Tony’s Town Square Restaurant Redemption
With the reopening of Walt Disney World, Tony’s Town Square Restaurant is the only table service dining option at Magic Kingdom that offers outdoor seating. In this tale of redemption, we’ll review our recent experience eating outside at Tony’s on a hot and humid day, share food photos, views of entertainment, and more.
For those who are unfamiliar with it, Tony’s Town Square Restaurant is fairly infamous. For many longtime Walt Disney World fans, it’s something of a punching bag, with a reputation for serving “Italian” food of comparable caliber to freezer section microwavable meals. Our full Tony’s Town Square Restaurant Review was pretty harsh, calling it food for dogs.
As with literally anything at Walt Disney World, Tony’s Town Square Restaurant also has its share of fans. (So do Stitch’s Great Escape and Dino-Rama.) It serves Americanized Italian comfort food dishes that are approachable, and it’s a very family-friendly restaurant, so that’s understandable. With that said, we’ve also been hearing that the quality at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant had been improving, so thought we’d give it another chance at redemption…
Before we get to that, let’s take a look around Tony’s Town Square Restaurant, which is a hometown Italian eatery with decor inspired by Lady and the Tramp.
In the past, we’ve felt the interior was charming and offered a fun setting that evoked the spirit of Lady and the Tramp while also fitting on Main Street. Basically, a nice blend of theme and character infusion.
As you can see, Tony’s Town Square Restaurant is relatively low-key. Lots of Lady and the Tramp paintings, stained glass details, and the feature fountain in the middle of the restaurant.
Walt Disney World’s official site describes Tony’s Town Square Restaurant as being a “charming turn-of-the-century trattoria on Main Street, U.S.A., with its whitewashed balustrades, French doors and expansive front porch, which offers fantastic views for people-watching.” All of that is accurate, but probably oversells the restaurant.
That page also indicates it’s a venue for “hopeless romantics,” which is much more of a stretch. To the contrary, our biggest complaint in the past has been that Tony’s Town Square Restaurant is incredibly loud. This is due to a mix of its design, which does a poor job of muffling sound, and its family-centric nature.
The menu is undoubtedly the most family-friendly restaurant in Walt Disney World’s most family-friendly park. So, no surprise there on the decibel level. This is all pretty well known, so if you’re doing Tony’s Town Square Restaurant for a romantic date night, that’s sort of on you.
However, with only one other party in the restaurant when we arrived and only 3 parties when we finished our meal, Tony’s was downright charming and quaint for the duration of our meal.
Even as business at Walt Disney World picks up, expect this improved atmosphere going forward as over half of the tables in Tony’s Town Square Restaurant are out of commission due to physical distancing requirements. Basically, it’s the perfect time to dine at Tony’s if you want to savor the ambiance.
Next, the outdoor seating. This is the main thing that drew us to Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. Despite the seating areas being veritable ghost towns, we were told at check-in that we couldn’t be guaranteed a seat outdoors. Probably just something ingrained that Cast Members say no matter what, but worth keeping in mind if you’re considering dining here.
As we’ve mentioned in numerous posts, we are only dining outdoors for the foreseeable future while visiting Walt Disney World. Sorry if you’ve already read this, but we’re going to continually reiterate the point.
The current consensus among respected epidemiologists is that transmission via fomites (touching objects, then touching eyes, nose, mouth) is minor, unlikely, and exaggerated. By contrast, there’s growing consensus that aerosol transmission is much more likely, especially via enclosed indoor settings or with prolonged personal contact.
Suffice to say, if you’re compulsively cleaning surfaces and sanitizing your hands but are still dining indoors, you’re prioritizing the wrong thing. (It’s best to err on the side of caution, eating outside and sanitizing.)
With this particular meal, given the lack of other people in the restaurant, dining inside would’ve been lower risk.
However, we didn’t know that when making the table request and dining outdoors gave us the opportunity to see the smile & wave Main Street Town Square show (two photos above) and two character cavalcades.
The steady stream of entertainment gave an energy to the area, and it was actually really pleasant on the outdoor terrace, even on a 94º summer day (with a “feels like” reading of over 100º).
