Disney’s Magic Kingdom is their most icon park, and it has some pretty amazing restaurants. It also has some less than stellar dining experiences. Here is my take on dining at Magic Kingdom!

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace is an all you can eat buffet with a Pooh and friends theme just off of Main Street USA before you enter Adventureland.  Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore move throughout the dining area greeting guests while they dine. The food is good, nothing to write home about, but it has plenty of kid friendly options and a buffet is usually a pretty safe bet for trying to please a family with varying appetites.  It is open all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our family enjoyed a pre-park opening breakfast here WAY back in 2013.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

One of my favorite dining experiences at Magic Kingdom was my lunch at inside the castle back in October 2021. Keep in mind that this was still the early post covid days, so the princesses were not out in full force. We got to see Cinderella from a distance, but the food was some of the best I’ve had inside the parks.

The meal is a three-course meal with your choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert. For adults the choices include appetizers like salads or a meat and cheese plate while the kiddos can choose more kid-friendly items like fruit cups.

I chose the scallop entree while the other adult chose steak, and the kids choose chicken fingers, mac and cheese, and fries.

The desserts were pretty standard…a chocolate option and a cheesecake option which I enjoyed. But real star of the show is the kids decorate your own cupcake option which was a huge hit with my daughter and my niece.

A meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table is an experience, and it comes with a pretty hefty price tag, coming in as one of the more expensive options on property. But if you have any princesses (of any age) in your travel party, you should definitely consider it!

Liberty Tree Tavern

As a Disney World “frequent flyer” so to speak, I like to try new places during every visit. But this place is one that I return to often as it is one of my kids’ favorite spots to eat on property! Located in Liberty Square across from the Hall of Presidents, Liberty Tree Tavern is a family style restaurant with a colonial early America theme. The meal opens with classics: rolls and a salad.

This is followed up by a full-blown Thanksgiving feast: roast beef, sliced pork loin, turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and even cranberry sauce. And it’s all you can eat, so you can ask for more of whatever dish you are enjoying! Do not go straight to a thrill ride after this dinner! You will need a minute to let that feeling of being completely stuffed subside!

But wait! There is more…ooey gooey toffee cake with ice cream for dessert is brought to the table for everyone to share! I have found this recipe and made it at home on several occasions. It’s always a crowd pleaser!

Liberty Tree Tavern is a restaurant that I recommend to families over and over again, and I especially like to score reservations here for my families traveling to Disney World over Thanksgiving or Christmas!

Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen

I will be honest…this restaurant is not for everyone. The menu is a bit unconventional, so if you don’t like strong or unique flavors, this might not be for you. The website claims that you will “explore the old, flavorful cuisine of Asia, South America and Africa” but I would call it more of a fusion, but I’m no chef, so what do I know. I cannot speak to the kids menu as I ate with only adults, but there was one item that I very much enjoyed and would go back for…Pao de Queijo or to English speakers Brazilian Cheese Bread! This is a “hidden” menu item, but our server told us about it right out of the gate, so I don’t know how hidden it is. The bread came with a chimichurri cream cheese spread that was good, but honestly the bread is great by itself.

I ordered the “Tastes Like Chicken…Because It Is” and it was…weird. It definitely showed up to the table looking more like fish, and the sauce was not to my liking. Overall it was ok but not great.

My ordered over a steak entree which again was ok, but the bright yellow mustard sauce was not my favorite.

My other friend asked for an entree sized serving of the shrimp and fried rice appetizer, and I think this was probably the best of the entrees we ordered. If I were to return to Skipper Canteen, this is probably what I would choose.

Overall, the theming of the restaurant is fun matching with the kitschy silliness of the Jungle Cruise ride. Our server was great, the vibe of the restaurant was pleasant, and I will never complain about the chance to sit in the cool A/C for a while.

There are two more Table Service restaurants in Magic Kingdom that I have shared about here: Be Our Guest and The Plaza Restaurant. I have never eaten at the Plaza, and Be Our Guest has changed their menu since I ate there right when they first opened. I will update this page if/when I eat there.

As far as Counter Service restaurants, we have two that we frequent: Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe and Pinocchio Village Haus. Cosmic Ray’s is in Tomorrowland, has Mobile Ordering and offers pretty standard theme park food: burgers, fries, chicken sandwiches, etc.

The real start of the show at Cosmic Ray’s is Sonny Eclipse, the alien who is providing some very punny live music in one of the dining areas of the restaurant.

Pinocchio Village Haus overlooks it’s a small world and mostly serves pizza with a couple of pasta or salad offerings. This is a favorite of my kids particularly for the blue raspberry slushy that may not even still be on the menu.

When I book a trip for my clients, I offer to obtain their dining reservations for them 60 days prior to their arrival.