Dining is an integral part of any Walt Disney World vacation. You’re burning so many calories during your visit that you’ll need lots of food to refuel. On the Disney campus, you’ll never lack for options, as more than 200 eateries are available. The debate lies in where you should go for the best meals.
Some guests prefer to dine in the parks, while others like to take a break at an official Disney resort. These properties all have at least one restaurant on-site, and some have several fantastic dining options. So, the question becomes which is better? Where should you eat at Walt Disney World, the resorts or the parks? Read on to discover both sides of the debate.
The pros of dining at Walt Disney World theme parks
Image: DisneyFour theme parks comprise the majority of Walt Disney World. These parks are Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Frankly, the food varies dramatically among restaurants, which isn’t uncharacteristic anywhere.
One of the Five Guys locations in my town is significantly better than the other, after all. And that’s just a pair of franchisees selling the same menu items. At Walt Disney World, other factors like theming, character meetings, and menu depth/quality come into play. So, any discussion here has to be general.
The pros of dining at a theme park are both general and specific. Generally, you’ll have an easier time eating at the parks because you’re already there. Disney’s strategists have ensured that you’re always close to a restaurant. Most themed lands host a combination of Quick Service and Table Service establishments, allowing you to grab a quick bite or sit down for a delicious meal while taking a break from the park.
Image: DisneyThe specifics apply to certain theme parks and restaurants. A colossal pro at Walt Disney World is that some of the best places to eat also happen to be right beside the most popular rides. As an example, the entrances to Akershus and Frozen Ever After are 15 feet apart. The exit to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is only about 100 steps away from Be Our Guest. And all roads at Toy Story Land lead to Woody’s Lunch Box.
The convenience of dining at such establishments is matched only by the quality of the foods. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, restaurants like Yak & Yeti and Tiffins Restaurant rival any celebratory meal that you’ve ever had. Hollywood Studios is home to my favorite restaurant in the world, Sci-Fi Dine-In. So, the options are plentiful, although one towers above the rest.
The World Showcase at Epcot packs 1.3 miles of dream cuisine into a single themed land. Many theme park tourists consider it the mecca of Walt Disney World cuisine. The food here is such an outlier for Disney parks that it could feasibly stand on its own in this entire debate. Which would you pick: the cuisine at the resorts or the World Showcase?
The cons of dining at Walt Disney World theme parks
Image: DisneyTens of thousands of people visit every Disney theme park every day. During holidays and special events, the number is double that amount. When you’re at a Disney park, you’re in the eye of the storm, an inescapable and sometimes smothering swarm of people. And all of them need to eat, too.
You’ll face long lines and oppressive crowds at many restaurants. Disney’s turn toward Mobile Ordering represents a tacit acknowledgment of the problem. Unfortunately, Disney hasn’t expanded this system to include Table Service restaurants yet. The harsh truth is that when you dine at a Disney park, you’re just one of many, many customers waiting and wondering about when your meal will arrive.
Plus, you don’t get a respite when you remain in the park. You’re still in the thick of things during your meal, which isn’t always the best way to recuperate. And the other negative here is that the (non-Epcot) parks seem to have more Tony’s Town Square and Coral Reef Restaurants than Monsieur Paul and the like. The signal-to-noise ratio at Disney park restaurants, while much better than any other theme park, is far from perfect.
The pros of dining at official Walt Disney World resorts
Image: DisneyAll of Disney’s official resorts feature the same amenity. They’re close to the Disney theme parks. Some are right beside a park while others require a boat or bus ride, but literally all of them are less than 10 minutes away from at least one theme park. So, you’re never far from the action, but the resorts provide a much more relaxed vibe.
Think about the situation in these terms. Would you feel calmer walking around the Cinderella Castle area or in the lobby of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort? It’s the latter option, obviously, and that resort is only a monorail ride away from Magic Kingdom.
