There are a few things that I can guarantee you if you visit or stay at Walt Disney World: it will be expensive and that includes the Food at the hotels and at the parks.  I can also assure you that most will consider the food overpriced and undeserved of the prices.

Beginning January 9, 2024, Disney Dining Plans return (although people have been signing up for plans since May). They are just for Disney hotel guests! In the past the only dining plan where a majority of guests made a profit was the luxury plan but now only the Quick Service and Standard Dining Plans return.  There is ONLY ONE GOOD REASONto buy a Disney dining plan – you have pre-paid for two of the most expensive vacation items: meals and snacks. 

The only dining plans I have ever used in fifty-plus years is the Epcot dining plans for shows so that I can sit front row.  I love food so I select the most expensive choices in each meal category and I did save a few bucks in food costs.

WHAT ARE MY CHOICES FOR BEST FOOD AT WDW?

I do consider price and environment in my selections for this is a list for the average WDW visitor. Not the very rich.

Best Food At A Character Meal:  Tusker House, Animal Kingdom Park

Tusker House has lots of seats, Donald and Mickey, & food choices for all tastes.

Donald Duck hosts Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy (all in safari outfits) in a meal that features your standard meats and fish, but also unique African and Asian dishes. There is something for everyone and the layout is perfect to do a conga dance with the characters. NEXT CHOICE: Garden Grill (the Land at Epcot) is a rotating restaurant serving skillets of American food while Chip n Dale, Mickey and Pluto visit your table. Great if you have shy kids!

Best Food At A Buffet: Boma (Animal Kingdom Lodge)

People at other hotels drive here for breakfast and dinner for the African and American dishes are wonderful and served in a delightful setting.  NEXT CHOICE: Cape May Café (Beach Club) There is a character breakfast but the dinner surf and turf menu attracts tourists walking over from nearby Epcot.

Have times changed! Dinner at original California Grill $32.24 for two + Lennon Sisters show.

Best Quick Service Food At The Parks

MAGIC KINGDOM is dominated due to its family orientation to dozens of overcrowded, overpriced fast food joints. Cosmic Ray’s rates as one of the world’s largest “food dispensers.” Casey’s Corner would be nice if it had more indoor seating.

MAGIC KINGDOM WINNERS: (tie) Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café (Frontierland) serves good Mexican food and snacks in huge quantities.   Columbia Harbour House (Liberty Square) has lobster rolls, grilled salmon, Parker House rolls in a place with a second-floor refuge for families and lovers.

EPCOT is for adults with its multitude of full-service spots, but it has some top spots.

EPCOT WINNERS: Sunshine Seasons (The Land) is a multi-part food court with a lot of healthy choices and many seats – food is OK but choice is great. NEXT CHOICES: Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie (France) is a wonderful bakery with soups, crepes, sandwiches, but a lack of seating and large crowds hurt its family appeal.   Regal Eagle Smokehouse (USA) is an indoor/outdoor barbecue Americana, serving nearly every style of brisket and popular US dishes.

Sunshine Seasons is a huge food court with many healthy options and next to Soarin ride.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS is a wasteland of quick service spots that either lack the food or the setting.

HOLLYWOOD WINNERS: Woody’s Lunch Box (Toy Story) serves three “funky private school” meals with some neat choices. Not enough seats & too outdoors.   OTHER CHOICE:  Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo (Star Wars) is fun Batuu food that actually tastes much better than it looks.

Docking Bay 7 at Star Wars may have wierd Batuu food, but it tastes good.

ANIMAL KINGDOM is very thin on good full-service restaurants, but oddly interesting in its diverse quick service choices.

ANIMAL Kingdom WINNERS: (tie) Flame Tree Barbecue (Discovery Island) has a great selection of chicken, ribs, pulled pork, mac & cheese and if you carefully it has tables alongside the river.  Satu’li Canteen (Pandora) in an isolated research center on Pandora is a terrific lineup of steamed bao bun pods, clever food bowls, and other-worldly pleasures.  Good choice of environment and food.

Satu’li Canteen takes you to the atmosphere of Pandora and shockingly fun food to eat.

Most Daring Restaurant Menu At Parks

Jungle Navigation Co, Ltd Skipper Canteen (Magic Kingdom) in a park filled with burgers  and chicken nuggets to serve a menu of exotic Asian, South American, and African dishes takes daring and good cooking. One of their three dining rooms is even hidden(?)

Most Daring Restaurant Menu at A Hotel

Sanaa (Animal Kingdom Lodge) is located in the condo part of the resort with a great view of the animals on the Sunset Savanna. The menu of African and Asian dishes is very creative, and I love the Indian-style bread service.

Sanaa is the only restaurant with a view of wild animals and an interesting menu.

Most Entertaining Restaurants AT WDW

WDW is all about entertainment, but often the atmosphere is not conducive to enjoying a meal, the staff, or the food.

Whispering Canyon Café (Wilderness Lodge) serves all-you-can eat skillets of American food, but a silly Wild West atmosphere is designed for kids to have fun, riding wooden horses. Ask for extra ketchup.  NEXT CHOICE: 50’s Prime Time Café (Hollywood Studios) is for those who want to watch black and white TV while eating pot roast or meatloaf with a bossy waitress. Either cause trouble or support the waitress, but be careful what you say and do.

Family fun and comfort food make 50s Prime Time Cafe a good choice at Hollywood.

Best Full-Service Restaurants In The Parks

Some parks have too many good choices (Epcot) and some have limited choices (Animal Kingdom).  Thus, my bias slips in.

MAGIC KINGDOM: Be My Guest is glamourous, but I select LIBERTY TREE TAVERN where family style Thanksgiving meals are well-priced and very good. MK is often a mad house and this place is relaxing and well managed.

EPCOT is the home of too much food. Le Cellier for steaks; Via Napoli for pizza; La Hacienda de San Angel for Mexican & fireworks views.  But I select ROSE & CROWN provided you get a late dinner on the outside patio, the best view of the nightly light show.

The best view for Epcot’s night shows is at the Rose and Crown patio. Easy Brit food.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS:  Lots of fun spots but for real food the BROWN DERBY is the showplace.  But I save money arriving before noon to sit on their sidewalk café and order Cobb salad and burgers.

ANIMAL KINGDOM: While I like Yak & Yeti’s creative menu, by default TIFFINS has the best food though pricey.  I must confess I prefer the quick service choices and character buffet here best.

Most Romantic Restaurant At WDW

CALIFORNIA GRILLE (Contemporary) While I am not big on the switch to a three-course selection menu, the food is good here and the view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks is spectacular.  The LOUNGE requires an invite and you need to get there by 5 pm. My wife & I dined here when it was the nightclub Top of the World.

The best night view at WDW is at a California Grille window table.

NEXT CHOICE:  TOPOLINO’S TERRACE (Riviera) This rooftop signature dinner spot offers fine Italian food and distant views of the Hollywood and Epcot fireworks.

I will be producing an update of my Insiders Guide to WDW and Universal this month with an e-book and POD edition on Amazon. There will be five free e-book days for Amazon members in early December.