My job takes me to Disney World every week and that means I’ve eaten pretty much everywhere in the parks. While I think there is value at most of the restaurants, that’s not always the case.
While each park definitely has some amazing dining spots, there are some quick service restaurants that just shouldn’t exist. Well, maybe they can exist…but I would skip them if I were you.
If you’re interested in learning more about Disney World restaurants, you can watch us eat everything in Fantasyland in a video right here!
But lets dive in to talk about four spots that aren’t worth the visit.
In Disney’s Animal Kingdom there is a spot called Harambe Market. This spot serves up African-inspired food like bowls and salads. That said, the food isn’t particularly authentic, and it isn’t even the best at what it does.
If you’re looking for authentic African food, the best you’ll find in Animal Kingdom will be on the buffet at Tusker House, but you might want to head to the nearby Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge for better luck. Is Disney World going to be your best bet for actual African food? No, but you can get closer than Harambe Market.
If you’re looking for a bowl or salad, you should 100% be strolling over to Satu’li Canteen in Pandora for a create your own bowl or salad. The dishes are more intentional with more exciting ingredients and you can build them exactly how you want.
Basically…why does Harambe Market exist when Satu’li Canteen is doing it better just one land over?
Our next two stops are in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The first is Catalina Eddie’s. This quick service has a limited menu of pizza and caesar salad, and I’ll be honest, it just doesn’t do it for me.
Honestly, if you want basic pizza, you might as well head over to PizzeRizzo where you can sit inside in the air conditioning and eat basic Disney World puffy pizza. PizzeRizzo even has a side Caesar Salad and an AntiPasto Salad on the menu!
At Catalina Eddie’s, you’ll be outside in the heat with basically the same eats. I get the need for more seating and dining areas on Sunset Boulevard, but I wish it could be something more exciting instead.
Just next door is another spot that could use replacing. Rosie’s All American Cafe serves up exactly what you’d guess — chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and cheeseburgers.
Backlot Express isn’t too far away and offers air conditioned seating as well as a very similar menu with some more exciting options, too. Get your burger or chicken, but you can also snag a Cuban Sandwich or a Teriyaki Chicken Bowl.
Rosie’s saving grace is its Plant-based Lobster Roll that is very popular among the vegan community, but even that could easily be served elsewhere. I’m not saying I want fewer restaurants on Sunset Boulevard, just better ones!
Finally we head over to Magic Kingdom to talk about Tortuga Tavern, possibly one of the least popular restaurants in Disney World. Tortuga Tavern has a small and somewhat strange menu of hot dogs and a Peanut Butter, Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread, and Banana Sandwich.
The eats here are incredibly basic, and it is often considered the worst quick service in Magic Kingdom. With so many better spots, Tortuga Tavern mainly helps to provide a lunch option when other spots are crowded. My concern? Think of all the Disney guests who might accidentally end up there not knowing there are better options!
All in all, this is just my opinion. After all, I’m sure even these restaurants have their diehard fans. But as a Disney food lover, I am always wondering what could be better in the place of these spots.
Want to see more of the worst restaurants? Click here!
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Adults may want more interesting offerings but lots of kids want the basics like Dogs and Burgers and Fries or, whatever the food is , it has to be on the bland side. Nothing exotic or spicy. On more than one occasion we either threw out food my kids wouldn’t eat or it was left unfinished. And when either of those happens, guess what you hear in an hour or so? “I’m hungry”. So you wind up spending more than you planned.
A quick service restaurant that I would like to see return is Tangierine Cafe at the defunct Morocco pavilion in Epcot. The sad little imitation that is open occasionally is nothing like the original, which had tasty and slightly unusual choices and made a good and relaxing lunch option. I do agree with the list in the article and wish that Disney would put some effort into serving decent quick service meals at all locations. There is no point to keeping locations that serve below average food.