Best Value Breakfast at Disney World
When it comes to breakfast at Walt Disney World, our general philosophy has been don’t bother. Most restaurants are overpriced and the food is sub-par, which is why we’ve been strong advocates of hotel grocery delivery and preparing healthy, inexpensive in-room meals in the morning. (Updated October 12, 2024.)
We’ve also been anti-Ale & Compass Restaurant, which we derided in our original review shortly after the reimagining debuted due to dull decor and only so-so food. However, we’ve been back five times since then ‘for fun’ at lunch or dinner, and have had very good to great meals. It should probably go without saying, but we wouldn’t revisit any restaurant that we did not enjoy five times for fun.
We went so many times in large part because it’s an easy ADR and a good restaurant to do with friends or family–convenient and reasonably priced. Our new capsule review of Ale & Compass for lunch and dinner is that it’s generally a good option for frequent visitors or locals, but still not recommended for Walt Disney World first-timers. The theme of the restaurant still bores us to sleep, but the food is good!
In any case, this is a review of breakfast, and not lunch or dinner. Breakfast at Ale & Compass is a huge hit for us and has been for years. Since originally publishing this review, we’ve returned a couple of times for virtually the same orders. This boils down to a few things: lack of better options, value for money, and flat-out loving a trio of menu items.
With that said, we do want to draw your attention to one alternative that still exists (for now) as of Late 2024: Trattoria al Forno. This is located across Crescent Lake at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. This was previously home to the Bon Voyage Adventure Character Breakfast, which has still not returned (and might never come back, at this point). While we loved that character meal, the regular breakfast menu is fantastic and reasonably priced–somewhat similar to Ale & Compass (minus the buffet add-on).
Check out our Trattoria al Forno breakfast review for more. (Note that the first half of that post is about the return of characters, so scroll about halfway through for food thoughts.) Just a quick plug for that as an alternative–now on with the Ale & Compass review!
For starters, Ale & Compass Restaurant no longer has a limited menu and its breakfast buffet has returned after being gone for nearly two years. It’s not the only buffet that’s back at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, as Minnie’s Beach Bash Character Breakfast also has returned.
These join Yachtsman Steakhouse, Crew’s Cup Lounge, Beaches & Cream, and every other dining location at Beach Club in operating as normal once again. There are still some Walt Disney World restaurants that are operating with somewhat scaled back menus, but thankfully, that’s not the case with any of these spots at Yacht & Beach Club.
Here’s a look at what we love about Ale & Compass for breakfast…
Our first time doing breakfast at Ale & Compass was entirely by chance. As noted above, we weren’t keen on our dinner here, and planned on writing the restaurant off for the foreseeable future as a result. However, we found ourselves staying at BoardWalk Inn, without any groceries for breakfast or Advance Dining Reservations for one of the other restaurants.
Nothing else had walk-up availability, meaning the options were basically this, BoardWalk Bakery (now Deli), or waiting until World Showcase opened in a couple of hours. In perusing the menu, Ale & Compass had a few options that were only slightly more expensive than a counter service breakfast, so we decided to roll the dice on it…
Sarah ordered the Dark Chocolate Waffles: “Dried Cherry Compote, Espresso-Mascarpone Cream, Chocolate Shavings, and a choice of Bacon or Sausage.”
These were a fan-favorite at the old Captain’s Grille, but were conspicuously absent when the location reopened as Ale & Compass. Everything about these waffles was perfect–just the right amount of chocolate flavor, a rich and creamy espresso mascarpone to balance them out, and tart dried cherry compote as the literal cherry on top. Forget Mickey waffles–these are the absolute best waffles at Walt Disney World, bar none.
I ordered the Salted Caramel-Apple French Toast with bacon. This is basically an apple sandwich between two slices of french toast, and drizzled with salted caramel and topped with buttery crumble. The sandwich is like the mullet of breakfasts: healthy business in the center, blissfully decadent party on the outside.
