Review: The Plaza Restaurant at Magic Kingdom
The Plaza Restaurant is the cheapest table service restaurant in Magic Kingdom, located at the end of Main Street USA with views of Cinderella Castle. In this Walt Disney World dining review, we’ll share food photos, a look inside, thoughts on cuisine quality and value for money. (Updated August 20, 2022.)
Directly next door to the Ice Cream Parlor, the Plaza Restaurant is located in a high traffic area of Magic Kingdom. Despite this, for years it was never too busy and operated on a walk-up basis. It was one of Walt Disney World’s more casual in-park restaurants that was easy to do at the last minute.
You might notice that this is all past tense. A lot has changed about the Plaza Restaurant in the last several years, with the restaurant expanding its Advance Dining Reservations and also seeing a sharp spike in popularity. It’s now fairly common to see a crowd congregate outside waiting to be seated at the Plaza Restaurant, whereas several years ago, there were almost always empty tables inside.
Another thing that has changed is the menu. The Plaza Restaurant seems to be perpetually tweaking its options, adding and removing items more than most locations in Magic Kingdom. We’ve seen a lot come and go over the years, from the beloved Fried Green Tomato Sandwich to the Monte Cristo.
At its core, the Plaza Restaurant’s menu has remained relatively constant in terms of cuisine. The food is mostly American greasy spoon and soda-fountain classics, and is actually a lot like the Magic Kingdom’s version of Beaches & Cream.
In terms of ambiance, the Plaza Restaurant is basically a simplistic soda fountain with Victorian and Art Nouveau stylings. Its interior is very light and airy, with a lot of natural light plus some pretty, yet understated design flourishes.
It’s not going to win any awards for being one of the best themed restaurants at Walt Disney World, but I would definitely call its design intimate and charming. It’s perfect for Main Street, having just the right amount of detail and personality.
While these interior photos of the Plaza Restaurant might look appealing, keep in mind that these were taken without other guests around. When you’re actually dining here, that most definitely will not be the case unless you get the very first seating of the day, which is when I took these.
In actuality, the restaurant can be chaotic and crowded during peak dining hours. Tables are spaced just a bit too close together and the venue is noisy. This is hardly unique to the Plaza Restaurant, and is pretty much par for the course at Magic Kingdom–with only a couple of exceptions.
Window tables at the Plaza Restaurant will give you this view of Cinderella Castle.
With that said, this is the idealized low-crowds version of the view. In reality, there will be a steady stream of people passing by outside. That’s actually the best-case scenario, with it being equally likely that others with Plaza Restaurant ADRs will be loitering right outside the windows. For that reason, we typically don’t bother with requesting a window table.
We have dined at the Plaza Restaurant probably a dozen times, and were not initially sold on the place. It was one of those hyped up restaurants that many people sang the praises of, due to its regular availability and low cost as compared to other table service restaurants at Walt Disney World.
Even though we hadn’t been impressed with our first couple of meals there, we have returned, partly given the overall quality (or lack thereof) of counter service restaurants in the Magic Kingdom. Over time, it’s grown on us and we’ve become big fans of the place…despite removing menu items we grew to love and perpetual price increases. That’s progress, I guess!Â
For our latest meal, we started with the Chili: Pinto Bean Chili served with Cashew Cream and Lime Wedge.
Sarah wasn’t overly impressed by this chili, finding it to be a bit too watery and not having a robust flavor. I was more or less indifferent to it. It was fine, but not something I’m in a rush to order again. (Then again, that’s exactly what I expected–unless a place specializes in chili, it tends to be mediocre.)
The big question: what would Walt think? Since he loved canned canned chili, I’m guessing Walt Disney would’ve approved of this mediocre bowl of chili. Perhaps that was the Magic Kingdom culinary team’s goal all along? Making a middling chili that would’ve garnered Walt’s blessing?
