Over the last couple of years, the Disney Parks have announced exciting refurbishments and re-imaginings of a few fan-favorite attractions, and guests will get to experience these updated rides in 2026. This will be a great year to take advantage of discounts and perks offered for Disney Resort stays, and experience the magic of Walt Disney World. Check out what’s on tap for the first half of 2026 at the Florida theme parks!
Winter 2026
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts kicks off January 16 and runs through February 23, 2026, and this is easily my favorite festival offered at this park. From the Disney on Broadway series to the paint-by-numbers mural, there feels like there is more entertainment and activities at this festival than any other. I particularly enjoyed searching for characters painted on the World Showcase pavilion buildings and the chalk art illusions.
Frozen Ever After Reopens with NEW Anna and Elsa animatronics in February 2026 (closure date set for January 26, 2026). Though this ride is fairly new, these animatronics desperately needed to be upgraded to the newest generation. The projection-mapping for the faces of the sisters was mildly creepy at best, and I am glad to see this update to keep Walt Disney World in line with the caliber at the international parks.
Kids Eat Freeall year round with a purchase of the Disney Dining Plan for the adults on your resort package. This is a fantastic deal for families and can help you budget for your trip and save money on food and drink expenses at the same time. Check out the specifics on this awesome person here: Kids Eat Free in 2026
Disney is offering a ton of savings for the winter and spring months already, and these discounts can be combined with the Free Kids Dining Plan mentioned above. Guests cansave up to 25% on resort room bookings and Disney+ subscribers can take advantage of a special discounted ticket offer through May 22, 2026. More information on these awesome discounts can be found here: Walt Disney World Deals – Winter/Spring 2026.
Spring 2026
Hold onto your hats and get ready for the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness! Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom will reopen after a lengthy refurbishment in the springtime and I couldn’t be more excited! After closing back on January 6, 2025, Big Thunder has been undergoing its most comprehensive refurbishment since it opened in 1980, including the laying of new track. Disney has dropped a couple of teasers about thematic upgrades, and I am looking forward to potential upgrades in the cavern scene. While the exact date hasn’t been released yet, we can hope that this ride will be open again before Memorial Day. Read more about this refurbishment at New Magic at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Also rejoining the lineup at Magic Kingdom this spring is Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – complete with upgraded hand-held blasters, interactive targets, and even a new character named Buddy, in your mission to defeat Zurg! The ride vehicles are also being replaced to include a fresh design and new scoring technology. ADD MORE. Space Ranger Spin Updates: Take Aim with All-New Features
Perhaps the premiere event of the springtime at Walt Disney World is EPCOT’s International Flower and Garden Festival, which returns in March 4, 2026 and runs until June 1. The Disney horticulture team completely transforms this park into a festival of bountiful blossoms, with different flora featured in the early spring, mid spring, and late spring. From the floating gardens to the culinary offerings at the Outdoor Kitchens, this festival is easily the most beautiful time to visit EPCOT. Read about a few of my favorite things at EPCOT’s International Flower and Garden Festival here!
Summer 2026
Cool off on arrival day by taking advantage of the Free Water Park Day Perk! Beginning summer 2026, all guests staying at a Walt Disney Resort receive free admission to one of the two Disney Water Parks. During the summer months, both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are open, and this is a great way to start your Disney vacation off with a splash! Read more about these two fun parks here: Magical Quests – Walt Disney World Water ParksNote: Blizzard Beach is currently closed for annual refurbishment but both parks will be open when this perk becomes available summer 2026.
After a successful first run, Cool Kid Summer Returns with more kid-friendly entertainment and activities throughout the parks. The full lineup has not yet been announced, but last year kids and families got to bust a move at the GoofyCore dance party in EPCOT, collect limited edition Wilderness Explorers badges in Animal Kingdom, and play midway-style games in Storybook Circus at Magic Kingdom.
