Let’s be real here…one of the best parts of Disney World is the FOOD.
But, with so many restaurants to choose from, it can be hard to know whether you’re going to a spot that’s full of tasty treats or a restaurant that you should have totally skipped. For Magic Kingdom specifically, we’ve taken a look at some secret eats, and ranked every restaurant in the park by dessert. But recently we turned to you, our fantastic readers, to get your thoughts on how every quick-service restaurant in Magic Kingdom should be ranked. What spot came out on top and what’s one place you might want to skip? We’re breaking down the results right now!
As we mentioned above, we reached out to our awesome readers via Instagram and asked them to rank every quick service spot in Magic Kingdom. Specifically, we told them to give the restaurant a thumbs up if they thought it should rank higher on the list, and a thumbs down for spots they felt should be toward the bottom.
Note that this only focuses on the bigger quick service spots — we’re talking the main heavy hitters here. We left off kiosks and carts, and places like Gaston’s Tavern that have more limited menus. But you shouldn’t overlook these spots — sometimes they can have some of the most DELICIOUS treats in the parks — hellooooo spring rolls!
Alright, ready to dive in and see where the restaurants fell on this ranking? We’ll start with the BOTTOM of the list.
5 — Pinocchio Village Haus
At the very bottom of our list, and the only spot with MORE thumbs down than up (48% up, 52% down), is Pinocchio Village Haus. Pinocchio Village Haus serves up a pretty simple menu made of flatbread pizzas, salads, chicken strips, garlic knots, and some other items. It also has some fun theming and an AWESOME view of “it’s a small world.”
While the Tomato Basil Soup here is a FAVORITE of ours, we have a so-so relationship with this spot overall. It’s had some fantastic options in the past, but now just serves up pretty basic eats, like a Margherita flatbread, pepperoni flatbread, and some other simple options. Recently, we haven’t exactly loved some of the items on the menu here, like the newest version of the garlic knots.
During a recent trip there we had some pizza and other items, and we weren’t mad at them. They were just ok. If you’re looking for pizza in Magic Kingdom or have really picky eaters in the group, this might be a spot you could consider stopping at, but there are better options in the park (in our opinion and according to our DFB readers, anyway).
Click here to see our most recent review of some of the items at Pinocchio Village Haus!
4 — Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
Coming up next on our list is Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe! At Cosmic Ray’s you’ll find some counter-service classics — burgers, fries, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, etc. There’s also an Impossible Burger here and sometimes specialty items will pop up in this restaurant for a limited time.
The real star here is Sonny Eclipse, the alien animatronic you’ll find in the main dining area that sings some fantastic tunes! We love him so much we’ve even got a DFB Sonny Eclipse shirt you can buy from our store.
Cosmic Ray’s also used to be incredibly popular for its toppings bar, but that’s not available at the moment (though you can request some toppings when placing your Mobile Order). If you’re looking for a gourmet experience Cosmic Ray’s isn’t it.
But, if you’ve got a hungry group of park goers, each of which is looking for a slightly different meal, there’s a pretty decent variety of solid food options here. Sometimes all you need is a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a solid performance from Sonny Eclipse to make your park day perfect.
Still, it seems our DFB readers were fairy divided on this, with just 52% giving it a thumbs up. Compared to the next 3 on the list there’s a pretty big difference in terms of our readers’ overall opinions.
3 — Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
Third on the list is Pecos Bill Tall Take Inn and Cafe. And it’s a big jump up from Cosmic Ray’s (which only got 52% thumbs up), with 70% of readers giving it a thumbs up!
Pecos Bill is a massive counter-service spot that serves up a variety of Mexican fare including a fajita platter, chicken rice bowl, nachos, and more. There are also some burgers, salads, and a veggie option on the menu.
This is another place that used to be FAMOUS for its toppings bar. It isn’t available now, but you can still request specific toppings when you place your Mobile Order or ask the Cast Members for what you might need.
If you’re looking for something different than the standard hot dogs and chicken nuggets, this is a pretty good option! When we grabbed a Chicken Rice Bowl here not too long ago, we thought it was delicious and surprisingly hearty!
And it seems our DFB readers agree that this is a pretty solid spot to get some tasty eats at — but there are 2 others that rank higher on the list!
Click here to see our full review of the Chicken Rice Bowl!
2 — Columbia Harbour House
In second place, we have Columbia Harbour House, and really it’s no surprise that this spot ranks so high on the list! Columbia Harbour House has LONG been a favorite of many Disney fans. It typically serves up a menu that features soups, sandwiches, seafood, and more.
Some of the main classics from here include the Lighthouse Sandwich, the Anchors Aweigh Sandwich, and the Lobster Roll. We’ve also loved the Minnie Mouse Chocolate Chip Lava Cake and other items from this spot.
Again, if you’re looking for something different than the standard chicken tenders and fries, this is a great spot since you can get seafood and typically quite a few vegetarian friendly items or lighter options.
And the atmosphere here is great, especially if you grab a seat on the second floor in a quiet area overlooking the park areas below. And it seems the DFB readers agree that this is one of the best quick service restaurants in Magic Kingdom.
1 — Casey’s Corner
That leaves us with just one restaurant left to take the top spot and it is (unsurprisingly) Casey’s Corner! Casey’s Corner, simply put, is a Magic Kingdom classic — it is a tried and true institution of the park.
Casey’s Corner is THE go-to place in Magic Kingdom for giant hot dogs with delicious toppings, corn dog nuggets with plastic cheese, fries, and a simple but delicious Baseball Brownie. We’ve always thought that the hot dogs from Casey’s Corner are some of the best that we’ve ever had.
And there’s just something special about getting that food, taking it to a table outside or grabbing a spot on the hub grass, and eating your tasty treats in the shadow of Cinderella Castle.
Casey’s Corner offers all the Magic Kingdom vibes and couples it with warm, fresh-tasting, delicious food. At least in our books, it ranks as one of the must-do dining locations when you’re in the park!
Click here to see our full review of Casey’s Corner!
And that’s our readers’ ranking of the restaurants in Disney World. What do you think? How would you rank Magic Kingdom’s quick service restaurants? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Wondering what we think are some of the BEST counter service restaurants in all of Disney World? Check out our video below!
Click here to see the best value quick service restaurants in Disney World for 2021 (no dining plan needed)!
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Do you agree with this ranking? Tell us how you would rank the Magic Kingdom quick service restaurants in the comments below!
Janet H says
Love this article, are you going to do it for all the parks, water parks and Disney Springs? Unfortunately we are not on Instagram or Facebook but we get your daily newsletter.
Columbia House would have been our number one!
Love your articles, any chance your team could do more gluten free (including photos) articles – especially showing the different options around Epcot’s world showcase?
Many thanks
DFB Sarah says
Thanks, Janet! Sharing your request for GF posts!
Ken says
Disney food has definitely gone down hill in the past 10 years. Now Casey’s, which was nothing but an afterthought place to grab a quick snack is rated very high… that should tell you something…. MK food has fallen from an OK status to a PASS rating in my book. Too bad…
Barbara says
Yes, yes, please. More gluten free info. So many Disney menus seem to require that you do without rather than them offering an instead. A very few menus do offer an instead so please review those choices.
Essie says
Great article even if am reading it almost a year later. I love Columbia Harbour House. I also like the Plaza and the Norwegian Bakery.