When it comes to eating, I am your girl. Well, except for last week when I had the stomach virus (Happy New Year…NOT!). Any other time, I am all about food, especially when it comes to Disney food! I am a sucker for Disney’s Quick Service Dining Plan. I am all for taking full advantage of pricey menus, devouring every morsel of goodness, and going so far as to leave no dining plan credits behind!
All of that said, I am always bummed when I hear people didn’t enjoy the dining plan. Of course I ask what went wrong and I overwhelmingly hear back “all they have to eat is burgers!” I always dig a little deeper saying something like, “tell me more about that…” 9 times out of 10 they are on the quick service plan and have eaten some combination of burgers/chicken nuggets for the entire trip, twice a day.
I always cringe to know they missed out on the golden opportunity awaiting them that Disney calls quick service! Today, I am sharing my favorite quick service locations/offerings. We are going beyond burgers and basics and uncovering some of the best the mouse has to offer! Let’s get grubbin’!
Think outside the bun…
Yes, there are a lot of places at Disney World that you can grab a burger and fries. You can actually find the same configuration of combos and offerings across many different restaurants throughout the parks. The trick to finding options beyond burgers is to think outside the bun! Typically, you can find a few unique items on each menu, even if the standard choices are front and center. For example, Restaurantosaurus in Disney’s Animal Kingdom offers shrimp po boys, grilled veggie sandwiches, and taco salads (while still offering burgers and nuggets). My favorite quick service restaurant, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in the Magic Kingdom has a ton of options, including my favorite meal, the 1/2 rotisserie chicken meal served with veggies and mashed potatoes. Think outside the bun and you’ll see that there really are loads of options when it comes to quick service restaurants.
Somewhere, beyond the sea…
Thinking internationally isn’t out of reach when it comes to quick service options. One way to broaden your quick service horizon is to take advantage of the quick service options in EPCOT’s World Showcase. Reservations at some of the amazing table service restaurants in World Showcase are often hard to come by, but with the option of quick service dining, you can sample the pavilions delectable offerings. Also, if your budget doesn’t allow for table service dining, this option gives you a cheaper way to indulge in the international fare. From quick service Chinese at the Lotus Blossom Cafe to German at Sommerfest, you can really stretch your dollar/credit and go beyond fast food with these quick service spots!
All for one and one for all…
You know what is stinkin’ genius? Food courts. Everyone can find something they want and seating is plentiful. All of that said, one of my absolute favorite food courts is found in EPCOT’s the Land Pavilion. Sunshine Seasons is an awesome food court that is sure to please your crew! I love that you can get everything from noodles to sandwiches, I love that you get “free”fills (free refills-I made up that word by the way), and I STINKIN’ LOVE THE PASTRY CASE. I love it all! Avoid the burger trap and let everyone get their fill without a fuss at this amazing in-park food court!”
“Resort” to other options…
Okay, so I just wrote an entire section devoted to a food court, how could I leave off the quick service food court options at the many resorts of Walt Disney World? Eating at the resort has many perks, including but not limited to the ginormous selection, amount of create-your-own ________ stations, and chances to use your resort refillable mug! In October I stayed at the Art of Animation Resort and thoroughly enjoyed the create-your-own pasta station. I had a delicious Campanelle pasta in marinara with prosciutto, mushrooms, and Parmesan (I’m a good cook–even if they made it for me!). The best part is the resort food courts serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner! If you’ve never tried out the restaurant in your resort, give it a try next time!
Breakfast for a change…
When it comes to quick service credits, don’t count out breakfast. With a ton of options throughout resorts and the parks, turning to breakfast will definitely break up the burger scene! I really enjoy resort food courts and Sunshine Seasons for breakfast, but I’ve also eaten other yummy breakfast offerings throughout the parks, including a DELICIOUS cinnamon roll at Starring Rolls Cafe in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I was on the meal plan so, my meal included a drink, entree, and side item (I chose a banana); it was filling and obviously amazing! Don’t forget about breakfast! There are seriously loads of quick service spots throughout Disney property that offer a great breakfast selection.
I hope these suggestions will break you out of the burger zone and give you a load of quick service options! You should know by now that I love reader participation so…here is my question of the week:
If you had one quick service credit to spend right now, where would you spend it and what would you get?
Related articles
- 2013 Disney Dining Plan Details Released (chipandco.com)
- Take advantage of the Disney Dining Plan with these helpful tips (chipandco.com)
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I’m surprised people feel that burgers and fries are the only thing available.. I loved the food plan! you actually get a lot of food if you do it right! And I love that for snacks you can get pricey treats like the pineapple dole whips in MK!
I would go to Be Our Guest for lunch and get the Croque Monsieur or the Braised Pork. Yum!!
I think I would have the salmon at Sunshine Seasons:) It’s yummy and so not a burger!
We love the Mexican quick service at Epcot and the Asian one next to Yak and Yeti at AK.
at Art of Animation, there is a shrimp and crab(?) sandwich with some type of white sauce. My husband is adamant that we are not going back to Disney until 2014, but just talking about this sandwich makes him start to reconsider the date of our next trip.
Yay! I’m glad you found it useful Lindsay! Thanks for reading and thanks for the sweet comment! 😀
Good picks Melissa! 😀
Yum! Sounds delicious! 😀
Great suggestions Jennifer! I am all abou the cooked to order meals! 😀
Yeah, I kept getting hungry writing this! A Pecos Bill Taco Salad would hit the spot right about now! 😀
Hey Janet, it was the sweet and sour chicken at the Lotus Blossom Cafe at the China Pavilion in EPCOT and it was so yummy! 😀
What is that in the pic? Rice? where do you get that..looks yummy!!
Our favorite QS id Pecos Bills, Taco salad and pulled pork sandwich sound amazing right now. This article is making me hungry…yummo!
One of the favorite we tried was Pepper Market at Coronado Springs. They had the most variety I’ve seen and the food was awesome-cooked to order, not premade. I know some people don’t like to venture out to the resorts, but you miss so much that way! We have found that many of the resorts have fantastic quick service restaurants, and many are just a short bus ride away from the parks!
Flame tree in animal kingdom is one of my family’s favorites. I love the ribs, my son loves the chicken and now you can get a barbecue salad, which my husband loves!
I’d get the chicken wrap at Pecos Bill’s in Magic Kingdom. I think you can get fruit as a side (which I’d save for later). Also, I’d get a chocolate cake or cookie for dessert. My husband likes to get a turkey leg as part of a quick-service meal.
Great article! You can feel the enthusiasm that you have for Disney food! :o) I too tend to get stuck in the burger and fries rut, this reminded me to open my eyes to the rest of the menu too.. Thanks!! :o)
Super! You’ll be all set! I’m jealous of all that good eating you’ll be doing this time next week! Have fun and thanks for reading/commenting! 😀
Thank you Ashley, I was just researching places to use our QS Dining Credits last week because we are going next week! I’m excited to hear your thoughts because I was also searching for places that are different from burgers and hot dogs!