Disney World food — there’s a LOT of it and a lot of different restaurants to get food from. Some are popular. Some are not. Some have incredible food. Others might not impress you. WHERE DO YOU GO?! It’s enough to truly make you dizzy!

Take a breath. We’ve got you covered. We’ve ranked the restaurants in Disney’s parks, resorts, and even Disney Springs. We’ve looked at the BEST restaurants and some of the worst. And now we’re giving you some more tips about popular restaurants that you might want to AVOID (at least for now).

Here are our picks for the 7 popular Disney restaurants you should actually SKIP!

1 — Cinderella’s Royal Table, Magic Kingdom

To be clear, eating at Cinderella’s Royal Table, which is located INSIDE Cinderella Castle is an experience we think everyone should probably have once. It’s one of those “you gotta do it to say you did it” type things. But you might want to SKIP this experience…at least for now.

Previously, Cinderella’s Royal Table was a full-on character experience where the princesses made the rounds to say “hello” to all of the royal guests in the restaurant. But things have changed. Following the COVID-19 pandemic closures, Cinderella’s Royal Table became a more modified character dining experience.

If you visit right now, you’ll only get to meet with Cinderella briefly before your meal begins in a designated area prior to your arrival in the main dining room. That’s it. No other princesses, no other interactions.

Now, if you’re not a character meal fan, that might actually make this a better situation for you. If so, go for it! But if you want the “full” character experience, you may want to skip it for now. Disney has not indicated when (or if) Cinderella’s Royal Table might return to its “normal” character dining offering, so we’re on the lookout for details. But for now, you’ll be paying a pretty hefty amount for a less-than-full experience.

Plus, while some menu items we’ve had here have been great, others have not really impressed us, and it might be a tough spot to find good items for picky eaters.

Go here instead: For a more “complete” character dining experience you can head to The Crystal Palace, which just welcomed back Pooh and friends. Or you can really focus on getting some stellar food by checking out Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen, also within Magic Kingdom.

Click here to learn all about Disney character meals

2 — Be Our Guest Restaurant, Magic Kingdom

This is another one of those “you gotta do it once” experiences because you get to eat inside of an iconic castle — this time, the Beast’s from Beauty and the Beast. The decor here is incredible and you’ll truly feel like you’ve been transported into the movie. But there are some reasons why you might want to skip this spot for now.

There used to be a quick service meal offered at breakfast and lunch. A less expensive meal + the ability to check out the theming = a great deal. But lunch was changed to a table service meal after the COVID-19 pandemic closures and a true breakfast service has not yet returned to this spot. Disney has not yet made any indication of changing that.

Lunch and dinner are the same cost ($62 per adult and $37 per child), which is pretty pricey. And while some of the food is very good (like that French Onion soup), other dishes are good but might not warrant the high price.

Also, this spot used to feature a meet-and-greet with the Beast at the end of dinner. Now, you’ll instead see the Beast walk through the room during lunch and dinner (a bonus for those going at lunch), but he moves through the room fairly quickly, offering again a more modified character experience.

Go here instead: Just as we noted above, for a more “complete” character dining experience you visit The Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom to see Pooh and his friends. If you’re serious about getting some DELICIOUS eats, stop by Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen in Magic Kingdom. If you are craving a Beauty and the Beast-inspired dining spot, you can stop by Gaston’s Tavern to take in that movie environment for less. Grab the cinnamon roll with EXTRA icing and a LeFou’s Brew as you take in the theming!

Can’t get into Be Our Guest Restaurant? Go here instead

3 — California Grill, Disney’s Contemporary Resort

There’s no denying that California Grill offers some spectacular views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks along with tasty eats, but you might want to skip out on a visit to this spot for now. As part of the 50th Anniversary celebration for Disney World, California Grill is ONLY offering a prix fixe menu and it is NOT cheap.

You’ll have to be ready to shell out a whopping $89 per adult and $39 per child to eat here. No, that’s not a joke. Your meal does include an appetizer, entree, and dessert, and some of the food is delicious (particularly if you opt for some of the plant-based dishes), but that is still quite the amount of cash coming out of your pocket.

Go here instead: You can stop by Steakhouse 71 (also at the Contemporary Resort) for some delicious food and pair that with a FREE viewing of the fireworks from some of the observation areas in the Contemporary that are available to all guests. You could also stop by a number of other restaurants (at nearby hotels or in the parks) that offer fireworks views with a smaller price tag.

Click here to see our list of the BEST restaurants with fireworks views!

