It’s happened to all of us — you need some eats and have no advanced dining reservation (ADR) for a meal at Disney World. No matter if it’s on purpose or by accident, sometimes those nights you have to “wing it” can end in a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter from the Hess Station if you’re not prepared (speaking from experience!). DisneyFoodBlog readers have pulled together their suggestions for the best Disney World restaurants they count on when they’re starving and minus a reservation (thanks again for everyone who contributed)! Quick reminder, though, when Disney World’s busy, you’re probably going to have a wait everywhere. These might get you in a little quicker…
Restaurant Marrakesh, Morocco, Epcot’s World Showcase
Coming in strong at the top is Restaurant Marrakesh, serving authentic African Mediterranean dishes in a beautiful setting. Wind through Morocco’s medina to the back of the pavilion to find the small door of the restaurant. The King of Morocco sent his own artisans and tile-workers to create the Morocco pavilion, and Marrakesh’s decor is stunning. (Even if you’re not dining there, head in to take a picture or two!)
The Dinner Menu at Marrakesh includes plenty of couscous, the National dish of Morocco, along with chicken, mussels, and other authentic cuisine.
For more food photos, just visit the umbrella’d podium at the front of the Morocco pavilion; they’ve set up a cast member with a large photo album of food pictures of the dishes at Restaurant Marrakesh in hopes of driving more traffic to the establishment.
Bonus: There’s some great entertainment — belly dancers! — at Restaurant Marrakesh!
Biergarten, Germany Pavilion, Epcot’s World Showcase
Biergarten in Epcot’s Germany was a shock to me when it came in at the number two spot for places to go without an ADR (good to know that I can head over there anytime!)! Every review I’ve seen of Biergarten has been positive, and with family-style seating (meaning you’ll probably be seated at a long table with one or two other parties) and some fantastic entertainment, the restaurant offers great opportunity for fun.
Not sure the menu will agree with you? Biergarten is a buffet, which means there’s something for everyone! Lots of spaetzel, wurst, pretzel, and sauerkraut, but there’s mac n cheese, too, just in case!
Maya Grill, Coronado Springs Resort
Maya Grill came in a distant third in the poll, but it was mentioned several times and deserved a spot in the blog. This restaurant is located in Coronado Springs Resort and serves dishes representative of the resort’s southwestern USA and northern Mexico theme.
As a general rule, restaurants at Disney’s moderate-level and Disney Vacation Club resorts don’t fill up as fast as the theme park and regular resort restaurants, so these are good spots to stop for an unplanned meal.
Other Suggestions
While these three were the most-suggested, there were several others mentioned that you should keep in the back of your mind as “just-in-case” locations. Thanks again to everyone who contributed ideas!:
Captain’s Grille, Yacht Club Resort
Olivia’s, Old Key West Resort
Rainforest Cafe, Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Kona Cafe, Polynesian Resort
San Angel Inn, Epcot’s World Showcase, Mexico
Yak and Yeti, Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Turf Club, Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
Mama Melrose, Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park
Nine Dragons, Epcot’s World Showcase, China
Trails End, Fort Wilderness Resort
Grand Floridian Cafe, Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
ESPN Zone, Disney’s Boardwalk
Big River Grille and Brewing Works, Disney’s Boardwalk
Fulton’s Crab House, Downtown Disney
Raglan Road, Downtown Disney
The Plaza Restaurant, Magic Kingdom Theme Park
Let me know your thoughts (and YOUR top spots for grabbing an unplanned meal!) via facebook, twitter, or email!
Check out the other “Best Disney World Restaurants” in our series!
A'lis Richardson says
We LOVE the Maya Grill. We went to there on our last trip to Disney and it was the best meal we ate on our whole trip. (and we had deluxe dining so you know we ate a lot on this trip) The food was FAB the service was even better. We have ate all over Disney and I promise that the Maya is one place you should take try.
Heather says
We’ve always seemed to have luck getting into the Sci-fi. Maybe a lot of no-shows occur there….? Love their milkshakes!
Shayne says
We are planning to eat at Restaurant Marrakesh in January. On our last trip in June, we walked through Morocco pavilioin at dinnertime and heard what sounded like a wonderful party going on inside! The food has always intimidated us a bit, but we wanted to try something new. Now that I’ve seen the inside of it, I’m looking forward to it even more!
