Open & Closed Restaurants at Disney World (Late 2023)
This list of open & closed restaurants at Walt Disney World covers what’s operating in Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and resort hotels. We update this regularly, with info on what’s coming soon, newly reopened, temporarily closing, and more. (Updated October 13, 2023.)
The good news is that the vast majority of noteworthy dining options at Walt Disney World have now reopened. Last year, restaurants reopened on a near-weekly basis. This included several Signature Restaurants, hidden gem counter service spots, and most buffets. On top of that, table service restaurants started filling more tables, improving their efficiency, and seating more guests per day.
On another positive note, Walt Disney World’s culinary teams aren’t quite as understaffed as they were the last two years. This is one of the big reasons why restaurants are able to fill more tables and increase their capacity. The same is also true at character dining experiences, where tables were removed to allow more clearance between characters and guests. That’s good news for those trying to score Advance Dining Reservations or walk-up availability.
Most Advance Dining Reservations are still more competitive than pre-closure, but many ADRs are getting easier to book. Some are still elusive, especially for larger parties. As such, it’s recommended that you book bright and early 60 days beforehand–and even that might not be good enough. These include Story Book Dining at Artist Point, Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ, Space 220 Restaurant, California Grill, and a handful of other locations.
If you don’t make ADRs that far in advance, check out our Top 10 Tips for Difficult ADRs at Walt Disney World. With the exception of new or newly-reopened restaurants, we make the vast majority of our ADRs only a few days in advance (or even the same-day). This covers some of our hacks for reserving restaurants on shorter notice.
In more “mixed” news, the Disney Dining Plan will return in 2024. This is great for Walt Disney World fans who love that pre-paid meal plan, but it’ll also increase demand for table service restaurants. The positive of this is that it could be another catalyst for Walt Disney World to restore missing meal services or bring back some of the remaining restaurants that are still closed. The negative of it is that ADRs could once again become more competitive.
With that out of the way, let’s start with some other updates…
Coming Soon
- Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs (BoardWalk)- Late 2023
- Cake Bake Shop (BoardWalk) – Spring 2024
- EET by Maneet Chauhan (Disney Springs) – Late 2023
- Narcoossee’s – Reopened on October 13, 2023
- Pirates of the Caribbean Lounge (Magic Kingdom) – TBD
- Summer House on the Lake (Disney Springs) – Late 2023 or Early 2024
Technically not ‘coming soon’ as it reopened on the date of this update, but Narcoossee’s is back as of October 13, 2023. This was a brief closure to make kitchen upgrades that couldn’t be accomplished during the reimagining that was completed earlier this year. Either way Narcoossee’s is back (again).
The only other update is that Summer House on the Lake is still slated for a Late 2023 opening, allegedly. We had this pegged as slipping into Early 2024…and still think there’s a very good possibility of that…but the restaurant group contends that it’s on schedule to open this holiday season!
Permanently Closed
- ESPN Club
- Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show
Current Closures
Magic Kingdom
- Aunt Polly’s Dockside Inn
- Tomorrowland Terrace
Both of these have been seasonal for the last decade-plus, but neither have operated at all in the last 3 years. Normally, these would open for the weeks around peak season dates. That’s possible again for Thanksgiving or Christmas 2023, but unlikely before then. Even if it does return, Tomorrowland Terrace would only be open for lunch due to fireworks dessert parties in the evening.
EPCOT
- Restaurant Marrakesh
Located deep in World Showcase’s Morocco pavilion, Restaurant Marrakesh is used as a free lounge during the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. So it definitely won’t reopen until December 2023 at the absolute earliest. More realistically, it probably won’t open until mid-2024 and maybe not even then.
Our expectation is that, whenever it does return, it’ll be a different concept. Disney took ownership of the Morocco pavilion a few years ago, and has quietly changed a lot since then. Turning this into Aladdin character dining to increase its popularity makes too much sense for Walt Disney World not to do it.
Resort Restaurants
- 1900 Park Fare (Grand Floridian)
- Garden View Tea Room (Grand Floridian)
- Cape Town Lounge & Wine Bar (Animal Kingdom Lodge)
Grand Floridian is currently in the midst of a large-scale reimagining, and this is expected to encompass 1900 Park Fare and the Garden View Tea Room. That project has now moved into the main building, with work being done on the lobby. However, it will not conclude in 2023 as previously anticipated, instead pausing for the popular holiday season and resuming in early 2024. As such, we do not expect either 1900 Park Fare or Garden View Tea Room to return until at least Spring 2024. (And again, that’s at the earliest.)
