Heading for Disney World for the holidays? I have to admit, it's not my favorite time of the year to be in the theme parks. It's a little too crowded for me. Still, I love the Christmas decorations in all the parks and resorts, and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is always a lot of fun.

I'm not one for burgers and chicken strips every meal, so I love to sit down and enjoy one of Disney World's diverse restaurants. The crowds, however, most of them armed with Disney Dining Plans, make it tough sometimes to get a table. Over the years I've found a few secrets to getting into a good restaurant at Disney World, even during the most crowded times. Here are my 6 Insider Tips for Dining at Disney World.

More Disney World:

• Overview of Disney World Hotels
• Top 10 Disney World Hotels
• Recipes from Disney World

^{Image courtesy Walt Disney World}

I had dinner a few nights ago at La Boheme, the signature restaurant at the Grand Bohemian in downtown Orlando (take a peek at that dinner menu. A full report on the hotel is coming after the holidays.) It's a great date place, with cozy booths, a decent wine list and an inviting bar, decked out in red, across the small lobby. The calamari is a must-have; the chef here created it, and it's now at all Kessler hotels, including Casa Monica in St. Augustine.

But what really stood out for me was the illuminated menus. They were presented in a weighty leather covering, written on parchment paper, and illuminated from behind the paper. I'd never seen it before. It really made the menu easy to read in the dim mood lighting of this romantic restaurant. The dessert menu, although smaller, was also back-lit. Have you dined at any restaurants that are sporting these illuminated menus? Any reason why they can't all have them?

^{Image of the Bosendorfer Lounge at the Grand Bohemian in Orlando courtesy Kayak}

Orbitz is also a fan of those over-the-top hotel holiday displays. They've put together a list of the top 10 most decked-out hotels for the holidays:

• Las Vegas: The Bellagio
• Orlando: Gaylord Palms
• New York: The Peninsula
• Chicago: The Drake
• Los Angeles: Millennium Biltmore
• Oahu: Sheraton Princess Kaiulani
• San Francisco: The Fairmont
• Miami: Fontainebleau
• Washington, D.C.: Gaylord National
• Lanai: Four Seasons Resort Lanai

See the photos at Orbitz

More hotel holiday finery:

• Giant Holiday Gingerbread Displays
• Top 10 Gingerbread House Ideas from the Executive Pastry Chef at The Grove Park Inn Resort

^{Image courtesy MGM MIRAGE}

Ah, the ultimate dilemma of gingerbread houses. They look and smell so delicious. But they're just too pretty to eat. And are sometimes protected by barricades, as is the case at the gingerbread Christmas train at Disney's Yacht Club Resort. Good thing, too, because my youngest, when he saw it, tried to hop the fence and play with/eat it, not necessarily in any particular order.

But why stop at gingerbread houses? It's all about creativity. This year, hotels are decked out with gingerbread pirate ships, lighthouses, carousels, trains, and what looks to me like an edible birdhouse. The trend this year is organic, as in organic gingerbread, LED twinkly lights and moss-covered rooftops. But the best gingerbread displays, in my opinion, let you bring home a bite to eat, like the gingerbread store run out of the back of the life-sized house at the Grand Floridian. Check out what hotels are doing this year: Giant Holiday Gingerbread Displays.

Make Your Own Holiday Gingerbread:

• Easy Gingerbread House Recipe for Kids
• 10 Ideas for Great Gingerbread Houses

^{Image courtesy Grove Park Inn CR: peakdefinition.com}