Best dining spots in town
Disney Springs is best known for its shopping, but people who appreciate fine dining know it for its restaurants, several of which boast affiliations with celebrity chefs. Even those who don’t care about big names find plenty of good food at Disney Springs, whether it’s in a sit-down restaurant, a quick-service location, or even at a food truck.
Whether you want a leisurely sit-down meal or are looking to grab something on the go, Disney Springs has what you’re looking for. Here are just a few of the dining options you’ll find at this popular Walt Disney World entertainment area:
Celebrity Chef Restaurants
Some of the most popular restaurants at Disney Springs are affiliated with big names like Iron Chef Morimoto (Morimoto Asia) and Oprah Winfrey’s former private chef, Art Smith (Homecoming), as well as renown Irish chef Kevin Dundon, who comes up with the authentic Irish fare at Raglan Road. Mexican cuisine expert Rick Bayless has a restaurant, Frontera Cocina, at Disney Springs as well. These celebrity eateries are all very popular. They’re less crowded at lunch, so you may luck into a walk-up table, but your best bet is to call 407-WDW-DINE to make a reservation in advance of your visit.
Themed Dining
If you have kids in your party and plan to have a sit-down meal experience, you might want something more geared to keep the little ones’ attention. The Rainforest Café and T-Rex Café both offer hearty fare in an atmosphere geared to families. As their names suggestion, they’re themed to an experience in a tropical rainforest or a visit to the era while dinosaurs ruled the earth. That means lots of animatronic creatures and spontaneous entertainment to punctuate your meal. Like the other Disney Springs sit-down restaurants, these two places require reservations if you want to be sure to get a table.
Active Dining
Disney Springs is an entertainment district with a never ending variety of activities. That extends to some of its dining options; if having a meal isn’t enough, why not mix it in with bowling or perhaps even a movie? Splitsville Luxury Lanes is a two-story bowling alley and billiards hall that also offers food. Sure, you can eat at most bowling alleys, but Splitsville goes far beyond the typical hot dogs and nachos. The old standards are on the menu, but you’ll also enjoy upscale fare like steak or sushi. If you want to take in a movie while you eat, book a spot at the AMC Dine-In Theater. Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar is a casual eatery themed around the Indiana Jones movies. You’ll have just as much fun looking at the memorabilia scattered throughout the restaurant as you will indulging in the upscale bar food with a twist. The Boathouse is an upscale eatery that doesn’t have entertainment right at your table, but the dock just outside the restaurant offers Amphicar rides. These antique vehicles date back to the 1960s and are just as at home in the water as they are being driven on land.
Quick Service Meals
With so much shopping and fun times going on at Disney Springs, you might not want to spend the time it takes for a full-on sit-down meal. Don’t worry, there are plenty of quick service options that offer quality food on a faster schedule. Many of the larger restaurants have attached quick-service options. For example, Morimoto Asia offers street food at a take-out window, and Cooke’s of Dublin offers fish & chips and other dishes at a quicker pace than Raglan Road. You can design your own fresh pizza at Blaze Pizza, choosing the fresh toppings that will adorn your brick-fired pie, while Earl of Sandwich is famous for a plethora of offerings of the titular food item and D-Luxe Burger offers up hearty burgers, fries, and shakes. If you love the food truck fad, check out the courtyard on the West Side for offerings inspired by the Walt Disney World theme parks.
Sweet Treats
If you have a sweet tooth, Disney Springs has you covered. The Ghirardelli ice cream parlor is a long-time staple of the Marketplace, but it gets a run for its money from places like Vivoli il Gelato, which serves up freshly made gelato in a rotating array of seasonal flavors, the Candy Cauldron with its custom caramel apples and other treats, and the Ganachery, where chocolates rule. You can even purchase a goodie from the cupcake ATM at Sprinkles or go inside to choose from cupcakes of every possible flavor.
Those are just a few of the many dining options at Disney Springs. Whether you reserve a table at one of the upscale eateries or simply play it by ear and stop at somewhere that strikes your fancy, you’ll leave with a sated appetite.