We’re tackling another question from the DFB Reader mailbag! And today, it’s all about breakfast.
The Samoan at Kona Cafe
Our reader asks:
Where can we get a good breakfast if we are NOT into characters or buffets?
There are lots of spots to enjoy a terrific breakfast at Walt Disney World — even if you prefer not to have characters, and you’d rather order a la carte.
We’ll break down a few of our favorites below, and share why these spots are tops for starting your Disney Day.
Good Counter Service Options
If you are crunched — for time, money, or both — then consider some of Disney’s best Counter Service Breakfast options.
Deluxe resorts are some of my favorite spots for counter service eats. Roaring Fork at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge offers Mickey Waffles with a variety of toppings. We love the Bananas Foster option!
Wilderness Lodge Waffles
And at Captain Cook’s, located in the Polynesian Village Resort, you can indulge in an iconic Disney breakfast — Tonga Toast — without paying table service prices!
Tonga Toast with Bacon from Captain Cook’s
BoardWalk Bakery at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn is another option for you. Choose from some of the best bakery and pastry items in the World.
Brioche at the BoardWalk Bakery
Or if you’re looking for something a little heartier, check out the Breakfast Waffle Cone!
BoardWalk Bakery Breakfast Waffle Cone
If you’re looking for a substantial start to your day inside of the parks, you have a few options as well. Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom offers a prix fixe breakfast. You choose your entree, and it’s served with a pastry basket and your choice of drink. It’s a great, less busy time to see this super popular restaurant!
Open-Face Bacon and Egg Sandwich for Breakfast at Be Our Guest
When Epcot is your first stop of the day, skip the resort food court and head to Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie. The authentic French bakery and pastry shop opens at 9:00AM most mornings — a full 2 hours before the rest of World Showcase. It’s a great opportunity to take in a delicious breakfast in a quiet(er) corner of the park.
Pastries in Display Case at Les Halles
If you’re looking to kick off your day with a spot of shopping, you’ll find hearty breakfast treats at the Earl of Sandwich in Disney Springs. Finally, whether you’re visiting the shopping and entertainment district, or you’re in the parks, there’s always a Starbucks nearby, where you’ll find their familiar line of breakfast sandwiches and pastries — plus a few Disney-specific treats.
Gouda and Bacon Breakfast Sandwich at Starbucks
Also, don’t forget that nearly all of the resorts, including the Value Resorts, offer food courts with lots of breakfast options. Some of our favorites are Landscape of Flavors at Art of Animation and Port Orleans French Quarter — mmm! Beignets! 🙂
If you’re looking for a very light breakfast option, you’ll find fresh fruit, bread for toast, milk, and juice in all of the Disney counter service and food court options, as well as in some locations within the parks.
Cereal and Fruit at Contempo Cafe
You’ll also find them in the gift and sundries shops.
Table Service Breakfast Choices
But you also have several great table service options for breakfast as well.
Trattoria al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk serves up breakfast with a Mediterranean twist. Don’t miss their Poached Eggs with Fennel Sausage, Parmesan, and Tomato Gravy served over soft Polenta.
Poached Eggs, Fennel Sausage, and Tomato Gravy with Soft Polenta — Up Close
Or if you’re looking for a sweet beginning, give the Waffle with Espresso-Mascarpone Cream and choice of Bacon or Chicken Sausage a go.
Amazing Mascarpone topping on Trattoria al Forno Waffles
I also make it a point to visit Kona Cafe nearly every time I’m in town. Who can resist the Samoan, or an order of Macadamia Pineapple Pancakes? You can get Tonga Toast here, too, but it’s a bit more expensive than it is downstairs at Captain Cook’s.
Macadamia Pineapple Pancakes from Kona Cafe
Over at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Whispering Canyon Cafe is a flip side to the coin. Here, you can expect bonafide shenanigans from the wait staff and your fellow diners.
All You Care to Enjoy Breakfast Skillet for One at Whispering Canyon Cafe
But no worries; if you’re looking for a meal fit for a cowboy, but you aren’t up to the fun and games, just flip your card to red, and you’ll be served in peace and quiet.
Flip Card — Red “Watch from the Fence!” Side
Park breakfasts are, for the most part, either counter service or character meals. But there are a few exceptions, like breakfast at Rainforest Cafe in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
The Best of Both: Buffets and A La Carte
Finally there are a couple of spots that offer a hybrid approach to the morning meal. You can order a la carte items from a menu, or you can indulge in the restaurant’s buffet.
The Wave…of American Flavors at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is an example. If you aren’t looking to fill up first thing, order house specialties, like Sweet Potato Pancakes, are available on the menu.
The Wave Signature Sweet Potato Pancakes
Similarly, Captain’s Grille at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort also offers both a la carte and buffet options. The Lobster Omelet is the perfect vacation indulgence.
Lobster Omelet at Captain’s Grille
So, if you’re thinking of foregoing breakfast to avoid buffets and characters at Disney World, we can highly recommend that you try out a few of our suggestions instead — you may find they’re the best meals you have the whole time you’re in Disney World!
