Dining in Walt Disney World During Reopening Phase | Restaurants Guide

Dining in Walt Disney World is definitely one of our favorite activities when we are on vacation, but the entire experience has changed during the parks and resorts reopening. Even if you’ve been to Disney World 100 times, dining here now is going to be a whole lot different!

Knowing all the changes that have happened to Disney World restaurants will be vital so you can enjoy dining in this reopening phase. Right now, just figuring out which restaurants are open would be a big help!

(Updated 10/28/22) – Disney has announced the reopening of Takumi-Tei, one of the last remaining unopened restaurants in Walt Disney World. They also announced the reopening and/or updates to Akershus, Kona Cafe, and Tusker House buffet in the coming weeks.

Read more about these in the NEWS section of this post…

In this post, we are going to answer all your questions about Disney World restaurants during the initial reopening phase. We’ll cover all the new changes to the dining experience in general, including new safety measures for the restaurants that you will need to follow.

We’ll also go over how all types of restaurants are changing in Disney World, from character dining to quick service to private dining. It’s exciting to see all the new technology Disney is putting to good use to make these experiences possible right now.

Some of the restaurants are going to be closed and most have significantly reduced capacity during the reopening phase. We’ll tell you all the Disney World restaurants currently open or when they are reopening.

We’re shocked at all the dining-related perks that haven’t been available for a while like the Disney Dining Plan and the Free Dining promotion. Never before have we seen Disney take actions so drastic.

Try to remember that since the reopening, Disney has implemented these new guidelines for dining in cooperation with the CDC and other health authorities. Thankfully, many of the guidelines they originally set in place have now gone away and things are returning to normal once again.

During this time, Disney has also suspended quite a few dining experiences and not all restaurants will be available right away. Even the ones that are open and the restaurants will be limited in guest capacity and some of the popular menu items and dining features might not be there.

Before we get started, make sure to read our Guide to Walt Disney World Reopening for the latest updates and a look at how the rest of the resort is going to be different.

Here are some other posts about the reopening you should read before your vacation:

• How to Make Guest Park Reservations
• All the New Guidelines in Disney World
• How to Make Disney Dining Reservations Now

If you want the Latest Updates on the Disney World Restaurants Reopening, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

(NEWS) More Restaurants Reopening at Walt Disney World

The reopening phase at Walt Disney World has been a difficult time for many fans since a lot of their favorite restaurants were closed. However, things have been getting much better and almost all Disney World restaurants are reopened, and even more are about to reopen in the coming days!

Today we are going to highlight 4 restaurants that are either reopening or getting significant changes to them in the month of November.

The 4 returning are:

• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (EPCOT)
• Kona Cafe (Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort)
• Takumi-Tei (EPCOT)
• Tusker House – buffet-style meals (Disney’s Beach Club Resort)

Up until now, Tusker House has been running as a character meal, but served in a family-style way and not a buffet. Kona Cafe was open for a while but has since closed for refurbishment. Meanwhile, Akershus and Takumi-Tei have been closed since 2020.

Let’s take a look at each one and what to expect:

Takumi-Tei at EPCOT (Returning November 23, 2023)

Takumi-Tei was open briefly in 2019 and 2020 until EPCOT closed in March 2020, and it’s been closed ever since then. However, Disney has just announced that Takumi-Tei is finally reopening in EPCOT on November 23, 2022.

That’s more than 2 and a half years if you were counting at home!

Disney hasn’t mentioned any changes to the menu, and it looks pretty much the same as when we last visited. That’s a good thing since this is very high up on our list of best restaurants in EPCOT and shouldn’t be missed if you are looking for a high-end dining experience you will never forget.

We’ll let you know if Disney announces any changes before the opening.

Tusker House at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Buffet Returning November 1, 2022)

If you are heading to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and you have a big appetite get ready as there are some big upgrades coming! Tusker House Restaurant is switching from a family-style meal to an all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet meal, the way it was before closing.

Starting November 1, this Harambe Marketplace location filled with African-inspired favorites is serving up a brand new buffet menu from breakfast all the way to dinner.

Some of the breakfast items include an assortment of pastries like the Zebra Coffee Cake, breakfast classics like Simba Waffles and Mickey Waffles, and a variety of breakfast meats.

For lunch and dinner, there are various breads and dips, house specialties like the Spit-roasted Tandoori Chicken and Green Curry Shrimp, plant-based options including the Cauliflower Bunny Chow, and various salads.

If your kids aren’t adventurous eaters, don’t worry. The buffet is full of classics for the little ones to enjoy like corn dog nuggets and macaroni and cheese to name a few. And once you are ready, there are a ton of desserts to enjoy as well!

Don’t forget that Tusker House is also a character meal, so you’ll get a chance to spend time and take photos with Donald Duck and his friends while you are there.

Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (Returning November 1, 2022)

On November 1 at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, the Kona Cafe is returning from a long refurbishment with a new, refreshed experience. The look and feel of the restaurant is different, and even some of the flavors have changed.

