Marathon Weekend 2026

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Many years ago when GT was going to be in the National Championship, there was a mad scramble to order tickets by phone when tix went on sale. But we had an alum who was working in Orlando and he simply went to the bowl ticket office and ordered us a group of tickets in person. No muss, no fuss, no processing fees.
If only there were a way to do that next month, because I would.

 

[Herding_Cats]

@Naomeri and @Herding_Cats Thanks for the feedback on OKW and SSR. I'll toss that around in my head for a while and make sure I get registered first. Pretty sure I will try to rent points for one of them if I get in for Dopey.

bonus, at SSR you can walk down to the DS boat dock at 10am and take a boat to POFQ and get beignets.

-I can also add that the *park* bus order for SSR is Grandstand, Carousel, Paddock, Congress Park, Springs. That means, if you don't feel like walking to the front building for whatever reason, you can always just wait for the next park bus at your nearest bus stop and ride it to Springs stop and then get off. You would, of course, have to walk back to your room, but it's an easy way to save steps. The DS bus has a different route.

If you have a rental car it's super easy to get around at either resort, regardless of which you choose.

 

[jmasgat]

@Naomeri and @Herding_Cats Thanks for the feedback on OKW and SSR. I'll toss that around in my head for a while and make sure I get registered first. Pretty sure I will try to rent points for one of them if I get in for Dopey.

One note re: resort transportation...I stayed at OKW this past MW. There are no specific internal resort buses. You would need to jump on one of the park buses, which will make their final stop up at Hospitality House. But don't get on a bus to Disney Springs. For some reason, those buses do HH first, and the so don't stop there on the way out.

That said, I was in building 36 on Old Turtle Pond Rd and just walked to the front.

 

[jpholic]

Booked BWV for '26 MW and officially talked into the Dopey. (I think its a woo, I am still a bit nervous about the four early morning wake ups)

 

[camaker]

Good morning RunDisney All-Stars! Welcome to this week's edition of Sundays are for Disney (SAFD). Last year one of the most popular SAFD events we held was March Magical Madness, a tournament to decide on the most popular attraction in the parks. It was a lot of fun, so let's do it again! Only this year we'll pick our favorite place to eat in the parks.

This week we'll start building our brackets for March Magical Madness. In the interest of time we'll need to do two parks per week, so this week we'll fill out the Kingdom Bracket with our favorites from the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. What are your top four favorite eateries in each park? Anything is fair game from snack stands to counter service to sit-down restaurants. Please list them in order and no ties, please.

SAFD:
Magic Kingdom is, by far, my favorite park, but I tend to eat meals at just one place when I'm there. As a result, I've got a strong #1 choice, but then things get tougher to pick. I love the lobster roll at CHH and still enjoy the clam chowder, even if it's gone downhill a bit in recent years.

1. Columbia Harbour House
2. Gaston's Tavern
3. Spring Roll Stand
4. Pecos Bill's

Animal Kingdom is a little easier for me to rank. Flame Tree Barbecue is a nice oasis of calm in the hectic atmosphere of WDW. Satu'li Canteen has some really tasty options that feel out of the ordinary for theme park fare, too.

1. Flame Tree Barbecue
2. Satu'li Canteen
3. Yak & Yeti Restaurant
4. Tiffins

 

[superchime]

SAFD
I am vegetarian so my choices are a bit more limited.

Magic Kingdom
Not my favorite park for food. It was better before Impossible burgers took over.
1. Skipper's Canteen - for the food and the puns
2. Pecos Bill - protein that's not Impossible!
3. Aloha Isle - Dole Whip
4. Casey's - cheese fries!

Animal Kingdom
1. Satu'li Canteen - I will go all the way to AK just for the tofu bowl at Satu'li Canteen.
2. Nomad Lounge - Decent veg options and mocktails and a great place to hang out
3. Pongu Pongu - Lumpia!
4. Tusker House - Not a must-do every time, but a great, interesting buffet with tons of veg options.

 

[Naomeri]

SAFD: Oh, this is hard because I'm don't eat a lot of different things

Magic Kingdom
1--Cosmic Ray's
2--Casey's
3--Gaston's (I don't eat there often, but since it's my favorite spot for fireworks, it gets my vote)
4--Auntie Gravity's

Animal Kingdom
1--Restaurantosaurus
2--Harambe Fruit Market (this is where I usually pick up a hotdog when I need a quick lunch)
3--random snack carts
4--I've got nothing

 

[Baloo in MI]

SAFD: Fun!
Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately MK for me it is not so much the food as it is the memories/nostalgia. My girls loved Village Haus, still a family lunch must do - even though not my favorite food I would feel wrong not to go. Our current favorite and is often an end of the trip dinner is Skipper Canteen, good food and great theming! My top four.
1. Skipper Canteen
2. Pesos Bill
3. Village Haus
4. Casey’s Corner

Animal Kingdom. Has some great food! I did not mention above but both my daughters have Celiac so where we eat is a bit more complicated. AK has really good options! And some yummy foods. Tusker House is a family favorite as is Yak and Yeti - both do a great job with Celiac! Here is my top four.
1. Yak and Yeti (table service)
2. Tusker House
3. Satu'li Canteen
4. Nomad Lounge (and their gluten free churros)

 

[marty3d]

SAFD: This is really tough! I don't even want to think about how tough Epcot will be!!

