Need help with finding food gems!

[Fuberwil]

Hi all,

New to the forums, did a quick search and couldn't find a comprehensive post of what I was looking for. My wife and I are going to Disneyworld in a month and are looking for some can't miss restaurants or food carts.

We are avid Disneyland fans and love places where the food is surprisingly good and worth the price/wait (Main Street Fried Chicken, Cozy Cones, Maurice's Chocolate Twist) etc. Do you guys have any suggestions in the four parks?

We also have reservations to Victoria & Albert's so I think the fine dining portion is covered. Thanks in advance! Sorry if this was covered somewhere else and I missed it.

 

[jwfla422]

This one is not in the parks but is a quick boat ride from the Magic Kingdom - Trails End Restaurant at Fort Wilderness - it is a buffet but one of the most affordable ones (if not the cheapest one) on property and has a nice variety of options and we love the desserts! They also offer breakfast and brunch. I have a load of photos from some of our dinners here (we eat here almost monthly)...

TRAILS END RESTAURANT DINNER PHOTOS

 

[caliope]

I think HDDR is a gem...good food, plus good entertainment.

I also think the Flower and Garden food booths at Epcot are worth a stop, if you'll be there during that festival (ends around Memorial Day).

 

[LaBelleVie]

Kringla Bakeri og Kafe in the Norway pavilion at Epcot. You can't really go wrong with any of the pastries or desserts, but my personal favorite is the school bread.

 

[JZCubed]

Hi all,

New to the forums, did a quick search and couldn't find a comprehensive post of what I was looking for. My wife and I are going to Disneyworld in a month and are looking for some can't miss restaurants or food carts.

We are avid Disneyland fans and love places where the food is surprisingly good and worth the price/wait (Main Street Fried Chicken, Cozy Cones, Maurice's Chocolate Twist) etc. Do you guys have any suggestions in the four parks?

We also have reservations to Victoria & Albert's so I think the fine dining portion is covered. Thanks in advance! Sorry if this was covered somewhere else and I missed it.

For the record, I am a Foodie.

Parks:
Magic Kingdom - Qwik Service Nirvana. Columbia Harbor House has the Lighthouse sandwich. Sleepy Hollow has 'savory' waffle combinations at lunch (fried chicken, ham & cheese). Casey's has a footlong hotdog smothered in pulled pork and topped with cole slaw. For sitdown - Be Our Guest for dinner serves better than expected food & you can meet The Beast.

Animal Kingdom - I am recommending that folks get the River of Lights dining package at either Tusker House (character buffet) or Tiffins (Signature). Otherwise, there is nothing else I recommend here. OK, maybe the fried rice for value at Yak & Yeti takeout.

Hollywood Studios - Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater is a must try - and not because of the food. 50's Prime Time has large portions that are served in an 'I Love Lucy' setting (which can be emotionally lost on the young). You might also consider the Fantasmic! Dining Package - given that you are V&A bound - I suggest Brown Derby (only for the dining package). However, if you are a very small group, grabbing an outside table at Brown Derby gets some very good Lounge food. For Qwik Serve - ABC Commissary has air conditioning. It's Hollywood Studios - popcorn is the best treat.

Epcot - anything but Nine Dragons (I was Chinese in another life). We enjoy sitting in the 'alley' in France grabbing some cheese & bread, Champagne, and Gelato from as many stores. Morocco has big portions.

Non-Parks:
Swan & Dolphin Resort Signatures - BlueZoo (seafood), Shula's (mostly steak house), Il Mulino (Italian). Since they are not part or Disney Dining Plan, these places are less crowded and serve better food than Disney operated places. We're partial to BlueZoo & ice cream at The Fountain.

Four Seasons - the tapas at Capa are top-notch. We've yet to try Ravello.

Disney Springs:
Boathouse & Homecoming seem to be the favorites these days. Paddlefish is very new. Morimoto is alright (remember, I was once Chinese). But Disney Springs is also sweet-treat nirvana - Ghirardelli used to be my favorite (decadent chocolate ice cream with magnificent whipped cream), but I am now partial to Vivoli il Gelato (with the best pistachio ever). Ganchery has excellent hand-made chocolates. Amoretti has wonder pastries. Sprinkles has a cupcake vending machine (and ice cream inside). Erin McKenna offers gluten-free desserts.

Boardwalk:
The nachos at ESPN. Ice Cream at Ample Hill or at nearby Fountain if you want to sit.

Enjoy V&A - it's an 'extreme' dining experience. Be forewarned - the wine pairing can be too much wine, but it is a good value.

