Best Disney World Quick Service Restaurants: Reviewed & Ranked

Where are you going to eat on your Walt Disney World vacation? Which quick service restaurants are the best at Walt Disney World?

Walt Disney World Resort contains numerous quick-service restaurants. These range from restaurants that bring food and beverages to your table after your order to basic kiosks. If the meal you want can be created at a quick service restaurant, then Walt Disney World has you covered.

According to Walt Disney World, the property has 133 quick service restaurants. This definition of quick-service restaurants does not include many snack carts and kiosks. In other words, the list of Walt Disney World quick-service restaurants should probably be considered well over 200.

With so many quick service restaurants to choose from, many worthy candidates did not make our best Walt Disney World quick service restaurant list. We decided to narrow the list down to ten.

We did not include any lounges or bars in our list. Still, some Walt Disney World lounges, like Wailulu Bar & Grill, offer unique food options to accompany the beverages. To make our list of the best Walt Disney World quick-service locations, the location needed to sell full meals, not just snacks. Unlike many lounges, our selection should be open most of the day.

For the record, several quick service restaurants within the four Walt Disney World theme parks failed to make our list due to limited operating hours. Some examples include Sunshine Seasons at Epcot, Harambe Market at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Ronto Roasters at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Best Disney World Quick Service Restaurants: Location Matters

The location made a difference when considering Walt Disney World’s quick service restaurants. For example, The Mara, the quick service at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, resides too far away from the rest of Walt Disney World for most guests to visit. Though The Mara would not have made our list, it does offer some unique quick service meals.

Some other quick service options, like Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs at Disney’s Boardwalk, fell off our list based on their location. Most Walt Disney World guests will not see this kiosk at Disney’s Boardwalk. However, the unique corn dogs sold here are far superior to the ones in the Walt Disney World theme parks, so they deserve consideration during your next vacation.

Best Disney World Quick Service Restaurants: The Top Ten

We often get asked about the best quick service dining options at Walt Disney World. When this occurs, we gravitate to three main restaurants. Those three must be included in any best Walt Disney World quick service restaurant list. Those three will be included towards the end of this resource.

Still, we enjoy several Walt Disney World quick service restaurants that did not even make our top ten. Clearly, some quick service options at Walt Disney World would make most people’s “worst” lists. Thankfully, that is not true of most Disney quick service options.

Our top ten list does not include standard burger and fry places like Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café at Magic Kingdom or D-Luxe Burger at Disney Springs. Though each of those places has merit, in its own way, we found it hard to rank a burger place at Disney prices ahead of the other excellent options.

Also of note, Disney Springs’s quick service dining ranked much higher than the options in the four Walt Disney World theme parks. Still, that should not surprise most experienced Walt Disney World visitors.

Best Disney World Quick Service Restaurants: Four Through Ten

 

Since three Walt Disney World quick service restaurants rank ahead of all the others, we group seven other excellent quick service restaurant choices into one group. Which fits your group’s dining needs and wants depends on many variables. As a result, any one of these could be an excellent option for your group. Below, you will find our list in no specific order from four to ten.

The Basket at Wine Bar George

Visitors to Disney Springs may be familiar with the table service restaurant, Wine Bar George. However, those same guests often overlook the walk-up quick service window and outdoor seating area between Wine Bar George and Gideon’s Bakehouse. It could be the long queue for cookies and cakes at Gideon’s Bakehouse that distracts guests. Whatever it is, some unique menu items can be found at The Basket at Wine Bar George, the often overlooked quick service window.

This place targets guests looking for something to go that allows them not to spend too much time getting food. Some examples include seasonal savory hand pies, crispy mac & cheese bites, a charcuterie box, and a porchetta sandwich. These items and more display some of the care guests find inside Wine Bar George.

Pizza at Disney Springs

In this case, we decided to cheat a little. As many experienced Walt Disney World visitors know, the quick service pizza on the property is below average (at best). However, two good fast-casual pizza options exist at Disney Springs. Since there are two, we decided to include both. They are Blaze Pizza and Pizza Ponte.

Blaze Pizza serves fresh, made-to-order pizzas in a fast-casual style. Your local town or area may have a Blaze Pizza in it. Still, we have discovered that many visitors to Walt Disney World do not have local Blaze Pizza franchises.  This makes their visit to the Disney Springs Blaze Pizza make sense. Those same guests are amazed by all the pizza combinations offered, like Hot Chicken Pickle Pizza.

Pizza Ponte, also at Disney Springs, serves a version of Sicilian pizza. The pizza options are simple. Still, the portion size of the pizza slice is good. Like Blaze Pizza, guests looking for a quick bite while at Disney Springs should enjoy Pizza Ponte.

Columbia Harbour House at Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom does not present guests with the best dining options at Walt Disney World. Nevertheless, Columbia Harbour House is the best quick service option there. Yes, we stretched the definition of the best Walt Disney World quick service with this choice. However, at least one restaurant at Magic Kingdom, the most attended theme park in the world, needed to make the list.

