Best 4th of July Disney Foods to Celebrate the Holiday

Happy Independence Day, Disney fans! Every year in America, we celebrate our independence as a nation on the 4^th of July, and in between bites of grilled cookout food, I’m going to try to remember the sacrifices our founders made when creating this country. Here are some of the best 4th of July Disney foods!

My favorite parts of the holiday are pretty consistent with most Americans: food and fireworks. If you’re going to be at Walt Disney World during this year’s Independence Day celebration, the fireworks are a given (though prepare yourself for huge crowds)…so what about the food?

What? You mean you didn’t pack your grill in your carry on? No worries, there are plenty of spots around the Resort serving up classic BBQ-style food that will ease your grill-less woes. Before I get to the nitty gritty of food options available to you, I’ll precede it with a tip that EVERYONE visiting for the holiday would be wise to heed.

Magic Kingdom will be exceptionally crowded on July 4^th, so if you’re hoping to grab any of the eats mentioned below, or see the fireworks at night, plan for very long lines and an early sit down on Main Street if you want any chance of catching the pyrotechnics!

Quick Serve

When I think of classic American food, it falls into two camps: BBQ/Cookout food, and Thanksgiving-esque options like turkey and stuffing. If you’re spending the holiday inside park gates, a quick serve meal might be just what the doctor ordered considering the anticipated number of hungry guests who haven’t done their planning and will try to stand-by table service restaurants.

Don’t be one of them! If you don’t have an advance dining reservation, there are plenty of great, All-American food options you can choose from and you won’t miss any of the food fun! There are plenty of both of those options available to you in the Parks, and no matter which you choose to opt for on the holiday, you’ll look like an All- American with these eats in your hand!

• All-beef footlong hot dog- Casey’s Corner (Magic Kingdom)
• Ribs- Flame Tree Barbecue (Animal Kingdom)
• Carolina footlong- Dockside Diner (Hollywood Studios)
• Cheeseburger- Fairfax Fare (Hollywood Studios)
• BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich- Liberty Inn (Epcot)
• Turkey Leg- Every park!

Quick Serve Desserts

• Funnel Cake a la mode- American Adventure (Epcot)
• Brownie Ice Cream Sundae- Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (Magic Kingdom), Hollywood Scoops (Epcot)
• Gaston’s Cinnamon Roll- Gaston’s Tavern (Magic Kingdom)
• Mickey’s Specialty Caramel/Chocolate Apples- Main Street Confectionery (Magic Kingdom)
• Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bars- Every park!

Table Service

 Like I said, if you’re eating 4^th of July food, you’ve got to go with a dish like roasted turkey and mashed potatoes, or a quintessential cookout-style meal. If you’re hoping to score seating at the below restaurants on July 4^th, my advice would be to plan to eat at an offbeat time! If you want to eat at the Sci-Fi for lunch, go right when it opens at 11:00am!

Are you hungry enough for an all-you-care-to-enjoy, Americana-approved feast? Your best chance at dining at Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner would be after the crowds leave for the fireworks. Here are my favorite, American-inspired table service restaurants perfect for a 4^th of July meal!

• Sci-Fi Dine-In- Hollywood Studios
• Diamond Horseshoe- Magic Kingdom
• Polite Pig- Disney Springs
• Hollywood Brown Derby- Hollywood Studios
• Liberty Tree Tavern– Magic Kingdom
• Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’-Disney Springs
• 50’s Prime Time Café- Hollywood Studios
• Whispering Canyon Café- Wilderness Lodge

If you’re opting for a relaxing Independence Day at your Resort, I’m with you! The Parks are going to be crowded. How crowded? Let’s just say the special fireworks display at Magic Kingdom almost always causes the Park to reach capacity hours before the first burst lights up the sky on July 4^th.

It’s true that the crazy crowds and buzzing atmosphere are unparalleled inside the Parks, but a relaxing day spent kicked back at your Resort’s pool couldn’t be more American! Instead of opting for fireworks, choose one of these dining experiences that not only include great American fare, but stress-free Americana entertainment that would make Uncle Sam burst with pride!

Mickey’s Backyard BBQ– Join Mickey and his friends for this buffet-style all-you-care-to-enjoy dinner show!

This is my all-time favorite character dining experience on property that combines great food like BBQ ribs, burgers, mac and cheese, pulled pork, corn bread, deconstructed apple pie, unlimited ice cream, and unlimited alcohol with live music and the chance to line dance with Mickey and Minnie!

Whispering Canyon Café- This table service option is located in the lobby of the grandiose Wilderness Lodge that draws its inspiration from the American West. With soaring ceilings, a cozy fireplace, and wooden rocking chairs, it’s easy to get swept up into the storytelling of this beautiful Resort.

The fun has only begun when your tour of the lobby ends. Head into Whispering Canyon Café for giant skillets piled with enough meat to satisfy a whole ranch of cowboys! While it’s not technically a dinner show, the antics and remarks from your server will sure make it feel like one!

Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue- This one is just what it sounds like; a musical revue with no plot, just kooky characters dressed in red white and blue gets ups prancing around the stage performing numbers and skits you’d expect. The unlimited buckets of fried chicken, ribs, beans, and corn bread are about as American as it can get, and when you throw in unlimited alcohol, you’ll never mistake for a second that you’re in the heart of the land of the free!

Specialty Eats and Treats

In addition to the aforementioned options, a lineup of holiday-specific choices will debut just in time for the holiday! Look out for themed desserts at the bakeries located around the Resort! There are plenty of limited-time cocktails debuting around Disney Springs for the holiday, and something tells me the monthly hot dog at Casey’s Corner will have something to do with the holiday.

What do you think? Will you dine at a quick serve restaurant, or choose a dinner show on Independence Day? Which of the restaurants is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

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Special thanks to Maria Salerno for writing this article:  Hiya pal! I am a NYC-based writer thrilled to be a part of your Walt Disney World vacation planning! I’m a WDW Annual Passholder, so you can find me in the parks regularly throughout the year. In addition to being a Disney Parks loving girl, I’m also a Disney toy and merchandise collector, a runDisney enthusiast, and Disney music and movie aficionado. You can follow me on Instagram: NYCtoAP and find me on YouTube: NYCtoAP. Thanks for reading, hope to see ya real soon!