Tony’s Town Square Review
Tony’s Town Square is a table service restaurant in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom serving Italian cuisine in a Lady and the Tramp-inspired setting. This review features photos of food, our thoughts on the ambiance, and whether it’s worth dining here.
In terms of basics, Tony’s Town Square is a Disney Dining Plan participant as a one-credit table service restaurant for both lunch and dinner. Thanks to a couple of pricey entrees, it’s also close to making our list for the best values on the Disney Dining Plan. If you’re not using the Disney Dining Plan, Tony’s Town Square offers a 20% discount for Tables in Wonderland cardholders.
In most Walt Disney World fan circles, Tony’s Town Square has a reputation that precedes it. In this regard, it’s a bit like Le Cellier, a restaurant that still is popular from goodwill built up over a decade ago. Except, in this case, it’s bad-will. Basically, Tony’s is the “Reverse Le Cellier.” Despite spending a ton of time in Magic Kingdom, we had avoided eating here for years, hearing almost unanimously bad things from people we trust…
Recently, we had started hearing from regular readers via the comments and a couple of Florida friends that Tony’s Town Square had gotten better. We were still pretty reticent about giving it a chance since the long-term consensus on Tony’s is basically a chorus of negative reviews.
Nevertheless, we decided to give it a chance one day while doing our “experiment” with the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan. At least this way, we figured, we weren’t directly paying out of pocket, so if the cuisine at Tony’s Town Square were still a culinary crime, it wouldn’t sting quite as much.
Before we dig into the food we tried, let’s start with the theme and ambiance of Tony’s Town Square. In terms of ambiance, Tony’s is incredibly loud. The lobby is loud, the main dining room is loud, and the outside dining room is loud.
This is partially to be expected. Tony’s serves crowd-pleasing fare in Magic Kingdom, making it a strong draw for families. We did not expect an adult meal in a refined setting here, and to be upset about the loud atmosphere here would be ludicrous given the circumstances. It is, however, something to keep in mind if you’re new to Walt Disney World dining.
Thematically, Tony’s opts for an environment that’s decorated with paintings of the film’s characters rather than re-creating the iconic Tony’s Restaurant from Lady and the Tramp. While I’d prefer the latter approach, I understand why Disney went this route.
Evoking Lady and the Tramp without directly referencing the characters would not have been easy. Perhaps the Imagineers felt the more blatant approach was necessary since Lady and the Tramp is an older film, and most people wouldn’t pick up on the theme if it weren’t obvious.
Regardless, I think the interior dining room more or less works. It’s a fun setting that reminds patrons of the spirit of the film even if it’s not all that themed. Kids are sure to love it, and adults will too if they aren’t overly-critical bloggers. Even though it’s loud and chaotic, it attempts an intimate setting.
In terms of cuisine, Tony’s Town Square is one of the most brilliantly themed restaurants at Walt Disney World. Think about it: what other restaurant serves food the characters it’s based around would eat? If Lady and Tramp are anything like our dog, they eat just about anything–including objects that aren’t food. Tony’s Town Square is actually very fine dining…for dogs!
Relax Tony’s fans, I’m kidding. I know calling this ‘food for dogs’ is harsh, but I couldn’t resist making the joke. In actuality, Tony’s Town Square was not quite as atrocious as we feared. I can see how its crowd-pleasing style of Italian cuisine can be appealing on vacation.
The food at Tony’s is not even remotely ambitious, but it’s comfortable and the style is approachable. Even if the execution leaves a lot to be desired, Tony’s popularity is understandable. With that said, this is a definite one and done for us.
With one exception, our food was over-salted yet bland. It takes some doing to make such over-salted dishes this bland, so perhaps Tony’s deserves some praise there.
One of the best things we had was actually the bread service, which was nice buttery denseness to it. Here are photos and more specific thoughts on what we ate:
Here’s the Calamari with Marinara.
I’ve said countless times that I’m a sucker for calamari, and that’s true. I enjoyed this more than I should have, but I’ve made better frozen calamari at home.
Here’s the Italian Cheese Dip; creamy ricotta with roasted garlic topped with tomato jam served with crostini.
We appreciated the choice of ricotta here for what could otherwise be a really dense and unhealthy dish, but this was particularly bland. The tomato topping didn’t seem like jam so much as it did canned tomatoes. We didn’t finish it, instead opting for the complimentary bread service.
For my entree, I ordered the Italian Trio: Chicken Parmigiana, Baked Rigatoni, and Fettuccine Alfredo.
In recent memory, I don’t think I’ve had a worse entree at any Walt Disney World restaurant. The quality was low and the flavor was basically just salt and sauce. I can’t think of a single positive thing to say about this dish. Pick any random entree at Olive Garden–or even the freezer from Trader Joe’s–and it will be better.
I’m not normally one to ever count calories, but I stopped eating this about halfway through because I figured it just wasn’t “worth it.”
Sarah ordered the Braised Short Ribs with mascarpone polenta and broccolini for her entree.
Out of everything we had, this was the standout. The meat was tender, and the polenta was a nice accompaniment. The meat was a bit over-salted, but not terribly so. We think the dish is overpriced if you’re paying out of pocket, but if you’re doing Tony’s Town Square on the Disney Dining Plan, this would be our recommendation.
This was a pleasant surprise, and we’re not even grading on a curve when we make the recommendation to order the Braised Short Ribs.
For dessert, we ordered the Cannoli, ricotta cream-filled shells dusted with powdered sugar.
This was fairly average. There definitely wasn’t any nuance and it didn’t taste freshly-prepared, but it wasn’t terrible, either. While I wouldn’t order it again, it’s a decent choice if nothing else on the dessert menu appeals to you.
We also ordered the Tiramisù; Kahlúa espresso-soaked lady fingers and whipped mascarpone topped with mocha cream.
I actually liked this! It struck me as an ambitious twist on a classic Italian dessert, and one that had more subtlety, texture, and quality than anything else. If we somehow find ourselves at Tony’s in the future, I’d order this.
With all of that said, I’ll end this review on a positive note, with a couple of amusing vignettes that we observed during our meal. I’ve come up with an incredibly original name for these vignettes: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.
Two women are seated on the terrace, each order two drinks (you could say it was a bottle of red, bottle of white…but actually, it was beer), slowly drink them over the course of about 30 minutes, and leave. A great hack for a busy day in an otherwise alcohol-free park. Pair this with a mid afternoon showing of Festival of Fantasy, and that’s about the ultimate Tony’s experience.
A small child jumps up from his seat, grabs a ball from his stroller, chucks it directly above him at the ceiling, it bounces back and hits the table, and he starts crying. This may not be all that funny to read, but I had to turn my head so the family didn’t see me laughing and I was almost in tears. It was inexplicably hilarious. This kid was expressing how we felt about dining at Tony’s.
Overall, Tony’s Town Square is not a restaurant we recommend. It was not as bad as we feared, but it was by no means good. If it has improved in the last couple of years (and I truly question whether that’s the case), I can only imagine how bad it must’ve been before. I don’t think it’s the absolute worst table service restaurant at Walt Disney World–but I would put it in the bottom 10. There are counter service restaurants in Magic Kingdom that are better than Tony’s, and I have a tough time envisioning any scenario that has us returning to give Tony’s a second chance.
Planning other aspects of a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. 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.
YOUR THOUGHTS…
What do you think of Tony’s Town Square? Agree or disagree with our review? Are we being too hard on Magic Kingdom’s Italian restaurant? Do you enjoy the comfort food here? Would you rather do dinner elsewhere in Magic Kingdom, or is this a good option? Any questions? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
We were just there two weeks ago. One and done for me. The Chicken Parmigiana was one of the worst meals I have ever had at Disney. I’ve had counter service meals at resort restaurants that were better, actually much better. It is too bad because if the food had been even good, I think I would like to make Tony’s a regular stop because of location alone.
Definitely the worst meal we’ve had at Disney. I wasn’t even a fan of the decor, and I love Lady and the Tramp. I agree with Tom; a restaurant themed like the Tony’s from the movie would have been much better, and may have made up for the sub-par food.
I’d like to know what you think is actually worse.
Off the top of my head, Chef Mickey’s (dinner, not breakfast). Not only is the food bad, but it’s really expensive. The characters redeem it for a lot of people, but not me.