In the Liberty Square section of Magic Kingdom, Columbia Harbour House presents guests with a New England-style environment and décor. Seafood provides the primary options at this quick service location.

We recommend the Trio Platter. That consists of “Beer-battered Shrimp, Chicken, and Beer-battered Fish served with French Fries and Hushpuppies.”

However, any big fan of seafood will not be impressed with its worth. However, for quick service theme park food, it ranks well. Also, even though many people love it, we would avoid the Lobster Roll here. If you have ever tasted a decent New England-style lobster roll, this one will not impress you.

This place combines a balance of decent food and an enjoyable atmosphere. Also, we recommend dining in the upstairs area of Columbia Harbour House. That dining area tends to be quieter and more comfortable.

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

The quick service restaurant options at Disney’s Hollywood Studios have improved over the last five years. While we could have selected other options at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo in the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge area stands out at this park.

This well-themed quick service restaurant takes guests into a working hangar bar in the Star Wars universe. The Chef, Strono “Cookie Tuggs, runs a food freighter. The Walt Disney World backstory reveals that this chef serves menu items based on all the chef’s travels in the galaxy.

Though Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo’s menu has experienced some guest confusion with names used for the cuisine, the food is quite good. The Fried Endorian Chicken Tip Yip receives rave reviews from guests. This crispy chicken entrée comes with mac & cheese and roasted vegetables. Items like this prove that Walt Disney World can create excellent quick service meals.

Also, Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo offers one of the best vegetarian options at Walt Disney World. The Felucian Kefta and Hummus Garden Spread consists of plant-based “meatballs,” herb hummus, and tomato-cucumber relish, with a reasonably well-flavored piece of pita bread. We order this often when dining at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo offers guests a unique combination of theming and quality food. When dining at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we eat at ABC Commissary and Woody’s Lunch Box (when we can find a table). Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo makes a solid dining choice.

Best Disney World Quick Service Restaurants: Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie at Epcot

Epcot offers many dining options, including food festivals and numerous table service restaurants. Epcot also offers plenty of quick service options. However, most of them are unremarkable. Though Connections Eatery has merit and Regal Eagle Smokehouse has fans, Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie provides the best quick service option at Epcot.

The quick service restaurant tucked away in the French Pavillion in Epcot’s World Showcase presents guests with value and superior flavors. Many of our preferred in-park quick service meals and snacks are at Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie. In addition, most items on the menu will fit your Walt Disney World food vacation budget.

This place will be busy with a long queue. Still, the line moves quickly. Guests can order menu items like an entire baguette, croissants, desserts, quiches, and Croque Monsieur sandwiches. No entrée at Les Halles is over $11. This makes a great place to grab a snack, enjoy a quick meal, or buy a hungry teen a whole baguette for five dollars.

Cookes of Dublin at Disney Springs

Our subsequent two suggestions before we get to the “Big Three” take us to Disney Springs.  Located near Raglan Road, guests can find the quick service version of that table service restaurant, Cookes of Dublin.

Cookes of Dublin offers many Irish classics like Fish & Chips and Chicken & Wild Mushroom Pie. Guests can also order entrees like the Fried Chicken Sandwich, Dubliner Burger, Sweet N’ Spicy Loaded Chips, and Chicken Tenders & Chips. All these entrees cost under $17. In addition, the onion rings and cheesecake desserts receive high marks from guests visiting Cookes of Dublin.

eet by Maneet Chauhan

Despite the lack of capitalization in this quick service restaurant’s title, eet by Maneet Chauhan provides excellent Indian street food. The restaurant’s name is a play on the celebrity chef’s name. Maneet Chauhan stated in a casual interview that she felt excitement about this new restaurant concept (her first counter-service dining option). She noted that, since it was counter service, families could pay a lower price than at many table service options at Disney Springs and elsewhere. This allows more people to experience this new restaurant.

If you want upscale Indian cuisine, this quick service option might not be for you. However, the clever play on bread service, rice bowls, and pizza make this dining option worth many guests’ time.

Best Disney World Quick Service Restaurants: The Top Three

Whenever we are asked what the best quick service restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort are, we have given a similar answer for the last four years. It always includes the same three restaurants. Still, we usually must caution people that only one of these quick service options resides in one of the four Walt Disney World theme parks.

Satu’li Canteen at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Undoubtedly, the best quick service restaurant inside the four Walt Disney World theme parks resides in Pandora – The World of Avatar. Though some might suggest others as the best, Satu’li Canteen must be among the top three quick service locations in the Walt Disney World theme parks. Of course, most declare it the best in the theme parks, if not the best overall, at Walt Disney World Resort.

