We’re big fans of Disney food; we have to be! We eat it every single day! Despite the fact that there are many restaurants we love, there are some that we haven’t always been happy with.

Sometimes though, we get a pleasant surprise as a restaurant gets leaps and bounds better seemingly out of NOWHERE. That’s right! We’re taking you through the most improved Disney World restaurants of 2020!

1. ABC Commissary

ABC Commissary has been on a looooooong road to make it on our good side. We’ve considered ABC Commissary to be towards the bottom of the food chain when it comes to Hollywood Studios dining, and this park isn’t exactly brimming with great options.

Last year, this spot introduced a fast-casual dinner option that was a step in the right direction. Yes, we would still have probably opted to dine on cheesy tots at Woody’s Lunch Box or chicken nuggies at Backlot Express, but we had a feeling ABC Commissary was on the ups.

And boy, were we right about that! ABC Commissary recently reopened from the 2020 park closures and brought with it a whole new menu that had us ooh-ing and aah-ing all through our meal.

In the place of overpriced burgers and pot roast were tacos and rice bowls that are downright AFFORDABLE (by Disney standards anyway). On our last visit, we tried the Pork Carnitas Tacos, the Curry Rice Bowl with Shrimp, and the Shrimp Tacos. All of these dishes were PACKED with flavor and priced around $10 to $14.

Moral of the story: ABC Commissary went from “Meh…” to “YEA!” in our books this year.

Click here to check out our GREAT experience at a reopened ABC Commissary!

2. Chef Mickey’s

Another spot that has ended up in our totally-redeemed category is over at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Yup, we’re talking about Chef Mickey’s. This fan-favorite spot has not been a DFB favorite for years, but that might have changed.

Chef Mickey’s is most known for being a character meal with an all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet as the fare. Character meals are super popular, especially when they include Mickey and Friends, so Disney guests FLOCK to this spot — even if it is loud, kinda overpriced, and mediocre in the food department.

At least, that’s been the case for a while, but the Chef Mickey’s of a reopened Disney World is a VERY different experience — and that’s a good thing for us!

First off, that price DROPPED with the reopening to be one of the best breakfast deals on property (now $25 for adults and $14 for kids), AND it’s still all you can eat (even if it is family-style instead of a buffet). The characters may not be around (right now that is), but the chilled-out version of this restaurant definitely has its merits. When we went we had a surprisingly awesome breakfast.

Now, keep in mind that the characters WILL be returning to Chef Mickey’s in December and we’re not sure yet whether or not that will mean a price increase again or not. Still, for now, Chef Mickey’s has had a redeemable year IMO!

Want to see our REVIEW of a reopened Chef Mickey’s? Click here!

3. Hollywood & Vine

Next up, we’ve got another recently-reopened Hollywood Studios spot over at Hollywood & Vine. Are you seeing a trend here? This is also a character meal/buffet experience that has, well, left something to be desired in the past.

Now, Hollywood & Vine has never downright disappointed us in the food department, but we do consider the main reason for dining here to be the characters. The food is just fine and there are some tasty options for more adventurous palates, but we wouldn’t necessarily pay those prices JUST for the food.

When this spot reopened from the park closures though, we were downright BLOWN AWAY. So blown away, in fact, that Hollywood & Vine just might take its place as a BETTER character meal than Cinderella’s Royal Table. That’s right, we said it (in fairness though, Cinderella’s is a VERY pricey meal and, right now, only has a brief distant encounter with Cindy!).

Not only are you getting one-on-one character interaction (a rarity in a 2020 Disney World!) but the food was MILES above some of our previous visits. Just like at ABC Commissary, a big menu revamp did some serious wonders for this location. Plus, the characters’ costumes are still themed with the seasons! We saw Mickey and co in their Halloween costumes AND in their Christmas best so far!

To see ALL our thoughts about Hollywood & Vine recently, click here!

4. Rosie’s All American Cafe

And finally, we’re hitting you with YET ANOTHER Hollywood Studios spot. Hmm…seems like Disney might be putting a little extra effort into the food in this park! This time, we’re giving a most improved award to Rosie’s All American Cafe!

It’s no secret that the Sunset Boulevard restaurants are not the most exciting meals in Disney World. In fact, we tend to avoid them unless there’s something new to try. There are much better options in Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!

Rosie’s All American Cafe was no exception. The mediocre burgers and chicken nuggets just really aren’t our style. We’ve always been fans of that Fried Green Tomato Sandwich if we DID end up dining there, but overall? Meh.

That is until recently when Rosie’s introduced the new Toasted “Lobster” Roll (a plant-based option made with artichoke hearts) and Rosie’s All-American Salad. Both of these options were totally DELICIOUS and made us think that Rosie’s might be on the come up after all! (We were blown away to fall in love with a vegan lobster roll too!)

We’d definitely come back for either of those items. Add in the Fried Green Tomato Sandwich and this spot starts to look like a pretty good lunch option!

Click here to learn more about the NEW Rosie’s items!

And there you have it! Those are the FOUR most redeemable restaurants in Disney World in 2020! We’ll be bringing you more reviews in the future, so stay tuned.

Looking for more DFB favorites? Click here to find out what’s #OnTheList!

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Have you dined at any of these restaurants in 2020? Do you feel like they improved? Let us know in the comments!

The post 4 Disney World Restaurants That Have Redeemed Themselves This Year first appeared on the disney food blog.