a few last rides means walking back, going through security again, and moving quickly before close.

If you take a rideshare from somewhere else, keep your reservation confirmation handy. Resort security gates often ask where you’re going, and showing your booking is the quickest way through.

What I’d actually do: do EPCOT in the afternoon, walk out through International Gateway for an early dinner, then go back in for the show. You get a full park day, a relaxed dinner and the nighttime show with almost no wasted travel.

The Complimentary Duck Fat Fries Trio: How to Pace It

Eat the free fries, but stop after two or three. They’re the best bite you won’t pay for, and also the easiest way to ruin your appetite for the steak.

Michael Mina’s signature welcome arrives at the table soon after you’re seated. It’s a trio of fries cooked in duck fat, and each one comes with its own dipping sauce. You don’t order it and it’s not on the bill. It just shows up. Of everything you’ll eat tonight, it’s the item you’d most likely order again if it cost money.

Why it’s the best-value bite of the night

• The duck fat makes the difference. It gives the fries a richer, crispier and more savory result than standard fryer oil. They taste like a deliberate dish, not a basket of fries.
• It comes as a trio. With three styles and three sauces, everyone gets to try something without anyone having to commit to a full appetizer.
• It shows you the kitchen before you spend. In the first few minutes you see how the kitchen handles fat, salt and texture, and that’s a fair preview of the steak.

The catch: it fills you up faster than you expect

Fried potatoes plus rich fat plus sauce is a heavy combination, and it comes when you’re hungriest and paying the least attention. People tend to eat it without noticing, especially while they’re still reading the menu. By the time the bread, starters and drinks arrive, half the table can be full before the ribeye lands.

If you have a ribeye or another big cut coming, two or three fries per person is plenty. If the table is sharing a couple of steaks, you can eat a few more.

How to handle the first 20 minutes

Think of the opening stretch as a pacing problem. The restaurant puts its most generous, attention-getting food on the table first. Your job is to enjoy it without letting it decide how much room you have left.

• [ ] Order drinks and look at the menu before you start on the fries. Decide what’s coming before you eat anything.
• [ ] Agree on a limit out loud. “Two or three each” keeps one person from finishing the dish while everyone else is still talking.
• [ ] Try each style once instead of eating one style several times. It’s a trio, so taste all three and you’ve had the full experience.
• [ ] Keep the starters light. One shared starter for the table is usually enough. See Starters, Raw Bar and Appetizers: What to Share and What to Skip for which one to pick.
• [ ] Have the dish moved to the edge of the table once everyone has had their share. If the fries are within reach, people keep eating them.
• [ ] Check how full you are before the steak comes. If you’re already near full, skip anything else before the main course.

Pro tip: Don’t eat the last few fries. Ask your server whether the dish can stay on the table until the steak course, since the answer may vary by night. A couple of duck fat fries with a bite of ribeye works as a side, and it might mean you can skip ordering a separate potato side. The kitchen has already given you one. Sides, Sauces and Add-Ons covers how to build the rest of the plate.

Who should adjust the pacing

• Couples sharing one big cut: You can eat a few more fries, since you’ll split the steak.
• Kids and light eaters: For them the fries can be most of a meal. Plan their main course around that rather than ordering a full entrée they won’t touch.
• Anyone planning dessert or a bourbon flight later: Stop earlier than you’d like. A rich steakhouse dinner is long, and you’ll be glad you held back.

The fries are generous on purpose, and the best way to enjoy them is to eat a few, slowly. You’ll get the best bite of the opening without it taking away from the steak.

Starters, Raw Bar and Appetizers: What to Share and What to Skip

Order one raw bar plate or one appetizer for the whole table, not one per person. The steak is why you came, so save room for it.

The first course is where a steakhouse bill quietly grows. Everyone orders their own starter, the complimentary fries land (see The Complimentary Duck Fat Fries Trio: How to Pace It), and by the time the dry-aged cut arrives, half the table is already full. Plan the opening courses before anyone opens the menu.

The categories you’ll see

Michael Mina’s menus change with the season and with what’s fresh. Treat the categories below as a guide to what’s typically on offer, and ask your server what’s on the menu that night.

Why sharing wins here

• The free fries already count as a first course. They’re rich, and with a hot appetizer on top, the main course gets harder to finish.
• Steakhouse portions run big. Steakhouse starters are often sized to share. One per person doubles the food without doubling the enjoyment.
• Raw bar is the smart order. Oysters or chilled shellfish are bright and light, a good contrast to the heavy meal coming next, and they won’t spoil your appetite the way a fried or cheesy plate can.
• The savings go further later. Money you don’t spend on a fourth starter can pay for a better cut or a good pour. Full cost math is in What Dinner Really Costs: Sample Budgets.