For her entree, Sarah ordered the Steak Salad: Seared Spiced Sirloin served on Iceberg and Romaine Lettuce with Gorgonzola Cheese, Tomatoes, Slivered Apples, and Bell Peppers, topped with Fried Onions and Spiced Vinaigrette Dressing.
This steak was overcooked and simply okay (neither tender nor tough). Pretty much a ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of dish. You should be able to tell from the photo whether this appeals to you or not. We would not recommend it.
I ordered the The Main Street Burger: 7oz All-Beef Patty topped with Cheddar, House-made Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Sunny-side Up Egg, Beer-battered Onion Ring, and Roasted Poblano-Mayonnaise served on a Flour-dusted Kaiser Bun.
This was definitely the highlight of our meal at the Plaza Restaurant, and probably of our last few meals there.
In just about every way, this is a ‘by the books’ soda shop burger. Good quality ingredients and beef that are better than the norm for Walt Disney World, but not necessarily gourmet or inventive.
For me, the bun and egg were the kicker. I love fried egg on my burgers, but adding one almost always results in a messy burger that falls apart. Not so here, as the oversized Kaiser bun was surprisingly resilient. That alone elevated this burger and the experience of eating it. Again, nothing revolutionary or envelope-pushing, but sometimes a solid burger served on the heart of Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom is more than enough. That was the case here, and I’d highly recommend this as a result.
Here it is, your moment of zen: Figaro Fries (known here as the “Plaza Loaded Fries”). Longtime Disney fans know that Figaro is a cat. Well, he/it is also some glorious fries. For those who are new to the Disney scene, Figaro Fries used to be served at Pinocchio’s Village Haus, but disappeared long ago.
These were the Magic Kingdom culinary counterpart to the Dole Whip for fans of savory snacks in the era before social media really got big. They have been named one of the most-missed extinct foods at Walt Disney World since, and for good reason.
If this little beauties don’t make you shed a tear of joy, your heart must be frozen.
Sarah has been trying to get us to eat healthy (something I want no part of, naturally), and upon seeing these, I suggested that they were basically a salad given the lettuce, tomatoes, and whatnot. You might try taking a similar approach to justify ordering them. I can’t promise it will work.
My only complaint is that they didn’t just go total fan-service and name them “Figaro Fries.” It’s not like it would be off-theme or some grave offense. Now that we have Figaro Fries back, maybe we can get BeaverTails back in Epcot? Now that would be the ultimate victory!
Prior to our most recent meal at the Plaza Restaurant in mid-August 2022, we’ve dined here a lot and experienced tons of menu changes over the years. As there’s always the possibility that some of these items will return, we’ll run through a few of them now with quick thoughts.
First up is the Fried Green Tomato Sandwich, which was on the menu for a while pre-closure and was a fan favorite. Sarah loved this, and felt it was a light, refreshing option on a hot day when you don’t want a salad, or as a vegetarian option. It was on par with a lot of counter service restaurant options in terms of price–for something of far better quality. (Which might’ve been why it was removed!)
Another time, Sarah ordered the Vegetarian Sandwich, consisting of Fresh Mozzarella, Hummus, Basil Pesto, Cucumber, Roasted Red Pepper, Tomato, and lettuce on Freshly Baked Focaccia with choice of Broccoli Slaw, Homemade Chips, or French Fries.
She described this as being really flavorful thanks to the basil pesto and mozzarella, which tied the sandwich together nicely and gave it a much more robust taste than an ordinary vegetable sandwich. As far as “healthy” theme park dining goes, this is a great option.
Another favorite of mine was the Kentucky Turkey Hot Brown Sandwich.
This was also removed around the time the parks closed, and hasn’t returned since. I’m still holding out hope that it’ll be back if/when the menu expands, as this was the ultimate indulgence.
Speaking of things that are still missing from Magic Kingdom, one thing we used to love about doing lunch at the Plaza Restaurant was that the Citizens of Main Street would routinely drop in to sing “Happy Birthday” to a guest or partake in pranks. During one such experience, a child at the table next to us was anointed Main Street USA Mayor (due to the kidnapping of the normal mayor–and theft of his fishing gear!).
