Sunshine Seasons Review
Epcot’s Sunshine Seasons is one of the best counter service restaurants at Walt Disney World. This review features food photos, our take on ambiance, and random other thoughts about the restaurant. For starters, the Sunshine Seasons menu offers a wide variety of choices, including many healthier ones, with some of the best desserts at Walt Disney World. Along with Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, it’s one of our sentimental favorites for Walt Disney World counter service dining. Sentimentality aside, we have to say that Sunshine Seasons is also great from the perspective of the food.
Sunshine Seasons participates in the Disney Dining Plan as a counter service meal. Like most in-park counter service restaurants, it does not accept the Tables in Wonderland card. If you are on the Disney Dining Plan and want to eat here, you’re in luck, because as this restaurant is an exceptional value on the Disney Dining Plan (to read about the other best restaurants for getting the best bang for buck on the Dining Plan, click here).
About the only place where Sunshine Seasons stumbles, and that’s just a little, is in terms of ambiance. The seating area is just a large open-air area in the middle of The Land pavilion, and it can get loud in here at lunch time as people leave Soarin’ and immediately stop at Sunshine Seasons. It’s also a fairly plain seating area, and almost reminiscent of a mall food court. This is too bad, as there used to be a beautiful fountain in the middle of the dining area that made the ambiance more interesting. Still, we really enjoy dining here in the middle of the afternoon or late at night when it’s not nearly as busy, and the background music and balloons overhead give Sunshine Seasons a deceptive sense of calm.
We’ve had most of the major menu items at Sunshine Seasons, but going through each of them would be a bit of a chore. Instead, we’ll take a look at some of the highlights, and offer our takes on the best things to order. It’s actually a bit humorous (to us, at least) that we’ve been to Sunshine Seasons so many times.
What’s so special about Sunshine Seasons? Well, how much time do you have… 😉
One highlight of the menu is the Oak-grilled Rotisserie Chicken. The first time I tried it, I was instantly hooked. The chicken was tender and moist (miracles at a quick service restaurant) with plenty of flavor. At that time, it came with mashed potatoes. Those were not the standard ‘instant’ type you find at many quick service restaurants, but were soft with a buttery and herb flavor.
We were shocked at the quality of the meal for the price. Since the first time having that entree, we have made it a point to eat at Sunshine Seasons once per trip. For all the praise World Showcase gets for its dining options, we feel that Sunshine Seasons is the best counter service restaurant in Epcot.
Another great option is the Turkey and Monterrey Jack Cheese on Ciabatta. The sandwich is great; nice and “fluffy” for lack of a better term (yet filling).
The Chipotle Mayonnaise is really what makes this sandwich something special, but everything from the bread to the meats and cheese all make it a winner, despite being a deceptively simple and ordinary option. While the Cast Members serving you will not indicate this, you can mix and match sides.
As you can see by my many photos of it from the last few years (I’ve had it 6 times in 3 years), it’s my go-to. I know it’s a safe option, but it’s sizable, tasty, and filling, giving it good value for money. The perfect thing so I don’t spend $850 grazing from kiosks during Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival.
Above you see it in “Tom Style” (order it by name…and they will have no clue what you’re talking about), with extra Chipotle Mayo and a side of mashed potatoes. The default side for the sandwich is often a pasta or potato salad. If you don’t speak up, you will receive this side by default. We highly recommend ordering the sandwich from its station with no side, and then walking over to the grill station (where mashed potatoes are served), and ordering a side of mashed potatoes. Your order will still be treated as a sandwich combo with one side. Seriously, these mashed potatoes are the stuff dreams are made of. Opting for a side other than the mashed potatoes would be a grave error.
Order it this way and you’ll be really cool. Or, if you want to be da real MVP, you can order the entree just out of view in my photo of the sandwich above…
That’s right, I’m talking about Lamb Skewers. These aren’t even officially on the menu. However, if you go to the grill station, you should see a little sign with them as an option. These have been served for around a year at Sunshine Seasons, including our most recent visit in 2016. They could disappear at any time, though.
These skewers are flavorful, fairly tender (for lamb), and extremely high-quality by counter service standards. I’ve ordered these instead of my go-to sandwich on every visit since they came to my attention. So long as Sunshine Seasons has this “secret” option, I’m going to keep ordering it. As you can see in the caption to this Tweet, I think these are the two best meals at Sunshine Seasons. It’s on Twitter, so it must be official.
