While the heat can sometimes be overbearing, there are plenty of months during the year when dining outside in Orlando and Anaheim can be quite pleasant!
View From Front Patio at Epcot's Rose and Crown Restaurant
Readers and Facebook Friends chimed in on the best places to eat OUTSIDE in Disney World and Disneyland via the Disney Food Blog’s Facebook page. The top votes went to Flame Tree Barbecue, Rose & Crown, and Casey’s Corner at Walt Disney World for their outdoor ambiance. The most suggested outdoor locations at Disneyland were Cafe Orleans, Carnation Cafe, and Hungry Bear!
Walt Disney World
It can get hot in Orlando, but throughout much of the year it can be lovely to dine outside! Here are the restaurants that took the top spots for outdoor dining in Disney World:
Flame Tree Barbecue
The Animal Kingdom’s attention to detail is exemplary, so it’s no surprise that Flame Tree Barbecue was the most mentioned outdoor locale!
The best seats are found near the water overlooking the Discovery River, where a water-side pavilion provides a shady respite. Despite the beauty of this location, Lori W., Heather W., and D.J. R. warned about the “aggressive birds” looking to partake of your counter-service meal.
Your View From the Flame Tree Barbecue
John G. remarked “No seating is better than that at Flame Tree Barbecue at Animal Kingdom!!”
Rose & Crown
The lagoon-view tables at Rose & Crown in Epcot’s World Showcase were also highly recommended by our Facebook Friends, including Jennifer Y. and Ruth P. This one’s a good choice, because you do get a bit of air conditioning from the restaurant, many of the tables are covered, and there’s a great view of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.
Front Covered Patio at Rose and Crown
Amber J. exclaimed “My favorite meal outdoors was on the patio of Rose & Crown. We had such an amazing, relaxing lunch right next to the lagoon.” As you’ll see in our Rose and Crown Restaurant review, outdoor tables are extremely popular leading up to the IllumiNations fireworks display, which is shown every night of the year!
Casey’s Corner
This quick-service location is situated at the end of Main Street, U.S.A., in the Magic Kingdom. At Casey’s Corner, the fare includes an American favorite — hot dogs!
This is a great spot to watch Magic Kingdom parades and fireworks, too!
Casey's Corner Outdoor Tables
Tony B.’s fave outdoor location is “at Casey’s, enjoying a hot dog & people watching.” Facebook Friends Heather P. and Gale M. agreed! Check out our recent review of specialty hot dogs on the menu!
Other WDW locations that were lauded for their outdoor eats include La Cantina de San Angel and Big River Grille.
Disneyland
Anaheim’s year-round nice weather means there are lots of opportunities to enjoy a sunny California afternoon dining on Disney goodies! Here are some of the best spots to plan for when the sun is shining and you have time for a munch:
Cafe Orleans
The atmosphere of New Orleans Square at Cafe Orleans was the overall favorite outdoor dining location at Disneyland.
Nancy M. states that her fave is “at Cafe Orleans in Disneyland overlooking Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America.” Try the Pommes Frites with Spicy Remoulade while seated at umbrella-shaded tables.
Outdoor Patio
Our review of Cafe Orleans highlights the indoor and outdoor seating.
Carnation Cafe
This beautiful location on Main Street, U.S.A., was mentioned by Cindy R. because of “the cute tables and the great food.” We agree that it’s a wonderful spot to grab any meal of the day (especially breakfast!). You can also catch a glimpse of the parade from here!
Carnation cafe view of street
Carnation Cafe offers the charm of yesteryear along with eats by Chef Oscar!
Hungry Bear
The Hungry Bear recently re-opened with a new menu. Perched on the banks of the Rivers of America, this locale offers casual, outdoor seating.
The View From Our Peaceful Table
Debra H-K. agrees “I like the Hungry Bear at Disneyland…Kids always love the ducks there.”
French Market and Big Thunder Ranch also received top honors!
Thanks to everyone who chimed in!! Don’t forget to read the rest of our Best Disney World Restaurants series!
Where’s YOUR favorite place to dine al fresco at WDW or Disneyland? We know there’s many more locations, so give a shout-out to your favorite in our comments section below!
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Aggressive birds because every guest keeps on feeding them stuff they’re not supposed to be eating in the first place =/
With that said, my favorite place to eat in outside locations are in Japan Pavilion and the teeny little hut/gazebo as you near Asia next to that shop that is seasonal with coke products.
I always forget that you can dine outside at Rose & Crown. I never seem to make it out of the pub:)
I dont know if it counts but the little Marshmellow roast at Ft Wilderness is fun. I do agree with Casey’s Corner, great food and great view as well.
Mark
Is that the Chip and Dale camp fire sing a long that you’re talking about? We’re going for the first time in two weeks! I hope they wear their teeny hats and bandanas. lol We’re ready to make some smores.
I agree that the Japanese Garden is a wonderful place to eat outside. It’s feel so secluded. For a completely opposite experience the Electric Umbrella’s patio is a great place where you can watch the bustle of Futureworld and view the Fountain of Nations.
Casey’s Corner is just way too crowded for me at lunch or any time during a parade. It’s a great view but I’ve found too many dirty tables and too many people walking right past you. Can’t beat the castle view though.
Having sampled the new menus at both places, I’d recommend Pinocchio’s Village Haus over the Hungry Bear.
My kiddos want to eat at Casey’s on each of trips; it is a HUGE MUST-DO for them, but I don’t think they have a clue we can eat outside. They are as equally addicted to the bleachers and sports cartoons. I may need to introduce them to something new next time!
It is hard to give up the indoor ambience of the Brown Derby buy they have a small but nice terrace that can be delightful in the early evening as the lights begin to come on.
At night with the Boardwalk and surrounding resorts ablaze, the outdoor front patio of the Big River is just really breath-taking. With people walking along the boardwalk there is a very high level of energy.
I also miss the old outdoor cafe at the Chefs de France. It was a great homage to the sidewalk cafes of Paris.
We love La Cantina de San Angel, the quick service restaurant in the Mexico pavilion for (cheap) ambience. The view from the covered patio overlooking the lagoon is just as beautiful as at Rose and Crown. There’s enough room between tables for my kids to get up and wander about, looking through the fence to watch ducks, and my oldest loves the churros.
At Disneyland, I really enjoyed sitting in the shaded, ceiling-fan sitting area of the French Market Restaurant. We were lucky enough to catch the Princess and the Frog show and the Dixieland jazz band, while eating Mickey beignets and drinking mint juleps. The people-watching is great, and the view out towards Tom Sawyer Island means that the Columbia and Mark Twain sometimes float right by.
It’s a pricey one, but outdoor seating at Ariel’s Grotto in California Adventure is awesome. You get stunning views of Paradise Pier. At WDW, we seem to only visit during the rainy season, so we’re always trying to find good INDOOR places to eat! On our last trip we had a heck of a time finding indoor seating at Animal Kingdom, and waited for the sun to come out briefly to eat at the fast food spot Anandapur Local Food Cafe.
While I myself do enjoy the Hungry Bear restaurant in Disneyland, you cannot miss Rancho del Zocalo for both good mexican food and an excellent view of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad if you sit along the attractions side. It also is fun to eat there in the winter because they have heaters placed all around the tables.
One of my all time favorite and relaxing places to eat is just outside the food court at Disney’s Caribbean Resort, right in front of the Marina. I have a morning routine when I stay there – I always make sure I get out on the patio and enjoy the beautiful lake views, the marina opening up and people refreshed and excited about the day’s adventures. It’s one of the most peaceful spots to me at Disney World. That resort truly makes you feel relaxed and away from the business all around.