Disney World Buffets, Ranked Worst To Best

I've been visiting the Walt Disney World resort since the age of three. As a kid, my family went on several occasions, often road-tripping from our home in Northern Illinois all the way down to Central Florida. I have hazy memories of waking up at gas stations to refuel as my dad drove through the night. My travel time to Disney World is much shorter these days as my family and I live about eight minutes from Disney's welcome sign. Living so close, we visit a couple of times each week.

Given the proximity, I've eaten at most restaurants on property. While some of my favorites are sit-down dining experiences (like Topolino's Terrace, which has my pick for one of the best pasta dishes in the U.S.), there are also several buffets on property that are worth your time. That said, if there's one thing I've learned about Disney dining it's that you can expect a whole lot of inconsistency from visit to visit, even at the most popular restaurants in Disney World. So while I may have experienced a particular restaurant one way, when you visit, you may very well experience the buffet in a whole different way.

In any case, I've taken what I know about each restaurant and rated them to help you get the best buffet dining experience. I take into account several factors families consider when choosing restaurants for their trip: ambiance, value, quality, variety, ease of access, and whether it's a character dining experience.

In addition to recreational activities for your whole family, you'll find some of the best dining options at Walt Disney World resorts. I always appreciate that the pace of these restaurants tends to be more relaxed, since guests aren't trying to hustle in and out to get back to rides and attractions like they might within the theme parks.

One of the restaurants I visit most frequently is the Cape May Cafe in the beach club resort. It is one of the best group-friendly restaurants at Disney World and tends to be one of my favorites because the chefs are excellent at accommodating guests with allergies. When we visit with my aunt, she often gets whole platters of food delivered to the table fine-tuned to her dietary needs. While all Disney restaurants go above and beyond to ensure guests with food allergies are served, I've noticed that Cape May Cafe takes it to a whole new level.

That said, it's the lowest buffet in my overall ranking because the ambiance isn't my favorite. The restaurant feels like it's stuck in the middle of a busy hotel with little separating it from the hustle and bustle. And while the food is good, there are better buffets on property. There are plenty of seafood options, but my favorite item is the mashed potatoes. While the ambiance is lacking, the price is quite good. In fact, it's one of the least expensive buffet options available at Walt Disney World.

Every Disney family has their favorite restaurants and hotels to visit. For me, it was Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort. I would load up on breakfast pizza and get some snuggles in from Mickey Mouse before heading right into the Magic Kingdom. One of the best parts about Chef Mickey's is that it's extremely easy to get to since it's a short monorail ride from the park. If you feel like walking back to the park after feasting, there's a great path that takes you right from the Magic Kingdom gates to the Contemporary.

Since Chef Mickey's is a very popular buffet, it can be a little bit difficult to get a reservation, and it is also pretty expensive for what you get. For instance, (at the time of writing) a child's breakfast costs $37, while dinner is $44. For an adult, it's $58 from breakfast and $69 for dinner. These are the highest prices of any of the buffets you can visit at Walt Disney World, and to me, the price just doesn't stack up to the food, ambiance, and general feel of the restaurant. Honestly, it looks and feels nearly exactly how it did in the 90s, and it's definitely overdue for a refurb. It's a break from the parks, but it still rolls out characters throughout the day while you dine.

For another buffet located outside of the parks (with a better price tag), Boma is a decent option. The only downfalls to this buffet are that it doesn't have characters, it feels a little stuck in the middle of all the action, and the ease of access can be a challenge. It's located in the Animal Kingdom Resort, which can be difficult to navigate if you're not staying there. Of course, there are buses and parking, but it's a tougher one for this directionally challenged Disney fan. However, if your family prefers food that's a little bit more international, Boma is a fabulous choice.

Here, you'll find favorites like penne pasta with meatballs and marinara, and you can try out tabbouleh, lamb and beef bobotie, African spiced beef striploin, butternut squash soup, and Zebra Domes (a dessert similar to one of the best foods from The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival). I love the wide selection of foods here, and it is one of the more optimal restaurants as far as having options for all members of your party, from your very picky toddler to that foodie uncle.

Since it is at a resort, the open-air dining experience will give you a visual to the rest of the space, but it can feel a bit rushed since there's not much separation from table to table. It doesn't feel as hurried as Chef Mickey's, but it won't be nearly as relaxed as a sit down, a la carte restaurant.

If you are looking for a little respite in the middle of a busy Magic Kingdom day, I love The Crystal Palace. As long as you're already in the park, the ease of access couldn't be better. Simply having a dining reservation isn't going to grant you access to the park, so keep that in mind when making plans with the Disney Parks reservation process on My Disney Experience. Located just around the corner from Main Street, The Crystal Palace was designed similarly to the famed Crystal Palace created for the first World's Fair in 1851. Inside, you'll be celebrating Friendship Day with Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore.

The Crystal Palace has a more upscale look to it, but the actual experience is very relaxed. The characters can struggle getting to your table more than one time, especially in busy seasons, so plan on spending some time waiting if characters are important to your party. I always enjoy a nice meal at Crystal Palace, but it's worth noting there are better restaurants on property.

One of my few complaints about Crystal Palace is that the ambiance needs work. The tables are very close together to seat the most people possible, but it can feel crowded and give the restaurant a claustrophobic feel. Since this is a character meal, there's a fair amount of movement for photos and autographs, and it's easy to run into other tables and chairs around you.

