Quick Service Bests and Busts
Walt Disney World has two main categories of dining: Table Service and Quick Service.
Table Service requires an Advanced Dining Reservation and you are seated and served by a server. Quick Service is more your Disney-style fast food, which could range from McDonald's style counter service to Panera style hybrid of counter and table service. If you don't want to plan ahead and make ADR's, quick service is where you are going to often find yourself... and there is a vast variety of quality.
Today I'm going to provide some of my personal favorites as well as some that are consistently rated highly by guests, park by park.
Magic Kingdom
Personal Favorites:
Gaston's Tavern - This serves more snack style food than meals, but even so, the snacks you will find here are outstanding. Let's start with Lefou's brew, which is a frozen slushie type concoction of apple juice and toasted marshmallows and is basically amazing and unique. You can also get a cinnamon roll that is sized for sharing and is one of the best around, or a stuffed pretzel. They even have macarons.
Casey's Corner - Listen, I don't know what it is about Disney all beef hot dogs, but they hit the spot for me and I know they were grilled carefully and fresh because, well, I used to do that when I was in the College Program (but not at Casey's). The location of Casey's corner can't be beat, the food is All American, the atmosphere is adorable, and the hot dog fixin' bar is all important.
Be Our Guest - This makes the list for its ambiance and its service style which is more like Panera where you order, take a buzzer, find a table, and your food is magically brought to you. You do, however, need an ADR for this quick service location. The croque monsieur is where it's at.
Other highly rated spots:
Columbia Harbour House - For its nice view from the second story of Liberty Square, and its fish menu which is different than your typical burger and fries. It's not the best fish ever, but if you like fried fish, it's a nice divergence from the usual.
Pecos Bill's - For its toppings bar which you can use for your tacos, nachos, or burgers.
Place I would never set foot in again:
Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe - The food is not bad, but it is pretty normal burger and fries stuff for the most part. Also, the location puts it right in a very busy hub of activity and the lines are, well, out of this world. When I think of Disney Quick Service hell, I think of this. Disney claims the draw is the lounge singer/robot Sonny Eclipse, but I just see an old animatronic. Sorry, Disney, not in love.
EPCOT
Personal favorites:
Boulangerie Patisserie - Found in France in World Showcase, this is a pastry lover's dream with both savory and sweet pastries and coffee drinks available. And we're not talking cake donuts here. We are talking French pastries, all laid out in their crispy bready glory in glass cases for you to ogle at until ultimately choosing one or two or five that make you drool.
Katsura Grill - in the Japan pavilion, this is a great place to get a nice square meal of hibachi grilled meat along with some Japanese sides. The food is good, and different, and I've never been disappointed, but I think the real reason this makes the list is that the gardens outside this location are so peaceful and this is a great place to get some food when camping out by the Torii gate waiting for the fireworks to begin.
Tangierine Cafe - in the Morocco pavilion, this is where you can get shawarma or kefta. I would rate the food here very highly, but also the portions are huge, and for many, it's a chance to try something they may not have tried before.
Also highly rated:
Sunshine Seasons - This used to be a personal fave as well but they discontinued a few menu items that kept me coming back, so I've moved my dining habits to World Showcase for now. However, this is a large quick service location with lots of seating inside and several stations of different types of food, a lot of which can be plant based if that's what you are looking for. But there is also a rotisserie grill if that's what you are looking for. Generally, healthy food to please most tastes.
Kringla Bakeri Og Cafe - in the Norway pavilion. People rave about the school bread. I'm not personally in love with it, but it's one of those things you have to try once.
Place I will never set foot in again:
Electric Umbrella - Yawn yawn yawn. This place lacks atmosphere and the menu is not at all inspired - burgers, pizza, and nuggets with a few gems but nothing to write home about. Pick it up and put it down in Disney Hollywood Studios and we might be talking, but as far as quick service goes at EPCOT, this is a rock in a sea of diamonds.
Disney Hollywood Studios:
Personal Favorite:
Anaheim Produce - Aside from the mega popular quick service locations in Toy Story Land and Galaxy's Edge, this is the one place I've found to be consistently OK at DHS. I honestly don't find a lot of good options at this park but the new options that opened this year look better. Anaheim produce is honestly more of a snack place, and the key here is simplicity. You can't screw it up if it's a piece of fruit or a soft pretzel.
Also highly rated:
Docking Bay 7 - Lots of interesting dishes here, similar to those found at another favorite, Satuli Canteen in Animal Kingdom. The only problem right now is it's pretty busy, which is the same problem for the next new favorite.
Woody's Lunchbox - This is the fan favorite at Disney Hollywood Studios. People like it for the elevated sandwiches but also for the tarts which are like pop tarts, but way better.
Place I will never set foot in again:
ABC Commissary - I feel like this is where people go to eat when they don't know where else to eat. It's basically a huge cafeteria. It reminds me of a hospital. It lacks atmosphere again, and is mostly salads and burgers.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Personal Favorites:
Satuli Canteen - Innovative dishes made with fresh ingredients including build your own grain bowls and bao. Desserts are inventive and table service quality. And this is where you will find some of the best plating and presentation at a quick service location... everything is made to look a little alien so, of course, it's beautiful.
Flame Tree Barbecue - Aside from being great barbecue, the servings here are huge and the seating area is possibly the most picturesque place you can sit at Animal Kingdom, on shady terraces overlooking the river with a lovely view of Disney's version of Everest. Also, mobile ordering! You should use it at both of the aforementioned places to avoid long lines. It makes things so much easier.
Also highly rated:
Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafe - Yak and Yeti is interesting in that it is both a Table Service restaurant, and has a food window for quick service food. This is a good place for Asian food like honey chicken, egg rolls, and tikka masala.
Place I will never set foot in again:
Restaurantosaurus - It's burgers and chicken nuggets and it used to literally be a McDonalds, and now I think it's a McDonalds in disguise. Either way, with all the great options at Animal Kingdom, skip this. Other places will have things your kids like too. I promise.
Outside of the Parks
This section includes some of my favorite quick service places at resorts and Disney Springs, in no particular order.
Earl of Sandwich, Disney Springs - Hands down my favorite place at Disney Springs, though popular opinion also favors D-Luxe burger and Wolfgang Puck Express. I like the efficiency of Earl of Sandwich and how the sandwich has been heightened to a gourmet experience here. Big sandwiches, quick, and tasty.
El Mercado de Coronado, Coronado Springs Resort - Every resort has some sort of cafeteria style food court, but this is one of my favorites. The variety is very good and I enjoy the build your own pasta/sandwich/pizza rotating opportunities. There are also other pastas, salads, pizzas, burgers, tacos, and grilled meets.
Sassagoula Floatworks, Port Orleans French Quarter - No, I'm not selecting this location because of its name. In fact, it's more the other way around! I love this food court because it is one that really has a sense of place. Nestled in a resort designed to mimic the French Quarter of New Orleans, you will find some New Orleans favorites here like daily Po' Boys, Jambalaya, Gumbo, and, my favorite, beignets! In fact, I've taken a detour to this food court JUST for the beignets even when not staying here.
Also highly rated:
Landscape of Flavors, Art of Animation Resort - There are a lot of choices here and the food itself is rated very highly.
Next time you are wondering where you are going to find your next meal (and where to avoid), I hope I've got you covered. Disagree with me? Or want to add something to the list? Leave a comment! Until next time...
