Visiting Disney World on the Quick Service Dining plan this year? Let us save you from the specter of bad theme park burgers and endless hotdogs.
This version of the dining plan gives guests 2 quick-service meals per night of stay. It has a couple of big pluses: It’s a lot less expensive, and it eliminates the need to stress over getting all the “right” dining reservations 2 months before you trip. But it does mean you’re eating quick service for 2 meals a day.
If you’re a 3-squares-a-day kind of person, then you can use your voucher for breakfast and have dinner on your own dime. But we’re assuming most people will be looking for lunch and dinner spots.
We’re big fans of some of the fast food at Disney—emphasis on “some.” So we thought we’d share our go-to spots in all four theme parks and Disney Springs. Here are our hot takes. Let us know what your favorites are!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Animal Kingdom is home to our single favorite quick service restaurant in all of Disney World. Go there. You won’t be disappointed.
Our favorites
- Satu’li Canteen: Fresh bowls over rice, noodles or salad. Ample indoor seating (SO important in the summer time). We’d rather have a meal here than anywhere else at Animal Kingdom.
Runner up
- Flame Tree Barbecue: Everyone else seems to rank this spot as one of their favorites, but we find the BBQ is just ok, and a far cry from the quality of the food at Satu’li Canteen. The seating is all outdoors, though some of it is located on the water, which makes the setting pleasant.
- Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes: Sometimes a lunch of egg rolls and fried rice is just what I need.
The rest
- Creature Comforts: a k a Starbucks
- Restaurantosaurus: Your standard theme park burger place.
- Pizzafari: Ditto, but for pizza.
- Harambe Market: When it first opened, the market would have at least made our runner-up list, but the menu has been slimmed down, and we haven’t been recently.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios has leveled up its quick service game in the past few years, and now has some of the best choices in any of the parks.
Our favorites
- Ronto Roasters: The breakfast Ronto wrap is so good we’ve tried replicating it at home, but not with much success. There’s not much seating here; it’s more of a grab-and-go opttion.
- Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo: If you’re a carnivore, you can’t go wrong with the Fried Endorian Chicken Tip Yip with mac and cheese. If you’re not a carnivore, you can find a delicious plant-based meatball and hummus garden spread.
- Woody’s Lunch Box: Home of the Totcho. Need we say more? Seating is very tight.
Runners up
- ABC Commissary: We haven’t been to the Commissary in a long time, but we made it a runner-up because of its terrific reputation.
The rest
- Dockside Diner: Home of the hot dog, if that’s what you’re in the mood for.
- PizzaRizzo: OK if you like DiGiorno’s individual pizzas.
- Backlost Express: Hollywood Studios’ answer to Restaurantosaurus
- Rosie’s All-American Cafe: Basic theme park fare—hotdogs, burger, chicken nuggets—plus a plant-based “lobster” roll that sounds really intriguing. It’s made of marinated hearts of palm, celery, sweet apples and creamy Old Bay dressing.
- Fairfax Fare: If I could drag myself away from my go-tos, this spot might climb the list. It features waffle bowls made with things like barbecued beef brisket, Korean barbecued pork belly, or plant-based soba noodles. They all sound great, but heavy.
- Trolley Car Café a k a Starbucks
- Catalina Eddie’s: More pizza.
EPCOT
Both the hardest and easiest place to eat in all of Disney World. Easy because it has so many great options; hard because it’s difficult to choose.
When it’s festival time—and it’s always festival time—you can use your snack credits at food booths, and it’s easy to build a meal that way.
Our favorites
- Connections Cafe: We’ve dismissed several places as “typical theme park burgers and pizza” on this list. Connections is atypical—actually good burgers and pizza. And a General Tso’s chicken salad that is a real winner, though we’ve seen several people ask for grilled chicken on the salad and be turned down.
- Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Really good barbecue and sides. Especially the house-made pickles.
Runners up
- Yorkshire County Fish Shop: We have friends from the UK who always wind up here to eat. High praise, right?
- Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie: Delicious, authentic Parisian bakery with sandwiches and pastries.
- Crêpes À Emporter by La Crêperie de Paris: This might rank higher except that crepes aren’t easy to eat standing up, and there isn’t anywhere to sit in the vicinity.
- Katsura Grill: Japan’s quick-serve is always reliable and a little off the beaten path, which can be nice.
The rest
- La Cantina de San Angel: Mmmmm … nachos.
- Sommerfest: Bratwurst and pretzels
- Refreshment Outpost (between China and Germany): The only food on the menu is a hot dog.
- Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina: Reliable kebabs
- Sunshine Seasons: Great variety here if your group is having trouble agreeing.
- Lotus Blossom Cafe: Just like the Chinese take-out you get at home
Magic Kingdom Park
If Epcot is the best park for food, Magic Kingdom is the worst. It’s mostly still stuck back in the age when hot dogs and hamburgers were it for theme parks.
So when we say “our favorites,” take it for what it’s worth.
Our favorites
- Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe: Once one of the great quick service restaurants at Disney, Pecos Bill’s is a shadow of its former self, but it’s still a solid choice for Tex-Mex fans.
- Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe: For when you crave a theme park hamburger.
- Casey’s Corner: Your best bet for hot dogs and fries.
Runner-up
- Columbia Harbour House: This isn’t one of our favorites, but fish fans often tell us it’s great. So.
The rest
- Main Street Bakery a k a Starbucks
- Golden Oak Outpost: Chili cheese fries and chicken strips, and that’s about it.
- Tortuga Tavern: Only open seasonally, it wouldn’t surprise us if this location became the pirate lounge Disney has promised.
- The Lunching Pad: More hot dogs.
- Sleepy Hollow: Your place for a corn dog.
- Pinocchio Village Haus: Magic Kingdom’s version of pizza.
- Friar’s Nook: Various combinations of tots, bratwurst and mac and cheese.
Disney Springs
The epicenter of all things edible at Disney World, Disney Springs has a wide variety of great choices, and this list doesn’t include the table service restaurants, which would add another level of difficulty to making your choice.
Our favorites
- Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza: Yummy pizza made fresh to order with your choice of toppings.
- D-Luxe Burger: Just some of the best burgers and fries at Disney World.
- Pepe by José Andrés: We love the Spanish-style street food here, including terrific sandwiches.
Runners up
- The Polite Pig: This BBQ spot gets mixed reviews in our house because some of the dishes are too salty. Pro tip: You can get a Gideon’s cookie here without the hassle of a 4-hour wait, but they only offer one variety a day, so it can be hit and miss.
- The Smokehouse at House of Blues: Another BBQ place, but here you can sit and enjoy live music outside the House of Blues.
The rest
- YeSake Kiosk: Build your own bowls.
- The Daily Poutine: A whole world of poutine choices, from Canadian to Korean and more.
- Cookes of Dublin: This isn’t one we frequent, but we love Raglan Road, and the fish and chips here look great.
- Pizza Ponte: For a traditional slice the size of your head.
- Amorette’s Patisserie: Mostly known for desserts, but there are a couple of sandwiches on the menu.
- Earl of Sandwich: What it says in the name.
- Chicken Guy! always has a long line, so it must have something going for it.
- 4 Rivers Cantina Barbacoa Food Truck
- Morimoto Asia Street Food: A great-looking menu that includes ramen and Morimoto’s popular baby ribs.
- B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co.
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