Disney Restaurants - ULTIMATE Dining Reviews and Tips from Family with Four Kids

As requested, I'm running through the Disney restaurants my family frequented when we went down to Disney World on our DOUBLE vacation. We did a LOT of Character Meals and I wanted to share with you how we did with our family of FOUR kids at the happiest place on earth! Here we go!

You guys, I am still so excited that we went on that amazing FIRST EVER family vacation. We completed a Disney World vacation that included all four amusement parks and ended with a short cruise into the Bahamas. It was incredible!

Now, some of you are wondering how the dining situation went down and booking at Disney Restaurants. I'm dishing up the scoop on all the places we went as well as the good, the bad and the ugly!

Normally, I would have a budget range in here, but we did the Deluxe Dining Plan. For us and the restaurants that we wanted to go to, it was completely worth it. Was it overboard? Yes, definitely.

However, you do NOT need the Deluxe Dining Plan (as every Disney blogger will tell you). So here are some of our favorite Disney restaurants we went to and what we loved or didn't like about it.

After about months of scouring the internet and researching, I settled on a plan with most days landing a character dining reservation. Here's the link to a great site to review all of the possible character dining locations. Here is a review of the ones we snagged and what we thought about them. This is in order of the ones the kids and parents enjoyed the most.

Note Regarding Disney Restaurants and Dining with Toddlers

With four kids, I was REALLY worried about having the obnoxiously loud table with boisterous kids. It turned out that we literally had NOTHING to worry about. At EVERY SINGLE RESTAURANT, there were kids galore and it was loud.

If you are a parent like me who fears the worst about being the parent with the really loud kids, do not worry or fret at all about this.

I mean, I should have known. Disney is basically made for kids. There is literally nothing to worry about. Having toddlers at Disney Restaurants is to be expected (unless you go somewhere super fancy that requires you to dress up in a suit and tie).

Disney Restaurants with Character Meetings We Visited

Cinderella's Royal Table for Dinner

Disney Restaurant Location: Inside a Disney Park - Magic Kingdom
Branded as: Fairytale Dining at Cinderella's Royal Table
Characters: Cinderella, Ariel, Aurora, Jasmine and Snow White
Service Type: Table Service

This is probably the most coveted of all of the of the character dining meets, especially if you have children who look up to princesses.

Expectations for Cinderella's Royal Table Disney Restaurant

I had no notes in my excel sheet on what specifically to order. After all the reviews I read online, I went in expecting the food to be subpar and not that great. I also read that there princesses would all come around, and it would take a long time.

Reality of Cinderella's Royal Table Disney Restaurant

Character Meeting Rounding Time: It took approximately 20 minutes at the start of our service for the princesses to arrive. After that, each princess gave us enough time to meet all four kids!
Food: The food was decent, I would say that the reviewers were pretty harsh on it, but they weren't too far off.
Service: The server was amazing and provided my girls wands and my boy a sword to keep them content.
Atmosphere: It was so great that it was a pretty loud atmosphere. Since our reservation was at 5:50pm, I knew my kids would start getting cranky (even after getting a nap mid-day). The girls LOVED meeting Jasmine because they didn't see them at any of the other character meets.
My Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

1900 Park Fare for Dinner

Disney Restaurant Location: Inside a Disney Hotel - Grand Floridian
Branded as: Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner at 1900 Park Fare
Characters: Cinderella, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, Drizella, Prince Charming/Suzy & Perla
Service Type: Table Service

Expectations for 1900 Park Fare Disney Restaurant

I had heard that you should expect a lot of fun and humor from Lady Tremaine and the step sisters, so I wanted to experience this! Since we were staying in the Grand Floridian, we wanted to do dinner here anyway because we'd be winding down our day here.

Reality of 1900 Park Fare Disney Restaurant

When we were there, Prince Charming was not available, so they had Suzy & Perla, Cinderella's mice instead!

