Best Quick Service Restaurants at the Disney World Resorts

Trying to find the best quick service restaurants at Disney World can be a daunting task. There are so many restaurants. It’s tough to decide which ones are the best.

This article will look at the best quick service restaurants at the Disney World Resorts. Once we’re finished, you’ll know where to grab a quick service meal if you’re out doing a little resort-hopping during your vacation.

This article was updated on February 11, 2022.

Best Disney Resort Quick Service Restaurants

Here is our list of the best quick service restaurants at the Disney World Resorts.

#10 El Mercado de Coronado
#9 Siesta Cantina
#8 Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory
#7 Roaring Fork
#6 Hurricane Hanna’s
#5 Gasparilla Island Grill
#4 Contempo Cafe
#3 Captain Cook’s
#2 The Mara
#1 Primo Piatto

#10 El Mercado de Coronado

El Mercado de Coronado comes in as our #10 spot for best quick service at Disney World. El Mercado, formerly known as Pepper Market, is the food court at Coronado Springs Resort.

Usually, I’m not a fan of these mass dining venues. However, there is usually a nice variety of menu items to choose from at El Mercado.

Related: Coronado Springs Resort Review

This resort quick service offers various cuisines, including American, Italian, and Mexican food. Additionally, the dessert case is full of scrumptious goodies.

Have picky eaters? El Mercado has an array of menu items. You’ll find anything from burgers and chicken fingers to nachos and even rotisserie items.

Additionally, there’s a large indoor dining area beyond the food court.

However, if the temperature is right, you might consider enjoying a meal outside. You’ll find plenty of tables with chairs in a separate outdoor seating area. Having a quick service meal outside might feel a little upscale with the surrounding view.

Coronado Springs is a lovely resort with a plethora of dining options. There’s a reason we consider it our top choice for the Disney moderate resorts.

#9 Siestas Cantina

We aren’t traveling far for our #9 choice for the best resort quick service at Disney World. Siestas Cantina serves as the pool bar and quick service for Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.

Siestas is located out at The Dig Site, the large pool and recreation area for Disney’s Coronado Springs. This location offers a unique menu and has a kitchen on site.

I’ve enjoyed the fish tacos here on several occasions. Additionally, I love that they have several healthy menu options that you won’t find just anywhere else.

Plus, you can’t beat having a meal out by the pool. So if you are staying at Coronado Springs for your vacation, don’t miss the opportunity to pick up a meal at Siestas.

#8 Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory

Our next choice for best quick service is Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory. This restaurant is located at Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort.

You can expect Creole cuisines like Jambalaya and shrimp with grits, along with casual American food.

Below is the beignet cheeseburger that I enjoyed on a previous visit. And it was knock-your-socks-off good! This burger is something I hope to enjoy again. Unfortunately, it wasn’t available on a recent visit.

But even if it doesn’t return, I can assure you there are plenty of other options that make a counter service meal here worth your time.

While you are visiting, make sure to take a casual stroll along the waterway. You might even run into a horse-drawn carriage or two. And there’s a water taxi to Disney Springs right out back if you’d like to make the trip over.

#7 Roaring Fork

Rare is the day we spend a week on Disney property without visiting the Wilderness Lodge. And while there are so many good dining options at the resort, sometimes you need something quick. If that’s the case, Roaring Fork will do just fine.

Roaring Fork makes our best quick service restaurants list due to location and variety. Expect burgers, sandwiches, salads, and more when you order a meal here.

Hopefully, the pastry and dessert cases are fully stocked too! Below is one of those irresistible treats I pick up often at Roaring Fork, the Magic Bar.

And make sure to check out whatever specialty cupcake they are offering here as well. The campfire cupcake in the background above is an excellent option.

If there’s nothing on the menu at this quick service that strikes your fancy, you can try Geyser Point Bar and Grill out behind the pool. It’s not a counter service, but they do take walk-ups. Plus, the dining experience is relaxed with prices similar to a quick service.

#6 Hurricane Hanna’s

Hurricane Hanna’s is an excellent quick service dining location when you’re touring the Crescent Lake area. This quick service usually has chicken fingers, burgers, and other popular items.

And don’t forget to ask if there are any secret menu items available. You never can tell at Disney.

Related: Hurricane Hanna’s Review

We recently had lunch here one day when we rented a cabana at Disney’s Beach Club. Below is a photo of the menu.

I had the grilled chicken sandwich with a side of fries. This turned out to be an admirable option considering we were having a casual lunch by the pool. I would order it again.

And if you’re spending the day at Stormalong Bay, your kids will probably want a shovel and pail to play in the sand. If so, make sure to order a kids’ meal.

The kids’ meals come in a pail that has a shovel attached. It’s the perfect win-win for a meal and much-needed pool accessory.

For those who aren’t staying at Disney’s Beach Club, you can still grab a bit to eat at Hurricane Hanna’s. There’s a separate outdoor seating area for guests passing through.

Related: Disney’s Beach Club Review

As much as I’d love to stay at the Beach Club for a while, it’s time to move over to the Magic Kingdom Resorts for our next several best quick service options.

