There are a LOT of restaurants in Disney World, many of which are table service restaurants where Advance Dining Reservations are suggested or essentially required.

You’ve already got some tough choices to make in terms of what reservations to try and grab. Will you try for a spot at the ever-popular Be Our Guest? Is the chance to dine INSIDE Cinderella Castle more important? Now, you’ve got another new spot to think about — Space 220. The ultimate reservation battle has commenced. Which of these spots is worth it (a.k.a. what spot should you try to get a reservation for first)? We’re breaking down what you need to know.

If you’re a lawyer (or know a lawyer), you know that the answer they inevitably give to nearly every legal question is…”it depends.” Well, we’re going to have to use a bit of a lawyer tactic here. Which reservation should you get between Be Our Guest, Cinderella’s Royal Table, and Space 220? The answer is (say it with us) it depends.

There are pros and cons to each spot — reasons why they might be a good value, reasons why you might be able to eat there but skip the reservation, and other factors to consider. Let’s break it all down here.

Characters

The first thing to consider is whether you and/or members of your party MUST see Disney characters as part of their dining experiences. If it’s characters you’re after, Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table are the way to go out of these three choices.

While Cinderella’s Royal Table isn’t a full character dining meal right now, you can see Cinderella wave at the guests from a distance. Generally, she only comes out for a few moments at a time, stays in an elevated area, and waves and twirls for the guests. It’s not your typical, go up and hug and get an autograph type of character interaction, but it’s the closest you’ll get to a princess meal right now. So if you’re traveling with the ultimate Disney princess fan, this will be the pick.

If you want to catch a glimpse of a rare character, Be Our Guest will be your choice. The Beast is a character you really can’t see too many other places. But, if you eat at Be Our Guest, you will get to see “The Master” walk around his castle. Again, it’s not a traditional meet-and-greet. The Beast will just walk through the space, pausing occasionally and waving at fans. But, if seeing the Beast is important to you, this will be the spot.

Neither of those provides a big character dining experience right now. If you want more characters and some more time to see them, your better bets are things like Topolino’s Terrace — Flavors of the Riviera at Disney’s Riviera Resort for breakfast or the Garden Grill Restaurant in EPCOT. Still, out of these 3, Be Our Guest and Cinderella’s Royal Table just about tie for their limited character interaction.

Space 220 is down at the bottom since it doesn’t offer any Disney characters at all. But, if your group doesn’t really care about characters and instead would marvel at the chance to go into space, the atmosphere of Space 220 might win them over. More on each restaurant’s atmosphere in a minute!

Click here to see if you’re dining WRONG at Be Our Guest!

Atmosphere

Just like the situation with characters, what restaurant’s atmosphere is the “best” will entirely depend on you and what you want. If you simply MUST eat in a castle, or you’re traveling with little ones who want to live that “royal” experience, then Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table win this category.

Be Our Guest offers a more immersive atmosphere than Cinderella’s Royal Table, at least in our opinion. Because the windows here don’t look out onto the park, you’ll truly feel as though you’ve been “transported” to another space. Couple that with the “snow” falling outside the windows in the main dining area, the magical effects in the West Wing, and all of the other decor, and you’ve got one fantastical dining experience. If you want to feel like you’ve stepped into the movie, this is a great place.

Cinderella’s Royal Table, on the other hand, is one of those bucket list items. You get to dine INSIDE Cinderella’s castle and overlook the park below. Truly, this is one of those you-have-to-do-it-at-least-once types of things. The views from here are amazing and unique, as you really won’t get them anywhere else in the park. And the entire space serves up royal vibes, from the signs in the bathroom to the flags surrounding the center dining space. If you want to feel like royalty, this is the spot.

While it may have lost on the character front, the real star of Space 220 IS the atmosphere. Out of all of the restaurants we’re looking at in this battle, the atmosphere at Space 220 is by far the most immersive, exciting, and elaborate.

The experience starts with you getting a boarding pass and then stepping aboard a space elevator for goodness sake! A SPACE ELEVATOR!!!! You essentially get a mini-ride experience as you look down at the view of EPCOT and Earth disappearing, and up as you see the Centauri Space Station approaching.

Then you get to step aboard the space station, look at space lettuce (?!), and step into a space where you are SURROUNDED by “windows” looking out into space. You get to see the Earth below you, astronauts floating past, ships that you might recognize, and all kinds of other fun things. From the lighting to the signs by the bathrooms, there is a LOT to enjoy here in terms of theming.

We think the immersive nature of this dining experience would win a lot of people over. But, if you’re traveling with people who couldn’t care less about dining in the stars, then that’s a totally different experience.

Click here to go INSIDE Space 220 with us!

