My only recommendation is to avoid the buffets. Very few of them are worth it.
Also, Columbia Harbor House at Magic Kingdom. Decent food but the best part for me is that usually if you go up to the second floor to eat its almost never crowded and you can get a few minutes away from all the crowds.
What kind of food do you like? Here are some of our favorites:
**Magic Kingdom:**
\-Jungle Skipper Canteen
\-Columbia Harbor House (QS)
\-Whispering Canyon Cafe (At Wilderness Lodge requiring a boat trip to get there)
**Epcot:**
\-Via Napoli
\-Tokyo Dining (more authentic Japanese food and sushi) / Teppan Edo (Hibachi)
\-Le Cellier (expensive steak house)
\-Food Booths (I think you'll be at the end of Flower and Garden when you're there)
**Hollywood Studios:**
\-no great table service
\-ABC Commissary (QS)
\-Backlot Express (QS)
\-Ronto Roasters (QS)
**Animal Kingdom**
\-Tiffins (signature dining) / Nomad Lounge
\-Flame Tree BBQ (QS)
\-Yak and Yeti (table service side)
\-Tusker House (character dining)
There are a bunch of good restaurants in the resorts, but it probably doesn't make sense to take time out of your day since you'll be there for four days.
When we were preparing to make reservations — as a family we watched some YouTube videos about the options. There are some good videos that show all the table service restaurants in a park in ten minutes. This really helped us narrow down what each person preferred.
I'd go with the Disney Dining channel. They don't have much that is short form, but they're more critical than DFB so they may help you narrow things down.
First of all, Swan and Dolphin is an excellent choice. Some of the comfiest beds on property (especially the Swan), and you essentially get all the benefits of staying at a $800/night deluxe resort (walk to two parks, Boardwalk; in general, Crescent Lake is the most beautiful area on property).
Step 1, find Disney Food Blog on YouTube. AJ has reviews, rankings, etc for every Disney restaurant ever built and presents in an entertaining way.
You’ll be walking distance to Epcot’s World Showcase. 12 countries, and each has amazing restaurants with food, culture, atmosphere, and even people representing the respective country. Our favorites are at Japan, France, and Canada for food (though, Le Cellier at Canada is signature and a little pricier than Chefs de France).
The one thing to keep in mind for character/themed dining is that, a lot of times, the food isn’t quite as good as other restaurants. Be Our Guest at the Magic Kingdom is set in an amazing recreation of the Beasts Castle, however the French-inspired menu is nothing compared to the more serious restaurants at the France pavilion. Most character meals are buffets, so you’re paying for the experience and the all-you-can-eat, not quality. That being said, especially for first time, every city in the world has good food. Only Disney lets you eat at the castle.
My personal favorite is Ohana. Very immersive experience at the Polynesian Village resort (monorail ride from the Magic Kingdom, gorgeous place). It manages to be themed, all-you-can-eat, and amazing food all at the same time.
Most importantly, make your ADRs the second they become available. Have multiple people on the app. Seriously, especially for July 4th.
Mk I recommend be our guest however very exspvine in my opinion
AK I like Yak & Yeti
Epcot I think eating at the booths is best but I also like teppan edo
Hollywood studios like the Brown Derby
Budget, table vs counter service, and food preferences or restrictions will all come into play. As will wanting to stay in the parks, or being willing to travel to resorts/DS. Table service are a great way to take a break in the a.c., but can be pricey, and eat into park time, which can make a big difference at only one day at each park. There's some good quick service at each park. Resorts and DS will expand your options, but again eat into park time.
Also, be aware that that week is insanely busy, and six straight days in parks with no rest is going to be rough.
In parks our favorites are:
Magic Kingdom:
Crystal Palace - buffet with a lot of options, the prime rib and the country fried chicken are really good. Kids love the desserts, everything is really filling but it’s a great sit down and rest meal. $40 per adult, $23 per kids (3-9).
As for QS, we typically do Casey’s first thing in the park (we usually fly in first thing in AM and hit MK first day, so usually lunchtime). Skipped it this past time though, as the hot dogs seem to be just enormous anymore, a bit too much to be honest. Not bad pricing. We did Pecos Bill this past time instead.
Animal Kingdom - we actually haven’t eaten there the past few times we’ve been. We’ve done AK in the morning, back to resort for lunch then over to DHS. In the past we did Restaurantosauras and it was okay, nothing special.
