Like the survey results indicated for Disney Resort quick-service restaurants, the table-service restaurants at Disney’s Resort Hotels serve up Disney quality food and service in a unique atmosphere. However, they’re usually less crowded than the table-service restaurants in the parks or in Disney Springs.
The table-service restaurants at the resorts are perfect for a special occasion even if that occasion is just that you’re on vacation in Disney World!
Let’s take a look at how the table-service restaurants at the resorts scored with diners, according to survey work done by Touring Plans.
1. Jiko – The Cooking Place
Jiko at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is elaborately themed with African symbols of good luck and prosperity. This signature dining restaurant puts an emphasis on wine and on cooking, so it should come as no surprise that an open, on-stage kitchen is central.
It’s also not surprising that Jiko ranked top on the list; with 262 diners surveyed, almost 97% gave it a thumbs up.
If you’re willing to make the trek to the lodge, which is near Disney’s Animal Kingdom- the most removed park on property, you won’t regret it!
2. Crew’s Cup Lounge
Disney’s Yacht Club is one of the most expensive resorts on property, so it’s only right that it would have a top-ranking restaurant. Out of 126 people surveyed, over 95% enjoyed their meal.
Continuing with the nautical theme, Crew’s Cup Lounge features surf and turf plates like crab cakes, clam chowder, steak and pasta in a wooded dining room that looks like a fishing lodge.
3. Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
The Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort is the longest running dinner show in Disney World delighting guests for over 40 years. You can’t go wrong with the combination of quality, family entertainment, and lots of good food. Personally, I love it!
Its popularity is shown in the amount of surveys collected; 435 people rated Hoop-Dee-Doo at just under 95%.
4. Beaches and Cream Soda Shop
Disney’s Beach Club Resort is another pricey Deluxe Resort Hotel. It has a fun, relaxed beach feel with Stormalong Bay nearby. This resort is also home to one of Disney’s most well-known ice cream shops: Beaches and Cream.
Besides the famous kitchen sink, which is reason enough to visit, you’ll also find satisfying entrees for lunch and dinner plus a variety of other sundaes and beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
Almost 600 people were asked how they would rate Beaches and Cream, and they returned with a resounding 95%.
5. Sanaa
Sanaa in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Kidani Village has one of the most unique views in all of Disney World. The huge floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the savanna while diners enjoy African and Indian flavors. If you can book an Advanced Dining Reservation at sunset, you’ll amp up your views ten-fold.
Sanaa garnered 668 votes with close to 95% positivity.
6. Garden View Tea Room
The Garden View Tea Room at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Hotel & Spa hosts a couple special events including an Afternoon Tea for more mature guests and a Disney’s Perfectly Princess Tea for Princesses and Princes and kids at heart. This character dining experience is pricey, but it would be great for a special occasion like a birthday.
With 111 diners voting, over 94% enjoyed the experience.
7. Boma
Boma is part of the hard-hitting trio of restaurants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. This family-style breakfast and dinner buffet served under thatched roofs honors flavors from over 50 African countries. This is also a popular place for special occasion meals like Easter Sunday and Mother’s Day Brunch.
While Boma rated lower than the others, it was only by a few points; 94% of 859 people surveyed gave this restaurant a thumbs up.
8. Victoria & Albert’s
Victoria & Albert’s is known as the most expensive restaurant on property which is probably why only 81 people were surveyed and they rated it at just under 94%. I have to believe that this rating has nothing to do with the quality of the food.
Regardless, if you’re celebrating a Disney wedding, anniversary, or other special event, this AAA Five Diamond Award winning restaurant for 17 years is the place to go.
9. California Grill
California Grill is situated on the 15th floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort Hotel, which is across Seven Seas Lagoon from Magic Kingdom. That means that Cinderella Castle is within view, and this is an excellent spot to watch Magic Kingdom’s Nighttime Spectacular.
All of these things probably led to almost 600 people giving it a 93% favorable rating.
If you can get an Advanced Dining Reservation during the fireworks, that’s great, but if you can’t, you can simply return with your dining receipt from that day and watch from the balcony or lounge.
