Some of Walt Disney World’s most expensive restaurants are also some of the park’s most hyped up dining experiences. Whether it’s dining in Cinderella Castle, enjoying an energetic dinner show at a fan favorite resort, or traveling to space, these experiences draw massive demand for guests.
Reservations for these restaurants often disappear in minutes despite their high price tags, with most of these meals averaging around $80 per person, before tax and gratuities. We’re taking a closer look at whether these dining experiences are worth their expensive price tag or if the hype outweighs the value. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including Disney restaurant workers calling on Disney to avoid new business with a particular group and the permanent closure of an opening day area in Universal.
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Disney World’s Most Expensive Dining Experiences
Walt Disney World has an abundance of dining options, but some come with a pretty steep price tag, especially for the most popular theme park experiences. We took a look at the most popular experiences in the theme parks, plus one notable dinner experience nearby, that are hyped up the most as must-do dining at Disney World.
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While these are not technically the most expensive meals at Disney World, that title belongs to Victoria & Albert’s with its $295 per person price tag, they are some of the most hyped dining experiences that still come with a major cost. We focused on the expensive meals that families are actually most likely debating whether or not to book, rather than only the ultra high-end signature dining options, even though Disney has plenty of those.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
If you want to enter Cinderella Castle, the only way is to dine at Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom. This is one of the most popular dining locations at Walt Disney World with a price tag to match. There are usually two main reasons people are interested in trying Cinderella’s Royal Table: to dine inside of Cinderella’s castle and to meet Disney princesses. This is considered one of the most popular character dining experiences at Disney World.
The food at Cinderella’s Royal Table is considered a higher-level dining experience, but the food quality is not nearly on the same level as some of the Disney resort hotel fine dining experiences. The price tag here is truly for the castle and Disney Princess experience. The pricing for Cinderella’s Royal Table is $89 per adult and $54 per child ages 3-9 for lunch and dinner, with breakfast costing $76 per adult and $47 per child. You also must pay in advance at the time you make your reservation.
The kids’ menu is a bit more elevated than other dining experiences at Disney World, so if you have picky eaters, then you’d better be ready to stomach high prices for food your group may not enjoy. If your group is not picky, then you will enjoy the food. It’s far better than other food options in Magic Kingdom.
Is Cinderella’s Royal Table worth the price? For many, seeing the inside of the castle makes the price worth it, but once you do it once, you typically don’t repeat it. This is very much a one-and-done experience. So if you are planning that once-in-a-lifetime Disney World trip, this experience is worth it if you care about meeting Disney Princesses and dining inside the castle. You just can’t beat the duality of those two experiences!
Be Our Guest
Cinderella’s Royal Table isn’t the only opportunity to dine in a castle at Magic Kingdom! Be Our Guest is the other comparable castle dining experience that is known for its hard-to-secure dining availability and Beauty & the Beast-focused experience. Unlike Cinderella’s Royal Table, the only character you will meet is the Beast during your meal, but this might make it worth it alone for some guests since this is a rare character to find.
This is another experience that is more about the immersive setting since the restaurant is themed to the castle in Beauty & the Beast. There are three different rooms to be seated in: the Grand Ballroom with snow-laced windows, the Beast’s mysterious West Wing study, and the Castle Gallery inspired by the romance of Belle’s private library. The theming of this castle dining experience might be even better than the one at Cinderella’s Royal Table.
The food here is French-inspired with a pre fix menu offering lunch and dinner for $72 per adult and $43 per child. This is a high price tag like Cinderella’s Royal Table, but it does not require you to pay at the time of booking. The key part of this experience is the immersive Beauty & the Beast castle setting, and it isn’t technically treated as a character dining, even though you do get to meet the Beast.
Fans of this film might feel this dining experience is worth it, but aside from that, the French-inspired food here is average at best, and those looking for stronger French-inspired dishes would be better off dining in EPCOT. Similar to Cinderella’s Royal Table, this is often a one-and-done experience for many. If you care about character dining and a castle experience, you’re better off going with Cinderella’s Royal Table. If you’re more interested in the setting and not the characters, then Be Our Guest is the better pick.
Space 220 Restaurant
Space 220 in EPCOT is an upscale, immersive restaurant in EPCOT that simulates the experience of dining 220 miles above Earth. Guests begin their journey with a ride on the “Stellarvator” to the Centauri Space Station for changing views of Earth as they dine on a modern American prix-fix meal. The immersion of this restaurant is top-notch and one of the biggest selling points of the experience.
