Disney World Food Review
- Dec 10, 2019
- 8 min read
Let's be honest, food is the best part of any vacation. Eating the specialty of wherever you are-- whether that be crepes in France, naan in India, or Barbeque in the south-- adds a unique (and delicious) quality to traveling. This is no less true in the most magical place on earth. Disney World combines international flavors and comfort foods with unique designs and iconic presentations. While not all of the food here is perfect, if you know where to look you can get some pretty tasty stuff. Here are some takeaways and recommendations from my most recent trip to Walt Disney World in Florida.
Magic Kingdom
Good
Mexican from Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
Here's the low-down on this restaurant. Basically, it's all right. It's not the best, not the worst. Kinda your typical cheap Tex-Mex restaurant. The main reason I would'n go here again is because there is better, very similar food in Hollywood Studios, and because there are better places you could eat in Magic Kingdom instead. It's not bad, just not worth it once you factor in other options.
Churros
I know, I know, Churros are a very classic Disney food item. Before the trip, I'd heard people say that the churros in Disney are just somehow better, in a way you just can't describe, so I was actually pretty excited to try this out. However, it really just tasted like any other Churro, and wasn't worth a snack credit. Again, not bad, just not worth it compared to other options.
Popcorn
I feel like I don't really need to list this one, because hey, it's just Pop Secret popcorn. This is another thing people say just tastes better in Disney, but this is false. I hesitated to get it as it isn't special to Disney in any way, but you can only walk past the smell of fresh popcorn so many times before caving in. My sister got it once and it was good, but when I got it it wasn't very fresh which was kinda disappointing.
Mickey Shaped Pretzel
Apparently this section is just going to be me insulting the classic Disney snacks. Don't get me wrong-- all of these things are good! Just not as good/worth the money as some other things at Disney. This pretzel was extremely aesthetically pleasing and I enjoyed eating off Mickey Mouse's face, but these are just a basic pretzel and the cheese sauce they serve with it is super sketch.
Better
Chicken Parmesan Pasta from Pinnochio's Tavern
I want to hedge this classification by saying that I'm rather partial to Italian food/pasta in general, which may be bumping up this meal in my classification system. This restaurant overlooks It's a Small World, which you can (ugh) see as you eat. But, the restaurant does has cool theming inside and fits right in with the rest of Fantasyland (the best part of Magic Kingdom tbh). They also have pizza and some other options, but most of the people I was with ordered this. The chicken is surprisingly good for a counter service restaurant, and it is served on top of some penne. It's good to have some variety in what you eat, and considering that 1. this is better than the pizza in Animal Kingdom, and 2. there isn't a counter service Italian restaurant in the World Showcase (*tear*), and 3. it's just good Italian food, what more do you need? I'd recommend it the next time you find yourself in Magic Kingdom.
Mickey Shaped Rice Krispie Treat
Rice krispie treats are just delicious, need I say more? In retrospect, I have realized that the mini m & m one was not a good choice, as they fall off and also I just don't like quite that much chocolate on my rice krispie treats. You may think this is a waste of money or a snack credit, and it may be, but look how pretty they are!
Chicken Pot Pie from Columbia Harbour House
This mini chicken pot pie is one of the ~healthier~ options in Magic Kingdom, and gosh darn it, it just feels homey. The atmosphere of the restaurant is nice and calming too. That's about all I have to say about this, other than adding that I have a little bit of beef with this establishment because they put corn in their hushpuppies. Plz just stop.
Mickey Ear Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
The ice cream stand that sells this ice cream sandwich also sells some really cute pixie-green something or other things that look cool but also didn't involve chocolate. This is a chocolate chip cookie split into two to look like mouse ears, sprinkles, ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream. It was delicious, and that is all.
Best
Cinnamon Roll from Gaston's Tavern
You know life if good when the toughest decision you're making is where to get a cinnamon roll from. After much research (seriously-- a lot of research) we decided to go with a newer restaurant, Gaston's Tavern. I'd like to think we choose wisely. These cinnamon rolls are HUGE but the dough is so fluffy and airy you can still finish an entire one. They're light, cinnamon-y, and served warm with (sometimes seasonally colored) icing. 10/10 recommend.
Breakfast at Be Our Guest
Be Our Guest is another new restaurant at Disney world, where you get to eat inside Belle's castle (we ended up in a room that was an exact recreation of the Ballroom). At lunch and dinner this is a sit-down restaurant, but at breakfast it counts as counter-service, as far as the meal plan goes. Even though it is technically counter-service, it still requires a reservation, which we managed to get just the night before. In addition to a full mean, every one to two guests gets an entire tray of fresh pastries. When we went this consisted of different flavored croissants, muffins, and mini cinnamon rolls. It was so. much. food. Of all the places we ate in the four parks, this one was definitely the best value, and it had the bonus of being in a very beautiful, fancy location. If you go to Disney and have the counter-service meal plan, keep trying to get reservations up until the last minute, even if it means you miss a ride or two. Trust me, it'll be worth it.
