Best Disney World Monorail Restaurants- We’ve Tried Them All!

Do you know about all of these great restaurant options along the Disney World Monorail route? The Disney World Monorail is one of the most heavily used monorail systems in the world. Serving as a connection between 3 of Disney World's most popular hotels and 2 of its most popular theme parks, the Monorail is a vital mode of transportation for guests.

However, the Monorail is more than just transportation between hotels. It gives more guests access to many of the amenities these hotels offer, including their lounges, stores, and restaurants. All three hotels boast high quality restaurants – many of which we highly recommend. But which ones rank the highest?

Read on for our top list of restaurants along the Walt Disney World Monorail route.

Which Hotels are Along the Monorail Route?

The Walt Disney World Monorail has stations at three different Disney World resorts. The hotels along the Monorail Route are convenient resort options because of two reasons.

First, they give direct access to Magic Kingdom. Especially knowing how long it can take to travel to Magic Kingdom from any other resort or hotel, having direct access through the Disney World Monorail makes these three resorts extremely valuable. The three Disney World resort hotels along the Monorail Route are Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

The second reason for these hotels' convenience is their direct access to each other. The Monorail gives you direct access to three of the most popular Disney World resort hotels and their distinct theming, shops, restaurants, and lounges. You then have the ability to explore the different lobbies and wander the hotel grounds.

In other words, you get to explore areas of Disney World that are much different from the theme parks, but are just as exciting.

For those who like to enjoy an adult beverage, you also get direct access to the different bars and lounges at each of these hotels. With some of these hotels containing several bar and lounge options, you have plenty of options to “bar hop”! The three hotels along the Monorail route are great choices that can truly elevate your Disney World experience.

Capt. Cook's

Location: Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Capt. Cook's offers the best quality food of all quick service restaurants along the Monorail route.

Located a short stroll from the lobby of the Polynesian Resort, Capt. Cook's offers up unique island-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. A fan-favorite is the tonga toast for breakfast. And for lunch and dinner, I personally love the pan-Asian noodles and vegetables. And like any other quick service resort restaurant, you can choose from a variety of grab-and-go snacks, drinks, pastries, and ice cream.

For a casual restaurant with more affordable meal options, Capt. Cook's theming fits really well with the hotel lobby's theme. The restaurant has distinct island-inspired vibes with posters representing different Polynesian islands across the walls.

Admittedly, indoor seating in Capt. Cook's is limited. And during peak meal times, it gets extremely busy. My personal recommendation: always mobile order from here and plan to take your meal to-go. You can also look for seating outdoors.

Regardless, Capt. Cook's is certainly worth a visit – especially if you want food before visitng Trader Sam's Grog Grotto next door.

Kona Cafe

Location: Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Overshadowed by the popular ‘Ohana (which didn't make this list, by the way), Kona Cafe is a gem hidden in plain sight.

With its open concept, you can see the entire restaurant as you walk along the second floor of the Polynesian Resort. But more importantly, from the inside, you can see the beauty of the resort's lobby while dining. It gives the feeling of an outdoor restaurant overlooking the beautiful tropical mountains of Hawaii.

Offering Asian and American-influenced cuisine for dinner, Kona Cafe has a number of sushi and poke' bowls on its menu, all of which are worth trying. It also offers several entrées, burgers, and sandwiches – a favorite of ours is the big kahuna burger. And we can't leave out the great breakfast options – the loco moco and the macadamia nut pancakes are our favorites from this list.

Could Kona Cafe be better than ‘Ohana? Dare I say, it might just be.

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Steakhouse 71

Location: Disney's Contemporary Resort

Although it offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Steakhouse 71 serves one of the best table service lunch menus at Disney World.

Although the Steakhouse 71 lounge is my personal go-to when taking friends out for an adult beverage, the restaurant is certainly worth visiting. Inspired by the 1970s (hence “71,” the year Disney World opened), Steakhouse 71 sports a retro vibe with concept art and construction photos of Disney World surrounding you as you dine.

For lunch, Steakhouse 71 doesn't mess around. The stack burger may be one of the best burgers on Disney World property. However, the gourmet grilled cheese is also one of my favorite “guilty-pleasure” foods – ever.

Don't get me wrong, though – both the breakfast and dinner menus are also worth trying. The dinner menu especially, since it offers high-quality cuts of steak.

Steakhouse 71 certainly offers the best lunch menu along the Monorail route.