The sandwich and mullet are totally inapt comparisons; you can’t actually eat this like a sandwich and it’s not disgusting like a mullet. To the contrary, it’s fantastic–on par with the Dark Chocolate Waffles, which should really say something. The point I’m trying to illustrate is that it’s a somewhat balanced breakfast option, and not just a sugary dessert on the breakfast menu.
All of the entrees come with a choice of bacon, sausage, or fresh fruit.
We ordered bacon and sausage since we were already getting sufficient servings of fruit in our very healthy entrees. The sausage here is the undisputed champ, as these plump house-made patties are absolutely delicious–and provided good balance to our sugary main dishes. Don’t mess with the bacon–get the sausage.
Those are our two main recommendations right now, as a couple of our other favorites have been removed from the breakfast menu at Ale & Compass. We’re also curious about other new menu items like the Blueberry-Bacon Pancakes, Crab Cake Benedict, Breakfast Flatbread, and Breakfast Protein Bowl. We should probably try a couple of those the next time we dine here, but it’s tough to deviate from the tried-and-true.
On a positive note, the breakfast buffet is also back at Ale & Compass Restaurant…
This buffet is not a fully-fledged offering like those at other Walt Disney World restaurants.
Instead, it includes: “Seasonal Fruit, Assorted Yogurt Parfaits, Assorted Breakfast Pastries, House-made Granola, Cheddar Biscuits and Country Gravy, and Warm Cinnamon Rolls. Includes choice of one (1) Entrée. Coffee, Tea, Juice, or Soft Drinks are included.”
As of Late 2024, the breakfast buffet costs $25 and includes one entree.
The smart move is thus choosing one of the more expensive entrees, like the $20 Shrimp and White Cheddar Grits or the $20 Breakfast Protein Bowl, and adding it to that. For those meals, you’re only paying $5 extra for the buffet.
The items we recommend are less expensive, so the cost-difference between them and the buffet is greater. With that said, the breakfast buffet also includes a drink–so if you were going to order a coffee, there’s very little price difference between the buffet and a la carte.
We’ve since done exactly that, returning to Ale & Compass and ordering more expensive entrees (when we did it, we got the skirt steak sandwich, but that’s not currently on the breakfast menu) and grazing from the breakfast buffet. For only a few dollars extra, it was a fantastic option–we left so stuffed that we didn’t need to eat lunch that day.
Even though it cost more, that arguably fits with the angle of this article, which is the best value breakfast at Walt Disney World. I’d say breakfast is a pretty great value if you’re not eating again until dinner!
Overall, for around $30 (total, not each), we had one of the best breakfasts we’ve ever had at Walt Disney World for any price. Being able to walk-up and be immediately seated in a half-full restaurant pretty much negates all of our previous complaints about the theme, too. (Although I still really wish Disney would find a way to give this restaurant some personality.) All things considered, it’s tough to argue with breakfast at Ale & Compass if you order wisely–this is the best bang for your buck breakfast at Walt Disney World.
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Your Thoughts
Have you done breakfast at Ale & Compass? What did you think of it? Did you do the buffet? Do you agree or disagree with our review? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Just checked my reservation and it looks like an entree is no longer included with the Continental Enhancement or at least it’s not indicated in the description.
Continental Enhancement
Fresh Fruit, Assorted Yogurt Parfaits, Assorted Breakfast Pastries, House-made Granola, and Warm Cinnamon Rolls
$28.00
Ive never been to the Boardwalk Inn on any of our WDW vacations. Would it be much of a walk from the Epcot skyliner station? Any chance the chef at Ale & Compass can make an egg free version of their dark chocolate waffles? I have an egg allergy and used to be able to get special ordered delicious egg free waffles with fresh berries on top for breakfast on our annual vacations staying at Pop Century Resort/ All Star Music Resort, however on our last recent trip the egg free waffles at Pop Century were horrible crumbly lumps that tasted like sawdust and they no longer even provide the fresh berries on top. Very disappointing, especially as with an egg allergy my breakfast options at Pop this year were severely limited. My son loves breakfast so I don’t like to skip the meal for his sake, but he was very disappointed with the food options at Pop Century this year as well. Unfortunately most of the food there this visit was quite bad.
