Kid Friendly Restaurants

Walt Disney World is, naturally, a very child-friendly place and you will find that children are welcome at most of the restaurants at the resort, particularly if they are well behaved.

There are, however, some restaurants which are particularly good choices for families with children. This list is for parents with children of any age is geared towards kids under 10. You know your own children best so use this list as a guideline when planning your WDW vacation.

A Note For Parents of Picky Eaters: Most WDW restaurants can accommodate even the fussiest eaters. Meals can be prepared without sauces if your child prefers them that way and spaghetti and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, while not on the menu, are often available if you just ask. Buffet-style restaurants are also good bets for picky eaters as they are able to take just the things they like in amounts as large as they would like. A number of the buffets have special "kids" buffets, too.

MAGIC KINGDOM- Magic Kingdom Menus Click Here

Casey's Corner - The main draw here is hot dogs. They come in a variety of styles (chili, cheese, foot long, etc.) and desserts and beverages are also offered.

The Crystal Palace - Located at the castle, end of Main Street, on your left, just off the pathway to Adventureland, this restaurant offers three buffet-style character meals per day. The Characters-In-Residence are Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore.

Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe - This large fast-food spot is located in Frontierland, very close to Splash Mountain. It offers Burgers, hot dogs and other standard fast-food fare.

Liberty Tree Tavern - A character dinner featuring assorted characters in Revolutionary War-era dress is offered here every evening. Dinner is served family style and special kid-friendly items like macaroni and cheese are offered.

Cinderella's Royal Table - is located on the second floor of Cinderella Castle. Cinderella, herself, is usually on hand to greet guests. The Once-Upon-A-Breakfast is offered every morning. Food is pre-plated but is all-you-care-to-eat. Characters on hand usually include Cinderella, Snow White and others.

Pinocchio's Village Haus - Another fast-food spot, this restaurant is located in Fantasyland to the right of the entrance to It's A Small World.

Lumiere's Kitchen - This fast-food spot operates seasonally. It is good bet for "Kid's Meals" and also offers selections for adults. It is located between Pooh's Adventure's and Snow White's Scary Adventures in Fantasyland.

Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe - One of the largest fast-food spots at the Magic Kingdom Cosmic Ray's offers spit-roasted chicken, burgers, salads, soups and more. It is located across the path from the Grand Prix Raceway in Tomorrowland.

Epcot - Future World- Click Here for Epcot Menus

The Sunshine Season Food Faire - This food-court style dining area, located in the Land pavilion in Future World, totally redone May 2005. The new eatery features an open kitchen, five new stations and a centralized cashier (think Pepper Market or All Stars/Pop Century Food Court). The wood-fired grill will feature rotisserie items including Ancho-rubbed beef, Moroccan chicken and grilled Atlantic salmon. The Soup and Salad station will feature the freshest herbs and vegetables from The Land greenhouse. The Asian Wok Shop offers noodle bowls and stir fry including a Mongolian barbecue and wok station. Each station will offer vegetarian and children's items as well as grab-and-go foods.

The Garden Grille - This restaurant is also located in the Land pavilion. It is a full-service restaurant that offers lunch and dinner character meals with Farmer Mickey and Chip and Dale. Food is pre-plated. Kids have their own foods to enjoy including chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese and more.

The Coral Reef - The big draw at this restaurant is the view of the aquarium through several floor-to ceiling windows. Children seem to be mesmerized by this view and parents often manage to get a quiet and relaxed meal while their kids are otherwise occupied. Make sure you request a table near the windows when you arrive.

Epcot - WORLD SHOWCASE - Each of the countries in World Showcase has it's own restaurant or restaurants. All of them welcome children but some are more appropriate than others, particularly if your kids don't like to sit still for too long. Click Here for Epcot Menus

San Angel Inn - Located inside the Mexico pavilion this restaurant's atmosphere makes diners think they are sitting alongside a river in Mexico (actually the "river" from the pavilion's attraction El Rio del Tiempo) at night. Children can get tacos and other items that may be familiar along with corn chips and other kid-friendly items. Make sure you request a table on the water when you arrive.

Biergarten - The dinner-show presented here nightly is very festive and children seem to love it. A buffet is offered at both lunch and dinner (note that while some entertainment is offered at lunch the show is only presented at dinner). Sausages, German pot roast, noodles and chicken are offered and even a picky child can usually find enough to his/her liking.

Alfredo's - Most kids love pasta and Alfredo's serves a lot of it. At dinner musicians stroll the dining room and the wait staff often breaks into song.
Norway's Restaurant Akershus in Epcot offers 3 Princess Character meals a day! Breakfast is American fare and lunch and dinner offer Norwegian Cuisine for adults and American style for kids. All meals are served family style at the table.

Teppan Edo - This restaurant, located in the Japan pavilion, is very similar in style to the Benihana chain. Diners are seated at large tables (unless your party is large you will share a table with others) and Japanese chefs prepare meals at grills built right into the table. Children, in particular, seem to love the chefs' antics.

