This annual fundraiser is so popular participants are encouraged to make dining and hotel/resort reservations right away.
For the past 16 years, tourism association Visit Orlando has been helping the community and supporting local businesses with its annual Magical Dining program. The 2021 event runs from Aug. 27-Oct. 17.
More than 80 fine dining restaurants are participating this year, and diners are encouraged to make reservations for the three course, prix-fixe dinners as soon as possible.
Prix-fixe dinners cost $37 plus tax and gratuity. The participating restaurants’ menus are available on the Magical Dining website.
Takeout options will be available again this year, and vegetarian and vegan menu options are available at some restaurants.
Six new restaurants have been added in 2021. These include 310 Lakeside, 310 Park South, Adega Gaucha, Aurora at the Celeste, Russell’s on Lake Ivanhoe, and RusTeak at Thornton Park.
New Website Features
MagicalDining.com has been streamlined so visitors can more easily explore restaurant options, keep track of favorites, and view and share a customized map.
Website filters allow users to narrow down dining choices by dietary need (e.g., gluten-free), the type of cuisine (e.g., Japanese), geographic location (e.g., Restaurant Row), whether the restaurant offers takeout or outdoor seating, and more.
Diners may click on each listing to find a particular restaurant’s hours, maximum group size, and parking information. They can also preview all of that restaurant’s Magical Dining menu options and book a reservation.
Magical Nights
This year, Visit Orlando has expanded to offer a companion experience called Magical Nights. Magical Nights includes exclusive hotel and resort pricing for those who want to combine a Magical Dining evening meal with an overnight stay.
More than a dozen lodging facilities, including the Rosen Plaza Hotel, Ramada Plaza Resort and Suites International Drive, and Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, are participating in Magical Nights.
Some hotels and resorts have special combination packages. Others are discounting bookings by up to 40%. To view the hotels and offers, go online to visitorlando.com/offers/magical-nights.
Giving Back to the Community
“Magical Dining is an important program for our community because of both the money raised for charitable organizations and the support it provides to our local restaurants, who are still working hard to recover from a challenging year,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO for Visit Orlando.
Visit Orlando contributes one dollar to charity for every meal served through the program. This year, the Central Florida charities that will benefit from Magical Dining are Pathlight HOME and IDignity.
Pathlight HOME provides affordable housing and an employment resource center to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness. IDignity works with disadvantaged individuals to secure the legal identification documents needed to access employment, healthcare, housing, banking and education.
