My Favorite Table Service Restaurants at Walt Disney World

First, there are two terms you should be familiar with when talking about Disney dining: TABLE SERVICE & QUICK SERVICE (Ok ok, there is a secret 3rd option too. More on that later!) Table service is when you are waited on at a "sit down" restaurant and quick service is when you order at a counter or on your phone, then seat yourself in the open seating areas. The reason I highlight this distinction is because table service locations require a reservation, while quick service do not.

There are lots of other options that are truly wonderful (and not on this list), but these just happen to be my favorites:

Parks

Magic Kingdom

• Be Our Guest- Located inside Beast's castle; Beast *usually makes an appearance!

Hollywood Studios

• Sci Fi Dine-In- Dine in classic car-shaped booths while watching classic movie clips; dine on a classic American menu

• Mama Melrose Ristorante- good Italian food (& not just pizza!)

Animal Kingdom

• Tiffins- Signature experience*; a culinary adventure of International flavors. Tiffins has a wonderful Lounge too, if you are just looking for an adult beverage and tapas!

• Tusker House- Character meal with Mickey, Goofy, Donald, & Daisy** in their safari ensembles, family-friendly buffet with special African-inspired offerings.

EPCOT

• Via Napoli –Disney brought the ovens all the way from Naples, Italy, known as the birthplace of pizza. They even import the flour and water used to make the pizza dough from Naples!

• Garden Grill –This rotating restaurant serves food that has actually been grown in the gardens at Epcot. Character meal featuring Chip ‘N’ Dale**. Breakfast is my recommendation here!

• Akershus – Good alternative to Cinderella’s Royal Table for dining with the same princesses. Norwegian-inspired fare with some traditional options as well.

• Le Cellier – Signature* Good steaks and great cheese soup! This is a Signature meal, meaning there is a dress code.

• La Hacienda de San Angel – located in Mexico with floor-­to-­ceiling windows on the water. Excellent viewing for the Illuminations fireworks! This is a prime place to watch the fireworks but you’ll need to be willing to eat around 8 p.m. and when you arrive you’ll need to request a table by the window and be willing to wait for it to get the best views of the show.

• Chefs de France – Traditional French favorites – a great place to let your kids try something different.

Resorts

Topolino's Terrace- Disney's Riviera Resort

• If I could list this restaurant twice I would! My favorite place for breakfast/brunch in all of WDW! Dine in the rooftop restaurant at Disney's Riviera Resort. The most delicious breakfast you'll ever eat and amazing character interactions from Mickey, Minnie, Donald & Daisy. You can also enjoy the signature* dinner here too and see fireworks from 3 different parks!

Ohana's- Disney's Polynesian Resort

• Catch Pluto, Mickey, & Stitch for a d e l i c i o u s "all-you-care-to-eat" breakfast at the Polynesian. The pineapple coconut bread is legendary y'all. Ohana's also serves up an asian fusion "all-you-care-to-eat" lunch and dinner. If you time it well, you can see Magic Kingdom fireworks from the floor to ceiling windows!

California Grill- Disney's Contemporary Resort

• We have spent multiple date nights at California Grill because the food is spectacular and the view is unmatched. I love later dinner reservations here because the ambiance is super elegant in the evening and you can alk out onto the roof to watch fireworks!

Steakhouse 71- Disney's Contemporary Resort

• Newly re-imagined restaurant conveniently located within walking distance of Magic Kingdom. The mid-mod aesthetic will give you Mad Men vibes and the traditional steakhouse cuisine will satisfy your whole family. I was really impressed by the Kid's Menu here and my daughter loved the "build your own" sundae option! Another fun tip: If you are a guest of Disney's Contemporary Resort you can order Steakhouse 71 "To Go" from the MDE mobile app!

Ok, I know you are still wondering about that secret third option... drum roll... Signature dining! Signature dining is what Disney calls its fine dining locations. Generally, these restaurants have the best food, the best service, the best wine lists, and the highest prices. Even though they might sound like fancy places, that's not always true! Signature options above are marked with *.