Missing Meals
- Be Our Guest Restaurant – Breakfast
- Be Our Guest Restaurant – Counter Service Lunch
- Brunch at California Grill
- Plaza Restaurant – Breakfast
- Trattoria al Forno – Bon Voyage Character Breakfast
Be Our Guest Restaurant is still doing its prix fixe dinner rather than 3 distinct meals. However, its popularity has decreased dramatically over the course of 2023, so we’re optimistic that it might return to normal at some point in 2024.
While open, Trattoria al Forno is doing a standard breakfast rather than its Bon Voyage Character Dining Experience. The major impediment to this returning and other character meals extending their hours is (still) staffing shortages. Fortunately, Cast Member morale is starting to improve and turnover is decreasing, so Walt Disney World should finally be able to hire and retain enough Cast Members to restore operational normalcy.
This is also why, for example, breakfast has been so slow to return to restaurants all around Walt Disney World. There’s more than enough demand to sell out of ADRs for all three meals well in advance–Disney is not voluntarily leaving money on the table; they don’t have enough Cast Members to work the shifts necessary to open for breakfast and lunch.
With all of that out of the way, here are the restaurants that are open at Walt Disney World as of Late 2023…
Magic Kingdom Open Restaurants List
- Adventureland Spring Roll Cart
- Aloha Isle
- Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies
- Be Our Guest Restaurant
- Casey’s Corner
- Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Cheshire Cafe
- Columbia Harbour House
- Cool Ship
- Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
- Crystal Palace
- Diamond Horseshoe
- Frontierland Churro Cart
- Gaston’s Tavern
- Golden Oak Outpost
- Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
- Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
- Liberty Square Market
- Liberty Tree Tavern
- Lunching Pad
- Main Street Bakery
- Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
- Pinocchio Village Haus
- Plaza Ice Cream Parlor
- Plaza Restaurant
- Prince Eric’s Village Market
- Sleepy Hollow
- Storybook Treats
- Sunshine Tree Terrace
- Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
- Tortuga Tavern
- Westward Ho
Again, Be Our Guest Restaurant is offering an ‘all-day’ table service menu previously reserved for dinner. That means breakfast is discontinued, as is the counter service lunch. You can read more about this experience in our Be Our Guest Restaurant Prix Fixe Dinner Review.
Animal Kingdom Open Restaurants List
- Anandapur Ice Cream Truck
- Creature Comforts
- Dawa Bar
- Dino-Bite Snacks
- Dino Diner
- Eight Spoon Cafe
- Flame Tree Barbecue
- Harambe Fruit Market
- Harambe Market
- Isle of Java
- Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery
- Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
- Mahindi
- Mr. Kamal’s
- Nomad Lounge
- Pizzafari
- Pongu Pongu
- Rainforest Cafe
- Restaurantosaurus
- Satu’li Canteen
- Smiling Crocodile
- Tamu Tamu Refreshments
- Terra Treats
- Thirsty River Bar & Trek Snacks
- Tiffins Restaurant
- Trilo-Bites
- Tusker House Restaurant
- Warung Outpost
- Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes
- Yak & Yeti Restaurant
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Open List
- 50’s Prime Time Café
- ABC Commissary
- Anaheim Produce
- Backlot Express
- BaseLine Tap House
- Catalina Eddie’s
- Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
- Dockside Diner
- Epic Eats
- Fairfax Fare
- The Hollywood Brown Derby
- The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge
- Hollywood Scoops (Seasonal)
- Hollywood & Vine
- Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
- Kat Saka’s Kettle
- KRNR Rock Station Food Truck
- Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano
- Milk Stand
- Municiberg Neighborhood Bakery
- Peevy’s Polar Pipeline
- PizzeRizzo
- Ronto Roasters
- Rosie’s All-American Café
- Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant
- Sunshine Day Bar
- Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ
- The Trolley Car Café
- Tune-In Lounge
- Woody’s Lunch Box
EPCOT Open Restaurants List
- Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
- Biergarten Restaurant
- Block & Hans Fine American Ale
- Choza de Margarita
- Cool Wash
- Coral Reef Restaurant
- Crepes des Chefs de France
- Epcot Festival Marketplaces
- Fife & Drum Tavern
- Funnel Cake
- Garden Grill Restaurant
- Gelati
- Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
- Joy of Tea
- Kabuki Café
- Katsura Grill
- Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe
- L’Artisan des Glaces
- La Cantina de San Angel
- La Cava de Tequila
- La Hacienda de San Angel
- The Land Cart
- Le Cellier Steakhouse
- Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie
- Lotus Blossom Cafe
- Monsieur Paul
- Nine Dragons Restaurant
- Pizza al Taglio – Via Napoli Pizza Window
- Popcorn in Canada
- Refreshment Outpost
- Refreshment Port
- Regal Eagle’s Distinctly Patriotic Smokehouse: A Salute to All Foods, But Mostly Barbecued Meats ~ A Sam Eagle Craft Drafts & BBQ Joint
- Rose & Crown Dining Room
- Rose & Crown Pub
- San Angel Inn Restaurante
- Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya
- Sommerfest
- Space 220 Restaurant
- Spice Road Table
- Sunshine Seasons
- Takumi-Tei
- Tangierine Cafe (festival location)
- Teppan Edo
- Traveler’s Café
- Tutto Italia Ristorante
- Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar
- UK Beer Cart
- Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria
- Yorkshire County Fish Shop
Even though the overwhelming majority of restaurants have reopened, it doesn’t always “feel” that way at Walt Disney World–especially to those who enjoy the unique dining experiences. Here’s hoping more normalcy to restaurants returns in 2024. We’ll keep you posted with regular updates here!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about this list of restaurants that are reopening and remaining closed at Walt Disney World? Any closures that disappoint you? What about pleasant surprises? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? 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!
