Best value restaurants

[TinkB278]

I’m used to getting the dining plan so I know which restaurants to eat at that are a good value on the dining plan. However, with it not looking likely the dining plan will return any time soon, I’m needing to figure out which restaurants are the best value when paying out of pocket (a decent amount of high quality food for a lower price point). Can anyone give me some ideas?

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

I consider Wolfgang Puck to be good value and good quality. Also, WBG in DS. In the parks, I would say MP in Epcot if/when it reopens, Nomad lounge in AK, HBD bar menu in HS. Nothing immediately springs to mind in MK... maybe Skippers Jungle Navigation.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

In a lot of ways, I think some of the simpler, non signature, table service restaurants are a good value. The buffets/family style dining places aren't a great value if you're not a heavy eater - and the quality can be poor. But if you're looking for good food and not a pig trough, you have some options.

In MK, I'd recommend the Plaza Restaurant for price/value and the food is pretty decent, but American blandness. A good example is the club sandwich, it's about $17 at the Plaza. A similar sandwich at a very popular local chain in my area is about $14. So not an extreme markup.

In Epcot, I consider Chefs de France an excellent value. The food is very good and exactly what I expect at a traditional French bistro in the 'burbs. In my hometown, DH and I have a favorite French place for dinner and then a movie ( oh god I miss going to the movies). Anyway, for a good comparison, the salmon entree at my local place is $28, at Chefs, it's $31. Again, it's that $3 markup. And what's crazy, onion soup is $11 at my local place, only $10 at Chefs.....

At AK, I prefer Yak & Yeti. I have a Landry's card, so the rewards are awesome and the food is just really good. Not too expensive. Always satisfying. At Y&Y, the teriyaki chicken entree is $25. At my local sit-down Japanese restaurant, it's $21. $4 markup.

At HS, go for Mama Melrose. The food is way better than Olive Garden and there's not too much sticker shock. Caprese salad at Mama's is $10, at my local fancy Italian restaurant it's $11. At my local place, the shrimp entrees are about $24, $25 at Mama's. So about the same as real world prices.

At the resorts, I consider the Wave a fantastic value. High quality ingredients and preparation, it's pretty close to what you'd get at a high-end steakhouse. At my favorite local place, the steak entree runs about $32 and a soup is $7. Similar entree is $34 and a soup is $9.50 at the Wave. Not too shabby.

 

[alltwelve]

In a lot of ways, I think some of the simpler, non signature, table service restaurants are a good value. The buffets/family style dining places aren't a great value if you're not a heavy eater - and the quality can be poor. But if you're looking for good food and not a pig trough, you have some options.

In MK, I'd recommend the Plaza Restaurant for price/value and the food is pretty decent, but American blandness. A good example is the club sandwich, it's about $17 at the Plaza. A similar sandwich at a very popular local chain in my area is about $14. So not an extreme markup.

In Epcot, I consider Chefs de France an excellent value. The food is very good and exactly what I expect at a traditional French bistro in the 'burbs. In my hometown, DH and I have a favorite French place for dinner and then a movie ( oh god I miss going to the movies). Anyway, for a good comparison, the salmon entree at my local place is $28, at Chefs, it's $31. Again, it's that $3 markup. And what's crazy, onion soup is $11 at my local place, only $10 at Chefs.....

At AK, I prefer Yak & Yeti. I have a Landry's card, so the rewards are awesome and the food is just really good. Not too expensive. Always satisfying. At Y&Y, the teriyaki chicken entree is $25. At my local sit-down Japanese restaurant, it's $21. $4 markup.

At HS, go for Mama Melrose. The good is way better than Olive Garden and there's not too much sticker shock. Caprese salad at Mama's is $10, at my local fancy Italian restaurant it's $11. At my local place, the shrimp entrees are about $24, $25 at Mama's. So about the same as real world prices.

At the resorts, I consider the Wave a fantastic value. High quality ingredients and preparation, it's pretty close to what you'd get at a high-end steakhouse. At my favorite local place, the steak entree runs about $32 and a soup is $7. Similar entree is $34 and a soup is $9.50 at the Wave. Not too shabby.

I like how your post puts it in perspective with prices and experiences from the outside world!

 

[TinkB278]

In a lot of ways, I think some of the simpler, non signature, table service restaurants are a good value. The buffets/family style dining places aren't a great value if you're not a heavy eater - and the quality can be poor. But if you're looking for good food and not a pig trough, you have some options.

In MK, I'd recommend the Plaza Restaurant for price/value and the food is pretty decent, but American blandness. A good example is the club sandwich, it's about $17 at the Plaza. A similar sandwich at a very popular local chain in my area is about $14. So not an extreme markup.

In Epcot, I consider Chefs de France an excellent value. The food is very good and exactly what I expect at a traditional French bistro in the 'burbs. In my hometown, DH and I have a favorite French place for dinner and then a movie ( oh god I miss going to the movies). Anyway, for a good comparison, the salmon entree at my local place is $28, at Chefs, it's $31. Again, it's that $3 markup. And what's crazy, onion soup is $11 at my local place, only $10 at Chefs.....