Arriving on May 22, the same day as the much-anticipated The Mandalorian and Grogu movie premiere, the revamped story and controls for Millenium Falcon Smuggler’s Run bring Din Jarin and Din Grogu into the cockpit with you! In addition to changing-up the characters and mission, this (much needed) upgrade will also give the backseat Engineers a role in the action for the first time. Rather than button-mashing without a purpose, the Engineers will now get to take care of Grogu as the Pilots and Gunners control the trajectory and firepower of the Falcon. I started skipping this ride after being stuck in the Engineer seat many times, and I am looking forward to giving this another go next year.
Another thrill ride making a refurbished return in 2026 is Rock’N’Roller Coaster starring The Muppets and luckily, this is expected to be a fairly short closure. While the exact closing date is set for March 2, 2026 (last day to ride is March 1), the Aerosmith pre-show has already been removed, clearing the way for early work to begin on the new set design. The attraction is expected to reopen in the summertime, but I am anxiously awaiting one major detail – the new playlist! What songs will we be rockin’ out to in the Electric Mayhem version of the classic coaster? Only time will tell.
You can expect Disney to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary in spectacular ways, starting with the new, limited-time run of Soarin’ Across the USA. Featuring brand new scenes and scents from sea to shining sea, this version of the nostalgic family attraction is sure to impress guests. I personally love both versions of Soarin’ (Around the World and Over California), and I have all the faith the World that Disney will do a fantastic job. This attraction is set to open on or around Memorial Day at Walt Disney World, and on July 2 at Disney’s California Adventure. (Check out my patriotic post about Celebrating America at Walt Disney World for more activities!)
Bluey and Bingo will Debut at Disney’s Animal Kingdom this summer! This character meet and greet has been a guest request for many years, and the girls are sure to draw the crowds. This character spot will be located at Conservation Station, and guests will need to ride the Wildlife Express out to the Rafiki’s Planet Watch area in order to meet everyone’s favorite Australian blue heelers. Many are speculating that this meet-and-greet will be moved to the reimagined Animation Courtyard in Disney’s Hollywood Studios with the other Disney Jr. characters once it is ready for guests. Bluey and Bingo will also begin appearing at Disneyland and on Disney Cruise Line in 2026!
There is so much to look forward to in 2026 at Walt Disney World, from updated thrills to new character experiences, and this is just a sampling of what Disney will roll out over the next few years at the parks. With unprecedented discounts – hello, Free Dining Plan for Kids! – this is a great time to save on a magical Disney vacation for your whole family. Let’s start planning your next Magical Quest today!
Deciding where to stay is one of the most important decisions of your vacation to Walt Disney World. While you’ll be spending most of your time out and about at the theme parks, water parks, and Disney Springs, you can keep the magic going by staying on property as well. Here are seven reasons why I choose to stay at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel.
Proximity to the theme parks
The Walt Disney World Resorts are located within a 15-minute bus ride to the parks (on the lengthy end) and some are as close as a 5-minute walk. When you have planned for months and budgeted a not-so-small chunk of change for your vacation, why waste time getting to and from the parks, or needing to rent a car?
The commute to Magic Kingdom will be vastly different if you are not staying on property and using Disney Transportation (more on that later). Guests using bus transportation from resorts like Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando or Hawthorne Suites by Wyndham Orlando are dropped off at the Transportation and Ticket Center and then need to take either the Monorail or the Magic Kingdom Ferry across the Seven Seas Lagoon to the theme park gates. This is the same process for guests who have rented vehicles and are driving to the parks, whether staying on-property or not — they’ll also have a short tram ride from their parking row to the Monorail/Ferry gates. All told, this can add up to an hour to your commute to the Magic Kingdom.
At the three other theme parks, these busses drop off at the same area that Ride Shares Lyft and Uber drop off. This is generally located past the Disney Bus stop area, and feels a bit like the middle of nowhere.
While it is not necessarily a long commute from off-property resorts, especially considering there are many Good Neighbor Hotels in proximity to Disney Springs (which is also where Saratoga Springs Resort is located), there are still many closer options. This, coupled with the fact that complimentary transportation from these resorts drops you a long ways away from the gates adds a lot of travel time to your day. Having easy, quick access to all the fun and entertainment Disney has to offer can elevate your trip and allow you to experience more while you’re visiting.
