Want to know what the best buffet in Disney World is for your upcoming trip?
If you’re reading this post, I hope you’re HUNGRY! Cuz today I’m ranking all our (the ThemeParkHipster crew) FAV Disney buffets in Walt Disney World, Orlando FL!
Which Disney restaurant has the best menu? What spot is better for breakfast, and which is better for dinner? Which has the Disney food that best fits your taste buds?
Well, today I’m going to figure all that out as I put some of the best Disney food head to head to find out which is really the best buffet in Disney World!
So if you’re ready, let’s get started! Cuz my stomach is rumbling and our mouth is watering just thinking about it!
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1. Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom, Liberty Square
Disney advertises Liberty Tree Tavern as an “all-you-care-to-enjoy” Thanksgiving meal year round.” And to be honest, we can’t think of a better way to describe it ourselves!
And probably our favorite feature about Liberty Tree Tavern’s all-you-care-to-enjoy Thanksgiving set-up is that it’s family style – meaning you don’t even have to get up to get seconds!
That’s right, servers (in colonial attire) come around frequently to place fresh platters of food on your table, and are more than happy to give you seconds, thirds, fourths, or even fifths!
- Price Point: $$$ ($35 – $65, depending on beverages consumed)
- Meals Served: Lunch (11 am – 2:55 pm) and Dinner (3 pm – 9 pm)
- Characters Available? Not here!
- Type of Food Served: Hearty Thanksgiving meal selections, including turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese! Plus, plenty of plant-based and allergy friendly options too!
- Fan Favorite Item: Ooey gooey toffee cake
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2. Boma – Flavors of Africa in Animal Kingdom Lodge
This amazing Disney food location is now open at Animal Kingdom Lodge! At any rate though, if you love middle eastern eats, you can’t go wrong with Boma for breakfast or dinner!
Their breakfast menu boasts hearty selections like:
- Carved turkey and ham
- Tuna salad
- Spinach-quinoa salad
- Traditional pancakes
- French toast bread pudding
- Fruit salad
- Breakfast potatoes
And the dinner menu is so extensive, you might just find yourself trying a little bit of everything!
From seafood gumbo to cape malay lamb soup for appetizers, to pork shoulder and fufu for entrees, Boma scores a 10/10 for authentic theming and food selections!
And, unlike Liberty Tavern, Boma is one of those Disney buffets set up in the traditional sense – where you’ll have to physically go up to the buffet bar to serve yourself more food – but that’s alright!
It just gives you more of an excuse to get up and admire the gorgeous, authentic African architecture!
- Price Point: $$ ($15 – $35 for breakfast) and $$$ ($35 – $59 for dinner)
- Meals Served: Breakfast and Dinner
- Characters Available? No
- Type of Food Served: African inspired meats, salads, and grains – with some traditional American options thrown in as well, for the less adventurous eaters!
- Fan Favorite Item: Pork ribs – the perfect blend of an American favorite, with an African twist!
3. ‘Ohana in Disney Polynesian Resort
At this Polynesian-inspired all-you-care-to-enjoy location – the Disney food just keeps coming – family style! All you do is stay seated and servers will make sure that your skillets are replenished to your liking.
Breakfast includes a variety of plant-based and allergy friendly options, in addition to your typical hearty breakfast favorites like scrambled eggs, Mickey waffles, fruit salad, pineapple-coconut breakfast bread, and Hawaiian style ham with pineapple compote.
And dinner at ‘Ohana boasts an even more impressive menu, believe it or not! I’m talking wood-fired teriyaki beef, roasted chicken with Polynesian chimichurri sauce, pork dumplings in garlic-chili sauce, and island shrimp casserole!
And remember, whatever meal you choose to enjoy at ‘Ohana will be enjoyed in a relaxed, Polynesian inspired environment including themed music and stunning views over Seven Seas Lagoon.
- Price Point: $$ ($15 – $35 for breakfast) and $$$ ($35 – $59 for dinner)
- Meals Served: Breakfast (7:30 am – 12 pm) and Dinner (3:30 pm – 10 pm)
- Characters Available? Usually yes! You can dine with Stitch, Lilo, Pluto, and Mickey in their Hawaiian attire – with leis and all! However, while renovations are being done at the Polynesian, these character offerings have been temporarily paused, but should resume shortly!