10. Grand Floridian Café
Grand Floridian Café at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Hotel serves casual American dining in a Victorian setting. The cafe is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, and drinks. You’ll also enjoy the relaxing views of the beautiful rose gardens.
Out of 302 people, 93% enjoyed their meals.
11. Kona Café
The Kona Café at Disney’s Polynesian Resort is a casual dining experience with an Asian twist on traditional American meals. You’ll also find an on-stage kitchen, which always adds to the fun!
The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but I should point out that this is your Tonga Toast stop!
With 840 people giving this café a solid 93% rating, you know it’s going to be good.
12. 1900 Park Fare
1900 Park Fare is another Grand Floridian restaurant. The character meals are served buffet style, and there are a few options to choose from. The Supercalifragilistic Breakfast allows guests to meet Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, The Mad Hatter, Tigger, and Winnie the Pooh. The Wonderland Tea Party entertains kids aged 4 to 12 with an hour of games, stories, and cupcakes while Wonderland characters join in the fun. Cinderella and Prince Charming join guests for Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner.
This restaurant earned over 92% positive ratings from 796 diners.
13. Whispering Canyon
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge honors the beauty and serenity of the National Parks. Whispering Canyon diverts that serenity a bit for a hilariously good meal with games and plenty of ketchup.
Over 91% of 688 people rated this fun restaurant positively.
14. Cape May Café
Cape May Café is located at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. By night, this beach-themed restaurant is a seafood lovers dream with an all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet featuring clams, mussels, crab legs, shrimp, ribs, chicken, and more. By day, Minnie Mouse takes over the restaurant for Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast, which is also a buffet-style meal.
With such variety, 592 people rated Cape May over 91% positively.
15. Flying Fish
Flying Fish at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Resort was recently renovated. The 137 people surveyed gave Flying Fish Café (as it was formerly known) a 91% favorable rating.
The new version of this restaurant serves higher-end food that is more appropriate for a table-service restaurant. Selections include fresh, seasonal fish plus bison, chicken, and steak. Other dinner options include appetizers, desserts, kids’ meals, cocktails, wine, beer, cider, and coffee. The food and décor has a New England theme.
16. ‘Ohana
We head back to the Poly for another top table-service restaurant. ‘Ohana serves breakfast and dinner, but the services are very different. This all-you-care-to-enjoy character breakfast welcomes guests to dine with Lilo and Stitch plus some of your favorite classic Disney characters while enjoying scrambled eggs, sausage, fried potatoes, Mickey Waffles, breakfast breads, and seasonal fruit. Dinner includes Hawaiian cuisine like honey-coriander chicken wings, sweet and sour chicken, Szechuan sirloin steak, and spicy grilled shrimp. For dessert, try the bread pudding a la mode.
While the menus are pretty small, an astonishing 1,522 people gave ‘Ohana a 91% thumbs up.
17. Yachtsman Steakhouse
Yachtsman Steakhouse is located at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. Like its sister resort, Disney’s Boardwalk, this resort has a New England theme, and this restaurant reflects that. While this is a signature dining restaurant with a dress code, it is still family-friendly.
While Yachtsman Steakhouse is a favorite among guests, of the 208 people surveyed, the restaurant only received a 90% positive rating.
18. Artist Point
Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is a favorite not only for the food but also for the view and rustic theme. The Pacific Northwest style cuisine is “farm-to-fork” and changes seasonally. Artist Point also has an award-winning wine list with over 130 varieties available.
However, it only rated 90% positively out of 176 diners.
19. Citricos
Unlike the other Grand Floridian Resort restaurants, Citricos doesn’t fare as well; 89% of 149 people liked their experience here.
Citricos blends American and Mediterranean flavors in a three-course plus meal during dinner hours. You can also find kids’ menu plus desserts. Citricos also has an award-winning wine list sold by the ounce, by the glass, and by the bottle. Sommeliers are on hand to suggest wine pairings.
20. The Wave… of American Flavors
The Wave… of American Flavors matches the theming of its home at the Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The Wave is part of the Highway in the Sky Dine Around, which is a progressive meal using the monorail to access Magic Kingdom Resort Area Hotels, and they have special occasion dining like Easter, Mother’s Day, and Thanksgiving.
While there are many options here, 355 people only gave it an 89% positive rating.