More time in the theme parks
All guests staying at the Walt Disney World Resorts and some participating Good Neighbor Hotels are allowed to enter the parks 30 minutes before official opening, known as Early Entry. Though it might seem like a short amount of time, you can accomplish a lot during this Early Entry window and alleviate some of the wait times later in the day by hopping on popular rides first thing in the morning. (Check out my Rope Drop series for strategies to make the most of this perk!) If you are staying on property at a resort within walking distance to a theme park, this Early Entry window is a true Golden Half Hour – imagine taking a short stroll to the International Gateway and directly to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure without a wait. Now that is “Disney Magic.”
Guests who splurge a bit and stay at a Deluxe level resort will also have an extra hour to enjoy after the parks close known as Extended Evening Hours, in select theme parks two nights per week. Typically, this is offered at Magic Kingdom on Mondays and EPCOT on Wednesdays, though over the past couple of years Walt Disney World has added this offering at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom during the “party seasons” of Halloween and Christmas. (This is due to hard-ticket nighttime events happening at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios for the holidays.) Extended Evening Hours is a fantastic way to enjoy popular attractions with low wait times, with less guests moving about the park. In past trips, I have been able to ride every single attraction at Hollywood Studios during this hour, and hit every mountain in Magic Kingdom. As a cherry on top, the parks are gorgeous at night when they are lit up, and the heat of the day has hopefully died down.
Free & frequent transportation to and from the parks
I love Disney transportation and aim to use every form available on each trip to Walt Disney World. Complimentary Disney Bus Transportation runs every 20 minutes (sometimes less) from resorts to theme parks and Disney Springs, with other busses sometimes added to the route during peak hours – like right after fireworks during holiday weeks. The bus stop area for Disney resort guests is right outside of the gates at each park, but the bus area for off-property resorts is always a bit of a hike, typically found near the ride share pick up far off to a side. These extra steps at the end of a park day feel arduous, and since these busses do not run every 20 minutes (or less!) for these resorts, you can still find yourself waiting for quite a while. I once stayed at a Disney Springs area resort and planned my evening around walking from the back gate of EPCOT to Beach Club, hopping on a bus to Disney Springs, grabbing dinner there, and walking to my hotel from Disney Springs instead of dealing with the odd bus schedule.
Disney Bus Transportation has some drawbacks — they do pack you in like sardines but considering almost everything is a 10-15 minute ride away, you don’t have to suffer for long. (Plus, if you are the last of those sardines to make it on the bus, you’ll be thankful your fellow guests made room.) You may also discover a previously unknown skill after a long day at the parks – sleeping while standing! Jokes aside, the Disney Busses are highly reliable and aside from the first-world problem of missing a ride and needing to wait a bit on tired feet or not having a seat, I have never had an issue traveling this way.
Beyond the Disney Busses, there are also fun, unique options like the Disney Monorail, Disney Skyliner, and Friendship Boats or Launch Boats. Depending on where you are staying on property, you’ll have the option to travel to certain parks in style.
Guests staying at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Polynesian Resort and Village, or Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower have their own Monorail line to board which typically has shorter waits. Running more frequently than the Disney Busses (aside from adverse weather delays) the Walt Disney World Monorail is a classic and quick option to whisk you away to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. If you’ve ridden the Monorail, perhaps you are already reciting the classic safety announcement in your head: Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas.
The Disney Skyliner services four resorts on the route itself – Disney’s POP Century Resort, Art of Animation Resort, Riviera Resort, and Caribbean Beach Resort – and each of these resorts will utilize the Skyliner to travel to both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Travel time will vary depending on when you’re headed to the parks and whether or not you need to transfer at the Caribbean Beach Resort Hub, but you can plan on 10-20 minutes travel time from resort to park.