At Disney resorts, you can comfortably recover from a hectic park visit. You’re in a controlled environment where the ambiance is vastly superior. And Disney officials want you at that resort. The company has spent millions of dollars enticing guests to leave the parks and thereby reduce the crowds. Their testing has determined that fine dining is one of the best, most proven ways to lure guests out of the parks. You see where I’m going with this.
Image: DisneyAt Magic Kingdom, the two major restaurants are Be Our Guest and Cinderella’s Royal Table. Not coincidentally, Disney charges more for these places, and they sell out quickly. Savvy consumers will discover lower prices for (arguably) better meals at the resorts.
Compare the restaurants I mentioned to your choice of ‘Ohana, 1900 Park Fare, Kona Café, Grand Floridian Café, or The Wave… of American Flavors. I could make an argument that you’ll discover better cuisine at any of these places than at Cinderella’s Royal Table, yet you’ll pay much less for the meal. And all of the restaurants I’m discussing here are on the resort monorail system, making them accessible to all Magic Kingdom guests.
The same is true at Animal Kingdom. I mentioned that Yak & Yeti and Tiffins are great, but the same is true of Boma and Sanaa, restaurants at the resort. In fact, the best overall value in the Animal Kingdom area might be at The Mara, a Quick Service restaurant with sublime cuisine.
Image: DisneySimilarly, guests at Hollywood Studios aren’t stuck at this park, which has the worst overall batch of restaurants in the eyes of most experts. You can jump on the Disney Skyliner and ride to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, home to Spyglass Grill, Centertown Market, and Sebastian’s Bistro.
Another option involves a gondola ride to the International Gateway. At this station, you’re close to Disney’s BoardWalk, which features a few good restaurants. I’m a huge fan of Trattoria al Forno, while the entire Disney community raves about Flying Fish Café. Some vacationers even prefer it to anything at the World Showcase.
The cons of dining at official Walt Disney World resorts
Image: DisneyI think it’s already obvious where I stand on this topic, but I don’t want to mislead anyone. Leaving the parks for a meal does come with disadvantages. You’re reliant on Disney transportation, which is mercurial on the best days and menacing on the worst.
Also, you’re ceding value park time when you leave. Your exit means that you’re traveling to a resort and then must travel back to the park afterward. In theme park terms, that’s legitimately at least one attraction if not two that you don’t get to do. So, the opportunity cost is steep.
Image: DisneyFinally, some Disney resort restaurants are somehow more crowded than the ones at the parks. As an example, Jungle Skipper Canteen delivers a consistently good meal at Magic Kingdom, yet it rarely has a wait. Conversely, Chef Mickey’s and ‘Ohana are always mobbed with people.
When you plan to escape the parks, you should do your homework. Figure out which resort restaurants aren’t crowded. Otherwise, you’re kind of defeating the purpose of getting away from the chaos. Then again, a delicious meal is its own reward, right?
Which option is better?
Image: DisneyMy answer is undoubtedly the resorts. While I do dine at several in-park restaurants, I estimate that I eat 70 percent of my meals outside the parks. However, I’m not trying to decide for you.
Here’s an exercise that I’d suggest. List the number of restaurants that you love at each park. Then, do the same for the resorts. I suspect that the results might stun you, although they shouldn’t. After all, Walt Disney World hosts four theme parks, while Disney operates more than 20 resorts. It’s a numbers game that the resorts win, at least in terms of quantity.
Quality is a more divisive topic. I’ve already stated that my favorite place is at Hollywood Studios, while my second-favorite is Kona Café, a resort restaurant. Out of my top 15 Disney restaurants, most of the best ones are at the resorts.
Image: DisneyI adore Boma, Olivia’s Café, Beaches & Cream, Chef Mickey’s, Grand Floridian Café, and breakfast at ‘Ohana. At the parks, I’m a frequent guest at Akershus, Rose & Crown Dining Room, Teppan Edo, and San Angel Inn.
You can already tell my perspective here. I believe that this discussion is a blowout if not for the World Showcase. So, I tend to take it out of the conversation and think of it as its own thing. Overall, I believe that Disney resorts narrowly win the quality debate, as well. But this aspect is much closer than the quantity discussion.