- Type of Food Served: Polynesian inspired
- Fan Favorite Item: ‘Ohana Coconut-Papaya Scones and Cheddar-Bacon Biscuits with Honey Butter
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4. Garden Grill in Epcot, “The Land” Pavilion
BEWARE ThemeParkHipsters – only eat here if you don’t get motion sickness!
Ok, I might be being a little dramatic here, but seriously, The Garden Grill restaurant does ROTATE while you eat! Seriously!
Basically, this circular restaurant makes one full rotation per hour, so you can get a view of all your themed surroundings. So, at six degrees per minute, it’s not like you need to hold on for dear life when you eat here, but watching your step might be a good idea!
Now, in addition to being unique for its non-stop rotation, Garden Grill makes this Best Buffet in Disney World list because it has characters!
What’s So Special About Epcot’s Garden Grill
Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale will join you in the cutest farmer outfits ever while you eat – which is definitely worth noting. Because Garden Grill doesn’t tend to be busy, you can get lots of quality one on one character time here, if that’s something that you’re into!
Oh yeah, and the American all-you-care-to-enjoy menu isn’t too bad either!
I’m talking a constant stream of mac and cheese, grilled beef with chimichurri, and all natural sliced turkey that your servers will continually bring to your table – since Disney figures that standing and walking to a buffet station in a moving restaurant can be a little challenging.
- Price Point: $$$ ($35 – $60)
- Meals Served: Lunch (11:30 am – 3:30 pm) and Dinner (3:45 pm – 8:30 pm)
- Characters Available? Yes! Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale in their cutest ever land working attire!
- Type of Food Served: “Farm Fresh Food with a Vision” – or locally grown fresh vegetables and meats, plus some hearty mac and cheese to balance the menu out!
- Fan Favorite Item: Berry Short Cake with Whipped Cream
5. Tusker House in Animal Kingdom
Honestly, this is just one of those Disney buffets that hits the ultimate trifecta: AMAZING food, IMMERSIVE theming, and the CUTEST characters ever! What more could you want?
Similar to Boma, Tusker House earned its spot on our Best Buffet in Disney World list for its diverse and delicious menu, inspired by African flavors.
At breakfast you can find the usual scrambled eggs and Mickey waffles, plus more adventurous picks like safari bread and Durban Chicken and Egg Curry with Jasmine Rice served with Bacon.
And if that didn’t already sound delicious, at lunch and dinner, your food options double! From Cape Malay Green Curry Shrimp to Spit-roasted Herb Chicken, many rate Tusker House as the best Disney food you can find in a theme park buffet setting!
- Price Point: $$$ ($35 – 60)
- Meals Served: Breakfast (8:00 am to 10:30 am); Lunch (11:00 am to 3:30 pm); and Dinner (3:35 pm to 8:00 pm)
- Characters Available? Yes! Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy – in their cutest safari attire!
- Type of Food Served: African inspired meats and sides
- Fan Favorite Item: The assorted fresh bread and hummus bar, featuring coriander and mango chutney.
6. The Diamond Horseshoe in Magic Kingdom, Liberty Square
Are you one of those people who just needs a big plate of mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and juicy fall off the bone high quality meat for a great day? Then Diamond Horseshoe is YOUR type of place!
At this all-you-care-to-enjoy Disney eatery, steaming hot skillets are plopped onto your table as often as you want! And the old-timey music hall vibe will certainly fill your appetite for entertainment too; as this restaurant’s theming is based off of nineteenth century saloons!
- Price Point: $$$ ($35 to $60)
- Meals Served: Lunch and Dinner
- Characters Available? Unfortunately not!
- Type of Food Served: Hearty American favorites – where you can also order items a la carte if you choose!
- Fan Favorite Item: Carved Beef Brisket
7. Whispering Canyon in Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
This pick on our Best Buffet in Disney World list also offers a country-style frontier theme with log cabin décor – but where they stand out is their Cast Members trained in deep southern accents and sass!