The EPCOT resorts of Disney’s Yacht Club, Beach Club, Boardwalk Inn & Villas, and Swan & Dolphin Resort can also utilize the Skyliner to travel to Hollywood Studios. But my favorite means of transportation in this area is hopping on a Friendship Boat. If you’re lucky, you can grab a spot on the outdoor bench and catch a breeze as you zip across Crescent Lake, making a few resort stops along the way. I love to grab an iced coffee and enjoy a luxurious ride to my next adventure.
Disney theming at each resort, to varying degrees
If you’re staying on site in Walt Disney World, you expect to see Disney theming tied in throughout the resorts as well. While that is certainly the case, some on property resorts are more heavily themed than others and choosing the right location can greatly improve your overall experience. For those guests who are looking for a quieter spot to relax after the chaos of the parks, Saratoga Springs Resort, Old Key West Resort, Port Orleans French Quarter, and Port Orleans Riverside are all great choices. These locations are a bit lighter on the Disney-specific theming – like portraits of horses featured in animated films decorating the lobby and rooms at Saratoga Springs, or hints of Princess and the Frog at Port Orleans French Quarter – and can be a great fit if you’re looking for something a little less in-your-face-Disney.
Families with young kids might look at heavily themed places like POP Century or Art of Animation Resort, where you can see huge character statues spread around in their respective themed areas. There are also resorts like the Polynesian Resort and Village which has always had an island Polynesian theme to it and now ties in aspects of Moana and Lilo & Stitch in its adornments. With each resorts’ unique theme, you’ll be able to try dining experiences and activities to match, including the String of Memories activity at Animal Kingdom Lodge where guests learn from a cultural representative and collect a bead to create a bracelet throughout the day.
Occasional character visits to resort lobbies and grounds
When checking in to your Disney Resort, you might just find some of your favorite characters milling about the lobby or playing on the grass outside. Often found in the early afternoon when guests are checking in, characters like Donald Duck, Goofy, and Chip & Dale have spotted greeting guests at resorts all over property. Recently, Disney Operations has started posting signage for the character arrival times around the resort – these are subject to change but can help guests take advantage of these seemingly random visits to the resort lobbies. This is a Disney touch you won’t find at off-property resorts and can create an impromptu magical moment to kick off your vacation.
The “Disney Bubble” vibes are strong
The main point of my vacation is to disconnect from the real world and enjoy a bit of fun and mental relaxation. Disney World takes this to another level with the “Disney Bubble,” the semi-formal term used to describe the extremely pleasant feeling of being cut off from reality and immersed in a land of magic and possibility. Beyond the decorative theming and immersion of the theme parks themselves, Disney World has its own infrastructure that lends to the feeling of being elsewhere.
When you enter those magical Walt Disney World gates from the highway, you are entering Reedy Creek Improvement District which covers over 25,000 acres of land in central Florida. The RCID manages everything from waste and recycling to the roadways and waterways. When you’re traveling through Disney property, you’ll notice they have their own road signage (with ongoing updates to the classic purple and yellow signs to new blue screens that can be changed as roads and exits are improved), and less traffic than the public Florida highways. Since Walt Disney World is private property, GPS apps will not route drivers through these roads unless it’s the intended destination, so you really are sharing the lanes with only Disney guests and Cast Members.
Disney also has its own shopping and dining district called Disney Springs (previously known as Downtown Disney), and there are dozens of amazing restaurants, easily accessible from the Disney Resorts. With locations operated by world-renowned chefs, including Jose Andres, Wolfgang Puck, and Art Smith, there is no reason to leave Disney property for a top-tier meal. Forget to bring your makeup bag, or looking for a fresh pair of Ears? You’ll find these essentials here as well – in addition to merchandise locations like World of Disney, the Springs is also home to places like Sephora and Fabletics, for those essentials you may have forgotten while packing.
When you are staying at a themed resort close the parks that you’re playing in, can choose from several fun, free transportation options that shuttle you from place to place, and have all the creature comforts you need on site, it’s easy to forget you’re in the middle of Florida – aside from the heat of course.
You don’t have to break the bank to stay on property!
