So, you are hungry while enjoying a day at Magic Kingdom. Where do you find the best Magic Kingdom food? Where are the best places to eat at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort?
Magic Kingdom continues to be the most attended theme park in the world. With so many visitors, there are numerous places to eat at Magic Kingdom. These vary from dining within Cinderella Castle to a popcorn stand not far from that castle. Guests can have a beautiful time dining with Beast in his New Fantasyland castle at Magic Kingdom. In contrast, Magic Kingdom guests can order a hot dog and fries from a baseball-themed quick service restaurant.
This resource will cover the best Magic Kingdom food in terms of quick service, table service, and nearby options outside of Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney World has options regardless of your group’s cuisine preferences.
Best Magic Kingdom Food: Quick Service
Cheeseburger from Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
Magic Kingdom offers numerous quick service or fast-food style restaurants. We shudder to think about all the work that goes into planning to feed so many people daily. However, Magic Kingdom does not offer the highest quality of quick service dining at Walt Disney World. Despite that weakness, guests can select several quality meal options at Magic Kingdom. Quick service makes a reasonable choice for those looking to avoid the higher price of table service restaurants.
The Magic Kingdom quick service restaurants primarily sell burgers, fries, chicken tenders, and pizza. If your group needs or wants burgers, chicken tenders, or pizza, most places at Magic Kingdom will solve that need. Also, if you dine at Casey’s Corner for the hot dogs, we wish you luck finding a seat. As they say, “May the odds ever be in your favor!”
In recent years, we ranked Sleepy Hollow Refreshments as one of the best Magic Kingdom food options. However, last year, this location changed the composition of its menu. Overall, those waffle changes and other components were not for the best. Based on that, we would rank four Magic Kingdom quick service options better than Sleepy Hollow Refreshment.
In addition, we did not include the popular Adventureland Spring Roll Cart since it is a kiosk. Many guests love the Cheeseburger Spring Roll here. At the time of writing, you can get two for $9.50, which sounds a bit high to us.
Casey’s Corner
Corn Dog Nuggets at Casey’s Corner
With the downgrade of Sleepy Hollow Refreshments, Casey’s Corner barely makes this list. Casey’s Corner can be found on Main Street, U.S.A., at Magic Kingdom. The menu displays standard United States of America-style hot dogs and fries. This place does feature the popular Corn Dog Nuggets. Still, the plant-based Chicago Dog at Casey’s Corner deserves consideration for vegan diners. Guests can even enjoy a theme park version of a mint julep slushy at Casey’s Corner. Once again, good luck finding a seat to relax when dining here.
Friar’s Nook
Cheddar, Bacon, and Ranch Tots from Friar’s Nook
Friar’s Nook, in the Fantasyland area of Magic Kingdom, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu tends to change here regularly. However, the changes are usually minor.
For breakfast, guests can anticipate a bagel sandwich and some version of covered tater tots. You can even get Tiana’s Famous Beignets if you choose. The lunch and dinner menu will consist of hot dogs, covered tater tots, and some version of a hand pie.
This location often closes early, like 5:00 p.m. Guests should check the hours of operation when planning their meals. Nevertheless, guests appreciate the comfort-style food with a few non-traditional options in a theme park without many.
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
Over in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, guests can dine at the usually busy but spacious Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café. With last year’s menu change to more create-your-own bowls, this quick-service restaurant increased in many people’s rankings. During our visits, we tried all the versions. The rice or nacho bowl tends to be the best Magic Kingdom food option at Pecos Bill. Those looking for a burger can get the Double Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger.
Best Magic Kingdom Quick Service Food: Columbia Harbour House
Maple-Mustard Glazed Salmon at Columbia Harbour House
Another good option (probably the best) regarding quick service can be found in the Liberty Square area of Magic Kingdom. Columbia Harbour House presents Magic Kingdom guests with a New England-style environment and décor. Seafood serves as the primary option at this quick service location.
We recommend the Trio Platter. That consists of fried shrimp, chicken strips, and battered fish served with hushpuppies and a choice of side. However, any big fan of seafood will not be impressed with its quality. However, for quick service theme park food, it ranks well.
Also, even though some 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. Still, the Maple-Mustard-Glazed Salmon served with green beans, and rice makes a better choice.
This place combines decent food with an enjoyable atmosphere. We recommend dining in the upstairs area of Columbia Harbour House, which tends to be quieter and more comfortable. For quick service, Columbia Harbour House offers the best Magic Kingdom food.
