There is nothing like Disney World dining!

From the restaurants we love and the ones we avoid, there is no shortage of foods to try when you head to the theme parks! But what about outside of the theme parks? These are the restaurants former Disney cast members never eat at when heading to the Disney World resorts!Â
Before we get into it, it’s important to remember that if you see any of your favorites on this list, you can still go to them! We are a team of Disney experts who test everything but if you’ve been to these spots before and love them, you know yourself better than we do. So enjoy them! But if you’re torn on stopping by any of these spots, we’re gonna say skip it!

‘Ohana
The first restaurant on our skip list according to the former cast members on the AllEars team is ‘Ohana! Before you yell at us, we have a good reason! This is a tried and true spot at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and that hasn’t changed.

This spot serves up Polynesian-inspired meals for breakfast and dinner but it’s the dinner that is particularly famous. The family-style dining served in skillets is delicious thanks to the beef, noodles, chicken wings, dumplings, and more! It’s also very expensive even by Disney World standards.

For dinner, it’ll cost you $65 per adult and $42 per child to enjoy this dining option. After adding tax and tip, you’re paying over $70 per adult, and that will add up quickly. While we love this spot, we won’t deny that’s a lot to spend on one meal.Â

This restaurant makes it onto our skip list thanks to that price and the wonderful alternative dining option that is Tambu Lounge. Tambu Lounge is the lounge connected to ‘Ohana that serves some of the iconic menu items a la carte.

You can get noodles, ribs, wings, dumplings, and even the famous bread pudding at Tambu Lounge. While it might seem like each item feels pricey, they are sharable and will cost a family less than a full ‘Ohana meal. Seating can be hard to come by, but it is worth it to enjoy the ‘Ohana food without the ‘Ohana price.

We also think that while we do genuinely find ‘Ohana tasty, it’s not as good as it once was, so save yourself the trouble of fighting over the reservation and head to the lounge instead.
Check out our most recent ‘Ohana review here
Jiko – The Cooking Place
Our next skip might have the angry mob with their pitchforks after us but we have to say it, Jiko at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge! This table service restaurant serves African, Indian, and Mediterrainian-inspired food and it is undeniably good.

So why did it land on our skip list? Similarly to ‘Ohana, the price! On the Disney World website, this restaurant is listed with 3 dollar signs meaning it is only one tier away from being on the highest tier for Disney dining. We believe that Jiko is a great spot for anniversaries, birthdays, or big celebrations, but maybe not for every Disney trip.Â

Sanaa, which is also at Animal Kingdom Lodge, is a great alternative if you’re looking for this specific type of cuisine without spending too much. The bread service is a good enough reason alone to check out this spot. The atmosphere is a bit more relaxed meaning you can pop in after a park day.

It’s also this former cast member’s personal favorite so it needed a shout-out.
See more reviews for Sanaa right here!Â
Chef Mickey’s
Another restaurant that we’re going to suggest you consider avoiding is Chef Mickey’s at Disney Contemporary Resort! Chef Mickey’s is a truly memorable character dining experience where you can meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto.

The character meet and greet aspect is a lot of fun but it brings a lofty price with it. (Are you noticing the theme here?) For breakfast, you’ll pay $58 per adult and $37 per child and dinner will cost you $69 per adult and $44 per child. We love hanging out with Mickey and his pals but we won’t deny the fact that the food isn’t a must-try.

This table service is buffet-style with lots of our favorites like those classic Mickey waffles but buffet style isn’t always going to be the freshest. We might be calling out Chef Mickey’s specifically right now, but this section can count towards all character dining in our book.

Unless you just love characters or you’re looking to meet a niche character you can’t find anywhere else (like Lilo from Lilo and Stitch at the ‘Ohana breakfast), you’re better off skipping all character dining.Â
Reviews of Chef Mickey’s Breakfast
Turf Club
We’re heading to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort to talk about the Turf Club for the next restaurant to skip! At the Turf Club, you can find American cuisine and equestrian atmospheres.

The atmosphere is a bit too dark for our liking and while we think the equestrian theming might be interesting to some, it isn’t something to go out of your way for. The food is also not something to write home about.

In the past, we’ve found the food to be lackluster and honestly a bit confusing. If you’re looking for a guaranteed good dining experience, Steakhouse 71 will serve up some delicious American cuisine.

The burgers, steaks, and pork chops are something to write home about making familiar favorites even better than you expect!
Want to hear more about Turf Club? Read other people’s reviews here!Â
Food Courts
Finally, if you can help it skip the food courts at the resorts! This one is a blanket statement but we feel safe enough to make it. The food courts at resorts certainly serve a purpose but they aren’t going to give you the best food you can find in Disney World.

Food Courts are mainly found at the value resorts but you can also spot similar ones at some moderate resorts as well. You’ll find an array of things like burgers, pasta, pizza, ice cream, and breakfast spreads. When you’re coming home late from the parks, these will be just fine if you need them but that is really all we can say for the food court foods!Â

If you just need to eat, these will do the job. If you have time and energy to eat anywhere else like the theme parks, Disney Springs, or other resorts, we think you should!

Sometimes food is a necessity and sometimes it’s a special part of your vacation. We won’t shame you for enjoying the food courts because we have before, but we won’t encourage you to eat every meal there either.
Reviews of World Premiere Food Court
So there you have it straight from the Cast Members themselves. Remember if you like these spots, go enjoy them! We just might not be dining with you if that’s okay. Don’t forget to keep following AllEars for more Disney dining tips and tricks!
25 BEST Disney World Restaurants for 2025
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Tell us in the comments which restaurants you skip in Disney World!Â
I can agree about the Turf Club. It was unremarkable. I haven’t tried the others.
Turf club is now a Must visit location. Olivia’s is also severely underrated.
I remember when we 1st moved to Florida, for special occasions, O’Hana’s was the place to go, especially if you had school aged kids. It was not just a fantastic meal, it had plenty to entertain the kids. You did have to book it as early as possible, especially if a particular eating time was your focus, but it always worth the time, effort and expense. We would arrive early and order a specialty cocktail from Tambu Lounge. Soon, our name would be called and we’d be escorted by a hostess dressed in her Hawaiian dress to our seats. Soon after, our server would come to the table with the towering display of appetizers, including all the favorites and would take drink orders. While enjoying our appetizers they would call the kids up and have coconut races in the middle of the restaurant. Other games and a hula lesson would soon occur, while the adults would sit back and enjoy noshing on their delicious noodles, chicken wings and the like. Once the kids would return to the table, the servers would again appear, this time with grilled meats and shrimp. . Since we always timed our meal to coincide with the Magic Kingdom Fireworks, the lights would dim, the music would switch over to the piped in music accompanying the fireworks and th show would begin. Many times we would also get the opportunity to catch the Electric Light Water Parade. The delicious bread pudding would round out the meal. It was a vit experience for the time, but considering all you had to enjoy was definitely worth a once a year visit.
The last time we visited ‘Ohana, our table was no where near a window, the presentation of the food had completely changed and did not feel as special, and the games for the kids, if not gone had been severely reduced. If ‘Ohana had continued to have the same service and show type quality, I would say the current price, while expensive, would be more understandable. With the current mindset of “move’em in, move ’em out”, unrelaxing atmosphere they have adopted, I’d rather just drop by Tambu in the late afternoon for some wings, noodles and a fruity cocktail and call it a day
The only thing you can’t get at the Tambu Lounge…is a seat