Disney Springs Restaurants

Disney Springs restaurants offers a wide variety of snack stands, bars, and nightclubs to satisfy families looking for fun, young adults looking for a night on the town, and couples looking for a romantic evening on the waterfront.

Most of these restaurants are independently owned and operated, and offer a nice change of pace if you’re “Disneyed out” with park and resort food. You can find anything here from a quick snack to a four course meal, with flavors from around the world!

Fulton’s Crab House

Photo by Mike Billick

Disney Springs is a great place for shopping and entertainment at Walt Disney World, and whether you visit during the day or night, you can find some top-notch restaurants and dining experiences that differ from what you may find in the parks and resorts.

Dad’s Disney World Restaurants page

Photo by wbeem

West Side

The West Side is Disney Springs’s major entertainment center. With live bands at House of Blues and Bongos, DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park, La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil, AMC Theaters, and (soon) Splitsville, you’re bound to work up an appetite. Why not grab a bite at one of these Disney Springs Restaurants:

• Bongos Cuban Café: known for it’s enormous pineapple facade, this is your destination for Cuban cuisine and latin music in a Havana nightclub setting – all from the creative mind of singer Gloria Estefan!
• Fork and Screen at AMC Theaters: sure, you can get movie snacks at any AMC theatre, but that’s not enough to make it on this list. But AMC at Disney Springs has now introduced Fork and Screen theaters, where you can combine dinner (or lunch) and a movie for one delicious entertainment experience. Dishes like pizzettes, chicken tenders, burgers, quesadillas, sandwiches, salads, and more can be found on the menu here. Don’t worry, you can order popcorn and Milk Duds here too!
• Forty Thirst Street by Joffrey’s: stop in for specialty coffees and more to fuel up a night of entertainment!
• House of Blues Restaurant: live musicians perform day and night in a night club setting, while guests enjoy classic southern cooking like shrimp and grits, street tacos, cornbread, and pulled pork. There’s even an all-you-can-eat Sunday Gospel Brunch if you like your southern food served with a side of America’s best gospel music!
• Italian Ice Stand: grab a fruity Italian ice or churro to go at this kiosk.
• Wetzels Pretzels and Haagan Dazs: stop in to grab a famous pretzel or ice cream to go!
• Wolfgang Puck Café: choose a sandwich, salad, or flatbread in the casual café downstairs, or opt for an elegant (and pricey) meal of Asian-Californian fusion with indulgent desserts in the upstairs Dining Room at Wolfgang Puck Café.
• Wonderland Café: just like Foodquest, this location is only available to DisneyQuest guests, but for those gamers with a sweet tooth it’s the perfect place to find candy, cupcakes, ice cream, cakes and smoothies to help you power up for a night of videogame fun!

Photo by Christian Lambert

Pleasure Island

In recent years, Pleasure Island at Disney Springs has been undergoing some serious renovations to convert it from an adults-only nightclub destination to a family friendly waterfront with specialty shopping and dining options. Check out one of Pleasure Island’s Disney Springs Restaurants:

• Adventurer’s Hut: salty snacks, sweet confections, and cold sodas are on he menu at this kiosk.
• The BOATHOUSE – this brand new restaurant is just cool. It’s got great food and a unique nautical atmosphere and Amphicars right next door. A really interesting experience.
• Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC – yummy, vegan, gluten free and just all kinds of goodies are available at the new, NYC bakery.
• Fulton’s Crab House: one of the most unique dining locations in Disney Springs, Fulton’s Crab House is a restaurant in a riverboat docked along the waterfront. With fresh seafood flown in daily, it can’t be beat for selection and locale!
• Paradiso 37: celebrating the foods of North, Central, and South America, this waterfront restaurant and tequila bar features live music and dishes such as corn dogs, conch salad, mahi mahi sliders, ceviche, and queso.
• Planet Hollywood: the world famous movie star memorabilia restaurant is one of the most recognizable destinations in Disney Springs – just look for the Planet! Enjoy sandwiches, burgers, steaks, and American classic appetizers and entrees.
• Portobello: one of the more pricey table service locations, this casual yet elegant Italian restaurant overlooks Lake Buena Vista Lagoon. The menu includes fresh breads, imported prosciutto and cheeses, fresh pasta, wood over pizzas, grilled meats, and fine wines.
• Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant: one of the more rowdy dining options at Disney Springs, the spirited pub atmosphere and live music keep guests entertained while they dine on Irish inspired seafood, shepherd’s pie, and braised meats.

