10 Best Magic Kingdom Counter Service Restaurants
This post ranks the 10 best & worst quick service restaurants in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Despite the park’s poor reputation for counter service dining, there are some good options, especially for families with kids who are picky eaters. (Updated October 27, 2023.)
With that said, we’re not going to sugarcoat this. Despite being Walt Disney World’s flagship park, Magic Kingdom is far and away the worst for counter service food. There’s only one fast food option that we’d consider truly great, and even that is going to be a complete non-starter for a lot of families. The rest are either chaotic cafeterias or glorified snack spots with good food, but limited options. There really isn’t a whole lot of in-between.
One (positive) thing that complicates your dining choice when you’re in the Magic Kingdom is the superior options just outside of the Magic Kingdom. Gasparilla Island Grill, Captain Cook’s, Roaring Fork, and even the new-look Trail’s End Restaurant are all a short monorail or boat ride from the Magic Kingdom, and all are solid choices. In fact, there are several monorail loop restaurant restaurants on our Top 10 Counter Service Walt Disney World Dining list.
By contrast, most of Magic Kingdom’s top 10 counter service restaurants are only mediocre to good. Rather than being a “best of” list, this is probably more accurately a list of “least bad” options. On top of that, several of the good locations only serve a specific type of food, meaning they probably aren’t even going to be viable options for families wanting a range of crowd-pleasing options. This makes Magic Kingdom’s quick service dining more difficult to rank than any other park. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!Â
In other words, you really have to work for it if you want to do two good counter service meals at Magic Kingdom. There’s one excellent eatery that’ll work for almost everyone, but the other quick-service restaurants all have pitfalls. Whether it be that they have large menus of mediocre food, small menus of good choices, or are loud and chaotic–most of the choices leave something to be desired.
To make matters worse, almost every Magic Kingdom restaurant has had its menu scaled back in the last few years and the previous #1 pick is no longer a counter service restaurant at all…
N/A. Be Our Guest Restaurant – New Fantasyland – Once the unequivocal #1 counter service restaurant in Magic Kingdom, Be Our Guest Restaurant now serves an all-day menu (see our Be Our Guest Prix Fixe Lunch/Dinner Review). This means it’s only table service, with the same appetizer, entree, and dessert options all day long. It has been this way since Magic Kingdom reopened, and remains the case a few years later.
At this point, we’re not optimistic that Be Our Guest Restaurant will revert to a counter service lunch anytime soon. That’s really unfortunate, as most of the alternatives leave something to be desired. Even the “good” entries on this list don’t offer something for everyone, so good luck on getting your family to agree on 2 meal locations in Magic Kingdom!
N/A. Aunt Polly’s – Tom Sawyer Island – In total, Aunt Polly’s is probably only open for a handful of weeks per year. It’s usually open during peak season around Christmas and New Year’s, plus Spring Break, Easter, and other holidays. It hasn’t been open at all in the last 2 years, but maybe that’ll change this Thanksgiving?
Pre-closure, the menu at Aunt Polly’s was limited but superb. Its location on Tom Sawyer Island is a nice respite from the crowds–a blissful escape when Magic Kingdom is at its most bonkers, crowd-wise. We recommend going out of your way to seek it out. The overall experience is way better than the #10 ranking might suggest–it’s only this low because 95% of you won’t even have a chance to experience it.
10. Gaston’s Tavern – New Fantasyland – This makes the list for lack of better options. Don’t get us wrong, we love Gaston’s Tavern. This sleepy little spot is cozy and a thematic gem that’s arguably better than Be Our Guest Restaurant in terms of design and atmosphere.
The problem is that it’s too cozy and intimate–a very small venue with little seating and a small menu. There’s literally only one savory thing on the menu right now, plus the Grey Stuff Cupcake and the iconic Cinnamon Roll. A good option for sweet treats, but not so much for a full meal. Such is the story with Magic Kingdom dining.
9. The Lunching Pad –Â Tomorrowland –Â This walk-up window under Astro Orbiter has expanded from being Magic Kingdom’s hotspot for delicious pretzels to finally living up to the pun in its name as a place for a fully-fledged lunch. (The Lunching Pad also now serves breakfast, which is shockingly good.)
