Ahhhh…Pizza. Most of us love the stuff, whether it’s high end, low end, or homemade.
But one thing’s for sure — you and I both know that not all pizza is created equal — and this is definitely true when it comes to Disney.
Today, we’re awarding some Pizza Pie Superlatives. From Best to Worst and Everything In Between, let’s take a look at a few.
And when we’re finished with the awards, I’ve love to hear if you agree! Leave us a comment with your best and worst!
Best All-Around Pizza in Disney World
If you’ve been reading Disney Food Blog for any amount of time, the winner in this category will come as no shock to you. The hands-down best pizza in all of Disney World are the pies you find at Via Napoli in Epcot’s Italy Pavilion.
With authentic ingredients right down to the flour, tomatoes, and water they use, these are some serious pies that come closest to the real deal from Naples, Italy. They also taste the most like my favorite New York Style pizza (Lombardi’s!!!!) — the gold standard, as far as I’m concerned!
You can’t go wrong with any of the pizzas you order here, whether you’re getting a personal size, or you’re sharing with the table.
We give high marks to the Quattro Formaggi White Pizza, as well as the Build Your Own with Prosciutto. But really, there are no wrong choices here!
Worst Disney World Pizza
When it comes to pizza that you can safely — no, you definitely should — skip, we’ll chalk this up to…nearly every counter service location in Disney World that serves pizza (just wait, Wolfgang Puck Express fans, we’ve got you covered later in the post). But to give you a frame of reference, we’ll throw Pizza Planet in Disney’s Hollywood Studios under the delivery truck.
Honestly, your kids will love this place. But the pizza here is less, well, pizza-like, and more like a big, puffy, pizza pillow, with just a smidgen of toppings that identify it as pizza.
I mean, the toppings are kinda the point, right? And what am I supposed to do with all that not-good-enough-to-eat-alone bread?
Want my advice? Skip the pizza here altogether while you enjoy the super fun setting and video games!
And if you’ve just gotta get a bite here, go for their killer Cappuccino Chocolate Cupcake instead.
Best Disney World Pizza to Start Your Day
Do you like to start your day with a little leftover pizza from the night before? Well, at Disney, they have something even better — Breakfast Pizza!
Piled high with breakfast favorites like egg and ham, you’ll find one of our favorite versions on the bountiful breakfast buffet at Trail’s End at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. With colorful veggies, it’s like an omelet on a pizza crust! Healthiness!
Other spots we’ve spied breakfast pizza include breakfast at Crystal Palace and the morning meal at Chef Mickey’s. We’ve also had a fun version in some of the resort food courts, like Everything Pop Food Court at Disney’s Pop Century Resort.
There are lots of other spots, too, though, so keep your eyes peeled if pizza for breakfast sounds good to you! And if you can’t wait until your next Disney visit to have the dish, check out our handy Chef Mickey’s breakfast pizza recipe for making it at home!
Most Convenient Disney World Pizza
Sometimes, a day at the parks can prove to be a little too much fun for even the basics — like sitting upright in a booth and eating.
And that’s when Disney Resort Pizza Delivery comes in handy! This is one of my favorite tips from The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining.
Nearly every Disney resort — from value locations like Pop Century to moderate and deluxe resorts — offer pizza delivery, either as a standalone dining option, or as part of the room service menu.
Trust me — after a day of running to and fro making the most of every second at Walt Disney World, this can be a heaven-sent option. And as a bonus — cold pizza for breakfast if you’d like to sleep in!
Best Disney World Counter Service Pizza
Before Via Napoli arrived, my favorite spot for pizza enjoyment at Disney World was Wolfgang Puck Express in Downtown Disney.
I love Puck’s for its insanely good, better-than-counter-service food anyway. But their pizza (which Puck is known for) is just amazing — especially when compared to the disappointing dish that usually serves as Disney counter service pizza. (See above for how I really feel.)
The thin crust is part of the reason I dig this pie so much. But the toppings are always in perfect proportion to the crust as well (and plentiful!).
