4 Disney Springs Restaurants We Avoid at ALL COSTS

Disney Springs has quietly become one of the best dining destinations in all of Disney World, and that’s not an exaggeration.

With spots like Homecomin’, Morimoto Asia, and Raglan Road all competing for your stomach space, the stakes for a bad meal have never been higher. You’ve got limited meals on a Disney trip, and every single one of them counts. So before you lock in that reservation, here are four Disney Springs restaurants we’d skip every time and, more importantly, where you should go instead.

Paddlefish

Let’s get something out of the way: Paddlefish is not a bad restaurant. The setting is genuinely cool, it’s a giant paddleboat parked on the water, and the rooftop views of Disney Springs at night are legitimately stunning.

The problem is that you’re paying signature dining prices for food that isn’t exactly the most memorable, and at Disney Springs, that’s simply not good enough.

For the same waterfront atmosphere and a much stronger culinary experience, The Boathouse is steps away and delivers on both counts. The Amphicar rides, the raw bar, the steaks, the whole vibe just works better. If you’re locked in on seafood and that boat setting, grab a drink on the Paddlefish rooftop and then walk over to The Boathouse for your actual meal.

Terralina Crafted Italian

The patio at Terralina is beautiful. The lakeside setting is exactly what you’d want from a breezy Italian dinner, and the interior design is all warm wood and rustic Italian charm. It’s a lovely room.

Unfortunately, a lovely room doesn’t make up for Italian food that’s decent, but not overwhelming, especially when you’re paying signature-adjacent prices.

If you’re craving Italian, Maria and Enzo’s Ristorante right there in Disney Springs is a much stronger choice, with a menu that actually earns its price point and an atmosphere that feels genuinely special. And if you’re willing to make a short trip over to EPCOT, the Italy Pavilion is one of the most underrated dining destinations on Disney World property. Via Napoli’s pizza alone is worth the trip.

Planet Hollywood

There is a version of Planet Hollywood that made sense, and it peaked somewhere around 1998. The celebrity memorabilia, the Hollywood glam theming, the novelty of eating inside a giant globe. It all had a moment. That moment has passed.

In 2026, the concept feels dated in a way that’s hard to overlook, and the menu hasn’t exactly done enough to carry the experience on its own merits.

Disney Springs has evolved dramatically over the last decade, and Planet Hollywood doesn’t exactly feel like it has kept pace. Summer House on the Lake is everything Planet Hollywood wishes it could be right now: a stylish, California-inspired dining room with genuinely great food, strong cocktails, and a lakeside setting that actually feels current. STK Orlando is another excellent option if you’re in the mood for a proper steakhouse experience. Both spots deliver the kind of meal you’ll actually be talking about on the drive home.

T-REX or Rainforest Cafe (When You’re Not Traveling With Little Kids)

This one comes with a big asterisk: if you have young children and you want to blow their minds, both T-REX and Rainforest Cafe will absolutely deliver. The animatronic dinosaurs, the simulated thunderstorms, the ice age blizzards, kids go completely wild for it, and that experience has real value.

But if you’re a couple, a group of adults, or even a family with older kids who are past the animatronic novelty phase, you’re essentially paying a premium for a dining show that fades fast. The menus at both spots are chain-style and not particularly memorable.

Put that time and money toward Frontera Cocina for genuinely great Mexican food, or Wine Bar George for a relaxed, adult-friendly experience that’s seriously underrated.

If robotic animals are a non-negotiable for the little one on your trip, here’s a quick breakdown to help you pick the right one:

T-REX: Better for dino-obsessed kids, the theming is more immersive and the animatronics are larger and more dramatic. The periodic meteor shower “event” adds an extra layer of excitement. It also tends to feel a bit more spacious inside. The downside is that it can get extremely loud, which is a real consideration if you have sensory-sensitive kids.

Rainforest Cafe: A slightly calmer (though still very loud) experience overall, with jungle animals instead of dinosaurs and a thunderstorm that rolls through periodically. It’s the better pick if your kid is more into animals than prehistoric creatures, and the theming feels a little more cohesive. The tradeoff is that the “wow” factor tends to wear off faster than T-REX for most kids.

The Bottom Line

Disney Springs is too good to settle for a meal that doesn’t deliver. None of these spots are truly awful, but when you’ve got Homecomin’s fried chicken, Morimoto Asia’s sushi, and Raglan Road’s live entertainment all waiting for you, “fine” just isn’t good enough. Skip the safe picks, do a little planning, and you’ll walk away from Disney Springs with a meal you actually remember.

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REVIEW: Everyone Walks Past This Disney Springs Restaurant — Should You?

Which Disney Springs restaurant do you always skip, and what’s your go-to favorite instead? Let us know in the comments below.

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