Whether you’re on the Disney Dining Plan or paying out of pocket to dine at one of Walt Disney World Resort’s amazing on-site restaurants, chances are you want to make sure that you are getting the most bang for your buck. A great way to do this is by enjoying one of the many buffet dining experiences that can be found across the resorts and theme parks. In classic Disney fashion, these eateries have a whole lot more to offer than your bog-standard buffet options. Rather, you’ll find an exciting array of everything from World Cuisine to delicious takes on classic dishes. Some of them even have characters that will make the rounds while you dine! Here are 8 of our Walt Disney World buffet favorites. We are confident that any of these would make a worthy addition to your Disney World dining line-up. Bon Appetit!
1. 1900 Park Fare at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – (pictured) This buffet restaurant is conveniently located on the monorail line and offers two different character dining options for breakfast and dinner. Guests dining in the morning will be treated to the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast. Characters in attendance are usually Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatter, Mary Poppins, as well as Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. Breakfast items include custom-made omelettes, pancakes, Mickey Waffles, carved ham and so much more. Breakfast is served daily from 8:00am – 11:50am.
From 4:00pm – 9:00pm, the restaurant offers Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner where diners are made to feel like the honored guests of Cinderella and Prince Charming. Dinner buffet items include seafood, salad, carvery items, salads as well as a kid-friendly buffet for tiny travellers. Prince Charming and Cinderella make the rounds to meet guests before the party is crashed by Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella.
2. Tusker House- Animal Kingdom: Tucked away in the Harambe Market section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the buffet on offer here is an absolute delight. Visitors in the morning will be able to dine on breakfast classics like Mickey waffles, scrambled eggs and bacon. However where this eatery really comes into its own is with the incredible array of delicious World Cuisine offerings available at lunch or dinner. Guests can feast on dishes like Peri-Peri Salmon, Mojo Pork, and Cape Malay Curry Chicken just to name a few. The Jungle Juice blend that they serve up during the meal is also delicious. However, those with little ones with simpler tastes will be pleased to know that there is also a kids buffet bar serving up classics like mac and cheese and chicken nuggets. The meal is also a character dining option with guests being visited by Safari Mickey, Donald, Daisy and Goofy who will visit your table to pose for photos and sign autographs. Tusker House is on the Disney Dining Plan and will set you back 1 Table Service Credit. For those paying out of pocket, prices range from $34.99 – $55.99 per adult.
3. Biergarten- Epcot: It’s Oktoberfest every day of the year at this delightful buffet-style restaurant found at Germany’s World Showcase pavilion. You’ll find a robust buffet featuring much-loved German classics like bratwurst, pork schnitzel, German meatloaf and spätzle. There’s also a fantastic list of German beers and wines on offer. Guests may also want to bring their dancing shoes as the in-house polka band takes you through a rousing repertoire of German folk songs. Lunch or dinner here will set those on the Dining Plan back one Table Service Credit and those paying out-of-pocket will be looking at costs of around $39 – $59.00 per adult.
4. Chef Mickey’s- Disney’s Contemporary Resort: One of the most popular character dining experiences at Walt Disney World, Chef Mickey’s is available for breakfast from 7:00am – 11:15am, brunch from 11:30am – 2:30pm and dinner from 5:00pm – 9:30pm. For breakfast, guests can expect a buffet filled with a nice mix of breakfast classics including Mickey Waffles and a speciality pancake of the day. The dinner buffet also offers much-loved fare like peel & eat shrimp, baked chicken, a carving station and mussels. However, what makes this restaurant so popular are the lively character interactions that you’ll get from Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Goofy. Oh! and be sure to bring your dancing shoes. Prices range from $41 to $50 per adult.
5. Trail’s End Restaurant- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground: If rustic home cooking is more your style, then escape the hustle and bustle of the theme parks for a visit to Trail’s End Restaurant. You won’t find a lot of frills at this eatery but the food is absolutely delicious. Guests can tuck into breakfast favorites like hash, biscuits and sausage gravy or my favorite the French Toast Custard Pudding. The dinner menu is also jam-packed with much-loved American fare like Peel-n-Eat Shrimp, fried chicken, pork ribs and chilli. Trail’s End also holds a Bountiful Brunch containing a delightful combination of both breakfast and dinner specialities on Saturday and Sundays. A meal at Trail’s End will also cost $15- $35 per adult or a Table Service dining credit.
Quick Tip: If you decide to head over to Fort Wilderness for an evening meal at Trails End, try to coordinate your times so that you can also attend Chip ‘N Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long. The perfect ending to a Disney day, guests can roast marshmallows over a campfire and dance along to favorite campfire songs with everyone’s favorite chipmunks. Best of all, the event is absolutely FREE (though S’Mores making kits can be purchased at an additional cost). More details on the sing-along can be found here.
6. Cape May Cafe – Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts: Though guests tend to flock to this Beach Club restaurant for its morning character-based Minnie’s Beach Club Breakfast, it is actually home to an absolutely mouth-watering Seafood-and-More Dinner Buffet. It’s a perfect dinner option for seafood lovers staying in one of the three local Epcot Resorts or spending the day wandering the World Showcase as its only a 5-minute stroll from the International Gateway park entrance. The menu features a bountiful array of seafood items like crab legs, steamed mussels and clams, fried calamari, battered shrimp and seafood chowder. Again, there’s a children’s buffet with options like cheese pizza for fussy tummies. Dinner here will set visitors back around $59.00 or one Table Service credit.
7. Boma-Flavors of Africa- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: Visitors who don’t mind going a bit further afield for their Disney eats will be in for a real treat when it comes to dining at Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Boma restaurant. The breakfast buffet serves up a mix of American classics like omelettes, waffles, pancakes and breakfast potatoes. But, it’s the dinner options that really make it worth the journey. Guests will be able to soak in the ambience of this amazing resort while dining on specialities like the Ghanaian Oxtail Stew, Durban-style Chicken or Bobotie a South African Quiche. Kids love that you can watch the Chefs hard at work preparing these amazing dishes There are also simpler carvery items and a kids buffet for those wanting to play it safe. Prices at Boma will range anywhere between $15 for breakfast and $59.00 for dinner or 1 Table Service Credit.
8. Minnie’s Seasonal Dine at Hollywood and Vine- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Though Hollywood and Vine does offer a really charming Disney Junior-themed breakfast, it’s the lunch and dinner buffets hosted by Minnie that really steal the show. The cuisine on offer depends on the time of year that you visit and changes with the seasons. Currently, Minnie is hosting a Holiday Dine with her friends Mickey, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy with a focus on the Christmas Season. Those looking to book should also check to see if dining reservations can be made at Minnie’s Seasonal Dine as part of the Fantasmic! Dining Package. Not only is it the same great meal but you’ll also receive VIP seating for the evening Fantasmic! show. Costs for dinner are $46.99 per adult and $22.99 for children or 1 Table Service Credit. However, it should be noted that this is an insanely popular dining reservation so booking as close to the 180-day mark as possible is strongly encouraged!
Advanced booking for all of the amazing buffet meals listed above is strongly encouraged and can be made either by contacting your travel agent or Disney direct at 407-WDW-DINE.
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