There Are 2 Types of Disney World Restaurants – and Fans Are DIVIDED on Which Is Better

There’s more than one way to eat a meal at Disney World. 

It’s no secret that Walt Disney World has a large variety of dining options. Everything from fine cuisine — seriously, there’s even a Michelin-star restaurant — all the way to decadent theme park snacks. However, sometimes, all those choices can make choosing hard.

 

Of the loooong list of types of restaurants at Walt Disney World, two types of quick service locations stand out as diametrically opposed to each other. Let’s dive into both and see what YOU think of them. 

On the one hand, we have slightly smaller Disney dining facilities with limited menus that are executed really well. For example, Animal Kingdom’s Caravan Road is a great place to get shaved ice. The menu currently offers three flavors: watermelon, mango passion fruit, and Pina Colada, plus Kakigori and Tropical Slushy mixture options. It’s a light, cool snack that’s so nice on a hot day.

Staying in Animal Kingdom, there’s also Mr. Kamal’s. Like Caravan Road, this quick-service location is also known for its limited menu. In Mr. Kamal’s case, that’s the headline item: Mr. Kamal’s seasoned fries (with sriracha mayonnaise dipping sauce). The menu is rounded out by chicken dumplings and hummus. 

On the other hand, there are massive food court-like dining facilities like Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in the Magic Kingdom. Instead of a few specialty offerings, these restaurants provide massive menus with a large number of options. For example, the aforementioned Cosmic Ray’s features a menu that Disney refers to as “a galaxy of enticing options.”

Cosmic Ray’s menu currently offers nine main entree options (the Triple-B burger, a grilled chicken sandwich, an Angus cheeseburger, chicken strips, an Angus bacon cheeseburger, a spicy fried chicken sandwich, a Greek salad with chicken, a Greek salad without chicken, and plant-based patty melt), and changes out several of them on occasion. 

So which is better?

Well, that really depends on food preference. To use the examples above, we would argue that quality-wise, Mr. Kamal’s is far and away superior to Cosmic Ray’s. However, someone who doesn’t care for seasoned fries or dumplings is likely to prefer the many more options available at Cosmic Ray’s, even if they aren’t as “good.” 

Looking at the reviews our readers have left about Mr. Kamal’s, two things become clear. The first is that Mr. Kamal’s has a small but devoted audience. Currently, our AllEars reviews average out to a score of 8.33/10… but only out of 12 total reviews. Secondly, it’s also clear that one’s opinions on the fries dictate their opinions on the restaurant as a whole. For example, reader DisneyLoverJoe wrote in part, “Specifically, Mr. Kamal’s Seasoned Fries are truly a stand out as they are crispy fries with a delusions dipping sauce. We always get these fries as something to snack on while walking after seeing Feathered Friends in Flight,” while giving the establishment a rating of 9/10. 

However, on the other hand, an anonymous reader left a 5/10 review that read in part, “Really thought I would love it after seeing reviews but the fries were way too salty for me.”

Now, moving over to Cosmic Ray’s, overall the restaurant has an average rating of 6.88/10 across over 100 reader reviews, indicating that the food is overall average at best, but that the restaurant has a much larger audience. However, when looking at the more positive reviews, many of them called the large amount of options a positive. 

For example, reader MTomuschatxDisney wrote a 10/10 review that reads in part, “You really can’t go wrong with cosmic rays in my honest opinion. Burger was typical Disney burger but they had on the menu a spicy chicken sandwich that is so good! Not super spicy so I think someone who isn’t a fan of spice could definitely manage this. They also have a footlong chili dog, do I need to say more?”

Another anonymous reviewer gave a 6/10 rating, leaving a succinct “Something for everyone!”

Finally, reader CatQ10 spells out one of the biggest advantages to the larger diverse menu, writing, “This place is always a must do for me because I’m a very picky eater. And even the not-so-picky eaters in my family enjoy it as well!” in a 10/10 review. 

So, really choosing which “side” you’re on in this restaurant battle comes down to what you value more: a few items done REALLY well or a wider diversity of menu items for more tastes that might not be “as good.” When you do decide, be sure to drop some reviews yourself letting us know what you think and why. Stay tuned to AllEars for further takes on Walt Disney World restaurants. 

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So, which type of restaurant do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below. 

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