I was provided with free meals and experiences by Disney in exchange for this post. All opinions and thoughts are 100% honest and my own.
The Best Places to Eat at Disney World?
Do you know how many Disney World restaurants there are across the parks, resorts, and Disney Springs? I don’t, but I know there are a ton. Most of the time when I’m at Disney World, we eat at one of the restaurants that offers Disney character dining meals because we’re there with my kids. On my last trip, I went with my husband on a eat all the things press trip and Disney was kind enough to feed us at a number of their signature dining restaurants. I hadn’t eaten at a single one of these restaurants prior to this trip, and I’m still craving half of the things I tried. There’s a reason these restaurants were all on our itinerary – they’re all delicious. Definitely some of the best places to eat at Disney World, for adults or kids! And on par and even better than the Disney cruise dining I’ve tried! All of these restaurants are outside of the parks either in one of the Walt Disney World resorts or other areas so you can make a reservation anytime and go without a park ticket. Just another reason I always recommend renting a car at Disney World – makes it so much easier to get to resorts! Pretty sure if I lived in Orlando I’d likely be heading to Grand Floridian for truffle fries weekly.
Can’t Miss Disney World Restaurants
There are so many more Disney World restaurants I haven’t tried yet that are still on my Disney food bucket list but if you’re looking for good Disney World restaurants to start with, these are all winners.
I’ve included details about where each of these restaurants is located, what type of meal (buffet, sit-down, etc.), whether they accept Disney dining plans or not, what kind of food they serve, a few must-try items from the menu, and my opinion on the food. I will tell you now I liked all of the food – they wouldn’t be on my best Disney World dining list if I didn’t! Any of these would make a great dinner spot before heading to a Disney After Hours event – just skip dessert! Here’s the list – keep reading for details on each! Three quick notes about these Disney World restaurants. First, I have a no-onion preference (they make me sick) and all of these restaurants were amazing with it and finding out what I could and couldn’t eat. At some of the restaurants the chefs actually came out and talked to me and at others the servers were able to just tell me which things I could and couldn’t eat – or the chef made me a version without onions. Second, there were actually four of us that were pregnant on this trip. I don’t ever drink alcohol but because we were all pregnant, they went out of their way to make us speciality mocktails of signature cocktails on the menus being offered to everyone else. I’m including the mocktails that we drank, but it’s likely they’re not actually on the normal menus. Ask and ye shall receive – Disney is great that way! And third, sorry for the quality of the photos. Signature dining also means dark intimate rooms, which doesn’t lend itself to great photos. Hopefully the pictures I have will still give you an idea of the quality of the food through the plating and food items!
1 – Jiko The Cooking Place at Animal Kingdom Lodge
Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Type of Restaurant: Sit-Down Table Service What Meals: Dinner only Disney Dining Plan: 2 entitlements required on Disney Dining Plan + Disney Deluxe Dining Plan Animal Kingdom Lodge has easily some of the most interesting food in all of Walt Disney World. Jiko has a menu that blends traditional African, Indian, and Mediterranean culture in upscale cuisine. From Wild Boar tenderloin to cocoa-crusted bison, you’ll find dishes here you won’t find anywhere else in the parks. You can see the entire dinner menu here. It’s great for adults but if your kids aren’t adventurous, I’d skip Jiko and try out one of Animal Kingdom Lodge’s other delicious restaurants instead. Another cool thing about Jiko is that Animal Kingdom Lodge actually offers on-property safaris that end with a four-course meal in Jiko. More to come on that when I write about our experience with the Animal Kingdom Lodge safari! We had the Jiko salad, Peri Peri Chicken, and the Grilled Wild Boar Tenderloin along with some fruity mocktail that I wish I could remember. Other than regretting that I didn’t have more salad to eat, the whole meal was delicious.