In any case, we’d strongly recommend restaurants with open air seating if you want to mitigate some risk while visiting the parks. See our Best Outdoor Dining Options at Walt Disney World for recommendations on that front.
Moving along to the food, every meal at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant begins with bread and olive oil.
This bread service has frequently been regarded as the best thing Tony’s serves, and that’s not necessarily a knock. It’s always fresh and delicious, toeing the line between slightly airy and doughy, with a sea salt crust. The oil is likewise good.
For my entree, I ordered the Tony’s Pizza Pie: Hand-tossed Pizza Dough, Blend of Cheeses, and Tony’s Pizza Sauce with Pepperoni, Sausage, or Garden Vegetables.
I did half pepperoni, half sausage for a “battle of the meats.”
Guests from Chicago, New York, or other pizza snobs will likely find something to be desired about this. Personally, I find debates about the “true” type of pizza exhausting, and a misplaced form of regional pride. Pizza is indulgent comfort food, and there’s pretty much only good, more good, and great pizza. There’s no such thing as bad pizza, in my view.
Tony’s Pizza Pie falls squarely into the more good pizza category. It’s clearly handmade, and while the ingredients are only of moderate quality, it’s still pretty solid. On the spectrum of Walt Disney World pizza, it’s closer to Via Napoli (but still far below it) than it is PizzeRizzo or Pinocchio Village Haus. I’d recommend the sausage version of this pizza.
For her entree, Sarah ordered the Roman-style Steak: Herb-marinated Steak Medallions, Blistered Tomatoes, Broccolini, Herb-roasted Potatoes, and Caper-Herb-Butter Sauce.
This was even better, albeit more expensive. The steak medallions were nicely seasoned, flavorful, and perfectly-prepared. The meat was delicious although not quite as tender as we would’ve liked. The sauce added a richness and indulgence to the dish, which was offset nicely by the vegetables. I probably would’ve preferred a bit more indulgence with creamy mashed potatoes, but still no complaints.
All things considered, the quality here was commensurate with just about any of the New York Strip Steak entrees that are ubiquitous on Walt Disney World menus. While the cut is different, the idea and quality are about the same. It’s obviously not Signature Restaurant caliber (nor is it that price), but it’s about equal to what you’d order at Coral Reef, Kona Cafe, the Wave, Grand Floridian Cafe, etc.
Ultimately, this tale of “redemption” for Tony’s Town Square Restaurant might sound fairly tepid, but keep in mind where it stood with us previously. While it was never our worst restaurant at Walt Disney World, it was in the bottom 10. This meal alone removes it from contention on that list. Tony’s Town Square Restaurant is still not among our favorites (even in Magic Kingdom, we prefer Skipper Canteen, Be Our Guest Restaurant, and Liberty Tree Tavern), but it’s no longer a dining spot we’d actively avoid.
Our opinion on both the food and atmosphere at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant has improved considerably. The cuisine is no longer on par with Trader Giotto’s microwavable meals–it’s more like a Disneyfied Olive Garden. Still not the highest praise, but better. Atmosphere-wise, Tony’s is downright lovely, which is arguably the bigger selling point of Walt Disney World restaurants, anyway. Finally, Tony’s Town Square Restaurant is also the only Magic Kingdom table service dining option with outdoor seating (and the counter service alternatives are bad), so we’ll probably be eating here a lot in the next year!
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Your Thoughts
Have you dined at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant in the last year or two? What did you think of the meal? If you’ve dined there previously, do you think it has improved, or is it still among the worst restaurants at Walt Disney World? (Or, do you totally disagree, thinking Tony’s is, and has always been, great?) 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!
Thanks so much! This is so encouraging (with my understanding your reservations about being “better,” not “great,” that is). Even knowing its reputation, I ate @ Tony’s a few years ago as part of my “restaurant tour” of the parks and resorts (still in progress!), and found that it more than lived up to its substandard food reputation. I am not a vegetarian, but even its recent inclusion of “Impossible” meatballs suggests it is at least looking at making a “more than Olive Garden” menu. I love the theme and the location; I just want it to be a better meal.
