Geyser Point Bar & Grill Review
Geyser Point Bar & Grill is a waterfront lounge and counter service restaurant at Wilderness Lodge on the shore of Walt Disney World’s Bay Lake. This WDW dining review features food photos from the restaurant, thoughts on the ambiance, and whether we’d recommend making the trip here from Magic Kingdom. (Updated February 18, 2021.)
Note that during the initial phase of Walt Disney World’s reopening, Geyser Point Bar & Grill is one of the few Magic Kingdom-area restaurants with open air or outdoor dining. As covered in our List of Outdoor Dining Options at Walt Disney World, avoiding prolonged indoor exposure and eating outside is one of the best ways to mitigate your risk.
We’ve revisited Geyser Point Bar & Grill during two post-reopening stays at Wilderness Lodge in the last ~8 months. We’ve subsequently updated this review with new-to-us menu items, plus info about changes, thoughts on our experience, and more. Suffice to say, we’ve always been fans of Geyser Point, but our opinion is now even more favorable!
Let’s start this review with ambiance. There’s really not much of the Imagineered variety at Geyser Point Bar & Grill, beyond the basic stone and exposed cedar design of the open-air structure. It looks rustic and fits the vibe of Wilderness Lodge, and that’s perfectly fine from our perspective. The inherent atmosphere of being in the natural setting along Bay Lake is more than sufficient. More than perfectly fine and sufficient–it’s fantastic.
Geyser Point doesn’t need a backstory within a backstory, or clever references to the unreleased “Cat Cheesing” episode of Walt Disney’s True Life Adventures to make its ambiance exceptional. To the contrary, if ever a locale called for understated design, it was Geyser Point. Thanks to its serene waterfront setting, Geyser Point is an excellent place to unwind and enjoy the natural side of the Vacation Kingdom.
During our first post-reopening meal at Geyser Point last summer, it was totally uncrowded. During our more recent visit, it was significantly busier with a wait to be seated. We’d recommend planning for the latter.
With that in mind, the optimal time to dine at Geyser Point is anytime before sunset or later at night (it’s currently open 11 am to 11 pm). We typically avoid the peak dinner rush of around 7 to 8 pm. Our favorite time to dine at Geyser Point is much later. Electrical Water Pageant has now returned to Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake, and it passes directly in front of Geyser Point between 9:30 and 9:45 pm. During or after that is a great and lower-crowd time to eat at Geyser Point.
Note that while Geyser Point is normally a hybrid lounge and counter service restaurant, right now only the sit-down dining is available. This means that the quick service window where you can order and pick-up food is currently closed. This may change as capacity at the resort increases (to-go counter service food is available at Roaring Fork.)
As a lounge, Geyser Point does not accept Advance Dining Reservations. Additionally, vehicular access to Wilderness Lodge is currently restricted to only guests of the resort, or those with ADRs. This means that if you’re not staying at Wilderness Lodge, you need to take Walt Disney World transportation (boat or bus) to the resort in order to dine at Geyser Point.
The menu at Geyser Point Bar & Grill has a few interesting items, and includes both the Rustic Fare and Lite Bites. When you’re viewing the menu, be sure to view both the Lounge and Lunch & Dinner menus. To our knowledge, you can order from either menu while seated in the lounge.
In any case, here’s what we’ve tried thus far during our meals at Geyser Point Bar & Grill…
We’ll start with the “Lite Fare” on lounge menu. The star here is the Cheesy Barbecue Brisket with House-made Chips.
This is delicious. The brisket has a delicious smoky flavor, and the savoriness of the meat works well with the chips. Our only complaint is the portion size is too small. Don’t plan on splitting this between more than two people–it might even be better as a light meal for one.
Moving to the lunch and dinner menu, we have the Grilled Portobello Salad with Steak: “Grilled Portobello, Zucchini, Roasted Red Peppers, Tomato and Multigrain Salad with Goat Cheese Dressing.”