And I’m thinking the secret to the success is the wood burning oven they use, which reminds me of other spots that made our “Best of” list. You’ll find similar ovens at Via Napoli, as well as California Grill and Jiko. Which brings me to our next set of favorites…
Best Disney World Flatbread
Pizza’s thinner and even crispier cousin also rates a mention on our list. We’ve had some truly incredible Flatbreads in and around Disney World. But two of our favorites tie in this category, and you’ll find them at California Grill and Jiko.
During our last visit to California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the Oven-Dried Tomato Flatbread was a standout. With tangy oven-dried tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzarella, the dish is simple, but perfectly executed.
And I’m still dreaming of this Flank Steak Flatbread that I enjoyed on a recent trip to Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge!
But keep in mind — both of these popular signature restaurants like to change things up with the seasons – which means you might not see the same options when you arrive for your next advance dining reservation. Every flatbread we’ve had at either spot has been fantastic, though. So order with confidence!
Most Unusual Disney World Pizza
Our final award goes to Splitsville Luxury Lanes. This newly opened entertainment mecca has quickly become a great spot for bowling or dancing the night away! And their menu is enormous, offering a variety of dishes, from sushi to pizza and everything in between. But today, we’re celebrating it as our pick for the Most Unusual Pie.
I’m talking about their amazing Firehouse Pizza, which combines some of my favorite flavors — Buffalo chicken wings in all their glory — into one pizza experience.
Loaded with diced chicken tenders, mozzarella and bleu cheeses, and a drizzle of ranch dressing, it has everything. And it’s appropriately named, since you might need a firefighter to put out the flames inspired by that spicy Buffalo sauce! You won’t find me complaining, though. 🙂
There you have it — the Good, the Bad, and the Unusual when it comes to Pizza in all its permutations at Walt Disney World!
And now I want to hear from YOU! What Pizza Pie Superlatives do you think we should add to the list? Weigh in with your “Best”, “Worst”, and “Most” suggestions below in comments!
Neither my wife nor I are what I would call pizza junkies and I honestly can’t remember ever having pizza while we were at WDW. I would like to try a pizza from Via Napoli some time as I’ve heard it is very good. On our last trip to CG we did get that Oven Dried Tomato Flatbread and it was yummy. JIKO disappointed us when they stopped making the Kalamata Olive Flatbread. That was IMHO, THE BEST.
I am also one who likes the “junk pizza” at pizza planet. Hey, nothing says Arcade like not quite good pizza *g*. But then I also like Caesar’s – and I’m from Germany so US pizza of any kind is still kind of a novelty to me.
Sadly, the breakfast pizza has not been available at Pop Century for almost a year. They changed the menu some time in late April or early May 2013, droppping several tasty breakfast items and substituting inferior dishes. Until then Everything Pop was a great place for breakfast. Now, not so much.
Hi took your advice and tried via Napoli pizza perfecto but too wait 20 mins for a beer is not good enough hope they improve on this by Wednesday 9th April as the pizza was so good I have rebooked
We’ve given Via Napoli 2 chances and were not impressed either time. The pizza we received was just a limp piece of very thin crust and the expense did not justify the quality. Toppings were generous, but on the whole the pizza was just so-so. The pasta dish I had was also incredibly overpriced and disappointing. It was a bowl of pasta with alfredo sauce and just a few bites of chicken for $25! I’ve been to WDW numerous times and expect to pay a higher price, but I also expect some quality in the item. The only items I liked were the desserts.
Wolfgang Puck Express is consistently good food, including their pizza. Most flatbreads I’ve had at WDW have also been very good.
Just got back from pop century, our last night, we decided to order peace of pizza…well after being on hold for nearly 15 minutes, I hung up and ordered Pizza Hut (then found out they can olnly deliver to the lobby..) so much for a relaxing last night..lol
Finally had the chance to order a pie at Via Napoli on my last trip to the world. Sadly, I was unimpressed and disappointed. It was one of the worst pizza’s I have ever had. At the risk of sounding obnoxious, I will go on the record as stating I am a native New Yorker and Italian in heritage and have had access to the best pizza on the planet for all of my 48 years. That being said, when my Italian waiter at Via Napoli assured me that the pizza experience I was about to embark on would rival my NY pizza, I took him at his word. He asked me my honest opinion at the end of the meal…so I gave it to him as gently as I could…t he pizza was limp, undercooked and soggy. The sauce was okay. So disappointing. Really wish he hadn’t asked! As for counter service pizza, I wouldn’t dare try it!
