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Do you love unique dining experiences? Here is a list of 10 restaurants in Walt Dinsey World that go well beyond standard theme park food.
Walt Disney World Dining
Many casual Disney visitors don’t know it, but throughout Walt Disney World you can find so much more than standard theme park foods like burgers, pizza, corn dogs, and chicken nuggets. In fact, seasoned Walt Disney World travelers can tell you that dining in Walt Disney World can become a huge part of the magic if you know just where to go!
Disney World is filled with amazing snacks, delectable desserts, and amazing. You can even find fine dining experiences around the Walt Disney World Resort.
There are so many good offerings, that sometimes it is hard to narrow it all down. Fortunately, if what you are looking for is a unique dining experience that brings you joy beyond the menu, we know just where to send you!
For the purpose of this list, we aren’t just sending you to beautiful venues like Cinderella Castle or Be Our Guest. We also aren’t necessarily suggesting the restaurants with the most exotic flavor profiles like Sanaa or Jiko. Finally, we are not talking character meals here either. Those experiences are all lovely, but it isn’t quite what we are going for when we say “unique.”
Instead, we are showing you where you can find the most unique dining experiences overall. These restaurants all capture the essence of Imagineering and Disney Storytelling!
Here is a run-down of 10 unique Disney World Restaurants.
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
First up is a dining experience that is unique in that it is currently Walt Disney World’s one and only dinner show! If you want to enjoy your meal and take in some fun entertainment, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is just the thing!
You will find Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness, which is a resort like none other. It could be a fun chance to check it out while you are there for dinner!
Enjoy Fried chicken, cornbread, and BBQ while you laugh and sing along with the show. Want more details? You can check out our full review here!
Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant
Speaking of entertainment, while Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant is not a fully dedicated dinner show, it is a restaurant that provides entertainment for diners on select dates and times. Even better, this restaurant is unique in that it is themed to an Irish Pub!
Here, you will enjoy delicious Irish food. And, if you visit during the evenings or during Saturday and Sunday brunch, you will enjoy traditional Irish music and dancing on the main stage and/or on the patio.
Raglan Road is located in Disney Springs. It is the perfect place to go on arrival day, departure day, or a rest day when you are visiting Walt Disney World and want your time outside of the parks to feel magical. It is right across from Gideon’s Bakehouse, another unique Disney eatery, so you may want to save room for dessert!
Want a full review? You can get more details on all the music and dance and fun right here.
Biergarten Restaurant
Another place where you can enjoy dinner and liver entertainment is Biergarten Restaurant. This restaurant is located in Germany in World Showcase in EPCOT.
Here, Oktoberfest lasts all year round! Guests can enjoy live German polka music and are invited to head to the dance floor during their meal.
Lunch and dinner is a buffet filled with an array of German food. Enjoy bratwurst, rotisserie chicken, pork schnitzel, and a variety of salads. And, don’t forget the strudel for dessert!
You can read a full review right here. And see a review of a dining package right here.
Whispering Canyon
For a different type of dining entertainment, head over to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Here you will find all the fun of Whispering Canyon. Don’t let the name of the restaurant deceive you. Nothing about it is quiet.
In fact, your meal at Whispering Canyon will probably be filled with shenanigans. Don’t dine there expecting a quiet, relaxed meal. While there are no formal shows or entertainment offerings, you will be entertained by some silliness.
You may experience anything from a sassy server to a hobby horse race. Fellow diners might need to be put in time-out. And, don’t say we didn’t warn you if you decide to ask for ketchup (you should DEFINITELY ask for ketchup).
You can enjoy various skillets and BBQ during all meal periods. It’s good comfort food that will please a wide range of palates. To top it all off, it is one of Dinsey’s BEST table service values. You can read a review here.
Roundup Rodeo BBQ
If you enjoy fun interactions at restaurants, you will be in for a treat with Roundup Rodeo BBQ. This Toy Story-themed restaurant is one of Walt Disney World’s newest eateries, and it has quickly become a tough-to-score Advanced Dining Reservation.
Roundup Rodeo BBQ carries on the Toy Story land theming as well as the idea that the Guests have shrunk down to toy-sized beings. You will find yourself immersed in what feels like one of Andy’s cardboard creations. The whole thing is bedecked in nods to the film.
And, the food is also themed to Toy Story. Among the all-you-care-to-enjoy offerings are dishes like: There’s a Sausage in my Boot, Evil Dr. Smoked Ribs, and Slinky Doooooooooog’s Mac & Cheese.
