The Best Quick Service Restaurants at Disney World
Disney World offers more than 100 different places to eat. From street cart turkey legs to five-star dinners, the range of dining choices is broad and impressive. One of the biggest categories of dining options is fast food, or “quick service” in Disney-speak. These establishments are a great way to eat well while maximizing your time in the parks for other activities. Yet with so many different options available, even within this one category, how do you choose? Today’s post covers my picks for the best quick service restaurants at Disney World.
What constitutes “best” in picking the best quick service restaurants at Disney World?
I’m glad you asked.
It’s not too scientific. Basically I chose places that are memorable and offer complete meals. Ice cream sundaes and cupcakes are totally memorable, but most people wouldn’t consider them a meal (except maybe on vacation?) so I didn’t include them here. I also tend to favor locations that offer meals that are beyond the standard burger and chicken fingers you can find in numerous locations throughout the parks. Other locations made the list because they are a good value for the money, at least in Disney World standards. A few more landed on my list because of their awesome theming or indoor seating. I’ll clarify why I selected each location below.
The past researcher in me feels like I should also mention that a list like this is crazy subjective. My experience and tastes may not match yours. So please consider this list as a way to whittle down your numerous dining options if you don’t know where to begin, rather than interpreting them as true award winners. I’ve eaten at every restaurant on this list, in most cases multiple times, so I’m drawing on real experience. Plus, I’ve read a zillion other Disney blogs on the topic for you, so in many cases, it’s not just my opinion I’m sharing but the collective opinion of frequent Disney World travelers.
Sound fair? Hope you’re hungry.
Here we go:
Animal Kingdom
It’s pretty easy to pick the best quick service restaurants at Animal Kingdom. My favorites are Flame Tree Barbecue and the newer Satu’li Canteen. Both offer great tasting food that is slightly unique to what you find elsewhere in the parks.
Flame Tree Barbecue offers large portions of barbecue chicken, ribs and pulled pork with standard sides of baked beans and coleslaw. There are also a few inspired salad options. It’s delicious and a family favorite for us because the portions are typically large enough to split. The line may be a little long, but it tends to move quickly and there is plenty of outdoor seating nearby. It’s not the cheapest place, which is why we often split portions, but the cost makes it a good use of a meal credit if you’re on a Disney Dining plan.
Satu’li Canteen in the World of Avatar portion of Animal Kingdom makes my list for its fun atmosphere and creative menu. It’s also much more vegetarian friendly. Each entrée is beautifully presented with your choice of base (potatoes, rice, noodles or mixed greens), protein (chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu) and sauce (chimichurri, black bean or creamy herb). The desserts are mini works of art too.
The restaurant is themed as an elaborate cafeteria for the Resource Development Association employees, who have since abandoned Pandora. The massive dining hall includes ample indoor seating and additional options outside too. Eating here gives you a reason to linger a little longer in this incredible new space at Animal Kingdom. You can read my full review of Satu’li Canteen here.
Epcot
It’s a little more difficult to choose the best quick service restaurant at Epcot because there are so many diverse options. World Showplace boasts eleven different countries, each with one or more options. There are additional locations in the Future World portion of the park too. To keep it simple, I picked my favorite location from each section: Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie (we call it the French place!) within the French pavilion and Sunshine Seasons in Future World.
Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie in France is lovely. It’s kind of like an Americanized version of a large bakery in France with crowded spaces, overflowing baskets of bread and decadent desserts. There are beautiful glass cases displaying your choice of soups, pastries and baguette or croissant-style sandwiches. I enjoy this spot because of the range of options, decent price points (all entrees are less than $10) and overall familiarity. You can try something adventurous here if you want, but you can also find options pickier eaters will enjoy. One of my favorites is the ham and cheese croissant, which is considered a “snack” on the Disney Dining Plan and priced around $5.
My other favorite quick service option at Epcot is Sunshine Seasons. This large and varied restaurant is located within the Land pavilion in Future World, near the Soarin’ attraction. It’s really more of a food court than a restaurant, which makes it score points for variety and a little less so for theming and seating. You can find comfort foods here like roasted chicken and mashed potatoes as well as healthy choices like salads or protein bowls. There’s also Asian-inspired options and vegan entrees. I used to enjoy sampling the seasonal desserts here too, but they tend to be offered more intermittengly these days. Still, it’s a solid option, especially for a travel party with a variety of food tastes.
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom offers great quick service options as well. My favorites are Columbia Harbour House, Be Our Guest and Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn.
I tend to visit Columbia Harbour House more than any other quick service location at Magic Kingdom. Perhaps it’s due to its great location near the Haunted Mansion and the path to Fantasyland or maybe it’s because I’m usually tired of standard American fare by the time we reach it. This seafood-oriented restaurant offers fried fish and shrimp bowls, lobster rolls, clam chowder, tuna salad and grilled salmon. You can also find traditional favorites like mac ‘n cheese or chicken pot pies. There are a few vegetarian offerings as well, such as a Hummus-based sandwich.
Another reason I tend to land at Columbia Harbour House is its interior space. There’s an extensive second floor with plenty of seats and large windows. It’s a great place to take a quiet break from the crowds especially before or after peak meal times.