Tom, have you heard the rumor about a “new concept” for Monsieur Paul?
Elaine we are hoping the garden grill and.Crystal Palace will be opening for character breakfast soon they are such a miss
Heard that Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar was being used for additional seating for Tutto Italia Ristorante last year rather than their traditional lounge setup with wine flights and small plates. Is this still the case or are things back to normal in the wine cellar section?
I’m really hoping that Jiko’s will be open before our trip in May or at least open for our trip in December 2022 as we are staying at AKL DVC. I also LOVE Turf Club and am waiting for that to open – and recreation to resume – before I book at SSR again. Any word on when recreation will be back at resorts? We have so much fun doing all the offerings at the various resorts such as sample South African wines at AKL, draw Disney characters with a CM and get a special pin, participate in fun runs such as the Derby Dash at SSR, see purple martins and learn about them with a CM, play trivia at the bar outside of Turf Club… All SO much fun and reasonably priced!
Any rumors about Akershus Royal Banquet Hall? Was hoping to go there during our trip in April!
Planning a spring break trip and wondering how likely it is that some of these will reopen by then. Coming up on 60 days so we’ll book for now as if they’ll still be closed but hopeful a few things may reopen, and that I can then book before it sells out at that point.
Tangierine Cafe is also closed, unfortunately.
We are accepting the reality that we won’t be able to go to the Hoop Dee Doo during our trip next week, or to our favorite Princess breakfast at Akershus (or “Anklehose” as my family calls it). But on the bright side, we will eat those meals QS and the savings will be used to pay for transportation to and from the hotel from MCO.
Buffets are gross to begin with. Do you think people especially kids eat all the food they dump on their plates anyway? NO! The family style is to avoid all the covid germs. If you like a side of cocid served with your buffet then go to boma. I liked the family style at trails end, ohana and cape may, no waiting behind unsupervised kids to get your food. No sticky hands from touching all the utensils. No sick people sneezing all over the food.
my complaint is buffets. No buffet at Chef mickeys but there is on at the Crystal Palace. S much food wasted at Chef Mickeys being given a huge bowl of scrambled eggs, brisket, bacon, sausage. Most folks we saw didn’t eat even half of the stuff. All this is wastefull.
One word: JIKO!
I was really looking forward to eating here but probably won’t get to. Does anyone know what is going on with this restaurant? I had heard a rumor that it would open at the end of September, but that proved to be false.
Thank you
Any rumblings about Top of the World? Seemed like last year holiday season started to hear some stuff, but then The Wave closed and I know they used their kitchen. With Steakhouse 71 being open, didn’t know if it might be on the horizon.
Am I the only one who noticed Tomorrowland Terrace is both “open” and “closed”?
Ha, good catch. In my defense, it was closed, then open, and now closed again. Been tough to keep track of that one! 😉
Dining reservations become available to book at 6am, the morning of the 60th day before your park visit. If you are staying at a Disney resort (lucky you!) You get the added bonus of being able to book up to 10 days at a time, once you reach the 60 day mark for your first resort day. Hope that helps!
I’m ready for them to bring back full menus to the restaurants. I miss the pot pie at 50s prime time and the pineapple upside down cake at aloha isle.
Hi Tom, heading to WDW in December, worried about ADR! What time does the system actually open? Arriving December 10th. California Grill is the family favorite! Willing to lose sleep so I don’t lose sleep over these reservations!
Thanks so much,
Joanne
Has there been any word as to when they will bring the cultural Representatives back to the restaurants and the different worlds
Great update and list. I know there was some thought that Top of the Tower may reopen along side of Steakhouse 71. As that has not happened is it likely that it will not reopen and would be used for private events which was previously rumored? Thoughts?
Love these updates Tom ~ Thanks for putting it all together for us! We desperately want to do the Aloha dinner show in December. Still holding onto a sliver of hope, but watching your posts to see if there is any chance it will happen. Thanks Again!!
I am becoming increasingly worried about Hoop Dee Doo