21. Turf Club Bar and Grill
Turf Club Bar and Grill is a casual dining table-service restaurant at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. Following the resort’s theme, this restaurant pays homage to the American racetrack in a clubhouse setting with views of the golf course and the lake.
The American style food includes buffalo chicken dip, French onion soup, prime rib, steak, chicken, and pasta.
Only 69 people were rated, but only 88% of them enjoyed their meal.
22. Todd English’s bluezoo
Todd English’s bluezoo is a land and sea restaurant with an underwater theme serving seafood, desserts, and adult beverages. It’s located at The Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort. While it isn’t a Disney-owned property, you do still need to make Advanced Dining Reservations.
Probably since it’s not Disney-owned, only 51 people were surveyed; 88% rated it favorably.
23. Boatwright’s Dining Hall
Boatwright’s Dining Hall at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort is located in the Riverside section. Boatwright’s prides itself on Southern hospitality in this casual, creative setting of a ship yard overlooking the Sassagoula River.
Of the 338 diners surveyed, 88% liked their meal. Maybe Southern hospitality isn’t enough.
24. Olivia’s Café
Olivia’s Café at Disney’s Old Key West Resort looks like a home kitchen in the Florida Keys. The story here is that Olivia Farnsworth lived in a small cottage in the Florida Keys where she would invite tourists and locals alike into her home. She gained quick fame and eventually needed to move to a full restaurant.
While the story is fun, Olivia’s Café didn’t rate very well. Just 88% of 185 people gave it a thumbs up.
25. Narcoossee’s
The lowest rated restaurant at Disney’s Grand Floridian is Narcoossee’s. This signature dining restaurant serves Florida Coastal cuisine in a waterfront setting with shades of blue throughout. The setting with a view of the Seven Seas Lagoon and the Electric Water Pageant nightly, you would think this restaurant would fare well.
However, of the 255 diners surveyed, 87% rated it well.
26. Kimonos
Kimonos is a themed dining experience at Disney World’s Swan Resort. The gorgeous teak wood and colorful kimonos make this a fun atmosphere where you can enjoy things like tempura shrimp, Kobe beef, sushi rolls, sashimi, and adult drinks like chilled sake, plum wine, and beer and fruity cocktails.
Besides the sushi, this is also the only place in Disney World where you can do karaoke! Kimonos Lounge allows guests to sing popular songs from past and present.
This Japanese restaurant was voted Orlando Sentinel’s Critic’s Choice for best sushi in Orlando, but of the 30 diners asked how they enjoyed their meal, only 87% said yes.
27. Shula’s Steak House
Shula’s Steak House, at the Swan’s sister resort, the Dolphin, honors the NFL team by the same name. Specifically, memorabilia from the Miami Dolphin’s “perfect season” in 1972 under Coach Don Shula graces the walls. Shula’s has also one Critic’s Choice for Best High-End Steak House and the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence.
With only 38 people surveyed, 87% gave it a thumbs up.
28. Trattoria al Forno
Trattoria al Forno is an Italian-style restaurant at Disney’s Boardwalk. Until recently, this restaurant accepted ADRs for standard table-service meals. A character breakfast is now available.
Of the 205 people surveyed, 87% enjoyed their breakfast or dinner. Obviously, the data was collected before the character meal opened, so hopefully these ratings will go up with the new options.
29. Trail’s End Restaurant
There’s a lot to do at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort including several dining options. Trail’s End Restaurant is one of those options. This casual restaurant serves breakfast and dinner every day and brunch on select dates. The food is classic Americana like biscuits and gravy for breakfast and smoked ribs and baked potatoes for supper.
Personally I like Trails End a lot. It’s a bit surprising that Trail’s End ranked less than 87% among 248 diners. Maybe they’re just not used to the down-home cooking!
30. Chef Mickey’s
Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort Hotel serves breakfast, brunch, and dinner in a Character Dining experience. Each menu is different, and the evening menu includes cocktails for the older visitors.
The popularity of Chef Mickey’s is marked by the fact that 1,113 people offered their opinion. However, only 85% of those people enjoyed their meals.
