14 Best Group-Friendly Restaurants At Disney World

In groups large and small, millions of people visit central Florida's Walt Disney World each year. As an Orlando local who frequents the theme park almost daily, I often observe people on vacations that seem to be going well, while others appear to be devolving into disaster. Although there's no single factor that will make or break your Disney trip, a surefire way to land in a world of hurt amid "The Most Magical Place On Earth" is forgetting to plan out meals.

When traveling in larger groups, this can be especially difficult. You must consider dietary needs, seating, entertainment, and a restaurant's ability to accommodate the size of your party. Thankfully, many popular restaurants in Disney World are prepared for those traveling with large groups. Having visited most Disney World dining spots, I've compiled a list of the places that I believe would best suit a big group. I factored in the ability of these establishments to accommodate different food preferences, each eatery's entertainment value, and every restaurant's capability to ensure a comfortable dining experience for everyone. Actually, some Disney World restaurants only get better when visiting with a bigger group.

My main recommendation? Plan ahead, but be ready to make changes. You'll want to book in advance for larger parties, but if you can't score a reservation you're really hoping for, keep checking back. Reservation time slots have a way of opening up in the days (and even hours) before you plan to dine. Make reservations on the My Disney Experience app for a smooth booking process. 

For large groups, some of the best dining options at Disney World are buffet-style restaurants. These allow everyone in your group to get exactly the food they want in precisely the quantity they want. Not to mention that immediately after arriving, you can be filling your plate.

One of my absolute favorite buffets at Disney World is Biergarten. The restaurant is located in Epcot's Germany Pavilion, so getting there requires a little bit of a walk from the park entrance, but this is the perfect dining location if your group is enjoying Epcot for the day. The Germany Pavilion is styled after the main square of an old Bavarian village, complete with a wooden gazebo with folk-art decorations. This atmosphere always reminds me of the street outside of my favorite Munich hotel. Tucked away in the back of the pavilion, you'll find the Biergarten entrance.

Upon entering the restaurant, you'll discover what appears to be an outdoor German courtyard where a celebration reminiscent of Oktoberfest in Munich is in full swing. Along one side of the restaurant, two buffet areas serve the same selection of classic German foods, including bratwurst and strudel. A couple times each hour, a small band takes the stage to play traditional music that perfectly pairs with the environment. Large parties will appreciate the sizable tables that allow big groups to sit together comfortably. 

Biergarten is inside of Epcot, but there are other buffet restaurants at the Disney resorts outside of the theme parks. One of my family's favorites is Cape May Cafe at Disney's Beach Club Resort. Upon entering the hotel lobby, you'll find Cape May Cafe on the left side. If you walk around the restaurant's exterior, you'll see that it has an open-air environment designed to feel like a beachfront eatery where you might stop in before heading back to the water.

Like Biergarten, the buffet gets people eating quickly, and there are plenty of seating areas that can easily accommodate large parties. If small kids are in your group, there's an excellent children's buffet section that's conveniently positioned lower to the ground, so little ones can easily reach their favorite foods. (Pro tip: Don't let the lower buffet table stop you from piling up your own plate there. That's some of the best mac and cheese on Disney World property.)

At dinner, the buffet is designed to feel like a New England feast complete with carving stations, along with seafood, salad, and classic dinner-club favorites. For breakfast, you'll dine with Minnie and her pals — but if visiting with a large group, this dynamic of the morning meal is definitely worth noting, since those events with Disney characters are rather expensive, and can add up to quite a big price tag for numerous people. 

For a more unique dining experience, consider hopping over to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge for Boma. This buffet is entirely different, offering specialties like butternut squash soup and Durban chicken, which allow guests to enjoy a specialized meal that celebrates flavors of Africa.

Like other buffets, I love this one because groups can start choosing food quickly, and it's a great way to take in this beautiful resort. Whether you're staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge or not, Boma is a fabulous dining stop, if simply for grabbing a bite amid a recreated African marketplace. Colorful and lively, I love this Animal Kingdom eatery for its variety and easy access. Plus, since it's a buffet, anyone in your party can try just a small sample of any unfamiliar dishes, and then return for a bigger helping if they discover a new favorite. With a large dining area, there's plenty of room for a crowd, and many diverse offerings for the range of palates in larger parties.

Hibachi dining restaurants are an experience of flavor and showmanship. They're ideal for large groups, since the dining party sits around a big table to enjoy watching dinner being prepared. If you've ever been to a hibachi-style restaurant, you may know that smaller parties often get paired with others to fill tables. If you're a little introverted like me, this can be uncomfortable — but the hibachi seating arrangement is absolutely ideal for larger parties. After all, big groups have a better chance at filling an entire table.