Character Meeting Rounding Time: We sat in the back (away from all the food), and we lucked out because Suzy and Perla were in the lobby next to us! We got to take photos with them first AND the characters rounded soon after our photos. They came fairly quickly and we were done with characters 30 minutes into our meal time. All the talk about Lady Tremaine and the step sisters - I didn't get the fun experience I was hoping. It might have been my type A personality trying to get an autograph for the kids autograph book instead of experiencing the fun.
Food: The food was great! It was buffet style. The kids had macaroni and cheese, and we had prime rib! It was delicious (well, as delicious as buffet food can be).
Service: The service was great, no complaints if I remember correctly.
Atmosphere: It was boisterous and everyone was having fun! Nothing to write about here.
My Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

Garden Grill Restaurant for Lunch

Disney Restaurant Location: Inside a Disney Park - Epcot
Branded as: Chip 'n' Dale's Harvest Feast at Garden Grill
Characters: Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Chip and Dale
Service Type: Table Service

Expectations for Garden Grill Disney Restaurant

I had expected a slow, spinning view as well as the first time meeting Mickey Mouse.

Reality of Garden Grill Disney Restaurant

Honestly, we didn't enjoy Epcot as much as a family, which meant that the memory of the dining experience may have soured that. I mean, don't get me wrong. We had fun on the rides we could go on, but I wasn't a fan of our first meeting with Mickey Mouse with him wearing farmer's overalls (I know I shouldn't judge, but I was expecting red overalls for photos!).

Character Meeting Rounding Time: Meeting the characters was pretty quick. They were very gracious with their time. We had booth seating, so we had to slide the kids out to stand next to them while eating. It was great getting all of them to meet Mickey for the first time. I think this was the interaction where we had the most time.
Food: The food was delicious. It was a family style pot roast with mashed potatoes that we ordered. It was definitely a little heavy for lunch, but it was good.
Service: The service was great, no complaints if I remember correctly.
Atmosphere: We were literally on a rotating floor. We could see scenes from Living with the Land. It was kind of annoying hearing the scene with the dog barking every 10 minutes.
My Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

Tusker House for Breakfast

Disney Restaurant Location: Inside a Disney Park - Animal Kingdom
Branded as: Donald's Safari Breakfast
Characters: Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Mickey Mouse
Service Type: Table Service

Expectations for Tusker House Disney Restaurant

During the planning, Animal Kingdom was one of the places I really wanted to knock out the safari ride, so I wanted to quickly finish up our breakfast and walk/run quickly from our reservation straight to the safari without having to wait in line or use a FastPass. I heard that the character rounding time would take a while. So I was prepared to "hurry" the server. I also read that I would get a ticket into Rivers of Light in the evening without using FastPasses if I booked this breakfast! It was a win-win in my book.

I had heard about some jungle juice here that would be absolutely delicious. I was prepared for a fun exchange.

Reality of Tusker House Disney Restaurant

It was everything I hoped for and more! We got to meet the characters quickly, food was delicious, and the servers were gracious.

Character Meeting Rounding Time: They were really slow towards the end. We actually ended up skipping out on one of the characters (which we had already met). So if you are planning to "rope drop" any of your rides, make sure you let your server be aware.
Food: Food was good! The jungle juice was even better.
Service: The food came out quickly, I remember waiting for the characters more than the food.
Atmosphere:With reservations, I had read that it may be a wait. We had reservations at 8:05 AM and were seated within 10 minutes of arriving.
My Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall for Breakfast

Disney Restaurant Location: Inside a Disney Park - Epcot
Branded as: Storybook Dining in Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Characters: Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, Princess Aurora, Ariel
Service Type: Table Service

Expectations for Akershus Royal Banquet Hall Disney Restaurant

I expected a buffet, and I didn't have any expectations at all except to get the Mickey waffles here.

Reality of Akershus Royal Banquet Hall Disney Restaurant

When we first arrived, we were able to take photos with a few of the princesses. After getting seated, we were able to get our drinks and head to the buffet pretty quickly. Ryan thought that this was one of the better breakfasts we had at Disney overall.