At AK, I prefer Yak & Yeti. I have a Landry's card, so the rewards are awesome and the food is just really good. Not too expensive. Always satisfying. At Y&Y, the teriyaki chicken entree is $25. At my local sit-down Japanese restaurant, it's $21. $4 markup.

At HS, go for Mama Melrose. The food is way better than Olive Garden and there's not too much sticker shock. Caprese salad at Mama's is $10, at my local fancy Italian restaurant it's $11. At my local place, the shrimp entrees are about $24, $25 at Mama's. So about the same as real world prices.

At the resorts, I consider the Wave a fantastic value. High quality ingredients and preparation, it's pretty close to what you'd get at a high-end steakhouse. At my favorite local place, the steak entree runs about $32 and a soup is $7. Similar entree is $34 and a soup is $9.50 at the Wave. Not too shabby.

This is so helpful! Thank you!

 

[Moliphino]

I consider Wolfgang Puck to be good value and good quality. Also, WBG in DS. In the parks, I would say MP in Epcot if/when it reopens, Nomad lounge in AK, HBD bar menu in HS. Nothing immediately springs to mind in MK... maybe Skippers Jungle Navigation.

I don't think the Brown Derby Lounge has opened for food service yet. They have the walk-up bar and some tables on the patio, but no food.

Lounges are a great option that you miss out on with the DDP. You can easily make a meal out of the apps and small plates.
Nomad Lounge has some nice small plates. Churros, charcuterie, bread service, etc.
Baseline Tap House has a nice charcuterie plate and a giant pretzel with beer cheese. My sister and I split both of those for a meal one day. They were $10 and $9, too, so a really good budget option.
Abracadabar has a nice charcuterie board. They make their own mozzarella and these delightful fried dough balls.
Jock Lindsey's has a great charcuterie that's super filling. We also really liked the reuben flatbread.
Wine Bar George has all the great cheese. Burrata, saganaki on fire, mac and cheese balls. SO GOOD. And really different cocktails, we didn't even have wine.

 

[loves to dive]

I think it might depend on your eating style and whether you want QS or TS. I'm not a big meal eater, I tend to eat more small meals throughout the day. My son likes big meals. Our solution:

QS I tend to get a kids meal, more often than not it's more food than I want so he gets some of it and he gets the regular adult meal (he's a grown man by the way). Bang for you buck for us seems to be Pecos Bills in MK because we can get one meal and share, that was with the topping bar but since they don't have that any more I'm not sure. I don't drink soft drinks so water is free. At AK I like Yak and Yet QS, I can get an eggroll and fried rice with water and it's actually more food than I can eat. If you were on the DP (which we never are) that is snack credits. At HS we liked the HBD outside lounge, because I could get a Cobb Salad and he could get a pretty good small plate meal and finish my salad. That isn't open right now but the Cob Salad is available inside. At Epcot, well the sky is the limit with QS. I can pretty much make a meal out of most of the country snacks but we tend to get Fish and Chips and GB or nachos at Mexico.

TS - I tend to get one or two appetizers for my meal and we share a dessert. At MK we like Skipper's Canteen, seems to be a good bit of food for the price. At AK we like Nomad Lounge which is not a TS or a QS but we can share two or three small plates or we go to Tiffins. At HS - again with HBD. At Epcot - again the sky is the limit since most of the countries give you pretty good sized entres and have good sized appetizers. We like the small plates at Spice Road Tables, a couple of those are easy to share. There is a wine bar at Italy (I can't remember the name) that has great cheese plates. At Chef de France I like to get a bowl of french onion soup and an a salad.

 

[AngieInOH]

The one restaurant I would never eat at when I was on the Dining Plan was Via Napoli, it just didn't maximize the credits. Our last visit we went without the dining plan because my girls turned "adult" age. Via Napoli was the first place I booked. So glad we did. We all LOVED it. My girls still talk about it a year later. We just got the pizza, app, and dessert. It was delicious. The entree's on other tables all looked good. Via Napoli is now be a must on future trips!!!

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Satuli Canteen

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

I think Skipper Canteen is a great mid-level choice as is Nomad lounge. We also enjoy just grabbing some of the sandwiches at the French bakery in Epcot for lunch.

The part of the dinning plan I really hated was that self inflicted need to maximize value. The last trip we took on the dining plan we had a few people that only ate steak....to max out the value. I have found that many times, especially at the non-signature TS, the most appealing and delicious entrees aren't the most expensive. Many times I didn't order what I really wanted as I could never force myself to order the $20 chicken dish that sounded amazing when the $37 steak was on the menu.

 

[sarahrdh]

The easiest way I figure this out, as a person that never does the DDP anymore, is google a list of “best Disney dining plan credit uses” and look at the BOTTOM. Those are the cheaper out of pocket places. And then I work my way up as I find which ones we’d like to go to.

