Food

Ironically, the crown jewel of the Walt Disney World Resort comes up rather short when it comes to dining. While all of the other parks have at least one truly remarkable restaurant option, the Magic Kingdom [1] is notably lacking in this department. The best option is the prix fixe meals at Cinderella’s Royal Table (breakfast 8 a.m.–10:20 a.m., $31.99 adults, $21.99 children; lunch noon–3 p.m., $33.99 adults, $22.99 children; dinner 4 p.m. until 1 hour before park close, $40.99 adults, $25.99 children).

The intimate dining room feels regal, with its high cathedral-like ceilings and windows that give a bird’s-eye view of Fantasyland [2]. Breakfast is an all-you-can-eat selection of eggs, bacon, yogurt, fruit, and other morning standards, while lunch and dinner are built around things like pan-seared salmon, roast chicken, grilled pork tenderloin, and more.

As this is a character dining location, reservations are pretty much mandatory; dinner includes a souvenir photo package with a shot of you and your party in the lobby. Tableside visits from princesses and free snapshots aside, the menu here is a bit drab and quite overpriced.

There are a couple of other alternatives to the seemingly endless offerings of hamburgers, hot dogs, and turkey legs throughout the Magic Kingdom. The Liberty Tree Tavern (hours vary, main courses from $11.99) is a spacious sit-down eatery in Liberty Square [3] that, in keeping with its neighborhood’s Early America theme, offers fare ranging from clam chowder and roast turkey to pot roast, along with a few surprises like a vegetarian noodle bowl, “William Penn Chicken Pasta,” and a surprisingly healthful kids menu. It’s usually pretty easy to get a table.

Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station (hours vary, main courses from $6.99) is a counter-service open-air dining option sitting on the boundary of Main Street, U.S.A. [4], and Tomorrowland [5]. Noodle bowls are the centerpiece of the menu, along with a selection of Asian-inspired vegetarian dishes and, uh, chicken nuggets.