This is fantastic and highly recommended. It’s one of the best salads I’ve had at Walt Disney World, and it almost pains me to say this, but I might consider ordering it again over the next (all-star) option in this review. The portion is hearty, it’s fresh and refreshing, and the giant portobello chunks coupled with the tangy goat cheese dressing provide an earthy heft. The steak is good, but felt superfluous–next time I’d order the normal/base version of the Grilled Portobello Salad (sans meat) and put the money saved towards another appetizer.
Next, the Bison Cheeseburger. From the menu: “Bacon, Tillamook Cheddar, Sweet Onion Straws, Lettuce, Tomato, Garlic Aïoli and Marionberry Barbecue Sauce served on an Artisan Roll with choice of Multigrain Salad or Waffle Fries.”
This is also exceptional–the menu’s MVP. It’s very similar to the Bison Burger inside at Whispering Canyon Cafe, but with a few slight differences. Far higher quality meat than a standard Walt Disney World counter service burger. Even though it doesn’t have the leanness you might normally associate with bison, it’s juicy and delicious.
There’s a lot going on here, but none of the ingredients are out of place. To the contrary, this is a symphony of flavors. Everything adds something, be it in terms of texture (onion straws) or flavor (aioli). The Marionberry BBQ sauce is the highlight in this regard, and made the dish more like something you’d find in the Pacific Northwest.
All things considered, I’d highly recommend this Bison Burger. It’s probably the best counter service burger, and deserving a spot on our list of the (overall) Best Burgers at Walt Disney World.
Finally, the Crab Cake. This was previously served as a sandwich with house-made Canadian bacon (see above). We found it to be a really odd mix of flavors. Additionally, the crab cake was heavy on filler and light on actual crab.
More recently, this has changed to just a normal crab cake. We’ll revisit it at some point as we plan on dining at Geyser Point a lot in the next year, but it’s not high on our list of priorities. The original version simply left too much to be desired. (Items that are on our list of items to try include the Crispy Fried Oysters, Roasted Salmon, and Smoked Turkey Sandwich.)
As far as the drink menu goes, there’s a Huckleberry Punch. I’ve always thought more dishes should incorporate huckleberries. This is one thing the Northwest has figured out–you can get huckleberry anything. Ice cream. BBQ sauce. butter. Your imagination is the limit. It’s like Trader Joe’s and pumpkin-anything in the fall.
That drink is not the only unique one on the Geyser Point Bar & Grill drink menu. This is not the standard Disney Parks Generic Drink menu, instead featuring a variety of drinks–both mixed and beers with Pacific Northwest origins. These include Rogue beers and 44° North Idaho Vodka, among other things.
As for whether you should make a special trip to Geyser Point from Magic Kingdom, it depends. Do you need a break from the chaos of the park? Want a meal after Magic Kingdom closes? Is outdoor dining a must-do for you right now? Want to try one of the best burgers at Walt Disney World? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, then Geyser Point is worth seeking out.
In addition to the Walt Disney World menu mainstays, there are several unique and ambitious items worth ordering at Geyser Point Bar & Grill. It’s deceptively good on the cuisine front. Then there’s the serene and relaxing ambiance, which alone could be enough of a draw to get you here. If you want to enjoy a leisurely boat ride (a fun experience in itself) or want a nice waterfront lounge with a decent menu and deep drink list, a visit to Geyser Point is even more compelling.
Overall, Geyser Point is a good option for those staying at Wilderness Lodge, particularly guests in the Cascade Cabins at Copper Creek or those hanging out poolside. It’s also an excellent way to soak up the natural ambiance while grabbing a drink, watching the game, or simply enjoying sunset. Geyser Point Bar & Grill is an excellent addition to Wilderness Lodge, particularly for those staying at the resort looking for a place to unwind in the evenings. It has some significant upsides, especially now that outdoor dining is the smarter choice. Suffice to say, we love Geyser Point. It’s now one of our go-to Walt Disney World restaurants and part of our regular rotation for the rest of 2020, so stay tuned for subsequent updates to this review!