As Disney says about Satu’li Canteen, “Between your aerial adventures on Avatar Flight of Passage and family-friendly voyages aboard Na’vi River Journey, tuck inside the Quonset-hut structure called Satu’li Canteen—long ago an RDA mess hall, now a peaceful dining facility adorned with Na’vi art and cultural items.”

With the relatively recent addition of a breakfast menu at Satu’li Canteen, it is tough to find anything wrong with this restaurant.

The ordering method at Satu’li Canteen functions like a Subway, Chipotle, or even Blaze Pizza over at Disney Springs. We find this process goes smoother when ordering from the My Disney Experience mobile app. Guests select their protein, sauce, and base when ordering a bowl. We are partial to the rice options when we order, but other base options exist, like potato hash and salad.

For those not interested in making their own bowl, Satu’li Canteen serves cheeseburger pods. This bao bun-style item can be purchased as an adult entrée with two cheeseburger pods and chips. Also, the kid’s meal version includes one pod. If you ever wanted to know what a cheeseburger tastes like in bao bun form, Satu’li Canteen needs to be a stop on your next visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Kid’s Menu

The kids’ menu might be the best on the property, balancing nutrition and things kids will eat. The Satu’li Canteen version of a hot dog keeps kids and some adults happy.

With these pods, bowls, and some enjoyable desserts, the dining choices at Satu’li Canteen are nearly limitless. Satu’li Canteen offers a spacious indoor dining area and an outdoor seating area. For soft drink fans, the sodas here come with free refills while you are dining at Satu’li Canteen.

We have never taken anyone to Satu’li Canteen, and they were disappointed by the food. For that and many other reasons, it earns our praise regarding Walt Disney World’s quick service meals.

The Polite Pig at Disney Springs

The best barbecue at Walt Disney World can be found at Disney Springs at The Polite Pig. Discussing the best quick service restaurants at Walt Disney World should eventually make it to this place. It serves barbecue table service quality meals in a quick service format.

In fairness, The Polite Pig functions as a hybrid between quick service and table service dining. Guests get in a queue to order at a counter. After that, the staff brings your food to you. They will also wait on you to refill drinks if you so desire.

The Polite Pig offers tasty appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and any barbecue you can imagine. In this case, we will defer to the Michelin Guide to describe The Polite Pig.

MIchelin Guide

The highly respected Michelin Guide wrote glowing words about The Polite Pig. They said, “If the name of this Disney Springs destination doesn’t warrant your attention, its waterfront setting and soulful cooking will do the trick. The space is casual with an industrial vibe; guests may order at the counter or large, full-service bar to avoid a wait—et voilà —everything is magically delivered to your table. Exposed ductwork, a glassed-in kitchen and “farmer’s market” sign put diners in the mood for rustic-meets-contemporary food, complete with condiments aplenty. Flavors are nuanced yet balanced in these dishes. Meat reigns supreme on the menu and there’s no going wrong with the brisket—sliced thin, black pepper-rubbed and served with sides like creamy potato salad. Beers and cocktails, like the Texas tea, are available on draft.”

We could wax poetic about the quality of this place for hours. When you exit the Lime Garage and venture down the escalators, you can smell the barbecue flavor. Though some guests say they have better barbecue places in their local towns, for most patrons, The Polite Pig deserves to be recommended.

Best Disney World Quick Service Restaurants: Primo Piatto

Our final “Top Three” selection takes us to Disney’s Riviera Resort. Primo Piatto offers quick service dining that is far above average. The setting is primarily relaxing unless you hit this place during hectic dining hours.

Primo Piatto is a short Disney Skyliner ride away from Epcot. We make that journey often when working in the theme parks. Primo Piatto opens at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast. Lunch and dinner menus start at 11:00 a.m. and run until 10:00 p.m.

Breakfast items include a Croque Madame, a breakfast platter with creamy mascarpone polenta, and the popular Blueberry-Lemon Pancakes. Of course, guests can order Mickey Waffles and a tasty breakfast pizza if desired.

Lunch and Dinner

Lunch and dinner menus continue the elevated quick service dining options. Guests can order things like:

• Beef Bolognese
• Croque Monsieur
• Spicy Italian Sandwich
• Tuna Niçoise Salad.

Other burgers, pizza, salads, and sandwiches are available. All burgers and sandwiches come with a choice of sides. The side choices include fries, soup, or side salad. We recommend the side salad or soup since both are excellent and would cost more for the same quality in the Walt Disney World theme parks.

Primo Piatto makes an excellent place to take a break from the Walt Disney World theme parks, especially Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios based on Disney Skyliner transportation. The service and food quality exceed expectations, and no entrée costs more than $15 (at the time of writing).

Hungry for Your Next Walt Disney World Vacation?

The “Pixies” at Pixie Vacation can help you plan your next Walt Disney World vacation. Their services are free to use. Guests can receive a free, no-obligation quote on the Pixie Vacations website. We wish you an incredible time planning and enjoying your Walt Disney World vacation.