This clearly made his day, and it’s always nice to see sweet interactions like this. These moments aren’t advertised on any park map, and they don’t pull first-timers to Walt Disney World the same way Space Mountain or Frozen Ever After do, but they are the core of the Disney experience. These are the little things that make lifelong fans out of people. I’m sure that boy will be bragging about this to all of his friends at school, and his parents will be sharing the photos from this for years to come.
It’s easy to get caught up in being cynical about too much CGI in Soarin’ or annoyed by this price increase or that. However, at the end of the day, anyone who has been going to Walt Disney World for years probably has had a special experience like this. It’s those heartwarming moments that keep pulling us back, and remind us of why we fell in love with the place to begin with.
The Plaza Restaurant always has a few different ice cream sundae options, which are usually pretty similar to the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor next door.
If you’re after a basic ice cream sundae, these will do the trick. Just keep your expectations in check, as these are basic ingredients and simply off the shelf Edy’s ice cream. Personally, I think there are better snacks in Magic Kingdom–even at counter service restaurants.
The Plaza Restaurant typically has one shareable sundae that’s meant to serve 2-4 people.
Unlike the Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream, this is entirely “normal” ingredients, consisting of hand-scooped chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream drizzled with hot fudge, strawberry, and caramel sauces and topped with chocolate and peanut butter chips, whipped cream, and cherries.
Overall, the Plaza Restaurant is now somewhere I’d highly recommend to others not wanting to do counter service, and instead contemplating the limited table service options in the Magic Kingdom. I still think some of the menu options are nothing special, but there are at least a couple that are excellent, and most (at the very least) are going to be superior to what you’ll find at a counter service restaurant for just a bit more money.
That’s what’s important to remember here: this is a table service restaurant, but it costs significantly less than all other sit-down dining in Magic Kingdom. The Plaza Restaurant is more expensive than it used to be an definitely no longer a “counter service+” restaurant (which is what we used to consider it), but it’s still cheaper than every other table service spot in Magic Kingdom. That alone makes it a good option for many guests.
However, it’s not going to be for everyone. If you have limited time in the Magic Kingdom, it may not be worth the added time it will take you to sit down at this restaurant and be served, and the tip you’ll pay for the service on top of the food. On vacations when time is a precious commodity, the Plaza Restaurant just might not bring enough to the table to justify the use of that precious commodity.
Yes, the burger is great, but other items are so-so, and it certainly lacks the impressive theming found at other Walt Disney World restaurants. In short, the Plaza Restaurant is a crowd-pleaser and that’ll make it appealing to many families, but it’s that same lack of distinct theme or memorable cuisine will make it skippable for many others. Even as Walt Disney World regulars, we go back and forth on the Plaza Restaurant based on mood and the kind of meal we want–sometimes it hits the spot, other times it does not!
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Your Thoughts
Have you dined at the Plaza Restaurant in Magic Kingdom? Do you view the Plaza Restaurant as one of Walt Disney World’s hidden gems or think it’s overrated and overpriced for what it is? What dishes do you like here? Do you agree or disagree with our restaurant 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!
They need to import some fried chicken from the west coast!
Sadly, I agree with you 100%! The Plaza Restaurant used to be a favorite of mine and we would make a reservation at 180 days out for every visit. Unfortunately, the last few times we have gone there, it has really gone downhill. The service has been ridiculously slow even when the place was half empty. Even the servers didn’t seem to have their usual Disney pep and enthusiasm. Not to mention the food. I generally like plain food, but The Plaza’s food, has seemed exceptionally bland and flavorless. I’m hoping they turn it around. I would love to give it another chance once I see some good reviews again!
