The Best Disney World Resort Restaurants

Disney food isn’t just churros and corn dog nuggets. If you know where to look, the best meals aren’t even in the parks at all. They’re tucked inside Disney’s resort hotels, where the food is better, the vibes are quirkier and the reservations are sometimes (just sometimes) easier to snag.

Here’s a guide to the resort restaurants actually worth your vacation time and money

» Learn more: Perks of staying at a Disney resort

If you know, you know — and if you don’t, let me tell you about the Great Noodle Drama of 2019. Disney quietly pulled ‘Ohana’s famous noodles off the menu, the internet revolted, petitions circulated and eventually the carbs returned in glorious, garlicky fashion. Located at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, this is family-style, all-you-care-to-enjoy dining at its finest: dumplings, skewered meats, endless shrimp and that bread pudding finale that somehow makes room in your stomach every time.

It’s not cheap, but compared to feeding a family à la carte in the parks, this one’s solid value. And since the kids get coconut races while you get mai tais, everybody wins.

This is the pinnacle of Disney dining — like, James Beard-nominated, AAA Five Diamond, wear-your-fanciest-outfit-or-they’ll-turn-you-away fancy. At Disney’s Grand Floridian, Victoria & Albert’s serves multi-course tasting menus that start at many hundreds of dollars per person before wine pairings (and yes, those run well over $100 themselves).

This is not about value in the “cheap eats” sense — it’s about value in the once-in-a-lifetime, bucket-list dinner sense. If you want to say you’ve had the most elaborate meal Disney World can possibly plate, this is it.

» Learn more: The best Disney resort for adults

Animal Kingdom Lodge is already a destination in itself, thanks to zebras and giraffes wandering right outside the windows. But Sanaa ups the ante with some of the best food on property: African flavors with Indian twists, plus the bread service that basically has its own fan club.

Meals run in the $30-$40 range, making this one of the best pound-for-pound dining values at Disney World. Between the atmosphere and the food, Sanaa punches way above its price tag.

Perched on top of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, California Grill is one of the only restaurants in the world where your dessert course can double as a fireworks viewing party. They pipe in the music, dim the lights and suddenly you’re getting music and pyro with your chocolate soufflé.

Dinner is now a roughly $100 per person prix fixe, which feels steep until you realize it includes what’s essentially a private fireworks dessert party built into the meal. For Disney, that’s a value two-for-one.

» Learn more: Cheapest ways to fly to Disney World on points

Perched atop Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Toledo is the resort sleeper pick. The Spanish-inspired menu has everything from charred octopus to perfectly cooked steak, and the rooftop views rival those at the Contemporary for half the price.

Entrées hover around $30–$35, which is wild considering the quality. It’s one of the best upscale-yet-affordable meals you’ll find anywhere on property.

This is the longest-running dinner show in America for a reason: it’s silly, slapstick, and packed with fried chicken. At Fort Wilderness, cast members sing, dance, and crack jokes while you down unlimited BBQ and (yes!) unlimited beer, wine, and sangria.

Prices run close to $100 for adults once you account for tax and tip. Still, that's less than you’d pay for a ticketed show and dinner separately. If you’re going to splurge on a two-hour entertainment-meets-meal experience, this is where the value shines.

At first glance, this looks like a typical Western-themed spot inside Wilderness Lodge. But ask for ketchup and suddenly every bottle in the restaurant will land at your table. Order a giant soda and you might get a jug the size of your head. The food — all-you-can-eat skillets of smoky BBQ and breakfast favorites — is solid, but the cast members’ playful sass is what makes it memorable.

At $30 to $40 for skillets, this is one of the more affordable all-you-care-to-eat options. Families who like a side of chaos with their meal will love it here.

» Learn more: How I did a 5-day, $4,000 Disney trip for just $1,600

Sure, the best restaurants at Disney World also tend to be the priciest, but many (though not all) are also bookable on the Disney Dining Plan, which can sometimes be a more affordable way to have a meal there — particularly if you do like the pros do and are able to hack the Disney Dining Plan.

While the restaurants inside Disney World’s parks are top-notch, don’t be afraid to explore outside the parks too.

Dining at Disney’s resort restaurants can be a magical experience, and you don’t need to be a hotel guest to join in the fun.

The list of options is long, but we’ve gathered some of the best here for you. Do yourself a favor and try one — or all six — and enjoy the ride. 

(Top photo courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort)