The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining
–is chock full of foodie info! Let’s take a look at another tip from the book — The Top 5 table-service restaurants in Walt Disney World for those dining on a tight budget…
Milky Way Sundae — Beaches and Cream
We chose these options because they are less expensive than other table-service locations, but also because we genuinely like to dine in these restaurants. A cheap price isn’t the only thing that makes dining in a restaurant worth it; good food and good atmosphere definitely have to be taken into account! So here are our favorite low-cost spots for taking a relaxing break from the hectic pace of the parks:
Top 5 Table-Service Restaurants on a Budget
» Beaches and Cream: This fun diner in Disney’s Beach Club Resort is tiny, but worth the wait! Order classic burgers and hot dogs, and the biggest ice cream sundaes you’ve ever seen!
» Trail’s End Restaurant: Tucked away at Fort Wilderness Resort, this country-style eatery is a buffet for breakfast and dinner and an a la carte spot for lunch. Be sure to try the sticky bun sundae!
» The Plaza: A small restaurant a stone’s throw from Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom, this spot specializes in comfort food! We love the price, the service, and the view!
» The Fountain: Another diner reminiscent of the 50’s, this Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin restaurant has more milkshake varieties than we could try in a month of Sundays!
» 50’s Prime Time Café: One of our favorites for food and atmosphere, this Hollywood Studios diner themed to Mom’s 1950’s kitchen serves up some great fried chicken and pot roast, and will likely make you laugh ’til you cry!
You’ll find this and 19 more Top 5 lists of favorites in the The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining!
What are some of your favorite budget-friendly restaurants in Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments section below.
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A little tip: At Beaches and Cream you can ask for a “mini” No Way Jose or other signature sundae. They will make it with 2 scoops instead of 3 (which is still plenty!) and charge you $5.99 instead of $7.99.
when i tried to visit beaches and cream on my visit in november, i didn’t ‘get’ that it was a table service restaurant. i thought it was a counter service ice cream shop, and didn’t ‘get’ why there were hostesses at the door! silly me! and now i very much regret not trying it; after looking at that pic you posted, actually, i could go for an ice cream sundae right now!!!
We also find lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern to be a good deal. The Ooey Gooey Toffee is so good and definitely big enough to share!
Last year while on the DDP, because of our choices we had to pay for one of our meals so we choose 50s prime, it was a reasonable cost and great food some of the best fried chicken ive ever had.. so good food and good price and it was fun looking at all the stuff that wouldve been in our parents kitchens and living rooms…
I think the Plaza Restaurant is one of those places that the DDP has done a bit of a dis-service to. When I use a TS credit it feels like you are not getting your “moneys” worth for basically sandwiches. But, then my wife would argue that the desserts make it all worth while.
The Trail’s End is so affordable we ate there and saved our DP TS credits for elsewhere. We got a family fried chicken meal “to go” and took it over to the location of the campfire. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. [You can use your DP for it.] We had a picnic nearby and then walked over to join Chip & Dale for their sing a long. Cheap, easy, laid back family night at WDW. (This evening was made more convenient with the golf cart we rented. But it is easily doable walking/biking/on bus system.)
I love the picnic idea at Fort Wilderness! I checked out the Chip and Dale sing-along info on allears and they even post which movie is showing on which night so you can plan ahead which night you want to go!
Not table service, but Earls of Sammich is a steal and I second the Plaza not being that great anymore as well. =( It’s food quality has been going down hill for a while and you know me, I like to give places chances. Well this last time it was the 3rd. The Loaded Poe soup from there is pretty good though. AND I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT MINI SUNDAES AT B&C! Thank you for the tip Jeff.
I think Via Napoli is a great deal when paying off the dining plan. We can go in and get a fabulous fired pizza to share as a family and the adults can add a salad. It is very reasonable and delicious.
Even at the Prime Time Cafe I split meals with my traveling partner….that way we know we have room for dessert.
We turned the Coral Reef into a moderate priced lunch by splitting an appetizer tray for two and each getting a small salad.
Usually…there is just too much food!
Although it is not on the DDP, we enjoyed eating at the Fountain in the Dolphin when we stayed at the Swan. None of us were up for a huge buffet, so this was just right. Burgers, salads, sandwiches, desserts and great ice cream made for a fab meal. Try the pies, which are made there. My coconut pie looked plain but packed a lot of flavor. Definitely would eat there again.
We love Boatwright’s at POR. Huge portions, great pecan pie and the music next door cannot be beat. The jambalaya fed both my kids. Ask for a seat by the fire place.
Tracy, is Boatwright’s open again? I used to be in Orlando all the time for work, and typically stayed at Disney if I were there for more than 4 days…and LOVED Boatwright’s for breakfast. It closed down for a while. 🙁 They hardly ever had a wait at breakfast, had incredible food and like all of Disney, the service was superb.
I personally didn’t like Beaches and Cream. Food is lovely, as is the service ad people inside. It’s the resort, if your not staying there! We went a couple of years ago for a Sundae, which we sat outside to eat. A CM came to watch and talk to us, the whole time. By the nature of the questions, I got the impression she thought we were going to try and pool hop! Given that we had been in Epcot all morning, had no swimwear with us and just decided to have ice cream on our walk home to the Boardwalk, we found it most uncomfortable being under ‘survellance’ until we had finished and walked off property. Never again!
50’s Prime Time is top of the list for value in my book. Not only are the prices very reasonable, but you also get great atmosphere and wonderful homestyle food.
Agree with the Beach Club comment. We were staying there and just wanted to short cut through the pool. They gave us the third degree because my 13 year old didn’t have his key. Really? I don’t want my 13 year old walking around with a key valid for charging. I didn’t like it at all either!
I love Casy’s Corner for lunch. A Chicago dog and fries is more than enough to get you to dinner and they are sssooooo good. Plus I love sitting outside and enjoying the scenery while I eat.
I think Sanaa at Kidani Village is another great affordable option–especially for lunch!
The Plaza was wonderful, but it has no view right now (6/20/14)! Due to construction, your view is of a green painted plywood wall.
50s Primetime is my favorite Disney restaurant!! My mom and I wanted to bring our waitress home with us because she was so much fun! I cannot wait to go back and I hope we get the same waitress because she was a riot!
I think the article needs to be updated a bit. When the article was written, Beaches and Cream did not take reservations. It does now and there is NO wait because it’s ALWAYS full and booked! Tried to walk up several times and was told that they were booked, don’t take walk-ups anymore (for meals), and you can only get ice cream at their window. My must recent visit was just on July 17, 2014!
Hi Nanette B! Actually, you can often still score a walk-up if you agree to sit at the counter. They don’t book the counter during reservations.
If you’re on a budget, you should NEVER buy a dining plan. It’s not a bargain. It’s only a way for Disney to guarantee that you’ll eat all your meals on property.
The way to dine on a budget is to split meals at table-service restaurants. Entrees at almost almost all restaurants are plenty for two people. Often, we’ll either each get an appetizer, or we’ll save room for dessert. This allows us to try places that would otherwise be more expensive than we’d like.
One of the best “bargains” is Nine Dragons in Epcot. We’ll each get a soup, then we’ll split an entree. Even that is too much food for two people — you certainly won’t leave hungry.
Not exactly dining on a budget, but one of my favorite restaurants now is the New Mexican Restaurant at Mexico – La Hacienda de San Angel. Three of us split an appetizer and a dinner for two and we had food left behind. It’s a beautiful spot to watch “Illuminations”..the lights are dimmed and music from show piped in.
If you’re on a budget you should never get the DDP? Could not disagree more.
I would agree with the last comment. My family has been to Disney world 4 times and always uses the DDP. It allows us to try all kinds of different foods and restaurants that would be out of our budget otherwise. Also with the snacks we had left over we got things and took home. The kids were able to take mickey shaped treats in lunches for a week. The DDP is paid for ahead of time so there is no worries that that you may run out of money and for a family on a tight budget this is a life saver. Sometimes the Disney Dinning Plan is offered for free in a package, so check that out when you plan your next trip.
Hi Nanette B! Actually, you can often still score a walk-up if you agree to sit at the counter. They don’t book the counter during reservations.
Agree with the Beach Club comment. We were staying there and just wanted to short cut through the pool. They gave us the third degree because my 13 year old didn’t have his key. Really? I don’t want my 13 year old walking around with a key valid for charging. I didn’t like it at all either!
We love Boatwright’s at POR. Huge portions, great pecan pie and the music next door cannot be beat. The jambalaya fed both my kids. Ask for a seat by the fire place.
Thank you very much for sharing
Agree with the Beach Club comment. We were staying there and just wanted to short cut through the pool