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Your Thoughts
Have you dined or had a drink at Geyser Point Bar & Grill? Are you a fan of the Bison Cheeseburger or Grilled Portobello Salad? Enjoy the waterfront dining, or do you prefer taking your meal to go? Do you agree or disagree with our take on this Walt Disney World lounge? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
We’ll be staying at WL CCV next month and I can’t wait to eat here based on your review! Perhaps multiple times based on the lack of outdoor dining options. Thanks Tom!
The restaurant looks beautiful and seems to have a great ambiance. But they only have one plant-based meal, and all those dead animals are both gross and in humane. With so many Americans choosing plant-based protein, that’s pretty lame.
Luckily for you, there are literally more than a hundred places to choose from to eat. I think they mostly serve the delicious flesh of tasty animals and some have the stuff they eat as well. All you need to do is ask.
We wish we could have enjoyed and experienced Geyser Point. The atmosphere was beautiful. We were there recently in October 2020 and it was the first time we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge. We patiently waited for someone to talk to us at Geyser. We went to the bar thinking we would get a drink and sit at one of the outside tables until an inside table became available. However, the bartender worked his away around the bar to everyone but us. After 20-30 minutes, we gave up and said we might as well go somewhere else. That was even with a gentlemen coming up to the bar and ordering a drink. The bartender greeted him and took his drink order, but we felt invisible.
How do you take boat transportation to geyser point?
We were very much looking forward to eating lunch at Geyser and traveled to the hotel specifically for this purpose. We arrived about ten minutes before the restaurant’s posted opening time. Thirty minutes later, Geyser hadn’t opened and we saw no activity or cast members inside or out, so we left before even more of our day was lost.
Hello Tom
Several people are asking your recommendation to travel by boat after park closing to try this restaurant.
I would also like to know because that burger and brisket both sound delicious.
Please check for comments.
Thanks
Sounds lovely but I don’t understand how to access it at 9:00 pm since the parks close earlier than that unless you are staying onsite.
This is my question as well! How does boat transportation work after park closings??
If you’re going late, you’d probably want to drive or use Uber/Lyft. Consider taking the boat there from Magic Kingdom, and then using ride share to get back to your hotel.
we also loved the bison burger when we were there a few years back. Do you happen to know if Geyser Point has the NFL ticket to be able to show ALL nfl games on a Sunday?
So this is very high on the list of gotta do now. Bison burger sounds superb. Can I get the portobello salad and steak without the portobello? Sorry, but I don’t eat a decay mechanism if it can be avoided (by any means necessary). The smoked turkey might be good too.
We love Geyser Point! I rank it up there with Sanaa as a “restaurant that influences where I decide to stay” if I were doing a resort heavy vacation. There is nothing like lounging by the lake for dinner. I remember being very pleasantly surprised by the options on the menu. I was expecting pub food (yes I pre-judged). It far exceeds that!
Love Geyser Point ! We took an afternoon break from the Magic Kingdom and took the boat over and had a relaxing afternoon having drinks at the bar. It is wonderful and we will be going back next time we are at Disney.
Love Geyser Point, to the extent that we eat there at least a couple of times each time we visit WDW even though we stay at OKW.
We went there last year and it’s our favorite dining experience by far. The open air feel makes it feel authentic and enjoyable. Not a typical Florida resort feel. Lil ducks came to the table and the children loved it. Very rare to be seated next to the water. We sat on the couches and had wine and yummy food. My fav restaurant by far at Disney, and we have been to quite a lot! What a great enhancement to WL.
Our favorite place for a lunch or mid day break. In pre-COVID times, so convenient just to take the boat right over there from MK. I love having a drink or two looking at the lake. I also love any reason to head over to Wilderness Lodge and look around.
Loved the atmosphere. Ordered the charcuterie board and was thoroughly disappointed. The bread on the board was inedible. Way too hard! Chef doesn’t care. He doesn’t have to eat it… Far below Disney standards.
