Food-lovers, rejoice—buffets are making a comeback at Walt Disney World!
Buffets have long been a mainstay experience at the Most Magical Place on Earth–that changed dramatically with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, and not just at Disney parks. The return of buffets to restaurants around the world has long been a delicate issue, one Disney has had to navigate carefully. While many Disney dining locations switched over to a family-style menu during the pandemic, others closed entirely and have not yet reopened.
Guests have largely had mixed reactions to the “family style” switch at many former Disney buffet locations. On one hand, family style dining has definitely offered an improved option for reducing transmission of germs. The problem, however, is the shift has meant Disney has had to limit the once-expansive menus of their buffet restaurants, focusing only on the most popular dishes. This has proven a bit of a bummer for guests who had specific favorites at buffets, and it also can result in a lot of food wasted.
Fortunately, full buffets have started a steady return to Walt Disney World, and some are better than ever. Curious about the status of your favorite Disney buffet? Here’s what we’ve found so far…
1. Boma – OPEN!
Boma at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is not only one of Disney’s best buffets—it remains one of Disney’s best restaurants overall. Words cannot describe how excited we were to see this excellent restaurant reopen.
Boma remains the unsung gem of Disney’s buffet choices, standing out thanks to its vibrant selection of African delights. While finicky palettes can still find familiar favorites like roasted beef tenderloin, potatoes, and an incredible selection of breads, exotic flavors are the name of the game at Boma. Durban chicken, Senegalese salmon, lamb bobotie, ox tail soup, Tunisian couscous, and delicious chakalaka are just a few of the incredible options to try here. Their dessert selection also remains exceptional (and yes, Zebra Domes are back).
If you enjoy a wide range of flavors and trying new things, Boma remains one of the top dining experiences at Walt Disney World, and we are ecstatic to see this exceptional buffet back.
2. Tusker House – Family Style Only
Boma isn’t the only option for African food fans. Not far away over in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Tusker House has long been known as another excellent choice for exotic Disney dining, pairing a selection of international cuisine with visits from a whole cast of Disney classic characters. The menu at Tusker House has long carried a number of similarities to Boma, with a few differences in food options.
At this stage, Tusker House has not reopened its buffet, and it remains uncertain if it is going to any time soon. Like many former Disney buffets, Tusker House has switched over to a family style model, with a menu limited to bread and salad service, a selection of popular entrees like Moroccan-spiced beef, roasted herb chicken, Berber pork, and Cape Malay Green Curry Shrimp, and a dessert plate. While this isn’t a terrible selection, it falls far short of the restaurant’s normal expansive menu.
If character dining is your primary focus, Tusker House remains a good option for a unique modified character dining experience at Walt Disney World. For fans of the food, however, you are probably better off making a reservation at Boma if you want the full experience of African flavors.
3. 1900 Park Fare and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall – Still Closed
Located at Disney’s Grand Floridian, 1900 Park Fare has long been celebrated as one of Disney’s best breakfast buffets and character dining experiences. The location was particularly loved by Disney fans who wanted an experience like Crystal Palace with the upgrades of higher quality food, a beautiful setting, and interaction with unique characters.
Unfortunately, 1900 Park Fare remains one of Disney’s ongoing closures—while the restaurant was popular, it has yet to return as a priority among Disney’s dining options. While it is possible it could reopen this year, it seems like Disney is prioritizing other locations first since character dining remains complex at best.
It is also worth taking a moment to mention another popular princess-dining mainstay at Walt Disney World—Akershus Royal Banquet Hall over at Epcot’s Norway pavilion. Home to one of Disney’s best princess breakfasts, Akershus has remained closed throughout the pandemic except as a relaxation lounge and multi-purpose space. We are admittedly surprised this one has not returned yet due to the unique flavors and experience it offers. While there has been no news of a reopening yet, we are hopeful to hear some sort of update from this location soon.
4. Biergarten – OPEN!
“Eins, zwei, drei, gsuffa!”
If there is a second buffet we could not wait for Disney to bring back, it was Epcot’s Biergarten. This German dining extravaganza has held high marks as one of Disney’s best themed dining experiences for decades, with food so good, even my German-born Oma approved.
Biergarten was one of the first Disney buffets to reopen in the midst of the pandemic with a family-style menu. While the choices weren’t terrible, I’ll admit, I found the experience depressing compared to the smorgasbord of delights available with the normal buffet—a rich experience boiled down to the easiest sells, with some of the restaurant’s most unique options nowhere to be found.
We are thrilled to see the Biergarten back in its former glory with a full buffet, complete with many of the old missing favorites restored. If you enjoy rich flavors and hearty food, this remains one of our top recommendations at Walt Disney World.
5. Cape May Café – Buffet Returning Soon!
More good news! Things were looking a bit grim for seafood-lovers at Walt Disney World, particular for fans of the Yacht Club Resort’s Cape May Café. Another unsung hero of Disney dining, Cape May Café has long flown under the radar as a top destination for seafood thanks to its excellent crab-boil-style buffet.
The restaurant returned in the midst of the pandemic with a family style menu, and like many other Disney dining locations, the reactions from guests have been mixed, particularly in regards to extra charges for specific items that used to be common on the buffet. Guests reported that cast members seemed uncertain if the buffet would ever return in its original form.