Food

While characters and atmosphere are great, the thing some of you might truly be wondering about is the FOOD. Be Our Guest offers 2 meal times — lunch and dinner, as does Space 220. If you want breakfast food at one of these popular spots, Cinderella’s Royal Table is going to be your only option.

So, if breakfast food is what you’re after, Cinderella’s Royal Table will be your winner.

Click here to see our full review of breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table.

In terms of their standard lunch/dinner, Be Our Guest offers dishes with French inspiration. There are 4 different appetizer selections, 5 entree selections, and a dessert trio that features 4 different items. There are some okay options here, and other dishes that we’ve really enjoyed. Some standouts include the french onion soup and the center-cut filet mignon.

The food quality is good, but most of the dishes haven’t really blown us away. The lunch and dinner meals also includes complimentary bread, so that’s a nice added value.

Click here for our full review of Be Our Guest.

Cinderella’s Royal Table serves fairly standard options when it comes to lunch and dinner. For adults, there are 4 appetizer choices, 5 entree choices, and 3 dessert options at both lunch and dinner.

The food here, similar to Be Our Guest, features items we’ve enjoyed, but nothing that has truly blown our socks off. We’ve described it essentially as “wedding banquet food” — nothing bad, just nothing truly spectacular either.

Click here to see our review of Cinderella’s Royal Table.

The food at Space 220 actually sets it apart (at least a bit) from the other 2 restaurants. First, some of the dishes offered at Space 220 are more unique than the ones you’ll find at the other 2 spots.

Sure, there’s steak and chicken, but there’s also fried cauliflower with blue cheese dust, tuna tartare, and drinks that change color or bubble up thanks to some dry ice!

There are also just a lot more in terms of options at Space 220. In terms of appetizers, there are 7 different options. There are also 7 entree options and 5 dessert options. And some of the entree options vary from lunch to dinner, adding more variety. There are also 2 supplemental items you can add-on during dinner (including a WHOLE lobster stuffed with jumbo crab!), and 1 you can add to lunch (hello lobster globe). On top of that, there are 4 sides you can add on and if you stop by the lounge there are a few dishes that are unique to that area.

All of this gives guests even more ways to customize their meals and allows them to try things not really found at the other 2 restaurants we’re looking at.

In terms of food quality, some of the dishes at Space 220 were just okay, but others were items we truly enjoyed or that surprised us with their fun and delicious flavors. We found the Blue Moon Cauliflower (fried cauliflower with blue cheese dust), the Big Bang Burrata (burrata di mozzarella), the Seared Tuna, and the Flat Iron Steak to be some of our favorites. Plus, the brussels sprouts here were one of our FAVORITE things and we’d totally add them onto our meals in the future (if they’re not included with the dish we’re ordering).

Some of our reporters shared that the food at Space 220 was better than they expected, and commented on how they really liked the variety of options. One of our reporters, in particular, shared that they feel the food at Space 220 is the best out of the 3 options we’re exploring in this article. Another shared that they felt the portion sizes at Space 220 are also the biggest of the 3 restaurants.

So, it all comes down to what you’re looking for. If you want french onion soup and macarons as well as other dishes that have a French flair to them, Be Our Guest may be best. If you want some more standard selections — charcuterie, chicken breast, and cheesecake, Cinderella’s Royal Table may be your pick. If you want some more unique items and items with a fun presentation, Space 220 might be your best bet.

Click here for our review of everything on the Space 220 lunch menu.

And click here for our review of everything on the Space 220 dinner menu.

Price

When it comes to price, these spots are close but there are a few notable differences.

At Be Our Guest, lunch and dinner are both priced at $62 per adult (ages 10 and up) and $37 per child (ages 3-9). The adult meals include one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert (technically, it is a dessert trio). The kids’ selection includes one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert as well. Non-alcoholic drinks are also included. So that’s essentially 3 food courses included for $62 for adults and $37 for kids.

Cinderella’s Royal Table is essentially the same for lunch and dinner in terms of price and included courses. Lunch and dinner are priced at $62 for adults and $37 for kids. Each includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert. A non-alcoholic drink is also included in the price.

The main difference here comes with breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table, considering this is the only spot of the 3 that currently serves breakfast. Breakfast here is priced at $42 per adult and $27 per child. This is the cheapest meal at the 3 restaurants we’re looking at in this article. Breakfast includes assorted pastries and an entree. Kids get an entree and create-your-own selections. Standard breakfast drinks are also included. So that’s sort of 2 courses for $42 or $27.