Kona Cafe will feature American cuisine with that Asian flare that makes it so unique and you can still watch the chefs at work in the onstage sushi kitchen.

Breakfast includes Kona Cafe staples such as the can’t-miss Tonga Toast and Pineapple Macadamia Nut Pancakes which are both back.

For lunch and dinner, look out for several items returning to the menu like the Big Kahuna Burger and Seafood Pu Pu Platter and even a new plant-based offering for dinner, the Sautéed Red Quinoa.

Starting your day at Kona Cafe and then walking over to the Magic Kingdom is now a great option, even if you are staying in one of the nearby Magic Kingdom resorts.

Reservations for both Tusker House and Kona Cafe are now available.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at EPCOT (Returning November 4, 2022)

Lastly, over at EPCOT, an old favorite is reopening once again in the Norway pavilion. Starting November 4, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall will once again welcome guests for a taste of Norwegian cuisine.

The new menu is a mix of old favorites as well as new offerings joining this family-style feast. Some items include Traditional KjØttkaker featuring Norwegian meatballs or the Kylling og Melboller, a Norwegian take on chicken and dumplings.

If you’re looking for some more classic American cuisine, they’ve got that too with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Grilled Salmon, and Macaroni & Cheese. Make sure to leave space for dessert and try the Rice Cream with strawberry sauce and a Chocolate Roulade with lingonberry cream.

Even though the food is good, what makes Akershus Royal Banquet Hall so special is that it is one of the only restaurants to include Storybook Dining featuring the Disney Princesses. Guests can interact, take photos, and create lasting memories with some of their favorite princesses.

It’s really one of the best princess experiences in Disney World if that is your sort of thing! However, we are still waiting to see which and how many princesses there will be here. Will it be the full lineup or will it only be one for an initial photo shoot and that’s it?

One thing that’s different about Akershus, at least for now is that it is not serving breakfast and will only be open starting from 2:45 pm to 8:05 daily. We assume this is because of the continued staff shortage around property. Hopefully, they can add breakfast soon but we are not super optimistic at this time.

Reservations for Akershus Royal Banquet Hall open up on October 24, 2022.

(NEWS) Monsieur Paul Reopening on October 18 at EPCOT

Since last year many of the restaurants in Walt Disney World have reopened, including most of the signature dining locations. Now Disney has just announced that Monsieur Paul, one of the few remaining restaurants, is reopening starting on October 18, 1022.

With its reopening, Monsieur Paul will not have its normal menu, but it is introducing a new prix fix menu called: “The Gastronomic Meal of The French.”

According to their Instagram page, this meal is “One of which people devote themselves to the art of ‘eating and drinking well.'” It goes on to explain “The gastronomic meal of the French was inscribed on the representative list fo the intangible heritage of humanity in 2010.”

Here is a look at the new meal:

Starter Cocktail

Hors d’oeuvres (Appetizers-Chose One)

Fish Courses (Choose One)

Meat Courses (Choose One)

Cheese

Dessert (Choose One)

This new prix fix dinner comes with a hefty price tag of $175 per person (plus tax). Considering that it’s a 5 Course meal and it’s being served in one of the poshest dining locations in Disney World, it’s pretty much in the ballpark of where we expected it to be.

Advanced Dining Reservations are now available for Monsieur Paul through My Disney Experience or the Disney World website. Disney is trying to make this a similar environment to Victoria & Albert’s as reservations are only available to guests 10 years old and above.

It’s important to note that there is a $100 cancellation fee that applies to no-shows and cancellations not made within 72 hours of the original reservation.

We are excited to see the return of Monsieur Paul as it is one of the only remaining signature dining restaurants yet to open.

When it does return, it means that almost all of our all-time favorite Disney restaurants are now back! The only other one were still really waiting for was Takumi-Tei in the Japan pavilion in EPCOT, which we now know is coming back on November 23.

We’ll keep an eye out for that reopening, hopefully, it’s coming soon.

(UPDATE) – Victoria & Albert’s Reopening in 2022 and Spirit of Aloha Closed Permanently

We’ve come a long way in the last couple of years and now almost all of the restaurants in Walt Disney World are now reopened, with only a handful remaining closed. Now, Disney has just made a couple of big announcements about two of the biggest ones that are still left, with some bittersweet news.

The good news is that Victoria & Albert’s is reopening sometime in 2022. This doesn’t come as a shock as it is arguably the best restaurant in Central Florida year after year. Its presence has been severely missed, though with limited seating, we understand why Disney didn’t make this a priority early on.

Now that it’s back though, we are ecstatic. It is without a doubt the best restaurant in Walt Disney World, and frankly, it’s not even close.

Disney hasn’t given an official date for the reopening of Victoria & Albert’s, just that it will be later in 2022. I don’t know when, but I do know that we’ll be first in line when it finally opens!

The sad news on the other hand is that the popular dinner show, Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show is closing permanently. That’s right, it’s never coming back.

Instead, the land where the show once took place will be used for the new Disney Vacation Club Tower coming to Disney’s Polynesian Resort.

