Scenario 1: It’s 3 o’clock. You’ve been at the parks since rope drop. You’re exhausted and hungry and you want to sit down somewhere cool and grab something to eat.
Scenario 2: It’s 3 o’clock, there are minimal wait times, and you’re in the middle of tackling every ride in Tomorrowland. The last thing you want to do is stop and sit down for a meal, so where can you grab something quick?
Whether you’re part of the first group or the second, finding the best places to eat at Magic Kingdom can be tough, especially considering how many options there are for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So, to help, we took the guessing out of it! Here’s a list of the best places to eat at Magic Kingdom (as well as which ones you should definitely avoid).
How Many Restaurants Are at Magic Kingdom?
There are a total of 31 places to grab something to eat in Magic Kingdom, with eight of them being table service locations and the remaining all quick service dining locations.
To make it easier for you to plan your Walt Disney World vacation, we’ve broken these restaurants up by best and worst table service and quick service locations (and why). Let’s get started:
Disney World Table Service vs. Quick Service (What’s the Difference?)
Before we get into the best table service restaurants at Magic Kingdom, what does table service actually mean? Table service at Magic Kingdom is the equivalent of a regular restaurant where you will be asked to take a seat and order food off a menu.
However, at Disney, table service could also refer to a restaurant that has a buffet, such as the Crystal Palace.
Quick service, on the other hand, is when you will place your order at a kiosk and bring it back to your table or elsewhere throughout the park. For example, though you can order one of those tasty, oversized warm cinnamon rolls from Gaston’s Tavern and take a seat inside, you can also get it to go and sit outside or devour it while walking to the next attraction.
Best Table Service Restaurants in Magic Kingdom
Now that we’ve got the lingo down, here are the best table service restaurants in Magic Kingdom:
Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Price: $35-$59.99 (breakfast), over $60 (lunch and dinner)
- Advanced Reservation? Yes
- Mobile Order: No
I feel like Cinderella’s Royal Table is one of those table service restaurants that guests either really love or really hate and truthfully I can understand the points made from both sides of the aisle. In terms of price, it’s by far the most expensive restaurant at Magic Kingdom. However, in terms of food, theming, and overall experience, this restaurant knocks it out of the park.
The inside of the restaurant makes you feel like you’re one of Cinderella’s guests and the view over Fantasyland is unlike anything you’ll see anywhere else in the park. Traditionally, this restaurant offered character dining with Cinderella and several of her princess friends, but this has been temporarily suspended due to the ongoing pandemic. Because of this loss, many guests don’t believe it’s worth the price, but if you can deal without the walk around characters, this is still a great dining option. I recommend trying it at least once.
Read more: Cinderella’s Royal Table Dinner Review
Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
- Price: $15-$34.99
- Advanced Reservation? Yes
- Mobile Order: No
Located a hop and a skip (see what I did there?) away from the famed Jungle Cruise ride, Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen continues the story, as those same skippers have jumped ship and opened up their own restaurant.
The restaurant is quirky in the same way the Jungle Cruise is kind of quirky. It has three rooms (the Jungle Room, the S.E.A. Room, and the Mess Hall). The food served here was inspired by all the skippers’ adventures and features a lot of African, Latin, and Asian staples.
While advanced dining reservations are suggested, I’ve been able to snag walk-up reservations here. Despite how good the food is here, it tends to get overshadowed a lot so I’ve never really had a long wait time.
The Crystal Palace
- Price: $35-$59.99
- Advanced Reservation: Yes
- Mobile Order: No
I may be a little biased, but I’m always up for a meal at the Crystal Palace. Like Be Our Guest and Cinderella’s Royal Table, this is also a character location that features Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore.
For breakfast, you can enjoy popular staples such as freshly prepared eggs, pancakes, and biscuits and gravy. Dinner includes fried chicken, prime rib, shrimp creole, and fresh seasonal vegetables. Meals here are buffet style and a selection of beer and wines are now available for purchase.
While the food here isn’t anything to write home about, it’s a great option right now if you have young children, considering the other character locations either only have characters available during certain times (like the Beast only appearing at Be Our Guest for dinner) or are still operating on a modified schedule like Cinderella's Royal Table.
Liberty Tree Tavern
- Price: $35-$59.99
- Advanced Reservation? Yes
- Mobile Order: No
If you’ve ever wanted to enjoy a tasty Thanksgiving-inspired dinner while at Disney, you’re in luck because that’s exactly the kind of dining experience you get at Liberty Tree Tavern.
The food here is served family style, which means you’ll serve yourself. Only available for lunch and dinner, this restaurant serves a variety of delicious food, including the Patriot’s Platter which includes pot roast, mashed potatoes, roasted turkey, stuffing, and macaroni and cheese. They also have a vegan option in the Impossible Meatloaf as well as a variety of specialty cocktails.
Each of the six rooms is themed to an important figure in history including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Paul Revere. But trust us - you don’t have to be a history buff to love this restaurant.
