Foodie Restaurant Recommendations for Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom

[3cruisemom]

We will be at WDW for 3 nights in January 2020, spending 1 day each at Magic Kingdom (a Friday) and Animal Kingdom (a Saturday). We haven't picked a hotel yet. We are total foodies and don't want to eat any fast food. Our daughter (8) loves princesses, so we will do one meal at Cinderella's Royal Table. My understanding is that lunch is cheaper than dinner, but the food is exactly the same. Is that correct? If so, we'll do lunch there on Friday, so we need breakfast and dinner suggestions for MK, plus breakfast/lunch/dinner at AK on a Saturday. Table service preferred, but buffets are OK if the food is good. No quick serve. Bonus points for character dining that doesn't cost $50+ per person.

Thanks!

 

[sponica]

MK: Skipper Canteen is supposed to be good. Honestly MK food is meh...I'd do breakfast at the wave or somewhere else on the monorail loop.

AK: Tusker House and Tiffins. I know you said no counter service but the counter service in pandora is supposed to be pretty good.

 

[DWillowBay]

Breakfast is not my specialty, so I'll leave that to others. However, I will HIGHLY recommend Jungle Navigation Co. Skipper's Canteen at MK. SO VERY GOOD. Great "Skippers" with corny jokes as they serve. Great 'adventurers' atmosphere. Liberty Tree Inn is lovely, if you like their menu. I'd also recommend Nomad Lounge and / or Tiffins in AK. Food that is unique to those locations. Very good service and beautiful atmosphere. Satuuli Canteen is a Quick Service restaurant, but far from 'fast food'. Have a great trip!

 

[Schneewittchen37]

That's a tall order with in park dining.

Cinderella's Royal Table starts at $60 for adults for breakfast - close to $80 for dinner. I've only been there for dinner. The steaks are good, but they're not lighting the world on fire either. The other character meal in MK is Crystal Palace. It's bland. Breakfast starts at $40ish. Dinner is $50ish and up. I like the cold AC and Pooh.

Other MK restaurants:
Diamond Horseshoe - been there for dinner. It's a family-style barbecue meal, it's just okay. And it's not a mob scene.
Plaza Restaurant - been there for lunch. It's small, intimate. The sandwiches are okay. Again, yay for AC.
Be Our Guest - been there for lunch and dinner. It's over-rated. Again, okay sandwiches for lunch. Dinner strives to be great, but blandness gets in the way. Very cool decor.
Liberty Tree Tavern - been there for lunch and dinner. Family style for dinner. I have strong feelings of love for this place. It's a very well executed Thanksgiving dinner. And the toffee cake is out of this world.
Skipper Canteen - been there for lunch and dinner. Absolutely love it. Great apps. Fantastic steak salad.
Tony's Town Square - been there for dinner. Think Olive Garden.

At AK, I've only been to Tusker House and Yak & Yeti for TS meals. I have a Landry's card, so Yak & Yeti has become the old standby for us. The meals are solid, what you'd expect from a curry or other Asian entree. Nice cocktails - love the Yak Attack. I guess I'm weird, but I do not like Tusker House at all. It should be good, but the "exotic" dishes are just squishy blah to me.

I'll add to the chorus. Satu'li Canteen is QS, but it's good. And interesting. Not at all bland.

And I'll add to the chorus some more. There are some great dining options at the MK area resorts. At the Contemporary, the Wave is really great. At the Poly, 'Ohana is very yummy for both the Lilo & Stitch breakfast and the grilled meat on a stick dinner. The Grand Floridian's Narcoossee's is a lovely fine dining experience. And for something a little different, the Hoop Dee Doo Revue at Fort Wilderness is great fun with a tasty family style fried chicken/barbecue dinner.

And just random. Sleepy Hollow QS in MK has a fantastic breakfast. It's a waffle with nutella and fruit. Try it:

 

[Tink9721]

If so, we'll do lunch there on Friday, so we need breakfast and dinner suggestions for MK, plus breakfast/lunch/dinner at AK on a Saturday. Table service preferred, but buffets are OK if the food is good. No quick serve.

