Please Stop Falling for These TOURIST TRAP Restaurants at Disney World

Not all Disney World restaurants are built the same. Unfortunately, that means there are some duds among the diamonds.

Some Disney World restaurants we think aren’t worth your money when there are better options out there, but others we would classify as straight-up tourist traps. We suggest you avoid these!

Coral Reef Restaurant

Over in EPCOT, you’ll find Coral Reef Restaurant located right near The Seas with Nemo and Friends. The main draw of this restaurant is that there are windows to the tanks located inside SeaBase (the aquarium), so you can really feel immersed in the underwater atmosphere while you eat.

The problem? Most of the food here is mediocre seafood (at best), AND you might kinda feel bad eating the friends of the fish you’re staring straight at. While the idea of this spot is epic, and the atmosphere is pretty great, the food and price tag are just not usually worth it.

Instead, just head over to SeaBase, a few steps away, and check out all the marine life in there! You’ll get the same aquarium experience without feeling like you just spent $30-$50 each on food that is pretty inconsistent and mediocre. There are much better places to eat on your EPCOT day!

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Rainforest Cafe

You knew it would be on here — yep, Rainforest Cafe, located both in Disney Springs and right outside Animal Kingdom. This restaurant’s claim to fame is having a bunch of animatronic jungle animals spread out throughout the restaurant, and periodically, “storms” will happen.

If you love animals, we say just head into Animal Kingdom instead and make the most of your park ticket to see REAL ones! These animatronics aren’t terrible by any means, but they are slightly outdated. Not to mention that if you’ve got party members who are afraid of loud noises, the storms will NOT be fun for them.

When it comes to the food, it’s just okay. Nothing will blow your mind, but you might not be totally disappointed. The real reason we say to avoid this one is that they’re EVERYWHERE! Instead, dine at one of our favorite restaurants in the park that’s exclusive to Disney World!

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T-Rex

Unless you’ve got a kiddo who is so obsessed with dinosaurs that it’s the only thing they want out of Disney World, T-Rex is 1000% a tourist trap. It’s the same setup as Rainforest Cafe — slightly outdated animatronic dinosaurs that roar and interact with each other/their environment while you eat food that’s just meh.

Unlike Rainforest Cafe, though, this restaurant is only located in Disney Springs, right across the way from its more colorful cousin (just look for the giant dinosaur skeleton, you can’t miss it).

It does have a fun dinosaur version of Build-A-Bear attached, though, so if you’re looking for a way to satisfy your kiddo’s dinosaur phase without spending $100+ for the whole family to dine in, stop in for the souvenirs, and go somewhere else to eat. Maybe The Polite Pig — it’s nearby and won’t let you down!

AMC Dine-In Theater

Hoping to catch a movie on your rest day in Disney World? If so, the AMC in Disney Springs is a great choice. However, if you’re choosing to eat there over other spots in Disney Springs? We advise against it. 

For the same reasons as the others — AMC Dine-In Theaters are everywhere! The food or experience isn’t special to Disney World, so if you’re visiting from out of state, try one of our favorite restaurants local to Disney Springs instead!

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Any Stand That Just Sells Fruits or Chips

This one isn’t technically a restaurant, but you’ll see stands around the parks that just sell chips and fruit, and we are BEGGING YOU to not waste your money here!

The fruit and chips are fine in quality, sure, but you’re paying more for one orange than you would for an entire pack of cuties most of the time! Instead, we recommend using Amazon Fresh to get groceries and snacks delivered to your hotel. That way, you can save some money on all your favorite snacks and have them in the hotel room to pack for a day in the parks or for a late-night snack!

Now, where you want to eat in Disney World is entirely up to you, but we do just generally recommend avoiding these if you’re looking to have a true Disney World dining experience. As always, be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news!

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What would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments!

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