Photo by Photomatt28

Marketplace

The Marketplace at Disney Springs is a calm and spacious destination for families. With lots of Disney-owned stores and specialty shopping, during certain times of the year you can also find free outdoor concerts and performances or festivals along the waterfront. It’s the most family-friendly area of Disney Springs. If you’re looking for dining options in the Marketplace, consider on of these Disney Springs Restaurants:

• Bodie’s All-American: housed in the same building as Pollo Camparo, this quick service location features burgers, hot dogs, sausages, and salads along with a variety of gluten free, low sodium, and vegetarian fare. They also feature gluten free, dairy free, egg free, vegan desserts from Babycakes NYC.
• Cap ‘n Jack’s Restaurant: no, this table service restaurant wasn’t inspired by Captain Jack Sparrow, but it does feature seafood and American favorites with an unbeatable view of the Buena Vista Lagoon.
• Earl of Sandwich: part of the ever growing and hugely successful chain that started right here in Florida at Disney Springs, this might be the best bang for your buck in terms of a tasty, satisfying, and fresh meal at Disney Springs. With sandwiches, wraps, and salads made fresh to order, along with soup, salads, and desserts to go, you can’t go wrong. They also do breakfast for those early risers!
• Forty Thirst Street by Joffrey’s: stop in for specialty coffees and more to fuel up for a shopping spree!
• Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop: part retail location, part dining venue, this is the best place at Disney Springs to stop in for a decadent treat. From world famous sundaes to signature hot chocolates, chocolate lovers will be delighted by the menu at this ice cream parlor.
• Italian Ice Stand: grab a fruity Italian ice or churro to go at this kiosk.
• Marketplace Snacks: when a quick fix is all you need, grab a gourmet hot dog, popcorn, lemonade slush, or soda at this waterfront stand.
• Pollo Camparo: housed in the same building as Bodie’s All-American, this quick service location features grilled and fried Latin style chicken with fries, slaw plantains, rice, beans, and chips with fresh salsa.
• Rainforest Café: one of two locations for the popular chain at Walt Disney World (the other is at Disney’s Animal Kingdom), expect jungle themed names to accompany your burgers, sandwiches, pastas, salads and desserts. The food is fine but the real reason to come here is the jungle atmosphere – with animatronic and live animals, simulated special effect rainstorms, and lush vegetation all around you, this is the perfect spot to dine with any animal lover in your family. It’s also a great option for a special meal if your child is afraid of characters.
• T-REX, A Prehistoric Family Adventure: from the creators of Rainforest Café, this restaurant is all about the atmosphere. Dine among the dinosaurs as geysers erupt, snow falls, and flames fly! The fare here is pretty standard, but your meal comes with built in entertainment and education – kids can check out the Paleo Zone interactive experience to learn more about these ancient creatures. Perfect for little boys and girls who love dinos!
• Wolfgang Puck Express: a casual restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner featuring signature Wolfgang Puck dishes as affordable prices.

Hours

Finding the hours to each of the restaurant can be a bit tricky. But for the most part they open and close the same time every day. Find out for yourself.

Dad’s Disney Springs Hours page

Transportation

Getting to one of the Disney Springs Restaurants is pretty easy. You can drive and park for free, or take a Luxury Motor Coach from any of the Walt Disney World Resorts (except Port Orleans Resort, Old Key West Resort, and Saratoga Springs Resort – you can take a boat from those resort hotels). Buses and Boast each have drop off points on the West Side and at the Marketplace.

Dad’s Disney World Transportation page

Disney Dining Plan

Some of the Disney Springs Restaurants take Disney Dining Plan credits, but many don’t. Quick Service meals and snacks from Disney owned and operated venues (such as Candy Cauldron) are the most likely places you’ll find to use those points.

Always be on the safe side and consult the most recent Disney Dining Plan brochure before you sit down to a meal at Disney Springs if the points matter to you. Since many of the Disney Springs Restaurants aren’t Disney owned, the rules are a little up in the air.

Dad’s Disney Dining Plan Page

Advanced Dining Reservations

While the Disney Springs Restaurants are typically easier to secured reservations at than popular park and hotel restaurants like Cinderella’s Table and ‘Ohana, reservations for the table service menus are definitely recommended. On weekends, Disney Springs draws a lot of local crowds so reservations may be more of an issue Friday through Sunday, and on holidays and at peak seasons of course.

Dad’s Advanced Dining Reservations Page

Dad’s Bottom Line

Disney Springs is a great entertainment district when you’re looking for something a little different from what the parks and resorts offer, and the food is great! Next time you visit Walt Disney World, plan to have a meal or two at one of the Disney Springs Restaurants and see for yourself!

Let Dad know your favorite Disney Springs Restaurants in the comments below!