Disney in known for a lot of things: movies, theme parks, characters, merchandise, television shows, and so much more. However, it’s usually only true Disney people who talk about the food, and let me tell you, the food is worth talking about. I already did a post about my favorite foods, which I’ll link below. Now, I do often get asked, even by seasoned park-goers, where to eat. It’s often something Disney people talk about. We love comparing notes because that’s how you find new favorites. So, I’ve decided to answer this great question in two different posts. In this post, I’m going to stick to quick-service restaurants. I’ll cover table-service restaurants in the next post. We’ll break it down by park, then non-park locations. First, though, we need to go over the definitions. What is quick-service and table-service? What’s the difference? These are terms that are very common at Disney, but are very confusing to those who are not aware of the differences. Quick-service is fast, casual dining, often where food is ordered and picked up at a counter, and you are responsible for finding your own seating and disposing of your trash. Table-service is the standard restaurant experience. You wait to be seated, and a server comes to your table to take your order and bring your food. Pretty self-explanatory, right? Now that we’ve covered the differences and definitions, let’s get to the good part: where to eat.
As always, let’s start with the original park: Magic Kingdom. There are several quick-service places in the Magic Kingdom that I like to eat. My favorite is, hands down, Gaston’s Tavern. Getting to eat in a location from Beauty and the Beast, while eating the best cinnamon roll in the world? Count me in every time! The LeFou’s Brew is also fantastic when it’s hot. Whether eating here for an afternoon snack, late breakfast, dessert, or very indulgent dinner, Gaston’s Tavern is a must on my list every trip. Columbia Harbor House is my favorite for savory foods. I’m a little in love with their lobster rolls. It’s just such a cool atmosphere, and the upstairs dining is usually pretty quiet. Pinocchio’s Village Haus is so cute, and the flatbreads are pretty good, too. I love getting to eat while looking out over “it’s a small world.” I’m one of those people who actually loves “it’s a small world,” so I’ll take any additional time I can get with it. If you like more spice to your food than what I’ve recommended so far, then you’re in luck with the next recommendation. Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn and Café is the place to go for Tex-Mex food. I love their chicken, and the wide variety of toppings is a huge hit with everyone who goes here. Now, if you want cold treats, my go-to in the Magic Kingdom is Storybook Treats. They have ice cream, and they usually have non-pineapple Dole Whip flavors. This is very important for people like me who like Dole Whip, but don’t like pineapple. The only thing here is that their menu tends to change with the seasons, so outside of standard soft-serve flavors, they may not have the same items every time you go. These are my go-to places in Magic Kingdom, so let’s move on to EPCOT.
EPCOT has the most food locations of any park, which increases exponentially during festivals. There is something at EPCOT for everyone, and you really can get just about anything you could want. So, to help you narrow it down, I’ll tell you which quick-service places I frequent the most. First up, my absolute favorite, and the place I have to go every time I’m at EPCOT: Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie. I adore French food, especially the pastries. I always have to get my fix of pastries and chocolate mousse every opportunity I get. Pro tip: if you want the pastries, but are too full to eat them now, get them to-go. They’ll pack them up in boxes for you to take with you. I love getting pastries at the end of the night and taking them back to my resort to eat for breakfast the next day. Next up is Yorkshire County Fish Shop for their fish and chips. I love getting fish and chips, and these are some of the best that I’ve ever had. Be aware that fish and chips is all they do here, so if you don’t like fish, be sure to skip this one. La Crêperie de Paris has fantastic crêpes, sweet and savory. If you like crêpes, I can’t recommend this place enough. Note, this location is both table-service and quick-service. If you go inside, it’s table-service, but if you go to the walk-up window, then it’s quick-service. Sunshine Seasons is great if you have a large group, or you just can’t decide what to eat. It’s a food court set-up, and they have everything you can imagine. Bonus: the food is great, and a lot of the produce comes straight out of Living with the Land. This just gives the food you’re eating an added fun feature. Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe is another great place to go for pastries. Personally, I like the Norwegian Kringla, which is like a sweet pretzel. I don’t like the raisins in it, but they’re easy to pick out, so I don’t mind. It’s also a good place to go if you have big Frozen fans in your group, as they usually have some Frozen-themed desserts in the case. I think that’s it for EPCOT, so let’s move on to Hollywood Studios.