There are now a few gourmet hot dogs here, and these are what elevates the Lunching Pad to this spot. Or you could go full-on “vacation mode” and simply order two of the incredible Cream Cheese Warm Stuffed Pretzels for lunch. Not sure about the nutritional wisdom of that, but it’d be a delicious decision.
8. Tortuga Tavern – Adventureland – A few years ago, Disney refurbished the seasonal El Pirata y El Perico and renamed it to Tortuga Tavern. A lot of decor was new, with a heavy pirates motif and some witty signs. Our expectations were high, because the restaurant looked cool, but for some reason it remained seasonal.
Since then, Tortuga Tavern has been open more regularly, while receiving a revolving door of new menus. The good news is that Tortuga Tavern has a few recent additions, while also retaining its beloved Peanut Butter, Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread, and Banana Sandwich. This makes Tortuga Tavern a shockingly good option…but that could all change with another new menu.
7. Pinocchio Village Haus – Fantasyland – Disney got swept up in the flatbread craze several years ago, and Pinocchio Village Haus became the default location in Magic Kingdom for those. The menu started strong, but has gone downhill since, and it’s long overdue for another new concept. Nevertheless, you can occasionally get lucky with a freshly-made flatbread that tastes great. They’ve also had seasonal flatbreads from time to time that are usually better than the permanent menu options.
Another upside of Pinocchio Village Haus is the window views overlooking “it’s a small world.” That’s really fun and unique, and we love late nights seated here when the restaurant has cleared out. The downsides are pretty much everything else. Pinocchio Village Haus is the Fantasyland restaurant, and that’s evident during the lunch and dinner rushes. It’s loud and chaotic with families and small children, and the food usually is okay at best.
6. The Friar’s Nook – Fantasyland –Â This unassuming food counter serves up some delicious guilty pleasures for breakfast, plus mac & cheese centric dishes for lunch and dinner. Those dishes coupled with our “hack” of eating up on a balcony overlooking Fantasyland and Cinderella Castle are what earns the Friar’s Nook its surprisingly high spot.
Unfortunately, the special Mr. Toad menu items are now gone, but the Friar’s Nook still overperforms relative to its limited menu. That this walk-up window does so well should underscore just how weak the lineup is in Magic Kingdom. In any of the other 3 parks, the Friar’s Nook wouldn’t crack the top 10. It’s really disappointing that Walt Disney World’s most popular park has such a lazy lineup of casual dining options.
5. Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe – Tomorrowland – Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Cosmic Ray’s used to be our favorite counter service restaurant at Magic Kingdom, and we dined here with regularity. The menu always had some standouts, including “experimental” burgers, bbq ribs, rotisserie chicken, and at least a couple of interesting healthy options. Add to that the excellent toppings bar and an expansive menu of ‘safe’ choices that could be piled high with a heaping helping of tomatoes, pickles, and condiments.
All of that is gone now–except for the safe options. There is no toppings bar and nothing interesting or unique on the menu. It’s all standard theme park fare. Like Pinocchio Village Haus, it’s also a madhouse during prime dining hours, which makes it somewhere you’ll want to avoid during the peak lunch and dinner rushes if you want a reprieve from the crowds and chaos.
Still, it’s home to the lounge lizard Sonny Eclipse, the alien Audio Animatronics performer who is the epitome of the type of ‘little thing’ that makes Walt Disney World special. We still go there on occasion just to see one of Sonny Eclipses sets, but we’re seldom impressed by anything we eat at Cosmic Ray’s.
4. Casey’s Corner – Main Street USA – Magic Kingdom is home to many iconic attractions and must-dos for the rite of passage Walt Disney World vacation. Arguably, Casey’s Corner is one of those. The hot dogs are shockingly good, but it’s the plant-based slaw dog that is most delicious (yes, really).
Then there are the famous Corn Dog Nuggets. If you ate these anywhere else, they probably would be utterly ordinary and forgettable. As a late night Fourth Meal with a view of Cinderella Castle while waiting for the fireworks? They are pure perfection.
3. Sleepy Hollow Inn – Liberty Square – With its menu of basically only waffle sandwiches, we’re arguably pushing it a bit by including Sleepy Hollow on this list. However, we love these waffle sandwiches so much that we’d be remiss to leave them off.
Some find that the waffle sandwiches have an interesting flavor profile, and we agree with this to an extent, but they’re interesting in a very good way. The waffle sandwiches are freshly made, and are filling enough to serve as a meal. We now eat here more than any other restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, and the only reason it’s not higher on this list is because of its limited menu.
2. Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe – Frontierland – Pecos Bill used to be the Frontierland equivalent of Cosmic Ray’s, but it now serves a menu of Mexican cuisine plus some typical theme park foods. The variety alone makes it one of the better choices in the Magic Kingdom, even if most of the entrees are on the bland side.
Despite being one of Magic Kingdom’s massive eateries, Pecos Bill also benefits from a superior seating area. It’s subdivided into a lot of different sections, and while the first one you approach will be crowded and chaotic–just like Cosmic Ray’s–during prime dining hours, the others are typically better. We prefer eating outside or cutting across to Tortuga Tavern’s seating area for the most relaxed experience.
If you don’t see anything in this description that sounds worthy of a #2 ranking, well, you’re right!
1. Columbia Harbour House – Liberty Square – Columbia Harbour House is a favorite of ours, thanks to its solid seafood menu and very relaxed upstairs seating. Whether you want something on the healthier side or a platter of fried delights, Columbia Harbour House has got you covered. It’s also a great place to escape the crowds of Magic Kingdom.
The portions are hearty, the dishes taste great, and Columbia Harbour House generally offers good value for money. From the Lobster Roll to the Grilled Salmon, the menu is ambitious and satisfying. There are still some basic options and it won’t appeal to those who dislike seafood, but for seafood fans, it’s the easy #1 pick in Magic Kingdom. This is the only full-scale counter service restaurant in the entire park that is currently worthwhile. It’s not even a remotely close call, either. Columbia Harbour House is far and away the best counter service restaurant in Magic Kingdom.
Based upon these descriptions, you can probably understand why it’s so difficult to rank some of the Magic Kingdom’s counter service restaurants. The top of the list has some good options, and there are a few choice items here and there at the rest of the restaurants, but by and large counter service dining in the Magic Kingdom is a sea of ‘meh.’ The Magic Kingdom is the worst park in terms of counter service dining, with Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios all having substantially better counter service options. It’s really not even close.
Fortunately for Magic Kingdom guests, really great options are only a monorail or boat ride away in the Magic Kingdom Area Resorts, and lunch at one of these counter service locales might be a good way to break up the day. You can certainly have a nice meal in the Magic Kingdom, but we feel Walt Disney World’s flagship theme park really needs to up its game in terms of dining. Be Our Guest Restaurant was a good start, but now that’s gone and other menus around the park have gotten even worse.
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Your Thoughts
Which Magic Kingdom counter service restaurant is your favorite? Have you dined at these restaurants? Which did you like and dislike? What are your top Magic Kingdom counter service restaurants? We love to hear from readers, so if you have any thoughts or questions, post them in the comments!
My favourite is Columbia Harbour House. It offers a selection of seafood favourites, plus a few unexpected surprises. and I really like to eat seafood While there are plenty of fried options, there are also some healthy choices as well. Thanks for including this
Sorry to be a little off topic Tom, but I just wanted to bring this to your attention. In a video game called minecraft (essentially virtual legos) a group has created a 1:1 scale replica of Walt Disney World. Currently all 4 parks, part of Typhoon Lagoon, the magic kingdom resorts and some of the value resorts are done. Their website is mcmagic.us. Not sure if this will interest you but thought you might be interested 🙂
I’m intrigued by the Be Our Guest lunch, but our dinner experience was so awful (stolen reservation one night, blah food when we actually did eat there), I’m hesitant to try the lunch. I am completely on board with your other top picks, though. Cosmic Rays was incredibly hectic when we went for lunch, but the menu is solid, albeit a bit run of the mill. Being a seafood guy, I loved Columbia Harbor House. Great food and the upstairs is such a nice place to just sit and relax. I’m surprised more people don’t take advantage.
Cosmic Rays is our family’s go-to lunch place. My husband has a soft spot for Sonny Eclipse, truth be told. I love the 1/4 chicken with beans and mashed potatoes, and he usually gets a burger to be piled high with his topping de jour.
One thing that I have been disappointed at going there over the past few times is the mess people leave behind. It’s not a place where there are servers to bus your table, yet, I’ve seen numerous people just get up and leave, with a wake of garbage behind them on the table that is truly gross. They have one person who wipes down tables, and the poor person is overworked, IMHO.
