Popular Disney World Restaurants We Haven’t Eaten at in Years..and Why

We’ve visited Disney World many times. During each of these vacations we dine at a lot of the restaurants on Disney World property. The restaurants found at the resorts, the parks and Disney Springs. It’s one of my favourite parts of our vacation. We typically purchase one of the dining plans for our vacations because we know we get a lot of savings by doing so, for more on that click here. Over the last few years, there are some of the most popular restaurants that we haven’t returned to.

Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. Magic Kingdom.

Tony’s Town Square Restaurant is found at the top of Main Street U.S.A. The restaurant is based on the restaurant from Lady and the Tramp. It was a family favourite growing up, and we dined here on our honeymoon and on our daughter’s first trip. We haven’t been back since 2014 though. The main reason for that is because we wanted to try the other restaurants offered at the Magic Kingdom. Jungle Navigation Skipper Canteen being one of them, The Diamond Horseshoe and of course Be Our Guest. All of these have opened in the last 10 years. I do love Tony’s Town Square Restaurant, and think it’s an excellent and safe choice for guests. For a full review of the restaurant click here.

Cinderella’s Royal Table. Magic Kingdom.

This character dining experience is found INSIDE Cinderella’s Castle. The restaurant is stunning and the food is delicious. The last time we ate here was also in 2014. We planned to dine here back in 2016 but cancelled. We cancelled because our families decided to join us for dinner that day. We didn’t expect them to pay the extravagant fee for dining here. We will definitely be back this coming vacation though.

Cape May Cafe. Disney’s Beach Club Resort.

Cape May Cafe is a buffet style restaurant found at Disney’s Beach Club resort. It’s open for breakfast and dinner. The dinner seating is a seafood fare and the breakfast offering is your typical morning buffet. The breakfast meal features characters: Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck and Donald Duck. We dined here a lot growing up because we always stayed at the Beach Club. The last time we ate here was back in 2014. We haven’t returned because we prefer the Trattoria al Forno breakfast found at the neighbouring Boardwalk Inn & Villas. The meals are better and the characters are Ariel, Rapunzel and their fellas. For more on that restaurant click here.

Hollywood Brown Derby. Hollywood Studios.

Hollywood Brown Derby is the Signature restaurant found at Hollywood Studios. It’s one of our very favourites. We dined here for the first time on our honeymoon and were spoiled by an incredible server. The last time we dined here was in 2013, this is the last time we visited Hollywood Studios without children. We’re not big on taking our kids to fancy restaurants, as they are picky eaters and wouldn’t get much out of the exquisite offerings found here. We will be back though, once our kids get older and can appreciate at delicious steak.

Le Cellier. Epcot.

Another Signature restaurant, Le Cellier is a steakhouse located in the Canadian pavilion in Epcot. Open for lunch and dinner, Le Cellier has amazing steaks, a stellar wine list and impeccable service. My favourite part of a meal here is the bread basket, that offers bread complimenting each area of Canada. The last time we ate here was also in 2013, and we haven’t been back for the same reason, it’s too nice for our littles. For a full review of the restaurant click here.

California Grill. Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

One of the most sought after restaurants at Walt Disney World is California Grill. It’s the rooftop restaurant located at the Contemporary Resort, a stones throw away from the Magic Kingdom. This means, a well timed meal can include a breathtaking fireworks view. We haven’t returned to California Grill for a couple of reasons: Top of the World Lounge and we were underwhelmed. There’s a lot of hype for this restaurant. It’s claimed to be the best restaurant. Before dining here, we had already enjoyed meals at Le Cellier, Hollywood Brown Derby, Narcoossee’s, so our expectations were already very high. California Grill was good, but it didn’t compete with the Brown Derby in our experience. The other reason we haven’t returned is the Top of the World Lounge. Yes, the view that is seen from California Grill is what makes this restaurant a cut above the rest. In the connecting resort, Bay Lake Tower, there is a rooftop lounge for DVC members. We have spent many a night here, enjoying the incredible theme park view. The fact that we can enjoy this view elsewhere takes California Grill down a notch.

There you have it friends. The restaurants that are a quick and easy choice for many but haven’t been on our list for a while. This is a reminder that there are so many restaurants to be discovered at Disney World. So take time to peruse the list of options available to you on your Disney World vacation and make the best choice for your trip.

For more tips on choosing your dining while visiting Disney World check out these previous posts:

Where to Grab Breakfast at Disney’s Magic Kingdom

The Best Restaurant at Disney World 2021

Where to Grab Lunch at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

My 5 Favourite Meals at Disney World