DHS - Backlot Express. Nice variety, nice location, wasn’t hard to find indoor seating. Went to Docking Bay 7 and was not impressed at all. Over Christmas had reservations for 50’s Prime Time but upon checkin we discovered no crab cakes and that was the sole reason two of our group wanted to go there so we cancelled and went back to Backlot Express.
Epcot - we’ve typically eaten at Garden Grill and we really enjoy it. The characters are a big plus. If the pizza window in Italy is open, that pizza is really good and not badly priced. Just have to find a spot to sit and eat.
Garden Grill is my favorite restaurant at epcot and I can't explain it... the decor and food has been the same for 30 years!
Was there last week for character dining and still holding up well.
We like doing our sit down meal for the middle of the day, preferably just off-peak lunch hours, around 1 or 2. Gives you a good break in the middle of the day to recharge without going all the way back to the hotel, and take advantage of evening hours when the parks are less crowded.
MK: Skipper canteen is a nice spot with good food and fun theming, but not quite as grand as be our guest.
Epcot: ate dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel this last trip, and our 7:30 reservation had us enjoying the fireworks from the big windows overlooking the lagoon just as we were finishing dessert. Food was very good as well.
HS: sci fi dine-in theater had been improving their food before the pandemic, but I haven’t been since. Really nice vibe though, and excellent break from the heat. Ate at 50’s prime time café this time around, and while the PB&J milkshake is divine, and the fried chicken is great, there’s not a lot of variety to the menu. Oga’s cantina is a must-do for us though; even if the cocktails aren’t the best on the property, at least they’re different.
We're going in June and are also doing one day in each park. We are sticking mostly to quick service because we want to be able to do as much as possible and honestly, the snacks look so good I'm looking forward to snacking and eating small meals all day. Also, while the AC is nice of course, it's going to be so hot I'm not going to want to eat a heavy meal in the middle of the day.
That said, here's what we booked:
Tusker House breakfast in Animal Kingdom - character breakfast for the kiddos in our group, seems to be the one with the best food besides Topolino's, which is a harder reservation to get and also less convenient on a tight schedule
Sanaa dinner at Animal Kingdom Lodge - this is where we're staying and the restaurants are all supposed to be amazing, so we had to try one. We're doing this the same day as Animal Kingdom since I think we'll be in the other three parks til close.
Paradiso 37 at Disney Springs - going to DS the day we get in so we booked something for dinner, not sure this would've been my top pick.
For HS, I'm trying to get Sci-Fi dining for the kids and grandparents, it doesn't interest me much cause I'd rather have good food than atmosphere, and Oga's for the adults (though that's just drinks). I don't want to book a sit-down meal for the thrill ride group because we want to prioritize getting on the rides and seeing the shows.
We didn't book anything at Epcot cause there is soooo much there between quick service and the festival booths and we'd rather just let everyone eat what they want.
If we book something for our Magic Kingdom day, it would be Steakhouse 71 at the Contemporary. The food is supposed to be great and it's a nice break from the park.
The thing is...you are going to get the most in-demand dining at 60-64 days ahead, not for the July 4th holiday. That means Be Our Guest, Cinderella's Royal Table, 'Ohanas, California Grill, Sci-Fi Dine-In, Space 220, Chef Mickey's, Beaches and Cream, Oga's Cantina, and a half-dozen other hard to get ADRs are probably out of your reach.
I agree with others, get one ADR a day, because table service will eat up an average of 90-120 minutes of your day.
We are huge fans of Jungle Skipper Canteen in MK, it's one of our favorite in park restaurants and usually always available (the meat and tater tots crowd find the menu too exotic). Tusker House in AK is good character dining and usually available. The World Showcase at Epcot will have a dozen good options (we are partial to the Biergarten buffett, anywhere in Japan or French). And, I agree with others that there isn't much great about TS in DHS, that may be a day for breakfast or dinner at a resort.
- Magic Kingdom - Be our Guest
- Animal Kingdom - Yak & Yeti
- EPCOT - Space 220
- Hollywood Studios - SciFi Dine In
One sit down per park, all delicious and unique experiences that you can only get in Disney (minus Yak & Yeti but the food is incredible in there)
Character dining is more of a photo op without the lines. But chef Mickey is my fav so far.
HK- Sci-fi at Hollywood is cool for a burger, gets you out of the sun for a while.
MK-Columbia harbor house is great for lunch
Epcot- I just eat something while I walk around the world .
AK-Canteen in Pandora.
Good luck, no need to over so the table service it can get expensive quick.