Another favorite quick service location in Magic Kingdom is Be Our Guest in Fantasyland. Be Our Guest is unique from other quick service locations because it operates as a quick service spot for breakfast and lunch and turns into a table service restaurant for dinner. All meals require a reservation, which can be difficult to secure when the parks are busy. As a quick service location, guests order their meals on touch screen kiosks, select their own tables and wait for the servers to magically find them.
Entrees include French-inspired dishes like Croque Monseiur, Tuna Nicoise, Braised Pork and Quiche. There are also traditional choices like turkey sandwiches and kids’ favorites. The dessert menu is pretty good, especially the cupcakes. Overall, the food is good but more expensive than your other options. You’re really paying for the beautifully-themed environment, which is easily among the best in Disney World. You can read my full review of dinner at Be Our Guest here.
Another one of the best quick service restaurants at Disney World is Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn Café in Frontierland. Its saloon-inspired design and southwestern themed cuisine make it a favorite among frequent park guests. The menu offers tacos, nachos, fajitas and salads all with a well-stocked toppings bar. The food was much better than I expected from such a busy place the first time I tried it. The quality has been consistent for us with multiple visits since. The restaurant offers tons of indoor seating and a broad wrap around porch outside. The porch is a great spot to catch a parade if you happen to be in the area at the right time.
Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios offers the least number of quality quick service options of the parks, in my opinion. Each year it feels like another option has closed, switched to seasonal service or removed some of the more interesting options from their menus. Frankly, it’s a little frustrating. Depending on my travel companions, sometimes I’ll skip meals altogether at the park and snack my way to dinner elsewhere. It’s a easy boat ride to Epcot or Beach Club. Later this year it could also be a fun gondola ride to other resorts.
To be fair, Disney did open Woody’s Lunch Box last summer in the Toy Storyland section of the park. The company will also open a new option, Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo, in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on August 29.
For now, with that low bar in mind, my two choices for Hollywood Studios are the ABC Commissary and Backlot Express.
The ABC Commissary is okay. It’s themed to look like an employee cafeteria at ABC Studios, but it feels a bit like a not-so-subtle advertisement for the Disney-owned network too. I put it on the list for its large size and air-conditioned indoor seating, which is sadly not available at most of the other quick service locations at the Studios. I also like the restaurant’s central location in the park. The menu includes standard fare like hamburgers, chicken clubs and fried fish as well as a few salads and seasonal desserts. At dinner, the menu expands slightly to include shrimp bowls and beef enchiladas.
Disney updated the dining space a bit in early 2019. The company is also accepting quick-service dinner reservations at ABC Commissary for dates on or after June 2.
A second and slightly better option for quick service meals at Hollywood Studios at the moment is Backlot Express. It offers a pretty good variety of burgers, sandwiches and salads. There’s also a vegetarian Caprese sandwich and a chicken and biscuits entrée.
The menu at Backlot Express used to include Star Wars-themed options, due to the restaurant’s close proximity to the Star Tours attraction. Most of these items disappeared or at least received new names this month, presumably because these types of treats will move to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
In other words, you may want to grab one of these bad boys while you still can.
I also used to include PizzeRizzo on this list for Hollywood Studios, but Disney recently switched it to a “seasonal only” offering. It’s a little odd, since the restaurant was remodeled and reopened so recently. Maybe they’ll open it again when construction is completed? In any case, the pizza was pretty good but I mostly appreciated the roomy two-story seating.
Disney Springs
There are several more tempting options at Disney Springs these days. The entertainment complex is growing like crazy with new shopping and eating options popping up almost quarterly. At the moment, my favorite quick service options at Disney Springs are D-Luxe Burger and Earl of Sandwich.
D-Luxe Burger mostly offers kale. Ha! Kidding. They offer burgers the size of your head. They are also (sadly) priced accordingly ($10-12 for a burger without fries). The high price used to make D-Luxe Burger a great use of a dining plan meal credit, but recent changes in how the plan credits are applied have caused me to reconsider this recommendation.
The fries at D-Luxe are now considered a side item and no longer included with your sandwich of choice. That means if you use a quick service meal credit you can get a sandwich and drink, but no fries. It’s still a pretty good deal, since most sandwiches are around $12 and the drinks (milkshakes with or without alcohol) run from $7 to $15. Still, it’s a little annoying to me to shell out another $5 for a side of fries.
Of course if you go for it, you’re rewarded with greasy and delicious fries offered with six different dips.
Or you can skip the fries decision altogether and check out the restaurant’s new breakfast menu.
Overall, I like the rustic, western vibe of the indoor space at D-Luxe, but seating can be a bit limited during peak meal times. Fortunately there are several outdoor tables nearby.
Earl of Sandwich is another favorite at Disney Springs. Like many of the other locations on this list, I picked it primarily for its variety. This deli-style restaurant offers sandwiches (surprised?!), as well as wraps, salads, soups and baked goods. The prices seem more reasonable than other locations. You can find plenty of vegan and vegetarian options here too. Sometimes I’ll pick up a salad here and carry it over to meet my carnivorous family members elsewhere.
And that’s it! My picks for the best quick service locations at Disney World. Hopefully this list will help you narrow down your list of choices for your trip.
If you want WAY more detail on your food choices you can check out extensive menus, reviews and photographs at Disney Food Blog or Touring Plans.
Add some (quick) magic to your world!