Are you planning on doing three table service meals each day? If so, I would really re-think that. Table service meals generally take 60-90 minutes each, and that's a lot of time out of a short vacation. Also it would be a TON of food. I'm a big eater, and I couldn't do it.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

For MK I would leave the park and do California Grill. At AK, Tiffins is the best option. And I know you said no QS, but Satuli Canteen is delicious and not at all what I would consider "fast food".

 

[Pumbaa_]

I have to agree w a pp. with such a short visit, if you plan on 3 ts meals a day, that is a huge time suck. January also has shorter park hours.

60-90 minutes for each meal. So 3-4.5 hours a day sitting in a restaurant, plus maybe 15 minutes waiting to be seated for each. So closer to 5 hours. Your vacation, your $$, your choice.

Unless eating signature meals, the food is decent most places. But a $50 buffet will not be more than decent, w a few exceptions. Now will most TS be more than good

I would suggest finding qs meals and then doing a signature dinner outside the park. The qs options are not all burgers and fries. AK has some great qs meals. Flame tree barbecue has good ribs and chicken plus lovely outdoor seating areas, some down by the water.

When planning your days, do a grid by hours to map out your day. Allow 1 hour resort to park using Disney transportation. Resort to resort 90 minutes.
At park closing, it can take up to 2 hours to get back to your resort if you leave at peak times.

Planning lots of dining sounds good, but it is not as easy in reality. Not to mention fun snacks that must be fit in

 

[alex9179]

MK - For at least one meal, I'd go to one of the resorts if food is the main draw. Lunch at Geyser Point (WL) on a pretty day, or The Wave (CR) if the weather is meh, would be a nice break in the afternoon. I've enjoyed dinner at Narcoossee's/Citricos at GF, The Wave/CG at CR. The TSs at Poly aren't places I'd recommend to "foodies" but I love the coconut meatballs and pork nachos at Capt. Cook's.

AK- Tiffins, Nomad Lounge, Satuli Canteen will all serve good food, with a few more adventurous choices. Satuli is my kids' favorite QS because the bowls have always been fresh and well-cooked. Y&Y is just fine, too. The wok-fried green beans are addictive and the tuna nachos are delicious.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Garden Grove in the Swan has nightly character meals and weekend character breakfasts. It's á la carte, so you should be able to dine under $50 each, especially breakfast.

Since you're going to be at Animal Kingdom, I'd suggest staying until closing and then heading over to Jiko at AKL.

 

[3cruisemom]

Hmm... lots to think about! I'm surprised that sitting down to meals is seen as a time suck, but I'm also getting a lot of recommendations to leave the parks and ride the monorail to resorts for meals. Won't that take a lot more time?

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Hmm... lots to think about! I'm surprised that sitting down to meals is seen as a time suck, but I'm also getting a lot of recommendations to leave the parks and ride the monorail to resorts for meals. Won't that take a lot more time?

I think there are 2 schools of thought based on what you asked for. If you truly want "foodie" experiences, those restaurants are outside the parks. But yes, they will take more time. On a short 3 night trip, time is precious and eating at a lot of TS restaurants WILL take up a lot of time regardless if you leave the park or not. So it really depends on what your priorities are and how important food quality is versus doing other things.

 

[Pumbaa_]

It depends on your priorities. Is it fine dining or the parks. I have a lot of foodie friends, where trips are all about the food. 3 hour signature dinners are the norm. But trips are usually 7-10 days so lots of time for everything

Personally I would never leave mk for a meal then head back. You are looking at 3 hours most likely. With just 2 park days planned, is it more about the food or the parks?

 

[illinidp]

Here’s my 2 cents:

MK breakfast: 1900 Park Fare (TS Character Buffet) or Captain Cook’s for a smaller QS meal. Be Our Guest for a QS breakfast in the park, but be aware that it’s only a good value if on the standard DDP.

MK dinner: Skipper Canteen in the park or either Artist Point or California Grill if you want to take more time.

AK breakfast: Tusker House (TS character buffet)

Lunch: Satu’li Canteen QS or Yak & Yeti TS if you really want 3 TS in one day.

Dinner: Definitely Tiffins

I’d book Tusker House with the Rives of Light seating package and Tiffins with the Festival of the Lion King searing package.

 

[3cruisemom]

I think there are 2 schools of thought based on what you asked for. If you truly want "foodie" experiences, those restaurants are outside the parks. But yes, they will take more time. On a short 3 night trip, time is precious and eating at a lot of TS restaurants WILL take up a lot of time regardless if you leave the park or not. So it really depends on what your priorities are and how important food quality is versus doing other things.

