Walt Disney World Dining: A Complete Guide (2024)

We’re sharing everything you need to know about dining at Walt Disney World Resort, from choosing a restaurant to making reservations to opting for the Disney Dining Plan.

When you’re hungry and looking to grab a bite at Walt Disney World, you have plenty of options. In fact, there are more than 200 places to eat within the resort –– meaning it can be tough to settle on a single place to dine. Plus, with a variety of different types of restaurants, the added complexity of advance dining reservations (ADRs), and budgeting all in the mix, Walt Disney World dining can take some time to figure out.

As experts who’ve dined at the resorts, theme parks, and Disney Springs hundreds of times, we’re here to help! We’re making it easy to understand Walt Disney World dining by breaking down the details of restaurant types, dining options, and how you can utilize the Disney Dining Plan so you’re prepared for anything on your next vacation.

• Disney World Restaurant Options and Types
• Disney World Dining Reservations
• The Disney Dining Plan

Walt Disney World Restaurant Options and Types

As you start digging into Disney World’s many different dining options, you’ll notice there are a few different types of restaurants across the theme parks, resorts, and Disney Springs. You can dine at quick-service restaurants or table service restaurants, which are the two primary restaurant types across Disney World.

But those aren’t the only dining options ––within quick-service and table service dining, there are other categories, too. For example, you’ll find character dining, buffets, and even fine dining restaurants at Disney World. And when it comes to grabbing a snack or an iconic Disney treat like Mickey-shaped ice cream bars or Dole Whip, there are even more places you can consider.

Quick-Service Dining

Walt Disney World’s quick-service dining is the “grab and go” option. If you’re looking for a quick meal that’s filling and satisfying but doesn’t require much advance planning, quick-service restaurants are the perfect choice.

Disney World’s quick-service dining spots offer a solid combination of delicious food and speedy service (hence their name!). Most are cafeteria-style or counter-service style restaurants, meaning you choose your desired food items and bring them to a table of your choosing. Aside from ordering and paying for your food, there won’t be any waitstaff tending to your table or dining experience.

Quick-service restaurants don’t require advance dining reservations; in fact, they don’t offer or accept reservations at all. But this Walt Disney World dining option does offer one handy perk: Mobile Order. Most quick-service restaurants will allow you to place an order right within the My Disney Experience app, choose an arrival window, and skip the long lines so you can grab your food quickly.

Which Disney World dining options are considered quick-service? You can see a complete list of the resort’s quick-service restaurants here.

Table Service Dining

If you’d prefer a slightly elevated dining experience, one where you’re seated at a table and waited on by servers, Walt Disney World’s table service dining is the right fit. Table service restaurants offer a classic restaurant experience, complete with menus and dishes brought right to your table. You can take your time, and you don’t have to seek out your own place to sit or dine.

While table service restaurants at Disney World do tend to come with higher prices than their quick-service counterparts, they offer an elevated dining experience. Additionally, there’s a wide variety of options when it comes to table service restaurants, including buffet-style restaurants, fine dining restaurants, and even character dining experiences.

Just note that typically, table service restaurants throughout Disney World’s theme parks, resorts, and Disney Springs do accept advance dining reservations (ADRs). This means you can book an ADR for your desired table service restaurants as early as 60 days out from your visit ––and the most in-demand restaurants can be tricky to snag reservations at. However, you can always try your luck at walk-up seats when you’re at Disney World (though these are quite limited and always first come, first served).

Which Disney World dining options are considered table service? You can see a complete list of the resort’s table service restaurants here.

Character Dining

All of the character dining experiences at Walt Disney World happen at table service restaurants. When you book an ADR for a character dining experience, you’ll have the chance to meet your favorite Disney characters (or a mix of different characters) in a themed restaurant. Every character dining experience is slightly different ––for example, some take place in a fairytale setting like Cinderella Castle or a hoedown-style BBQ. The character lineup is different at each restaurant, too.

Character dining at Disney World can also come in numerous formats. While character dining is only offered at table service restaurants, the dining experience does vary. Some restaurants offer buffet-style character meals, in which a server brings drinks and visits the table but diners get to head to the buffet to choose their food. Others will offer sit-down menu-based meals, and still others serve family-style character meals.