DISNEY-MGM STUDIOS- Click Here for Studio Menus

50's Prime Time Cafe - Waiters and waitresses at this restaurant play "Brother" and "Sister" to diners while "Mom" cooks in the kitchen. Diners who want dessert without having finished their meal will be appropriately (and humorously) chastised and it is not unusual to see wait-staff and diners engaging in a game of "Airplane" before dessert is granted. Kids seem to get a big kick out of seeing mom and dad being reprimanded for various infractions (mine did!)and many kid-friendly foods are offered. Oh, and if you are asked to go wash your hands before you eat make sure you notice the color of the soap!

Sci-Fi Drive In Diner - Guests are seated at tables shaped like vintage cars and are entertained by a series of movie trailers from B-grade Science Fiction films shown on a large drive-in type screen. This restaurants does tend to be dark (and showing old Sci-Fi movie clips) so if your children have trouble with this it might not be the place for you.

ANIMAL KINGDOM- Click Here for Animal Kingdom Menus

Donald's Breakfastsaurus - Located in Dinoland, this is a Character Breakfast buffet served daily. It is themed to Safari Donald and Mickey has made appearances here too!

Flame Tree Barbecue - a counter service restaurant with lots of outdoor places to sit and take a break.

Tusker House - if you are looking for a more substantial meal, Tusker House offers chicken dinner and more.

RESORTS

BEACH CLUB- Click Here for Beach Club Menus

Beaches & Cream - Modeled after an old-fashioned ice cream shop this restaurant offers burgers, hot dogs and ice cream and is a good choice for a quick meal.

Cape May Cafe - A character buffet is served here every morning. Currently it is themed to Goofy's Beach Bash and the characters include Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale. At dinner an all-you-care-to-eat clambake is served buffet-style and a separate child-sized buffet is also offered.

CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT

Shutters at Old Port Royale - American Cuisine Inspired by the Flavors of the Caribbean - One of the best moderate resort places to dine!

CONTEMPORARY - Click Here for Contemporary Menus

Chef Mickey's - Located on the 4th floor Concourse this buffet-style restaurant features carved meats, a variety of salads, a special kids' buffet and a make-your-own-sundae and dessert bar that is not to be believed. Dine here for breakfast or dinner. Mickey, Minnie, Chip & Dale and Goofy are usually on hand to entertain visitors.

FORT WILDERNESS- Click Here for Ft. Wilderness Menus

Trail's End Buffeteria - Located in the Pioneer Hall complex this restaurant offers three buffet-style meals per day. There are no characters here, but the buffets are extensive and offer many kid-friendly items.

Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue - This dinner show offers a wild-west themed vaudeville show with a troupe of six singers and dancers along with banjo and piano players. Dinner consists of all-you-care-to-eat ribs, chicken, corn, beans, salad, bread and strawberry shortcake.

GRAND FLORIDIAN- Click Here for Grand Floridian Menus

1900 Park Fare - This restaurant is very much like Chef Mickey's although a little bit more low-key (well, at least when the organ is not playing). Breakfast and dinner buffets are offered, complete with separate kids' buffets. At breakfast characters include Mary Poppins, Alice, the Mad Hatter and some Pooh Friends. Diner is Cinderella's Royal Feast.

POLYNESIAN - Click Here for Polynesian Menus

O'hana - O'hana means family and that is the focus of this large restaurant. Breakfast features a character buffet with Lilo and Stitch! Dinner is an all-you-care-to-eat affair with various meats (turkey, chicken, beef tenderloin, shrimp, sausage and ribs) served from 3-foot long skewers. There is a Hawaiian singer on hand to entertain and a variety of games are played throughout the evening involving both kids and adults. Come hungry!

Polynesian Luau - Mickey's Tropical Luau is no longer offered.

PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE (was Dixie Landings) - Click Here for Menus

Boatwrights - This is the only full-service restaurant at Riverside. It offers a variety of entrees and is very family-friendly. Boatwrights serves three meals per day.

WILDERNESS LODGE- Click Here for Wilderness Lodge Menus

Whispering Canyon Cafe - This large restaurant is located just off the lobby of the resort and the whooping and hollering coming from inside can often be heard for quite some distance. Dinner is served family style in large cast iron skillets and includes ribs, chicken, turkey, beans, corn-on-the cob, salads, breads and more. The lunch menu offers a similar feast or you can choose a la cart from the menu. Breakfast has a wide variety of options. The main draw here, however, is the hijinks of the waitstaff. Pretend gunfights often break out, stick pony races are organized and children often find themselves deputized before the night is out. It's a lot of fun!

In addition to the above noted restaurants each WDW resort also offers a snack bar. A variety of fast foods are available at each. Tubbi's Buffeteria, on the first floor of the Dolphin, is open 24 hours..

Downtown Disney- Click Here for Downtown Disney Menus

Rainforest Cafe - The audio-animatronic animals located throughout this restaurant are enough to keep a child entertained for hours. There is even a tropical thunder storm every 20 minutes. (If your kids are afraid of thunder this might not be the place for you, however.) Reservations are not accepted here and the wait often gets very long. If you want to avoid a wait your best bet is to get there before 11:30 or between 3-5pm.

Planet Hollywood - Part of the world-wide chain this restaurant is located in the Pleasure Island section of the Marketplace. There is music, film clips and lots of movie memorabilia to see which kids, especially pre-teens, seem to love. Very loud!