What do Mickey Bars, Dole Whips, and Cheeseburger Spring Rolls have in common?

They are all pretty iconic Magic Kingdom snacks. Whether you’re looking for a sit-down meal or would prefer to eat on the go, there are lots of food options in Disney World’s most popular park to choose from. Columbia Harbour House, a quick service location in Liberty Square, typically is a great spot when you’re trying to please a variety of tastes. How did that reputation hold up on a recent midday trip? Let’s find out.

Atmosphere

Located in the park’s Liberty Square, Columbia Harbour House fits in with the theme of the land well.

The building is inspired by Colonial America, specifically New England’s coastal style.

You’ll find lots of nautical references around the restaurant.

In fact, it has tons of details that play into the restaurant’s backstory. If you wanted to, you could spend a long time taking in all of the decor.

This spot is also big. There are a few dining rooms, located both downstairs where you pick up your food, as well as upstairs — which typically is a nice air-conditioned respite from the park’s heat and crowds.

When you are ready to order, you can either do so with a Cast Member at the front of the restaurant, or through the My Disney Experience app.

I chose to create a Mobile Order in the app, so when it was ready, I headed to the designated window.

Once you get your food, there are self-serve stations for utensils, napkins, and condiments.

You’ll find options like tartar sauce, honey mustard, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, salt, and pepper.

Once I got what I needed, I found a table upstairs. The upstairs seating area here is often a quiet(er) place to eat.

Let’s take a look at the menu!

Menu

Listed first on the menu are the desserts! You’ll find a Happy Haunts Milk Shake and Yogurt here if you want something sweet. For entrees, the restaurant offers a number of seafood items, like a New England Shrimp Boil, a Lobster Roll, and the Sea Captain’s Fish Sandwich. If you’re not a fan of seafood, there are a couple options — a Mixed Greens Salad and Chicken Strips.

Next, you’ll see the Plant-Based Crab Cake Sandwich above a variety of sides and a few kid’s options. For the little ones, you have a choice between a Shrimp Skewer, Grilled Salmon, Fried Shrimp, or Chicken Strips.

To drink, they serve a variety of soft drinks, coffee, milk, hot cocoa, and a lemonade slushy.

Let’s dig in!

Eats

For lunch, I tried the Mixed Greens Salad, the Grilled Shrimp Skewer, and the Grilled Salmon.

First, the Mixed Greens Salad for $12.59 was made of apples, cheddar, dried cranberries, onions, and apple vinaigrette — and was served with two chicken tenders. Overall, the flavors of this meal really surprised me! The green apples and cranberries added a nice sweetness to the dish, and I enjoyed the texture that the apples and onions added.

The tenders were pretty basic Disney chicken tenders, but done well. They were fried well and were crispy on the outside with tender white meat on the inside. Between the crunchy apples and crispy chicken on top, the textures of this salad were really satisfying, and I would definitely order it again.

Second, the Grilled Salmon for $14.29 comes with your choice of two sides: French Fries, Hush Puppies, Green Beans, or Rice. I chose Rice and Green Beans for this meal and was given a hefty portion of both salmon and sides.

The salmon tasted really fresh and had a nice buttery-grilled flavor. Accompanying it, the rice was pretty plain. It did taste a little buttery as well, but I would have liked it to have been better seasoned. Salt and pepper are available, however, which I made use of, so in the end it was still a good option. It wasn’t undercooked or too soft, and it went perfectly with the bright and fresh green beans.

Overall, the flavor of the fish was great, but it was cooked a little more than I would have liked. If you prefer your fish to be fully cooked, this might not be a problem for you, but I thought it was a touch on the dry side. Even so, it is a great healthy option, so I would order it again from time to time.

This is a solid option if you are looking for something to sustain you throughout the park day. You get a fair amount of food, but you won’t leave feeling heavy from a big fried meal.

Lastly, the Grilled Shrimp Skewer for $14.29 comes with your choice of two sides as well. I ordered it with French Fries and Hush Puppies.

The shrimp had a ton of flavor! They were grilled with their tails on, which was a nice touch, and they tasted like they were seasoned with Old Bay. These were grilled well and were buttery and pretty juicy, with great seared edges.

You get five shrimp on the skewer, and while they are not huge, it is a fair portion.

The hush puppies were also really tasty — fried perfectly and with a nice sweet and buttery flavor.

These were made even more delicious by the corn kernels on the inside.

The fries, however, were just okay. They were not served piping hot and tasted pretty generic.

Overall, this was a satisfying dish. But, keep in mind that the fries are inconsistent.

Overall

There were a few things here that were on the mediocre side, but overall, I think this spot is popular for a reason. As a seafood lover, the options here are pretty satisfying and fresh. While the salmon was a little overcooked for my taste, both the fish and the shrimp are things that I would order again. However, for landlubbers, there really aren’t that many options — a few varieties of fried chicken and a plant-based seafood option. I really enjoyed the chicken dish that I had, but if you don’t want seafood, and fried chicken doesn’t appeal to you,  this might not be the best stop for your group.

Nosh or Not

You should set sail to Columbia Harbour House if…

• You love seafood. The options here for seafood lovers are pretty solid, and whether you’re looking for something fresh and grilled or a fried meal, you’ve got plenty of great options.
• You love the theming of Liberty Square. The theming here is really intricate, and dining here feels pretty immersive. The decor is carried throughout the restaurant, and you really feel like you stepped back in time.
• You want quality food, fast. There are plenty of food options in Magic Kingdom, but if you’re looking for some great food and don’t want to spend time at a full-service restaurant, you can get some good food here quickly.

Skip this nautically-themed spot if…

• You don’t love seafood. There are a few good options if you like chicken, but there’s not much of a variety.
• You are looking for a more on-the-go experience. While this is a quick service spot, if you are really crunched for time, there are faster options that may be more convenient for you.
• You want a sit-down meal. Similarly, if you did want a more dedicated dining experience, you might want to find a table service spot.

There you have it! Columbia Harbour House is a pretty solid option for a lot of guests. It’s a good standby for a lot of us here at DFB. Let us know what you think in the comments below!

With DOZENS of places to eat at Disney World, we know it can be tough to plan your meals. That’s why we wrote the DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World. We have reviews, pictures and details about every restaurant all in one digital download – along with ALL of our best tips and strategies from decades of Disney World trips. We’ve got a special discount code for DFB readers, too! Use WDW2023 at checkout for 25% off!

Click here to read about the new restaurant coming to EPCOT!

What is your favorite thing at this spot? Let us know in the comments below!