Character Meeting Rounding Time: I felt as through the meeting of the princesses was more rushed here than any of them (including as compared to Cinderella's castle).
Food: The food reminded me of Tusker House, it was good breakfast food.
Service: Service was great. I remember the server coming to make sure we had everything we needed.
Atmosphere: As with all character breakfast, no concerns regarding bringing toddlers and kids here at all! It's loud and fun!
My Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

Cape May Cafe

Disney Restaurant Location: Inside a Disney Hotel - Beach Club Lobby
Branded as: Minnie's Beach Bash Breakfast
Characters: Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Daisy
Service Type: Table Service

Expectations for Cape May Disney Restaurant

We wanted to end our last day at the resorts at a resort that we didn't stay at AND be able to meet Minnie Mouse.

Reality of Cape May Disney Restaurant

This breakfast was beyond my expectations. I didn't want to go to breakfast here on any days that we had a park day planned, which is why we scheduled it on the last day. It was an amazing experience and a great way to end the first leg of our trip.

Character Meeting Rounding Time: They gave us plenty of time for photos. Minnie mouse was so sweet to my little Lorelei and gave her extra time (and we have four kids!).
Food: It had the biggest selection of buffet foods for any meal that we had at Disney World, and this includes comparing it to the dinner buffets!
Service: The hosts were gracious here as well, no complaints.
Atmosphere: It's a bright and spacious buffet restaurant with beach themes.
My Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

The Other Disney Restaurants with Character Meetings We Wished We Did

Be Our Guest

We didn't have this on our list because we already at Cinderella's Royal Table Character Dining and Liberty Tavern booked already for Magic Kingdom. The reason it was on my list is because of all the animation and things to look at in the rooms! I really wanted to experience it, bummer.

Disney Restaurant Location: Inside a Disney Park - Magic Kingdom
Branded as: I haven't seen any branding for this dinner service
Characters: The Beast (only at Dinner)

Chef Mickey

If you can believe it, we had reservations the day that we hung out at Epcot. Because my husband was so adamant about spending as much time in the parks "because the tickets were expensive", we cancelled our reservations. I have since resented him for that (kidding, but I'm seriously still mad).

Disney Restaurant Location: Inside a Disney Hotel - Contemporary
Branded as: Chef Mickey's Fun Time Buffet
Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald Duck, Goofy

Hollywood and Vine

I heard mixed reviews about the service, but it was the only place the kids could meet the Disney Junior characters.

Disney Restaurant Location: Inside a Disney Park - Hollywood Studios
Branded as: Disney Junior Play 'n Dine
Characters: Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Handy Mandy, Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First

'Ohana

We did this as a dinner, instead of the character meet for breakfast. We wanted to get to the parks early! This was actually a toss up for the last day between Cape May, but the fact that I wanted to visit another resort (to plan future trips) was what swayed me in picking Cape May.

Disney Restaurant Location: Inside a Disney Hotel - Polynesian Resort
Branded as: Best Friends Breakfast featuring Lilo and Stitch
Characters: Lilo, Stitch, Mickey Mouse, Pluto

Non-Character Dining Disney Restaurants We Visited

Disney Restaurants at Magic Kingdom

Liberty Tree Tavern

Location: Magic Kingdom
Service Type: Table Service
Meal Type: Lunch

I was looking forward to the deliciousness of this restaurant specifically because I heard rave reviews on a specific podcast called Unlocking the Magic. The couple on the podcast raved about this, so I definitely reserved this one in place of one of the other character meets and was hoping that it would not be a let down. It turned out to be very similar food to Garden Grill Harvest Feast.

Expectations: I expected delicious food.
Reality: It wasn't as great as Yak & Yeti, but it was wholesome food!
Quality: The food was bountiful, and it was good.
Atmosphere: There's a step inside and it was hard to pull the stroller in with one of my babies asleep. Overall, it was a good environment!
Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10

Disney Restaurants at Hollywood Studios

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant for Lunch

Location: Hollywood Studios
Service Type: Table Service
Meal Type: Lunch

With six people, it wasn't as fun as I thought it would be with littles. We all sat separately. With littles, I feel like I want to see their faces, so turning around and hovering over them in the same car was odd to me. I think we would have enjoyed it better if they were older.

