The Best And Worst All

When you step through the gates into Disney World, you will be greeted by happy cast members with a two-finger point (because pointing one finger is rude and thus un-Disney-like), the beloved characters that made your childhood magical, and restaurants with three dollar signs on Yelp.

With premiere dining experiences like Be Our Guest's pre-set three-course meal with minimal portions for more than $60 per adult, eating at Disney is expensive with a capital E. But if you're starving from a long day of rope dropping and your dining options are at the mercy of the mouse, there is one way to get some bang for your buck: Go to a restaurant where you can stuff your face with as much food as possible in one sitting.

Offering both traditional buffet restaurants and family-style eateries that allow guests to order as many plates from a fixed menu as they can stand, Disney has plenty of all-you-can-eat options to choose from. Just because you can eat your way into a magical food comma, it doesn't mean every buffet-style Disney restaurant is worth your money. We're going to help you differentiate between the good eateries offering bottomless plates and the bad. Based on the quality of the food and the overall atmosphere, here are the best and worst all-you-can-eat restaurants at Disney World.

Hidden inside the Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge is a uniquely themed restaurant offering all-you-care-to-enjoy breakfast and dinner that many loyal Disney fans claim are the best buffets the mouse has to offer. At Boma – Flavors of Africa, you'll get your lion's share of delicious food with menus offering a hybrid of beloved American favorites and must-try African cuisine.

At breakfast time you can pair Kenyan coffee with a turkey-filled South African bobotie, or if you're craving more traditional American breakfast fare, an assortment of muffins. Treat yourself to a dinner featuring Tunisian couscous and shrimp salad (or chicken nuggets for the less adventurous), and pair it with a bottle of South African wine. Filled with a range of fresh and tasty options (though the dinner spread's mousse-zebra cakes and the breakfast buffet's French toast bread pudding are particular standouts), Boma's ambiance is all about that classic Disney magic. This perfectly on-theme restaurant was built to resemble a traditional African marketplace. Here, you'll dine alongside beautifully carved wooden elephants and lions beneath African-patterned banners.

Starting at $35 an adult and $21 a child for breakfast and $54 per adult and $32 per child for dinner as of June 2023, Boma is also one of the cheaper buffets on Disney's property. With good food, a pleasant atmosphere, and a great price, it's no wonder so many Disney fans swear by Boma's all-you-care-to-enjoy experience.

Arguably Disney World's "Most Obnoxious Restaurant," the Whispering Canyon Cafe is a Disney Wilderness Lodge eatery where family-style bottomless skillets are served up by rough-and-tough servers. This restaurant's whole shtick is to give guests an all-in-good-fun hard time. However, some fans have found that the servers tend to be more mean-spirited than light-hearted in their teasing. Aside from its wait staff's bad reputation, the bottomless skillets that make Whispering Canyon an all-you-can-eat experience are also far from appetizing.

Focusing on country favorites, Whispering Canyon offers three skillet options for breakfast and lunch, with eats like homemade buttermilk biscuits, cornbread, and brisket. As for dinner, the restaurant serves up four all-you-can-eat platters packed with ribs, buttered corn, and pork belly. Unfortunately, Whispering Canyon's food is consistently served cold. But worst of all, the eatery's beef brisket is unappetizingly chewy, and its meat dishes, in general, are known for being too tough to enjoy.

At $26 to $38 for an adult refillable skillet meal, as of June 2023, Whispering Canyon Cafe is on the lower price side of the Disney buffet lineup. However, its border-line mean servers and mediocre food and atmosphere (which features a rustic theme with cheesy cartoon cowboy motifs throughout) make it one of the worst all-you-can-eat-spots at Disney.

Located in the Norway section of the EPCOT world showcase, Akershus Royal Hall may not be a Magic Kingdom restaurant, but this medieval castle-style spot looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale. Beneath sweeping medieval arches and beautifully patterned banners, guests get to dine on never-ending family-style plates of Norwegian-inspired food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Here, Disney-goers can enjoy the like of Norwegian-style waffles, meatballs known as kjØttkake, and chicken-and-dumplings, aka Kylling og Melboller. All of these eats (as well as the menu's more familiar American food options) are high quality and full of flavor. Of course, the princesses (who are present on a rotating schedule) will also make your dining experience feel dreamlike too.

At $53 for adults and $34 for kids for breakfast, and $63 and $41 for lunch and dinner, as of June 2023, Akershus Royal Hall is one of the more costly all-you-can-eat buffet experiences at Disney. However, its great food, ambiance, and service make it a worthy stop.

As a restaurant that's been featured in the likes of PopSugar and Thrillist, 'Ohana has developed a reputation as a delicious spot to enjoy an all-you-can-eat breakfast and dinner. Located in The Polynesian Resort, 'Ohana's Lilo and Stitch character dining breakfast features American favorites with a slight Polynesian spin, like ham with pineapple and Mickey waffles. Later in the day, the menu offers Hawaiian-inspired eats for dinner, including grilled chicken with 'Ohana noodles and grilled teriyaki beef.