I only have a few recommendations for Hollywood Studios, mostly because I keep going back to the same places every single time. I really need to branch out some more here, but I guess this tells you that these places are really good. My favorite place in Hollywood Studios is Woody’s Lunchbox. I love the Lunchbox Tarts, and now that they have both seasonal and daily offerings, there’s a new one to try every time you go! Also, the “Totchos” are awesome, and everyone should try them at some point. Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo is another favorite of mine. I may or may not have developed an obsession with the Felucian Kefta and Hummus Garden Spread. It is a plant-based meal, but it is so packed with flavor that most people would never know it. The atmosphere here is so intriguing, and I find something new to look at every time I go. It’s quintessential Star Wars, and all of the menu items are just really fun. My final recommendation is Anaheim Produce. I know what you’re thinking, why? Let me tell you, this is the place to go if you love frozen lemonade. It’s large, reasonably priced (for Disney), and actually frozen (not a slushy). Bonus, the line usually isn’t super long. I love frozen lemonade at Disney, but I’ve noticed that a lot of places have decreased the size of their lemonade for the same price, or they’ve gone to lemonade slushies, which is so not the same thing. As you can tell, I have very strong opinions on my frozen lemonade. Anaheim Produce is the one place I’ve found that has the best bang for your buck when it comes to frozen lemonade. If there’s another place out there, I haven’t found it. Also, you can get Mickey Pretzels here, so go get your frozen lemonade and Mickey Pretzel and sit in the shade for a while listening to Beauty and the Beast and Tower of Terror. Now, let’s leave the glamour of old Hollywood behind and head over to Animal Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom has the fewer food options than most of the parks, but what they do have is definitely unique. I typically don’t eat much when I’m in Animal Kingdom, so I only have a couple of places to recommend. My favorite is probably Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes. I really like the Honey Sesame Chicken. It also has a truly unique vibe that is as eclectic as it is fascinating. There’s a lot to see here, even though all of the seating is outdoors. Make sure that you go by sometime when it isn’t busy just to look around. There are tons of details hidden here, including a water feature in the back. Another place that is incredible in its details and story is Satu’li Canteen. Definitely make sure that you get here. It’s a fan favorite, but I have to admit, I wasn’t impressed with my meal here. It may seem strange that I’m listing it in my favorite places, but hear me out. The Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse redeems all other food items I’ve eaten here. It really is that good, and I will go here just to get dessert. I have been told that I just haven’t gotten the right combination here, which is probably true, so if you have any recommendations, I am all ears. That’s it for my Animal Kingdom list, so let’s leave the parks and head over to Disney Springs.
Disney Springs has tons of food options, coming in second only to EPCOT in number and variety of places. Naturally, that means that I have tons of favorites in Disney Springs. First up is D-Luxe Burgers. I love D-Luxe burgers, especially the Barbecued Burger. It’s worth noting that I’m extremely picky about my burgers, so a recommendation from me is a big deal. D-Luxe is always a go for me, and it’s probably the place at Disney Springs that I find myself craving the most. It’s really that good. If you love burgers, be sure to check this place out. They have a burger for everyone and every taste, with impeccable quality and attention to detail. Next on the list is Cookes of Dublin. I’ve already stated how much I love fish and chips, and this place is no exception. The fish and chips here are great, and I love going here, especially if I know I won’t be making it to EPCOT during my trip. They have other menu options, as well, and it’s good Irish food at its best. The Polite Pig is the place for barbeque at Disney Springs. You will smell it long before you get to it, and it will definitely make you want to step inside and try a bite. I’m personally a huge fan of their smoked turkey, and the mac and cheese is to die for. Next up, Earl of Sandwich is my go-to place if I just want a light meal. The sandwiches are big enough to share, which I often do. My favorite is the Holiday Turkey. For dessert, I adore Amorette’s Patisserie. Their pastries and cakes are second to none, and picture perfect at that. The Mickey Mousse is my favorite, but I’ve never had anything I didn’t like. If I’m in the mood for pizza, I definitely will head to Pizza Ponte for their Sicilian pizza by the slice. The slices are huge, and the flavors are great. It’s unique, and definitely not your standard pizza. There are so many other places at Disney Springs, and I just simply never have enough time to try them all. Who knows? Maybe someday, I’ll actually branch out, and find a new favorite.
These are my favorite quick-service restaurants at Walt Disney World. Keep an eye out for my next post about my favorite table-service restaurants. So, did any of yours make the list? If not, what are they? I’m always open to recommendations, so be sure to comment below and tell me what you think I should try next time I go. I’ll also link by previous post about my favorite Disney foods below. It covers many of the foods that I mentioned here, and goes into much more detail. I hope you enjoyed this blog post, and be sure to subscribe to my blog to keep up with all the latest updates!
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