In addition to the sides of sass, menu-wise The Whispering Canyon offers all-you-care-to-enjoy skillets that you can choose from!
Whispering Canyon Menu
For breakfast, those skillets range from “The Carnivore,” which features meat lover items like house smoked ham and beef brisket, to “The Lighter Side” skillet, which serves you egg-white and spinach frittata, turkey bacon, turkey sausage, and more on a replenishing basis.
Lunch and dinner skillets run a bit more expensive, but are worth every penny with items like house-smoked salmon, Braised Pork Belly, Maple-Chipotle Barbecued Pork Ribs, buttered corn, and charred peppers coming to your table until you scream STOP!
Plus, the refillable “skillet per person” model at Whispering Canyon makes for a great place to share (order different skillets and sample one another’s)! Or, you can even opt out of the all-you-care-to-enjoy option entirely for a la carte entrees!
- Price Point: $$ ($15 to $35)
- Meals Served: Breakfast (7:30 am to 11:00 am); Lunch (11:30 am to 2:00 pm); and Dinner (5:00 pm to 10:00 pm)
- Characters Available? Not in the traditional sense, but the servers in themselves are “characters” to some degree!
- Type of Food Served: Hearty southern pickin’s!
- Fan Favorite Item: Maple-Chipotle Pork Ribs (available in the “Traditional” all-you-care-to-enjoy lunch and dinner skillets)
8. Trail’s End in Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campsites
Ready for a little taste of the wilderness? Then Trail’s End might be the best Disney food buffet for you! With delectable breakfast and dinner options, Trail’s End is the one of the most filling and relaxing places to start or end your theme park day!
And aside from the outdoorsy vibe, Trail’s End also makes our Best Buffet in Disney World list for it’s newly revamped menu – with family style skillets as opposed to its previous “serve yourself” format.
For breakfast, enjoy a bottomless skillet of smoked brisket and eggs, mickey waffles, and bacon, sausage, and cheesy potato casserole!
Or, mosey on over for dinner to enjoy the smokehouse skillet, full of piping hot Rotisserie Chicken Andouille, Pecan-smoked Brisket, Fingerling Potatoes, and more!
- Price Point: $$ ($15 – $35)
- Meals Served: Breakfast (7:30 am to 12:00 pm); and Dinner (4:30 pm to 9:30 pm)
- Characters Available? No, but you can always go and pet the horses before or after your meal!
- Type of Food Served: Casual American Dining
- Fan Favorite Item: Fried Chicken and Mac and Cheese
9. Cape May Cafe in Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Another little known hidden gem in terms of Disney buffets is the Cape May Café! This beach themed restaurant is located on Disney’s Boardwalk, which makes for a great way to enjoy your time pre or post meal!
But what is Cape May Café serving up exactly? For breakfast you’ll get your choice of delectable breakfast pastries, pancakes, brioche French toast, omelets, breakfast sausage, bacon, crispy potato barrels, and beef hash.
While the dinner selection takes on more of a seafood twist…
We’re talking all you can eat shrimp cocktail, mussels, clams, and catch of the day fish! Plus lobster mac and cheese, slow-roasted strip loin with chimichurri and house-made steak sauce, and oven-roasted lemon-pepper chicken.
So yeah – you can definitely eat wayyyy more than what you pay for here!
- Price Point: $$ ($15 to $35 for breakfast) and $$$ ($35 – $60 for dinner)
- Meals Served: Breakfast (7:30 am to 11:30 am) and Dinner (5:00 pm to 9:00 pm)
- Characters Available? Typically during breakfast, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy are available in their swimsuits – but this has been temporarily suspended due to COVID 19 restrictions; here’s to hoping our furry friends will be back here soon!
- Type of Food Served: TraditionalAmerican breakfast and seafood dinner
- Fan Favorite Item: Lobster Mac and Cheese
10. Biergarten in Epcot
Sauerkraut and beer lovers unite – because at Biergarten Epcot, there’s no shortage of German food and entertainment!
From servers dressed in lederhosen, and live traditional German music performances throughout the day, you can’t go wrong with Biergarten – especially since the Epcot staff has been working hard to restore this restaurant to all its pre-pandemic glory!
