Digging Into My Favorite Walt Disney World Table Service Restaurants
As a Walt Disney World fan, I’ve enjoyed experiencing shows, rides, meet and greets, and so much more with my family. I’ve grown to love the dining opportunities at Walt Disney World as much as any other aspect of the parks. Some of our favorite dining experiences have been at what many refer to as Disney World’s “table service restaurants” – sit down restaurants with more heavily themed, immersive dining experiences than the quick counter service options. We originally went to these restaurants out of necessity. I was first looking for a mellow, air-conditioned break for my family without having to go back to our resort for a rest. What started as a meal break has turned into an exciting complement to our Disney World vacations. Today, I’m sharing a few of my favorite Disney World table service restaurants and a few I look forward to experiencing soon. I’ll be focusing on park restaurants in this article and look forward to sharing resort dining experiences in a future post.
Via Napoli
This EPCOT restaurant has the best pizza of any Disney World restaurant by far. Portions are huge here, but so is the value. One large pizza has been more than enough for our family of four. We love the airy, laid back setting, and also the great view of the brick pizza ovens. The only drawback is the long journey from the EPCOT entrance to the Italy area.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater
This restaurant located at Hollywood Studios is a truly unique experience. Guests are seated at tables arranged in a drive-in movie theater setting in order to view old clips on the big screen. I’ve caught myself enjoying the throwback commercials the most. The menu is varied, but burgers take center stage here; we’ve enjoyed sharing awesome desserts here, too. The theming is surprisingly manageable for a meal. While you’re basically sitting in the dark, each table has sufficient enough lighting for dining. Not surprisingly, we’ve dealt with significant wait times at this restaurant even with a reservation. After experiencing this restaurant, it’s understandable why diners like to linger here!
Be Our Guest
The Beauty and the Beast theming of this restaurant is spot-on. Patrons can enjoy seating in three distinctive areas – the Grand Ballroom, the West Wing, and the Castle Gallery. The Grand Ballroom is the largest and most popular wing, but we have most often preferred the subdued experience in the Castle Gallery. Our little ones love the quiet of the Gallery, centered around Belle and the Beast dancing – basically, the largest music box setup I’ve ever seen. Each time we dine here, we enjoy walking through the three themed rooms. Historically, we’ve gravitated toward a simple lunch at Be Our Guest, but I’ve recently noticed that the more formal dinner menu is now being served at lunch now. Regardless, any Beauty and the Best fan will love this experience.
Biergarten
This restaurant is probably my favorite EPCOT dining experience. Like a a Bavarian beer hall, you are seated at large tables alongside other patrons. We enjoy the live band and dancing for the kids (and fun-loving grown ups). Traditionally a buffet, the restaurant is currently serving food family-style. What hasn’t changed are the healthy beer portions.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Dining in Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom is a truly one of a kind experience. We loved meeting Cinderella (of course) and the other princesses at breakfast and dinner. Unfortunately, character meet and greets are currently unavailable at the Castle. Breakfast has been our favorite experience; hopefully that option will return soon. Food quality is top-notch here. Dining in the Castle felt a bit rushed, but the novelty of this experience can’t be beat.
Crystal Palace
Our family loves the Winnie the Pooh characters, and this is an excellent place to meet them (during non-pandemic times). The characters are very generous with their time at this restaurant, with each posing for photos on multiple occasions. We enjoy late breakfast visits to this location and stretch out our stays here. The restaurant is filled with lots of natural light and greenery alongside the Victorian architecture.
More Disney World Table Service Restaurants to Experience
We haven’t dined at any Disney World table service restaurants at Animal Kingdom yet. Tusker House and Yak & Yeti have been calling out to us, but we’ve mostly opted for Flame Tree Barbecue and more park fun, instead. Chefs de France is an EPCOT option that’s been on our list for quite some time, as well – we’ve just run out of meals! Alas, experiencing Disney World restaurants, new and old, is an ongoing experience which we’ll continue to enjoy.
Disney World Table Service Restaurants – Conclusion
The pandemic has brought challenges to dining at Disney World table service restaurants, but fun experiences are still possible. I look forward to more options opening up prior to our next trip, as well. Table service restaurants are more practical for vacationers visiting Disney World on a longer stay. There’s no doubt that these restaurants can take up valuable touring time at the parks. On the flip side, the down time at a table service restaurant can provide enough of a break without leaving the park for a rest in your resort room. And expensive table service restaurants can be easily discounted with different gift card plays. What have been your favorite Disney World table service restaurant experiences?
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