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Now I’d love to hear from you! What is your favorite non-buffet, non-character breakfast in Walt Disney World? Let us know below in comments!
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We always enjoy taking an early boat over to Fort Wilderness to tackle the buffet at Trail’s End, too. Has anyone been there recently? Is it still as good as it used to be?
Don’t forget the Bounty Breakfast Platter at Captain Cook’s! Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Sausage, Breakfast Potatoes, French Toast, and a Biscuit all for $9.49. If you’re light eaters, this is enough food to split (especially if you bring a piece of fruit with you from your room).
On mornings we are going to MK, we like to park at the TTC, walk over to the Poly, grab a Bounty platter and a couple of drinks, and have a leisurely breakfast, followed by a ride to MK by launch from the Poly dock.
Where is Boma? It’s definitely the best breakfast buffet we have had at WDW, character or otherwise. And my kids loved it – they are 9, 5, and 3. As well as the great food, they probably have the best coffee at WDW. I’d highly recommend it.
We love Trail’s End at Fort Wilderness! Also, Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge!
As I was streaming down the article all I could think about was the Bounty Platter….you stole my thunder L & R.
How can you go wrong with that pile of breakfast goodness.
I’ll also take the time to vent my frustration that Boardwalk STILL does not have a good counter service breakfast area…
The Bounty platter at our resort food court (usually AS Music) is our go-to breakfast. My husband and I often share one, adding a bagel and cream cheese for him. It now comes with a mini-Mickey waffle instead of the French toast sticks. But our son’s heart will always be with Mickey waffles and bacon–yes, every single morning of our trips.
Grand Floridian Cafe also has a nice tahle service breakfast, though Kona is definitely my favorite!
How coukd you not mention Boma in AK Lodge. It is the BEST breakfast buffet in Disnay
All of your suggestions are fabulous EXCEPT Starbucks breakfast sandwiches… while their coffee is mighty fine, their breakfast sandwiches are quite dreadful, tasting mostly like cardboard. Nothing fresh there!!! The same all over the entire country. However, the Disney cupcakes and desserts served there are wonderful!
Cathy — We agreee — we love Boma for sure! Our reader was looking for suggestions that didn’t involve buffets or characters, though.
Trisha — For sure! Two of our favorites! We were just looking to suggest options other than buffets or character experiences.
Nathan — We love Boma! But our reader was specifically asking for suggestions that weren’t buffets, and didn’t have characters. Hope this helps to clarify.
I have eaten at all of the above and great variety and all good. A secret amazing overlooked breakfast location with unique items is Sunshine Seasons Food fair in Epcot adjacent to Soarin’ if your not familiar. We had a variety of amazing items such as Muesli, amazing bakery items such as whoopie pies/muffins/turnovers/and amazing berry bread pudding, breakfast panini and croissants, great hazelnut cappuccino and big breakfast platter between the 4 of us. We didn’t eat til dinner it was so filling. Chose this as alternate to France on this day and were surprisingly shocked at all the variety and how great everything was.
I will second the Bounty Platter idea – my dad and I split one and they were able to put the eggs on a separate plate (as I am not a fan – weird I know – thank you). At Pop Century they also gave him some sausage gravy (gravy helps him swallow – after cancer) for no charge. We just told the cashier – It was a Bounty Platter split up.
The Wave is one of our favorite breakfasts at WDW – Tillamook Cheddar Cheese Grits – so delicious!
I have also wanted to try Grand Floridian Cafe (we have had lunch there – so pretty), Whispering Canyon Cafe, and Wolfgang Puck Express in Disney Springs. Other breakfasts/brunches I want to try are the Sunday Brunch at Narcoossee’s and California Grill. (I am hoping the DFB team will try them out and tell us all about them ;))
Another favorite is Boma – however, I understand the reader was requesting restaurants that are not buffet/character.
My favorite was from Olivia’s at Old Key West Resort: Banana Bread French Toast topped with Bahamian Banana-Rum Syrup and Coconut whipped cream! Served with Bacon or Sausage – that was the best breakfast I’ve ever had. Ever.
Love the breakfast at Kona. Although it’s not on the menu they make Eggs Benedict for my wife and the grits are the best that I’ve ever had at Disney World. I had the Samoan the last time I ate there, but I generally get the Big Kahuna. Fountainview Cafe, before the (ugh) Starbucks invasion, had some real delicious breakfast sandwiches at EPCOT. Finally, Pepper Market at Coronado Springs is a good choice–they’ll even make you a Bloody Mary at the coffee bar.
The bounty platter is nothing special though, it is pretty much the same at every resort. This article at least highlights the items you can’t get everywhere like the waffles at roaring fork or the tonga toast.
The Wave breakfast buffet is one of the best, inexpensiv most convenient breakfast buffets on property. Only a five minute walk to the magic kingdom.
Pepper Market’s Mexican Eggs Benedict Burrito is scrumptious. Also at Coronado Springs, the Huevos Divorciados from Las Ventanas is technically shareable, but you won’t want to.
My favorite is the cornflake french toast at Wolfgang Puck Express, especially in regards to a CS option. It’s always amazing!