Skillets full of pretzel rolls, potato salad, macaroni salad, bratwurst, roast chicken, schnitzel, spätzle, frikadellen, franks, and more will come to your table as often as you ask for it – so there’s no reason to ever get up – unless, that is, you want to join in on Oktoberfest Musikanten dancing fun!
- Price Point: $$$ ($35 – $60)
- Meals Served: Lunch (12:00 pm to 3:55 pm) and Dinner (4:00 pm to 8:00 pm)
- Characters Available? No, but traditional German singing, dancing, and music is!
- Type of Food Served: Family style German
- Fan Favorite Item: Pretzel Rolls
11. Garden Grove in Swan Resort
Got any New York lovers in the house? Then Garden Grove is probably one of the best Disney buffets for you, because the interior theming is based all around Central Park!
Sit under a magical 25 foot oak tree and romantic street lamps as you enjoy one of the classiest breakfasts available on Disney Property!
Because not only is it located inside a 5 Star Resort, but you also get treated like royalty with valet parking and healthful options like overnight oats, avocado toast, and a create your own omelet station.
- Price Point: $$$ ($35 – $60)
- Meals Served: Breakfast (7 am – 11:30 am)
- Characters Available? On the weekends
- Type of Food Served: Healthy American Breakfast Options
- Fan Favorite Item: Taylor Pork Roll Sandwich
12. Chef Mickey’s in Contemporary Resort
Arguably one of the most convenient locations of any of the Disney buffets, Chef Mickey’s is just a short monorail ride, or even walk, from Magic Kingdom! And, it sure does have all the magic of Magic Kingdom too.
With Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, and Goofy visiting guests in their cutest chef outfits – and “celebrating” every hour too – high energy is the name of the game at Chef Mickey’s!
Guests are welcome to serve themselves at this all-you-care-to-enjoy location – which boasts carving stations, a dessert wall, and food stretching for longer than the eye can see!
- Price Point: $$$ ($35 – $60)
- Meals Served: Breakfast (7:30 am to 12:30 pm) and Dinner (5:00 pm to 10:00 pm)
- Characters Available? Yes! And they’re wearing chef outfits!
- Type of Food Served: Casual American Dining
- Fan Favorite Item: Banana bread french toast for breakfast, and citrus poached baby shrimp for dinner!
13. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot, Norway
Ever wanted to feel like a princess? Then the Norwegian Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is your chance!
Guests are greeted by Princess Belle upon entering this exclusive castle, and continue to be greeted by princesses throughout their traditional Norwegian meal, which consists of a selection of fresh meats and cheeses, salmon, herb-roasted chicken breast, and seared pork tenderloin.
So, ThemeParkHipster beware – only dine at this all-you-care-to-enjoy restaurant if you’re willing to say “let it go” to American food and dive into authentic Norwegian cuisine!
- Price Point: $$$ ($35 to $60 for Breakfast) and $$$$ ($60+ for lunch and dinner)
- Meals Served: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Characters Available? Yes! Belle and more of her Princess friends.
- Type of Food Served: A Norwegian buffet, served inside a medieval castle
- Fan Favorite Item: Flyt-stuffed Pasta
14. 1900 Park Fare in Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Wish your dining experience could feel like it came out of a storybook? Well at 1900 Park Fare – that’s exactly the idea!
From a Supercalifragilistic Breakfast, filled with Disney characters from the United Kingdom, to Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner, there’s no shortage of magic at this all-you-care-to-enjoy restaurant!
From a delectable breakfast with a create your own omelet station, bagel bar, ham carving station, and fresh fruit station, to a hearty dinner filled with honey-sriracha salmon, Mongolian beef, and shrimp scampi – you’ll be smiling bigger than the Cheshire Cat after this dining experience!
- Price Point: $$$ ($35 – $60)
- Meals Served: Breakfast and Dinner
- Characters Available? Usually yes! At breakfast you can enjoy Alice, the Mad Hatter, Mary Poppins, Tigger, and Winnie the Pooh; and at dinner, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Madame Tremaine, and the Ugly Stepsister (Anastasia and Drizella).