Skipper Canteen and Crystal Palace (more for breakfast than any other meal) are still my go-to table service restaurants in MK; the former for food & atmosphere; the latter for the coffee and characters (maybe not as important now- sad). When I return either this Xmas or next June, I will probably eschew CP and return to Tony’s, just to mix it up.
(No offense to “Be Our Guest” lovers intended, but for me, after you’ve eaten in all three rooms, and been photoed with Beast, the theming is exhausted and the food is good but not Top Tier Disney. The price and prix fixe menu just aren’t me [though re: desserts: the Gray Stuff IS, indeed, still delicious].)
My full service dining experiences in WDW over the last 5-6 years have primarily consisted of two vastly different experiences. It has either been meals that skipped right past “disappointing” and straight to “dismaying,” both in food quality and service, or top-quality, memorable experiences at signature locations. While my family’s “what the heck was THAT” list has expanded to include fan favorites such as ‘Ohana and Chefs de France, by far our worst recent meals have been in the Magic Kingdom. Skipper’s Canteen left us sitting with the wrong entrees for 30 minutes before we could flag down a staff member, the Plaza took two hours to serve us browning lettuce with a couple of strawberries, and Be Our Guest’s breakfast was not worth the price of admission. Now that I’ve perfected the home recipe for Liberty Tree Tavern’s pot roast, I’m leary of spending anymore time and money on mediocre, drawn out full service meals at the Magic Kingdom. I’d love to believe that we could have a decent meal at Tony’s, because it’s the only MK restaurnt we haven’t eaten in.
Forgive me if I sound skeptical until I see your recipe tweaks for the LTTPR!
What’s the recipe?!
I use the Disney Food Blog recipe, with a few tweaks. I put about an extra cup and a half of veggies in, just because my family likes it that way, and I find I need to cook the meat about 20 minutes per pound longer than stated. I find I always have waaaaay too much gravy left over, and have sometimes ommitted 1/4 cup of the flour and 2 cups broth. It just tastes better to me when I follow the recipe proportions and live with the extra gravy. (Bonus – my kids LOVE eating the leftover veggies and gravy over wide egg noodles). https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2014/02/12/diy-disney-recipe-new-england-pot-roast-from-magic-kingdoms-liberty-tree-tavern/
Thanks, Kelly! Recipe looks great. Pot roast isn’t too common in Australia or the UK as we tend to do more casseroles (chunks of meat) or roast whole pieces of meat. I love that the recipe suggests an Aussie Shiraz as that’s what I use for beef bourguignon and what I would have used any way! As it’s winter here (Australia) I’m going to make the pot roast tomorrow night.
We didn’t get a chance to go to LTT when we were at WDW but it was one on my list for next time.
@Monique, pot roast was my mom’s “special occassion” recipe for all her kids’ birthdays, Father’s Day, etc., in the 70’s and 80’s. Her recipe was a family favorite, but drastically different. (Heavy on shredded carrots and beef broth – no wine). My family recently admitted, my mom included, that we prefer the Liberty Tree Tavern version. I hope yours came out well!
@Kelly it turned out great! The beef wasn’t “carveable” as it was too tender and falling apart, so we had it in large chunks rather than slices. I added more veg like you did, including diced potato. The recipe doesn’t mention any seasoning. I added some salt and pepper while it was cooking but it really needed more and at different points. Next time I would season the beef before searing and I would season the butter before sauteeing the veg. And like you said, it makes heaps of gravy! Next time I would increase the wine and reduce the broth to make less and amp up the flavour more. But it was a delicious winter Sunday Dinner and half if it has gone in to the freezer for another time.
I also made Yorkshire puddings to mop up the gravy. Delicious!
@Monique K, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I apologize for forgetting to mention the lack of seasoning directions in the recipe. I season a bit during each step. Congratulations on reaching the perfect consistency for pot roast – the meat should just shred apart. Now I’ll just need your recipe for Yorkshire pudding. I’ve lived in the UK and have enjoyed more than my fair share of Yorkshire pudding. I’ve just never felt brave enough to attempt making my own.
@Kelly the photos looked to be of sliced meat, so I thought maybe the cut I got was different or something.