2 – Ale & Compass at Yacht Club Resort
Location: Disney’s Yacht Club Resort Type of Restaurant: Buffet + Table Service What Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Disney Dining Plan: 1 entitlement on Disney dining plan and Disney deluxe dining plan Must-Try Menu Items: Blueberry-bacon pancakes and salted caramel-apple French toast We went to Ale & Compass for breakfast, and I was surprised that they offered both a delicious breakfast buffet full of hot and cold items but also a full-service menu. Even more exciting? If you order the breakfast buffet – it came with your choice of an entree from the breakfast menu as well, included in the buffet cost. That’s huge, especially if you’re feeding a large family. The buffet was not huge, especially in comparison to say Boma’s huge buffet, but it had tons of fresh fruit, smoked salmon, eggs, pastries, and more. I easily could have just eaten from the breakfast buffet but then I wouldn’t have been able to try the blueberry-bacon pancakes. And those pancakes were something special. I’m looking at the photo and craving them again. Other menu hits from other people in our group including the salted caramel apple french toast, the breakfast flatbread, and eggs Benedict. I have yet to try Ale & Compass for lunch or dinner, but it’s definitely on my list of places to go back to since the breakfast food was so yummy! And I’m always a big fan of New England style food – right up my alley! You can check out all three menus here.
3 – Sebastian’s Bistro at Caribbean Beach Resort
Location: Caribbean Beach Resort Type of Restaurant: Sit-Down Table Service What Meals: Dinner only Disney Dining Plan: 1 entitlement for Disney dining plan and Disney Deluxe Dining Plan Must-Try Menu Items: Guava-rita, jerk chicken Out of all of the Disney World restaurants we ate at, Sebastian’s Bistro was probably my personal favorite. Not sure if it was the bold colors, the flavorful Caribbean inspired menu, or the beautiful view out over the water – but I just loved everything about it. Sebastian’s Bistro is one of the more recent Disney World restaurants, and I’m guessing it’ll become a favorite of anyone who enjoys good Caribbean fare. We had the chance to sample an arepa topped with slow-cooked pork, the crab cake, jerk chicken, and a trio of mini desserts (full-sizes are on the regular menu) and though I was a bit skeptical, the flavors were all amazing. Both the pork and the jerk chicken were moist and paired great with their sauces. And the bartender made me and my pregnant friend a non-alcoholic version of the guava-rita and it was so good I might’ve ordered three. I’m guessing the regular guava-rita is delicious as well because people all around us definitely seemed to be enjoying them. We also had a trio of mini desserts that included warm chocolate pudding, an iced key lime pop, and a banana custard tart but only the warm chocolate pudding is actually on the menu, and it was my least favorite of the three. If you’re going for dessert, I can tell you the iced key lime pop was my favorite of the three mini desserts, so I’m guessing the mile high key lime pie on the current dessert menu is a safe choice!
4 – Flying Fish at Boardwalk Inn
Location: BoardWalk Inn Type of Restaurant: Sit-Down Table Service What Meals: Dinner only Disney Dining Plan: 2 entitlements required on Disney Dining Plan and Disney Deluxe Dining Plan Must-Try Menu Items: Wisconsin Burrata salad If you’ve never been to Flying Fish before, you’re missing out solely because the decor inside is so amazing. From a glass bubble chandelier to understated under the sea theming throughout the restaurant, it’s just magical. It also happens to be in the middle of the bustling Disney boardwalk, which is always a fun place to be. Flying Fish’s menu is full of, you guessed it, seafood. But it also has other gourmet staples like artisan cheeses, chicken, and filet mignon for people like me who don’t love seafood. You can see the entire menu here. And my favorite thing I tried from the menu was the Wisconsin Burrata salad – burrata combined with apples, figs, and a delicious walnut vinaigrette. Way better than the traditional grilled baby romaine salad that most people tried. I’m not a huge seafood fan but my husband said that his swordfish was well-cooked and the sides (vegetables and potato beurre blanc) were standouts. A number of people also raved about the New York strip steak if you want something other than seafood.