 

[jwfla422]

I think HDDR is a gem...good food, plus good entertainment.

I also think the Flower and Garden food booths at Epcot are worth a stop, if you'll be there during that festival (ends around Memorial Day).

Note that the same food served at HDDR (Hoop Dee Doo Revue) is comprised of food from the Trails End Restaurant (right next door) but HDDR is a show and the cost is much more than doing Trails End alone (but that's because you're paying additional for the entertainment).

I also wanted to mention another fabulous gem is Il Mulino at the Swan Resort. (this is a boatride from Epcot via the Int'l Gateway). They only serve dinner but their Italian dishes are awesome! (IMHO the best Italian in WDW & even the entire area)...I have photos & a review on my site here: IL MULINO PHOTOS & REVIEW

 

[Fuberwil]

For the record, I am a Foodie.

Parks:
Magic Kingdom - Qwik Service Nirvana. Columbia Harbor House has the Lighthouse sandwich. Sleepy Hollow has 'savory' waffle combinations at lunch (fried chicken, ham & cheese). Casey's has a footlong hotdog smothered in pulled pork and topped with cole slaw. For sitdown - Be Our Guest for dinner serves better than expected food & you can meet The Beast.

Animal Kingdom - I am recommending that folks get the River of Lights dining package at either Tusker House (character buffet) or Tiffins (Signature). Otherwise, there is nothing else I recommend here. OK, maybe the fried rice for value at Yak & Yeti takeout.

Hollywood Studios - Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater is a must try - and not because of the food. 50's Prime Time has large portions that are served in an 'I Love Lucy' setting (which can be emotionally lost on the young). You might also consider the Fantasmic! Dining Package - given that you are V&A bound - I suggest Brown Derby (only for the dining package). However, if you are a very small group, grabbing an outside table at Brown Derby gets some very good Lounge food. For Qwik Serve - ABC Commissary has air conditioning. It's Hollywood Studios - popcorn is the best treat.

Epcot - anything but Nine Dragons (I was Chinese in another life). We enjoy sitting in the 'alley' in France grabbing some cheese & bread, Champagne, and Gelato from as many stores. Morocco has big portions.

Non-Parks:
Swan & Dolphin Resort Signatures - BlueZoo (seafood), Shula's (mostly steak house), Il Mulino (Italian). Since they are not part or Disney Dining Plan, these places are less crowded and serve better food than Disney operated places. We're partial to BlueZoo & ice cream at The Fountain.

Four Seasons - the tapas at Capa are top-notch. We've yet to try Ravello.

Disney Springs:
Boathouse & Homecoming seem to be the favorites these days. Paddlefish is very new. Morimoto is alright (remember, I was once Chinese). But Disney Springs is also sweet-treat nirvana - Ghirardelli used to be my favorite (decadent chocolate ice cream with magnificent whipped cream), but I am now partial to Vivoli il Gelato (with the best pistachio ever). Ganchery has excellent hand-made chocolates. Amoretti has wonder pastries. Sprinkles has a cupcake vending machine (and ice cream inside). Erin McKenna offers gluten-free desserts.

Boardwalk:
The nachos at ESPN. Ice Cream at Ample Hill or at nearby Fountain if you want to sit.

Enjoy V&A - it's an 'extreme' dining experience. Be forewarned - the wine pairing can be too much wine, but it is a good value.

Perfect! Thank you, i'll be sure to take a look at all of these. Not a big fan of wine pairing but looking at the wine menu and solid reviews of pairing it looks like that is what we will be doing.

 

[Fuberwil]

Kringla Bakeri og Kafe in the Norway pavilion at Epcot. You can't really go wrong with any of the pastries or desserts, but my personal favorite is the school bread.

Thank you! I'm looking forward to Epcot the most and will definitely check it out.

 

[JZCubed]

Perfect! Thank you, i'll be sure to take a look at all of these. Not a big fan of wine pairing but looking at the wine menu and solid reviews of pairing it looks like that is what we will be doing.

I seem to recall someone once mentioning 'splitting' the wine pairing. You might ask....

But we now order a bottle of Champagne to have as an aperitif and save a bit to have with dessert. We supplement our wine desires with 'by the glass' options that can be pricey, but relieves the customer of purchasing an entire bottle of Burgundy or Bordeaux (sorry, I do mostly prefer French wines). Besides, my wife & I have different tastes beyond Tequila, Bourbon & Champagne.

 

[DeterminedOne]

One of my favorite carts in the parks was the turkey leg cart at Magic Kingdom. Yum -my! I haven't been in a long time though, so not sure they still sell them.