It depends on your priorities. Is it fine dining or the parks. I have a lot of foodie friends, where trips are all about the food. 3 hour signature dinners are the norm. But trips are usually 7-10 days so lots of time for everything

Personally I would never leave mk for a meal then head back. You are looking at 3 hours most likely. With just 2 park days planned, is it more about the food or the parks?

Aha! Now I understand. OK, this is us:

Mom - I'll be 43, don't care at all about rides or Disney or popular culture, I love really good food (from homegrown and home cooked to Michelin star-quality restaurants to good foodie food trucks), I'm a heavy drinker, I love to walk in good weather (low 70s are best), l love to swim in hot weather (high 80s), and I want to be inside in AC if the forecast predicts 90s or higher - my top priorities are 1) My daughter enjoying herself; 2) Being able to have a decent alcoholic beverage with every meal, preferably a mixed drink but wine and craft beers are fine, too; 3) Avoiding crappy fast food or mediocre quick serve meals, 4) avoiding scary rides like roller coasters, 5) Seeing fun shows.

Dad - He'll be 34, he loves Star Wars and Harry Potter and beer (everything from home brew to fancy craft beers to PBRs), likes Disney and rides and popular culture in general, also a heavy drinker, loves all tasty food and isn't picky about it, is also somewhat heat-sensitive and is very anxious. His top priorities are: 1) Avoiding any and all uncertainty and anxiety. 2) Our daughter enjoying herself. 3. Getting to ride a few big/scary rides alone. 4. A beer with every meal.

Daughter - She's 8, mildly allergic to nuts, loves all Disney, especially princesses, also loves SW and HP (yes, I'm trying to get husband to agree to a Universal day before the cruise that is before these 2 days at Disney), loves sushi, steak, ice cream, mac and cheese, hot dogs, candy and chicken nuggets basically equally. She likes the kind of rides that usually are for younger kids: little trains that chug around at a moderate speed, etc. Her top priorities are: 1) Dining at Cinderella's Royal Table, 2) meeting lots of characters, 3) seeing fun shows, 4) avoiding scary rides like roller coasters, 5) riding some kiddie rides.

So I want to cut down on transfers and other things that increase time spent in transit and increase my husband's anxiety. I'm more interested in avoiding bad food than seeking out the best food. And we all enjoy a leisurely meal (think MDRs and specialties on NCL), as long as it is truly leisurely, not just sitting around due to bad service. So I'm open to quick serve if the lines are short and the food is good and the setting isn't a madhouse.

I guess I'm saying that 2-3 real table-service meals per day sounds truly lovely to me, not a waste of time, whereas taking a monorail to a resort we aren't staying at is pretty much a no go.

 

[Tink9721]

I guess I'm saying that 2-3 real table-service meals per day sounds truly lovely to me, not a waste of time, whereas taking a monorail to a resort we aren't staying at is pretty much a no go.

It's just that park tickets are expensive, and park hours are pretty limited in January. If you're spending 6 hours out of your day in restaurants, it doesn't allow for a ton of park time. Also, I'm not a parent, but I would think that an 8 year old in Disney would rather be out enjoying the parks than spending a big chunk of the day in a restaurant. I mean, I'm 20-something and even I don't like spending too much of my park time on a week long trip in a restaurant. We usually do one TS per day, sometimes two, but never more than that.

 

[Minniemoo15]

I would recommend...

MK: Skipper's Canteen for great, interesting food. For princesses, Cinderella's Royal Table is your best bet. If you don't mind venturing out of MK, you could take the boat from MK to Wilderness Lodge and have dinner @ Storybook Dining (Artist Point). The food there is very very good. You only get 1 princess (Snow White), but you also get Grumpy, Dopey and the Evil Queen (who is phenomenal!). We did both CRT and Storybook in March and enjoyed both meals.

AK: Definitely Tiffins. Satuli Canteen in Pandora is absolutely delicious, even though it is QS it is your best 2nd bet. Use mobile ordering there to bypass the lines.

 

[kaytieeldr]

2020 hours aren't out yet, so based on January 2019 hours:

MK was open 9-11 the first Friday, 9-9 the next three weekends.
AK was open 9-8 every Saturday.

