One of the best things about going on vacation is trying new food! The food at Disney has become well known with many people raving about their favorite dishes and restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort! Read on to learn all about dining at Walt Disney World and some added personal favorites of mine!
History
According to Behind the Attraction – The Food on Disney +, there is a strong history behind the food at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Being from the Midwest, Walt Disney was said to be a “meat and potatoes” fan but knew that food would be an important detail to not overlook when planning to open his first them park, Disneyland. The early snacks at Disneyland were popcorn and pineapple. Then they introduced ice cream with pineapple chunks, which eventually paved the way for the Dole Whip, which premiered at Walt Disney World in 1984.
The Blue Bayou Restaurant was purely Walt’s vision and became the first table service thematic restaurant to open at Disneyland. The restaurant was set on the banks of the bayou that the Pirates of the Caribbean ride floated through. The Blue Bayou is still open today and maintains the same beautiful theme.
Today, the delicious food we enjoy on our Disney vacations, are thanks to the imagineers who dream up and create this magnificent cuisine that is often based on beloved Disney stories. The Flavor Lab is a top-secret location at Walt Disney World where this creative food magic takes place!
Restaurant Options at Walt Disney World Resort
Signature Dining
Victoria & Albert’s (Grand Floridian Resort & Spa): An upscale dining experience offering haute cuisine and impeccable service. This is Disney World’s only AAA Five Diamond restaurant.
Character Dining
Cinderella’s Royal Table (Magic Kingdom): Dine in Cinderella Castle while Disney Princesses greet you at your table. This restaurant is a must-see dining experience, especially with your young children! Our girls loved being able to climb the winding staircase of the castle only to be greeted by a grand dining room overlooking Magic Kingdom Park! They loved meeting all the princesses and the food was delicious. Their favorite part was decorating their own cupcakes! It was an experience we won’t forget.
Chef Mickey’s (Disney’s Contemporary Resort): Meet classic Disney characters while enjoying a buffet-style meal for breakfast and dinner. This restaurant is located inside Disney’s Contemporary Resort and offers wonderful views of Bay Lake.
Topolino’s Terrace (Riviera Resort): This incredible rooftop restaurant offers a delicious breakfast with Mickey and friends who are all stylishly dressed from head to toe in outfits unique to Topolino’s Terrace. For dinner the restaurant transforms to a signature dining option and serves French and Italian cuisine. Characters do not make an appearance during dinner.
Cape May Café (Disney’s Beach Club): This New-England inspired restaurant offers a bountiful breakfast buffet where guests can meet Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy who are all dressed and ready for the beach! The restaurant offers a wide range of options during their breakfast buffet including a made to order omelet station.
Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom): Meet your favorite Winnie the Pooh characters while you dine in a gorgeous atmosphere among the 100 Acre Wood. We greatly enjoyed our dinner at this restaurant, and it became one of the best buffet meals we tried. The characters each come to your table allowing you to meet them and take a picture. There is a wide array of food options available, and they even have a kid’s section on the buffet that is sure to please the little ones. All the food on the buffet was delectable and the desserts were scrumptious! For the breakfast buffet, be sure to try the Mickey Churro Waffles!
Table Service Dining
Be Our Guest Restaurant (Magic Kingdom): Dine on French inspired cuisine while enjoying the enchantment of the Beast’s Castle! “Try the grey stuff, it’s delicious!” I indeed did ask the dishes!
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant (Disney’s Hollywood Studios): Enjoy classic American cuisine in a 1950’s drive-in movie theater setting. Savor delicious classic burgers and fries while seated in your very own classic car watching sci-fi movie clips. We enjoyed the atmosphere of this unique restaurant. It transports you back to the era of sock-hops and poodle-skirts!
Coral Reef (Epcot): Enjoy a spectacular view of an enormous aquarium that is home to more than 2000 sea creatures while dining on delectable seafood options! This restaurant blew us away! We loved the entire experience. The atmosphere was incredible, and we had a perfect view of the aquarium. The entire restaurant is set up so no matter where you are seated, you will have a great view. The food was also incredible. My husband ordered the lobster (which was a whole lobster!) and I ordered the chicken, and both were perfectly cooked and delicious!
Space 220 Restaurant (Epcot): Blast off into space and dine on scrumptious food while you take in a unique view of Earth! You will board a spaceship and watch as you blast 220 miles away from Epcot! Once you land at the space station restaurant you will have an incredible view of Earth, space creatures, stars and astronauts! This restaurant was “out of this World,” amazing! We all enjoyed our food, drinks and the entire atmosphere. The wait staff was so friendly and made the experience memorable. My favorites from this restaurant were the Planetary Punch cocktail, Blue Moon Cauliflower lift-offs and the Blue Planet dessert.
50’s Prime Time Café (Disney’s Hollywood Studios): This unique dining experience transports guests back to the 50’s and strait into mom’s kitchen, complete with vinal chairs and Formica tables! Watch some classic black and white television shows while you savor a hearty home cooked meal but be sure to mind your manners and keep your elbows off the table! We thoroughly enjoyed our time dining here twice! The food was spectacular, and the theme and atmosphere are so fun! Our kids had a blast laughing at us adults being scolded for tattling or not finishing our food. Our favorite meals were Aunt Liz’s Golden Fried Chicken and Mom’s Old-fashioned Pot Roast. The desserts were incredible too! Try the Traditional Warm Apple Crisp ‘A la Mode!