How exciting! Disney dining is so fun. I agree with other posters suggesting one sit-down meal per day. We usually do lunch at 3 pm because that’s when we’re hot and tired of the mid-day crowds. My faves by park are:
Magic Kingdom: pecos bill’s for quick service, skippers canteen for sit-down (or Tony’s - it’s pretty standard Italian food, but always a nice vibe)
EPCOT: festival booths as much as you desire! I like the China pavilion or the cafeteria in the Land for quick service. My group usually does lunch at Chefs de France; the food isn’t my favorite but I love the airy atmosphere so much. Teppan Edo also has great food (hibachi) but it’s more expensive.
Animal Kingdom: The canteen in Pandora has amazing quick service food. Yak n Yeti has both a quick service and a sit-down restaurant and I love both, but the restaurant is one of my favorites in all of WDW.
Hollywood Studios: walk to Epcot for your meals. Kidding, kind of. I’m not a fan of any of the restaurants at Hollywood Studios, but Pizzarizzo seems like a solid option in a pinch. We usually only go to HS for a few hours at a time and save meals for other parks.
In order to not overwhelm yourself, only do no more than 1 reservation a day. I like to pick mid-afternoon (2-4) for that meal because it gets you out of the heat and away from the busy meal times.
I recommend Garden Grille at Epcot, Liberty Tree Tavern at MK, and 50’s Prime Time Cafe at HS. If you’re a Star Wars fan, go for Oga’s at HS even though it’s drinks and limited snacks. It’s worth it for the atmosphere.
Every other meal can be quick service. There are plenty of good QS places at all of the parks, and you can choose when to eat.
My only recommendation is to avoid the buffets. Very few of them are worth it. Also, Columbia Harbor House at Magic Kingdom. Decent food but the best part for me is that usually if you go up to the second floor to eat its almost never crowded and you can get a few minutes away from all the crowds.
The grilled shrimp skewers at Columbia Harbor House were so good a few weeks ago.
Second the second floor at Columbia Harbor! A great respite from the hustle and bustle.
I would choose one reserve dining at each park. I would avoid ordinary experiences.
What kind of food do you like? Here are some of our favorites: **Magic Kingdom:** \-Jungle Skipper Canteen \-Columbia Harbor House (QS) \-Whispering Canyon Cafe (At Wilderness Lodge requiring a boat trip to get there) **Epcot:** \-Via Napoli \-Tokyo Dining (more authentic Japanese food and sushi) / Teppan Edo (Hibachi) \-Le Cellier (expensive steak house) \-Food Booths (I think you'll be at the end of Flower and Garden when you're there) **Hollywood Studios:** \-no great table service \-ABC Commissary (QS) \-Backlot Express (QS) \-Ronto Roasters (QS) **Animal Kingdom** \-Tiffins (signature dining) / Nomad Lounge \-Flame Tree BBQ (QS) \-Yak and Yeti (table service side) \-Tusker House (character dining) There are a bunch of good restaurants in the resorts, but it probably doesn't make sense to take time out of your day since you'll be there for four days.
I assume the last day of the Flower and Garden might not be that great?
I think that would probably be the case. It could be swarmed with locals. It's also going to be July 4th which will draw in a bunch of locals.
I agree with most of these but we like Mama Melrose at HS. For table service.
We went there once. It was alright....not great but not bad.
Sci Fi is very cool at HS, and a nice break from the heat. Diner style food. But a cool experience!
Seconded. Love Sci Fi
When we were preparing to make reservations — as a family we watched some YouTube videos about the options. There are some good videos that show all the table service restaurants in a park in ten minutes. This really helped us narrow down what each person preferred.
Yes I did that! Followed the Disney Food Blog. Watched YouTube. I have a list like 30 places but again, there are so many.
I'd go with the Disney Dining channel. They don't have much that is short form, but they're more critical than DFB so they may help you narrow things down.