DO NOT ORDER GLUTEN FREE PIZZA AT SPLITZVILLE!!!!! it is awful!!!! the dough isn’t cooked enough and come out very soggy!! almost impossible to eat. We ended up just eating the toppings and leaving as fast as possible. Total waste of time and money!!!!
Pizza is my favorite food and I like all types! My favorite is the thin but chewy crust of a good brick-oven pizza. I had high of hopes for Via Napoli based on reviews and it was not as good as I expected. The pizza was good and more authentic and homeade tasting than elsewhere on property, but the flavors were not balanced on the four cheese and they pour too much oil on it. And crazy as it sounds, but count me in on Team-Pizza-Planet! I actually enjoy the counter service pizza as they have a fabulously unique soft bread crust that has grains you can actually see (I’m not saying it is healthy though.) And they give a veggie option which I love!
You know me, AJ, I don’t usually get into the conversations about “Disney’s Worst yada yada” but this was a great article. I agree 100% except I haven’t tried Splittsville yet so I reserve agreement with that one 🙂
Wolfgang Pucks has amazing breakfast pizza as well!!
I’m voting Pizza Planet and PizzaFari acceptable but nothing more. It keeps the kids happy. From memory the included salad was the best bit.
I thought Napoli was OK as well. Tastier than PizzaPlanet for sure but the idea that it’s as good as the pizza from Naples is way off….and Naples pizza beats New York pizza by the way!
But, my favourite without a shadow of a doubt is easily Flippers. They do delivery to the LBV hotels as well. We stay at Old Key West and they deliver to your door as well. We found it when we asked for a recommendation and the girl on the front desk gave us their number but almost as a secret….she told us that the official Disney pizza delivery was rubbish and that they almost weren’t allowed to give the Flippers number.
I’m not saying Flippers is the world’s best but it’s very good and it’s become a bit of a tradition to have a delivery pizza on our first night on arrival from the UK.
Chalk me up as one more vote for Team Pizza Planet. 😉
Our family just recently had Pizza Planet pizza and it was good! Our pizzas looked nothing like your photo. Hubby and I had the veggie pizzas and they were loaded with toppings.
I agree with Neil ^^. Flippers is the BEST delivery pizza in the area. By far.
I would have loved to had Flipper’s but they would not deliver to the Grand Floridian this past March. When I called they kept transferring me to another number, but the LBV store said no they do not deliver and would send me back to the store closer to Universal Studios. Craziness!
We went to Pizza Planet, because, well, it’s Pizza Planet. I had heard the pizza wasn’t great, but the boys (6 yr old twins) really wanted to eat there. I ordered the pizza with peppers, onions, and mushrooms. It literally looked like they ladled a soup like mixture of onions, peppers, and mushrooms onto the middle of my pizza….ewwww….I had to “drain” it before I could eat it! The Cappuccino cupcake, however, more than made up for the dismal pizza. I forgot all about the puffy pillow while enjoying my cupcake!
We just returned from a Disney visit on Sat Nov 1st. We stayed at Pop Century and I love pizza. I crave it and could eat it every day, 3 times a day if allowed. (I don’t because I know it’s not the healthiest for me and I despise breakfast pizzas that are anything other than actual leftover pizza. They’re just not “real” pizzas, IMO.) Anyway, we had pizza at Pizzafari in AK and much like Pizza Planet, it was edible but nothing to impress. Later in the trip, I had a slice at the cafeteria in Pop Century and found it quite tasty although not as fresh as I would have liked. So, on our last night we ordered pizza in. It was delivered faster than Dominos, fresh and hot. It was really good as far as that type of pizza goes. (Dominos, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, etc.) It wouldn’t beat a good NY pizza but I really did find it quite enjoyable. I will definitely keep Via Napoli in mind after reading your review and some comments. I was never impressed with the original Italian restaurant at Epcot so this one sounds like it will be a better option.
