Fuss Free Disney 101: How to Choose Disney Dining

There are more than 200 places to eat at Walt Disney World with many different classifications – and unfortunately not all of them are created equal! How do you decipher the Disney lingo and choose the best dining experience for your next Disney trip?

I’m Ethan, and I’m what you might call the food correspondent here at No Capes Blog. Amber’s got so many great ideas, tips, and tricks for planning a successful and low-maintenance Disney trip that she doesn’t have time to review and write about all the amazing food and beverage options. So, she asked me to help out the blog by highlighting and reviewing the cuisine that we enjoy on our Disney trips.

Am I a qualified food writer? No. But do I at least know a thing or two about the culinary arts?

Also no.

But you can trust me: I’m a lawyer!

Amber asked me to help with the food blogging at No Capes because, well, I just plain love to eat. In my opinion, you can make or break a day in the parks by picking the wrong things to eat. Plus, if we do it right, every meal we eat at Walt Disney World is an attraction unto itself!

So whether you’re considering eating a lobster roll at Columbia Harbor House, nomming down ribs at Flame Tree Barbecue, or living your best life eating a Ronto Wrap from Docking Bay 7, I’m here to give you a food lover’s perspective on the dozens of food options at Disney World.

To get you started, let’s talk about the essential the different types of Disney World dining experiences:

1. Table Service Restaurants
2. Quick Service Restaurants
3. Buffets
4. Lounges
5. Food Carts
6. Markets
7. Character Meals

You’ll choose Disney dining for your trip based on these seven categories.

1. Table Service Restaurants

Table service restaurants are Disney’s classification for standard sit-down restaurants where a host or hostess seats you at your table, you choose food and drink items from a menu, and a cast member-server (waitstaff) takes your order. Lately, certain Disney table service restaurants have moved to a prix fixe menu where you are served a preset series of courses for a fixed price.

Another option for table service is the buffet where you’ll be seated at a table by a host or hostess, and you’ll have a server who keeps your POG juice topped up, but you’ll be in charge of building your plate of food. At Disney World buffets are “all you care to enjoy,” so you can keep going back for those delicious Mickey waffles or the jalapeño corn bread (looking at you, Tusker House).

2. Quick Service Restaurants

Quick service restaurants are Disney’s fast food option. Sometimes called counter service, at a quick service restaurant you’ll choose items from a large menu board or screen, a cashier will take your order (and money), and you’ll wait to pick up your tray of food until your name or number is called. You’ll take your own meal to a table (or trashcan top) to eat it.

3. Buffets

Disney buffets are, well, buffets. You’ll be seated at a table by a host or hostess, and you’ll have a server who keeps your POG juice topped up, but you’ll be in charge of building your plate of food. At Disney buffets are “all you care to enjoy,” so you can keep going back for those delicious Mickey waffles or the jalapeño corn bread (looking at you, Tusker House).

4. Lounges

A lounge is Disney’s version of a bar. Typically themed to match its location in a resort or park, lounges serve primarily as a watering hole for adult beverages (cocktails and mocktails) but many also have a small-ish food menu.

5. Food Carts

Food carts are free-standing locations spread throughout the parks offering just a couple of items. For example, you’ll find the Disney popcorn, Mickey ice cream bars, and Mickey pretzels at food carts sprinkled across Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Often, food you can get at a food cart is also available from a quick service location. Other times, you can only get it at at single location – like the cheeseburger spring rolls in Magic Kingdom.

6. Markets

Markets are the Disney World convenience store and are almost always located inside the resort lobby. A market will have packaged food items like cereal, milk, canned goods, and beverages (including alcohol) that you might get at a grocery store.

7. Character Meals

Character meals are special meal experiences where Disney characters tour the dining area to interact with the diners. Characters like Mickey and Minnie or Rapunzel and Flynn Rider sign autographs and pose for pictures with guests. These experiences are all located inside table service locations (usually buffets).

Now that you know what kinds of restaurants you can pick from when you choose Disney dining, check back in to the No Capes Culinary Corner where we’ll be reviewing restaurants in the Disney bubble using our trademark Fuss Free Rating System^TM.

The No Capes! Fuss-Free Rating System

If you’re like me, choosing what you’re gonna eat or drink can be a very in-the-moment kind of decision. I’ll pick a restaurant I want to go to then pick what I eat once I’m there. So that’s how we’re going to rate our dining experiences for you. Our rating system will help you choose your Disney dining attraction based on three factors:

1. Food;
2. Beverages (with and without alcohol);
3. Atmosphere and experience.

At the end of each review, we’ll give you a few final thoughts and a composite rating combining the three scores.

Check back next week for my first Culinary Corner restaurant review. I’ll be highlighting my experience at Polite Pig over in Disney Springs!