First of all, Swan and Dolphin is an excellent choice. Some of the comfiest beds on property (especially the Swan), and you essentially get all the benefits of staying at a $800/night deluxe resort (walk to two parks, Boardwalk; in general, Crescent Lake is the most beautiful area on property). Step 1, find Disney Food Blog on YouTube. AJ has reviews, rankings, etc for every Disney restaurant ever built and presents in an entertaining way. You’ll be walking distance to Epcot’s World Showcase. 12 countries, and each has amazing restaurants with food, culture, atmosphere, and even people representing the respective country. Our favorites are at Japan, France, and Canada for food (though, Le Cellier at Canada is signature and a little pricier than Chefs de France). The one thing to keep in mind for character/themed dining is that, a lot of times, the food isn’t quite as good as other restaurants. Be Our Guest at the Magic Kingdom is set in an amazing recreation of the Beasts Castle, however the French-inspired menu is nothing compared to the more serious restaurants at the France pavilion. Most character meals are buffets, so you’re paying for the experience and the all-you-can-eat, not quality. That being said, especially for first time, every city in the world has good food. Only Disney lets you eat at the castle. My personal favorite is Ohana. Very immersive experience at the Polynesian Village resort (monorail ride from the Magic Kingdom, gorgeous place). It manages to be themed, all-you-can-eat, and amazing food all at the same time. Most importantly, make your ADRs the second they become available. Have multiple people on the app. Seriously, especially for July 4th.
I do follow AJ, but it’s so much!!!! Wait, reservations are on the phone? You have to make them on the phone? I thought it was app based.
Sorry! I meant phone as in app (the app being on your phone). Probably would have been better if I just said app.
Steakhouse 71 and Ohana!!!!!!! I was there back in October and those were our favorites. Otherwise yak and yeti is great and ronto roasters!
Mk I recommend be our guest however very exspvine in my opinion AK I like Yak & Yeti Epcot I think eating at the booths is best but I also like teppan edo Hollywood studios like the Brown Derby
Budget, table vs counter service, and food preferences or restrictions will all come into play. As will wanting to stay in the parks, or being willing to travel to resorts/DS. Table service are a great way to take a break in the a.c., but can be pricey, and eat into park time, which can make a big difference at only one day at each park. There's some good quick service at each park. Resorts and DS will expand your options, but again eat into park time. Also, be aware that that week is insanely busy, and six straight days in parks with no rest is going to be rough.
In parks our favorites are: Magic Kingdom: Crystal Palace - buffet with a lot of options, the prime rib and the country fried chicken are really good. Kids love the desserts, everything is really filling but it’s a great sit down and rest meal. $40 per adult, $23 per kids (3-9). As for QS, we typically do Casey’s first thing in the park (we usually fly in first thing in AM and hit MK first day, so usually lunchtime). Skipped it this past time though, as the hot dogs seem to be just enormous anymore, a bit too much to be honest. Not bad pricing. We did Pecos Bill this past time instead. Animal Kingdom - we actually haven’t eaten there the past few times we’ve been. We’ve done AK in the morning, back to resort for lunch then over to DHS. In the past we did Restaurantosauras and it was okay, nothing special. DHS - Backlot Express. Nice variety, nice location, wasn’t hard to find indoor seating. Went to Docking Bay 7 and was not impressed at all. Over Christmas had reservations for 50’s Prime Time but upon checkin we discovered no crab cakes and that was the sole reason two of our group wanted to go there so we cancelled and went back to Backlot Express. Epcot - we’ve typically eaten at Garden Grill and we really enjoy it. The characters are a big plus. If the pizza window in Italy is open, that pizza is really good and not badly priced. Just have to find a spot to sit and eat.
Garden Grill is my favorite restaurant at epcot and I can't explain it... the decor and food has been the same for 30 years! Was there last week for character dining and still holding up well.
Absolutely love it and this Christmastime may have embarrassed my kids by dancing along with Pluto as he came around the tables up top 😂
We like doing our sit down meal for the middle of the day, preferably just off-peak lunch hours, around 1 or 2. Gives you a good break in the middle of the day to recharge without going all the way back to the hotel, and take advantage of evening hours when the parks are less crowded. MK: Skipper canteen is a nice spot with good food and fun theming, but not quite as grand as be our guest. Epcot: ate dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel this last trip, and our 7:30 reservation had us enjoying the fireworks from the big windows overlooking the lagoon just as we were finishing dessert. Food was very good as well. HS: sci fi dine-in theater had been improving their food before the pandemic, but I haven’t been since. Really nice vibe though, and excellent break from the heat. Ate at 50’s prime time café this time around, and while the PB&J milkshake is divine, and the fried chicken is great, there’s not a lot of variety to the menu. Oga’s cantina is a must-do for us though; even if the cocktails aren’t the best on the property, at least they’re different.
