12 Great Places to Use Mobile Ordering at WDW Parks
When you’re visiting Walt Disney World, you’ll run out of fuel at times. You’re doing a lot of walking, and Florida is notoriously hot, especially in the summer. When you’re tired, you run the risk of getting hangry and need to get some grub immediately. You don’t want to wait, but you want great food, too. Here are 12 great places to use Mobile Ordering at Walt Disney World when you’re hungry and in a hurry.
Backlot Express
Coincidentally, I’ve divided these up pretty evenly across the four parks. You’ll always have at least two options, no matter where you are. Even better, all of these restaurants participate in Mobile Ordering.
You can choose your food while you’re waiting in line for an attraction or sitting down somewhere. Then, you can head to the restaurant whenever you want. You’ll receive a push notification on My Disney Experience asking whether you’re ready to have your order prepared. When you say yes, Disney will prepare your meal and, presuming that you give them enough warning, have the food ready when you arrive. It’s so simple!
Backlot Express at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a perfect example of a fantastic meal that you can grab anytime. The menu here is eclectic, with diverse options like a Cubano or Chicken and Biscuits. Due to its park location, you’re close to it whenever you’re on the Echo Lake side of Hollywood Studios. Even when you’re not, the park is small enough that it’s never that far away.
Casey’s Corner
This is probably the hardest restaurant to miss on this list, maybe at all of Walt Disney World. Anytime you walk on Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom, you can’t miss it. After all, the last thing that you’d expect to see at a theme park is a piano, right? And someone even plays a tune at times!
As for the food, this place is a baseball or hot dog fan’s dream. They serve foot-long hotdogs and other foods that you’d expect to find at the ballpark, straight down to a Baseball Brownie! Seating can be an issue at times here, but you’ll have plenty of options for a picnic facing Cinderella Castle. What’s better than that?
Columbia Harbour House
Who is the mood for some classic New England seafood? Well, you’ve come to the right place when you order a meal at Columbia Harbour House. One of the classic restaurants at Magic Kingdom, it overlooks Haunted Mansion. So, it’s in demand for its food, its history, and its vantage point. This place is the favorite of many frequent Disney guests, and it’s where you should stop during any Walt Disney World vacation.
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café
Oh, how I loved this place the moment I walked into it. There’s something about an Audio-Animatronic alien playing…some sort of keyboard that’s really cool. For countless years now, the restaurant has delighted children thanks to its odd music star, Sonny Eclipse.
The food here is as scattershot as any place at Walt Disney World. I’ve had delicious burgers, and I’ve also had food that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. So, I don’t want to mislead you about the quality of the cuisine. It’s on the lower tier of this list. But Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café is in the upper tier in terms of dining experiences for children. It’s a Magic Kingdom favorite of many people because it’s such silly fun.
Electric Umbrella
Admittedly, you’ll discover much better food at the back of Epcot. The World Showcase’s international pavilions are a foodie’s dream. However, none of them currently participates in the Mobile Ordering program. When that changes, well, this entire list could be restaurants from now.
At the moment, Epcot only has two places that have Mobile Ordering. Electric Umbrella is the Future World restaurant where you can grab standard Quick Service fare. I happen to love the place despite its somewhat unfair reputation for serving bland food.
The views from the second floor overlook two of the main throughways at Future World. So, you can people-watch while you eat. It’s a lovely, relaxed setting that’s ideal during a hectic park day.
Fairfax Fare
Three different Hollywood Studios restaurants are easy to reach and serve delicious cuisine. Fairfax Fare is on the opposite side of the park from Backlot Express. It sits on Sunset Boulevard on the way to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
Fans of Mexican food will love this place, as it sells fantastic empanadas, fajitas, and rice bowls. The only problem with Fairfax Fare is the limited seating. So, you may have to grab and go.
Flame Tree Barbecue
Here’s an insider tip about Walt Disney World vacations. TripAdvisor is your best friend in evaluating potential restaurants. Their scores reflect the overall opinion of a restaurant as graded by thousands of readers. Even when you read sites like Eater that are dedicated to foodies, the opinions reflect only a handful of people. TripAdvisor is for the masses.
So, when I say that Flame Tree Barbecue is one of the highest graded Quick Service restaurants in Orlando, that’s a huge indicator that this place is worthy of your time and money. My TripAdvisor criteria are that anything with four stars (out of five) or higher is in the highest tier of Disney places, and this restaurant certainly qualifies.
The name tells you everything that you need to know about the flavors here. This is a barbecue joint with ribs, chicken, and pork as the main attractions. If the thought of these flavors makes your mouth water, eat here. When you care about the ambiance as much as the meal, however, a later recommendation is superior since it’s so immersive.
Liberty Inn
I was a bit sneaky earlier. Pedants were probably ready to ding me for saying that there are 10 international pavilions at World Showcase, thinking that there are 11 pavilions. Only 10 of them are international, though! The good ol’ U.S. of A.’s pavilion, The American Adventure is the one place at the World Showcase where you can use Mobile Ordering.
The food is pretty good, too. Liberty Inn serves colonial-style flavors like shrimp, but you’ll find other American staples like hot dogs and chicken nuggets here as well. Sometimes, the menu even includes a steak, one that you can get with a Quick Service credit on the Disney Dining Plan! It’s not available at the time of publication, but that’s a pro tip to track whenever you’re considering a meal here.
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café
The name and the location tell you everything you need to know about a meal here. Pecos Bill’s at Frontierland is an Old West saloon that features fittingly southwestern flavors. They sell nacho platters as entrees, and their Pork Carnitas are to die for. You can even order them in bowl form. Disney’s very into bowls right now, as you’re realizing from this list.
Restaurantosaurus
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the largest theme park at Walt Disney World. For this reason, it’s where you’ll need the most fuel to maintain your energy level. Otherwise, you’ll feel lethargic and grumpy.
For the protein-packing crowd, Restaurantosaurus delivers on two levels. Due to its location at DinoLand U.S.A., it’s easy to find and convenient on your way into or out of the park. And its menu is ideal for meat lovers. This restaurant is the burger capital of Animal Kingdom, and that’s something I like when I’m struggling and looking to recharge.
Satu’li Canteen
When you’re in the mood for an immersive dining experience, only one Quick Service restaurant will do. Of course, you must travel to an alien planet to eat there. I’m speaking of Satu’li Canteen at Pandora – The World of Avatar.
The cuisine here is the most unique at Animal Kingdom…or anywhere, really. Imagineers crafted a menu of recipes that would seem alien. In the early days, protein bowls and pods were the only options. The bao-like pods were later removed from the menu, leaving only combination bowls. So, picky eaters may struggle with the menu. The theming here is so spectacular that you’ll still want to visit, even if you’re just making a dessert run.
Woody’s Lunch Box
Currently the newest restaurant at Hollywood Studios, Woody’s Lunch Box is my favorite Quick Service in the park. It’s stubbornly child-friendly with its menu options, offering comfort foods that you loved as a kid. You’ll find grilled cheese sandwiches, tater tots, and Disney’s version of Pop-Tarts here. It’s magical in its simplicity, and it’s my go-to recommendation for friends right now.