It was the absolute worst meal that I had ever had! I was embarrassed that I chose this for our party of 4 adults. It was noisy, and the food came out about 2 minutes after we ordered it and was not hot. I had the chicken parmigiana which I think was a chicken patty. It fell apart as I was eating it. Disgusting!
I have to disagree with this article as well. We ate there in December 2017 and it was one of our better meals – certainly at Magic Kingdom where table service is pretty dismal. It is typical Italian fare, but how can you really screw up pasta, ground beef, or breaded chicken? The bread we had was fresh, and our desserts were amazing. I have recommended other people eat there, and they also agreed it was a nice change from most of the burger/sandwich/fries option in the park. To each their own though – the magic of Disney is what is ends up being for each person or family.
“To each their own though — the magic of Disney is what is ends up being for each person or family.”
Exactly. I welcome these comments that disagree with me. Even though we were not fans of Tony’s, our opinion is hardly the only one out there, and it’s great for readers to have a diversity of opinions via the reader comments when considering whether to dine here–or anywhere! 🙂
We ate there on our 2016 trip solely because Lady and the Tramp is my favorite Disney movie, and there’s a nostalgic component to eating there for me. My husband and I ate there on our honeymoon in September 2001 and it was fantastic then. Our baby nursery was Lady and the Tramp themed, and my DD, who is now almost 12, still sleeps with her Lady plush that I bought as a decoration for said nursery…we are a Lady and the Tramp family, so Tony’s was kind of a must-do. And how disappointed were we!! We were shoved in a back corner of a side room, right next to an outlet, where several people had plugged in their phones, so people kept coming over during our meal to retrieve their phones or plug them in. The whole place was like an ice box and we shivered through our meal, despite wearing sweatshirts. Our table gave us a great view of the bussing station where we could see all the dirty dishes piling up, and several CMs were gathered, talking about other tables, etc, yet somehow we seemed invisible to every one of them and had horribly slow service. And the food was….not good. I think my husband is the only one who actually ate his food because he ordered the steak. We ended up using snack credits to get something better when we left the restaurant. I wouldn’t recommend it either, and I’m the biggest Lady and the Tramp fan I know.
We loved Tony’s! We are trying not to duplicate restaurants each time but it’s one we’d definitely do again! Even my picky kid was happy!
We ate there this past February. My goal to try all the Disney restaurants. Having read all the bad reviews, our expectations weren’t high. We actually enjoyed the meal. No it wasn’t high quality, but we were on the dining plan and did the Festival of Fantasy meal deal which made it a good use of food credit! Our biggest complaint was service. Our waiter had too many tables and could not give us any service beyond “here’s your food.” If he had given us more time and lunch wasn’t two hours long, I think the experience would have been ranked higher and I would have told people to give it a try.
You must be a food snob, because we always enjoy our meal at Tonys. I love their shrimp scampi. I get it every year. My husband enjoys his also. We usually ask for porch dining and enjoy watching families having fun . Yes, it is not one of the outstanding restaurants at Disney, but we fond Tonys to be much improved and enjoy dining there.
How exactly did that comment translate into food snob? Must be the part when she said, “We actually enjoyed the meal.”
I ate here September of 2013 I didn’t have a reservation. However they found a table for me was in all 20 25 minutes I had the spaghetti and meatballs with the garlic bread that yes it was Bland and it was only lukewarm it was nothing to write home about however their pumpkin cheesecake was spectacular and well the wait staff wasn’t overly attentive I was treated very well I too agree there probably is a much better place to eat lunch on Main Street maybe they can do something with it I don’t know because it would really be sad if they close Tony’s Town Square because I did love The Lady and the Tramp
I agree with you – I think it’s pretty mediocre Italian food that you can find at the likes of Olive Garden, etc., so I don’t need to go out of my way to get it in Disney when there are so many other good food options. But I do love the themeing, and given that the choices in MK are not great we’ll do it every once in awhile.
Well, I like Tony’s a whole lot better than you did. It’s my go-to “first evening of the vacation” restaurant. However, that’s because of its location more than anything else: my “settle into a Disney mood” routine on arrival day is to hop directly on the monorail to the Magic Kingdom, take a picture of the castle, eat dinner, then watch the fireworks. I’m usually too tired after a day of airports and planes to want to do more than dip a toe in the water and reorient myself into the Disney Bubble. Tony’s serves that purpose nicely; even the loud, rambunctious-kid atmosphere contributes, though it’s something I’d normally dislike.