4 — Space 220, EPCOT

Space 220 is another spot that ONLY servers up a prix fixe menu. At lunch, it’ll cost you $55 per adult to eat here, while dinner is $79. That’s pretty pricey, and in large part what you’re paying for is the experience. Now, don’t get us wrong, the experience is undeniably VERY cool and probably one of those things you’ll want to do at least once.

And yes, some of the food here has been absolutely fantastic, but other items weren’t winners in our book.

Go here instead: You can experience Space 220 without paying the full prix fixe price by checking out the Space 220 Lounge! The lounge does require reservations now (though there are some walk-up spots available at the bar). Still, grabbing a reservation for the lounge gives you the chance to check out the environment, ride the space elevator, etc. and order off of a unique and cheaper menu of flight bites. You could also stop by one of EPCOT’s MANY other restaurants (particularly those around World Showcase) that are filled with incredible food often at cheaper prices. And if an EPCOT festival is going on (as often is the case) you may want to save up that money to grab more unique bites at the food booths.

Click here to see our posts ranking ALL of the items on the lunch, dinner, and lounge menus at Space 220

5 — Tiffins, Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Tiffins is a signature dining spot in Animal Kingdom that features some incredibly unique menu items and beautifully detailed theming. The food is high quality, the service is typically excellent, and the atmosphere is among the best in all of Disney World.

BUT…it all comes at a high price. The main courses at Tiffins can set you back anywhere between $30 to $65. Add an appetizer, dessert, and/or drinks onto that and you’ve got one expensive meal. Plus, the menu items here can be adventurous, which can be a bit more difficult to manage with a picky eater in the group. You won’t find any chicken nuggets on the menu here.

Go here instead: For a cheaper and more informal experience, hop over to Nomad Lounge (the lounge attached to Tiffins) to enjoy some delicious small plates with incredible flavors. Nomad Lounge is one of our favorite spots in all of Disney World, and it might just become a favorite of yours too. Sit inside or outside, grab an order of churros and Tiffins Bread Service, and take a deep breath — you’ve found a Disney paradise.

Click here to see our ranking of Disney World’s most EXPENSIVE restaurants

6 — Chef Mickey’s, Disney’s Contemporary Resort

We can hear some of you YELLING at us through the screen. We know, we know. For many, Chef Mickey’s represents a true rite of passage — a quintessential character meal with Mickey and friends in fun outfits. The environment is adorable here, there’s no denying that.

The current food options (served family-style) are better than the buffet food that used to be offered here, but they’re not necessarily dishes that’ll blow your mind.

Plus, the entire restaurant can get VERY loud!

While it might be a fun choice for your family, we do think there are other character meals out there that provide you with a better value and a better experience.

Go here instead: Garden Grill Restaurant in EPCOT offers some consistently tasty food in a less busy environment, which can sometimes give you longer (and more personal) character interactions since there are fewer people. Cape May Cafe at Disney’s Beach Club Resort will also be welcoming back characters at breakfast soon and that can often be a less busy spot, offering longer character interactions. Topolino’s Terrace — Flavors of the Riviera also offers a character breakfast with some delicious eats, unique character outfits, and a slightly more relaxed environment since Disney’s Riviera Resort is a bit further out of the way.

Click here to see 7 strange facts about Disney World meet-and-greets

7 — T-Rex or Rainforest Cafe, Disney Springs (Rainforest Cafe Also at Disney’s Animal Kingdom)

Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex have some very fun and elaborate environments, which can be incredibly entertaining for little ones. If you’ve got a fan of animals or dinosaurs in your group, these could be worth a visit once. But the food at these spots is generally just alright (we’ve referred to T-Rex as essentially the Chili’s of Disney World) and they can both be incredibly noisy.

Go here instead: If you’re in Disney Springs and looking for great food, there are so many other options that’ll give you a more unique (and delicious) dining experience. Stop by Raglan Road for some great food and entertainment (though it can still be very noisy). You can also check out The BOATHOUSE, Wine Bar George, and Homecomin’ for some fantastic eats. Or you could opt for quick but delicious meals at The Polite Pig and Chicken Guy!

We’ve eaten at every Disney Springs restaurant — these are the best

And that’s a look at the restaurants you might want to skip in Disney World. What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

With DOZENS of places to eat at Disney World, we know it can be tough to plan your meals. That’s why we wrote the DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World. We have reviews, pictures, and details about every restaurant all in one digital download – along with ALL of our best tips and strategies from decades of Disney World trips.

We’ve got a special discount code for DFB readers, too!

Use WDW2022 at checkout for 25% off!

And stay tuned for more Disney news!

Click here for the 7 BEST Disney World restaurants if you have food allergies

What is a popular restaurant that you think others should skip? Tell us in the comments!

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