- Type of Food Served: ClassyAmerican style buffet
- Fan Favorite Item: Lemon Creme Penne Pasta
15. Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios
At Hollywood and Vine, all-you-care-to-enjoy is the name of the game for food and characters. All of their food options take guest favorites to the next level, i.e. Nutella stuffed French toast and macaroni and cheese with shrimp, while characters change throughout the day.
If you eat at Hollywood and Vine in the AM, Disney Junior characters will greet you. But, even more excitingly, in the PM, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy are happy to greet you in seasonal attire.
P.S. Their Halloween costumes are my personal favorites!
- Price Point: $$$ ($35 – $60)
- Meals Served: Breakfast (8:30 AM to 10:30 AM); Lunch (11:30 AM to 3:55 PM); and Dinner (4:00 PM to 8:00 PM)
- Characters Available? Yes – Disney Junior Characters at breakfast and Minnie, Mickey, and the gang in seasonal outfits at dinner!
- Type of Food Served: American buffet
- Fan Favorite Item: Caramel Monkey Bread for breakfast, and Asparagus and Summer Truffle Risotto for dinner!
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16. The Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom
Can’t get enough of 100 Acre Wood gang? Then Crystal Palace is the dining experience for you! Winnie the Pooh and his favorite friends come around and greet you during your all-you-care-to-enjoy meal, and even will perform a super cute POOH-rade every once in a while!
And if that’s not reason enough to try out this Disney buffet – then consider the floor to ceiling windows that give you the perfect Magic Kingdom view throughout your meal.
And of course – delectable dishes like fire-roasted prime rib, crispy fried chicken, and cheddar bacon cornbread will take away the rumbly in your tumbly too!
- Price Point: $$$ ($35 – $60)
- Meals Served: Lunch (11:30 am to 2:55 pm) and Dinner (3:00 pm to 8:30 pm)
- Characters Available? Usually yes, hopefully they will return as Disney adheres to its phased reopening plan!
- Type of Food Served: American favorites
- Fan Favorite Item: Brown Sugar-glazed Bone-In Pork Chop
What to Know Before You Go
Now that you know what buffets are offered at Walt Disney World, let’s go through a few of the most commonly asked questions.
What does “all-you-care-to-enjoy” mean?
All-you-care-to-enjoy is just Disney’s way of saying you pay one flat fee and can consume all you can eat!
Depending on the restaurant, this might look like family style (where large, shareable portions come to your table upon request, to be divided up among the guests), refillable personal skillets (where the only food you can continue request for refills is that included in your skillet), or a traditional buffet where guests go up to refill their plate as desired.
Which of the Disney buffets has the best value?
While so many of the restaurants from our list above are worth it, we’d highly recommend either Boma (African-inspired food), Trail’s End (Hearty Southern food), or Cape May Café (seafood).
Why? Well, at these eateries, you get more than just high-quality all-you-care-to-enjoy food – you get an experience. With these eateries being inside of such unique resorts, you can plan an entire day around them!
From giraffe gazing at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to horse-petting at Trail’s End, to walking the Boardwalk after your seafood meal at Cape May Café, you can have a unique experience, and DELICIOUS FOOD, outside of the traditional theme park setting – which also means, saving on park admission costs!
Which of the Disney buffets are still open, with pandemic restrictions?
Luckily, almost every one of the restaurants from the list above are accepting guests and reservations! At the time of writing this article, the only restaurants still closed are:
- The Diamond Horseshoe in Magic Kingdom
- Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot
- 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian Hotel and Spa
Is the Disney Dining Plan back in effect?
Not yet my ThemeParkHipster friend, but we’ll be the first to let you know when it is!
Wrapping Up…
Well Hipster, that was a mouthful! I hope you got a lot out of this best buffet in Disney World list, and look forward to hearing about all your dining experiences ASAP!
So now, you’ve got to let us know in the comments below – which of these Disney buffets are your favorite? Which one serves the best Disney food, and which ones can be skipped? Let us know in the comments below.
Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!
About the Author
About the Author
Gina is a former Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line Cast Member who enjoys reliving the magic by writing helpful tips and tricks for future guests!
Check out more about her Disney adventures and writing endeavors at www.ginaarfi.net.
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