James (Disneynorth) says
Are you sure about San Angel Inn?? Everytime I have been there (with an ADR) they were turning away people because they were full.
Another to add to the list is Tokyo Dining. I’m not sure about walk up, but I know I was able to get an ADR a day or two before we ate there. And the food was really good!
AJ says
A’lis: Thanks for the info about Maya! I haven’t eaten there in AGES, and it wasn’t so wonderful back then. Sounds like some positive changes have been made!
Heather: Great suggestion! I think that’s a good one to hit right when they open.
Shayne: We’re doing one of the food and wine festival wine pairing dinners there and I can’t wait!
James: Good point; maybe San Angel is another one to try to hit at off-times… It DID get a couple of votes from readers, though (maybe they’re traveling in the off-season!) Great point about Tokyo Dining, by the way!
Tony says
We always find that the Coral Reef located in Epcot’s Living Seas is an easy walk-in as well. Maybe because the entrance is sort of hidden around the corner from the Living Seas entrance – out of site, out of mind to most who pass. Great food and atmosphere.
AJ says
Good to see you, Tony! Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve heard that Coral Reef has much improved from a few years ago. You’re right that those hidden restaurants never make the top lists…lucky us to be able to sneak in.
Audrey Brown says
I was just at Cafe Morocco two weeks ago, my husband and I usually make it a point to do Restaurant Marrakesh because it’s our favorite, but we were short on time. I just discovered your blog via Dismarks a few days ago, I’m excited about it!
AJ says
Audrey, so glad you’re here! Isn’t Dismarks awesome? 😀 Looking forward to checking out your blog and hearing more from you!
Chris says
I can’t believe you forgot Le Cellier! Just kidding.
I’ve been lucky with Les Chefs de France. I love the food there and it’s so pretty. Never had a bad meal.
I have to second Grand Floridian Cafe. You can usually get a walk up and the food is really good, completely underrated.
AJ says
Chris — I’ve never been to GFC. I will definitely have to try it next time.
AJ says
Quick extra note courtesy @Jonathan_Cote via twitter: “biergarten in epcot can be tricky to get a reservation, especially during christmas.” Thanks Jonathan!!
TheAngelForever says
Another hidden new gem (quickly gaining in popularity) is The Wave at the Contemporary Resort. We made reservations there when we could not go to Spoodles during our visit in May. Really nice meal, close to the Magic Kingdom and quiet.
Cindy M. says
We are planning to stay at Disney during the week of Thanksgiving and want to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Does anyone know what the best restaurant in the parks are to eat at on Thanksgiving Day for a traditional Thanksgiving meal? Also, what’s the best resort restaurant to eat at on Thanksgiving Day for a traditional Thanksgiving Meal?
Thank you very much.
AJ says
Hi Cindy! You can get Thanksgiving dinner just about anywhere on Thanksgiving in Disney World, but I would highly suggest Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom. For resort dining, I’d head to ‘Ohana! These are just MY suggestions however. I’ve put out the call on twitter and facebook to see what other suggestions we get from Disney Food Blog readers. I’ll put up a blog about it next week!
Cindy M. says
Thanks, AJ. I look forward to hearing what others have to say. We love eating at Liberty Tree but wasn’t sure if there was any other place that would be serving all of the traditional items or not. I asked about the resort dining too because my mom will be joining us for dinner and she may not want us to buy a ticket just so she can go in to eat. I think she will like Ohana’s. The Poly was always my parents favorite hotel and my dad passed away in April so this holiday season is going to be extremely difficult for her.
Thanks again.
AJ says
Cindy — I’m sorry to hear about your Dad. Disney trips are always a part of my healing regimen after a loss or bad news, and hopefully the visit will be a celebration of your Dad for your family.
I’ve gotten a lot of great responses from folks already regarding the Thanksgiving question, and although Liberty Tree Tavern is high on the list (definitely the most suggested), other thoughts were Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge, Crystal Palace at MK, and Cinderella’s Royal Table.