When everything started reopening following the COVID-19 closures, most Disney World aspects were augmented in some way. For dining, one of the more significant ways buffets responded was by going family style, with servers bringing food to your table in large platters. With the changes, many restaurants were slower to open, like 1900 Park Fare, which as of publication has only been reopened for a couple of months. 

In that time, it has experienced something of a theme renewal. Now, it is themed around what Disney calls "wish makers." The characters rotate, but Aladdin, Cinderella, Mirabel, and Princess Tiana make frequent appearances. While there are better buffets, if you're committed to a princess encounter, the 1900 Park Fare buffet is a great option. It is also a good choice for kids who love more contemporary movies rather than some of the older flicks in the Disney catalog.

It has something of an upscale feel, especially since it's located in the Grand Floridian Resort, a short monorail ride from the Magic Kingdom. You'll find pretty typical Disney Buffet offerings, but there are also featured dishes like the popular strawberry soup. My only complaint is that it can be difficult to get to if you're not already in the Magic Kingdom or staying at the Grand Floridian Resort. Construction makes parking tricky, so plan to take Disney transportation. It's also at the top end of the price range, so keep that in mind when budgeting for your trip.

I am a total sucker for classic Disney characters in themed outfits. If that's you too, check out Tusker House, a great buffet in the middle of the Animal Kingdom theme park. This restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and like Boma, it has some more interesting options than the typical buffet fare. For example, at breakfast you can get Simba waffles, which are far more unique than Mickey waffles.

While you enjoy the buffet, classic Disney characters like Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse will stop by your table. I've noticed that the character interactions at Tusker House are some of the best of any character meal you can enjoy at Walt Disney World. I find that buffets sometimes have a rushed feel, but the ease of the Animal Kingdom and relaxed vibe of the park really takes this one down a notch, making it a far less stressful dining experience than some of the others.

There's not much bad to say about the Tusker House, other than its ease of access. You're definitely going to want to be enjoying a day at Animal Kingdom in order to have a meal here. It's not super close to the front of the park, and you need to have an actual park ticket in order to eat here. Interestingly, the prices at this buffet are a little lower than some of the others, which is a nice bonus.

If you love celebrating the holidays and want a great buffet, Hollywood & Vine is the perfect hidden gem for your family. Located inside Disney's Hollywood Studios, tucked away beyond Hollywood Boulevard, you'll find my favorite character buffet at Disney World. At breakfast, the youngest Disney fans in your group can meet their favorites from Disney Junior, and during lunch and dinner, you'll get to meet Minnie and some of her buddies as they celebrate different holidays and seasons.

The food has gotten better than it once was, and you'll probably love pretty much everything on your plate. In fact, it's one of the reasons this is such a popular buffet. The character interactions and costumes are one thing, but the food is definitely another. I also like that the pricing is lower than some of the other character buffets, giving you more bang for your buck. Since Mickey, Minnie, and their friends are decked out to whatever season is being celebrated, this is also a great place to get that perfect holiday card photo taken. Plus, characters tend to visit tables several times, so there's plenty of time for interactions.

The only thing I have to complain about is that Hollywood & Vine has an older diner feel. Even with seasonal decorations, the setting can feel somewhere between a classic diner and cafeteria. If you're willing to look past that and focus on the perks of the characters and the food, you'll have a great time.

My absolute favorite buffet in all of Walt Disney World is Biergarten, located in the Germany Pavilion in Epcot. It offers plenty of German food, the drinks are abundant and delicious, and the entertainment is top notch. Inside, it looks like you are enjoying a moonlit Oktoberfest in the gathering square of a traditional small town German beer garden. Several times each hour, a German band takes the stage to share some catchy music and add to the whole experience. There might not be Disney characters present here, but it still has plenty of that Disney magic to go around.

If you're concerned about whether there will be food that fits your family's needs, rest assured that in addition to more traditional German dishes, there are also perfect options for kids. Even as a toddler, my (very picky) son found plenty to enjoy at Biergarten, and there's simply a charm to it that makes it feel like a classic Disney experience. Not to mention, the price is maybe the best part. Open for lunch and dinner, a child's meal is $28, and adults pay $49. In addition to being the best menu and buffet experience on property, it's also the biggest bang for your buck. At Disney World, this certainly can't be underappreciated.

Walt Disney World has quite the selection of buffet style meals, and choosing between them can be hard, especially since they're all so different. Depending on whether you're eating in the parks or enjoying a relaxing day around the resorts, you'll have different goals for your meal. To help sort through the many options, I ranked Disney World's buffets from worst to best, taking several important aspects into account: ambiance, food quality, ease of access, food options for everyone in your party, value, and whether characters were present. For each of these factors, I ranked the locations on a scale of one to three, adding an extra point for restaurants that offered a character meal.

For ambiance, I rated highly those with a true Disney magic feel. While none were truly transportive, several feel extra special. For the food quality, nothing scored below a two, but those that scored a three counted as exceptional, with fresh and original dishes that feel different from a typical buffet. Ease of access has everything to do with your ability to get to the restaurant in a simple manner. Restaurants that scored very highly make it easy to get to and from the restaurant without a whole lot of planning. For value, I balanced meal prices with the overall experience to account for a total score. Ones that did very well had a lower price but a whole lot of experience to go with it.