Space 220 is one of the most expensive dining experiences in EPCOT, although it still costs less than premium experiences like Takumi-Tei and Monsieur Paul, which can exceed $200 per person. Space 220 is more on the average family’s bucket list for dining experiences at EPCOT, and because of that, it is one of the hardest dining reservations to secure in the park. Space 220 is priced at $55 for adult lunch and $29 for children, while dinner costs $79 for adults and $35 for children. The food at this experience is targeted more for adults and focuses on adventurous food palettes.
This experience might be worth it for those wanting to experience the Space 220 restaurant, but this is a high price tag. For those on the fence, the lunch option might be a better choice. There is also the option of trying to secure a reservation for the lounge only, which avoids the pre-fix menu, but those reservations are very, very hard to secure. Aside from those two workarounds to avoid the higher dinner pre-fix menu cost, we overall find this experience not to be worth the cost. You can read more about our dining experience at Space 220 from its initial opening here.
Roundup Rodeo BBQ
Roundup Rodeo BBQ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a fun family-style BBQ restaurant that gives guests the experience of being a toy in Andy’s Room from the popular Toy Story franchise. Family-style means that the table gets all-you-can-eat options of food, served on large plates that guests can share.
This is another pre-fix menu restaurant costing $79 per adult and $28 per child. The quantity of food you get at this restaurant compared to the others is far greater, making these prices much more worth it. This is also a great option for families as many of the food options include kid-friendly options aside from the BBQ, like corn on the cob, baked beans, rolls, mac and cheese, and tater tots. You can ask for as much as you want!
Not only is the food quantity and quality great, but the atmosphere of this restaurant is so fun. You are a toy in Andy’s room, and occasionally, you’ll get to participate in an “Andy’s coming!” experience with all of the staff freezing for a few moments. This restaurant is worth the cost, both for the setting and the quantity of food you receive. This is a filling meal that offers a great Disney-focused immersive atmosphere that is more unique than a typical character dining. Read more about Roundup Rodeo BBQ in our review plus learn about this immersive atmosphere.
Tiffins Restaurant
Tiffins Restaurant at Animal Kingdom is designed to feel like a global tribute to travel and exploration. This restaurant is upscale without feeling too formal and blends storytelling with high-end cuisine. Tiffins Restaurant is divided into themed dining rooms inspired by areas of Africa, Asia, and South America. Each space includes artifacts and sketches from the travels of Disney Imagineering when they researched areas of the world during the planning of Animal Kingdom.
This restaurant, unlike the others from Walt Disney World on this list, does not offer a pre-fix menu. Instead, guests can select from appetizers like Pork Belly Bao Buns, Gobi Manchurian, or signature bread service with main courses featuring Grilled Beef Tenderloin or Regional Curry Tasting. Main courses range from $38 to $59, making this a higher-priced restaurant that may exceed the pre-fix menu prices of other costly options when you add appetizers and drinks.
The food quality at Tiffins Restaurant is superb, making this one of our best-rated Disney World restaurants. The food and atmosphere of this restaurant are fantastic, and it is considered the best restaurant at Animal Kingdom. However, the price tag is steep because it’s a more elevated dining experience. We feel it’s worth the cost, but for guests looking to experience the high-quality food at a lower cost, the Nomad Lounge attached to the restaurant is a great alternative. Read more about Nomad Lounge and why it’s one of our favorites.
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort is one experience from the Disney World resort restaurants we had to include on this list because of its popularity. This is more than just a restaurant. It’s an interactive show experience with traditional American comfort food served family style, dating back to 1974. Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue features an outstanding dinner show filled with energy and the perfect amount of corny humor with singing, clapping, and foot stomping.
The show also includes audience participation, with guests sitting closer to the stage having the chance of being selected as part of the show. The price for this dinner experience depends on where you sit, ranging from $78 to $70 for adults and $40 to $45 for children.
The food arrives at your table, served in metal buckets as a family-style dining experience in unlimited quantities. The main entrée and sides include barbecued ribs, fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, cowboy beans, mashed potatoes, Hoop Salad, slaw, and house-made cornbread. The strawberry shortcake is always a hit for dessert!
You are definitely getting your money’s worth with the quantity of food and the high-energy dinner show experience. We definitely feel the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is worth the cost and the time to head over to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort to catch the show.
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Ultimately, whether Disney World’s most expensive restaurants are worth the cost depends on what you’re looking to get out of the experience. For some guests, the elevated menus and detailed theming justify the higher price tag. For others, the value may be hard to justify when compared to the plentiful, affordable dining options available in the theme parks.
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