Hollywood Studios
Good
Homemade Poptarts from Woody's Lunch Box
First off, I'd like to preface this section by saying that Hollywood Studios has the worst food in Disney. That is not to say it's disgusting, but if the rest of Disney is In 'n Out, Hollywood Studios is Burger King. These Poptarts came in two flavors, of which most of us chose Nutella. The decorations were very pretty, the filling was good, the crust was decent, but I have two minor problems with these. Number one: they were served at room temperature. If these had been warmed up they would have been a million times better. Second: most Poptarts are traditionally served with frosting on top, but the ones here just had a layer of fondant or gumpaste or something. It was kinda gross and I ended up kinda chipping it off so I could enjoy the rest of the pastry better.
Chicken and Waffles from Backlot Express
There's not much to say here. This was basically a few pieces of popcorn chicken and a couple of mini frozen waffles. It tasted exactly like you'd expect. Although, the waffles were stamped with Darth Vader's face, so that was pretty cool.
Best
Fajitas from Fairfax Fare
This was pretty solid, and was the best meal we had in the Studios. Both the carnitas and the chicken were moist and had good flavor. If you aren't too hungry, the meals are enough to share as they come with multiple sides and meats. If you eat lunch or dinner in Hollywood Studios, eat it here.
Olaf cupcake
This is a seasonal dessert that is served around Christmastime. Originally, we were looking for a popular Butterfinger cupcake that is only found at the Starbucks inside Hollywood Studios. Unfortunately, they sold out, so we settled for this instead. The chocolate cupcake base was pretty solid, and the marshmallow icing was nice and fluffy-- not too heavy. Also, even though I'm not nearly as obsessed with Frozen as my nine-year-old sister is, I can still admit that the cupcake looked pretty cool.
Animal Kingdom
Better
Chicken bowl from Satu'li Canteen
This was a grain bowl served with your choice of base, meat, and fancy toppings. More important than the decent food though is the decor. In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful restaurants in Disney. Being in this restaurant is like being immersed in another world entirely. Also, the staff here were just super nice.
Chocolate pastry from Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery
This was a twisted chocolate pastry, with an almost danish-like swirl of cream cheese in the middle. It was light and airy, and tasted quite fresh. There's a cool hidden covered eating area nearby that's a great place to take a rest for a snack.
Best
Barbeque platter from Flame Tree Barbeque
One meal here can get you ribs, chicken, and pulled pork, along with sides and a drink. We ended up sharing and still got full. Quality and taste wise, the barbeque here was my favorite meal food in Disney. And I'm from the south, so I know what I'm talking about.
Epcot
Yes! Epcot! Best for last. I'd been looking forward to eating in Epcot for a while and it did not disappoint. As an aside, I didn't eat a single thing in Epcot that wasn't in the World Showcase, because why would you?
Good
Dinner meal from Tangierine Cafe (Morrocco)
Meh-- that's how I would describe this restaurant. It wasn't bad, but not great either. We didn't finish all of the food (the serving size was pretty generous and sharable), and quickly moved on to dessert somewhere else.
Chocolate Crepe
Disclaimer: this was delicious. I don't rank it higher simply because it wasn't very special: the crepe was pre-made, they just reheated it and added toppings. Also, one crepe is so small- two or three would have been better. Again, v good, just not as good as some of the other food in Epcot.
Better
Pastries from Les Halles Boulangerie and Patisserie (France)
We got chocolate croissants, cookies, eclairs, brioche, and more. We stopped by here on our way out and used up all seven of our remaining snack credits (the staff must have thought we were crazy). All of the pastries were great. They made an excellent snack on the way home, helping us miss Disney a little less.
Mac-n-cheese from Germany
Technically called noodles au gatin, this food counts as a snack credit! Good, casserole-style mac-n-cheese, though it could've been a little more cheese-forward, in my opinion.
Best
Ice cream from L'Artisan des Glaces (France)
This ice cream was soooo good! It's definitely a step up from the typical soft serve that is sold around the other parks. There were plenty of flavors to choose from (I went with chocolate, which had great flavor). As a bonus, the meal plan snack option can come in a waffle cone, which they make fresh there. This is the best dessert in Epcot in my opinion, but that could just be because I love ice cream. Besides, look how photogenic it is!
Ramen from Japan
Basically this was a delicious pork ramen. A little light on the meat, but that's not the star of the show anyway. Plus, Japan has lots of serene nooks with tables to eat in, where you feel like you're all alone in another world.
Noodles and Beef from China
I ate this meal when I wasn't super hungry, which I regret because I wish I had been able to enjoy it more. It was delicious! The noodles were thick, and the beef tender and slightly spicy (and not too fatty). It was a generous portion and very good. I'd make it a priority next time when eating in Epcot.
There you have it! Eat up, because waiting in line burns of calories, right?
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