Expectations: In-laws and husband had prior experiences to this, so we thought it would be fun.
Reality: They were way too young for the movies and to appreciate eating in a car.
Quality: The food was okay.
Atmosphere: This was the only place I kept having to "shhhhh" my kids.
Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10

Disney Restaurants in Polynesian Hotel

Kona Cafe for Lunch

Location: Disney Hotel - Polynesian Resort
Service Type: Table Service
Meal Type: Lunch

As our first restaurant of the trip, this set the par for what we thought about the food. We got the Dining Deluxe Plan for the entire family. Let's just say we had more food than we knew what to do with.

Expectations: On my notes, I had to try the chilli-dusted shrimp and to try the Kona Kone from all my research.
Reality: I didn't order anything I had researched because in the heat of the moment with four kids in a Disney restaurant, it was all I could do to keep them calm.
Quality. The food was good, nothing that screamed out at us. We are not foodies, know that.
Atmosphere: I felt like it was a dining hall, but with a server. It seemed as though the pace was a lot slower. With our family of four, we were squeezed into a small table with a ton of people around us. It didn't seem "Disney" like at all.
Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10

'Ohana for Dinner

Location: Disney Hotel - Polynesian Resort
Service Type: Table Service
Meal Type: Lunch

I didn't want to do breakfast because that meant that we would have to be late to one of the parks. With my FastPasses being scheduled so early in the day, especially for the important rides, I did NOT want to exchange a dining experience for rides. So we chose dinner. It turned out to be awesome. The kids got to play some games with the servers, like rolling a coconut around the restaurant with a broom. It was so adorable!

Expectations: On my notes, I had to try a pudding and pretty much ask for more food if I needed it.
Reality: Kids had a blast and we should have scheduled a little earlier because our little one started freaking out.
Quality. The food was good, nothing that screamed out at us. It was served family style and seemed a little on the heavier side.
Atmosphere: I felt like it was a dining hall, but with a server. It seemed as though the pace was a lot slower. With our family of four, we were squeezed into a small table with a ton of people around us. It didn't seem "Disney" like at all.
Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10

Disney Restaurants in Animal Kingdom

Yak & Yeti for Dinner

Location: Disney Park - Animal Kingdom
Service Type: Table Service
Meal Type: Dinner

This was a meal that I did not plan, and had cancelled Boma which was at Animal Kingdom Lodge. The reason why we cancelled was because we wanted to spend the whole day at Animal Kingdom and did not want to go back to the hotel room. Overall, we loved it and thought it was the BEST meal of the entire trip.

Expectations: No expectations going in. As a last minute reservation, we thought we'd wait hours.
Reality: It turned out to only be a 30 minute wait. I think that it is SERIOUSLY UNDERRATED. I'm not sure why more people aren't talking about this restaurant. It's DELICIOUS.
Quality: Superb.
Atmosphere: It's like any typical Disney restaurant, loud and fun.
Overall Ranking: 10 out of 10

Flame Tree Barbecue for Lunch

Location: Disney Park - Animal Kingdom
Service Type: Quick Service
Meal Type: Lunch

This was the only quick service restaurant that I planned for the entire trip in my spreadsheet itinerary. I wanted something quick and easy at Animal Kingdom because we had a TON of rides we wanted to do, and we didn't want to spend a lot of time at a restaurant waiting for our food.

Expectations: I heard the food was good and easy to get.
Reality: Getting the food was easy, it was less than a 10 minute wait.
Quality: Being a native Kansas Citian, I know good barbeque. This was okay barbeque. It wasn't anything to write home about.
Atmosphere: There was outdoor seating, and it was pretty cramped. There were fans. Servers were cleaning up tables pretty quickly, so we were able to grab a seat for the six of us within 5 minutes of being there (but before the food was called out).
Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10

Wowsa. That was a lot of information. I hope this was helpful in choosing a Disney restaurant on your next Disney World trip!

Check out my epic Disney World and Disney Cruise review here for more information on our trip and what we learned.

If you haven't checked out my Disney World line hacks, this is a MUST READ. I also talk about the Disney Fast Pass cost and how you can pay a little extra to save a lot of time!

Disney World Tips

Disney Hotel Specific Reviews

Grand Floridian Resort
Port Orleans Riverside
Beach Club Resort and Villas