5 – Boma – Flavors of Africa at Animal Kingdom Lodge
Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Type of Restaurant: Buffet What Meals: Breakfast and Dinner Disney Dining Plan: 1 entitlements required on Disney Dining Plan and Disney Deluxe Dining Plan Must-Try Menu Items: French toast bread pudding with vanilla sauce We went to Boma for breakfast and if we didn’t have an entire day of eating ahead of us, I could have stayed at Boma for hours and tried out everything they had to offer. This menu has just a small sample of the full offerings. From the most delicious french toast bread pudding – do not forget to top it with the vanilla sauce – to every regular breakfast menu item imaginable, Boma’s breakfast buffet is hard to beat. They even have cute little Simba waffles that aren’t just for the kids. They’re not quite as yummy as Mickey Waffles, but they’re themed and totally worth trying. Oh and of course potato barrels, aka tater tots. You could totally make your own breakfast tochos similar to these ones offered at Toy Story Land! The buffet has both traditional American breakfast foods as well as tons of multi-cultural breakfast options as well – similar to how Tusker House’s buffet is setup. So take your time, enjoy the food, and wash it all down with the guava juice. It’s my favorite Walt Disney World juice! If the dinner buffet is anything like Tusker House or anything like the Boma breakfast buffet, I’m totally in.
6 – Citricos at Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Location: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Type of Restaurant: Sit-Down Table Service What Meals: Dinner only Disney Dining Plan: 2 entitlements required on Disney Dining Plan and Disney Deluxe Dining Plan Must-Try Menu Items: Truffle fries Citricos is located on one of the top floors of Disney’s Grand Floridian & Spa Resort and unlike many of the other restaurants on this list, has a bright and airy feeling. And not a bad view either since it’s so close to Magic Kingdom. I can imagine getting reservations during fireworks isn’t the easiest thing to do. I don’t honestly know how to describe the menu at Citricos. It says that the menu is full of Mediterranean-style dishes but most of the things I tried weren’t necessarily what I’d call Mediterranean. They were delicious but not Mediterranean – and maybe I just ordered the wrong menu items. Or right menu items because seriously, so good! Each of the main entrees comes with its own sides but I highly recommend getting a bowl of truffle fries for the table to share. They’re salty, crisp, and topped with shaved black truffles – the best truffles fries I’ve ever had! My husband also raved about the oak-grilled beef filet and the plate of macarons and custom chocolates they gave us to finish off the meal had me wishing we’d had the chance to try one of the signature dessert items! And of course, I can’t forget my signature mocktail. This strawberry faux-jito tasted even better than it looks. And it was beautiful! Like most Disney World restaurants that fall into the Disney signature dining category, the prices at Citricos are high, but it’s a meal worth splurging on, especially if you can time it right for a great sunset view!
7 – Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at Polynesian Village Resort
Location: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Type of Restaurant: Lounge What Meals: Lounge Disney Dining Plan: No Disney dining plans accepted Must-Try Menu Items: All? Okay so I’ll be the first to admit that Trader Sam’s is kind of out of place on this list, but it’s one of the most unique places to eat in all of Disney World, so I had to add it. And I’m on a roll with mocktails in this post and Trader Sam’s actually has no-booze items on the menu that are absolutely delicious. You can see the full menu here. See? It had to be included! If you don’t know what Trader Sam’s is, it’s a lounge in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort that is dark, intimate, and serves Polynesian style drinks and food. Think Hawaiian poke, sushi rolls, and speciality drinks. There’s a similar one at Disneyland that’s the location of some of the best Disneyland food. The coolest thing though is what happens when you order a drink. Cast members chant, lights flash, and things just get all out crazy. It’s loud and probably not fit for babies who can’t handle the noise, but I saw a number of kids in there who were loving every second of it. Be forewarned – it’s small inside and unless you’re very lucky, you’ll likely wait for your turn to experience Trader Sam’s. There was a pretty big line outside when we got there and reservations aren’t available. I tried both the Polynesian punch and Schweitzer Falls and both were fantastic. I only wish I’d ordered one in a Souvenir Sipper to take home but it wouldn’t have taken as pretty of pictures as a glass! If you just want to try the food and drinks, head just outside to Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace instead. Same food and drink menu, totally different atmosphere.