I hear frequently that guests choose not to stay at a Disney resort because they plan to be at the parks all day long, and don’t want to “pay more” for a resort that they won’t be spending time at. The Value Resort category in the Disney Resorts Collection is about the same (and sometimes less) than the Good Neighbor Hotels near Disney Springs. For example, looking at August 3 – 9, 2025, without any discount applied the All-Star Music Resort is listed at $164/night + taxes and fees to sleep a family of four. These same dates at Drury Plaza Hotel near Disney Springs is listed at $153.99/night + taxes and fees for a non-refundable rate, and $179.99/night + taxes and fees for a flexible rate, for a 4-person occupancy – and it is worth noting that you can always cancel or change reservations through the Walt Disney Company without penalty, if you cancel more than 30 days prior to your trip. The cost, cancellation policy, and ease of transportation around property is going to give the All-Star properties the edge for me.
Within the Value Resort category, there are also a couple of not-so-hidden gems to pick from in POP Century and Art of Animation Resort. Both of these value resorts are located on the Skyliner route, giving these “basic” Value resorts the same perk as Deluxe resorts – a unique transportation option to the theme parks. Before any type of discount, a standard room at POP Century Resort is listed at $213/night + taxes and fees for the dates listed above, and larger parties can look into the Family Suites at Art of Animation Resort which sleep up to 6 adults.
I am a huge proponent of staying on property in Walt Disney World, and out of the reasons listed above, the most important one for me is the “Disney Bubble” feeling. I appreciate the immersive theming at the different resorts, and while the Disney Bus Transportation is easy and reliable, the fun and unique travel options of the Skyliner, Monorail, and Friendship Boats help to continue the fun and excitement of the day, down to the mundane task of getting home. All of this ties in to the make the “Disney Bubble” feel like a warm cozy blanket of nostalgia – and that Bubble does burst on the way to the airport.
When I visit Walt Disney World, most of my dining happens at Quick Service restaurants. I like the simplicity of a quicker meal that doesn’t involve a reservation or table service, and it’s a great way to stay on budget. Additionally, most Quick Service locations have Mobile Ordering available, which can help speed things along when the dinner bell rings.
Not all Quick Service locations are created equal though, and over the years I have developed a list of personal favorites and top recommendations from other guests. In no particular order, here are my Top 5 Quick Service Restaurants at Disney World:
Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo – Galaxy’s Edge, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Heavy on galactic theming from the menu nomenclature to the interior design, Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo is the main eatery for travelers on Batuu in Star Wars – Galaxy’s Edge. The offerings here are elevated versions of theme park fare: crispy chicken tenders with mac and cheese and roasted vegetables, a poke bowl, and barbeque pork ribs with red cabbage slaw and a blueberry muffin to name a few. If this is your first visit to Black Spire Outpost, be sure to read the item descriptions and don’t be confused or put off by the names of these dishes. The “Kashyyk Beef and Sweet Topato Salad” might sound odd, the description of, “tender sliced beef, roasted sweet potatoes and purple potatoes, served on arugula and watercress topped with spicy yellow aji cheese sauce and pickled onions” sounds pretty delicious.
This is the larger of the two Quick Service restaurants found in Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the other being Ronto Roasters, which primarily carries the pork-filled Ronto Wrap. If you are dining in Galaxy’s Edge, this is definitely the place you’ll want to head to for a full meal – and they actually serve the famous Ronto Wrap here after 3:00pm as well. The immersive theming of Docking Bay 7 cannot be understated. Guests can enjoy their meal inside a spacious hangar bay seated on shipping crates or barrels, or tucked into alcoves created by larger shipping containers with their side panels removed. When you are living your Star Wars story at the parks, this is the ideal place to stop for provisions.
The Polite Pig – Disney Springs
A mix of Quick Service and Table Service, with an extensive menu for all pallets, The Polite Pig is in a league of its own when it comes to ranking these locations at Walt Disney World. Guests can choose from platters of pork shoulder, half chicken, cedar plank salmon, USDA prime brisket, and more, with various sandwich options and enough sides to feed a small army (or your extended family traveling together). The location operates as a Quick Service restaurant in terms of ordering your food at a walk-up counter, but once you are seated, servers will bring your food to you and take additional drink orders from your table.