Sarah has had the Sesame Crusted Tuna with Asian Vegetable Noodle Salad a couple of times, and found it to be hit or miss. On one occasion, the tuna was so overcooked that she took it back. Both other times she’s had it, she has enjoyed it, and recommends it as a healthy and unique dish.
Sarah also really likes the Mongolian Beef with Vegetable Fried Rice. She finds it to be a flavorful, somewhat healthy option. While I agree that this is a good entree, it pales in comparison to some of the other choices.
Some other choices we like at Sunshine Seasons include the Sweet-and-Sour Chicken and Slow Roasted Pork Chop. Sarah also likes the Asian Shrimp Stir-Fry, which is another relatively unique option at Sunshine Seasons.
The Pork Chop earns high marks thanks to its size and quality, both of which are shockingly good for a counter service restaurant–a common refrain in this review. Sunshine Seasons used to have a shockingly good grilled salmon entree (…same refrain), but we haven’t seen that recently. It seems to have been replaced by a Spicy Fish Tacos, which we’ve yet to try.
Salmon is still on the kids’ menu (!!!), and Sunshine Seasons stands out in that regard, too. Above is the kids’ Cheese Panini ordered by Josh of easyWDW.com when he joined us for a meal. He commented that it was one of the better counter service values at Walt Disney World.
Sunshine Seasons is also great for dessert.
Our number one pick is the Key Lime Pie. This is one of the best desserts at any counter service restaurant. Everything about it, from the rich tangy flavor to the lightly singed cream on top (a nice touch, we thought), to even the excellent graham cracker crust make it a dessert to be reckoned with.
The Key Lime Pie is not the only dessert that’s excellent at Sunshine Seasons. We rate the Strawberry Shortcake and Chocolate Mousse Cake very highly, too. It’s large in size, is moist, and has some delicious whipped cream frosting. Plus, it has a lot of strawberries, so it must be healthy! These are our two go-to desserts at Sunshine Seasons, but they aren’t the only ones we like.
Although the selection rotates (we haven’t seen our favorite, the Asian Chocolate Cheesecake in a while), the cheesecake at Sunshine Seasons is also typically pretty good.
The Tiramisu is also a nice, light snack that tastes excellent. The only downside to it is that it’s smaller than the other desserts and more expensive, so it’s not quite as good of a value. We’ve tried numerous other desserts at Sunshine Seasons, and most have been very good. Our one recommendation with regard to desserts here are to go for something other than cupcakes or cookies. You can find those anywhere–Sunshine Seasons excels at the more “advanced” counter service desserts.
On top of the food quality, we’ve found the restaurant’s location to be perfect for our touring style, as usually we can use our first FastPass for Soarin’, eat lunch, then head for a relaxing voyage on Livin’ with the Land after lunch. Of course, there have been a couple of times where we’ve been so hungry (or arrived to the park a little late), and Sunshine Seasons made a good stop right after picking up our Soarin’ FastPasses.
Sunshine Seasons also is one of the few Epcot restaurants that serves breakfast. There are only two options: the breakfast platter and the breakfast panini. The platter is the standard breakfast plate you can find at a number of restaurants around Walt Disney World.
The breakfast panini is a bit more unique, but unique does not equal good. To be honest, both of these breakfast options are fairly lousy. We aren’t big fans of the “standard” Walt Disney World counter service breakfasts, as most taste like they have fake eggs, rubbery bacon, and just are not that good. Sunshine Seasons is no exception to this. We don’t knock it down any points for their breakfasts because it’s basically just the default breakfast to be avoided, and we’re only mentioning it so you know not to expect more. Still, it would be nice to see a breakfast menu as ambitious as the lunch and dinner menu at Sunshine Seasons.
We absolutely love Sunshine Seasons. The food at lunch and dinner are unique, (mostly) healthy options and our memories of it are cherished. While the atmosphere is a bit chaotic at times, Sunshine Seasons still always manages to seem tranquil when we’re there. The unique and healthy food is also a big plus. For me, this is no doubt because of its location in The Land pavilion, a pavilion I associate with the earth and healthy living and eating. Even if the food isn’t actually good for you, it sure seems like it is!
Overall, while the food obviously isn’t on par with Walt Disney World’s great table service restaurants, it does come close to some of the lower end table service restaurants at Walt Disney World. Quite a feat, since Sunshine Seasons is certainly not comparable in price to any table service restaurants! In its category, Sunshine Seasons is one of the best-performing restaurants at Walt Disney World. We really enjoy a lot of restaurants at Walt Disney World, but many of them are places we visit once every few years or so. We really put our money where our mouths are with Sunshine Seasons, and typically eat here once per trip or more. It’s far and away the Walt Disney World restaurant at which we dine most frequently. Even the so-so ambiance and culinary options of World Showcase don’t stop us from dining at Sunshine Seasons with regularity. The menu is that good.