What I’d actually do

• Two people: One raw bar order or one shared salad. That’s it.
• Party of four: One raw bar plate plus one cold starter, passed around.
• Celebration table of six or more: A large seafood platter can make sense, but count it as your starter course, not as an extra.
• Skip: Hot, heavy appetizers when everyone is getting a big steak. They’re tasty, but they fill you up in a way you’ll regret by the second bite of ribeye.

Ordering the opening courses

• [ ] Let the complimentary fries arrive before ordering starters, so you can see how much food is already on the table
• [ ] Ask what’s freshest on the raw bar tonight and how big a “per order” serving is
• [ ] Order one shared starter for every two to three people
• [ ] Ask for extra small plates so the starter can be split
• [ ] Order your steaks and sides now so the kitchen can pace the meal
• [ ] Skip a second round of starters. Dessert is a better use of the space

If someone at the table has a seafood allergy

The raw bar is the centerpiece of the opening courses, so a shellfish or fish allergy needs more care here than anywhere else in the meal.

• Flag it twice. Put it in your reservation notes and say it again when you’re seated. Don’t count on a note being passed from host to server.
• Ask about prep, not just ingredients. Raw bar items are often plated on shared ice and with shared tools. Ask whether a starter without seafood can be prepared and plated separately.
• Watch the garnishes and sauces. Steakhouse dressings, butters and sauces can hide fish-based ingredients. Ask about each component, not just the main ingredient.
• Share a salad. If the allergy is serious, the simplest move is to skip the raw bar for the whole table and split a salad, so no shellfish ends up near anyone’s plate.

Pro tip: If someone has a shellfish allergy, ask whether the complimentary fries share a fryer with any seafood before anyone digs in. It’s the one first-course item nobody orders, so nobody thinks to ask about it. Ask the server as soon as the fries arrive.

Menus change often, so treat any specific dish you saw online as a maybe. Ask your server what’s on the raw bar and what’s new on the starters before you settle on a plan.

Choosing Your Steak: Dry-Aged vs. Standard Cuts

Before you look at prices, ask your server which cuts are dry-aged tonight. That answer matters more than anything else on the menu.

Most of what makes Bourbon Steak worth the trip comes down to one decision: dry-aged or standard. Order a standard cut and you’ll get a well-cooked steak you could find at plenty of good steakhouses. Order the dry-aged option and you get the deeper flavor that sets this place apart. It’s also the better use of your money.

Why the dry-aged ribeye is the one to order

The dry-aged ribeye finished with truffle butter is the steak to build your dinner around, for three reasons:

• Ribeye marbling holds up best to aging. Dry-aging concentrates flavor and gives the meat a nutty, savory depth. A fattier cut like ribeye carries that flavor better than a lean one.
• The truffle butter adds without covering anything up. It melts into the crust and brings richness and aroma, but you can still taste the aged beef. You don’t need an extra sauce.
• It’s the strongest version of what this kitchen does. If you’re only coming once, order the steak that shows what Bourbon Steak is about.

A higher price doesn’t mean it’s aged

Plenty of diners get this wrong. A steak’s price mostly reflects its size, the cut and where the beef comes from. It doesn’t tell you whether the steak was dry-aged. A big standard cut can cost as much as, or more than, an aged one. If you go by price alone, you can pay top dollar and still miss the steak you came for.

Which cuts are aged can also change from night to night, so last month’s review or a friend’s order won’t help you much. Ask every time.

Pro tip: Don’t just ask “Is anything dry-aged?” Ask “Which of tonight’s steaks are dry-aged, and how does that compare with the standard version of the same cut?” The second question gets your server explaining the actual difference on tonight’s menu instead of reading you the list. And if the aged and standard cuts cost about the same, you’ve found the best value on the menu.

How the cuts compare

A few notes on the table:

• Choosing purely on flavor? Order the ribeye.
• Want lean and tender? The filet delivers, but you give up the dry-aged character that’s the reason to come here. That’s fine as long as you know you’re making the trade.
• Thinking about a big shareable cut? Settle on how many people are actually splitting it before you order. At this price, one large steak and a couple of sides usually beats everyone ordering their own steak plus a side. Sides strategy is covered in Sides, Sauces and Add-Ons.

Doneness: order one step under your usual

The truffle butter goes on hot and keeps working after the plate reaches your table. It adds fat and gentle heat to a steak that’s already resting. If you normally order medium, ask for medium-rare. If you normally order medium-rare, consider rare-plus, or just tell your server you’d like it pulled a little early to allow for the butter.

That matters most with a dry-aged ribeye. Overcook it and the fat renders out and the aged flavor goes flat, which defeats the reason you ordered it.