Magic Kingdom: I will play by the rules - no ties - but my #1 and 2 could easily be swapped. It surprised me how many came to mind and I needed to make some hard decisions here.
1 - Skipper Canteen
2 - Columbia Harbour House - bonus points for spelling Harbour correctly
3 - Sleepy Hollow - would not have been on my list except I tried the chicken & waffles during MW and really enjoyed them. This knocks Pecos Bill out of my top 4.
4 - Crystal Palace

AK:
1 - Yak & Yeti
2 - Restaurantosaurus (for the atmosphere)
3 - Flame Tree BBQ
4 - Tusker House

 

[nancipants]

I love this idea!

MK: Can I skip this and give all my entries to Epcot? MK food sucks.

In the interest of following the rules, I’ll play along.

1. Columbia Harbour House for the vibes and chicken tenders
2. Liberty Tree Tavern for the AYCE
3. Cosmic Ray’s, mostly for Sonny
4. Plaza Ice Cream, self explanatory


AK: this is a LOT easier, haha.

1. Tusker House
2. Satuli Canteen
3. Nomad Lounge
4. Flame Tree

 

[JackosinDIS]

SAFD: making me hungry thinking about this!

MK:
1. Sleepy Hollow (waffles!)
2. Skipper Canteen
3. Spring roll stand
4. Joffreys (I think it counts for food if you have enough whipped cream?)

AK:
1. Satu’li
2. Yak and Yeti
3. Flame Tree
4. Tamu Tamu (pineapple crisp sundae - GOAT!)

 

[Barca33Runner]

SAFD:

Magic Kingdom-I actually rarely eat in MK anymore. I am there almost exclusively for After Hours or MNSSHP since the pandemic, so many of food options are closed while I am there. I have never tried a few of the sit down options (Liberty Tree, Cinderella’s Royal Table, Diamond Horseshoe). I could much more easily fill a second Epcot bracket (or two Disney Springs brackets and multiple resort brackets) than a bracket for MK. Also, Sleepy Hollow would’ve been an easy #1, but then…
Anyway, I guess I’ll go with:
1. Gaston’s Tavern-I’m still a sucker for the cinnamon roll and LeFou’s Brew
2. Sunshine Tree Terrace-I’m a soft serve boy more than Dole Whip and their floats are all quite good as well.
3. Skipper Canteen-In the interest of having a place where I can actually get a meal.
4. Sleepy Hollow- I’m still a fan of the hand-dipped corn dog.


Animal Kingdom-I would likely rank all of these places ahead of anything I chose for Magic Kingdom. No room for my beloved Anandapur Ice Cream Truck, which is one of only two spots that is a 100% visit rate for me in any of the WDW Parks (other is in Epcot). I have never done Tiffin’s or Nomad Lounge but I am sure I would enjoy both and one of them would likely knock out #4 if I had.

1. Tusker House-Super tough choice at #1. This is not always in the budget and has stiff competition for my caloric intake, but it is my favorite character buffet at Disney. Food options are great and varied; and we have always had awesome character interaction.
2. Satu’li Canteen- Might have cracked #1 if the sliced beef had not been replaced with braised beef. I don’t normally get dessert at QS, but Satu’li is an exception.
3. Yak and Yeti- Have only been a couple times, because of the competition from my #’s 1 and 2, but it was great each time. I feel like there’s a bunch of things on the menu I’d like to try but i don’t know how often I’ll have the chance.
4. Flame Tree BBQ- For the loaded mac and cheese monstrosity.

 

[PrincessV]

SAFD: I eat mostly vegetarian, don’t do indoor dining anymore, and hate a lot of the food WDW serves, so… IDK if you even want to include my picks lol!

MK - I try to avoid eating there at all, TBH, and will almost always monorail or boat to a resort instead. If forced to eat there, I guess my preferences in order would be…

1. Casey’s - if I can find a place to sit and eat it, the veggie Chicago dog is decent
2. Columbia Harbour House - with my ban on indoor dining, this is one place I really miss. The salmon was always surprisingly and solidly good. I wish outdoor seating was more accessible there.
3. Pinocchio Village Haus - the cheese flatbread is decent, and the ability to get my hands on a side salad is welcome
3. Storybook Treats - hot summer night, waiting for fireworks behind the castle, it’s a nice pick for ice cream

AK - if there was an easy way to escape this place to eat, I’d do it, but since there isn’t…

1. Yak & Yeti Local Foods - RIP chicken wrap. But the teriyaki chicken salad is pretty good when I’m desperate for something resembling lettuce, and I love the outdoor eating area
2. Restaurantosaurus - IDK why, but their fries are consistently the best I’ve ever had! I’m willing to eat whatever version veggie burger they have at the time to indulge in some fries on the side
3. Satu’li Canteen - I know others rave about the place, and I can get a pretty good bowl of tofu, rice & veg, but I don’t usually visit that area, which means extra walking to get to food. That plus the shortage of outdoor seating makes it more of a challenge than I’m usually willing to take on.
4. Creature Comforts - yeah, Starbucks. Which I don’t even particularly like. But on a chilly morning, I’m down for a short latte.