We just discovered this breakfast on our ” annual pass farewell tour” .
The chocolate waffles were one of the best things I’ve ever eaten at Disney World!
The 25$ inclusive meal was a great bargain IMO and I cannot wait to get it again soon !
These are our two favorite breakfasts AND they allow for 10% off with Disney Visa! my kids split the adult meals and we’re always plenty full. Stop giving away all the best secrets, guys… haha!
Is it possible to find an actual road map including roads on WDW property?
I’m not really sure why I read this post: we almost always either eat in our unit or do character breakfast, and have never stayed in Crescent Lake. I’m almost certainly never going to eat here, but I’m glad I read it because the following sentence alone was worth the time.
The sandwich and mullet are totally inapt comparisons; you can’t actually eat this like a sandwich and it’s not disgusting like a mullet.
I want to start a creative writing workshop just so I can use this as a prompt.
Just so everyone knows, the list of items available on the Breakfast Buffet has changed a fair bit since this article was originally written years ago – before the pandemic – so while it is still a great breakfast and value at Disney – this is what the current posted menu lists, which is consistent with our recent experience (basically removed the meats and cheese):
“Continental Enhancement
Seasonal Fruit, Assorted Yogurt Parfaits, Assorted Breakfast Pastries, House-made Granola, Cheddar Biscuits and Country Gravy, and Warm Cinnamon Rolls. Includes choice of one (1) Entrée. Coffee, Tea, Juice, or Soft Drinks are included.”
This is in addition to one entree and currently costs $25 total.
Thanks for all of the great articles and recommendations Tom! You are a gem!
Good catch–thank you!
I don’t know how I missed that when updating the price. Definitely less of a value than it used to be with the loss of charcuterie and salmon, but at least they added cinnamon rolls, I guess?
This place is great. Last time we came we had a very good waiter as well, and saw the manager working to keep thing top notch. Seems like most Disney restaurants run on auto pilot, but this one seems to work hard to impress.
Ale & Compass handles a lot of convention clientele, and that’s one thing that seems to keep Disney “honest.”
They know regular tourists and fans don’t have high expectations from restaurants, but business travelers do. (I’m making massive generalizations here, but they are typically true.)
Hi Tom,
Really appreciate your posts. My wife and I have been regulars for breakfast after (after 10 am)at Ale and Compass for almost a year and have yet to find any of the following on their buffet—
Smoked Salmon with Accompaniment, Bagels, Parker House Rolls, Artisanal Cheeses, Charcuterie, Smoked Trout Dip, Assorted Spreads, Jellies, Preserves,
I was hoping to keep this tasty and value breakfast more of a secret! We’ve eaten here the past two visits and had the dark chocolate waffles both times. Too hard to resist! I’ve also had the crab cake benedict. It was good, but the breakfast potatoes that come with it are something special. I don’t know what seasoning they put on those, but they are so good. The second visit, the wife wanted the vegetarian bowl or whatever. Not my thing, but she loved it and got the side of potatoes. We really enjoy making a reservation for late morning/brunch so we sleep in a little, drive over a little early if they let us, walk around the lake, eat, and then check out the gift shops at the resorts. Perfect start to a non-park day.
We are BIG fans of breakfast at Ale and Compass! We have done it on two different trips now and love it! The chocolate waffles are to die for and my husband still dreams about the lemon/blueberry pancakes. We love that it is a quieter restaurant in the early morning, a pretty easy reservation to get for a big group, and has delicious food.