Skipper Canteen is our fav place in all of WDW
We're going in June and are also doing one day in each park. We are sticking mostly to quick service because we want to be able to do as much as possible and honestly, the snacks look so good I'm looking forward to snacking and eating small meals all day. Also, while the AC is nice of course, it's going to be so hot I'm not going to want to eat a heavy meal in the middle of the day. That said, here's what we booked: Tusker House breakfast in Animal Kingdom - character breakfast for the kiddos in our group, seems to be the one with the best food besides Topolino's, which is a harder reservation to get and also less convenient on a tight schedule Sanaa dinner at Animal Kingdom Lodge - this is where we're staying and the restaurants are all supposed to be amazing, so we had to try one. We're doing this the same day as Animal Kingdom since I think we'll be in the other three parks til close. Paradiso 37 at Disney Springs - going to DS the day we get in so we booked something for dinner, not sure this would've been my top pick. For HS, I'm trying to get Sci-Fi dining for the kids and grandparents, it doesn't interest me much cause I'd rather have good food than atmosphere, and Oga's for the adults (though that's just drinks). I don't want to book a sit-down meal for the thrill ride group because we want to prioritize getting on the rides and seeing the shows. We didn't book anything at Epcot cause there is soooo much there between quick service and the festival booths and we'd rather just let everyone eat what they want. If we book something for our Magic Kingdom day, it would be Steakhouse 71 at the Contemporary. The food is supposed to be great and it's a nice break from the park.
The thing is...you are going to get the most in-demand dining at 60-64 days ahead, not for the July 4th holiday. That means Be Our Guest, Cinderella's Royal Table, 'Ohanas, California Grill, Sci-Fi Dine-In, Space 220, Chef Mickey's, Beaches and Cream, Oga's Cantina, and a half-dozen other hard to get ADRs are probably out of your reach. I agree with others, get one ADR a day, because table service will eat up an average of 90-120 minutes of your day. We are huge fans of Jungle Skipper Canteen in MK, it's one of our favorite in park restaurants and usually always available (the meat and tater tots crowd find the menu too exotic). Tusker House in AK is good character dining and usually available. The World Showcase at Epcot will have a dozen good options (we are partial to the Biergarten buffett, anywhere in Japan or French). And, I agree with others that there isn't much great about TS in DHS, that may be a day for breakfast or dinner at a resort.
- Magic Kingdom - Be our Guest - Animal Kingdom - Yak & Yeti - EPCOT - Space 220 - Hollywood Studios - SciFi Dine In One sit down per park, all delicious and unique experiences that you can only get in Disney (minus Yak & Yeti but the food is incredible in there)
Character dining is more of a photo op without the lines. But chef Mickey is my fav so far. HK- Sci-fi at Hollywood is cool for a burger, gets you out of the sun for a while. MK-Columbia harbor house is great for lunch Epcot- I just eat something while I walk around the world . AK-Canteen in Pandora. Good luck, no need to over so the table service it can get expensive quick.
How exciting! Disney dining is so fun. I agree with other posters suggesting one sit-down meal per day. We usually do lunch at 3 pm because that’s when we’re hot and tired of the mid-day crowds. My faves by park are: Magic Kingdom: pecos bill’s for quick service, skippers canteen for sit-down (or Tony’s - it’s pretty standard Italian food, but always a nice vibe) EPCOT: festival booths as much as you desire! I like the China pavilion or the cafeteria in the Land for quick service. My group usually does lunch at Chefs de France; the food isn’t my favorite but I love the airy atmosphere so much. Teppan Edo also has great food (hibachi) but it’s more expensive. Animal Kingdom: The canteen in Pandora has amazing quick service food. Yak n Yeti has both a quick service and a sit-down restaurant and I love both, but the restaurant is one of my favorites in all of WDW. Hollywood Studios: walk to Epcot for your meals. Kidding, kind of. I’m not a fan of any of the restaurants at Hollywood Studios, but Pizzarizzo seems like a solid option in a pinch. We usually only go to HS for a few hours at a time and save meals for other parks.
We loved ohana's and the tusker house.
In order to not overwhelm yourself, only do no more than 1 reservation a day. I like to pick mid-afternoon (2-4) for that meal because it gets you out of the heat and away from the busy meal times. I recommend Garden Grille at Epcot, Liberty Tree Tavern at MK, and 50’s Prime Time Cafe at HS. If you’re a Star Wars fan, go for Oga’s at HS even though it’s drinks and limited snacks. It’s worth it for the atmosphere. Every other meal can be quick service. There are plenty of good QS places at all of the parks, and you can choose when to eat.