I agree with your review, The Plaza just seems overrated. I have been there twice and doubt I will return for a third meal. The first time, my burger was cold and we were packed in so tightly our server couldn’t refill our drinks easily or quickly. The second time I had a glorified deli sandwich on semi stale bread and had a drink spilled on me. I could have gotten a better quality sandwich at Publix for half the price. Yes, I know it’s Disney and it’s theme park food but it’s for those reasons that I hold them to a higher standard. Overall, I haven’t been impressed with sit-down food at the Magic Kingdom. I’d rather get a hot dog at Casey’s and save my money to splurge on a nice meal at EPCOT or Hollywood Studios.
You had me up until you mentioned Casey’s! 😉
I would likely rate this average. Its not awful food. We stopped here on our last trip and used our Deluxe Dining Plan, mostly because we were too full for another big meal. My main reason for responding is because of the remarks about Tony’s. I actually really enjoy Tony’s. I live in St. Louis which is infamous for our Italian, and im certainly not saying its great italian food, but its actually pretty good. Especially the calamari and Tiramisu (actually one of the best I have had). There pistachio gelato actually isn’t bad either.
We would go to The Plaza every time we came to Disney in the 90’s. My father and I religiously ordered the Ruben with German potato salad. We thought it was delicious but in recent years we have found the quality of food to be much lower and left feeling like it has “lost its magic”. I know my father had to save all year for our yearly trip and we took many shortcuts so we could go (yes I carried a can soda in my fanny pack) and this was a cheaper place to eat maybe that is why we came so much. Now that I have been bringing my own children The Plaza just doesn’t do it for us, my dad included. If we need a quick eat and there isn’t a wait then it’s ok but I wouldn’t be sad if I missed out on it.
It serves the purpose of allowing you to relax and be waited on for very reasonable prices and food that non-foodies will find appealing.
Agree completely with your review. Though I would caution to not bother comparing burgers from anywhere else on property to B&C or you will always end up disappointed.
If you want to use it to it’s full potential order a dessert or drink only and sit and enjoy the view. That is the only thing that makes it worth a second look – the food is not.
We ate there about 2 years and it was exactly how you described it! It took way too long for not great food! We haven’t been back since.
Sounds like we’re in the minority!
We ate at The Plaza on our last full day at WDW just a month ago. And I have to say that I was so happy with out experience there. We have a difficult time dining anywhere (even outside of WDW) because my daughter has a tree nut allergy. We had mixed experiences at WDW in dealing with the allergy issue (but that’s for another reply). The Plaza was the best experience we had. The chef, Connie, came to our table to discuss my dd’s allergy. When my daughter (9 Years old but with a sophisticated palate) expressed disinterest in any of the meals on the children’s menu (which she’d been forced to eat since we’d been on the dining plan), the chef told my daughter she’d make anything she wanted. My daughter requested a chef salad. Chef Connie made my daughter the most amazing chef salad we have ever seen. It was enormous and so amazingly delicious. Yes, I sneaked a few bites. My own salad was just as huge and just as delicious. My husband was also thrilled with his meal.
The three of us ordered dessert but I can honestly say that none of us finished them because the dessert portions were just as large as our dinners were. Amazingly delicious, as well. Chef Connie gave my daughter sugar cookies, nut free of course, to take with her since she wasn’t able to finish her dessert.
Unlike the staff at every single counter service restaurant we tried, Chef Connie knew exactly what was in every bit of food in her restaurant. She knew what my daughter could and couldn’t eat. And she went out of her way to give us a wonderful dining experience. When we sent a thank you note back to the kitchen to thank Connie for our wonderful meal, my daughter received a glowing Tinkerbell and her own note as a thank you for our thank you. Tink now flies over my daughter’s bed as a nightly reminder of our trip to Disney and, of course, our dinner at The Plaza.
So, no, The Plaza will never be Le Cellier. But sometimes, there’s much more than ambiance and a good steak that makes a fabulous dining experience.