The Cheesy Barbeque Brisket, Fish and Chips (special), Elysian Dragonstooth Stout, and Huckleberry Punch were delicious! We were there during a cold snap in January, and the staff brought around blankets. The bison burger ended up getting cold quickly due to the wind, so it was good but not great. Overall, it was a great place for some downtime before heading back to the parks.
We LOVED Geyser Point Grill! The Cheesy Brisket alone is worth the trip! I probably had it once a day while we were there – either for lunch or dinner! Truly delicious. Once I asked for toast on the side (it comes with tasty chips) and it made the perfect sandwich. Pair it with a pina colada and the lagoon-side setting, and I am in HEAVEN.
I’m going for a Disney World trip in December and wanted to stop by the Wilderness Lodge to see the Christmas decor. I had planned on taking everyone to Geyser Point for a casual dinner. It looked like a peaceful spot to hang out and we could grab some delicious burgers at an affordable price. I’m a bit worried about the temperatures though. Has anyone seen any heaters come out at night? We may just try to eat earlier to still get a good outside temperature, but I’ almost thinking we should just bite the bullet and make reservations at Artist Point. Whispering Canyon is definitely out of the running. It’s way too chaotic for my older dad. If anyone has any insight on how Geyser Point might address cold weather, I’d appreciate the help!
The bar has many, many heaters attached to the roof. Believe me, the restaurant has anticipated the lake effect.
Awesome! Thank you so much for the help!
Thanks for another timely post. Though we’ve only stayed at WL once (back in the pre-internet days of dial-up modem email deals, when we got a room for $139 per night!) we love an excuse to hang out there. This sounds like a perfect spot to enjoy the WIlderness vibe. Happy Thanksgiving, Sarah and Tom!
We loved Geyser Point! On a no-ticket day, we stopped here for lunch on our grand Resort Tour. Under $40 for 2 people to eat PLUS a beer each was a pretty good deal for Disney standards. One of us got a burger, and the other wings (which I don’t see listed on the menu). Both choices were delish! It was SUPER windy, but we still enjoyed being outside and lakefront! We will definitely be back!
Geyser Point Bar & Grill really elevates the Wilderness Lodge. We went there several times on our September trip.
And I’m sure we’ll return for stays at the the WL more often than before due to it & the fantastically upgraded pool right next door.
It was too windy and buggy when I was there in October so we did not eat there but we still ordered drinks. I had an Elysian Space Dust IPA (a fantastic strong IPA) and watched the Electrical Water Pageant fully for first time in my many visits to WDW. This maybe my new favorite spot to watch the Pageant.
As far as public spaces go, I’d agree regarding Electrical Water Pageant. Tough to beat a balcony at one of the resorts, but then again, it is not tough to beat not paying $$$$ for a room at one of them!
This reads a little pessimistic. My wife and I love this spot and immediately put it near the top of our favorite lounges at WDW. I loved the open air feel, the seating, and the view of the lake. It throws off a very serene vibe. Having a nice drink menu set (and secret drink) is a really nice bonus.
I re-read it and definitely see how it could come across that way, but that wasn’t even remotely my intent.
We love the ambiance at Geyser Point, and while the food menu leaves something to be desired, the atmosphere totally makes up for that. I’ve tweaked a bit of the language in the review to make that clear, so thanks for your comment!
Don’t change it on my account – it’s not the Josh K. Tourist Blog. (: We certainly haven’t tried the food there. Also I think that “open air bar in Orlando in July” can be a tough theme to sell. We visited in June and September 2017 and in the latter visit, it was hotter than hell and damnation and we had to give in and head to Territory.
That said, it does afford something a lot of the lounges at WDW don’t: space. I like that there is a lot of room to spread out and not feel like you are sitting in on other peoples conversations or getting squeezed for space – rare by Disney standards.
Overall, I think it as a lot going for it and it really enhances the Wilderness Lodge.
Keep up the awesome work, Tom!