‘Ohana (Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort): ‘Ohana means family and that means this restaurant offers two wonderful family-style options! For breakfast, savor on a delicious American breakfast enriched with Polynesian flavors while getting the opportunity to meet Lilo and Stitch! For dinner guests will enjoy a Hawaiian-inspired, family-style dining with a spectacular Polynesian theme. After snagging one of these sought after dinner reservations, I didn’t realize the delicious food I was about to taste! All the food from the salad, the bread, the chicken, the spicy shrimp and the famous ‘Ohana noodles, were fantastic! The bread pudding was amazing! Our reservation was right at the perfect time to be able to see the fireworks and hear the music, which is played over head from Magic Kingdom, this sealed our overall incredible dining experience!
Roundup Rodeo BBQ (Disney’s Hollywood Studios): Andy’s Coming! Guests will have the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of Andy’s toys! Enjoy delicious family-style BBQ while you are surrounded by toys, games, and playsets!
Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill (Disney Springs): Treat your pallet to the best of Wolfgang’s signature dishes and handcrafted specialty cocktails. My favorites were the Bruschetta and Chinese Chicken Salad.
Quick-Service Dining
Flame Tree Barbecue (Disney’s Animal Kingdom): Enjoy delicious barbecue dishes with outdoor seating overlooking Discovery River.
Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes (Disney’s Animal Kingdom): Indulge on delicious Asian and American cuisine such as Honey Sesame Chicken, Rib Tips and Sweet-and-Sour Tempura Shrimp. I personally tried the Chicken Fried Rice and loved it!
ABC Commissary (Disney’s Hollywood Studios): Feast on fixings with an international flare all set in an Art Deco setting. Popular menu items include the Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Shrimp Tacos.
Woody’s Lunch Box (Disney’s Hollywood Studios): Serves Toy Story-themed specialties such as Breakfast bowls, Lunch Box Tarts, and Totchos.
Columbia Harbour House (Magic Kingdom): Dine on New England-inspired seafood favorites such as Lobster Roll and New England Shrimp Boil.
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café (Magic Kingdom): Enjoy classic American favorites such as bacon cheeseburgers, chicken strips and be sure to order the Stitch Blueberry-Lemonade Mousse Cake!
Katsura Grill (Epcot): Indulge on delicious Asian inspired dishes such as sushi, teriyaki and chicken cutlet curry.
La Cantina de San Angel (Epcot): Located in Mexico in World Showcase, this restaurant serves delicious tacos, nachos, rice bowls and churros!
Quick-Service Snacks:
Joffrey’s Coffee (located at various carts throughout all of Walt Disney World): Your place for a delicious, caffeinated pick-me-up when you are ready for a day in the parks! Our favorites are the Chai Latte, Shakin’ Jamaican, Kahlua-tini and the kids love the doughnuts!
Gaston’s Cinnamon Rolls (Gaston’s Tavern in Magic Kingdom): Served warm, these are the most delicious cinnamon rolls, EVER!
Dole Whip (Aloha Isle in Magic Kingdom and Pineapple Lanai at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort): A refreshing pineapple soft-serve dessert that’s a fan favorite. Also try the Coconut Ice cream at Aloha Isle, it was so good!
Mickey Ice Cream Bars: (located at various carts and kiosks throughout the parks): Vanilla ice cream shaped like Mickey Mouse and dipped in chocolate. A classic and delicious!
Caramel Popcorn (Karamell-Kuche inside the Germany Pavilion at Epcot): Freshly made caramel-coated popcorn.
Mickey-Shaped Beignets (Scat Cat’s Club – Café at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter): These beignets are served warm with a dipping sauce of caramel, chocolate, or strawberry. They are served still warm, doused in powdered sugar and are melt-in-your-mouth amazing! Also, throughout the year they release themed beignets for holidays and special occasions! I was able to try the Ghoulish Delight Beignet for Halloween! It was fabulous!
Popcorn (located at various popcorn stands throughout the parks): Freshly popped popcorn available in souvenir buckets or standard bags. According to Behind the Attraction – The Food, popcorn was Walt Disney’s favorite snack!
Gideons Bakehouse (Disney Springs): This unique bakery serves the most delicious cookies, that weigh in at almost one pound each! They also serve cake by the slice and cold brew coffee. I tried the Pistachio Toffee Chocolate Chip and the Original Chocolate Chip Cookie. Both were incredible and completely worth waiting in line for!
Sushi Donut (Goshiki at Epcot): These tempting donut-shaped sushi features salmon, tuna, shrimp, cucumber, and sesame seed over decorated plate of wasabi aioli, sriracha aioli, and eel sauce. This quickly became my husband’s favorite snack at Epcot!
Wetzel’s Pretzels (Disney Springs): Freshly baked flavored soft pretzels complete with sweet or savory dips such as caramel or pizza sauce!
Fresh Fruit Waffle Sandwich (Sleepy Hollow at Magic Kingdom): Served before noon, this is a scrumptious waffle served with strawberries, banana, blueberries and Chocolate-Hazelnut spread! A perfect breakfast to start off your day at Magic Kingdom!
I hope these delicious options have inspired you for your next Disney vacation. These are just a few options of the numerous dining choices throughout Walt Disney World. I recommend these options but also invite you to explore all the incredible dining selections Walt Disney World has to offer. Remember, making dining reservations, where they are accepted in advance, is highly recommended.
To book your next vacation to “The Happiest Place on Earth,” contact me today!