I don’t think anyone is expecting it to be Le Cellier (or a high caliber table service restaurant). I don’t think it was much of a step up from counter service.
Your story is a great one, and I can understand why you’d like it more because of that. Just realize that you can find stories like this for–literally–every single Walt Disney World restaurant. Above and beyond service is, thankfully, not all that uncommon at WDW. That said, isolated incidents of great service don’t make a restaurant great.
The turkey club is on the sour dough and the turkey sandwich is on the multigrain(both have bacon,lettuce and mayo, but the turkey sammie has 2 slices of bread instead of 3 in the club). Burgers are good too but they usually undercook in our experiance. We eat here every trip. To me it is a lunch type place. I don’t use a dining plan credit if on the plan. But it is a MUST DO! They also have great soups. The fries and the new housemade chips are soooo good if hubby orders chips I get fries. So we can have both. Usually too full for dessert but the times we got sundaes they were yummmm. The only complaint is some of the tables are too close. Once the server even thought we were with the people next to us and took my order and then tried to take the other girls order. Kinda funny but not at the same time.
If you try The Plaza again, and decide to try the club again, be sure to order it on the multi-grain bread. This is what they used to serve it on, and when they switched to the sourdough bread it was yucky!
For me, the love of The Plaza is that I can get a sit-down meal that’s not a buffet and get out of the heat and rest my feet a bit. Perhaps this may change with the opening of Be Our Guest?
I’ve never eaten here because the menu is limited to mostly sandwiches. It seems very pricey for just a sandwich. Is it really any better than the counter services? The meat loaf is the only entree on the menu that’s not a sandwich; I would like to see a few other things offered. But it is someplace I’ve always wanted to try. Can anyone convince me why I should? We usually use the dining plan, and this doesn’t seen like a good use of a dining credit.
I ate here for the first time in June 2011 and liked it alot. I really like the ambiance, but it definetly is a bit small and the tables are close together. I had the reuben and my girlfriend had the strawbery salad, both were excellent and it was one of the best meals I have ever had at MK and at reasonable price. We had a window table and a beautiful view of the castle. Give this place a try again!
We’ll have to give it another try–thanks for the tip!
I’ve had hit and miss experiences at Plaza. Growing up, it has always been a favorite but the older my brother & I got, the less we ate there. I ate at the Plaza back in May (2011) and it was extremely busy the day I ate there. My waitress was an absolute DOLL. I recently, at that point anyway, had to make some serious diet changes due to being diagnosed with Kidney Stone Disease so she worked with my shyness about my diet restrictions. At the time, I was not comfortable with saying I had dietary restrictions to the point of needing to speak with the Chef, but she was more than willing to accommodate me in any way that she could. That time my food was actually pretty awesome. Fast forward to July of 2011 and my opinion changed. I was eating with my friend Christa who had met me after work for dinner and it was not the best experience. I was still experimenting with foods to eat within my diet situation (mainly, no meat and low sodium and not due to choice. Thanks purines and high uric acid levels!). I specifically asked how the veggie burger was. Was it the consistency and thickness of the regular hamburgers or was it a typical thin veggie burger? I know it’s silly, but for me, the texture makes a huge difference. Our waiter had no real explanation and that should have given me a clue. When the burger arrived I tried desperately to continue to eat it, but honestly, it was absolutely hard as a rock. I was pretty sure it was flash frozen in rock. Christa forced me to send it back and I reluctantly did so and ordered the veggie sandwich. The first time I had the sandwich was AWESOME, the second was absolutely horrible. I will probably eat at Plaza again in a pinch, but I thoroughly enjoy Cinderella’s Royal Table, Liberty Tree, and Crystal Palace enough to always choose those first. Even Tony’s! And quite frankly, when you have the GF, WL, Poly, and Contemporary THAT close, you really have even more dining options for the Magic Kingdom than the Plaza!
I’ll defend your review. I’ve been to Plaza twice. Both times the food was . . . fine. Like you said, nothing bad, but nothing to make me blacklist the place (like Tony’s).
