One of the few things the Mouse doesn’t do too well is haute cuisine. For a truly good or healthy meal, get a hand stamp and go outside the park. But if you’re stuck inside and you absolutely need sustenance, you can get it.
The best areas of the park to grab a bite are Main Street, New Orleans, and Frontierland—they offer the most variety in concessions—but you can find at least a snack almost anywhere in the park.
For a sit-down restaurant meal inside the park, make reservations in advance for a table at the Blue Bayou Restaurant (New Orleans Square, 714/781-3463, $20–30). The best part about this restaurant is its setting in the dimly lit swamp overlooking the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Appropriately, the Bayou has a reputation for being haunted.
The Cajun-ish cuisine matches the jungle-like setting, though if you’re looking for authenticity you’d do better looking elsewhere. You will get large portions, and tasty sweet desserts make a fine finish to your meal. Watch your silverware, though—the alleged ghosts in this restaurant like to mess around with diners’ tableware.
If you need to grab a quicker bite, don’t do it at the French Market restaurant in the New Orleans area. It sells what appears to be day-old (or more) food from the Bayou that’s been sitting under heat lamps for a good long time. You’re better off finding one of the McDonalds Fries carts and getting some greasy food that at least tastes good.