My hubby and I ate at Peco’s Bills back for the Halloween party, and found it a great meal. The pulled pork I had was great. My daughter and I are going to hit it on our next trip. We’ve done Pinocchio’s for lunch, and the food was great, but the place is LOUD. The screaming kids don’t help. I get that kids get tired and cranky, but it was just made worse by the acoustics, I think.
I’ve been wanting to try Sleepy Hollow since I read your review last summer. However, when I visited for Not-So-Scary, I didn’t realize that they stopped serving the meaty waffle sandwiches at 5 p.m. and only served the dessert waffles. Next time I go, though, I’m going to make it a priority to get a sandwich for lunch.
Wow- I agree with you almost 100% on this list. My 4 yr. old and 6 yr. old would also agree! We love Cosmic Rays, for Sonny Eclipse, the large selection ( some of it even healthy!) and the ability to easily find a table. We also like Gaston’s even better than BOG! Our family easily makes a meal out of an assortment of their healthy items (hummus, veggies, pretzel chips, fruit bowl) and the relaxing atmosphere can’t be beat! – better than the crowded & chaotic BOG. Pro tip- do not spend $10 each on a LeFou’s brew before finding out if either kid will like it. It was not to my liking either, and $20 went straight from our souvenir cups down the sink drain.
Your list really drives home how poor the counter service choices are in the Magic Kingdom. My wife has banned Cosmic Ray’s (your top choice) after two nightmarish meals on two consecutive trips. We are not to speak of it much less suggest ever stepping foot in that horrid place again.
We have eaten at Pinocchio Village Haus. We were pleasantly surprised with the flatbreads. But in our experience, it is never anywhere near the madhouse of Cosmic Rays. Probably just luck of the draw. But both times we tried to have lunch at Cosmic Rays we could not find a table. While my meal was adequate both times (once we were finally able to find a spot to sit down and eat it), the other three meals were sub-standard and largely went to waste.
I will never forget the taste of my wife’s freezer-burned brickette of a chocolate cake. That thing was like a hockey puck with frosting. Only drier. It was bad is what I’m saying. Bad chocolate cake. Not something I have ever experienced at any other eatery anywhere in the world. How do you mess up chocolate cake? I’m guessing you leave it in the freezer for at least a month and then plop it on a tray in a restaurant with no tables and charge $5.
I’m sure I’m not being fair to Cosmic Rays. But it’s 0-2 with our family.
More often than not, we go back to the hotel and have lunch there because the counter service options at MK don’t cut it.
What is even sadder is that the Magic Kingdom’s counter service has improved *considerably* in the last 2-3 years. Before that, it was downright awful.
I think now it’s at the point where it’s better than Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ counter service (the worst park by far for CS), but not to the level of Epcot or Animal Kingdom. It still has a way to go, but there are a few good options at several restaurants. Just no restaurant with an entire slate of solid options.
Columbia Harbour House is usually my first pick….the Tuna on multi-grain and Chowder on the side. I always feel “better” eating this than a typical burger. I also like the chicken and ribs at Cosmic Rays’s and the flatbread at Pinocchio’s. Heading to DL in three weeks and love the counter service there. Haven’t had the new Paradise Pier grubs yet, so I’m looking forward to the change. Great rundown of the MK c.s. locations.
My family loves Columbia Harbour House. Being from New England, I didn’t particularly like the lobster roll (way too much mayo), but the fried shrimp and fried fish have always been spectacular. The apple turnover is also very tasty. I think the quality of food there is much higher than other CS in MK. Have never been able to get a table at Cosmic Rays, but think that the whole bay idea is ridiculous, especially when each child wants something different! Pecos Bill’s is usually the only place that is open at night, so we frequent that place as well. Burgers and taco salads are good. Really like the topping bar, but the place is usually very crowded and chaotic…
You came so close to making the right pick! Columbia Harbour House is the answer. Cosmic Rays may have some good dishes and Sonny Eclipse, but its set-up is awkward. It’s also loud and gets ridiculous with crowds. I do agree with most of your rankings overall, though. Nice job!
Columbia Harbour House certainly seems to be a better ‘consensus’ pick, but I think Cosmic Ray’s gets the edge for being more well-rounded.
Columbia Harbor House is the way to go! We always feel like we get a good meal for our price.