 

[TinkB278]

The easiest way I figure this out, as a person that never does the DDP anymore, is google a list of “best Disney dining plan credit uses” and look at the BOTTOM. Those are the cheaper out of pocket places. And then I work my way up as I find which ones we’d like to go to.

Brilliant!!

 

[Disneyliscious]

I like how your post puts it in perspective with prices and experiences from the outside world!

Agree with this mostly but the biggest factor in this is portion size. If the $24 Japanese restaurant gives you double the amount of food than the $27 Disney platter, then its not a good value if youre a big eater. Nothing worse than walking away from the lunch/dinner table still feeling hungry after dropping a large amount of money. In our experience Disney has good portion sizes but we've only eaten at a handfull of their restaurants.

 

[kwdw]

At MK, Liberty Tree Tavern for the a la carte menu at lunch and Skipper’s. I personally don’t care for the menu at The Plaza, but if it looks good to you, that’s another good choice. Tony’s does not feel worth it.

The Wave for a nicer meal for sure!

At AK, frankly the QS has become so good, I don’t recommend TS there when on a food budget. If you want to jump over to AKV, Sanaa is cheaper and worth the price.

At HS, Sci Fy and Mama Melrose. I think Prime Time feels overpriced for the dollar spent. Now, at Brown Derby, I find the menu entrees too high for out of pocket, but a combo of appetizers and dessert can run you a lot less and be just as filling.

At EP, honestly, we be moved to being snack grazers at that park, but if you want a character meal, Garden Grill for breakfast is a tad cheaper than some of the others and it’s yummy food.

Also, another tip for dining at TS out of pocket is to order water as it’s free. Drinks are expensive and can really add to food costs. Also stop and think about if you really want that $9 dessert or will you spend that money on an ice cream snack another time.

I travel without the dining plan most of the time, but I have used it. I think the trick for keeping out of pocket dining from spiraling into expensive zone is being realistic about what you want and need to eat. I eat healthier and am more satisfied not on the dining plan because I am not trying to maximize my dollar spent on the plan.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

It's been a few years since we were there but found Beaches and Cream was a very good value. We also enjoyed eating in the lounge outside ohana's. Got our fix of a few things including the bread pudding.
Sanaa we thought was a good value as well as the breakfast buffet at AKL. Not sure what they are doing there now with covid restrictions now though. I've heard good things from friends about the Turf Club at Saratoga Springs Resort.
I found our last trip without the dining plan was a lot more relaxing. Kids opted to eat something from the pool bar and hang there rather than get dressed to go back out somewhere. You may find you like it better without after your next trip without it.

 

[What-r-ya Goofy?]

We like Earl of Sandwich at DS and Flame Tree BBQ at AK. Both have good quality food for QS at a reasonable price. I've heard good things about the Satu'li Canteen at AK but have not had the chance to eat there. As others have mentioned Yak and Yeti counter service at AK is a good value also. Out favorite at MK is the Columbia Harbor House (closed now but I imagine they will be re-opening soon) and Pecos Bill has large portions at a reasonable price.

 

[ilovebassets]

In MK, I'd recommend the Plaza Restaurant for price/value and the food is pretty decent, but American blandness. A good example is the club sandwich, it's about $17 at the Plaza. A similar sandwich at a very popular local chain in my area is about $14. So not an extreme markup.

We ate at the Plaza Christmas week, and it was truly terrible. My philly cheese steak was awful--they use some disgusting cheese sauce instead of real cheese. This is the same "cheese" that was on my husband's loaded appetizer fries that were just pitifully covered with some chunky, barely red tomatoes and some tired looking lettuce. Seriously, Pinnochio Village Haus was better.

 

[CarolynFH]

Out favorite at MK is the Columbia Harbor House (closed now but I imagine they will be re-opening soon)

The Tomorrowland Terrace recently opened and is serving the CHH menu.

 

[2minny]

We travel with a large group, so we try to find the best food for the best portion and price, here's what we usually enjoy -
Disney Springs - Earl of Sandwich or The Polite Pig
Epcot - Via Napoli
HS - Docking Bay 7 or Sci Fi
AK - Satuli
MK - Columbia Harbor House

 

[Rick195275]

We ate at the Plaza Christmas week, and it was truly terrible. My philly cheese steak was awful--they use some disgusting cheese sauce instead of real cheese. This is the same "cheese" that was on my husband's loaded appetizer fries that were just pitifully covered with some chunky, barely red tomatoes and some tired looking lettuce. Seriously, Pinnochio Village Haus was better.

Not saying it wasn’t bad but what you’re describing in an actual philly cheese steak. A traditional philly cheese steak has cheese sauce on it not sliced or shredded cheese. American and provolone are both acceptable substitutes but the OG I believe was made with cheese whiz to possibly make it less appealing to you lol.