Your ordering sequence

• [ ] Ask which cuts are dry-aged tonight before you open the menu
• [ ] Compare the aged and standard versions of the same cut, not just the prices
• [ ] Default to the dry-aged ribeye with truffle butter unless you really prefer lean
• [ ] If anyone’s thinking of a shareable cut, settle who’s splitting it first
• [ ] Order one doneness step below your usual
• [ ] Hold off on extra sauces until you’ve tasted the butter-finished steak

Sides, Sauces and Add-Ons: Building the Plate Without Overspending

Share your sides, keep sauces on the side, and skip most add-ons. A good dry-aged steak needs very little help.

This is where a steakhouse bill grows without you noticing. The steak isn’t the problem. Five sides, three sauces and an add-on per person are. Order for the table, not for each plate.

Share sides instead of ordering one each

Steakhouse sides are usually served family-style. That means one side per person almost always leaves food on the table, especially after the free duck fat fries (see The Complimentary Duck Fat Fries Trio: How to Pace It) and a filling ribeye.

• Two people: two sides is plenty.
• Four people: three sides, or four if you have big eaters.
• Balance the table: pick one rich side (something starchy or creamy) and one fresh one (a green vegetable or salad-style dish). Two heavy sides with a ribeye can feel like a lot.
• Skip a second potato. The fries already cover that, so a potato side is the easiest one to drop.
• Ask about portion size. Servers know how big the sides are, and some are bigger than they look on the menu.

Add-ons: what’s worth it and what pads the bill

Steakhouses often offer extras like sauces, compound butters, toppings and surf-style additions. What’s on offer can change, so ask your server what’s available that night. Here’s how to think about the usual types:

How sauces and toppings work with a dry-aged steak

That’s the reason to book here, and the easiest way to lose it is to cover it up.

• Taste first. Have your first two or three bites plain. You’ll know quickly whether the steak needs anything.
• Think of sauce as a side note. Dip the occasional bite. Don’t pour it over the whole steak.
• Order a little under your usual doneness. If your steak arrives with butter or a finishing baste, the resting heat and fat keep cooking it on the plate. One step under your usual doneness tends to land where you actually want it.
• Use toppings on lean cuts. A filet benefits from help. A dry-aged ribeye mostly doesn’t.

Pro tip: Ask for every sauce and butter on the side, not on the steak. Then you can compare a plain bite of the dry-aged beef with a sauced one, decide for yourself, and avoid ending up with a steak buried in a topping you didn’t need.

Smart order: two people

• [ ] Eat a few of the free fries and leave the rest
• [ ] Two steaks. Consider one dry-aged ribeye and one different cut so you can compare
• [ ] Two shared sides: one rich, one fresh
• [ ] One sauce on the side to share
• [ ] No surf add-on unless seafood is a must
• [ ] Decide on dessert after the steak, not before

Smart order: party of four

• [ ] Leave the free fries in the middle and agree to pace them
• [ ] Share one or two starters for the table
• [ ] Four steaks, or three steaks plus a seafood main if someone isn’t a big steak eater
• [ ] Three shared sides, with a fourth only if your group eats big
• [ ] Two sauces on the side so the table can try both
• [ ] One person checks that nobody is ordering a side that duplicates the fries
• [ ] Hold off on extras until the steaks land. You can always add a side, but you can’t un-order one

What happens if you over-order

You’ll pay for food that goes back untouched, and the meal gets heavy. That makes the evening harder if you’re heading back to a park afterward. A lean order still gets you the steak you came for.

Drinks: Bourbon, Cocktails, Wine and Zero-Proof

Choose one great drink and enjoy it slowly. Ordering a round at every course is the quickest way to make an expensive steak dinner much more expensive.

The bar leans heavily on bourbon, which fits the restaurant’s name. That’s fun if you like whiskey, but a long pour list makes it easy to keep ordering. Decide what you want to drink before you sit down.

Bourbon: One Standout Pour or a Flight, Not Both

If you love bourbon, pick one of these two ways to order it:

• One standout pour. Ask your server or bartender for something you can’t easily get at home. Have it neat or with one large cube alongside the steak, which is when a rich bourbon tastes best.
• A flight, if the bar offers one that night. Flights change, so ask. A flight lets you compare several pours without buying a full glass of each, which makes it the better choice if you’re curious rather than committed.

What you want to avoid is ordering a cocktail, then a pour, then “one more to try.” Each drink seems reasonable on its own, but three of them can cost as much as a second steak.