Moreover, there are several interesting story elements that occur throughout your meal. You can read a full review HERE.
50’s Prime Time Cafe
Another restaurant that will keep you entertained is 50’s Prime Time Cafe. This restaurant whisks Guests back to a diner in the 1950s. And the servers act the part.
Don’t be surprised if you are reminded to get your elbows off the table or if you are encouraged to clean your plate. It is all part of the fun.
The unique setting is a perfect place to enjoy diner-style comfort food like fried chicken and meatloaf. And, don’t forget to try the milkshakes-the place is known for them! Curious to learn more? Click here for a full review.
Sci-Fi Dine-in
If a unique setting is truly what you are after, head over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and check out Sci-Fi Dine-In. This restaurant is themed to a drive-in. And, although traditional dating is available, many diners will get to enjoy their meal in a convertible!
The food is not the main attraction here. Rather, people flock here for the ambiance. Diners get cozy in their cars and enjoy snips from campy old horror films and spooky Mickey and Tom & Jerry shorts. The reels may be a little too creepy for some, but for many diners, they are just scary enough.
Not only that, but it is one of the coolest, quietest places in all of Walt Disney World. It is a perfect break from the elements! Want to learn more? You can read a full review right here!
Space 220
Space 220 has been one of the hottest Advanced Dining Reservations to land since its opening. Part of the appeal is that it is an immersive dining experience that takes visitors to the Centauri Space Station 220 miles above EPCOT!
The restaurant itself is a theme park attraction featuring a fun simulated elevator ride where Guests watch the Earth shrink away as they ascend into space. Once they arrive they are treated to heavy space theming. Many guests consider it a must-try.
The food is also space-themed and unique. Some of it even comes with special effects to add to the experience!
You can choose from the lounge or the dining room when you dine here. See a review of each one right here so you know which one to book!
Splitsville Luxury Lanes
What’s more unusual: dining in outer space or dining in a bowling alley? That’s right, in Disney Springs, you can enjoy a meal and some bowling all at once at Splitsville Luxury Lanes.
You may find this an odd combination, but legend has it that Splitsville actually has some of the best sushi in Walt Disney World! It is certainly an experience your family will remember, and it’s a perfect activity for a rest day or arrival day if you don’t have park tickets. You can see a review HERE.
Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto
While it is not a full-service restaurant, we would be remiss to leave Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto off of the list. This tropical tiki bar captures the romance of the South Seas through unique food and drinks.
In fact, offering certain drinks will trigger an amusing array of special effects! It is fun to enjoy one for yourself, but it is just as fun to see what magic other Guests unlock with their own orders!
If you want to enjoy Trader Sam’s, you WILL need to arrive early and get on the list. It can amass quite a wait.
Want to learn more? You are in luck. We have a review for you here. And, you can see whether it will work for kids here.
Overall
Overall, Disney has just about everything you could be after in terms of dining. And, if you want to elevate your experience to include a little extra sprinkling of storytelling, you’ll be able to do just that!
Want more dining lists?
- For Character meals click here
- For places your kids will enjoy with no characters click here
- For restaurants that double as attractions click here
Have you been to any unique Walt Disney World restaurants? Which did you like best? Have we missed any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments. And, as always, feel free to pass the story along to anyone you know who is planning a Disney trip so that they don’t miss out.
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Wjo
Wednesday 16th of August 2023
Unique means one-of-a-kind. There os no such thing as most unique.
KatieP
Wednesday 16th of August 2023
Thanks for stopping by and for contributing thoughts. I do LOVE a good deep dive into English grammar, so let's do this. For me, it depends which definition of "unique" fits the style, tone, and context of a piece. As you pointed out, it can mean "one-of-a-kind" when used as an absolute adjective. This is also probably the earliest definition of the word. However, another definition for "unique" emerged in the mid 1800's, and so now it is common to see it used interchangeably with words like "unusual" or "rare," in which case modifiers are appropriate to quantify the extent of the rarity/uniqueness. Such is the case for the word "Unique" in this title. Merriam Webster recently published a piece on the evolution of absolute adjectives; it's interesting reading. I would absolutely stick with the more formal "unique" definition if I were writing a more formal piece. But, when writing about fun and whimsical topics such as theme parks, cartoon characters, and make-believe, wordplay, fun with language, and a bit of creative license set the tone for the purpose more appropriately. Then again, I can't fault anyone for hanging onto formal grammatical choices. Ask me about my Oxford commas.