Since the pandemic and Disney's reopening, 'Ohana's beautiful atmosphere featuring Polynesian designs and mini Stonehenge statues may have stayed the same but its food quality has gone downhill. While this Polynesian-inspired eatery used to sell large sizzling shrimp, it's recently downsized to small fishier-tasting portions. The chicken with chimichurri sauce has also received a flavor downgrade, as the meal now piles its signature sauce on top of a single chicken thigh when it previously featured grilled white meat chicken breast.

At $45 per adult and $29 per child for breakfast and $59 and $38 respectively for dinner, as of June 2023, you'll still be paying a Disney price for this mediocre dining experience. So yeah, 'Ohana means family, and family means not letting those you love make a reservation here.

While Disney's immersive EPCOT-based Space 220 blasts guests into a future where they can enjoy food in outer space, The Magic Kingdom's Liberty Tree Tavern sends Disney lovers back into colonial times. Located in The Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square, this old-time-style eatery features colonial American decor and rooms themed after some of the U.S.'s most prominent heroes of old. In true American spirit, The Liberty Tree Tavern specializes in Thanksgiving-food favorites.

Offering unlimited family-style plates filled with Turkey Day fare for lunch and dinner, guests can sit back and savor the Patriot's Platter roasted turkey, pot roast, mashed potatoes, veggies, and macaroni and cheese, a side of cranberry and apple filled salad, and an "ooey-gooey" toffee cake dessert. While simple, The Liberty Tavern's bottomless Thanksgiving options are incredibly delicious. Even the most straightforward dishes, like mashed potatoes and green beans, are full of flavor.

This buffet-style dining experience is also one of the lowest-priced on our list. As of June 2023, you're looking at just $39 per adult and $21 per child for lunch and dinner. Enjoy unlimited plates of The Liberty Tavern's delectable menu for one of the best (and most appetizing) ways to get your money's worth at Disney World.

The Crystal Palace is a Magic Kingdom restaurant that has been the subject of a lot of controversial Disney discourse. With a decor influenced by Victorian greenhouses, The Crystal Palace has a beautiful atmosphere consisting of sweeping windows and luscious greenery. By featuring the opportunity to meet the Winnie the Pooh characters, this main street USA eatery is also brimming with Disney magic. However, the quality and selection of food at the breakfast, lunch, and dinner all-you-can-eat buffets are where this restaurant falls short.

For the first meal of the day, The Crystal Palace allows guests to get their fill of standard eats like yogurt, fresh fruit, bacon, pancakes, and cereal. For lunch and dinner, it also serves pretty straightforward entrees and sides like seasonal salads, country-fried chicken with gravy, veggies, and prime rib. Nothing about the menu is particularly interesting, and the offerings are extremely bland tasting. Some guests describe the quality of the restaurant's eats as the equivalent of overpriced cafeteria food.

Despite all of that, The Crystal Palace still comes out at $45 for adults and $29 per child for breakfast and $59 per adult and $38 per child for lunch and dinner, as of June 2023. Offering some of the worst food at Disney at a hefty price, The Crystal Palace is a buffet experience you'd be better off skipping.

At the Biergarten Restaurant, Oktoberfest never stops. Located in the Germany section of EPCOT's World Showcase (obviously), guests are granted entry into a jovial Bavarian town's Oktoberfest celebration. Featuring outdoor seating surrounded by immersive buildings that create a mini village, those who eat here are treated to live polka entertainment and an all-you-can-eat lunch and dinner buffet showcasing German cuisine.

Operating on a rotating menu, the Biergarten Restaurant's dining options typically include German sausages, sauerkraut, schnitzel, and nudel gratin. And, of course, would it really be Oktoberfest if guests couldn't order their fill of authentic must-try German beer?

Good alcohol aside, this buffet is known for serving food that is full of flavor, warm, and with some of the best variety at Disney World. With great all-you-can-eat food and energetic live entertainment for only $49 an adult and $27 a child for lunch and dinner as of June 2023, the Biergarten Restaurant is a buffet that truly has it all.

Chef Mickey's is a Contemporary Resort eatery that serves up all-you-can-eat buffets for breakfast and dinner. The character dining-focused experience allows guests to meet Mickey and his crew. Before you even sit down for your meal, a postcard signed by Disney World's central characters awaits you at your table. However, while Chef Mickey's takes special care to ensure guests get plenty of Mickey memorabilia and memories, the restaurant doesn't put a lot of effort into making delicious food.

Like Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's buffets also offer your usual American favorites. For breakfast, this restaurant puts out eggs, bacon, smoked ham, and Mickey waffles. For dinner, guests can pile strip loin, pork pernil, and orange chicken on their plates. However, the food is not a simple treat to the tastebuds. Best described as cold and tasteless, Trip Advisor reviewers have described Chef Mickey's eats as "bland" and "overpriced slop."

