Where Can You Get a Quick Table at Disney World?

Sometimes, when you’re at Walt Disney World, you need to refuel.

When you don’t, you get hangry, and we’ve all been there. I suspect that 95 percent of all Disney vacation arguments stem from hunger pains.

The combination of exhaustion, heat, and hunger makes us say and do things we quickly regret.

What’s the best way to avoid this sort of senseless drama? You should eat something! Duh.

Sometimes, all you want is to get off your feet and relax at a Table Service restaurant.

The problem is that many of them book long before the date of your visit.

What you need is a list of places where you can get a quick table at Disney World. Here are ten recommendations, along with pros and cons.

50’s Prime Time Café

I’ll start with a note that EPCOT and Magic Kingdom host the largest number of restaurants.

Therefore, you’ll have the least problem finding a table at these places. Plus, at EPCOT, you prefer to scrounge around the festival booths anyway.

So, most of this list will consist of suggestions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, parks where you WILL get hungry and tired.

Our conversation begins with 50’s Prime Time Café, the throwback restaurant where Disney transports you back in time to the 1950s.

You’ll feel like Ozzie and/or Harriet while eating here, and your (faux) family members will remind you constantly to mind your manners.

The conceit at this restaurant is that the servers are your relatives, which can be kind of a lot when you’re cranky.

Also, the food here could overwhelm you at lunchtime especially, as it’s rather heavy.

Still, on all but the most crowded days, you should be able to book a table within 30-40 minutes. On most days, it’ll be closer to ten minutes.

Be Our Guest Restaurant

A couple of options on this list aren’t ideal for budget-conscious guests. That’s an intentional decision on my part.

I want you to know that if you’re willing to spend a bit for a high-quality meal, this decision comes with an added benefit.

Many tourists simply aren’t interested in spending a lot of time and money at places like Be Our Guest, especially at lunch.

For this reason, when you monitor the My Disney Experience app, you’ll often notice short wait times.

On the busiest days, Be Our Guest tends to sell out entirely because it is THAT good.

On regular park days, you’ll often find this restaurant available to book after 20-30 minutes, sometimes even less.

I’ve eaten Be Our Guest for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The one word of caution is that the meal almost always takes at least an hour, sometimes more.

If you want to experience a lot at the park, Be Our Guest may not be your best use of time (or money). But I happen to adore it.

Please note that fine dining options are MUCH easier to book at lunch than dinner, though. That’s tourist behavior coming into play.

People will happily eat a big meal for dinner. A heavy lunch is more of an acquired taste.

Garden Grill Restaurant

I’m only including one EPCOT restaurant, which will serve two purposes.

When you want to eat quickly, The Land pavilion proves the ideal place to visit.

On the bottom floor, you can grab a quick bite at Sunshine Seasons, but that’s not the conversation we’re having today.

No, you want to sit down, relax, and enjoy yourself during a meal. For that, you’ll want to take the escalator to Garden Grill Restaurant.

While this character meal serves delicious food, it’s not as popular as some others. That’s why you can often book a table within 20 minutes.

The Hollywood Brown Derby

Speaking of fast tables, you can typically count on The Hollywood Brown Derby to have availability.

Sometimes, you can get a table in as little as ten minutes…and you’ve probably guessed the reason why.

At Hollywood Studios, tourists have a hard enough time doing everything when they eat quickly. It’s that much more of a challenge when you don’t.

Also, this particular restaurant costs nearly as much as Be Our Guest, which rules it out for many travelers.

Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen

At Magic Kingdom, Quick Service dining really is your best bet.

As proof, consider that even The Plaza sometimes has an hour-long wait for a table. The Plaza, people!

Sure, part of the explanation is that everyone wants to dine in front of Cinderella Castle, but still. That’s not a meal worth an hour’s wait for me.

When you want a nicer meal, you’ll find a couple of sneaky-good options at the park, though.

The first one is Skipper Canteen, which serves the most befuddling yet tasty menu at Walt Disney World.

Management keeps updating the menu. Guests keep settling for the chicken since it’s the only dish that makes sense.

For those with daring palates, this is an exquisite place to dine, though, surpassed by only one other option we’ve yet to discuss.

Also, you’ll encounter the hidden bonus of Cast Members performing Cruise Skipper spiel throughout your meal.

Well, it’s a positive to me. You may feel differently.

Liberty Tree Tavern

Thanksgiving dinner in a month other than November is an idea whose time has come. Well, that’s my philosophy anyway.

At Liberty Tree Tavern, you’ll feast like royalty as you devour an All-You-Care-to-Enjoy meal, which is also the downside.

This is a VERY heavy meal, even compared to 50’s Prime Time Café. So, it’s not for everyone, especially at lunch.

However, Liberty Tree Tavern IS delicious, serving one of the best vegan dishes on the Disney campus and a Patriot’s Platter for everyone else.

Best of all, you can usually snag a table here in 20-30 minutes on all but the most crowded park days.

Rainforest Café

This is the rare example of, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Because the one thing I don’t do at Disney these days is eat at Rainforest Café.

This place has let me down too many times over the years. You may want to give it a chance, though.

In fact, you’ll probably try Rainforest Café for the two reasons I have. The first is that you (not so) secretly love shamelessly tourist stuff.

And the other is that Rainforest Café resides just inside the entrance at Animal Kingdom. It’s THE most convenient restaurant on this list.

So, when you want a quick table, this is always the place to go, as you’ll rarely wait more than 10-15 minutes.

That’s partially because the regulars know better, but still. You’ll have a great time here, and there’s even an outside chance that the food will be good.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ

Here’s the newest restaurant on the list, having opened barely two years ago.

You’ll never wonder what you’ll eat at Roundup Rodeo BBQ, as your main option is right there in the title.

If you’re not in the mood for BBQ, this really isn’t the place for you…unless you love all things Toy Story.

The theming here, wherein you shrink down to the size of a toy, will immerse you in happiness.

Presuming that your thing or you’re craving BBQ, you can usually reserve a table in 20-30 minutes.

That’s a shorter wait than any of the rides at the park!

Tusker House

In researching this article, I was a bit surprised that several character meals made the short list.

Obviously, Disney’s new method of shortening the dining reservation window and then allowing same-day bookings on the app is working.

I say this because I remember a time not that long ago when ALL character meals were booked months ahead of time.

You kids these days never had to walk ten miles uphill in snow, consarnit!

Seriously, though. While Tusker House is basically the Upside Down for my family, it’s one of the most beloved restaurants in Orlando.

You can dine on terrific African cuisine AND meet Mickey Mouse. It’s a great deal. Even better, the wait is typically 25 minutes or so.

Yak & Yeti Restaurant

Finally, we have a personal favorite of my household, the anti-Tusker House, if you will.

Yak & Yeti serves our favorite flavors on the Disney campus, and it’s been our most reliable spot whenever we didn’t have a reservation for years now.

We’re members of Landry’s Select Club, which pushes us to the front of the line.

Of course, you no longer need that competitive advantage, as My Disney Experience has changed the game.

Now, you can check the app for restaurants with open tables and book one.

In the case of Yak & Yeti, you’ll rarely wait more than 30 minutes. I’ll add that Landry’s Select Club still helps, though.

With this card, you’ll move to the front of the line among those waiting for reservations. Oh, and it works at Rainforest Café and T-REX as well.

So, there you have it. When you’re hungry at Disney but want a fine dining experience, these are your best bets.

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Feature Photo: Disney