What brings many guests to The Polite Pig beyond their culinary offerings is the extensive bourbon menu available both within the dining area, and at the outdoor walk-up bar. With over 90 different types of whiskeys (yep, you read that correctly), this spot is a bourbon lover’s spirited dream.
This is not your average BBQ joint. The owners of The Polite Pig (James and Julie Petrakis, and James’s brother Brian) are James Beard award nominees – three times over. (For comparison, Sigourney Weaver has been nominated for three Academy Awards and hasn’t won. She’s still a big deal.) It’s hard to believe this location is a considered a Quick Service restaurant, but let’s not complain! For guests using the Disney Dining Plan, this is without a doubt the best use of a Quick Service Dining Credit you’ll find.
Satu’li Canteen – Pandora: World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Immersive theming with a unique menu, Satu’li Canteen is easily my favorite Quick Service location, and one of the best on property overall. The restaurant is themed as a former RDA mess hall, where the humans who were mining on Pandora would have dined in between shifts. Having been reclaimed by natural growth and the natives, you will see Na’vi culture intertwined throughout, with woven art and designs adorning the dining area.
The menu here is distinctive among Disney Quick Service locations. For lunch and dinner, guests can build their own bowls, choosing from a selection of “base” carbs, a protein or two, and a distinctive sauce to compliment a vegetable slaw and boba balls. These bowls are delicious, and having the ability to mix and match different components gives you a huge number of options to choose from. My personal favorite is the smoked chimichurri braised beef bowl with noodles and the charred green onion vinaigrette – seeing and smelling the beef turning on a spit as you enter the restaurant seals the deal on my choice every time.
Another fan favorite on this menu is the Cheeseburger Steamed Pods. Allegedly based off Joe Rohde’s grandmother’s Sloppy Joe recipe, these bao buns are filled with a tasty mix of ground beef, ketchup, mustard, pickle, and onion – much like the cheeseburger egg rolls in Magic Kingdom, just in a thicker bao bun vessel. Pro Tip: Build yourself a bowl for your main meal, and grab the kid’s meal version of this for a smaller portion so you can still try it out!
In 2024, Satu’li Canteen began serving breakfast, which added a much-needed morning quick service option to the park with the earliest opening time. The frittata with beef is an elevated choice — pair it with a new cold brew to fuel up for an adventurous day ahead at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. (Check out my post about The Perfect Rope Drop Morning at Animal Kingdom for more tips!)
Capt. Cook’s – Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Village
The Magic Kingdom Resorts are home to some of the best restaurants on property, and that extends to their Quick Service options as well. Leaning into the Polynesian theming of the resort, Capt. Cook’s offerings include an Aloha Pork Sandwich, Thai Coconut Meatballs, and Pulled Pork Nachos, as well as a few “old reliables” like cheeseburgers and chicken tenders. This location is pool-adjacent and ideal if you are staying at the Polynesian and relaxing on a resort day. It’s also a fantastic location if you want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Magic Kingdom and eat lunch at a nearby resort – just hop on the resort monorail, and you’ll be there in two stops.
One of my favorite perks of this location is the late-night dining menu, offering a few items until midnight. This has been an absolute savior once or twice after an ill-timed departure after the Magic Kingdom fireworks, considering the “late-night” options are few and far between on property. While the appetizer menu for Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace is only available until 10pm, you can order from Capt. Cook’s until midnight and sit on the terrace late into the night.
While EPCOT certainly has the highest volume of dining options, particularly when there is a festival happening (and when isn’t there a festival happening these days?), it lacks a bit in full-fledged Quick Service locations. There are definitely some must-try items from these places – like the Pretzel Bread Pudding at Sommerhaus in Germany, or the Egg Rolls from Lotus Blossom Café – but as a whole location, they leave much to be desired considering the volume of cuisine available at EPCOT.