I lived in Leeds (West Yorkshire) for 6 years and my grandmother is from Cumbria, so there’s been a lot of Yorkie in my life!
I have to confess that I use a box packet for them now because they just don’t work properly with Australian flour. I have done many experiments with all different types of flour and added and deducted gluten to try and get them to rise and hollow like they should and it just doesn’t work. When someone goes or comes from England I ask them to smuggle me (not really, perfectly legal, but a weird luggage item!) a box of Homepride flour. Then when I make them they rise beautifully and end up with crisp shells and just the right amount of internal stodge to mop up gravy.
But obviously at the moment there is no way to get English flour, so I use a packet mix you can get in the supermarket here. It works very well. Google – Golden Fry Yorkshire Pudding to see the yellow box and see if you can find it around where you live.
Whether you use the packet or a recipe, the key is hot oil. I use dripping if I have it or vegetable oil and put a generous table spoon in each muffin tin hole. Put it in the oven for a good 20 mins on high heat (220 c) and when the batter is ready, get the tin out and work quickly to fill each hole 3/4 with batter and get it back in the oven before it cools too much Basically you want them to start frying as soon as you put the batter into the oil.
Alternatively, do the same in a roasting tray if you want one big one. Fill 1/4 with oil and halfway with batter.
When they’re cooked, take them out of the tin straightaway using a skewer and turn them upside down on a cooling rack to let the oil drip off.
Making them with Australian flour isn’t dire, they just don’t rise as well and have a thicker, stodgier base than English flour produces.
@Monique K, thank you for these tips! Homepride flour seems to be available via Amazon here, but the prices are shocking. Golden Fry is also available, and far more reasonable. I will give this a go as soon as the weather turns cooler. (It is far too hot at present to consider a roast!) Thank you!!
Sorry, Tom, on this I have to disagree. I have been in Disney at least once and sometimes twice a year for the past ten years. We first ate there in 1985 and keep going back. My daughter and I eat in Tony’s every time we go, and we bring our friends with us when they come. The chicken parm and chicken alfredo are our favorites. I had reservations there for our trip this fall but, of course, they were cancelled. Glad it is one of the restaurants that is open; can’t wait to go back.
Tony’s Town Square in MK or Mama Rosa’s in HS? We haven’t eaten at Tony’s but the best thing I can say about Mama Rosa’s is that the food was edible and the air conditioning was great. Via Napoli was okay but somehow our order (right off the menu) was misplaced and we waited over an hour for our food while all the tables around us turned once. Any other recommendations for Italian?
Thanks for the review, Tom, but thanks especially for your commitment to dining outdoors and for the links to health articles. We’re all trying to figure out how to stay safe, and I really appreciate your leadership on safe practices while going back to WDW!
I’m glad you had a meal you finally enjoyed at Tony’s! We’ve been eating there for the last couple of years pretty much every trip and it has always been pleasant. I always get the shrimp scampi, and it is delightful, if a little basic–a pumpkin spiced latte of Disney World entrees. When I compare it to the very expensive prix fixe at BOG and the also pretty darn expensive prix fixe at liberty tree (especially when you compare kids meal prices)–and then factor that my kids won’t eat anything at those two restaurants but love a pizza at Tony’s, it is a no brainer. We’ve had hit or miss experiences at Jungle Canteen (one great, one very bad), so will eat there again eventually but it is not a must do for us. And the Plaza is fine but on vacation I want something a bit more interesting than a sandwich or burger for dinner. Tony’s is a crowd-pleaser, and a not-too-bad price point. This trip, we plan to do lunch at Tony’s and then head to Cali Grill for dinner after the park close. Looking forward to it 😀
Tom, you are very much tuned in to your readers. I’ve never been to Tony’s. Why? Based on your previous review. When you recently reported that you and Sarah enjoyed your meal there, I thought wow I hope Tom writes that up. Then what do I see in my inbox but a review! Thank you! I’ll give it a try next trip.
I’ve never disliked Tony’s, though it’s never been on my list of must-dos at WDW either. It’s often my first dinner on arrival, just because I like to head straight for Magic Kingdom when I arrive, and it’s right there near the gate. I’m most often a solo traveler but I actually like the boisterous kid-crowded feel to help me into a Disney frame of mind. I’ve found the food to be about the same as Olive Garden– a scathing indictment to some, I know, but fine by me.