I still like ‘Ohana, though. It’s all you can eat Thanksgiving food coupled with the joyful ambiance of the restaurant. Sounds good to me!
Cindy M. says
Thank you, AJ. Yes, I think this will definitely be a celebration of my dad. I know we will need to make reservations soon so thank you again for all of your help.
Gina says
Thanksgiving at Whispering Canyon also.. Look on the Disney website and search Thanksgiving dinner, and you will find a list of restaurants serving traditional.
MAK says
Just got back last night from a 6 day stay and we’re going through withdrawals. We were a party of 4 (mom, dad and 2 daughters in their 20’s). We had the dining plan for the first time. Planet Hollywood (Downtown Disney), Liberty Tree Tavern (Magic Kingdom), Sci-Fi (Hollywood) San Angel, Biergarten (Epcot), Tony’s (Magic Kingdom) were our picks – we had reservations for all but Tony’s – it was a spur of the moment thing and we were very happy with this choice and it ended up being one of our top favorites. It’s on the right as you enter the park – it has a Lady and the Tramp Italian Restaurant theme – but fancy for the adults – loved it!!! We received birthday and anniversary cards from Lady and Tramp with their paw prints as signatures – so cute – because we were celebrating. It seemed that most these places were taking walk-ins but it could be because it was September and the crowd was smaller. All were wonderful. Liberty Tree was right up there at the top for best food and Sci-Fi for best atmosphere. Very happy with our choices.
AJ says
Cindy — Let me know how it goes.
Gina — Thanks for the info!
MAK — What’d ya get at Tony’s? It’s been hit or miss for us. So glad you had a great time!
MAK says
AJ – here’s what we had… chicken parmigiana, spaghetti with sweet Italian sausage, lasagna and my daughter that’s vegetarian was really happy with a dish they suggested – it had some kind of goat cheese with spinach and pasta – we all tried it and loved it. She kind of had limited selections everywhere we went so we were happy she had something delicious. Her dessert plate had a little picture of Lady and The Tramp in chocolate.
Michelle says
I love Restaurant Marrakesh! I never seem to be able to plan ahead and make reservations for anything so I always end up at the less popular ones however, Restaurant Marrakesh should be a wonderful addition to anybody visiting Epcot. The food and service is excellent and in addition there is live music and belly dancers. I have eaten there numerous times and am never disappointed. I love the Morroccan pavilion’s decor and ambiance and especially love the food.
N E says
Marrakesh and Biergarten are two of the hardest to get into without reservations. Biergarten is so anal retentive and stingy, they won’t even seat you if one person in your party hasn’t arrived yet.
Tiffany says
You may wan to revisit these recommendations. We love Biergaren and have never had a problem getting a reservation in past years. This year we could not get a seat. Not one dinner or lunch time available in 7 days. Word has gotten out.
Eean says
We stayed at Bay Lake Towers last August, and we were able to get a table for 5 immediately without an ADR at the Wave. Good food, wine, and service!
KSL says
Biergaren Is not a walk in kind of place anymore, we had ADR when we were there in August of 2012 and still had to wait for over an hour to get seated at our table!
Frank says
Don’t forget about the Grand Floridian Cafe. We have enjoyed both lunch and dinner there.
IMHO, their Cobb is comparible to the Derby’s.
If you are going w/o kids, consider 1) going early, 2) eating at the bar when possible. Restaurants where we have dined at the bar include Flying Fish, Narcoossee’s, Citrico’s, California Grill (they even have small tables), at the Swan/Dolphin, Shula’s, Blue Zoo(bar booth seating available), and Il Mulino’s.
I’m not a fan of ADR’s anyway. Just last year we had an incident when a Disney restaurant failed to click us “present.” It was a HUGE ordeal to get the Disney resort (restaurant located at that resort too) to rescind the penalty. CM at Guest Services gave my wife a quick “can’t change it” response which didn’t sit well. 40 minutes and 2 managers later she walked away w an updated folio w the penalty removed. Literally took 30 seconds of computer work. Stopped by the restaurant that evening to inform them they wasted 40 minutes of my vacation…. they made up for it 8)
Jennifer Kerr says
We go to the Maya Grill at least once a month! We love it!