Our Favorite Disney World Restaurants Last Year

We take a look back at our favorite Disney World restaurants in 2023. We’ve picked our favorite and runner-up from each of the 4 parks and Disney Springs. See what makes these our favorite Disney World Restaurants last year!

Our Favorite Disney World Restaurants at Magic Kingdom

The counter service options at Magic Kingdom are not great, so we recommend doing at least 1 table-service restaurant. And we’ve eaten at all 8 of them in the last few years, but we kept coming back to one in 2023.

Favorite: Liberty Tree Tavern

Here are some of the reasons Liberty Tree was our favorite last year at Magic Kingdom:

• Family style all-you-care-to-enjoy
• Lowest of the fixed-rate restaurants at Magic Kingdom
• Quality food with options for everyone (Also plant-based options)
• Oooey Gooey Toffee Cake

For more on this favorite, see Liberty Tree Tavern | Walt Disney World Resort.

The food is the star here and you get quality food and large portions. The meal starts off with some bread and butter followed by their Declaration Salad to share.  The main entree is the family-style Patriot’s Platter of roasted turkey, pot-roast and oven-roasted pork and gravy.  It also comes with mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing and macaroni and cheese.  Beverages are also included with plenty of choices.  But save room for their delicious Oooey Gooey Toffee Cake covered with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. And if you want more of anything, they’ll bring more out. You can’t leave hungry.

Runner Up: The Diamond Horseshoe

Here’s a tip, the Diamond Horseshoe now serves the Liberty Tree Tavern menu. That’s right, the same food and the same price. So, if you can’t get a reservation for Liberty Tree, book the Diamond Horseshoe. Another reason to book here besides the food is they have larger tables. We had a party of 9 here no problem. So, if you have a large family and are looking for a great spot for lunch or dinner, this is it.

And did we mention Oooey Gooey Toffee Cake? I think we did, but it’s worth mentioning again. This dessert alone is a reason to come here. You can read more about this restaurant at: The Diamond Horseshoe | Walt Disney World Resort.

Our Favorite Disney World Restaurants at EPCOT

There are so many options for food at EPCOT, it can be overwhelming even when a festival isn’t going on. But there’s 1 restaurant that we’ve waited light years to get into and it did not disappoint.

Favorite: Space 220 Restaurant

Here are some of the reasons Space 220 was our favorite last year at EPCOT:

• You get to go to real, real space!
• Fun atmosphere for kids and adults alike
• Modern American cuisine with specialty cocktails
• Fine dining experience with many options

For more on this favorite, see  Space 220 Restaurant at EPCOT | Walt Disney World Resort.

Space 220 Restaurant is definitely an out-of-this-world experience. Taking the elevator to the restaurant makes you feel like you’re going to real space. And for our daughter, she was mesmerized. She kept pointing out the changing views out the windows. And they made us feel like we really were on a space station. The food was also good, though it’s pricey. But the experience is what makes this one of our favorite Disney World restaurants we visited last year. And now we understand why it’s one of the hardest reservations to get. Do you want to know how we got in or more about the food? Read our detailed post at:  Space 220 Restaurant is in “Real, Real Space”.

Runner Up: Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya

Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya in the Japan pavilion is the newest restaurant to open at EPCOT this year. And I got to try it recently with my son Drew and a friend. It’s a total different experience than Space 220, but if you like sushi you’ll like this restaurant. Besides sushi, this izakaya offers starters, grilled entrees and more. If you’re looking for a quiet restaurant with great food, this could be for you.

I went with Drew and his friend Matt on our last trip. And we were able to split the Hashi or bridge of assorted sushi and sashimi. Though it was standard sushi fare, it was very fresh and great quality. The bridge with Tsukemono, or pickled Japanese vegetables, and some Gobo chips were enough for the 3 of us. And they also have a variety of sake and specialty cocktails. There’s a lot to choose from on the menu and we’ll be back. Check out more at: Shiki-Sai Izakaya and Sushi | Walt Disney World Resort.

Our Favorite Disney World Restaurants at Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios has a good variety of sit-down restaurants for everyone. And we ate at their newest restaurant, Roundup Rodeo BBQ in Toy Story Land. But there’s a classic character dining restaurant here that was our favorite last year. And it changes each season.

Favorite: Minnie’s Seasonal Dine at Hollywood and Vine Restaurant

Here are some of the reasons Hollywood and Vine was our favorite last year at Hollywood Studios:

• Character dining with Minnie Mouse and other popular Disney characters at lunch or dinner
• Minnie, Mickey, Pluto and Goofy dressed in different outfits each season
• Fixed price buffet with quality options for everyone including kid dishes
• Wide variety of food options all-you-care-to-enjoy

For more on this favorite, see Hollywood & Vine | Walt Disney World Resort.

We only ate at 1 character-dining restaurant last year and it was at Hollywood and Vine. And this is the only restaurant in the parks to feature Minnie Mouse. But we also got to see Mickey, Pluto and Goofy all dressed-up in their best Hollywood outfits. And they stopped at each table multiple times, so we got to see everyone at least twice. The character interactions were great and our daughter loved each one. And we enjoyed the wide variety of food options. If you’re looking to do a character restaurant for lunch or dinner, this is a great choice. But unfortunately breakfast is with Disney Junior characters that haven’t changed in years. But if they ever get Bluey, we would book it immediately!