I’ve been to Disney World almost yearly in the last decade and finally decided to give Tony’s a chance 2 or 3 visits ago when we discovered that a family friend dines there every visit with her husband for sentimental reasons. We typically stay for for a week and try to only recycle a few dining locations per visit so that we have a new experiences on the dining front. We were running out of new restaurants so Tony’s won out even though we were hesitant. It wasn’t horrible but none of us felt the need to return. I don’t recall any specific complaints but we have plenty of restaurants that we’d like to dine at again before Tony’s so that it’s never even a thought. That being said, 2020 is changing a lot of thought processes so it may be on our list in December if we travel since we’ll be dining outside more often than not.
Thanks for your update!
I wish Tony’s would offer breakfast again …. yes, many years ago they did. We used to enjoy sitting outside with our coffee watching the people entering the park all excited for a magical day. Breakfast was good too as I remember.
We went to Tony’s last August at the end of our trip, and my family loved it. We had also done 4 character buffets so anything is probably better than that! My husband and son got the dish your wife got, and I got the Olive Garden-ish pasta trio. Don’t remember what the younger kids got The best part of the meal was the Chocolate Hazelnut torte (don’t remember actual name). We got two to go because we were stuffed but made the mistake of having a “bite” and finished off the desserts before we left. I’d definitely revisit.
I have had the occasion to eat at Tony’s with my family many times and found nice familiar food and a pleasant break from the hub-bub. Like all places in Disney it was always packed to the gills. For that reason part of me envies people going there now, with small crowds, even with the masks. I remember the REALLY old days when you signed up for a table and waited your turn. I still prefer that sort of method, now generally impossible because of the Disney “stuff a person into each square foot” mentality. Now you need to book a meal a year in advance. Crazy. As far as the food generally , lets remember this is an amusement park, not Paris. Hot and edible is what you are aiming for. Have been to a few Disney restaurants that are opting for food ingredients which are just ODD.Unusual ingredients and like that. No thanks. I do wish a few places would offer fruit bowls or raw veggies and dip. Something a person watching their weight could enjoy. Ice cream??? Lovely, but again, a low-cal alternative please? I like a good burger but really I dont want it every day for 10 days. Tonys has a lovely old fashioned charm to it which I have always enjoyed, although I agree with the noise level being a challenge. . Yes, very appealing for families. As for eating outside, I cant envision wanting to do that on a 90 degree day with 90 percent humidity for ANY reason. Not all of us chose to live our lives thinking about germs all day long.
I see no reason you can’t aspire for better than “hot and edible” at a theme park, especially when there are multiple restaurants at WDW that do exceed that low bar. I totally get/respect that the food isn’t a priority for a lot of people visiting the parks, but if that’s how you feel why bother taking the time and money to do table service at all? Grab something decent at a quick service restaurant and keep moving along.
Jared, that’s a good point. I will always laugh at people who would leave a park to eat at Yuckdonald’s or anywhere to ‘save money’ while squandering much more valuable park time. I’m not leaving a park early to go eat either. I’ll wait (easy decision now with closings at 7pm) or do exactly as you suggest and eat QS or snacks.
I’ve never eaten at Tony’s. Almost did but then heard through the grapevine to avoid. One thing that strikes me is the location isn’t great initially because it is so close to the main entrance and far from attractions. It did look inviting though to watch a main st. parade from the terrace. Doesn’t seem like a good use of a table service credit but I know that wasn’t the topic at hand. Glad you guys are having a good experience with the re-opening.
I’ve enjoyed Tony’s in the past and am glad to see that their menu has improved. I always liked Tony’s location – especially when I go to special later events like MVMCP. I like eating as I enter the MK and then enjoy special attractions for the rest of the night. (Fingers crosses for MVMCP)
I’ve always loved Tony’s chicken parm, and now love their chicken Alfredo. The portions are huge (enough for me and my mom to share and we’re both pretty light eaters – unless we’re SUPER hungry). The one thing I miss most from Tony’s is their zucchini fries! I wish they’d bring them back.