#5 Gasparilla Island Grill

Gasparilla Island Grill comes in as #5 on our list of best quick services at the Disney Resorts. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have considered adding this restaurant to our list.

However, since their last remodel, the menu has greatly improved. And now, we enjoy eating here.

Related: Gasparilla Island Grill Review

Gasparilla has a wonderfully spacious indoor dining area.

However, this is another one of those places you’re going to want to dine outside when the weather permits.

On my last visit, I went vegetarian with the sausage and peppers flatbread, and house-baked chips (minus the sausage.) Anyone who loves specialty potato chips will want to make sure to order Disney’s housemade chips. They are simply delicious.

Additionally, if you find yourself at Magic Kingdom on a crowded day, you might need a break. If so, you can easily walk over to the Grand Floridian. The walkway is an excellent place to decompress.

It will probably take about an hour to walk over, eat your meal, and then return. You can mobile order your food on the way.

In addition, you can take the resort monorail or boat service if you don’t care to walk. We have a full guide for the monorails at Disney World.

#4 Contempo Cafe

Our next stop in the Magic Kingdom Resorts area is at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Here, Contempo Cafe comes in as the #4 choice for best resort quick service dining.

Who doesn’t want to enjoy a meal with the monorail gliding overhead at Disney? And you don’t even have to pay for a pricy character dining meal like Chef Mickey’s, which sits next door.

From Magic Kingdom, you can walk or monorail over to the Contemporary to Contempo Cafe. While dining, you’ll get to see the resort and express monorail above you as they continually run through the hotel.

Other than the monorail, I have to say the food options at Contempo Cafe are good. You can get simple quick service food for a reasonable price.

Don’t forget to check out the dessert case! It’s usually full of fun treats and themed cupcakes.

#3 Captain Cook’s

Our #3 stop for best resort quick service at Disney World is Captain Cook’s. Located off the back of Disney’s Polynesian Resort, this restaurant will seem more like a tropical oasis than a dining stop.

Captain Cook’s serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you’re nearby, you can pick up an order of Tonga Toast for breakfast. And the pulled pork nachos get rave reviews.

The vibe is sure to put you in a relaxed mood. When it’s raining, you’ll enjoy the cheerful dining room.

Related: Captain Cook’s Review

However, dining out on the patio next to Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace is the best spot.

Bonus, if you dine here late in the evening, you can enjoy the Electric Water Pageant as it floats by the resort.

#2 The Mara

Longtime readers of the website will be surprised to see The Mara as number two on our list. Unfortunately, it has been dethroned due to the high quality of items at our top choice for the best quick service.

But don’t fret. The Mara is still an excellent location to enjoy a resort counter service meal.

Located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, The Mara has some of the most unique quick service menu items around.

Additionally, they have a delicious sandwich menu and several items like a roasted half chicken with veggies. Plant-based diners might enjoy the Marrakesh Falafel platter.

The Mara has a large interior dining hall.

But I prefer to eat in this shaded area outside the restaurant when the weather allows.

While you’re here, pick up an order of those infamous zebra domes. You can usually find small packages of them in the refrigerated case at The Mara. They are quite the yummy treat.

#1 Primo Piatto

Finally, our number one best quick service restaurant at the Disney World Resorts is Primo Piatto!

Who knew when Disney’s Riviera opened a few years back that we would be blown away with the quality of dining options at the Riviera?

I’m here to tell you that Primo Piatto is good. By that I mean, the food at breakfast is good, the food at lunch is good, and the food at dinner is good. So I think you get the idea.

Below are the lemon pancakes that I ordered with a side of vegan sausage. As for the pancakes, I am looking forward to ordering them again on my next visit. You can probably tell how light and fluffy they were from the photo.

Primo Piatto has a spacious interior dining room, and they offer mobile order. Often, if I’m headed to the resort via the Skyliner, I’ll order my meal when I board the gondola.

Then when I exit, I’ll go on and place the “I’m Here, Prepare My Order. ” It’s usually ready by the time I get to the hotel.

From my experience to date, all of our meals at Primo Piatto have felt like table-service quality. (Hint: If you want dessert, don’t miss Le Petit Cafe on the lobby floor.)

Related: Primo Piatto Review

Final Thoughts

And that wraps up our list of the best resort quick service restaurants at Disney World. Make sure to keep these locations in mind when in need of a relaxing and quick meal at the resorts.

All of these locations promise the opportunity to enjoy a delightful meal for a fraction of the price of a table service restaurant.

For other dining recommendations, you can browse the entire list of Disney Restaurant Reviews we have available on the site. Or you might enjoy the best restaurants at Disney Springs for our top options when planning a meal there.

Additionally, we have a few other “best of” articles:

Resorts Gal specializes in providing Disney World Resort Reviews and other resort-related information. As we grow we are adding more and more off-property options. For example, you might enjoy one of these:

In the comments: What do you think of our list of the best resort quick services at Disney World? Have you had a chance to try any of these? Or do any look appealing?