Epcot has some of the most diverse dining options of any theme park.
Not many theme parks can offer the variety of dining you'll find at Walt Disney World. The food ranges from the more typical burgers and chicken you'll find in just about any other theme park, to the elaborate Peking Duck dinner for two served at the Nine Dragons in Epcot.
Table Service
Disney table-service meals range from character buffets to playful themed restaurants to more traditional dining experiences.
In the Magic Kingdom, the Crystal Palace offers a popular buffet meal with characters from Winnie the Pooh. Just on the other side of Main Street USA is the Plaza Restaurant, one of Disney's more budget-minded table-service restaurants where the menu is built around sandwiches.
Epcot features a table-service restaurant in each nation, making it one of the most diverse patches of land anywhere, dining-wise. One very popular spot here is Le Cellier Steakhouse in the Canadian pavilion. Make your reservations early if you want to eat here. The San Angel Inn in Mexico offers a dramatic setting, although the food, while decent, is not especially memorable.
Disney's Hollywood Studios offer two of the more playful non-character dining locations in Walt Disney World. The 50's Prime Time Cafe is like eating out of an old family sitcom, complete with waiters and waitresses who act like old-fashioned TV moms and demand proper manners and a clean plate. The Sci-Fi Drive In is an indoor restaurant set up to look like an outdoor drive-in movie theater. The tables are all "cars" and a big screen shows old science fiction movie clips and cartoons.
Disney's Animal Kingdom offers just three table-service options: a character buffet at Tusker House in Africa, the Yak and Yeti in Asia, and a Rainforest Cafe at the park's entrance.
Counter Service
Counter-service restaurants offer the cheapest dining in Walt Disney World. Many of the locations offer variations on burgers, chicken, sandwiches and Disney's notoriously mediocre pizza. However, there are a few places where you can go beyond typical fast food without having to dine at a more expensive table-service restaurant.
In Epcot, each nation typically features a counter-service location. Some of them offer fast-food versions of that nation's table-service location, while others feature a completely different menu. The bakery in France is especially good. One of the tastiest counter-service options at any Disney Park is the Flame Tree BBQ in Animal Kingdom. The pulled pork here is a favorite, but they also offer very good ribs and chicken.
In the Magic Kingdom, Casey's Corner offers hot dogs, chili dogs, corn dog nuggets and fries, served in a ballpark atmosphere as classic Disney baseball cartoons play on the screen. Disney's Hollywood Studios offers some of the weakest counter-service options of any theme park, but the ABC Commissary offers Cuban sandwiches, chicken curry and fish and chips.
Disney Dining Plans
Disney offers two dining plans. One features two counter service meals and two snacks per night, while the other, more expensive plan, features both a counter-service and a table-service meal for each night of your stay, along with a snack. Use of the latter requires careful planning, as you will lose your dining credits if you don't use them up by the end of your trip, and there are times when it can be nearly impossible to eat at a table-service restaurant without a reservation. There's an even more expensive Deluxe Dining Plan and a Wine and Dine Plan that add meals and other options to each night of your stay.
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