Our Take: Food and Restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort

There have been several questions about food and restaurants at WDW. For our family, food can be one of the more expensive aspects of the trip. So we thought we would put together some of our thoughts for anyone that is interested. 

General thoughts/tips: 

• Take water bottles. We like the aluminum vacuum sealed bottles that will keep your water cold even on the hot Florida days. We would fill them up with ice and water in the morning and then again at lunch. Bottled water is expensive in the parks, so this cuts down on cost. You can also ask for cups of water from any of the quick service spots throughout the parks and they are free. 
• Take snacks. A few snacks are helpful to tide you over between meals. We had a backpack with snacks in it for those long lines. Something simple, won't melt, and light to carry worked--crackers, carrots, fruit snacks. 
• Have a good breakfast. The parks are hot and you do A LOT of walking. We have found having a good breakfast cuts down on the whining and frustration throughout the day. 
• Make a plan. To dine in the parks at any of the sit down restaurants, you need a reservation. You make this online PRIOR to your trip. They open reservations 60 days before you travel, start checking then. It is frustrating to not see what you want/need. But don't give up, keep trying. 
• We found the mobile version of the reservation system was easier to use. 
• We also found that checking at random times during they day or night made some places available. 
• Be flexible about times and dates. 
• You can book a place and cancel it later. If you see a place you want to eat, book it while you can, it may not be there a few minutes later. 
• Some people use a paid service to get into that ONE restaurant they really want to go to, we did not do that and were able to have some amazing luck. 
• Character Dinings are more expensive, but they are usually great food and a good way to see characters without staying in the lines out in the heat. 
• Some of the quick service offerings are delicious too! Take time to research what your family would like. That will save time and money. Online ordering makes it easier too. 

Here are some thoughts on specific restaurants: (again, just our family's point of view)

Hotel Restaurants 

• Ohana--Polynesian Resort

Ohana has LONG been one of our favorite restaurants. Everything there is better and an explosion of flavor. We love the Pina Colada and the Bread Pudding! We have done lunch and dinner there, and love it. We hear breakfast is good too!

• Kona Cafe

We went for the Tonga Toast! And it was just as amazing as it looks! 

Magic Kingdom

• Cinderella's Royal Table

We did Cinderella's Royal Table for the first time this trip. It is located in Cinderella Castle and is perfect. From the castle décor and feel to the delicious food! Cinderella comes by for a visit (due to COVID you cannot get close). The kids loved decorating their own cupcakes for dessert. Which is good, because that was the one part of the meal that was a bit substandard--they looked like grocery store cupcakes, not the delicious homemade food the rest of the meal was. 

• Be Our Guest

We have gone to Be Our Guest--located in the Beast's Castle--several times. There are three main rooms, the large ballroom, the West Wing, and the Rose Room. We love all three for different reasons. The Beast does a periodic visit to all the rooms as you eat so that is fun. The food is delicious! We loved the Filet Mignon and the kids loved painting their chocolate mold of Chip. 

 

• Aloha Isle

Dole Whips and Kakamora Floats are a MUST have! They are something that we come back for often.

• Liberty Tree Tavern

This is a hearty American Thanksgiving type meal. WE LOVED IT! The meats were all tender and cooked to perfection, the stuffing was delicious, and all the sides were amazing. It is a large meal though, we left FULL...we would not recommend doing that before you go on Big Thunder Mountain!

• Sleepy Hollow Waffle

If you are looking for a treat as you walk. The Sleepy Hollow Nutella waffle was a family Favorite!

• Jungle Skipper Canteen

We chose to go to Jungle Skipper Canteen for the fun atmosphere. From the host to the servers, they are full of "dad jokes" that are iconic to the Jungle Cruise ride. (Our server was not into it at all...which was unfortunate). It was cool to take time and wander through all of the rooms after we ate, there were so many small details to take it! Our favorite was the butterfly table. The food was amazing--ALL OF IT. 

• Cosmic Ray's 

This quick serve option is great for burgers and chicken tenders. It has indoor and outdoor seating and is located between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. 

• Pinocchio's 

Our kids loved this option. We had Flat Bread Pizza and it was a perfect quick meal! If you are lucky, you can score a window seat that overlooks the It's A Small World Loading Dock. 

Animal Kingdom

• Tusker House

• Yak and Yeti and Yak and Yeti Quick Service

Yak and Yeti has a sit down version that you need reservation for and a Quick Service option. This is by far one of the best places to eat in the WDW parks. The quick service version just has a smaller selection, but it is all delicious. 

• Pandora 

The Night Blossom drink in Pandora was a pleasant surprise. It has a pear and fruity taste. There is a passion fruit boba that comes with it. We got one by accident, and went back for more. That is in contrast to the pineapple cream cheese lumpia many raved over, but we found bland and lifeless. 

EPCOT

• Chef de France

Chef de France is tucked away in the France Pavilion. They French Onion soup is perfect! I like to get a table just for the soup and a fresh baguette. Takes me right back to Paris. 

• Rose and Crown

 

We stopped and ate and the Rose and Crown. They are known for their Fish and Chips--but neither of us like fried fish, so we tried other options. The curry was okay, but the Sticky Toffee Pudding was DELICIOUS! 

Other delicious things to try included: pastries and breads from Les Halles, Shave Ice and Japanese candy from Japan Pavilion--we tried the Rock Zen Garden, which was beautiful and fun idea, but gross to taste, and the dumplings from China. 

Food and Wine Festival Wins: 

Canada: Bourbon Cheesecake and Braised Beef Poutine

Canada: Cheddar Cheese Soup. Filet Mignon 

Food and Wine Festival Losses: 

Hawaii: The Kalua pork was dry and the Passion Fruit Cheesecake was tasteless. 

Asia: Noodles were flavorless and not authentic. 

Disney's Hollywood Studios

• Hollywood and Vine

Hollywood and Vine is a character dining option. The food is amazing! We were able to see Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald. 

• Woody's Lunch Box

Located near the Slinky Dog Dash, you can enjoy some great sandwiches--we liked the BBQ Brisket Melt and the Smoked Turkey Sandwich. We did not like the Lunch Box Tart. It was dry and basic. 

• Bakery 

Some things we did love in the park included the Carrot cake "cookie." We also tried the Wookie Cookie, which looked amazing and was HUGE, but it had too much fake icing inside.  

• Milk Stand

The Milk Stand located in the Star Wars area was a stop because of the debated, Blue milk or Green Milk. We chose Blue Milk...I took one sit and it was NOT for me. It was milky but also had an artificial citrus taste to it. Maybe the green milk would be better? Not sure I am willing to try. 

• Prime Time Café 

Prime Time Café is themed to be eating in Mom's Kitchen in the 50's. They did really well with it. The server interacts with you as if you were family. They correct you, tell you that you need to eat your vegetables and not put your elbows on the table. The food we ate was also delicious. It was a balanced meal and hearty.