* DIS Contributors review meals, resort stays, and entertainment they have paid for while on their own vacation. They only use discounts and offers if they are available to the general public, such as Annual Pass Holder Discounts, Tables in Wonderland, or DVC Membership Discounts. They do not receive any additional compensation for dining experiences or events, so that they can give their honest opinion on price and value.
Disney’s Vero Beach Resort is located along the Treasure Coast, about an hour and a half from Walt Disney World. This resort is a Disney Vacation Club resort and happens to be my home resort. My wife and I decided to spend our honeymoon here during Thanksgiving week to participate in their Thanksgiving dinner. We made these reservations in September and in October the Special Events Coordinator emailed us with the Thanksgiving dinner menu attached. The fact that they emailed us with the menu blew me away. I’m the type of person who likes to look at the menu before going to a restaurant to get an idea of what I would order. At the resort, there were two Thanksgiving dinner options. They opened their ballrooms, Sea Grape A & B, with banquet tables and a dinner buffet for families. The property’s main restaurant, Wind and Waves, had a special Thanksgiving dinner menu at the restaurant. Our dinner was at Wind and Waves.
The Thanksgiving dinner menu was small but diverse, so those who didn’t like Thanksgiving food still had other options. The starters were a pumpkin bisque, French onion soup and a wedge of iceberg. Starters were a special Thanksgiving dish, charcoal-grilled filet, Oscar-style mahi, and plant-based pasta bolognese. The dessert menu had four desserts to choose from. The various desserts were Peach and Berry Cobbler, Turtle Sundae, Chocolate Lava Cake, and a slice of pumpkin pie.
We ordered the special Thanksgiving dish, which included carved roast turkey with turkey thigh confit served with gravy, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and an apple relish. fresh cranberries. I’m not a huge turkey fan, but I tried the roast turkey anyway and it was phenomenal. The sauce covering the turkey was very tasty and helped keep the meat from drying out. I took a bite of the cornbread dressing and was in love. We even ordered more to take to the room. The mashed potatoes were delicious and creamy. You could tell it was buttermilk mashed potatoes. The green beans were, well, green beans; nothing special, but they weren’t bad. The only thing on the plate that I wasn’t a fan of was the cranberry relish. I never really liked cranberries, so I was hesitant to try it, but paired it with mashed potatoes to try it, and it was just too sour for my taste. I wish it were sweeter to balance the already tasty food on my plate.
We ordered the Turtle Sundae for dessert as our server told us it was his favorite dessert on the menu. It was a very good dessert to end the meal. There was vanilla ice cream, waffle cone pieces, chocolate fondant, and a drizzle of caramel. To top it off, he was accompanied by a chocolate turtle. I have a big sweet tooth, so I was in love with this dessert.
Overall the dinner was fantastic and the service was even better. Every cast member we came in contact with that night was so sweet and full of magic. The actors of this complex really make a difference in the experience. After dinner was over they brought my wife and I a surprise as it was our honeymoon. They brought us cupcakes to the table with fresh whipped cream. This kind gesture is just a small example of actors who go above and beyond. This experience was the perfect way to kick off our trip and it set the mood for the next few days. If you ever get a chance to visit Disney’s Vero Beach during the holiday season, especially Thanksgiving, I recommend you do.
Have you ever been to Disney’s Vero Beach Resort? Let us know in the comments below!