Friday I would suggest either Be Our Guest PPO (pre-park opening) or The Wave... I'm the Contemporary, which I believe opens at 7 or 7:30.
Lunch at CRT.
Dinner at Skipper's Canteen. If you don't mind eating dinner late, then a late lunch at CRT followed by dinner at California Grill.

Saturday, character breakfast at Tusker House, lunch at Tiffin's or Satu'uli Cafe, dinner after AK closes, at Jiko at AKL.s

if you stay at the Contemporay, you will have zero issues with connections on Friday. Saturday, you would take the bus or drive to AK. Bus from there to AKL for dinner. If MK is open until 11 that day, you can take the bus directly there, then walk back to the resort. If not, there's always rideshare or taxi.

 

[babyruth]

ok. just imagine a very friendly tone here LOL because I don't want you to think I'm being hostile! When in January are you going? because CRT is hard to get sometimes and the ADRs for the 1st three weeks of January are already open. Have you already created a MDE account and started browsing to see if you can actually get a reservation there? (and if you can you need to book it now!) I'm also questioning the "mildly allergic to nuts" thing just making sure that you know that a nut allergy can turn anaphylactic with increased exposure or it could get better but that's best done in a controlled environment. If it were me I would do this if princesses and food quality are the goal:

MK
Be Our Guest Pre Park Opening breakfast - daughter gets to see Beast's castle and you'll be near rides she will like before the crowds get there. Plus the earlier you eat the hungrier you'll be for your sit down lunch. When we did this Ariel was right next door and daughter got to meet her straight after breakfast before heading to rides. (definitely check on this)

Cinderella's Royal table - lunch as close to noon as possible

Storybook Dining at Artists Point - take the boat to Fort Wilderness at dinnertime to meet Snow White and the dwarfs. Ride back to the park for fireworks.

AK
I would seriously grab something in the hotel and get on the Safari as early as possible. There is so much to see here and walking the trails to see all the animals is time consuming. If you really don't want to do that:
pre park opening breakfast at Rainforest Cafe. No this isn't the best food but the experience may be fun for your daughter.

Tusker House lunch - I actually think this is one of the best food quality buffets in WDW. Plus you get characters and they dance around with the kids etc.

Yak N Yeti for dinner

Also I would consider booking California Grill for dinner or dessert to see the fireworks on your night before Magic Kingdom if it won't wear your little one out.

 

[CarolynFH]

Reading your first post reminded me of a comment in the guidebook I used to plan our first family trip to WDW, many, MANY years ago. The author said that a restaurant having the best food in MK was like a building being the tallest in Bismarck, North Dakota. (There was no AK at the time - that’s how long ago it was.)

That said, while I have no knowledge of the alcoholic beverages available, I’d endorse Skipper Canteen, Tiffins and Satuli Canteen.

 

[alex9179]

A lot of the mixed drinks in the restaurants tend to be sweet, too sweet for me. I usually stick to wine and beer. However Nomad Lounge, and by extension Tiffins, have excellent cocktails. Annapurna Zing is my favorite, refreshing and a bit tart. Satuli Canteen serves two "exclusive" beers, and you can get a 22 oz cup for $1.25 more than the 16oz. I like the Mo'ara ale over the hoppier green grog. Your husband might like a stop there, even if you choose not to eat.

In MK, alcohol is still limited to TS and not a large selection of cocktails. For more interesting food, Skipper Canteen would be my choice. I've read that their appetizers are more successful than their entrees. Still, if the whole fried fish is still Lionfish, I'd totally go for that!

I think you want to figure out your itinerary, then decide on the best place to eat given your timing. IME, anxiety is alleviated when "what should we do next?" isn't even a question anyone asks. Know where you're going, know when to head to your ADR, etc. My youngest doesn't like uncertainty and will make everyone around him suffer, that was my trip #1 lesson! I usually have 2-3 outlines based around the FPs I was able to get, what else interests them, and where we want to eat. It makes for a very smooth-running day but also allows for spontaneity which was lesson #2 - let the kid(s) play. It gives them a mental break from the park energy. I like easywdw's cheat sheets as a base, then adapt for my party. I believe he has some character focused outlines.