6 Disney World Restaurants to Avoid

There are so many dining options at Walt Disney World that it can be difficult to fit in all the restaurants that you think you would like to try. The worse thing that can happen is that if one or more that you have picked turn out to be a disappointing experience. This has happened to my family over the years at Disney World, so I’ve decided to share some Disney World restaurants to avoid.

Disney World Restaurants to Avoid – Remember Things Can Change

Before we get started do remember that things can change when it comes to dining at Disney World. Over time restaurants can dip in quality only to then improve again. The Disney World Restaurants below that I have listed to avoid are based on my own experience there and because it wasn’t that great, I haven’t returned to any of them. However do consider that:

• Restaurants can get upgraded and improved.
• Menus can get changed and improved.
• The chef’s and staff can change which can make a huge difference to any restaurant.
• My picks are location to avoid which doesn’t necessarily make any of them bad just not as good as other restaurants I have dined at.

1. Tony’s Town Square

Location: Magic Kingdom

Located on the right hand side of Main Street Square just as you enter Magic Kingdom Tony’s Town Square has a great location. The building itself too looks great on the outside and inside too. Sadly, though having given this restaurant a try all I can say about the food is that it is very bland.

I have been a big fan of Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano at Hollywood Studios. Like Tony’s Town Square Restaurant that too has an Italian dish-based menu and does it really well. Unfortunately, I found Tony’s to be the other end of the scale.

I honestly don’t think it would take much to get Tony’s to a higher standard for guests. A reworking of the menu with more focus on ingredients and flavors would really improve the quality of the dishes served.

A Better Alternative to Tony’s Town Square Restaurant

I would suggest perhaps heading out of Magic Kingdom to one of the nearby resorts. You could try Ohana at the Poylnesian Resort or Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort and meet some characters too.

2. The Plaza Restaurant

Location: Magic Kingdom

On our last vacation we decided to make a reservation at the Plaza Restaurant as we had never dined there before. Like Tony’s Town Square above the Plaza is in a fantastic location and has views of the castle. The restaurant itself is very small compared to other Disney Park Restaurants but that being said isn’t exactly a bad thing. The menu however is pretty basic with not a lot of variety.

I tried the Plaza Turkey Club Sandwich, which was a very ordinary dish and honestly, I would say it was similar to a quick service standard.  My wife and daughter had the Macaroni Cheese dish (which is now off the menu) and were also very disappointed.

A Better Alternative to the Plaza

I would recommend just getting a quick service meal at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café. There is a good variety of different meals, and the quality is good too. The Nachos here are usually very good.

You can find the Pecos Bill Menu Here.

3. T-Rex

Location: Disney Springs

Now you could probably say that I should have known what I was getting into with T-Rex. What I didn’t realise however was that there was an ice cave section of the restaurant that would give me headache when we dined at the restaurant. I was fine to begin with but as time went on the flashing lights and noise didn’t do me a lot of good. In hindsight perhaps we should have dined at T-Rex at lunchtime rather than dinner after a long day at the parks. The food was pretty ordinary too which didn’t help my experience.

That being said if you have small kids who want to dine surrounded by animatronic dinosaurs, you might still consider this like I did.

A Better Alternative to the T-Rex

Perhaps if you want to dine with Dinosaurs then do it earlier in the day and not in the evening like I did!

You can find the T-Rex Menu Here.

4. Hollywood and Vine

Location: Hollywood Studios

Another Disney World dining experience that isn’t about the food and more about meeting characters. However, I really didn’t think much of the food compared to other character dining experiences at Disney World such as the Garden Grill at Epcot and Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary resort.

My advice would be to avoid this Disney World restaurant and consider other character dining experiences at Disney World.

A Better Alternative to Hollywood and Vine

You won’t find another character dining experience at Hollywood Studios so you might have to dine outside of the park. The link below shares my favorite character meals at Disney World. However I would suggest 50’s Prime Time Café as it can be a lot of fun and the staff in the restaurant who act as your cousin can be really funny, just don’t get caught with your elbows on the table!

You can find the 50’s Prime Time Café Menu Here.

You can find what I consider to be the Best Disney World Character Meals here.

5. Les Chefs De France

Location: Epcot World Showcase

Les Chefs De France located at the France Pavilion on Epcot World Showcase is by far a bad restaurant. The service was to high standard and dishes were served in good time without being rushed. I had the grilled tenderloin of beef, and it was good. However, I felt that the cost was very expensive overall for what we got compared to other options on World Showcase.

By no means a bad dining experience it just seemed expensive for what we got.

Find out about my Best Disney World Dining Experiences here.

A Better Alternative to Chefs De France

I would recommend Via Napoli in the Italy Pavilion. The Pizza’s there are great and it’s not too far away from the France Pavilion. It might not be French Cuisine but is very good.

You can find the Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria Menu Here.

6. The Crystal Palace

Location: Magic Kingdom

The food at the Crystal Palace is pretty standard fare. But to be honest this location is about meeting Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore. My issue from my experience here is that it felt very disorganized. It took a long time too see all the characters although the restaurant didn’t seem that busy. I don’t mind taking my time at a table service reservation but on this occasion, it felt way too long. Waiting for so long just to meet the characters did spoil the experience.

We had to wait a while outside to be seated (which can be quite normal) but having to stay at a restaurant to see the characters having had plenty of food and time to eat was disappointing. Having eaten multiple times at other character locations like Chef Mickey’s and Ohana we have never experienced anything similar.

A Better Alternative to The Crystal Palace

You might not get to meet Winnie the Pooh and friends but at Chef Mickey’s you can meet Mickey and Friends and although it is located outside of Magic Kingdom it is only a short walk. I personally would take the short walk to Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort.

You can find the Menu for Chef Mickey’s Here.

Disney World Restaurants to Avoid – Summary

All of the restaurants above are based on my own dining experiences. You may very well find them to be different during your own Disney World Vacation. If you really want to try one of them especially the character experiences with younger children, then do consider giving them a try.

If there are some restaurants that you feel should have been included in this article just let me know on my social media channels. I might even feature your quote.

To keep up to date with all our latest content, Disney World news and get our 10-page Parks Guide you can sign up to our Newsletter Here.

You’ll also find lots of helpful Disney World content using the links below:

Take a look at the Snacks I think you should try at Disney World here

Disney World Planning Guides and Tips

Park Guides

Disney World Rides and Attraction

Food and Dining

Disney Home and Vacation Products

Thanks for stopping by.

Darren