Leave the Magic Kingdom to Eat at These Quick Service Restaurants at Nearby Resorts

The quick service restaurant options in the Magic Kingdom are quite frankly the most bland food options at Walt Disney World. Yes, there are a couple of good options where we end up eating again and again when in that park but even these pale in comparison to the theme park with the best quick service at Disney World.

There are plenty of scenarios where I eat at Magic Kingdom because it was in the middle of touring the park or if I was breaking our own Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party advice and eating during a party. However, there are some far better options just outside the theme park.

Here I'm going to dive into three great quick-service restaurants you are missing out on right now and provide a couple more beyond that at a high level at the bottom of the page. Two are on mobile order and the last once is a hidden gem that I enjoyed twice during a recent trip that you could completely miss.

Gasparilla Island Grill at Disney's Grand Floridian

A short boat ride or walk away (the monorail goes in the opposite direction) from the Magic Kingdom, is an easy quick service spot at Disney's Grand Floridian. Take the boat here and then the monorail back one stop.

The Gasparilla Island Grill offers a great set of options that are available on Mobile Order or to pick up in person. When I was staying at Disney's Grand Floridian I enjoyed the same sandwich twice here – you'll notice repeating food items is a theme in this article. The Blackened Chicken Sandwich was perfect sustenance when we first arrived and then in the middle of a long day where we were up early and going to be out late. When I just checked that sandwich was not on the menu, here's hoping it returns by the next time we're back.

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I also enjoyed the flatbread. There are a couple of different options for flatbreads.

There is seating for the restaurant inside or at the tables along the outside of the restaurant. The salads here also look very good and their baked goods are very popular. The trip that we ate here most was in the spring and the weather wasn't too bad so we enjoyed sitting outside.

Captain Cook's at Polynesian Resort

Hop on the monorail or take a boat from Magic Kingdom to this quick service restaurant that serves a similar role to Gasparilla Island Grill at this resort. This slightly tropical option has a couple of different solid menu options. Some take on the tropical theme of the resort and others are classics like hamburgers and chicken strips. There are also a couple of different flatbread options here.

You'll find these options on mobile order. I tried the more tropical options when I ate here.

The mainstay tropical option are the Thai Coconut Meatballs that come with white rice. The dish overall is a little bit heavy with a mix of coconut cream and meatballs. This wasn't my favorite dish for lunch, but the flavor was great. I liked the Pan Asian Noodles and Vegetables more seen here on the left.

I also like the outdoor dining here to stop and enjoy the food when the weather is cooperating. Otherwise it's great that there is air conditioned seating options.

Right around the corner you can find Dole Whips at the Pineapple Lanai.

The Sand Bar at Contemporary Resort

This last option is actually my favorite and the one that is slightly different from the others listed. Rather than heading to Contemporary Cafe which has similar fan-favorite fare and is located in the lobby of the hotel, let's go outside to The Sand Bar. Here you'll find delicious entrees at surprisingly low prices for Disney World and frankly the world in general. No mobile order here!

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During my recent stay at the Contemporary Resort, I actually ate here two different times out of convenience and because it tasted so good. Both times I had the Chicken Pita which was $8.79 when I ate there and in the past couple of months went up to cost a whopping $9.49 (a casualty of a recent round of Disney World price increases). This plate comes with as huge chicken pita sandwich and delicious french fries. The ingredients in the pita sandwich were fresh and delicious.

At the other two locations, I wrote about how I enjoyed my outdoor dining and skipped the indoor spaces with air conditioning at the restaurants. At this spot, I was wishing for some indoor dining. One day it was nearly 100 degrees and another day it was pouring rain but I still ate outside. You have to appreciate my dedication to get this chicken pita. Both times I was starving and just dove in sitting in the elements.

If you go, also please say hello to Cast Member Ruth who was the prep cook that got me my food both days. A wonderful smile and very special to see the same person multiple times helping.

Finding Quick Service Food at Other Resorts

Generally, I recommend that you get out of the theme parks when looking for quick-service foods. It fits well within a plan to park hop at Disney World.

In almost every case, excluding Animal Kingdom, the food at the resorts is far better and less expensive than the quick service food in the theme parks. Here are a few of our other favorites that we'll have to dive into more fully in a future article.

• Primo Piatto at Disney's Riviera Resort – great sandwiches and salads like the Tuna Nicoise Salad seen above, easy to enjoy when coming from Disney's Hollywood Studios or EPCOT on the Skyliner
• Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory at Port Orleans French Quarter – Creole and Southern cuisine at this hidden gem resort
• El Mercado at Disney's Coronado Resort Tower – very good Chipotle-style Mexican food bowl
• The Maya at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge – very good flatbreads, not necessarily worth a trip here directly but if you are staying at this resort use it for one of your meals

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