8 Places to Eat at Disney World Outside of the Parks
Every moment that you spend at the Most Magical Place on Earth is lovely, especially the ones when you’re in the parks. Sometimes you want a break, though. You want to get away from the crowds and grab a meal somewhere calmer. Here are eight places to eat at Disney World when you want to take a break from the parks.
Boma
I should state in advance that I’ve selected two restaurants close to each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks. So, Epcot comes with two suggestions, Magic Kingdom also gets two, and so forth.
I could have made a full list for Magic Kingdom alone, while Disney’s Hollywood Studios required a bit more of a stretch. However, I understand that Star Wars fans are spending a lot of time at the latter park. You need some recommendations, too.
Keeping this in mind, I had only a few options for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Still, one of them is a true no-brainer. Boma serves some of the most exotic, exciting cuisine on the Disney campus.
Since the eatery sits right by the lobby of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, down a set of stairs, you’ll have no problem finding it. And the flavors are so novel and compelling that a single meal here could turn you into a foodie. I rave about the decadent dessert Zebra Domes so much that I sound like a psycho, but if you try one, you’ll immediately agree with me.
Beaches & Cream Soda Shop
Who doesn’t love a classic burger meal? When you eat this kind of lunch/dinner at a theme park, you may feel a bit empty, though. Because the volume is so high, chefs can’t possibly be expected to nail every dish. It’s why some restaurants have strong splits in word-of-mouth. Every dining experience is different.
When you want a sure thing for a classic burger, leave the back of Epcot, the International Gateway where the Disney Skyliner is, and walk to Disney’s Beach Club Resort. There, you’ll find a hidden gem of a restaurant right by the pool.
Beaches & Cream transports guests back to the 1950s when malt shops were all the rage. You’ll feel like a teenager on Happy Days (Google it, kids) when you order your meal. And it’ll be basic. This place is all about burgers and fries, followed by milkshakes for dessert.
Better yet, the service is remarkably consistent to the point that I can’t recall ever having a bad meal here. The restaurant does one thing, and it does that thing exceptionally well. When you want a burger and a shake, this is the joint.
Flying Fish
Okay, this suggestion is a bit controversial. It works better on a calm park day. Disney lists Flying Fish as a Signature Dining experience, which means that it costs two entitlements on the Disney Dining Plan. Since it’s a more upscale meal, you may not feel comfortable eating here when you’re sticky from a full park day. That’s the only downside to a meal here, though.
Many Disney insiders believe that Flying Fish serves the most delicious fish meals at Walt Disney World. I’ll list a new contender in just a bit, but this place has stood the test of time.
When you’re ready to leave Disney’s Hollywood Studios for a time, Disney’s BoardWalk is only about 15 minutes away on foot. Alternately, you could take the Disney Skyliner and then walk from the International Gateway area to the BoardWalk. Either way, you’ll have convenient access to one of the tastiest Signature Dining restaurants at Walt Disney World. It’s absolutely perfect when you’re craving fish.
Grand Floridian Café
Sometimes, when I watch Disney influencers talk about where they’ve eaten recently, I get amused. It’s like an entire Disney subculture had suddenly shared the same group epiphany.
For several years, the perception of Grand Floridian Café was that this restaurant had gone downhill. Some people felt so strongly about the subject that they thought it wasn’t worthy of its association with Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
In recent months, everyone’s done a full reverse on the subject. They’ve accepted what I’ve said for a while now. Grand Floridian Café provides the best value of any restaurant at the most storied of all Walt Disney World hotels. All three meals here feature fresh ingredients and clever recipes. I view this place as a must on every trip.
Kona Café
At Magic Kingdom, you’re only a monorail ride away from three different Deluxe Tier resorts, all of which host multiple Table Service restaurants. You can’t go wrong at any of them, but Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is home to my favorite.
In fact, on my birthday, when I could eat anywhere on the planet, my preferred restaurants are Sci-Fi Dine-In for lunch and Kona Café for dinner. I’d throw in ‘Ohana for breakfast, but that’s a lot of food for a single day. Anyway, the point is that Kona Café is my favorite dinner place at Walt Disney World. Or anywhere, really.
The cuisine here caters toward Kona Coffee flavors, and even the steak (usually) comes with a coffee rub. Somehow, it’s also a sushi joint complete with a side sushi bar when you want to grab-and-go.
Photo Credit: DeliciousLittleBites.com
What I love about Kona Café is that all three parts of the meal are great. From appetizers straight through dessert, I can find something I love to eat, which isn’t generally the case due to my dull palate.
Plus, this place has an ideal setting, as it looks across at guests awaiting ‘Ohana reservations, sitting in the lounge by the bar, or shopping at the store across the way. Everyone always seems so happy at the Polynesian, and I relish soaking up that ambiance.
Rainforest Café
Okay, this one is kind of a cheat. Rainforest Café is technically inside of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, at least according to the maps. However, you can eat here even when you don’t have tickets to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Rainforest Café includes an outside entrance for non-park visitors. To me, that’s good enough to qualify.
I’m including this restaurant because the experience is delightful. Rainforest Café is a chain that operates eateries in many tourist areas. You know what you’re getting here, which is unremarkable cuisine but incredibly touristy interior design.
Photo credit: MealTrip.com
Kids love Rainforest Cafe, and the Animal Kingdom location works well as a temporary escape. You don’t have to leave the park area entirely, saving you a lot of needless walking. However, it’s right by the entrance, a place where guests aren’t inclined to stop to eat. So, it’s rarely crowded and provides a lovely temporary escape from park chaos.
Sebastian’s Bistro
Here’s the other fish place on the list. Hollywood Studios doesn’t really have a connecting or close resort the way that the other parks do. So, it requires a bit more effort when you want to leave and come back.
Thankfully, the Disney Skyliner introduces options at the BoardWalk as well as the resorts with monorail stations. The All-Star hotels don’t have Table Service restaurants, so I’ve left them out. My presumption here is that you want a nice sit-down meal during your park break. Otherwise, you’d just grab a turkey leg via Mobile Ordering.
So, your best bet is to jump on the Skyliner and head to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. Here, you’ll want to dine at the newest restaurant, Sebastian’s Bistro. Keep in mind that the menu here is decidedly fishy.
In fact, four out of the eight entrees currently listed are fish dishes. Two others are steak-based, and another is the requisite jerk chicken. Finally, a vegan option is also available, as has become the standard practice at Disney restaurants.
A fish meal here combines Caribbean spices with standard island flavors. So, when you’re in the mood for Coconut Shrimp and Grits, well, this is probably the only option in town. And I mean all of Orlando. The eclectic recipes are reason enough to want to visit Sebastian’s Bistro. The theming to The Little Mermaid is just a happy bonus.
Trattoria al Forno
Odds are good that you’re traveling with other people. While you’re at Disney, you want everything to go smoothly, and that means you’re going to compromise a lot. Let me spec out a standard conversation about food for you.
“What do you want to eat?”
“I dunno. What do you want?”
“I’m asking what you want.”
“Anything is fine.”
“The last time you said that anything is fine, you hated everything.”
“I didn’t hate…everything. Just, you know, most of it.”
Photo Credit: MealTrip.com
Friends, if you’ve ever suffered through this conversation – and we both know that you have – you should understand that there’s an out. The magic phrase is, “How about Italian?” Nobody ever turns down Italian.
So, you can avoid a lot of park arguments, both before and after the meal. All you need to do is say, “Hey, I know an Italian place where we could eat.” Everyone will say, “Cool.” That’ll be the end of it. Crisis averted.
Trattoria al Forno is that place. Yes, it serves Italian food. What more do you need to know?
