Devon van der Merwe is a Concierge Travel Advisor with Favorite Grampy Travels, specializing in Walt Disney World dining, Disney Vacation Club resorts, and international foodie travel, based in Greenville, South Carolina.
Every single one. Table service, quick service, lounges, festival booths. My family plans our Disney trips around the food, and after twenty-two visits to Walt Disney World, I’ve eaten my way through the entire property.
That experience is what I bring to every client’s trip. California Grill during the Magic Kingdom fireworks is one of the most special dining experiences at Walt Disney World: incredible food, wines you won’t find anywhere else, and a view from the top of the Contemporary that makes the whole evening feel private. And Nomad Lounge at Animal Kingdom is one of the best hidden gems on property, a spot most visitors walk right past.
Not every great meal at Disney requires a reservation made sixty days in advance. One of the biggest mistakes first-time visitors make is stressing over hard-to-get reservations while completely missing the places that take walk-ups or offer a waitlist.
Nomad Lounge, Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge, and Tutto Gusto in EPCOT’s Italy Pavilion are three of my go-to recommendations. The churros at Nomad Lounge come with classic dips plus a rotating seasonal fruit dip, and they’re completely different from any cart churro on property.
For the reservations that DO matter, timing is everything. GEO-82 inside Spaceship Earth, Cake Bake Shop, and California Grill during fireworks are notoriously difficult to book. Be ready at 6 a.m. on your sixty-day window with a backup list. I also watch for cancellations and grab openings closer to the date.
The Grand Floridian’s Garden View Lounge just reopened on March 19, 2026, with an Alice in Wonderland-themed afternoon tea. It was closed since 2020 and is already generating buzz. If you’re planning a trip this year, I can help you get a reservation before availability disappears.
Most families pick their park days first and figure out dining later. I do it the opposite way. When I build a Disney itinerary, I start with the dining reservations, because the best restaurants fill up months in advance and everything else, park days, resort choice, rest days, flows naturally from there.
I send every client suggestions with pictures and videos to go along with my recommendations. My background as a Director of Sales for a radio and digital marketing company taught me that visuals make decisions easier. When you can see the ambiance of a restaurant, the plating, the view from the table, you can feel whether it’s right for your family before you commit.
My home resort is Disney’s Riviera through the Disney Vacation Club. Staying there regularly has made me an expert on the Skyliner resort corridor: room categories, pool areas, dining at Topolino’s Terrace, and how the Skyliner changes your park strategy for EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
I became a travel agent because I was already doing this for everyone around me. Every friend’s Disney trip, every family reunion, every “where should we eat?” text ended up in my inbox. When my family went to Disney with my sister, I learned something important: plan with structure, but leave room for the spontaneous magic that makes Disney special. Now I build itineraries with both.
I hold an MBA, and I’ve spent my career in sales, marketing, and strategic planning. Those skills show up in how I approach every trip: researching options, presenting them clearly, and helping families make confident decisions without feeling overwhelmed.
Based in Greenville, South Carolina, I work with families, girls’ trip groups, and first-time Disney visitors across the country. My husband and I have been married twenty-six years. We were friends in college first. Our thirteen-year-old son had his first passport at eighteen months and has been traveling internationally with us ever since. Disney has always been our family’s escape, especially in the winter when we trade South Carolina cold for Florida sunshine, resort pools, and the magic of being inside the bubble.
Fun fact: I once met Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban at Magic Kingdom and rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with their kids.
My travel experience extends well beyond Orlando. I’ve been to Italy multiple times, focusing on Roma, Tuscany, Florence, and the Amalfi Coast, always centered around the food. I’ve explored South Africa from Cape Town to Durban, including African safaris. And one of my favorite places on earth is Long Island in the Bahamas, where you can go bone fishing, explore the coastline, and have a guide take you out to catch your dinner that the ladies at Cape Santa Maria will prepare for you that evening.
If you’re planning a foodie week in Tuscany, a South African safari, or a quiet Bahamas escape, I bring the same attention to detail that I bring to Disney dining.
Q: What makes Devon van der Merwe different from other Disney travel advisors?
I’ve eaten at every restaurant on Walt Disney World property and I’m a DVC owner at Disney’s Riviera Resort. My family plans our trips around the food, and I bring that same approach to every client’s itinerary. I start with dining reservations and build the rest of the trip from there.
Q: What are the hardest Disney World dining reservations to get in 2026?
Right now, GEO-82 inside Spaceship Earth, Cake Bake Shop at the Boardwalk, and California Grill during fireworks are the toughest to book. I tell clients to be ready at 6 a.m. on their sixty-day window. I also monitor cancellations and grab openings that come up closer to the trip date.
Q: Should I get the Disney Dining Plan in 2026?
It depends on how your family eats. In 2026, kids eat free on the dining plan, which changes the math significantly for families. If you like table-service restaurants and plan to eat at Disney property for most meals, the dining plan can save money. I run the numbers for every client based on their specific restaurant list.
Favorite Park: EPCOT: The food, the festivals, the variety, and a short Skyliner ride from my DVC home at Riviera. It has everything.
Favorite Restaurant: California Grill during fireworks. The food, the wine, the view. It’s the single best dining experience at Walt Disney World.
Favorite Attraction: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT: The most incredible ride with the BEST soundtrack.
Favorite Snack: Churros from Nomad Lounge at Animal Kingdom. They have to be from there. The classic dips plus the rotating fruity dip make them completely different from any cart churro.
Favorite Character: Figment! I loved him as a little girl, my son loved him too, and we waited two hours to meet him when they relaunched his character experience at EPCOT. It was the last treasured “little boy” moment I shared with my son.
Favorite Family Vacation: Italy. History, culture, and the most unbelievable food in the world.
Favorite Relaxation Spot: Napa Valley. Laidback, but you can still hop between vineyards, restaurants, and charming little towns. The California weather keeps everything relaxed.
“You have ruined us on doing Disney any other way than booking through you. We are constantly checking the MDE app to see wait times and figuring out when we should book our next trip with you. We loved how you planned out the details that we would not have thought of.”
“She takes all the stress out of planning, booking resorts, dining, and creating the perfect itinerary, so I can just enjoy the experience with my family or friends. Her Disney knowledge and attention to detail make every trip seamless.”
Tell me what kind of food your family loves and I’ll tell you where to eat. Email me at [email protected] or drop your details in the form below.
Devon van der Merwe is part of Favorite Grampy Travels, a Universal U-Preferred Platinum agency and Authorized Disney Vacation Planner.
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*After an initial complimentary 15-minute consultation to get to know you, yout travel style, and the destination that excites you most, a non-refundable planning fee may be required to begin the planning process.