You can see a complete list of character dining restaurants here.

Fine/Signature Dining

If you’d like to have a truly special dining experience at Disney World, you can opt for the top tier of restaurants: Fine/Signature Dining. A select number of Disney World restaurants fall into the Fine/Signature Dining category, and they are all table service restaurants.

Fine/Signature Dining restaurants are the highest-priced dining options across the resort, but they do offer an elevated dining experience. These restaurants typically have more upscale dress codes (flip flops and t-shirts won’t cut it for dinner service, for example), adult-leaning menus, and special extras from extensive wine lists to specialty co*cktails to elegant or uniquely themed settings.

You can see a complete list of Disney World’s Fine/Signature Dining restaurants here.

Bars and Lounges

You can stop by one of Disney World’s many bars and lounges if you’re looking for something to sip on, with or without some tasty bites included. Across the resort, you’ll find nearly 100 different bars and lounges, including pool bars, that serve up both mocktails and co*cktails (along with other alcoholic beverages, of course). Each is differently themed, with menus that offer specialty options depending on the location and the overall theme.

Disney World’s bars and lounges can double as quick-service or table service restaurants, but there are plenty of standalone options, too. It simply depends on whether you’d like to pair your drinks with a meal of some kind.

And when it comes to reservations, they’re really dependent on where you’re headed. If you’re visiting a spot like Oga’s Cantina or Space 220 Lounge, you’ll need to secure an ADR in advance of your visit. However, if you’re popping into BaseLine Tap House or Cape Town Lounge and Wine Bar, you won’t need a reservation.

You can see a complete list of all of the bars and lounges at Disney World here.

Snacks, Carts, and Kiosks

If you’re craving a Dole Whip or simply want to grab a quick bite between meals like ice cream, popcorn, or even some fresh fruit, there are plenty of snack stops located throughout Disney World. With nearly 100 different snack options from stands to carts to kiosks, you can easily find something to satisfy any craving.

Snack spots operate a bit differently from Disney World’s quick-service and table service restaurants. You can walk right up, order your snack, and head out after you pay. There aren’t nearby seating areas (in most cases), and the majority of snack spots are located outdoors. Reservations are, understandably, not offered or needed to grab a snack.

You can see a complete list of all of the snack options at Disney World here.

Walt Disney World Dining Reservations

In order to dine at Walt Disney World’s table service restaurants ––particularly in-demand and highly popular restaurants ––you’ll need to make a dining reservation. Called advance dining reservations (and more commonly known as ADRs among Disney fans), these can be made either well in advance of your visit or right before, while you’re in the parks or resorts. Beginning soon, you’ll even be able to search for dining availability at restaurants over the course of multiple days.

You can make an ADR at pretty much any table service restaurant, and reservations open up 60 days prior to the date you’d like to visit. However, you can also find walk-up availability on the day of your visit (though this disappears quickly!), and reservation availability does change over time.

Wondering which restaurants at Disney World accept dining reservations? You’ll find a complete list of restaurants that offer reservations here.

The Disney Dining Plan

When you’re planning your Walt Disney World dining for an upcoming trip, you can opt to purchase each meal as you dine. But there is another alternative: the Disney Dining Plan.

Back after a lengthy hiatus, the Disney Dining Plan is a vacation add-on that’s available to guests staying in Walt Disney World Resort hotels. For a set price, you can pre-purchase credits that can be used towards meals at both quick-service and table service restaurants across Disney World.

The Disney Dining Plan makes it a breeze to plan out your meals in advance, as you can simply choose from the restaurants that accept the plan. When you purchase the plan, you’ll have two options: the Disney Dining Plan (or the Standard Plan) and the Quick-Service Plan. Each features different specifics, so you’ll want to compare them to decide which is the right choice for you.

Can’t decide if the Disney Dining Plan is worth it? We’re helping you break down the Disney Dining Plan’s cost and meals to determine if it’s the right add-on for your next vacation.

For more on Walt Disney World Dining, keep reading:

Your Guide to Choosing Kid-Friendly Dining at Disney World

10 Best Magic Kingdom Restaurants: Ranking Disney World’s Best Dining Spots