Best Magic Kingdom Food: Advanced Dining Reservations
Space Mountain
Several of the most desired table service dining options at Walt Disney World reside in the Magic Kingdom. For example, if you decide to dine at The Crystal Palace, Cinderella’s Royal Table, or Be Our Guest, you should prepare to make your reservation at the 60-day mark when reservation slots open. Based on the historical volume of Walt Disney World guests searching for advance dining reservations, those reservations will disappear quickly.
Cinderella’s Royal Table and Be Our Guests allow Magic Kingdom visitors to dine in style for some of the best Magic Kingdom food. These signature dining options allow guests to dine inside castles. Be Our Guest in the Fantasyland area of Magic Kingdom brings diners into Beast’s castle. Cinderella’s Royal Table will enable guests to dine inside Cinderella Castle. Due to these incredible dining environments, these are the two most popular table service restaurants at Magic Kingdom. Crystal Place is popular based on the Winnie the Pooh characters being there.
We understand that booking a dining reservation for your vacation 60 days in advance sounds absurd. In fairness, Walt Disney World guests used to have to book 180 days in advance for the most complex reservations to acquire. A visit to Walt Disney World demands some planning. Some pre-planning cannot be avoided. Your “Pixie” at Pixie Vacations can help you decide on a plan of attack for booking advanced dining reservations.
Best Magic Kingdom Food: Table Service
Several excellent dining options exist at Magic Kingdom, including some of the most beautiful restaurants at Walt Disney World and three different character dining options. Magic Kingdom operates eight different table service restaurants. These table service restaurants will usually require an advanced dining reservation. We have ranked these in order of priority for most guests.
Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
Tony’s Town Square Restaurant draws inspiration from the Disney animated classic “Lady and the Tramp.” The restaurant contains a fountain featuring the famous dog couple. Guests can see this table service restaurant on their right as they enter the Magic Kingdom.
Even though we rank this Magic Kingdom table service option at the bottom of our Table service list, it has improved over the last year or so. The food is not bad, but guests can find better options in Magic Kingdom and nearby.
This Italian table service restaurant has a patio that offers great views of Main Street, U.S.A. It can be a solid place to dine and watch the afternoon parade. We will have to wait and see if it makes a solid choice for the new nighttime parade, which will first occur in the summer of 2025. Despite that, this dining location does not offer anything to go out of your way to try. If you choose to dine here, you will have plenty of menu options.
The Plaza Restaurant
Chicken Waldorf Salad
The Plaza Restaurant also resides at Magic Kingdom on Main Street, U.S.A. However, it is at the other end of the street. This location seats less than 100 people. The food is basic deli-style meals for lunch and dinner. Guests should expect sandwiches, salads, burgers, and homestyle plates. Guests who enjoy this place state that the portion sizes are good.
Due to limited seating, advance dining reservations can be challenging to acquire at The Plaza Restaurant. However, even at Magic Kingdom, better table service dining options exist for guests to enjoy themselves with less stress.
Be Our Guest
Photo Credit: Walt Disney World
One character dining option, Be Our Guest, at Magic Kingdom, resides in New Fantasyland. This will be the first (and lowest ranked) Magic Kingdom character meal on our list.
At Be Our Guest, diners enter Beast’s Castle from “Beauty & the Beast.” This signature dining experience offers a menu of French-influenced food. This experience is technically a character meal. It includes Beast, who comes out to the dining room a few times to interact with guests. However, even though this interaction has increased, it is still limited compared to other character meals.
The main reason guests book this experience relates to being able to dine inside the Beast’s castle, which includes notable aspects from the “Beauty and the Beast” film. The two other Magic Kingdom character meals on our list have far better character interactions, but most guests dine at Be Our Guest for the ambiance, which is hard to beat at Walt Disney World. The overall theming creates a beautiful experience for fans of the movie.
The food quality at Be Our Guest meets the signature dining level. However, it barely meets that level compared to other signature dining at Walt Disney World Resort. We rate this dining option as the weakest signature Walt Disney World restaurant. Be Our Guest offers a Prix Fixe menu, which is one of the more expensive meals at Walt Disney World. This dinner costs $72 per adult plus tax and tip.
The Diamond Horseshoe
Diamond Horseshoe Salad
Our next selection in the Magic Kingdom table service restaurant list takes us to The Diamond Horseshoe. In the Liberty Square area of Magic Kingdom, The Diamond Horseshoe is themed like an Old West music hall, which in the past included live music. However, that aspect of dining went away several years ago. Since then, The Diamond Horseshoe and Liberty Tree Tavern have shared a similar menu built around all-you-care-to-enjoy Thanksgiving holiday-style food.
The Diamond Horseshoe’s menu includes an all-you-care-to-eat salad, roasted turkey, pot roast, and oven-roasted park with traditional sides. Like Liberty Tree Tavern, the dessert consists of Ooey-Gooey toffee cake with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream.