The menu at Teppan Edo is exactly what you would expect from a hibachi-style restaurant, including steak, chicken, and seafood. Plus, sushi fans can order from a selection of fish specialties to be brought to the table. Those looking for a fun cocktail have options here too, and it certainly adds to the spectacle of this entertaining dining experience.

You'll find Teppan Edo in Epcot's Japan Pavilion. Although the restaurant is on the second level, it doesn't offer a great view of the lagoon, so don't count on this as a fireworks-watching spot.

While Teppan Edo is a hibachi-style Japanese restaurant, Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya is a sushi bar that also serves grilled entrees. I had the opportunity to visit the restaurant right before it opened to the public, and fell in love with it right away. Since then, I have visited again for a date night, as well as a few more times with the rest of my family. I can say that Shiki-Sai will usually have a comfortable table available for you and your party of any reasonable size.

This restaurant is on the same upper level as Teppan Edo in Epcot's Japan Pavilion, but occupies the building's front section, so half of the restaurant has a view over the World Showcase Lagoon. The other half of this restaurant doesn't have as many windows, but you do get to see rotating scenery of the seasons and their celebrations in Japan.

For menu options, Sushi lovers will find a hefty assortment of favorites and new options to try. Consider one of the larger sushi orders for a fun way to share sushi among many in the group. However, even those who can't stomach the texture of sushi have a long menu of choices that are fully cooked. 

At Disney World, there are two major categories of restaurants. You have quick-service stops that offer fast food and other mass-prepared dishes, and you have sit-down dining establishments. Among the sit-down options, there are naturally different subcategories. More often than not, I would recommend sit-down dining for large groups, since this guarantees a comfortable place for you and your party to eat. However, Animal Kingdom actually has a fabulous quick-service location for large groups: Satu'li Canteen. 

Tucked away in the back corner of Pandora — the recently opened Animal Kingdom attraction based on "Avatar" — you'll find Satu'li Canteen. The choices here are a little unexpected, but I've enjoyed everything I've tried. My personal favorite is the combination bowl with wood-grilled chicken and beef braised with chimichurri; I choose a base of noodles and a creamy herb dressing to go with it, and I also like to put some hot sauce on top for a little extra tang. My son enjoys the cheese quesadillas, and if you are a burger lover, you might want to consider trying the cheeseburger steamed pods based on bao buns. They're rather remarkable.

The reason I recommend Satu'li Canteen for groups is because it has plenty of dining space, both indoors and outdoors, which will easily accommodate a large group sitting together. Long booths make it easy to seat many people together, and this eatery even has entire areas reserved for larger parties. 

Since I live so close to Disney World, it probably goes without saying that our family frequently visits the theme park and its affiliated attractions for birthday celebrations. One of our favorite places for this is Morimoto Asia. This pan-Asian restaurant — conceptualized by Masaharu Morimoto of "Iron Chef" — is in Disney Springs, Disney World's shopping and dining district. 

Having enjoyed many à la carte meals — as well as the omakase dining experience — at Morimoto Asia, I can tell you that this might very well be the best restaurant on Disney World property; it's probably my favorite. This is great news for a large group, since the eatery has plenty of seating.

For birthday celebrations, the size of my party can be close to 10 people. Even in these instances, Morimoto Asia has accommodated us without breaking a sweat. Like Shiki-Sai, the sushi menu here is delectable, but some of my favorite dishes are the dim sum selections. Among them, do not miss out on the pork dumplings. Every time I visit, my group orders at least two batches, if not more.

There was a time when 'Ohana ranked among the most iconic of Disney dining experiences. In recent years, this massive eatery adorned with South Pacific scenery faded into the background, as a fair amount of other restaurants have stolen the spotlight. However, it's still a restaurant that I recommend, especially for large groups.

'Ohana is on the second floor of the Great Ceremonial House at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. You'll be dining family-style, sharing many courses and meats. Everyone can be considered cousins here. The 'Ohana noodles are always a winner in my book, and I'm also a fan of the honey-coriander chicken wings and pork dumplings with garlic-chili sauce. Large groups work well here, because some of the bigger tables are among the best seats in the house, as they are close to the panoramic windows. Plus, since everything is offered with unlimited helpings, even large parties will certainly get their fill here. 

If you are looking for dining with entertainment for your large group, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue should be at the top of your list. This is a two-hour experience that will have you licking your fingers, giggling, and singing the whole time. The venue has a large dining area that is well suited for numerous people sitting together. Your group may be restricted to choosing seating on the main floor if your party won't fit in the balcony areas, but that'll just get you closer to the action.