Though the food quality isn’t my main reason for going there, I’ve never had the strong negative experience you describe for the dishes you tried. Your overview of the menu as play-it-safe, comfortable vacation fare is about the way I see it, but when I visit Tony’s that’s pretty much all I’m looking for.
I don’t know, we have eaten here as a family on two recent trips one year apart and we had no issues with anything. In comparison, also tried Cinderella’s Table twice and the value there is just rubbish. Not only on the food but the characters suck too.
WOW! Having a Bad Day ???
After reading these comments so glad I didn’t go there Cinderella’s dinner – I did however attend a Cinderella dinner at Park fare in grand Floridian and the food was amazing –– the butternut squash ravioli was to die for … I wish I was hungrier when I attended . For me it was the experience. That was by far the best food throughr my trip
Our extended family picked this as one of their few on-property meals after we advised to avoid Tony’s for their first WDW trip. They also decided rope-drop wasn’t ever important AND went in July; basically the few pointers we gave were followed in exact opposite. Some people can’t help themselves out of a dismal WDW experience. We just laugh back when they laugh at us for going to WDW… again?!!! To each their own, right.
I love Tony’s. Perhaps it’s because Lady and the Tramp is one of my favorite “classic” animated films and, as such, I have a soft-spot and can overlook the food. But I always have an enjoyable experience and enjoy my meal (I love their chicken parm and zucchini fries, and that’s what I get every time I go there).
The one memory I have of Tony’s and how great their service is, was a few years back when I was there around the Fourth of July. We (my mom and I) were there for dinner, and they were about to do the fireworks. I -really- wanted to see them but also wanted dessert…our server let me take my tiramisu outside (past the front door, not just on the patio) and I ate it happily while watching the fireworks. True Disney magic.
Here’s my thing. I thought the food was completely serviceable. Had it been $10 less I would have said, “Yeah, sure, go there!” But I paid like $25 for the server-suggested spaghetti and it was not worth the $25. Price sets an expectation that wasn’t met.
I think the worst table service EVER was at Cinderella’s Royal Table. Definitely not worth the 2 dining credits.
Agreed! Ate there once, won’t ever do it again.
Yes! The first time we did CRT it was amazing, but the second time was the complete opposite. Won’t eat there ever again.
You and me both I have done Cinderella’s Royal table three times and each time I was very disappointed and then this last one in in 2013 it was crowded and the wait person kept getting my drink order wrong I don’t remember exactly what I had ordered but I know the bread rolls were rock hard and the meat was really overly seasoned thank God I was on the free Dining Plan I certainly would not pay out of pocket for this meal.
Oversalted says it all. I think they passed my Caprese salad down the line to be salted and everyone joined in! My daughters thought their food was fine.
I like Tony’s. There . I said it.
I like Tony’s too. You’re not alone.
Agreed. I’d pick the pot roast mac in fantasy land any day over Tony’s. Not worth the money even remotely. Whole family left feeling rather sick hours later with bad heartburn.
I was actually expecting your review to be so much worse, so I’m glad you did enjoy some aspects of the meal (i.e., bread and Sarah’s entrée)! Definitely feel bad you missed out on the shrimp scampi — as another user wrote it is sooo good. I’ve never gotten the trio but that’s because the description always seemed a bit “meh” to me (it’s described as “three classic favorites” which I read as code for “holdover from older, less good menu”), but I understand you probably picked it to maximize value on the dining plan. It is still my favorite lunch spot in MK.
I have to disagree. I really like this restaurant. Maybe it’s because, as a senior citizen, “Lady and the Tramp” is one of my favorites. Or, maybe as a vegetarian, I like the fact that there’s always pasta on the menu. I ate here twice, once in early December and once in late January, so the crowds were a little lower. Both times I went in time for the 3 PM parade and ate in the room surrounded with windows so I could see the parade. Yes, people blocked some of the view, but the floats are very tall and could easily be seen. Both times I have a very enjoyable experience.