Liberty Tree Tavern
Oooey Gooey Toffee Cake
Speaking of Liberty Tree Tavern, that Magic Kingdom table service restaurant fits in our ranking in this spot. As you might suspect, it is in the Liberty Square area of Magic Kingdom near The Diamond Horseshoe.
This place calls for you if you enjoy roast dinner or a USA-style Thanksgiving meal. Though it may be entirely in our heads, the food tastes better here than at The Diamond Horseshoe. If you leave this place hungry, that would be your fault. The cast members will bring more food if you want some for as long as you like.
Although this place provides decent plant-based options, the main reason to visit involves what Liberty Tree Tavern calls the “Patriot’s Platter.” This consists of roasted turkey, pot roast, oven-roasted pork, mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, herb stuffing, and macaroni & cheese. This meal ends with Oooey Gooey Toffee Cake, a vanilla toffee cake, chocolate sauce, and vanilla ice cream.
Liberty Tree Tavern is an excellent choice for a filling meal. We suggest wearing your “eating” pants. However, this would not be the ideal dining choice if you plan to ride Space Mountain right after your meal.
The major negative of Liberty Tree Tavern (and The Diamond Horseshoe) comes down to the style of food, not the quality. Many feel that a hearty meal like this does not make for an enjoyable time running around Magic Kingdom afterward. Also, many guests want something other than a roast or turkey dinner while at Magic Kingdom. Despite that, an all-you-care-to-eat meal at Magic Kingdom for $44 for adults ($24 for kids) sounds like a great value.
The Crystal Palace
Speaking of bringing your “eating” pants, the Crystal Palace also fills that need at the Magic Kingdom. The Crystal Palace is a reasonable choice for Walt Disney World guests looking for all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet dining and characters. Based on all variables, we rate The Crystal Palace slightly higher than Libert Tree Tavern. However, this would rank lower if you do not want a character meal.
Fans of Winnie the Pooh and friends love The Crystal Palace. This character dining buffet serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant allows guests to dine at this greenhouse-inspired Crystal Palace. The Crystal Palace sits near Main Street, U.S.A., on the opposite side of The Plaza Restaurant.
The buffet’s food options cover a diverse range, even for breakfast. However, the food quality falls slightly below some other character dining buffets at Walt Disney World. The current $52 for adults for breakfast matches comparable character dining breakfast buffet prices. The lunch and dinner prices increase by $10. Kids aged three to nine cost $33 for breakfast and $42 for lunch and dinner.
The characters stand out as the main reason to book this advance dining reservation. Guests wanting to interact with the Winnie the Pooh characters, then The Crystal Palace deserves a stop. Though you can find better character meals on Walt Disney World property, especially for breakfast, The Crystal Palace provides character dining in the heart of the Magic Kingdom. Dining in that environment makes this buffet restaurant shine for many guests.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Beef Tenderloin and Egg at Cinderella’s Royal Table
Speaking of dining in an excellent environment, beating Cinderella’s Royal Table is hard. This place allows guests to experience dining inside Cinderella Castle overlooking Fantasyland. Because of this setting, it ranks as one of the top dining options for guests at Walt Disney World.
Cinderella’s Royal Table has a price tag to match the high level of this experience. It is also one of the few restaurants that requires prepayment when you make your dining reservation. You get a full refund if you cancel within the allotted time frame.
Cinderella’s Royal Table offers a prix fixe menu with more upscale dining options than you see at most table service dining options. There are also plenty of kid-friendly options for the picky eaters in your group.
Cinderella’s Royal Table is considered a character meal featuring a selection of Disney Princesses that will greet guests as they dine. So, if dining inside Cinderella Castle wasn’t magical enough, you also have the addition of Disney princesses.
Still, the high price tag of $88 for adults during lunch and dinner takes this Magic Kingdom restaurant off many people’s lists. Even breakfast costs $74 for adults. Kids cost $45 for breakfast and seven dollars more for lunch and dinner. For groups wondering if the children will even eat, that price should be weighed in the decision.
Best Magic Kingdom Table Service Food: Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
Tastes like Chicken_ Because it is! at “Skipper’s Canteen”
Our top table service choice at Magic Kingdom can be found in the Adventureland area. Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen, known as “Skipper Canteen “by most, provides quirky, unique dining. As the restaurant name implies, this table service option plays off the world’s famous Jungle Cruise attraction at Magic Kingdom. While we understand that Cinderella’s Royal Table offers better quality food, “Skipper’s Canteen” provides good food for a better value. That is why we selected it as the Bets Magic Kingdom table service food.