Cocktails: Best as an Opener

A cocktail works well while you look over the menu and the duck fat fries arrive. Once the steak comes, switch to a neat pour, a glass of wine or water. Sweet or citrus-forward cocktails tend to clash with a dry-aged ribeye, and a second cocktail rarely adds much to the meal.

Wine: By the Glass vs. a Bottle for the Table

This decision depends on how many people are drinking and how much each person drinks.

A rough rule: a standard bottle pours about four to five glasses. If your group will drink that much, a bottle usually costs less per glass than ordering by the glass. If not, order by the glass.

Pro tip: If you’d like help choosing a bottle but don’t want to say your budget out loud, open the wine list, point to a price that’s comfortable, and say, “Something around here that goes with the ribeye.” A good sommelier or server will understand and suggest the best value near that price, so you don’t end up with whatever they’d recommend first.

Zero-Proof Options

Skipping alcohol doesn’t mean you’re stuck with soda. Upscale steakhouses usually have a few crafted non-alcoholic drinks, and some carry alcohol-free spirits or wine. Ask what’s available that night. This is also the easy choice if you have an early start tomorrow or kids at the table who want a “fancy drink” of their own.

How Drinks Can Double the Bill

Drinks are where a dinner that looked affordable on paper gets expensive. At a high-end steakhouse, two people having a cocktail each, a couple of glasses of wine and a nightcap can spend about as much on drinks as on food.

A Simple Drink Plan for the Night

• [ ] Decide before you arrive: bourbon, wine or zero-proof
• [ ] Have one cocktail or zero-proof drink while you order
• [ ] With the steak, choose one: a standout pour, a flight or wine
• [ ] Order a bottle only if three or more people will share it
• [ ] Skip the after-dinner drink unless it’s a real celebration
• [ ] Planning to drink? Take a rideshare or walk back to your resort instead of driving

The best value at the bar is one drink you’ll remember. Several ordinary ones mostly add to the bill.

What Dinner Really Costs: Sample Budgets

Plan on roughly $70–$90 or more per adult all-in for a lean dinner, and well over $150 per adult once premium steaks and drinks come into it.

Reported per-adult entrée prices run from about $35 to about $60, with premium cuts above that. The menu price is only the starting point. Shared sides, a starter, drinks, sales tax and a roughly 20% tip can easily double what you planned to spend. The scenarios below are estimates built from that entrée range. Prices vary and change, so use them for budgeting and check the current menu before you go.

Three Sample Scenarios

What moves the number most, from biggest to smallest:

• The steak you pick. Choosing a premium cut over a standard one adds more to the bill than any other single choice.
• Drinks. At a bourbon-forward bar, two rounds for four adults can cost as much as another entrée or two. (Section 11, “Drinks: Bourbon, Cocktails, Wine and Zero-Proof,” covers how to keep this under control.)
• Sides. One side per person adds up quickly. Sharing two or three across the table usually gives you enough food (see section 10, “Sides, Sauces and Add-Ons: Building the Plate Without Overspending”).
• Tax and tip. Together these add roughly 25–30% on top of the menu prices. People tend to forget this until the check arrives.

What Doesn’t Help: The Dining Plan

The Disney Dining Plan is not accepted here. If your package includes it, this meal is paid out of pocket on top of the credits you’ve already bought. Keep that in mind before you pass up a Disney-run steakhouse that does take the plan (section 13, “Bourbon Steak vs. Other Disney World Steakhouses,” compares the options).

What Might Help: Discounts Worth Asking About

The Dolphin is a Marriott-operated hotel, so Disney’s usual dining perks may not apply. Other offers sometimes do. Neither of these is guaranteed, and terms change, so ask when you book:

• Marriott-related offers. If you’re staying at the Swan or Dolphin, or you’re a Marriott Bonvoy member, ask whether a resort-guest or member offer applies to dinner.
• Annual Passholder offers. Disney passholder discounts often don’t extend to the Swan and Dolphin restaurants, but some have been offered at times. Ask when you book and again before you pay instead of assuming.

Even a modest percentage off a $500 check saves real money, so it’s worth asking.

Pro tip: If your party is large, look at the itemized bill before you add a tip. Upscale restaurants often add an automatic gratuity for bigger groups, and it’s easy to tip twice on an expensive check if you don’t check. Ask your server at the start what the party-size cutoff is, so you know what to expect.

A Budget-Control Checklist

• [ ] Pick your steak tier before you sit down. Decide ahead of time whether this is a premium-cut night or a standard-cut night.
• [ ] Ask the price of any market-price or off-menu cut before you order it.
• [ ] Plan to share sides: about one side per two people.
• [ ] Order one standout drink each, not several rounds.
• [ ] Count the complimentary duck fat fries as your starter, so you may not need to order a paid one (section 7 explains how to pace them).
• [ ] Ask about Marriott or passholder offers when you book and again at the check.
• [ ] Add 25–30% to your menu subtotal for tax and tip when you set your budget.