As we were eating our way through the best of the best Disney World restaurants, I had a number of questions from my readers I thought I’d answer here instead of individually. If you have any other questions about these signature dining experiences or Disney World dining in general, leave me a commet and I’ll do my best to respond quickly! And if I don’t know the answer, I’ll find out when we head back to Disney World in August!
What are the Disney signature restaurants?
I mentioned numerous times throughout my post (and in my social media posts) that we were eating at Disney signature restaurants. These are Disney’s top of the line, upscale, and most expensive restaurant offerings. There are only a handful of them and from my experience so far, they’re worth the cost. You could swap signature dining with fine dining and be pretty accurate. As of writing this post, Disney has 35 signature/fine dining restaurants listed on their website. I’m not going to list them all but you can find the full list here. If the link doesn’t work, simply go to the Disney World website and filter the dining search for fine/signature dining.
Is there a dress code at Disney World restaurants?
No, as far as I have seen and heard there is not an official dress code at Disney World restaurants. A lot of the time people are coming straight from parks or are dressed in Disney family shirts or what not. But know that at some of these signature dining restaurants, you may see people dressed up – especially if they’re local and coming from home rather than from the parks. Wear something casual and comfortable but don’t stress out about changing if you’re wearing these Lion King shirts and headed to Jiko for dinner. It might actually be a fun themed outfit! Now if you’re at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party and your kids are dressed in full costume, you may want to bring a change of clothes just so they’re a bit more comfortable. But otherwise, anything should be fine as long as you’re wearing clothes and shoes!
Which Disney World restaurants have mobile ordering?
None of the restaurants in this post have mobile ordering as they’re table service signature dining establishments and mobile ordering is mostly left to restaurants in the parks. If you want to know more about which restaurants have mobile ordering, check out this Disney World food post that has a spreadsheet of all food in the parks and if you can get it via mobile ordering!
Which Disney World restaurants are included in the dining plan?
If you’re looking at the restaurants in this post, I’ve indicated if they’re included in the dining plan (and which dining plan) or not. If you want to know about restaurants in the parks, check out the best Disney snacks post I mentioned above. And if you’re not looking for any of the above, check out the Disney World website. Each restaurant is listed with its menu and which dining plans (if any) that restaurant accepts. You can also see how many entitlements (aka credits) each restaurant requires. A number of the signature restaurants in this post for instance require two. Make sure if you’re going somewhere that requires two that you’re getting the best bang for your buck!
Which Disney World character dining is best?
That’s a topic for another post – this Disney character dining post! My family has been to all but two of the Disney character dining experiences, and I rank my favorites over there in that post. And make sure to come back in September after I update the post with our experience at the Bon Voyage Breakfast and Cape May Cafe character dining experience!
Which Disney World restaurants need reservations?
If a restaurant accepts reservations, I recommend making reservations. And make them as far in advance as you can plan – Disney World restaurants reservations book up fast. Most table service restaurants accept reservations, including all but Trader Sam’s in this post. If you can’t find reservations to the best places to eat at Disney World, I recommend checking the night before you want to go. Most reservations have to be cancelled the day before to avoid a cancellation fee, so you can scoop up tough to get reservations this way. It’s how I got a coveted Be Our Guest reservation a few years ago!
More Disney World Travel Tips
Planning a trip to Disney World? Make sure to check out these posts first!
Renting a car at Disney World How to Do Disney in One Day Best Disney Character Dining Tips for character dining with young kids Insider Tips for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Don’t forget to pin these Disney World restaurants to try later!