Want more dining tips? Check out our 101 Delicious Walt Disney World Dining Tips. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews.
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Your Thoughts…
Do you agree that Sunshine Seasons is the best Counter Service restaurant at Walt Disney World? If so, which entree is your favorite? If you don’t like Sunshine Seasons, why not? Share your thoughts in the comments!
They always offer the best Thanksgiving dinner at a reasonable price in all of Disney world. I eat there for past few years & always enjoyed it
Season change their menues frequently and the menus aren’t always the same as on the food blogs. There are seasonal deserts in the bakery, and disc items so dont get upset with the cast member over this. Always read the menu over the
The serving station. Stay off the cell phone know what you want order before ordering for your children make up their mind before going to the window or the guests behind you will stand there for ever and helps the server move the line. You can order alacarte at any station and the grab and go has a nice variety of food selections. Even pbj combo meal all ready to go. The rush hrs happen 12-3 and alot of tour groups come in at 1pm -3pm. Holidays are busy all the time breaks from school foreign travelers vacation time periods. Eat early or eat late. Another issue is people waiting for sorin guests on the ride or waiting to go on sorin with their fast passes they take up the seating area not much you can do with the citation. Electric umbrella and american precision has hamburgers chicken strips French fries. Seasons doesnt have any of these. Only chicken legs, quarter chicken, I’m not sure if seasons has potato wedges lightly seasoned and are better than French fries. These are made daily in the kitchen not frozen and are in the grill station. Menues do change ,suggestion go to guest relations and see what menu items you are looking for are located. Dont depend on the blogs, just use the blog as an idea of what kind of food they serve. The world showcase has awsome quick service areas except Canada, but carts are outside for snacks. Canada is full service very difficult to get reservations. I hope this will ease the stress for finding a quick service location, and info on the land, finding hamburgers chicken french fries. If you have a large family in line ordering food make sure you know what you want. Read the menu board on the top of the menu it tells you what station to go to. Seasons isn’t a buffet you need to go to the station you want and pay later. In the grill station there are 2 lines one for adult meals one for child meals. If they do not serve both out of one line.
I had delicious potato soup there a few years back- totally yum! It’s my favorite counter service stop at Disney. Also– if you order right- it feels like finally Can get a meal that’s not carnival fare junk. After a few days in the parks, vegetable options like steamed veggies- make you say Yeeeeessss! I’m a picky eater and always find plenty to eat there.
I used to work here at Sunshine Seasons as well as The Garden Grille upstairs and both were a lot of fun and magical and the food was awesome!!!!!!! And yes- you can always order kids meals- I always did!
Can an adult order a kid’s meal? The kids salmon looks like the perfect meal when I’m not feeling that hungry.
Absolutely. Disney has never asked to see proof of age when ordering anything, especially at a counter service restaurant. I have a friend who is 50+, does not travel with kids, and tells me she often orders a “kids” meal.
Absolutely. Sunshine Seasons is always a must do on every trip. My daughter wouldn’t think the trip counted unless she had their strawberry shortcake at least once!
I visit a few days ago and one of the cast member name Sarah was very rude to me, and because of that I won’t be going back there
The salmon, the mashed potatoes, and strawberry shortcake is all my heart desires from here. While “snack stopping” I have had the chocolate cake and some s’mores thing and it did not compare. From and actual food standpoint I am sure everything is great here I just can’t not get the salmon. Your chicken looks EXCELLENT but I can’t cheat on the salmon. Ugh!!!
I also would like to take credit for making you go here.
Good news- every single time I’ve been recently (which has been, well, a lot), the “fish of the day” has definitely been salmon. Every time.
Awesome to hear! Thank you for the info. 🙂
I loved Sunshine Seasons on my last trip… so much that it’s the only restaurant I plan to visit more than once on my next trip. I’m sad to hear that they messed with that Foccacia sandwich, though… it was incredible.
Sunshine Seasons is, in my opinion, one of the best counter service restaurants in the whole resort! The selection is awesome and much healthier than say, the Electric Umbrella. So yummy too!