The restaurant's decor isn't exactly great either. Using a primary color palette featuring cartoon images of Mickey, this eatery looks very outdated — especially when compared to Disney's other dining experiences. Yet, Chef Mickey's is still as expensive as most Disney eateries, costing $45 per adult and $29 per child for breakfast and $59 and $38 respectively for dinner, as of June 2023. Between its terrible food and less-than-stellar atmosphere, something at Chef Mickey's doesn't add up.

Located inside the same pavilion as EPCOT'S Land of the Living attraction, Garden Grill is a unique character restaurant that slowly turns to reveal different miniature nature scenes as you dine. Featuring interactions with Chip and Dale, Garden Grill currently offers family-style lunch and dinner and will soon be open for all-you-care-to-eat breakfast.

The menu options are composed of American classics with a catch. As its name suggests, this restaurant is known for making its food with farm-fresh ingredients — some of which are actually grown on Disney property. That's right, when you order the family-style Chip 'N Dale Harvest Feast, which features grilled beef with chimichurri, berry-topped shortcake, and seasonal vegetables, you'll be treated to some of the freshest food Disney has to offer. While far from luxury dining, each dish is bursting with flavor, and guests can expect to enjoy wonderfully creamy mashed potatoes, decadently sweet fruit, and perfectly crisp salads.

Aside from its tasty food, a sort of well-known secret perk about Garden Grill is that it gives guests the chance to meet Chip and Dale, Pluto, and best of all, Farmer-style Mickey Mouse. At $42 per adult and $27 per child for breakfast and $55 per adult and $36 per child at lunch and dinner as of June 2023, this all-you-care-to-eat character dining option is perfect for the Mickey-loving foodie on a budget.

Offering an all-you-can-eat buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Hollywood & Vine is a character-dining destination inside Disney's star-studded Hollywood Studios. Featuring Disney Junior characters at breakfast and seasonally-dressed versions of Minnie and other members of the core crew at lunch and dinner, the fact that Disney doesn't advertise the interior of this restaurant on its official website should clue you into just how underwhelming it is. With a cafeteria-style interior featuring lackluster "Greetings from Hollywood" postcard wall art, the food at Hollywood & Vine is just as disappointing as this spot's theme.

At breakfast, the buffet consists of simple meals like waffles, eggs benedict, pastries, and brioche French toast with banana's foster sauce. For lunch and dinner, guests can get their fill of similar standard eats such as mushroom farro risotto, tenderloin steak, and Mississippi mud pie — though after trying these options once, you probably won't want to come back for seconds.

While there is nothing wrong with keeping the food simple, the cuisine at Hollywood & Vine is often cold, overcooked, and dry. This dreadful trio of adjectives led one Trip Advisor reviewer to go as far as to say Hollywood & Vine is a "1-star restaurant that's pretending to be Disney." Priced at $42 per adult and $27 per child for breakfast and $59 per adult and $38 per child for lunch and dinner, as of June 2023, Hollywood & Vine's horrible food and atmosphere are complemented by its terrible value.

Situated inside the Animal Kingdom's immersively themed Harambe Market, the Tusker House has a simply decorated yet effective atmosphere. Resembling a safari adventurer's hut, this restaurant is filled with African animals mounted on the walls and features visits from safari-ready Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Goofy at breakfast and lunch. But what makes this around-the-clock buffet such a hidden gem is its food.

Deemed one of Disney World's "best character meals" by the Disney Tourist Blog and "one of the best buffet experiences" by the Disney Food Blog, Tusker House offers uniquely flavored food by packing its menu with African eats. For breakfast, explorers can enjoy safari bread, Durban chicken, and egg curry as well as more familiar options like waffles and eggs. At lunch and dinner, guests can taste Moroccan-spiced beef and Cape Malay curry shrimp or comforting classics like mac and cheese and chicken legs.

This character dining experience serves up a great variety of piping hot food, at $45 per adult and $29 per child for breakfast and $59 per adult and $38 per child for dinner and lunch, as of June 2023. Tusker House is at the same price point as the likes of Hollywood & Vine and Chef Mickey's but offers a far greater value and experience.

Named for the beloved Ariel sidekick who insists "it's better down where it's wetter," Sebastian's Bistro is a family-style eatery that only serves dinner. Situated in Disney's Caribbean Resort, the decor resembles a simple yet beautiful glass beach house with a view of Disney's waterfront. However, a great view does not make up for Sebastian's Bistro's hit-or-miss Caribbean food.

While you won't find Caribbean fufu at this restaurant, you will be given rolls with guava butter and caramelized onion jam as a starter, a salad piled with key-lime dressing as a side, and the Taste of the Caribbean platter which features pork, chicken, and fish alongside vegetable curry and grilled veggies as your main. However, while the rolls and guava butter are consistently tasty, depending on the day, the meat on the platter can leave a lot to be desired. Aside from having a tendency to come to the table lukewarm, the chicken is sometimes overcooked and dry. Perhaps worst of all, these Caribbean spiced meats have been known to offer little to no flavor. Priced at $35 per adult and $19 per child, as of June 2023, Sebastian's Bistro may be one of the cheapest family-style options at Disney, but its inconsistent quality also makes it one of Disney's worst buffets.