Runner Up: 50’s Prime Time Cafe

I ate here for our 1st time with Drew on our last trip and we both really enjoyed it. Just think comfort food at reasonable prices in a 50’s themed cafe. The decor was fantastic with some tables with old TV’s playing black and white clips. What made it fun for us were the rules told to us by our server. She told us no elbows on the table and no phones out during dinner. And I got busted and had to wear a hat that she wrote “Trouble” on. Hey Disney is pushing everything to their phone app, I can’t help it!

Drew got an old-fashioned root beer float to go with his chicken pot pie. I ordered A Sampling of Mom’s Favorite Recipes with meatloaf, pot roast and fried chicken. Not to mention all the mashed potatoes. I didn’t need dessert after this meal, but we’ll definitely be back. Check out more at: 50’s Prime Time Café | Walt Disney World Resort.

Our Favorite Disney World Restaurants at Animal Kingdom

There’s only a few table-service restaurants at Animal Kingdom. And it’s always good to sit down and get out of the heat and into some air conditioning on a hot day. But even on a cooler day, there’s 1 restaurant you have to try. It’s very popular, and we finally were able to get a reservation to try it.

Favorite: Yak & Yeti Restaurant

Here are some of the reasons Yak & Yeti was our favorite last year at Animal Kingdom:

• Pan-Asian cuisine with plenty of options
• Large menu with reasonable prices
• Many kid-friendly and vegetarian options
• Ahi tuna nachos

For more on this favorite, see Yak & Yeti Restaurant | Walt Disney World Resort.

We were so excited to try the food here, and we were not disappointed. We started off the with the ahi tuna nachos to share. This large portion had plenty of tuna, Asian slaw and wontons with wasabi aioli and sweet soy glaze. We highly recommend. But we should have split an entree after this large app. Becky got the coconut shrimp and I got the Korean beef both served with rice. It was too much for us. And our daughter’s stir-fry noodles with 2 sides and a drink was also a large portion. Though she devoured the noodles. We all left happy and full, and we’ll be back again to try other menu items.

Note – the Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes is a separate counter service restaurant outside with some similar options. But we recommend the table-service restaurant inside.

Runner Up: Boma – Flavors of Africa

Though 2 of the 4 table-service restaurants in Animal Kingdom offer breakfast, this restaurant is actually not in the park. Boma – Flavors of Africa is actually in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge just minutes from the park. If you’re looking for a great place to eat breakfast before you hit the park, Boma delivers.

Boma is a buffet restaurant with a lot of good options. There are some African inspired dishes like turkey bobotie. But they have plenty of traditional dishes including pre-made omelets, bacon and Mickey waffles. They also have plenty of bakery items, but the must have is their sticky buns. These cinnamon swirled buns are topped with pecan praline goodness and you can even add more of the sauce. The food here is really good with plenty of options at a reasonable “Disney” price. You can read more about this restaurant at:  Boma Flavors of Africa | Walt Disney World Resort.

Our Favorite Disney World Restaurants at Disney Springs

What’s better than taking a break from shopping? Of course, it’s eating. And Disney Springs has more restaurants than even EPCOT. Every kind of cuisine you can think of is here. And we finally made it to a restaurant with a specific specialty we had to try. And we’re glad we did.

Favorite: Morimoto Asia

Here are some of the reasons Morimoto Asia was our favorite last year at Disney Springs:

• Finest Pan-Asian cuisine of Chinese, Japanese and Korean dishes
• Large menu with different price ranges
• Extensive sake list and their own specialty beer
• Morimoto Peking Duck

For more on this favorite, see Morimoto Asia Restaurant | Walt Disney World Resort.

There are multiple famous chefs who have restaurants at Disney Springs. And the Japanese master chef Morimoto is known for creative Asian flavors. And walking by the restaurant you may notice something hanging in the window. I’m talking about their Peking duck, and Becky and I finally got to try it. This specialty is carved and served with flour tortillas or bao buns. It also comes with cucumbers sticks and apricot sweet chili and hoisin miso sauces. Grab your bao bun and add some sauce, some duck and cucumbers and you have a mouth-watering treat. You’ll want to come back for this alone, but we also had some sushi, sake and their homemade beer. This is a perfect restaurant for couples if you can leave the kids behind.

Note – Morimoto Asia Street Food is a separate counter-service option outside with a few options. To get the Peking duck, you have to sit at the table-service restaurant inside.

Runner Up: Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ 

Another renowned chef is known for home-style cooking. Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ is comfort food at any time of the day. We had previously tried brunch here. You can read about our review then: Homecomin’ Brunch at Disney Springs. But last month, I tried lunch with my son Drew and it was excellent.

It is difficult to get a reservation at Chef Art’s restaurant. But come early and you can usually get in without waiting long. When we got to the hostess around 10:30AM, there was a small wait. However, we found out you don’t have to wait if you want to eat and can find seats at the bar. We found some and also found out they still have their signature Fried Chicken and Doughnuts for lunch. So Drew ordered the signature brunch item. I decided to order their country fried steak and both meals were excellent. With their large portions you can easily share a meal, but they’re so good you won’t want to. Bring your appetite and enjoy. Read more about this restaurant here: Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ | Walt Disney World Resort.

Summary

Are you hungry yet? We tried many different restaurants at Disney World in 2023, including many new ones. And the variety of restaurant options is one of the reasons we like coming back each year. But planning in advance is key. And we hope the reviews of our favorite Disney World restaurants help you in your planning for 2024!

Tell us what your favorite restaurants are in the Comments below!

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