I’m so glad to see Columbia Harbour House so high on the list! I work there, and am always interested in hearing how it ranks compared to the rest of Magic Kingdom.
Unfortunately the lobster roll was not on the menu as it was during our last visit…..
Sleepy Hollow has been hit and miss for us. The first time we tried the spicy chicken waffle sandwich in May last year the missus and I really liked it but in December we both thought it was very bland. Also in December I got a ice cream cookie sandwich as Sleepy Hollow and it was really really good. Then last week I got one again and it wasn’t very good at all.
We always seem to end up at Cosmic Rays for lunch but we both get a kids chicken finger meal because of the value and haven’t wanted to try the other menu items. We mostly go for the atmosphere of Sonny.
We ate at Pecos Bill’s and Cosmic Rays when we visited in October and we had great experiences at both, but preferred Pecos. The condiments bar is outstanding! I really liked the rotisserie chicken at Cosmic Rays, but their side options were underwhelming.
Fantastic article. Though I disagreed with quite a few of your rankings, for the most part this was pretty spot on. Biggest difference for me would have been swapping Cosmic Rays and Pecos Bills with each other.
Cosmic Ray’s is a tough choice for #1 since nothing about it really stands out. We haven’t been to Pecos Bill for a couple years, so maybe it’s time for us to try some of their newer items.
So glad to see Sleepy Hollow placed so well on the list. Love sitting at a castle-side table during EMH and soaking up the atmosphere. The waffles and funnel cakes are always spot on and given that they’re made fresh the wait time seems reasonable even when its busy.(I’ve noticed not everyone in line agrees with this!)
Tortuga Tavern … we’ve been there a handful of times and despite the limited menu, every time we’ve been either given the wrong thing or unable to make the person at the ordering station understand what we wanted, it was like they had no idea what they were selling in there. Like you said, the food’s not bad, it’s just in need of a bit more ‘oomph’.
cosmic rays used to be better prior to the current addition of windows. i used to love the seats overlooking the castle outside. also the other item that i dislike about it is the multitude of different bays- you can’t get the chicken at the hamburger bay, etc. otherwise no gripes with your order.
We loved when Tomorrowland Terrace was a noodle bar and we were disappointed to see the menu had changed the next time we went to WDW. We had a delicious chicken and noodle dish with mint and veggies. Great to recharge and rehydrate! We especially liked it because my husband and I could have something different than the usual theme park food, the kids could still have what they wanted AND we could still have it “on the run”. It’s very tricky to find a place that pleases the whole family!
Even though the noodle station was superior, I think Tomorrowland Terrace is still pretty decent. At least for a location that’s not always operational.
We keep wanting to try Sleepy Hollow, but every time we go by the lines are so long. Maybe next time.
It’s amazing how many times my family has been to WDW and how few restaurants we seem to have visited! In the past, we’ve played it safe in sticking with what we know we like, but now I’m wanting to branch out.
This blog has given me some great ideas for our next trip and I’m looking forward to trying one of those Pork Shanks!
PS: I love Cosmic Ray’s, too! Sonny Eclipse is the best!
The food and especially the service have went down hill over the last 10 years. Worst experience I ever had was there. Unless you can speak a language other than English, I would avoid it. Be Our Guest is great for lunch and Pecos Bills is good quality.
That’s funny – one of the things I love about WDW and always have, is the cultural diversity. It amazes me to see people from all over the world converging for this magical experience.
Visited Diamond Horseshoe=lunch, and Cosmic Ray’s=dinner last week, and both were pretty good.
Loved the 2nd floor seating at diamond horseshoe, and our BBQ turkey and pork sandwiches were pretty tasty. Staff seemed almost too eager to please, and everything was clean, albeit at the beginning of the lunch rush.
Food was similiarly decent @ Cosmic Ray’s, but the restaurant was a smidgen untidy due to the busyness of the dinner hour. Sat outside on their patio, which was pretty wonderful in the weather we had that Tuesday.
Contempo Cafe was pretty good each day for breakfast. Loved the Mickey Waffles 🙂
Thanks for the perspective on Diamond Horseshoe. Since we haven’t actually eaten there, it’s tough for us to rank. However, it’s open so seldom that I figured doing this list without having eaten there wouldn’t be a big deal.
If others have dined at Diamond Horseshoe, I’d love to hear more reviews of it!