Guests can expect “corny” jokes in the Jungle Cruise style at Skipper’s Canteen. The menu reflects this pattern also. With entrees like “Tastes like Chicken” Because it is and “Hardy Har Char” Siu Pork, the pattern is set for your dining experience. The restaurant plays off the backstory of the Falls family and the lore of explorers associated with the Jungle Cruise attraction. If dining here, prepare for many puns and “Dad-level” jokes.
The entrees at “Skipper Canteen” are worth your time. Since finding non-prix-fixe or buffet-style meals at the Magic Kingdom table service restaurants is challenging, we rank this place as the best overall option. Though this menu used to be more adventurous, we found plenty to enjoy here.
Some menu items that earn high marks from guests are Nile Nellie’s Noodle Bowl, Falls Family Falafel, and the most known secret menu item at Walt Disney World, the Brazilian Cheese Bread. The creative dishes with some Asian influences, reasonable prices, and an excellent atmosphere make this top our list of best Magic Kingdom restaurants for table service.
Best Magic Kingdom Food: Willing to Leave the Park?
A day at Magic Kingdom brings fun, amazement, crowds, and Florida weather. Most Walt Disney World experts recommend taking an afternoon break from the theme parks to rest and return in the evening.
Based on your hotel choice for the Disney vacation, returning to your hotel for an afternoon break may not be practical. Because of that, we have a few suggestions for a meal break without going too far away. As an added bonus, we find the food and beverages are of higher quality at these nearby dining locations.
The Magic Kingdom utilizes the Disney monorail to help guests arrive. With the monorail close to the Magic Kingdom entrance and exit, guests could take a lunch break at one of the Disney Monorail hotels using the Resort Monorail line instead of the Express Monorail line. The Monorail will take you to the nearby resort hotels and back to Magic Kingdom. Any person can visit a Walt Disney World Resort hotel.
Before you think these Walt Disney World Resort hotel restaurants are a bargain, you will still pay far more than in your city. Still, the quality of dining increases, and the ability to take a break from a busy Magic Kingdom will improve your day. The three Disney Monorail hotels offer table and counter service (quick service) options. For a proper break, we suggest reserving one of the table service options for lunch around 1:00 p.m. Also, many of these nearby Walt Disney World Resort hotel restaurants stop serving lunch around 2:00 p.m. in preparation for dinner service later that day.
Best Magic Kingdom Food: Table Service Restaurants Suggestions for a Lunch Break
Ahi Tuna Crisps at Wailulu Bar & Grill
(Photo by Jon Self)
Several excellent table service lunch break options exist on the Disney Monorail route. Guests could enjoy the quick service options at the Disney Monorail hotels. Still, the table service ones will be more relaxing.
Steakhouse 71 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Stack Burger at Steakhouse 71
This table service option on the lower floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort serves one of the best lunch menus at Walt Disney World. Since Steakhouse 71 opened in 2021, the lunch menu has continued to receive glowing reviews. We suggest the Steakhouse 71 Onion Rings (plant-based), the Stack Burger, the Vegetable “Wellington,” and the Gourmet Grilled Cheese.
Kona Café at Disney’s Polynesian Resort
Big Kahuna Burger at Kona Cafe
This table service restaurant at Disney’s Polynesian Resort presents a relaxing dining environment. However, it is a bit odd that you can see the activity of the second-floor lobby of this restaurant. Kona Café, for lunch, serves Asian and American-influenced cuisine. We suggest sushi, a Kona stir-fry, or the Big Kahuna Burger.
Grand Floridian Café at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Eggs Benedict at Grand Floridian Cafe
This elegant table service option at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa reminds guests of dining in a Victorian setting. This restaurant reflects a brunch vibe. For example, guests can order a burger at 7:30 a.m. or a full egg platter at 2:00 p.m. Despite the appearance of upscale sophistication, guests say this table service restaurant makes a relaxing lunch option.
Wailulu Bar & Grill at Disney’s Polynesian Resort
Short Rib Moco Loco at Wailulu Bar & Grill
Though technically not a table service restaurant, our favorite place to sneak away from Magic Kingdom for a meal break is Wailulu Bar & Grill at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. This lounge near the new Disney Vacation Club Island Tower opened in late 2024 and provides guests with indoor and outdoor seating and a wide variety of dining choices. We created a more extended resource about Wailulu Bar & Grill for readers to enjoy.
Ready for Your Next Walt Disney World Vacation?
Are you planning a trip to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World? The “Pixies” at Pixie Vacations offer fee-free help in planning a Walt Disney World vacation. You can visit the website for a no-obligation free quote for your next Walt Disney World vacation. Enjoy planning your next vacation.