Then we have Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue to the rescue. Inspired by the patriotism of Sam Eagle, this location pays homage to barbecue styles found throughout the United States with a Muppets-themed-flair that fits perfectly. The menu is large for a quick service spot, and there’s something for everyone – including burgers, brisket platters, dry-rub pork ribs, mac & cheese, cornbread, and watermelon for dessert.
This location (like many other Quick Service spots on this list) also offers Mobile Order, so if you find that the park is very busy and you aren’t interested in waiting in lines for Outdoor Kitchen items during a festival, it’s a good idea to place your order here ahead of time. You’ll have one less decision to make when your stomach starts rumbling. There is also an outdoor walk-up bar featured at this location, and you can grab yourself a Moonshine Sour or Berry Sparkler (non-alcoholic) while you wait for your well-timed Mobile Order window to roll around. (There’s also a Joffrey’s Cart in the America Pavilion, for an early evening pick-me-up.)
Honorable Mentions
To avoid having a list of the Top 30 Quick Service Locations at Walt Disney World, I’ve put together a collection of honorable mentions. Some of these are purely personal favorites, and others make this back up list for reasons besides their food menus.
Backlot Express – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
One of the last vestiges of the old MGM Studios, Backlot Express is near and dear to my heart, and there is definitely a nostalgia factor involved when adding this to the honorable mentions list (and nearly putting it in my Top 5). Backlot Express has a fairly run-of-the-mill theme park menu with a variety of cheeseburgers and chicken tenders, but also carries some healthier, more robust options like a Cuban sandwich, a teriyaki chicken bowl, and a southwest salad. This is one of the few locations that has a self-service soda machine (hello, free refills!), as well as self-serve dipping sauces for those tasty chicken tenders. There’s a ridiculous amount of seating both indoors and outdoors, with shade and high ceiling fans over the patio to cool off.
Backlot Express is an Opening Day Quick Service location, and is themed as a re-creation of a movie set warehouse, complete with a machine shop, paint and plastics department, scenic department, and more. Around the seating area, you’ll find workplace signage and props, and in the past, you could even take a picture with the Toon Patrol paddy wagon from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? on display out front. There was a brief time where this location felt dated to me, but now with the ongoing changes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, eating at Backlot Express feels like paying homage to the MGM Studios of yesteryear.
Pecos Bills Tall Tale Inn and Café – Frontierland, Magic Kingdom
I am not quite ready to put this (or any in-park Magic Kingdom Quick Service location for that matter) on this list of “My Top 5” but I absolutely need to include it on this list of honorable mentions. Pre-pandemic, Pecos Bills actually was the best Quick Service location in this theme park (which isn’t saying much). With tacos, burgers, and most importantly, an endless toppings bar, the Tall Tale Inn & Café once was the go-to spot in Magic Kingdom. Fast-forward a few years and the toppings bar (which never returned post-pandemic) is long gone, and the menu very lackluster.
While public outcry hasn’t seen the return of the toppings bar, we have seen an overhaul of the menu offerings at Pecos Bills, which has greatly improved this eatery. In late 2024, the culinary team pivoted to the “build your own bowl” set up, (hey, if it works for Satu’li Canteen, why not here?), and guests can now create a nacho bowl, rice bowl, salad bowl, or tamale plate, choosing from citrus-chipotle chicken, green chili pork, or coca-cola cherry braised beef for their proteins. I do wish they would add some cold veggies to these bowls, like optional shredded lettuce and diced tomato, but this new menu is a massive improvement to the offerings in recent years. With tons of seating both indoors and outdoors, this is a solid pick to fuel up and have a respite from the sun before hopping on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Woody’s Lunch Box – Toy Story Land, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
When this location’s dining area reopens from a lengthy refurbishment, there might be some reshuffling of my Top 5. The BBQ Brisket Melt and “Totchos” are both delightful and filling, and the seasonal Daily Lunch Box Tarts are fan-favorites. For now, however, what keeps Woody’s Lunch Box from the recognition it deserves is the abysmal seating offered here.