31. Captain’s Grille
Captain’s Grille is a casual dining table-service restaurant at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. Appropriately, it is themed as an old-fashioned New England Yacht Club. Fill up on waffles, omelets, and pancakes for breakfast, New England Lobster Rolls, Fish and Chips, sandwiches, and burgers for lunch, and a full seafood menu for dinner.
While this sounds pretty amazing and it’s located at one of the most expensive Deluxe Resort Hotels on property, 83% of 230 diners gave it a thumbs up.
32. ESPN Club
The ESPN Club is located at Disney’s Boardwalk. There were 159 people surveyed, and almost 82% rated the themed dining experience positively.
Regardless, if you’re a sports fan, this is the place to be. With almost 100 television screens with global satellite feeds and over 30 different programs, you’ll never miss a minute of the big game. There are even TVs in every bathroom stall!
33. Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show
I love the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, but apparently not everyone feels the same as I do. I should note, too, that I haven’t seen this show since they changed the menu. Of the 222 people polled, just over 81% of people rated it positively.
This family-style dinner coincides with the story on stage, so courses are served progressively. On stage, dancers hula and fire dance, and there’s even a knife performer. They tell the story of a local girl who is headed to the mainland for college.
34. Maya Grill
Maya Grill at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is a themed dining experience in a grand Mexican dining room. The menu includes American, Seafood, Steak, and Mexican cuisine. The Maya Grill is open for dinner daily.
Even though their fajitas are considered a chef’s signature dish, the 79% positive rating from 95 people is less than thrilling.
35. Mickey’s Backyard BBQ
Mickey’s Backyard BBQ is another dinner show at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. It’s less structured than the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, and Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Chip ‘n Dale actually come out in the crowd to mingle with diners, take photos, and sign autographs. The menu includes neighborhood favorites like BBQ ribs, smoked chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, mac and cheese, lemonade and fruit punch. The best part is that it’s all you can eat!
However, this party earned less than 79% positive ratings from 80 people, which is significantly worse than the other table-service restaurants.
36. Big River Grille & Brewing Works
Big River Grille & Brewing Works performed significantly worse as well garnering only 78% thumbs up from 153 people.
However, this is a special experience in Disney World since it is the only microbrewery on property. The Brewmaster handcrafts drafts while the chefs create American plates for the whole family. One of the coolest things about this place is that you can watch the Brewmaster make the beer through floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
37. Il Mulino
Il Mulino is a signature dining Italian restaurant at Walt Disney World Swan Hotel. This Old World casual eatery serves authentic cuisine from the Abruzzi region, but it is based on a bistro voted best Italian Restaurant in New York City for two decades.
Despite its long legacy in New York and Italy, 49 guests rated Il Mulino at 75% favorable.
38. Shutters at Old Port Royale
Shutters is the table-service restaurant at Old Port Royale at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. It serves up island flavors and tropical drinks in a casual environment at dinnertime. Like the nearby Old Port Royale Food Court, Shutters is scheduled for a renovation starting in the summer of 2017 for an undetermined amount of time. In fact, the entire resort is being reimagined.
It couldn’t come soon enough because 81 people gave it a rating of 74%, which is even worse than the nearby food court.
It may be worth noting that guests willing to stay at the Caribbean Beach Resort during this renovation will receive a $75 gift card per night of stay for food and beverage locations around property. That could make it worth the stay!
39. Garden Grove
Garden Grove at The Swan Resort received some of the lowest ratings on property; 47 people gave this restaurant just 72% favorable rating.
It’s not clear why this restaurant would receive such poor ratings. The Character Dining experience is set in Central Park, and guests get to meet some favorite Disney Characters for breakfast and dinner every day.
40. Picabu
Picabu is also located at the Swan Resort. Although the Disney World website says this is a quick-service location, Touring Plans, who completed the surveys, considers it a table-service, so I’ll include it in this list.
This cafeteria-style dining offers a full buffet plus a convenience store selling all the essentials.
Picabu earned the worst rating with just 67% thumbs up from 55 people. Yikes.
Conclusion
As I said in the quick-service article, it’s important to point out a few things including that each of these table-service restaurants will come with Disney-quality service and that each person has different taste.
What’s more, most of the restaurants fared much better than “real-world” eateries might.
Which Disney Resort table-service restaurant is your favorite?