It’s one that definitely flies under the radar and you may not even realize you’re passing it while you cross through Liberty Square to get to the Haunted Mansion. But, if you can, this is a dining experience I highly recommend having - just be sure to make a reservation for later in the evening. It’s a lot of food to eat and eating too early could make you really sluggish for the rest of the day.
The Diamond Horseshoe
- Price: $35-$59.99
- Advanced Reservation? Yes
- Mobile Order: No
If you wanted to try the Liberty Tavern, but couldn’t because it was all booked up, you can enjoy the same menu at the Diamond Horseshoe (only here it’s referred to as the Saloon Feast).
Also located in Liberty Square, the Diamond Horseshoe offers a relaxing, unique dining experience. Set to the theme of an Old West music hall, this restaurant is also only open for lunch and dinner.
Like Liberty Tree Tavern, this restaurant is better suited for late-night meals.
The Plaza Restaurant
- Price: $15-$34.99
- Advanced Reservation? Yes
- Mobile Order: No
If there’s one word to describe the Plaza Restaurant on Main Street, U.S.A, it’s opulence. This charming little eatery can be found at the end of Main Street, U.S.A. serving up tasty dishes such as seared crab cakes, chili, meatloaf, hamburgers, and salads.
Though the menu isn’t super unique in terms of the meals served, what makes it rank as high as it does is that, depending on where you sit, you can get spectacular views of Cinderella Castle. Plus, out of all the table service locations in Magic Kingdom, the Plaza Restaurant is one of the most affordable.
My personal recommendation is to try and snag a reservation during the fireworks. That way you’re still enjoying the show but not having to deal with all the large crowds.
Worst Table Service Restaurants in Magic Kingdom
…And now we find ourselves on the other side of this list: the worst table service locations in all of Magic Kingdom. The good news is that there, thankfully, aren’t many. The bad news is that we listed one of the most popular restaurants here. Keep reading to find out why.
Be Our Guest Restaurant
- Price: over $37 (ages 3-9), over $60 (ages 9 and up)
- Advanced Reservation? Yes.
- Mobile Order: No
I hate to put Be Our Guest Restaurant on this list because I know many people love it, but considering how immersive the theming is and the marketing surrounding it, the experience leaves a lot to be desired in terms of quality. The restaurant has three exquisitely themed rooms including the West Wing, Grand Ballroom, and Castle Gallery.
First and foremost, lunch costs at least $60 per person. Those are dinner prices, and the idea of a family of four spending over $200 just for lunch seems so ridiculous, even by Disney standards. Furthermore, the menu only offers a prix fixe, 3-course meal with options such as potato leek soup with caviar, filet mignon or fish, and small, bite-sized desserts. Children can choose from chicken and macaroni and cheese.
Second, breakfast is served with the same kind of paper cups you’d get at the All-Star Resorts. I’m not trying to complain, but for the amount of money you’re paying, you’d think they’d stay true to luxury theming throughout. Overall, this restaurant just really misses the mark for me, and truthfully, for a lot of people from what I've heard over the years.
Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
- Price: $15-$34.99
- Advanced Reservation? Yes
- Mobile Order: No
I feel like this is one of those restaurants where if you know, you know. Part of me really hates to put this restaurant here because the theming of it is so cute. Sadly, not even a Lady and the Tramp theme is enough to save this disaster of a restaurant.
The reason why is that the food is just genuinely not good. It’s gotten better over the years, but Tony’s Town Square Restaurant leaves a LOT to be desired in terms of taste, which is a shame because it serves large portions of spaghetti and meatballs, fettuccine alfredo, and chicken parm.
In my opinion, what ends up hurting Tony’s Town Square Restaurant is the fact that a lot of guests have high expectations of good Italian food, and end up just being let down by the quality here. It’s like the Olive Garden of Walt Disney World.
While this isn’t a restaurant that ranks high on my list, it’s cute for lunch and I think everyone should try it at least once. As I said, the quality has been steadily improving - I just think there are better, more affordable choices in Magic Kingdom.
Best Quick Service Locations in Magic Kingdom
Jumping to the best quick service locations in Magic Kingdom, the good news is that there are A LOT of them. This is good news for your tastebuds and bad news for your wallet.
Aloha Isle
- Price: $14.99 and under
- Advanced Reservation? No
- Mobile Order: No
If you’ve followed my other articles or even on Instagram (hi @courtstorymania, follow me, let’s be friends), then you’re probably not going to be surprised by my first ranking: Aloha Isle.
Located in Adventureland right near the Enchanted Tiki Room, Aloha Isle serves a variety of tasty pineapple-infused treats including Dole whip, Dole whip floats, and other specialty drinks such as the Pierre Mon Ami Float and Tropical Serenade. These options switch up during the year, so there's always something new and tropical to try and fall in love with.
Casey’s Corner