Narcoossee's

Location: Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

There's a good reason Narcoossee's ranks as one of the most romantic restaurants at Disney World.

Tucked away at the back of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the menu alone makes Narcoossee's worth visiting again and again. When dining here with friends, I always recommend the lobster bisque and the roasted vegetable paella (you can enhance it with your choice of seafood). And the seafood simply cannot be glossed over – it's some of the best seafood you'll find on Disney World property.

Step inside Narcoossee's, enjoy its subtle-but-elegant beach theming, and immerse yourself in the wonderful food – and drink – options here.

I also can't fail to mention that here, you'll get one of the best views of the Electrical Water Pageant along Seven Seas Lagoon the fireworks at Magic Kingdom.

California Grill

Location: Disney's Contemporary Resort

Another restaurant that ranks high in our list of the most romantic restaurants at Disney World, California Grill takes you to the top of the Contemporary Resort.

Giving you beautiful views of Magic Kingdom and the rest of Disney World along with elegant but cozy theming. With a sophisticated and upscale atmosphere, you're inclined to make a reservation here for special occasions.

And with its pre-fixe menu, you'll get to choose from 1 appetizer, 1 entrée, and 1 dessert. Although the selection is limited, the sushi rolls here are great options. You also cannot go wrong with the cast iron-grilled pork tenderloin.

Whatever you do, make sure to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from one of its two private balconies.

1900 Park Fare

Location: Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

1900 Park Fare quickly climbed up the ranks of character dining at Disney World.

Its design offers a mellow and upscale feel, giving you a sense of calm amidst what could be a chaotic environment with characters roaming around. And while it's upscale, it also maintains the Disney theming with its character portraits lining the walls around you.

And on top of being able to meet Aladdin, Cinderella, Mirabel, and Princess Tiana, you get to dine on high-quality food for both breakfast and dinner. For dinner, you can choose from a curry-roasted chicken, baked salmon with saffron-lemon butter, roasted garlic sausage, and more. For breakfast, you can choose from the bread pudding with vanilla créme anglaise, Grand Floridian strawberry soup, cinnamon pull-apart bread, and more.

1900 Park Fare is absolutely worth your visit.

Victoria & Albert's

Location: Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

I saved Disney World's first-ever Michelin Star restaurant for last.

Another signature dining restaurant at the Grand Floridian, Victoria & Albert's also received the AAA Five Diamond Award, the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star, the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence, and the Florida Trend Golden Spoon Hall of Fame – American Regional.

In other words, Victoria & Albert's is kind of a big deal.

It offers an incredible dining experience with an upscale atmosphere and menu crafted with quality ingredients from around the world. And with an impressive wine list of over 500 options, you'll need to make time to truly enjoy this several-hour dining experience.

Victoria & Albert's offers a dining experience everyone must do at least once in their lives.

Where Should You go First?

Even from this condensed list of restaurants, recommending where to go first is a challenge.

Not because it's hard to say which one is the outright best of the rest. But because each restaurant caters to different preferences. I can't simply tell you to go to Victoria and Albert's first because it's the most fancy restaurant of them all.

However, if you're looking for a “once-in-a-lifetime” dining experience to celebrate a milestone, Victoria and Albert's is a wonderful place to do it. From start to finish, you will not be disappointed. More than that, you'll make unforgettable memories with your companions. I can tell you right now that my next reservation here will be for a 5-year anniversary with my wife.

If you're looking for a fancy restaurant but on a slightly friendlier budget, California Grill, Narcoossee's, and Steakhouse 71 are all great choices. Both California Grill and Narcoossee's offer unique but fantastic views of Disney World. And having been to all 3 restaurants, I can tell you that they all serve up incredible menu items that are difficult to compare with each other.

Between the 3 though, I must confess that my personal favorite is Narcoossee's. Its elegant but subdued theming makes it welcoming to all guests. Its menu is one of my favorites on property (I can't talk enough about that lobster bisque!). And the waterfront views of Magic Kingdom and the nighttime fireworks is just hard to beat.

Of course, 1900 Park Fare is back on the radar for top-ranking character dining restaurants. And Kona Cafe will always be a “sleeper” restaurant next to its popular big brother ‘Ohana.

But if you're looking for great quick-service dining, look no further than Capt. Cook's. Although it gets very busy, I have yet to be disappointed by their food.

Now, where will I go next? Kona Cafe for breakfast, Capt. Cook's for a quick lunch, and Narcoossee's for dinner.

Knowing this, where will you go next?

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