Space 220 features different pricing. There, lunch is $55 for adults and $29 for kids. Dinner is $79 for adults and $29 for kids. Lunch for adults includes an appetizer and entree — just 2 courses. Dinner includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert — so the full 3 courses, but at a $79 price point. For the adults, standard soft drinks or coffee are also included. For the kids, the $29 includes an entree, dessert, and select drinks at both lunch and dinner. 

There are also lots of add-ons available at Space 220, including specialty dishes and sides that you can get for an additional charge. You can also add dessert to your meal for lunch by paying for it a la carte.

The 2-course breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table is the cheapest option out of these 3 spots. For the adults, the next cheapest option is Space 220’s lunch (at $55), but you have to remember that the $55 only includes 2 courses. Whereas, for $7 more, you can get 3 courses for lunch or dinner at both Cinderella’s Royal Table or Be Our Guest. By comparison, Space 220’s dinner (which features 3 courses for adults) is $79, a whole $17 more than dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table or Be Our Guest.

But, some of our reporters have noted that they felt that the portion sizes at Space 220 were better, there was a greater variety in terms of food options, and that the food itself tasted better. So, those factors might make the higher cost worth it.

The other thing you have to keep in mind is that you could eat for much cheaper at Space 220’s lounge WITHOUT a reservation. Right now, to visit the lounge, you’ll either need a reservation or you’ll need to check for walk-up availability (the lounge is first come, first serve). At the lounge, you could order the prix fixe menu, or you could order select items a la carte.

Specifically, there are “Flight Bites” that range in price from $12 to $34. We also got the impression that guests will be able to order things like dessert a la carte in the lounge, but be sure to check with your server.

If you are really looking for the least expensive option to experience one of these restaurants, the lounge could be your best bet. You could simply pop in for a cheaper Flight Bite, grab a drink if you want, and have a meal for under $50. That option simply doesn’t exist at Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table.

The Chance to Eat WITHOUT a Reservation

As we mentioned above, Space 220 has a lounge that guests can enjoy WITHOUT a formal Space 220 reservation. Right now, to visit the lounge you either need to get a Space 220 reservation or you can check for walk-up availability (the lounge is first come, first serve). Again, the lounge allows guests to order the prix fixe menu, or get select items a la carte. If you want to go up the space elevator and check out the amazing views of Space 220 without paying the full prix fixe meal price, the lounge is a great option!

You’ll still get the Space 220 experience (though your views may not be as great in the lounge, so just keep that in mind) without having to pay the full price. You can order 1 or 2 of the Flight Bites to share between your party, order a few drinks, and then be on your way.

The Flight Bites are cheaper than getting a full Space 220 meal, but they’re not exactly the cheapest things you can get in Disney World. And if you’ll be getting more than 1 Flight Bite plus drinks, the costs can add up quickly. So, just be sure to crunch those numbers and see if you’ll actually end up spending more money at the lounge than you would spend on the traditional prix fixe meal.

The lounge option is something that simply doesn’t exist at Cinderella’s Royal Table or Be Our Guest, making it a really great option at Space 220. To dine at Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table, you WILL need a reservation, but you might be able to get in without a pre-arranged reservation if there is walk-up waitlist availability.

Both Cinderella’s Royal Table and Be Our Guest offer walk-up waitlists, when available. Through this feature, you can check the My Disney Experience app throughout the day to see if there is any walk-up availability and what the wait time would be.

While reservations for these 2 restaurants typically fill up quickly and walk-up availability may be sparse, it’s always good to check! You never know if someone else’s last-minute cancellation or a change in crowd levels will turn into your lucky day.

Click here for our review of the Flight Bites at the Space 220 Lounge.

If eating at one of these popular spots is a must-do for you though, you’ll want to at least try and get a reservation for that particular place as soon as your dining reservation window opens. Right now, guests can make dining reservations 60 days in advance (except Disney World Resort Hotel guests can make reservations up to 60 days in advance plus the length of their stay up to 10 days).

Ultimately, what restaurant is best for you will depend on a number of factors. Do you have a little one who loves princesses or a kiddo who dreams of floating in space? Do you want to sip some lobster bisque (Be Our Guest) or munch on some seriously tasty Brussels Sprouts (Space 220)? Are you just looking for the cheapest option and maybe want to consider the Space 220 lounge? Do you grab a reservation for Be Our Guest and take your chances on getting a walk-up spot for the Space 220 lounge to try and do both? It’ll all depend on what you want.

Which of these three restaurants would you want to try most? Tell us in the comments!

Click here for our full lunch review of Space 220!

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Which of these spots would you book a reservation for? Tell us in the comments.

The post These Are the Three Most Popular Restaurants in Disney World. Which One Should You Dine At?! first appeared on the disney food blog.