The Realistic All-In Number

For most couples, the realistic total is $150–$300, depending mostly on which steaks you order and how much you drink. A party of four ordering normally should expect $450 or more. If those numbers fit your budget as a once-a-trip splurge, book it and enjoy it. If they don’t, have a lean dinner here or eat at a Dining Plan restaurant, and you won’t be surprised by the check.

Bourbon Steak vs. Other Disney World Steakhouses

Bourbon Steak is the chef-driven splurge you pick for the meal itself. If you need the Dining Plan, have young kids, or want a classic “Disney” dinner, another steakhouse will probably suit you better.

If you remember Shula’s, expect something different. Shula’s was an old-school steakhouse with big cuts and simple plates. Bourbon Steak is Michael Mina’s concept, with more emphasis on how the steak is prepared, the extras and the bar program. The comparison that matters more is with the steakhouses Disney runs itself.

The Comparison at a Glance

Dining Plan participation and how many credits a meal uses can change. Check the current rules for your dates before you build a plan around any of these. For actual dollar amounts at Bourbon Steak, see What Dinner Really Costs: Sample Budgets.

How They Really Differ

• The Dining Plan. This is the biggest difference. Bourbon Steak is in a Marriott-run hotel, so it’s off the Disney Dining Plan. Every other restaurant in the table is Disney-run and usually participates. If you’ve prepaid for the plan, a meal at Bourbon Steak is extra spending on top of it.
• Who it’s for. Bourbon Steak is built mainly for adults. Le Cellier and Ale & Compass expect families. Yachtsman sits in between: it’s a serious steakhouse, but you’ll usually see kids there.
• Location. Bourbon Steak, Yachtsman, Ale & Compass and Flying Fish are all in the EPCOT resort area around Crescent Lake. Toledo is at Coronado Springs, so you’ll need transportation from the EPCOT area. Le Cellier is the only one where you need a park ticket for that day.
• Cooking style. Yachtsman and Le Cellier lean classic. Toledo mixes steak with Spanish small plates. Bourbon Steak is the most chef-driven and the most “restaurant-city” of the group.

Pro tip: If you’re steakhouse-shopping in the EPCOT area, pick your restaurant by whether you have a park ticket that day. Le Cellier only makes sense on a day you’re already in EPCOT. Bourbon Steak, Yachtsman and Flying Fish all work as a dinner on a resort day or after you’ve left the park, so you never pay for park admission just to get a steak.

When Bourbon Steak Is the Right Call

• You want one standout steak dinner on the trip and you care more about the food than about Disney theming.
• You’re not using the Dining Plan, or you’re fine paying out of pocket for this meal.
• Your group is adults, teens, or older kids who will actually eat a steakhouse menu.
• You’re staying in the EPCOT resort area or ending an EPCOT or Hollywood Studios day nearby.

When Another Steakhouse Fits Better

• You’re on the Dining Plan: Go to Yachtsman Steakhouse for the closest like-for-like steakhouse experience that the plan covers.
• You have young kids: Le Cellier (during an EPCOT day) or Ale & Compass will be more relaxed.
• Your group splits between steak and seafood: Flying Fish handles both well.
• You want views and shareable plates: Toledo’s rooftop setting gives you a different kind of night out.
• Everyone’s tired after a big park day: Ale & Compass gets you fed with less fuss and less spending.

The bottom line: book Bourbon Steak when the steak is the reason for the night out. If the Dining Plan, little kids, or a park ticket is shaping your evening, one of Disney’s own steakhouses is usually the better pick.

Dress Code, Atmosphere and Service Expectations

Dress like you’re going to a nice steakhouse in any big city, plan on about two hours at the table, and change out of your park clothes before you get there.

Bourbon Steak is more formal than almost any Disney-run table-service restaurant. It’s a real restaurant, not a themed one, and the dress code and pacing reflect that. If you show up sweaty and in a hurry, the evening won’t go well.

What to Wear

The guidance guests most often report is “upscale resort casual.” For men, that means a collared shirt and no shorts. Policies at hotel restaurants can change, and enforcement can vary by night, so check the current dress code with the restaurant before you go. It’s better to find out in your hotel room than at the host stand.

A jacket isn’t expected. The goal is to look like you planned to come here, not like you came straight from a ride.