 

[MissLiss279]

SAFD:
MK
1. Liberty Tree Tavern (Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake)
2. Skipper Canteen
3. Pecos Bill’s
4. Gaston’s

AK - I don’t really eat anywhere besides the first two, so…
1. Flame Tree
2. Satu’li Canteen
3. Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery
4. Pizzafari

 

[Novatrix]

SAFD: Awesome! Such a shame that the resorts and Disney Springs can't be included as brackets though, as that's where most of my favorites are located.

MK: I don't really eat here often as I prefer the food at the surrounding resorts (the multiple food options at the Poly and the bison burger at Geyser Point just speak to me more) but here are the following snacks/places of last resort I'll eat.

1. Aloha Isle (Dole whip)
2. Skipper Canteen
3. Pecos Bill (This used to actually be a decent option back when they had the full topping buffet.)
4. Sleepy Hollow (hard to go wrong with a berry and whipped cream waffle)

AK: I really enjoy eating at this park, though my top 2 far outpace my bottom 2 choices. Honestly, it's usually a debate between Nomad Lounge, Satu'li Canteen or hopping over the AKL for Sanaa. Full disclosure, haven't retried Yak and Yeti or Tusker House for quite a while, they may have improved.

1. Nomad Lounge (The atmosphere is superb, the drinks are delicious, and you can order off of the full Tiffins lounge as well as have a good selection of lounge food itself. What's not to love?)
2. Satu'li Canteen (I really like the build your own bowls.)
3. Tiffins (Food is excellent, but I prefer the vibes and portion sizes at Nomad)
4. Snack Carts (Chocolate covered frozen bananas.)

 

[nekonekoneko]

SAFD:

Ok, this seems fun! Let's see if I have enough food at both of these parks

MK:

1 Casey's Corner - But that baseball brownie is right awful.
2 Columbia Harbour House
3 Aloha Isle
4 Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen

AK:

1 Satu'li Canteen
2 Tamu Tamu Refreshments - Can you tell I really like Dole Whip?
(long pause)
3 Restorantasaurus
4 Popcorn or ice cream or just waiting for dinner, which will be elsewhere

 

[princesspirateandrunner]

SAFD:

I found this harder than I expected. We went vegetarian several years ago, then added fish back in a couple of years ago. Also, we haven’t been to some of the places recently, so I don’t know how much they’ve changed.

Magic Kingdom:
1. Skipper’s. This one is easily number one.
2. Tony’s. We’ve only eaten there once, but it was a good experience.
3. The Plaza.
4. Pecos Bill. This was a tough call, because we have some wonderful memories of taking our kids to Cosmic Ray’s. The older one, who is now a musician, was mesmerized the first time he saw Sonny Eclipse. The food at Pecos Bills gives it the edge, however. The plant-based rice bowl is brilliant.

Animal Kingdom:
1. Tiffin’s. Our only experience was during the pandemic. I’d love to go again.
2. Yak & Yeti. It’s been too long. I’d like to go again.
3. Satu’li.
4. Rainforest Cafe. I didn’t really have a good choice for this spot, but this is another place our sons enjoyed as kids, so it makes the list.

I do think we need to do the resorts and DS on a future SAFD, even though it isn’t a bracket for this tournament. There are a lot of good choices that need discussion!

 

[Erika10021]

SAFD:

MK:
1. Gaston's (it's all about cinnamon rolls for second breakfast)
2. Cinderella's Royal Table (it's the atmosphere)
3. Pecos Bill (nachos are my guilty pleasure)
4. Plaza Ice Cream (peanut butter drizzle

AK:
1. Tiffins
2. Tusker House
3. Smiling Crocodile
4. Restaurantosaurus

 

[Disney at Heart]

MK
1. Skipper Canteen (appetizers for lunch)
2. Columbia Harbour House (lobster roll)
3. Spring Roll Cart (delicious, small portion)
4. Pinocchio Village Haus (flatbread + Small World)

AK
1. Tusker House (options, different cuisine, characters)
2. Harambe Market (chermoula chicken bowl)
3. Yak and Yeti (sit down, atmosphere)
4. Flame Tree BBQ (good BBQ choices in a quiet oasis)

 

[Herding_Cats]

SAFD:

MK
-Sleepy Hollow (even though they changed it (sigh)
-Gaston's
-Aloha Isle (citrus swirls are delicious too!)
-Spring Roll Cart

AK
-Satuli Canteen
-Flametree
-Nomad Lounge
-Pongu Pongu