Everyone has their favorite. No family likes the exact same thing. Which can make eating out difficult anywhere. Knowing this, Disney World does a pretty good job of appealing to all ages and tastes. Which restaurants truly hit the mark? Read on!
It used to be that Magic Kingdom had slim pickings when it came to sit-down dining. Not anymore.
The Best: A tie between the wholesome, like-mom-would-make American goodness of Liberty Tree Tavern and French inspired cuisine of Be Our Guest. The service at Liberty Tree Tavern is amazing. If you choose Be Our Guest, make sure you make dining reservations well in advance. The novelty of this newest restaurant has not died off.
Close Second: Two character dining establishments, a great way to get one-on-one time with the characters without waiting in line. #1 Crystal Palace. A buffet with Winnie the Pooh and friends that is very popular. #2 Cinderella’s Royal Table is also great for the princesses in your group, but another place that you need to make reservations well in advance.
Just Okay: Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. My husband insists that this place can get away with mediocre food because of its up-front and center location. There are some people who love this place but we save our Italian food cravings for Via Napoli at EPCOT or Mama Melrose’s in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
So many to choose from! And so much depends on your personal tastes. But some edge out others with excellent service and quality selections.
The Best: Although character dining, the Garden Grill has incredibly fresh, amazing selections, served family style. In World Showcase, Biergarten rarely disappoints with its traditional biergarten dining style and easier on the wallet price tag. In the mood for Steak? Le Cellier has tender steaks and to die for pretzel bread and beer cheese soup,
Not So Much: Coral Reef is appealing with its large indoor floor to ceiling fish tank but the quality (especially for the price) has gone down in recent years. Too many negative reviews from our family and others. Maybe try it for lunch if you just have to go for the atmosphere. We also stay away from the sit down offerings in China, Mexico and Japan. We live in a pretty ethnic area and can get awesome, authentic Asian and Mexican food right at home. We find Disney’s offerings in China, Mexico and Japan just so-so and overpriced.
The Best: Hollywood Brown Derby has high quality menu with a high sticker price tag. Enjoy if you can splurge.
Close Seconds: The novelty of 50’s Prime Time Diner and Sci-Fi Diner can’t be beat. Food is good. Atmosphere is Disney-amazing. Mama Melrose offers some wonderful Italian food in a setting that reminds my husband of his favorite Italian restaurants in Boston’s North End.
Not a lot to choose here but it is the park with the shortest hours open. Plan accordingly.
The Best: Breakfast people will love Donald’s Safari Breakfast at Tusker House. But make the earliest reservations you can. You don’t want to waste valuable early morning hours at this park. Yak & Yeti is great for the modern Asian food palate.
Meh: Rainforest Café. But you can eat at a Rainforest Café all over the US. And there’s another one located at Downtown Disney Marketplace. If you must go, save this for your first night when you don’t want to validate your park tickets just yet.
Downtown Disney (soon to be known as Disney Springs)
The Best: We love, love, love Raglan Road. An Irish Pub with amazing Shepard’s Pie, Bangers and Mash and Braised Beef Tips. Yum!
After You’ve Tried The Best: Try Fulton’s Crab House, Wolfgang Puck Grand Café and for the dinosaur lover, T-Rex. All have great food and great atmosphere.
If You Must: Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Café and House of Blues. All chain restaurant that you can find in other major metropolitan cities. Eat here if you don’t have one near your hometown and absolutely must find out for yourself what the fuss is all about.