The Room: Noise, Lighting and Feel

• Lighting: It’s dim and warm, like a typical upscale steakhouse. That’s great for a date night. It’s less great if you want photos of your food, so take them before the light fades or use your phone’s night mode.
• Noise: Expect the usual hum of a busy steakhouse. It’s lively, but you can still talk at the table. The room usually gets louder during the weekend rush (covered in “Best Time to Book: Seating Times Compared”). If you want a quiet conversation, ask for a table away from the bar.
• Vibe: It feels grown-up. You won’t find characters, birthday announcements over a microphone, or a themed show. For some families that’s the point. For others, especially those with young kids, it’s a drawback. “Bringing Kids, Celebrations and Dietary Needs” covers this in more detail.

Pace of Service and How Long Dinner Takes

Plan for about 1.5 to 2.5 hours for a full dinner with starters, steaks, sides and dessert. If you add a cocktail first or order a bourbon flight, expect the longer end of that range.

Service usually follows a steakhouse rhythm. Courses are spaced out, the server checks in often, and nobody rushes you out. That’s great for a celebration but bad if you’re trying to make fireworks. If you’re on a deadline, say so when you sit down, and the kitchen can usually pace the meal around it.

Pro tip: If you want to catch something afterward, order dessert when you order your entrées, and ask for the check to come with it. That saves about 15 minutes of waiting to flag down the server at the end, which is the slowest part of most steakhouse dinners.

Changing Out of Park Clothes Without Losing an Hour

The Dolphin is close enough to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios that it’s easy to skip changing. Don’t. Here are the fastest ways to do it:

• Staying at the Swan, Dolphin or a nearby resort? Go back to your room for 30 minutes to shower and change. It’s the easiest option, and it gives you a real break before dinner.
• Staying farther away? Pack a change of clothes in a small bag and change in a resort restroom when you arrive. Light, wrinkle-resistant clothes travel well in a park bag.
• Hot or rainy day? Bring a fresh shirt even if you keep your pants on. Changing your shirt helps more than anything else.

Fast-change checklist for your park bag:

• [ ] Rolled collared shirt or a dress that doesn’t wrinkle
• [ ] Clean pair of shoes, or at least clean socks
• [ ] Deodorant and face wipes
• [ ] A comb or hair tie
• [ ] A packable bag to hold your park clothes during dinner
• [ ] A phone charger, so you have battery for photos and the ride home

To plan how dinner fits around park time, see “Fitting Dinner Into Your Park Day.” Leave about 20 minutes to change between leaving the park and checking in at the host stand.

Bringing Kids, Celebrations and Dietary Needs

Bourbon Steak works for older kids who’d actually order a steak. It’s a poor fit for toddlers, picky eaters and any group running on a tight bedtime.

This is a slow, chef-driven dinner where the courses are paced like a grown-up night out. It isn’t a character meal with entertainment between bites. Kids can handle that if they’re old enough. The real question is how much patience your group has left at the end of a park day.

Who It Works For (and Who It Doesn’t)

Is There a Kids’ Menu?

Don’t assume there is one. Because the Dolphin isn’t Disney-run, the familiar Disney kids’ meal setup doesn’t automatically apply. Ask when you book, or call ahead, whether there’s a children’s menu or whether the kitchen will make simpler plates like a plain smaller steak or pasta. If the answer is “not really,” a teen can split an entrée and a couple of sides with a parent. That usually works better than ordering a full adult plate they won’t finish.

Celebrations: Put It in Writing

Birthdays, anniversaries and milestone trips are exactly what this restaurant is for, so tell them in advance.

• [ ] Add the occasion to your reservation notes (“10th anniversary,” “Maya’s 16th birthday”)
• [ ] Repeat it when you check in at the host stand, because notes don’t always make it to your server
• [ ] If you’re hoping for a dessert gesture, ask politely rather than expecting one, since what’s offered can vary by night
• [ ] Bring your own card or small gift, because a Disney-style celebration button won’t mean anything here

How to get the reservation itself is covered in How to Get a Reservation (and What to Do When It’s Booked).

Allergies and Dietary Needs

Disney-run restaurants have a standard allergy process, but you’re outside that system here. Handle it directly with the restaurant:

• Note it when you book. List every allergy in the reservation notes, not just the most serious one.
• Say it again at the table. Ask the server to confirm with the kitchen instead of answering from memory.
• Ask about shared prep. At a steakhouse, the fryer, grill and butter-basting are where cross-contact tends to happen.
• Ask about sauces and butters. Steak toppings and dipping sauces often contain dairy, nuts or other common allergens that don’t show up in the menu description.

Pro tip: The free fries trio is cooked in duck fat, so it isn’t vegetarian. If someone at your table is vegetarian, keeps a restricted diet or has a fried-food allergy, tell your server before the fries come out. Then you can ask what the kitchen can bring them instead, and they aren’t left watching everyone else eat the free starter.

