Ask any Disney fan or expert, and they will give you a list of the best restaurants in Disney World. And while many “favorites” may be up for interpretation, there are a few undisputed champions, like Victoria and Albert’s, Le Cellier Steakhouse, Monsieur Paul, and the California Grill However, there are always a few restaurants, especially quick service restaurants, that seem to always be at the bottom of the list. And while some criticisms might be valid, there are a few restaurants that really do have an unfair bad reputation. So let’s take a look at some lower rated quick service restaurants that deserve a little more praise.
1. Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
Image: Disney
It’s not that Cosmic Ray’s gets any bad press, it’s just that it doesn’t get mentioned as much as it should, especially with quick service favorites like Be Our Guest and Columbia Harbour House in the same park. However, Cosmic Ray’s gets points for its menu, its location, and its atmosphere. Being one of the largest counter service restaurants in Magic Kingdom means it also has one of the largest menus, which includes rotisserie chicken, ribs, pulled pork, chicken nuggets, hotdogs, and burgers. It also has a large topping bar, including grilled mushrooms, onions, and peppers for your sandwich. Sure, it’s all fairly basic theme park food, but it does include lots of options for less adventurous eaters, especially ones who may be wary of Be Our Guest’s French inspired menu. Its location is great, and is one of the only quick service restaurants on the eastern side of the park. It has a large indoor and outdoor seating area, so you can be sure to find a decent place to sit before heading back into Tomorrowland, especially if you are about to stand on an hour long Space Mountain line. On top of everything, it has a fun retro-futuristic atmosphere. In fact, in what other restaurant can you be entertained by Sonny Eclipse, the animatronic alien lounge singer?
2. Casey’s Corner
Image: Disney
Casey’s Corner is one of the most debatable quick service restaurants in Magic Kingdom. Some love its unique, turn of the century charm. Others hate its limited menu and seating. While Casey’s does have its justified criticism, its definitely a place to check out. Themed like an old-fashioned baseball food stand, it serves hot dogs, corn dogs, cotton candy, and Cracker Jacks Although it is a small menu, it’s certainly honest to its theme. The seating can be hard to find, but if you are persistent enough and plan ahead you can get a great outdoor seat to watch Wishes or the Festival of Fantasy parade. You might also catch a ragtime pianist play some era favorites.
3. Electric Umbrella
Image: Disney
Much like Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, Epcot’s Electric Umbrella is often overshadowed, although in this case it’s by the World Showcase restaurants, some of which are considered the best in all of Walt Disney World. Although in the past this dining location had a reputation for only serving burgers and chicken nuggets, it has renovated the menu slightly and now offers French dip burgers, vegetarian flatbreads, veggie naan wiches, and an energy salad with roasted chicken. It’s one of two quick service restaurants in Future World (along with the more popular Sunshine Seasons), but is much more centrally located and is easy to find, which makes it a great place to sit and wait for a Test Track or Mission Space FastPass+ window to open up. This dining location also offers a more traditional theme park menu, which many guests might enjoy if they prefer a more standard American meal as opposed to the various ethnic restaurants around World Showcase. Althoughthe menu could be larger and it’s 90’s styled interior could use an update, it’s still worth checking out if you are in the area or have a picky eater in the group.
4. Lotus Blossom Cafe
Lotus Blossom Cafe is located in Epcot’s China pavilion and is perhaps one of the least recommended quick service restaurants in World Showcase. The menu offers some Americanized Chinese favorites like egg rolls, pot stickers, orange chicken, and shrimp fried rice as well as some more unique items like beef noodle soup, Hong Kong style curry, lychee ice cream, and plum wine. It also has a combination indoor and outdoor seating set up, so you can sit in the air conditioning while looking over the beautiful Chinese architecture. It may not have the most authentic menu, but it does have some good, familiar choices and is in a great location.
5. Restaurantosaurus
Image: Disney
Once again, we have a restaurant that is easily overshadowed by other, more popular choices, such as Flame Tree BBQ, Pizzafari, and Yak and Yeti. However, Animal Kingdom’s Restaurantosaurus has some positive attributes that often get ignored. Located in DinoLand USA, Restaurantosaurus is the only restaurant in the area and is a great place for kids to sit down and cool off after running through the Boneyard playground. It also offers some of the more healthier options in the park, like grilled chicken sandwiches, black bean burgers, and turkey wraps for kids served with a choice of grapes, carrot sticks, or fresh steamed broccoli. Speaking of kids, all the kids meals come with a plastic sand pail and shovel, perfect if you are staying at one of the beach-themed resorts and love sand castles. Restaurantosaurus also has a great toppings bar and some of the best themeing in the park, with clever puns and jokes hidden throughout the walls. Its menu might be more on the more standard side, and it may be a little off the beaten path, but this spot is still a great option to check out and it is guaranteed to offer something to every member of a group.
