If you are only planning on counter service....

[LittleDickensDesigns]

How early in the day do you recommend eating lunch? Or how late to avoid the big lunch rush? Also, any favorite counter service places?

Thanks!

 

[KatMark]

How early in the day do you recommend eating lunch? Or how late to avoid the big lunch rush? Also, any favorite counter service places?

Thanks!

If we didn't eat a buffet breakfast, we usually eat lunch around 11:30. If we had a buffet breakfast, we usually eat around 2:00. Our favorite counter service places are:

MK -- Cosmic Rays
Epcot -- Sunshine Seasons
Studios -- None (we go to our resort or one of the other resorts)
AK -- Flame Tree Barbecue

 

[HayGan]

If we didn't eat a buffet breakfast, we usually eat lunch around 11:30. If we had a buffet breakfast, we usually eat around 2:00. Our favorite counter service places are:

MK -- Cosmic Rays
Epcot -- Sunshine Seasons
Studios -- None (we go to our resort or one of the other resorts)
AK -- Flame Tree Barbecue

Great suggestions! We always have breakfast so we go for later lunches. If the kids are "starving" we usually get them a little snack.

THe CS pick are also some of our favorites. Some other of our favorites are:

MK - Casey's
Epcot - Tangerine Cafe (this actually is our favorite CS in all of WDW!!!)
Studios - we actually like ABC Commissary
AK - I've heard Yak and Yeti CS is good but we have not tried it yet

 

[Tam1067]

No later than 11:30.

Sunshine Seasons at Epcot is good.
Studio Catering Company at DHS is good.

I'm not a fan of CS at either MK or AK, but Captain Cook's at the Poly has flatbread pizza my kids like and Dole whips for dessert!

 

[Hootch]

really busy after noon or around 6:00 PM. At some restaurants finding a table can be a problem. (Not as bad as we had this week somewhere else.) If we get much after noon, we'll just head back to our resort for our midday break and eat at the CS there.

Favorites:

MK - Cosmic Ray's, Pecos Bill's and Columbia Harbor House

Epcot - Sunshine Seasons, Mexico, Germany, Epcot and England

DHS - Backlot Express and Studio Catering. (While we eat at these, the choices are lacking here.)

DAK - Flame Tree Barbecue

 

[jjohnson]

We always eat lunch early. It's one of the best tips I've used.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Whenever my family and I are having lunch at a counter service location we always eat around 11:00 AM and here is a list of our favorite locations to eat at.

Magic Kingdom: Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe.

Epcot: Electric Umbrella.

Hollywood Studios: ABC Commissary.

Animal Kingdom: Flame Tree Barbecue & Pizzafari.

Downtown Disney Marketplace: Earl of Sandwich.

Contemporary: Contempo Cafe.

Grand Floridian: Gasparilla's Grill & Games.

 

[Pixieflip]

Oh, Cosmic Rays! You get just about half a chicken, rotisserie cooked, with mashed potatoes and another veggie...oh, it just tastes so homemade and about 3 days into our trip...I HAVE to stop in, grab some lunch and listen to Sonny Eclipse.

"Oh, bright little star..."

 

[WillCAD]

11:30 always works well for me for lunch, and I like to eat dinner early as well, so I'm usually eating by 4:30-5:30, which lets me beat some of the heaviest dinner crowds.