I had the crab breakfast. I was pleasantly surprised! It’s not something I would go out of my way to have but, as you have noted, most food options at Disney are far overpriced or completely underwhelming.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on that…not exactly a ringing endorsement that makes me eager to try it, but about what I expected. Sounds like I can safely stick with the sugary options! 🙂
We ate breakfast at Ale & Compass May 21-25. The breakfast includes a cold buffet of pastries, fruit, yoghurt, granola, etc. If you want, you can add an entree. I tried five different entrees; my favorite was the Salted Caramel Apple French Toast; I wish that I had noticed it sooner on the menu, but I had it only on the last day. Our server recommended the Shrimp & Grits with poached egg the first day and the Crab Cake Benedict the second day; both were too filling; so I went with omelet (not so great) on day 3 and American breakfast on day 4. While I was considering the French Toast out loud, the couple at the next table highly recommended it. It was incredible; even my husband who does not eat French Toast like it. I wish I had eaten it every day. I cannot recommend it more highly.
I should add that we made a reservation for our breakfast every day (mostly at the time that the restaurant opened at 7:30 so that we could go to the parks. I recommend a reservation, and I certainly recommend the salted caramel apple french toast.
I have no idea where he’s eating at the Ale and Compass does not have a buffet. The average price of an entree is $15, not $12. There is no breakfast buffets that have ever or would ever feed a family for a total of $25 as stated. The buffets that do exist are more than $25 PER adult. Regardless of what restaurant you go to the best you do for an average price at ANY of the Disney Resorts is $10 an entree. The cost of parking is $25, so unless you’re just a couple this is not a good plan. To bad this reviewer decide to lie. If you’re a family of 4, then the best you do is eat at Pop Century, El Mercado de Coronado, Contempo Cafe, Lanscape Of Flavors, and possibly Spyglass Grill. I thoroughly went through each and every restaurant at all the resorts looking only at their Non Children Breakfast offerings. Never believe what you read, especially when its too good to be true.
I am sorry David Hurd miss read the article about Ale and Compass breakfast. The folks at DFB did NOT get the buffet, hence the price difference. They merely mentioned it for information purposes. Also, notice the date it was written. Prices and menus change over time. Next time read carefully and don’t accuse others of lies. You could of worded your response with more respect.
Thanks to your review we just had a delicious breakfast here this morning. No reservation, no wait list (which was 75 mins), just used the mobile ordering for “ale and compass to go” and it was ready in 10 minutes to bring back to our room to eat on our balcony. Not sure if this is a Covid alternative but it made it so easy and convenient! Also not sure why they didn’t tell people on the waitlist about this option?
Thank you! Just made my first breakfast reservation there for next month!
Breakfast has always been my “hardest” meal at Disney World. We usually gave up eating anywhere price-y and brought Les Halles croissants, quiche, and assorted other goodies back and had them with any leftovers for breakfast. Many nights (impossible in this non-park hopping day) we would leave whichever park we were visiting in time to get to Les Halles for fetching both dessert for that night and the next morning’s breakfast. I strongly recommend our choice as the best in room breakfast, second only to splitting the breakfast platter. When we stay at Pop Century or All-Stars we split it after he goes for his morning coffee. Make sure to get a plastic cover so it doesn’t get cold on the way back to the room and if you can’t find them ask! P.S. I always take some small Tupperware or other type hard plastic refrig storage containers and lots of baggies and quart freezer bags to WDW! They come in VERY handy for leftovers and stack well in the room refrigs.
I will definitely have to try breakfast here sometime. My favorite breakfast for years has been the beautiful Kona Cafe and Grand Floridian Cafe.
Does any Disney property of park have buffets? I see that you talked about the extra cost of adding on th buffet but I thought they we all close or changed the menu.
This news made my day (week, year?) !
My favorite breakfast ANYWHERE is the chocolate waffles and bacon. It is a must-do every trip. Since there is no such thing as too much chocolate, I request chocolate syrup. Truly heavenly! I can’t wait for the 60-day mark so I can make my reservation.