Magic Kingdom isn’t known for having a lot of Table Service restaurant options, but the Magic Kingdom-area resort restaurants definitely provide many great choices.
If you’re planning to spend some time at the Magic Kingdom, the convenient transportation options between it and the nearby resort-area restaurants makes dining outside that park a good choice for people looking for some alternative culinary choices or even for those looking to escape the park for a bit (or both).
Here’s a rundown of the pros and cons of all Magic Kingdom-area resort restaurants……
[restaurants-new park_location=’near’ park_name=’mk’]
Getting to your reservation at one of the Magic Kingdom-area resort restaurants
All of the Magic Kingdom-area resorts offer monorail and/or boat service between the park and the resort. To figure out which you’ll need to use check out the WDW Prep School Navigator.
Other reasons to dine outside of Magic Kingdom
Not only can it make sense to dine outside of Magic Kingdom because you want to try something new, some people like to plan a relaxing meal during the nighttime fireworks show. While the best view (especially with the new projections-heavy Happily Ever After) is going to be within the park, viewing it from one of the nearby restaurants can be a romantic way to end an evening or a nice alternative for anybody that doesn’t like loud noises or the thick crowds the fireworks draw.
The holidays at Disney World are another time when venturing out of Magic Kingdom for a meal might make sense. During the holiday season, all of the resorts will be decked out in their finest with lots of seasonal decorations to explore. If you are visiting during the holiday season, it is well worth it to set aside a couple hours to check out what they have to offer.
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Are you planning to eat at any of these restaurants? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the Magic Kingdom-area resort restaurants in the comments.
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Brittany
Friday 18th of August 2017
Victoria and Albert's is now on the dining plan??? really?
Shannon Albert
Friday 18th of August 2017
No, it's not. We have 2 entries listed above for V&A - 1 for the main dining and 1 for Chef's Table. We had the main restaurant as not accepting the DDP, but inadvertently had Chef's Table as accepting it. That's been fixed now.
Kelsey
Wednesday 1st of October 2014
We loved Whispering Canyon! Another tip for a reaction is to tell them you are very thirsty. :-)
And I agree with Savanah - I'd love to see a write up like this for the other resorts!
Savanah
Saturday 29th of March 2014
Can you make a list like this for the other resort aera reaturants?
Courtney
Wednesday 8th of January 2014
I LOVED this list, thank you! I wish there was a PDF to put in my WDW Planning Book. Are you planning to do this for other resorts as well? I wanted to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge, but a few members of my family have certain diets that don't allow them to have certain foods, and the African cuisine put me off a bit in thinking there may not be key foods they can eat. Even though the Poly has a theme to their food as well, they still had burgers, chicken fingers, and fries that my little brother could eat. I would love to know the breakdown of the rest of the resort restaurants to make a better educated plan.
Kelsey
Wednesday 1st of October 2014
One thing about Disney Restaurants is they are excellent at dealing with special dietary needs. If you are making ADRs, you can make a note on your reservation about the dietary restrictions. And I'm pretty confident that all quick serves at resorts have your burgers and chicken fingers, even at AKL.
Genette
Friday 6th of December 2013
We got back from WDW a few weeks ago. Stayed at Polynesian. Ate at Kona (B), 'Ohana (B), Capt. Cook's (L), Contempo Cafe (D), Chef Mickey's (B). I booked a few breakfasts because I'd read that children with allergies were treated so well that my egg-allergic son would get to have treats he doesn't usually get. I found that everyone just wanted to give him Mickey Waffles. Each location seems to keep a separate iron for making them for allergies... and I guess that's easier to clean/deal with than a griddle.
Only the kind chef at 'Ohana really made his meal extra special (waffles, egg free biscuit, roasted potatoes and LOTS of bacon on a special platter just slightly smaller than the platter the rest of us got). The characters were fun and relaxed. The conga line part was funny because of the look our 10 yr old gave us ("I'm only doing this to make my brother happy!!!) while they were dancing. LOL
Sadly, our last meal "in the world" at Chef Mickey's was disappointing. The chef had NO table-side manner (another chef overheard my son ask me about it while we at the buffet and the chef volunteered that the guy we talked to is VERY monotone), didn't show us options on the buffet, acted like we were a bother, was very uncaring imo. And the character interactions seemed super RUSHED compared to all other char. meals we'd done (Crystal Palace, 'Ohana, Garden Grill). We would NOT go back to Chef Mickey's for breakfast.
Kona Cafe was very good. The Tonga toast really is "all that." :) I wish it was a bit less crowded... meaning I wish the tables were further apart. It's a bit claustrophobic. The service was lovely, tho!
Capt. Cook's was OUTSTANDING. Loved the pork sandwich and Dole Whip and the chips (addictive)! Enjoyed eating outside. Was a great start to our trip.
We had dinner at Contempo Cafe on our arrival day. It was hectic, but the food was very good. I tried a Rootbeer Cupcake just cuz it was available. :) We enjoyed shopping in the Contemporary and watching the monorail, too.
You don't mention the Luau. Have you reviewed it?
I AM planning our next trip. :) Probably 3 yrs out so that they can get Polynesian renovations done before we return there.