Please note that the Hoop-Dee-Doo is located in the campground area of Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. Because of this, you'll need to make some specific choices about transportation to ensure that you get to the right place at the right time. Disney's bus service is always a reliable option, but when enjoying a day at the Magic Kingdom before a dinner-show reservation, I love taking the boat over to the campground.

If you and your party are looking for a nice break from the hustle and bustle of a day at Magic Kingdom, I recommend Liberty Tree Tavern at Liberty Square. Here guests enjoy a family-style, classic American meal of roasted meats and Thanksgiving-style sides. This tends to be a pretty heavy feast, and the price is the same for lunch and dinner, so I recommend having it as the evening meal rather than filling up at lunchtime. Being weighed down by all of that food in the middle of the day is definitely not advisable while wandering around a theme park in the heat of central Florida.

Everything about this restaurant hearkens back to the country's colonial era, with each of the rooms decorated in honor of a historical American figure you'll find in U.S. history books. Although it can be cramped moving about the tables, I've noticed that large parties are easily accommodated here, and I've even enjoyed a meal here myself with a fairly large group. Even if your party is especially big, the food will just keep coming, so no one has to be coy about grabbing seconds or thirds. 

Right across the way from Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs, you'll see Raglan Road. This is an Irish-style pub and restaurant with great food and drinks, including a huge selection of whiskeys from the Emerald Isle. Every dish I've ordered off the menu has been delicious — I love the Gnocchi Sea Gnocchi Do with scallops and crispy pork, and I refuse to leave without ordering Ger's Bread & Butter Pudding for dessert. Even better than the food and drink? The entertainment.

To one side of the main room, there's a stage where a band plays both classic Irish tunes and more popular songs with Hibernian flair. Throughout the set, you'll enjoy frequent appearances from Irish step dancers that bring the whole environment to life. This is a very festive restaurant that still feels cozy and elevated. Even better, it is certainly best enjoyed with a larger group. You may need to wait a little longer for an area to open up that's large enough to sit together, but it's the ambience of Raglan Road that makes this an ideal stop for a large group. I recommend grabbing a Guinness and enjoying the wait; this experience is worth it. 

Spice Road Table is possibly the best hidden gem among all of Walt Disney World's culinary options. This sit-down restaurant is located in Epcot's Morocco Pavilion, right by the water. The food is mostly Mediterranean, and you simply must try the hummus fries if you enjoy the chickpea-based dip.

While dining inside is an option, I prefer the outdoor tables by far, even though both areas tend to be pretty empty. It seems that most Epcot guests miss Spice Road Table entirely, which is really unfortunate — but this is definitely a benefit to any visitors with big groups, because this place can easily seat large parties. Granted, most of the time you'll need to have separate tables pulled together, but since this eatery isn't the park's most popular site, availability shouldn't be a problem for groups. If you're looking for a sit-down dining spot to watch the fireworks, I like Spice Road Table because there are plenty of great appetizers and unique beverages here, making it an ideal evening spot for your group to savor snacks and drinks as the night starts to wind down. 

While there's plenty to do around Disney World, you may be surprised to learn that your group can also bowl here. In Disney Springs, Splitsville is both a great restaurant and a bowling alley. Although you can visit and enjoy the food selection without bowling, to give your group an absolutely excellent experience, consider booking a lane — or two, or more, depending on the size of your party — and bowling while you enjoy dinner.

The menu has an impressive range of options. I have enjoyed everything from loaded fries to sushi, all while bowling. In many ways, going bowling here feels like it did when I was back in high school, hanging out at a lane with friends on a Friday night. With so many shareable food options, and the way that the lanes are set up right beside tables, Splitsville is a great dining option for groups that want a little bit of entertainment alongside dinner. 

Order interstellar sips from Oga's Cantina, located within the area transporting you to "Star Wars" amid Disney's Hollywood Studios. Though this spot isn't a true restaurant in the strictest of terms, I couldn't leave you without mentioning it, because this place is so much better when you visit with a group.

While a lot of the cantina is standing-room only, if your group is the perfect size (between six and eight persons, from what I've noticed), you may just be lucky enough to score a booth. When you go, you can rest those weary feet and sip a Fuzzy Tauntaun cocktail in one of the absolute best bars at Disney World. If you need some food, go for the Batuu Bits; these are freeze-dried veggies with a dip, and they make a great snack. Surrounded by the impressive "Star Wars" setting and music, a visit to Oga's Cantina is an out-of-this-world way to end your day at the park before resting up for more fun there tomorrow.