Vegetarians can usually put together a meal from sides and starters, but don’t expect a full vegetarian main every night. Check the current menu before you commit a vegetarian guest to the evening.

Better Options Nearby for Younger Kids

If the kids are too young but the adults still want a nice night, you have options without leaving the area:

• Split the evening. One adult takes the kids for a casual meal at the Swan and Dolphin’s quick-service or poolside spots, while the other adults have the steak dinner.
• Walk to the BoardWalk / Yacht & Beach Club area. It’s a short stroll and has more casual, kid-friendly choices than the Dolphin’s flagship restaurant.
• Save Bourbon Steak for an adults-only night if you have a sitter or older kids at the hotel, and do the family meal somewhere relaxed.

Outlets change, so check the resort’s current dining list before you promise anyone a specific place.

Plan the Park Day Around the Dinner

With kids, you have to protect the evening. Use a short park morning, a midday pool break and an early seating instead of one long marathon day.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Most bad nights at Bourbon Steak come from planning, not the kitchen. Each mistake below is easy to fix before you sit down.

1. Booking the weekend peak after a full park day

A Saturday 6:30 PM table after a rope-drop morning is the classic misfire. You’re running on fumes, the room is at its loudest, and a two-hour dinner starts to feel like a chore. If your dates are fixed, change the day instead: put this dinner on a slower resort day or a half day at the parks. Fitting Dinner Into Your Park Day covers the routing.

2. Not asking which cuts are dry-aged

The dry-aged options can change from night to night, and the printed menu doesn’t always make it clear what’s on hand. Ask your server one direct question: “Which cuts are dry-aged tonight, and how long have they aged?” That answer should drive your order. Choosing Your Steak: Dry-Aged vs. Standard Cuts explains why it matters.

3. Treating the fries like an appetizer

The duck fat fries trio is free and tasty, and that makes it easy to overeat. Guests who finish it usually end up skipping dessert or taking half a steak back to the hotel. The pacing strategy is in its own section, so the short version here is simple: the fries are a preview of the meal, not a course of their own.

4. Ordering one side per person

Steakhouse sides are almost always made to share. Four people ordering four sides usually means half-eaten dishes and a bill that grows for nothing. Order two or three for the table and add more only if they run out.

Pro tip: Order the steaks first and the sides second. If your table chooses one large shared cut instead of individual steaks, you’ll need fewer sides than you’d guess. Settling the steak first keeps you from over-ordering everything else.

5. Expecting the Disney Dining Plan to cover it

The Dolphin is run by Marriott, not Disney, so Disney Dining Plan credits don’t apply here. Treat the meal as a separate cost you pay for yourself.

6. Dressing for the parks

Recent reports point to resort-casual guidelines: collared shirts for men and no shorts. Policies can change, so check the current rules before you go. Either way, wearing park clothes (sneakers, a sweaty tee, a backpack) here is a mistake. Packing a change of clothes in a locker or heading back to your hotel first solves it.

• [ ] Collared shirt or a nice top
• [ ] Long pants, a skirt or a dress
• [ ] Shoes that aren’t flip-flops
• [ ] A light layer, because the dining room can run cool

7. Giving up on a sold-out date

“No availability” is often only a snapshot. Plans change, parties get smaller and people drop “maybe” bookings, so tables tend to open up as the date gets closer. Don’t cross Bourbon Steak off your list after one search. Keep checking, especially around the cancellation cutoff. How to Get a Reservation (and What to Do When It’s Booked) explains how to watch for those openings.

The one thing to remember

Most of these mistakes come down to treating Bourbon Steak like an add-on to your park day instead of the main event. Give the meal its own evening, ask about the dry-aged cuts, share the sides, and you’ll get your money’s worth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bourbon Steak is a non-Disney steakhouse splurge on Disney property. Most of the confusion comes from expecting it to work like a Disney-run restaurant.

Use the answers below to plan quickly. Each one points to the section with the full detail.

Is Bourbon Steak run by Disney?

No. It’s Michael Mina’s steakhouse inside the Walt Disney World Dolphin, a Marriott-operated hotel on Disney property, so Disney’s rules and perks don’t apply once you’re seated. See “What Bourbon Steak Is and Where to Find It” for the details.

Can I use the Disney Dining Plan at Bourbon Steak?

Don’t plan on it. If your trip budget depends on the Disney Dining Plan, Bourbon Steak is probably the wrong splurge, so check with the restaurant before you book around it.

How do I get a reservation if my date looks full?

Bourbon Steak takes reservations, but it doesn’t always book through the same channels as Disney-run restaurants. Check every channel and keep watching after your first try; “How to Get a Reservation (and What to Do When It’s Booked)” walks through it step by step.

