Favorite Disney World Eats

You know we couldn’t talk about a vacation without talking about food, right? There really is something about sitting around the table with people you love, sharing a meal, and laughing together through conversation. That’s pretty much what we do during meals…we laugh a lot!

If you’ve ever been to Disneyworld you know there are TONS of food options. There are far too many to mention, but there are a few at each park that we love. Some you need a reservation for. Remember, you can reserve tables at ‘sit down’ restaurants 180 days in advance; and you should! You can always cancel a dining reservation so it’s better to have it and not need it than to show up at the park and eat a hamburger every meal.

Magic Kingdom:

We use most of our sit-down meal credits at resorts in the evenings. There are a ton of great restaurants in the different ‘luxury’ resorts and it gives you a chance to see inside each of the hotels. You’ll see most of our favorite restaurants in the Magic Kingdom area, but that’s not just in the park. Some of these are just in resorts nearest to Magic Kingdom.

1. Cinderella’s Castle – This is one of those character meals that costs quite a bit, but if you have a princess lover it’s worth the money. Make sure you book this for a day you want to be in Magic Kingdom so you don’t have to park hop over just for a meal. The food here is actually pretty good, and you receive a souvenir picture with Cinderella before you go in. Each princess comes around to your table to meet the family and take pictures as well. We have only done this one time, but the kids really enjoyed the whole experience. Going inside the Disney castle is a pretty great perk if you’ve never been inside!

2. Chef Mickeys – This is actually at the Contemporary Resort, but you can ride the monorail from Magic Kingdom if that’s easier for you (it probably is because the Contemporary can be quite the adventure to get to). Chef Mickey’s is an all you can eat buffet. We usually go in the evening for dinner because that’s when everyone is most hungry. It’s not too outrageous, but it’s another character meal so it’s also not $15 per plate. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto will usually come around for pictures and autographs. Again, they come to you so you don’t have to stand in line for hours during the day for that perfect social media picture you know you want! The food is also pretty good here. There’s something for everyone in the buffet.

3. Be Our Guest – This is lunch/dinner at the ‘Beast’s Castle’ and it’s a really cool experience. Lunch is grab and go now, which is nice (and cheaper). Dinner is more of a sit down experience, but time things just right and you should get to meet the Beast….or the Prince. If you know the movie, you know you have to ‘try to grey stuff’ here…..something about it being delicious! The whole castle is really neat, and they do a really good job getting you in and out in a decent time. You’ll definitely want to reserve a meal here!

4. Chocolate Covered Apples – You can find these almost anywhere, and they are the golden nugget of Disney for my family. Stop by any of the confectionary shops at any park and grab a chocolate covered caramel Mickey/Minnie apple. The secret – ask them to cut the apple for you so it’s not so messy. These are the things dreams are made of! When we found out they’d cut them we dug in like there was no tomorrow.

5. Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical – I can’t even believe I just wrote that! This restaurant is over at the campsite in Wildnerness Lodge, near Magic Kingdom. It’s a REALLY fun show and great Southern food! They pile so much food on your table….empty your bucket of food and they’ll bring you more! We had a lot of fun at this one.

6. Polynesian Luau – We tried this out a few years back and really enjoyed it. The food is really good and it’s a great show. Honestly, it’s pretty stinkin’ close to an authentic luau so I was impressed. If you have the extra time to spend at a show, check it out for sure!

7. 1900 Park Fare – This is a really fun breakfast with Mary Poppins. This restaurant is at the Grand Floridian and the price of the ticket is worth the cost when you get to walk in this beautiful resort lobby. Mary Poppins will be quick to scold your kids, and Winnie the Pooh won’t be far behind to love on them afterwards. It’s good food and usually ends up turning out great pictures.

Epcot:

I’m going to be really honest for a moment: if you can’t find a place to eat in Epcot there might be something wrong with you. So many countries are represented, so there are countless types of food. My advice: try them all! Epcot is like a walking buffet for most people. They have pizza, Mexican food, Italian, French, Chinese, and so much more. Scroll through their list of dining options and pick your favorite style. So many of the restaurants are full of art and sculptures from whichever country you’re visiting. It’s hard to go wrong with anything here.

Animal Kingdom:

1. Harambe Market – There are quite a few ‘quick service meals’ available at Animal Kingdom. We haven’t taken the time to sit down much at this park. Animal Kingdom is usually a half day for us, and we’ll head to Hollywood in the evening. If you plan it out right you can take advantage of almost everything in that park in a morning. If you can’t get Flight of Passage, go whenever you can….it’s worth the change of plans! We normally get quick service meals here because we are rushing to get everything in as quickly as possible.

2. Tusker House – We had some friends that enjoyed this breakfast this past June. This is another character breakfast, and you’ll get to see the main characters in their safari gear which is pretty cool!

Hollywood Studios:

1. Sci-Fri Theater – We actually have not ever had the chance to dine here. I ALWAYS forget to book it! It is one of the top places to eat at Hollywood Studios, and even though I haven’t been I’d highly recommend it. You sit in old-timey cars and eat at a drive-in movie. Such a neat experience!

2. Hollywood and Vine – You can do the Disney Jr breakfast or Minnie’s lunch/dinner when it’s offered. This is also a buffet character meal, but if you pay close attention you can get the meal + premium seating at Fantasmic. If you see this package, GET IT! The show Fantasmic is amazing, and getting a ticket from Hollywood and Vine keeps you from having to arrive too early to get seats and wait. We love Hollywood and Vine for breakfast, but have found it better for us at lunch. Our kids aren’t big breakfast eaters so we don’t tend to get a great value for our money with breakfast food. Lunch or and early dinner is usually much better for us. Our kids are also a little older so Jake, Doc McStuffins, and Sofia aren’t at the top of their list to meet anymore (insert sad face).