Fortunately, Disney has made the announcement that along with the return of several exceptional dining locations like Jiko and Flying Fish, Cape May Café will be resuming buffet service as of February 15th. If you enjoy seafood, this is going to be a must-visit stop.
6. ‘Ohana – Family Style Only (No Characters)
‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Resort has long been another favorite among Disney regulars thanks to its impressive Hawaiian theming, character experiences, games, and luau-style buffet.
Following the remodel of the Polynesian Resort, ‘Ohana is welcoming guests once more with a modified experience. Like other Disney dining locations, the buffet has been adjusted to a family-style service. At this time, the main entrée skillet for dinner includes teriyaki beef, spicy peel and eat shrimp, Polynesian grilled chicken, ‘Ohana noodles, and roasted broccolini. The bread pudding has also survived as a dessert option.
Like Disney’s other modified buffets, ‘Ohana’s family style service seems to be garnering mixed results. Many guests are still reporting that the food is tasty, and the experience enjoyable—other longtime fans aren’t thrilled with the limited menu and changes to the recipes. There also is currently no character experience and games, which used to be a highlight of the restaurant.
For those who don’t mind the shifts, you may still have a good time at ‘Ohana. Die hard fans of the buffet, however, may want to wait until normal service is restored.
7. Ravello, Good Morning Breakfast with Goofy and His Pals – Pre-fixe Menu Only
Hidden away in Disney’s Golden Oak neighborhood at The Four Seasons Orlando, Ravello remains one of the best kept secrets at Walt Disney World, particularly thanks to its Good Morning Breakfast with Goofy and His Pals.
Prior to pandemic closures, food critics remarked that Ravello offered one of the best meals at Walt Disney World, specifically citing the Good Morning Breakfast. You could think of it as an elevated character breakfast buffet, with a wide selection of top-quality offerings including fresh waffles, acai bowls, gourmet frittatas, cheeses, a bakery spread, huevos rancheros, and more.
Ravello has reopened with a modified version of their popular character breakfast. At this point, the buffet does not appear to have returned, replaced with a pre-fixe menu featuring some of the most popular offerings from the original buffet. The price remains comparable with many of Disney’s character offerings, and the food continues to impress, so the pre-fixe version remains a worthwhile consideration for fans of both excellent food and character dining. Nonetheless, we hope to see this impressive buffet return soon.
8. Crystal Palace – OPEN! (No Characters)
Crystal Palace is, admittedly, a surprisingly controversial one to include for some people’s lists of favorite Disney buffets. It definitely has become well-known as a beloved experience for families visiting Disney’s Magic Kingdom. I fondly remember many visits both at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in my younger years. Just thinking about it makes me crave Mickey waffles.
The food, however, has sometimes been regarded as hit or miss, which has earned Crystal Palace its fair share of criticism compared with some of Disney’s more consistent buffet offerings.
An icon is an icon, and Disney recently announced the full reopening of Crystal Palace, including buffet service. The only change is that character interactions have not returned yet. For families who prefer a straightforward breakfast or lunch and want to enjoy an iconic Disney experience with family, Crystal Palace remains a worthwhile option to consider. For those particular about where you want to spend your dining budget, it may still be worth looking elsewhere. Nonetheless, it is a promising sign to see one of Disney’s most popular buffets return.
9. Chef Mickeys – Family Style Only
In the same vein as Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey’s is another iconic Disney buffet that often garners mixed reviews from fans. Many celebrate it as one of Disney’s most classic dining experiences, and there’s no shortage of families who thoroughly enjoy their visits. At the same time, Chef Mickey’s isn’t for everyone—it can be quite a loud place, and while the food generally garners good reviews, that isn’t always the case.
Despite ongoing construction at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Chef Mickey’s is open and welcoming guests with a modified character dining experience. Running with the common theme on this list, the buffet has been adjusted to family style, and the reactions have proven similar to many of Disney’s other attempts. Some people have reported really enjoying the family style experience as it removed some of the stress from navigating Chef Mickey’s uniquely-bustling buffet environment. Others have lamented the reduction of choices.
Due to its popularity, Chef Mickey’s does offer some unique challenges Disney will have to overcome before reinstating the buffet. We would be surprised, however, if we didn’t hear some updates on this front over the next year.
10. Trail’s End Restaurant – Family Style Only
Our journey through Disney’s most popular buffets concludes appropriately at Trails End Restaurant at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. While not as popular as Crystal Palace or Chef Mickey’s, Trail’s End has long held a special place for many Disney regulars as one of the best values for a quality family meal on Disney property. The restaurant’s Southern-style food is known for being flavorful, abundant, and crowd pleasing.
Trail’s End Restaurant continues to serve guests with a modified family style skillet service for both breakfast and dinner. The breakfast service includes pastries, parfaits, and skillets piled with brisket, eggs, waffles, bacon, sausage, and a cheesy potato casserole. The dinner version features a range of smokehouse favorites, including brisket, chicken, Andouille sausage, green beans, potatoes, and corn.
While some guests still lament the absence of the choices on the buffet, the family style service at Trail’s End Restaurant appears to have largely been well-received, and it’s possible Disney may not change that format any time soon.
What is your favorite buffet at Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook! Thanks for reading!