However, the service is VERY slow. It took an hour for my cup of soup and sandwich.
The only part of your review I disagree with is that it’s not very busy. Both times I’ve been there for lunch it’s been MOBBED. And the place is really small, so it’s also very loud with all those people.
With a TiW discount it’s not much more expensive than CS, but I still won’t rush back there. Won’t rule it out either.
Agreed completely. I guess it being slow was just the day we went–I was shocked by that, so I definitely believe you that it gets busier.
Comparing this place to to “one of the few restaurants in its class, the stand-out Beaches and Cream” is an automatic setup for disappointment. Can you even imagine if this place was near as good as B&C? Talk about a 180-day-out-or-you’re-out-of-luck type place THAT would be. Holy. Cow.
The burgers (IMO) are better than Pecos/Ray’s. Not by a lot, but by enough that I don’t mind spending a little more. The fries are much better. The drinks get refilled. The food comes on plates and with metal silverware. The room holds many fewer screaming children than any counter service. All of that adds up to why I think this place is worth a visit.
We had pre-booked so were taken very timeously and the food I had was fine, nothing great but nothing spectacular. To be honest I really like Burgers so you have to go some way to wreck that. What made it suck for me was the service from our waiter. At best it was slow at worst it was disinterested but the doozy came when he brought me the wrong dessert but asked if I would rather not have that anyway….’no sunshine, I would not!’ was about as polite as I could be at that point. Glad I tried it though but its on the never again list and not many make it there after only 1 experience
I agree with you totally! I was not impressed at all and lacked the magic that some of the other sit down restaurants in Walt Disney World have.
Gorgeous top photo!!! I also ate here for the first time in Dec 2010. We actually enjoyed it! I can totally see what you mean though…about it being counter service quality and not worth the waste of time. We ate here in the big freeze of Dec 2010 though and it was about 50 degrees at MK that day, so we actually enjoyed the “wasted time” sitting inside somewhere warm. The ice cream desserts and milk shakes looked great, but yeah, entrees were kind of “ehh…”
Oh and I should add that we were last-minute walk-ups and seated within 5 minutes…which also led to our enjoyment of the place!
We have positive experiences there. We have dined there twice (Mar 2011 and June 2011). In June, Disney lost our reservation and made arrangements for us to get in very close to our reservation time and we did. (They thought there was something with the time in what they emailed and what went into their computers due to a time change).
The food was good and the service was good. The server even told us where Disney buys their cheesecakes….Gasp! I know….I thought they were made with pixie dust.
I fully expect this to be one of the “least agreed with” reviews on the site, but even though I hear rave reviews about the place, I still review based solely on my experiences. None of us were impressed. We are not dining snobs (we love Cosmic Ray’s and Sunshine Seasons, after all!), but this was just nothing to write home about.
If anyone is considering dining here, I hope they read the comments, too, and not just my text. Just because it wasn’t for us doesn’t mean it’s not for anyone. A lot of people really LOVE The Plaza!
This place is horrible. My husband has diabetes and they turned him away at the door. We explained he took insulin and that he needed to get some food right away (even a quick sandwich to go) and again was turned down even by the manager. What a poor establishment– certainly does not represent Disney’s reputation. They said people make reservations 6 months in advance. Give me a break! We’re from NYC and real restaurants not these wanna be eateries would take anyone right away who has taken insulin and needs food. This is a overpriced ice cream parlor type restaurant who has no regard or respect for people w/conditions. Don’t waste your money there! Shame on you Disney!!!!!!
So…what I’m gathering from this is that you didn’t actually eat here?
Not to be insensitive to your husband’s condition, but why wouldn’t you just go to a counter service restaurant to get food? I strongly suspect that a fully-booked table service restaurant in New York City would similarly turn you away. I could see it if there weren’t other restaurants in the immediate vicinity, but there are counter service restaurants literally yards away.