We tried Via Napoli and were quite disappointed. The crust was pretty tasteless and the toppings uninteresting. We shared a small , I had iced tea and my husband had one beer. The bill was over $50. He really enjoyed the Italian beer, though. Now we are from Chicago so we are admittedly hard to impress in the pixza department. I think we will just skip them from now on.
We are from Chicago so we ate hard to plrase with pixza. Think we will pass on all of yhem from now on.
After our wedding at Epcot, we were hungry after meeting and greeting through our own reception. We ordered room service flatbread at the GF and it was delicious! Yummy, fresh ingredients on a perfectly crispy crust.
Last year I would have totally agreed with you about Pizza Planet. We used to think it was really bad. However, we just returned from a trip to WDW and we happened to eat there again with the kids. Surprisingly, both my husband and I thought it was much better this time around. Even my youngest commented that maybe they got a new chef who makes better pizza! Wolfgang Puck is still our favorite quick service, but thankfully Pizza Planet is not so bad either!
I agree with all of your WDW selections!
Now, if we open the field up to include Disneyland then the best pizza for both locations is the Venus Vegetarian at Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port. It is always good and each time we visit I plan at least one lunch there so I can have a slice!
During our last stay at the Wilderness Lodge, I enjoyed the veggie Flatbread for breakfast. It was very good and very filling!
I LOVE pizza! I could probably eat it for every meal. That being said, my favorite pizza at WDW (or anywhere else for that matter) is Via Napoli! We ate there for the first time in May 2014 and can’t wait to go back in March 2016. We may have to eat there more than once this time! It is just making me want it more looking at the pictures and reading comments about how good it is! :p
i must be one of the few that loves the pizza at the resort food courts! I prefer a thicker crust & am not a fan of the thinner pizzas. The pepperoni is zesty & fairly lean. The sauce has a nice flavor, as does the crust. It’s nothing like a New York pizza, but I crave it when I get home! I haven’t tried Pizza Planet or Pizzafari yet, but it’s probably about the same as Pop Century.
Hi ,My wife and I eat at the very well know Epcot pizza restaurant which shall remain nameless. The main course pizza arrived before our starters so we sent it back.The restaurant was incredibly noisy and a baby was getting its diaper changed on top of the table next to us!
When we eat at Wolfgang Pucks, almost all the breakfast items were out of stock and a man on the table next to us took his false teeth out and washed them in his glass of water!!
I bought a whole pizza in Italian restaurant in Epcot park. It was worst pizza in my life. I threw my $50 to the air. I don’t recommend this restaurant to anybody.
I can’t say whether or not the pizza at Via Napoli is any good or not. We went there last year while at Disney, but never ordered. The service and noise were so bad we left before anyone came to take even our drink order. My granddaughter was covering her ears the entire time because the noise was so loud, I literally could not hear one word our hostess said to was when she was seating us. After sitting (and suffering through the noise) for 10 minutes without a server ever stopping at our table, we finally got up and left.
The best place for pizza at Disney (in our opinion) IS a quick service place! We don’t go to Disney without eating at Blaze Fast Fired Pizza. You can have as many toppings as you want for one prices. And their sauce, cheese, and topping choices are insane! Where else can you get a medium pizza with as many toppings as you want for less than $10???
as a 100% Italian American, I grew up eating my Sicilian and Calabrese grandmother’s pizzas. Both made thick pizzas, no sauce, with fresh tomatoes, sauteed onions, olive oil, Parmesan cheese. Not traditional Americanized pizzas at all. Our pizzas had great dough.
Flat NYC style pizzas did not exist in my world. Those are flat breads.
Judging pizza, or any food, shouldn’t be about the paradigm of what it should be, but of the quality of the ingredients, preparation and taste. Is the sauce acidic, the crust burnt, the bottom greasy? That’s bad pizza. Any style is good as long as it prepared properly, and that’s what I want to hear. Give Pizza Planet a break, and comment on what you are eating and not what it looks like.