Sunshine Seasons is a nice place to go. We always go grab lunch there, my daughter loves that she can pick her “own” restaurant. We always do Soarin’ after if we don’t have a fastpass. It makes the wait a little more tolerable to children with a full belly. After Soarin’ we go to the land boat ride. It’s a very enjoyable time. It’s also a great way to spend a good amount of time inside if it is raining.
Well I’ll be trying this out on my March vacation. Never eaten there, but that Key Lime sounds good.
What a great website!!
We went to Sunshine Seasons in 2006 way back before kids and now we are taking our 3 year old in April. I can’t remember what I had here last time (chicken breast is sounding familiar…) but I am super excited to try whatever they have on the menu now! I hope that strawberry cake is there for sure 😉
Can I make a nit-picky request? Feel free to ignore it. Do you have a photo of the Sunshine Seasons sign? And if so, could you add it to this article? This was likely a non-issue when you wrote the article, but when I try to pin this article, the only photos are of food (and your gorgeous wife!). So when I look at all of my pins, I can’t tell what restaurant this is from the photo.
Again, feel free to ignore me. 🙂
Hi Tom!
Sunshine sounds soooo delicious and you definitely had me at the Key Lime Pie. I have a really silly question though. How do you order your food there? My husband and I went down there once to eat and we got a bit confused by everything and gave up and left! I mean, we understand the concept of Chaos (er, I mean Cosmic 😉 ) Rays and ABC Commissary, but we just got stumped here. Help so I can have Key Lime Pie too!
Sunshine Seasons is a lot like Cosmic Rays in that you get in different lines for the different food “stations”. You order your entree at the station that you prefer ” Soup and Salads”, “Asian”, “The Grill”, etc. You pick up your entree at the station then get your dessert at the dessert station. You pick up your drink and any extras from the fountain or refrigerated section. You then proceed through check-out with your tray! Hope this helps!
Completely agree with your views on Sunshine Seasons! My family and I also love to visit Sunshine Seasons while waiting for our Soarin’ Fast Pass return time.
We last visited in October 2010 and had the seared tuna noodle salad…absolutely perfect! Could not believe that a counter service restaurant could serve such perfectly cooked tuna and of such high quality that it was able to be served nearly raw.
I agree that I feel “healthier” eating at Sunshine Seasons…must be all the fruit in the Grab and Go section, the high ceilings (feels light and airy, i.e. less heavy and fattening) and the proximity of fresh fruit and veggies being grown hydroponically. Well, my logic makes sense to me and makes me feel like my chocolate mousse cake has fewer calories and fat grams!
Sorry for my long post…I tend to ramble. Also wanted to applaud you for commenting on every post left by your fans…that must be incredibly time consuming but is so thoughtful. I wandered over here from “another website” where you also post and have thoroughly enjoyed all your restaurant reviews and am working my way through past trip reports. Kudos to you!!
Great post! My wife and I love Sunshine Seasons. They have a roasted beet and goat cheese salad with candied pecans that is amazing. Also, there are not a lot of places in WDW that offer free refills on drinks… Sunshine Seasons does.
Roasted beet salad? I dunno, Jon! 😉
I agree about the free drink refills, though. That is one awesome feature of which we take FULL advantage!
I didn’t notice until now that Mrs. Bricker looks like Francie Swift who has been on Law and Order multiple times. Cool. Thanks for the review of Sunshine Seasons and California Grill.
I just Googled that lady and not so sure I agree. But I’m sure she appreciates being compared to a celebrity! 🙂
I mentioned this on Twitter, but I wasn’t sure if the twitter App on my Windows Phone actually sent it, so I’ll repost it here.
10/10 on the Brick-O-Meter needs to have its own award. Something like a “Golden Brick”. Kind of like a Michelin Star, but much more prestigious.
This is an excellent point. Once I have more time on my hands, I will design something in PS. I might also consider making a tangible award that I can present to restaurants for them to hang on their walls. Imagine Cosmic Rays being adorned with an award. I think my award might be its first!
Love your reviews and especially all the pictures you and Sarah take. Makes me really want to get back into photography again (even if I have to lug around all the equipment)just to see what I can do with a DSLR. (I learned on a basic all manual camera a long time ago and have a ton of “rust”.) I do have one little comment to make though and please don’t take it as a criticism. Please stop including your credit cards in your photos (or if you do, make sure the numbers are hidden by something physical and not just digitally taken out). As a former internal auditor, things like that make me cringe. 🙂
Photography is such a fun hobby; I’d recommend it! No criticism taken. I didn’t even realize my credit card was in that photo. I have no clue why I took it. I’ll crop that out when I have a chance.