I’ve eaten at Tony’s a few times, and I still don’t get the hatred for it. No, it’s NOT fine Italian dining. But it’s just good solid food, just like Olive Garden. I liken it to people wanting to go the Planet Hollywood or Hard Rock Cafe. Eat at one and you’ve been to them all. Definitely too noisy to have good quiet conversations!
I much prefer Liberty Tree Tavern (pot roast is the best meal on property!) or Skipper Canteen. BOG is good, but you’re overpaying for atmosphere so after you’ve been there, seen the rose and the rooms, it’s just okay. I really like the Plaza though more. Great Club or tuna sammiches.
And we agree on pizza! For me, the crust is mostly a delivery system for sauce, cheese, and meats. I usually go thin, but I’ll eat pretty much any of it. But no mushrooms and no anchovies!
I’ve had the Roman Steak at Tony’s before….it’s really good. We generally stop there on every trip and as expected some of the meals are better than others. I do want to say that the quality of the meals has been improving over the recent years.
TOM SAYING TONY’S IS ACCEPTABLE?!?! It’s a mad house! Dogs and cats living together!!
In all seriousness: the wife and I always actively avoided this due to my using your blog as a reference point beginning with our first trip in Jan 2016. Seems like the next time we go we might have to check it out, as sometimes “regular” pizza just hits the spot, and Sarah’s dish looks awesome!
We ate at Tony’s on Saturday (it was our first time due to the usual sub-par reviews) and had a delightful meal. We had 2pm reservations and it was a nice break from the heat/masks. Like you, we’re only doing outdoor dining and I was shocked that more people weren’t out on the terrace. In fact, in the almost two hours we were there, there was only one couple outside. I really don’t understand why more people aren’t opting for outdoor dining (and I’ve noticed the same thing at Frontera and Terralina the last two evenings).
I suspect more people will embrace outdoor dining once it’s better understood how indoor dining is much more conducive to virus transmission. (Aside from the indoor Relaxation Stations, it is literally the most risky thing you can do at Walt Disney World right now!)
Many people won’t care even then, though. To each their own.
I ate there a year and 1/2 ago. One of the worst meals I’ve ever had at WDW. It was jammed with people waiting on their reservations . They were almost an hour late with our reservation as well. The food was not good- it was like microwaved Italian food that I can buy at the grocery store. The waitress was very nice. I’m glad that it’s improving because I thought the restaurant itself was charming.
I thought Sarah was a vegetarian and/or pescatarian?
Thanks again Tom for your crack research!
We are both “flexitarians” meaning we eat plant-forward diets (plus fish), especially when at home. However, it’s not because of any ethical qualms or whatever–it’s about our own health. (Which is especially necessary when eating frequent meals at theme parks.)
I can honestly say, in the years that DisneyFL has been around, it probably averages out to once a year we have visited(even single during college years) for 39 years of marriage/kids…BUT we have never, ever eaten at Disney’s Town Square. Why? Mostly because parks don’t hold much for me/us because we are just busy enough without thinking of eating/sitting down. When we head to the parks we have already taken advantage of our Club Level breakfast and just hydrate. And then our main meal is once we go back to our World hotel, shower/change and put on the “dog” to go to so many of their other restaurants. Only exception seems to be…we do often return to Epcot World Showcase for one of the Country restaurants. Even when kids were little, we couldn’t eat all day long…but they sure STILL can drink all day long. LOL (Yes, we ask for water most often as they are health nuts…and it’s free!)
THAT SAID…hubby and I will have to try Town Square next visit just to see if we “agree”. 😉 Loved the switch at Wilderness with Snow White/Dwarfs(bet that changes names) dinner. It’s dinner before was very good…but this was fun for just two adults even. 🙂
Just to be abundantly clear, Tony’s Town Square is better than before, but still not great. Your hotel dining options or even other restaurants in Magic Kingdom (if you’re fine dining indoors) are likely going to beat Tony’s!
I had no idea that ‘put the dog on’ was a phrase until just now. I had to look it up and I’m still curious how it originated but I’d have never associated it with getting fancy! It’s unrelated to Disney, but I enjoyed the lesson.