What time should I book?

The early dinner slot, around 5:30 PM, is the one to aim for, and the weekend 6–7 PM rush is the busiest window.

Are the duck fat fries really free?

Yes. A complimentary trio of duck fat fries with dipping sauces comes out soon after you sit down. They’re very good, but they’re filling, so pace yourself and leave room for the steak.

Is there a dress code?

The reported guidance is upscale resort dining: collared shirts for men and no shorts. Policies change, so check the current dress code before you go, especially if you’re coming straight from a park.

Is Bourbon Steak a good choice for kids?

It works for older kids who like steak and can handle a long, slow dinner. It’s a poor fit for toddlers or for the end of a long park day, so see “Bringing Kids, Celebrations and Dietary Needs” before you book for the whole family.

Quick-Reference: Who Bourbon Steak Fits

Before-You-Go Checklist

• [ ] Confirm you’re headed to the Walt Disney World Dolphin, not the Swan or the Swan Reserve
• [ ] Check the current dress code and pack a collared shirt if needed
• [ ] Decide whether dinner is the main event of your evening, not something squeezed in after a full park day
• [ ] Note any dietary needs or a celebration on your reservation
• [ ] Plan to ask your server which cuts are dry-aged that night
• [ ] Agree as a group to share starters and sides instead of ordering one each

Pro tip: The ordering decisions in this guide all come back to one idea: the free fries cover the opening course, so one shared starter is plenty and your appetite goes to the steak. “Choosing Your Steak: Dry-Aged vs. Standard Cuts” explains how to choose the cut.

Where to Find the Full Answer

• How it compares with other Disney World steakhouses: see “Bourbon Steak vs. Other Disney World Steakhouses”
• Bourbon, cocktails, wine and zero-proof drinks: see “Drinks: Bourbon, Cocktails, Wine and Zero-Proof”
• Mistakes that make dinner more stressful or expensive: see “Common Mistakes to Avoid”

Key Takeaways

Bourbon Steak is a planned splurge, not a fill-in meal. Book it early, order with a plan, and make it the main event of your evening.

If you only skim one part of this guide, read this one. Every point below comes from an earlier section, so follow the pointer when you want the full reasoning.

The Short Version

• Book the early dinner, around 5:30 PM. The room is calmer, you have a better shot at a good table, and you keep your evening free. The full comparison is in Best Time to Book: Seating Times Compared.
• If your date is full, keep checking. Tables often open up close to the date as people drop their “maybe” bookings. How to Get a Reservation (and What to Do When It’s Booked) covers which channels to check and when.
• Enjoy the free duck fat fries, but slow down. Two or three is the right amount. Eat more and you’ll be full before the steak you’re paying for arrives.
• Ask which cuts are dry-aged that night, and lean toward the ribeye. This is the biggest choice you’ll make at the table. The dry-aged ribeye is usually the best payoff for the price.
• Share the sides. A couple of sides for the table beats one per person, both for your appetite and for the bill.
• Budget for a special-occasion bill with no Dining Plan. This is a hotel-run restaurant, so Disney dining perks don’t apply. What Dinner Really Costs: Sample Budgets has realistic totals for different group sizes.
• Check the dress code before you go. Expect upscale resort guidance, which has been reported as collared shirts for men and no shorts. Confirm the current rules before you pack park clothes.

How to Fit It Into Your Trip

Plan the dinner around a park day that suits it. An EPCOT day is the best match: leave through International Gateway, walk over, and come back the same way afterward. A Hollywood Studios day or a slow resort day also works. A rope-drop Magic Kingdom marathon doesn’t. After 10 hours on your feet, a long, expensive dinner is much harder to enjoy, and kids are rarely at their best.

Who Should Book It

If you’re comparing it with other steakhouses on property, the side-by-side table is in Bourbon Steak vs. Other Disney World Steakhouses.

The Mistakes That Cost the Most

The most common mistakes are small ones that add up: booking the weekend 6–7 PM rush on a busy park day, ordering a steak without asking what’s dry-aged, finishing the fries before the starters come, and ordering a side for each person. Avoid those four and the meal is noticeably better. Common Mistakes to Avoid covers the rest.

Pro tip: Treat Bourbon Steak as an off-Disney restaurant that happens to be on Disney property. Disney doesn’t run the Dolphin, so plan your booking, your budget and your expectations as if you were going out to a nice restaurant in town. Guests who expect it to work like a Disney table-service restaurant are the ones who end up surprised.

The One Thing to Remember

Get the reservation, slow down on the fries, and spend your money on the steak. Get those three right and this can be one of the best dinners of your trip.

Check it live: dining drop odds · hardest reservations · crowd forecast