Entirely outdoors with mostly standing-room tables or high-top seating, this is one of the worst places to eat a meal in all of Walt Disney World. It is blazing hot and there is virtually no shade in this land to begin with, and very few tables with umbrellas within the Quick Service area. If you are lucky enough to find a table with an umbrella, odds are that one part of your body will still be baking in the sun, because while ideal for the theming of the land, the plastic drink umbrellas do little in terms of offering real shade. Couple this with the fact that the menu items are mostly comfort foods served hot and better enjoyed in cooler temps, it makes it a bit of a chore to have lunch here.
Thankfully they are refurbishing this seating area, and I can’t imagine they would do so without adding in some sort of overhead covering and fans, in addition to making better use of the table space. As of now (May 2025), you will need to take your order from Woody’s Lunch Box over to Galaxy’s Edge, and try to find a table at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo or Ronto Roasters. (May the Force be with you…)
Note: The refurbished seating area has opened as of May 25, 2025. While the covering is an improvement, it’s still hot and crowded in this seating area.
Flame Tree BBQ – Discovery Island, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
A fan favorite with a huge menu, Flame Tree BBQ is one of the largest Quick Service locations in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. While I do not order food here frequently, I do love to relax in the seating area almost every time I visit this park. There are a couple of other quick service or snack locations nearby, including my personal favorite spot – the Smiling Crocodile taco stand – and I like to take my taco plate down to the waterfront tables overlooking Discovery River with Expedition Everest in the distance. (Note: As of June 2025 these tacos plates have sadly been replaced by other items at this location. I hope some version of them will be back in the future, perhaps in the Tropical Americas land when it opens.)
There are also pergolas scattered throughout this seating area for added shade. You’ll notice a “circle of life” motif throughout the restaurant, with colorful carvings, murals, and statues setting the vibe. As you meander along these paths towards the water, there are a few serving stations set up with necessities like utensils, napkins, and trash, so you don’t need to go all the way back up to the front. This is a great place to relax and feel like you are off the beaten path, while inside a busy theme park.
La Cantina de San Angel – Mexico Pavilion, EPCOT
Located along the waters of the World Showcase Lagoon, La Cantina de San Angel is one of four dining locations in Mexico (five, if you count La Cava de Tequila since you can order snacks there!). This location makes my Honorable Mentions list for two reasons: 1. La Cantina has a large menu for a quick service restaurant, including some very good nachos that can serve as a shareable or full meal. 2. The breeze off of World Showcase Lagoon when sitting outside is a slice of heaven on a hot day. Bonus reason: The dining area to San Angel Inn is open for overflow seating during the early part of the day, and this is a great spot to enjoy some air conditioning and a gorgeous view overlooking the water.
The Mara – Animal Kingdom Lodge
Animal Kingdom Lodge is my favorite Walt Disney World resort, and the many dining options available here is a huge reason why. As far as resort-only Quick Service locations go, The Mara has to be ranked among the best. With an African twist on classic fare, as well as some delightful shrimp, beef, or vegetable bowls, there are a ton of healthy, unique options available here. The Mara also has some of the best grab-and-go treats, like the resort’s famous Zebra Domes (chocolate mousse baked with Amarula cream liquor-coated white chocolate drizzled with chocolate stripes and chocolate shavings) as well as a refreshing Pineapple-Orange-Guava (POG) Frozen Slush. Animal Kingdom Lodge is fairly “out of the way” and I left this off my Top 5 list because it’s not easily accessible to all guests – perhaps that actually makes it an even better choice, though.
This list obviously does not (and cannot) cover every single “top” Quick Service location on property. Walt Disney World’s website lists 132 dining options when filtering to show only Quick Service restaurants. (Yes, you read that correctly. That’s in addition to 134 table service restaurantsand doesn’t account for snack locations.) There are still so many great eateries that I have yet to try – especially some locations at Disney Springs like The Basket at Wine Bar George and the fairly new location, EET by Maneet. I suppose it’s time to start planning my next trip!
Are you re-thinking your daily Table Service dining reservations for your upcoming trip, now that you know about all of these amazing Quick Service options? Wondering if the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan is a good fit for your vacation? Let’s map out the menus for your next Magical Quest today!
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