Disney’s Spirit of Aloha dinner show was an all-you-can-eat feast, with traditional Polynesian dancers, entertainers, and live music. It’s been a family favorite for decades and one of the most unique dining experiences in Disney World.

Honestly, however much we hate the decision, we can’t say it was a surprise. The Spirit of Aloha show took up a valuable piece of real estate at the Polynesian Resort, and Disney is going to make a ton of money selling those DVC rentals with a resort there instead.

We’re sad about this change and anytime we lose a Disney World classic it’s never an easy thing. We wish Spirit of Aloha was sticking around, and would much prefer it over the plain-looking tower being built in its place.

The last really big restaurant yet to open is the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue over at the Fort Wilderness Campground. Let’s hope it doesn’t share the same fate as Spirit of Aloha!

We’ll update you about this and any other restaurant reopenings as soon as we have more info.

What to Know Before You Go

While there are a ton of things we are going to go over in this post, here are the most important things to know about how dining and Disney World restaurants are changing during the reopening phase.

Safety Guidelines in Place – New safety requirements for guests are being included in all Disney World restaurants. These include increased cleaning and sanitation, contactless menus, and more.

Using New Technology – In order to help with safety, Disney is using new technology in its restaurants including contactless menus, Mobile Ordering, Mobile Dine Check-In, and cashless payment.

Limited Dining Offerings – Not all restaurants are open during the Disney World reopening phase. Restaurants will also have limited capacity with fewer reservations available.

Limited Experiences – Are you a big fan of character meals and dinner shows? Those are not currently running, for the most part). Other experiences like private and in-room dining are limited or not available.

Reservations Changed – New dining reservations are now available to all guests but are only available for booking 60 days before your vacation date. Read more about dining reservations below.

Big Changes to Disney World Restaurants

Let’s break down some of the biggest changes to dining in Disney World that you need to know about. These include reservations, decrease restaurant capacity, and eliminating popular add-ons like the Disney Dining Plan.

Lower Capacity

When the parks first opened, to comply with guest distancing, Disney could not keep normal restaurant capacity as it was before. Tables were spaced out a minimum of 6 feet from each other to give dining guests enough room.

While the distancing isn’t the issue anymore, there is a shortage of staff right now at Disney World, and restaurants are only able to fill up as much as the staff can handle them.

All this results in fewer guests being able to dine in a given restaurant at one time. This at times has lead to reservations being more difficult to get. We hope the staffing problem gets better soon and that brings more capacity back to the restaurants again.

Reservations Needed

It was already important to make reservations for table service restaurants in Walt Disney World before the reopening period, and it has become even more important now.

Limited capacity and helping Disney understand how to staff the restaurants means making Disney Advanced Dining Reservations is now more important than ever and you won’t get to make as many decisions at the last minute.

In-Park Dining Reservations

Because of Disney’s new park reservation system, this creates some new problems for dining at Disney World restaurants. If you want to eat at one of the table service restaurants in the theme parks, you will need a reservation, but a reservation to a restaurant doesn’t mean you automatically get access to the theme parks.

WHAT?? How does that work?

Entrance to the Disney theme parks are only given to guests with a theme park reservation. Having only a dining reservation at a restaurant there will not get you in. You need both.

That means booking your theme parks is going to be first priority for each day, and then from there, you can decide which restaurants you want to eat at.

Disney Dining Plan

For the foreseeable future, the popular Disney Dining Plan has been suspended. This came as a surprise since so many guests use the pre-paid dining plan when going to Disney World.

The decision to get rid of the dining plan is a consequence of limiting capacity in the restaurants and in the parks. Disney cannot guarantee guests will be able to use up all their purchased dining points if some restaurants are closed and others are hard to get reservations to due to the lack of staff. For those reasons, they decided to temporarily suspend the meal plans.

Disney has confirmed that the Disney Dining Plan is coming back, but it appears that it won’t be until later in 2022.

Free Dining

Disney’s extremely popular Free Dining promotion has also been suspended until further notice. Free Dining is essentially the same thing as the Disney Dining Plan, only it’s worked into the price of your room and you aren’t paying anything additional to add it to your room.

So without the Disney Dining Plan running, Free Dining can’t happen either. No word yet on when it’s coming back, but rumors are that it too won’t be back until late 2022 at the earliest.

Even though there are a lot of upset Disney fans because of this move, there are other ways of saving money at Disney World and oftentimes waiting for a room-only discount saves even more than Free Dining does.

Menus May Vary

As a result of having fewer people, it’s natural that menus don’t have to be quite as big as they normally are. During the opening period, Disney has warned that menus may vary from normal. There may be a reduced number of options with some regular choices missing from the list.

If you are hoping to eat your favorite dish when eating at a given restaurant, prepare for the possibility that it might not be there.

We hope this isn’t widespread because many restaurants in Disney World have dishes they are well-known for, and are the reasons we come back time and time again.

Safety Guidelines for Dining

Besides organizational changes to the Disney World restaurants, Disney has implemented new safety measures that are put in place to protect both guests and Cast Members. Get familiar with these, and the other guidelines for the theme parks as you’ll need to follow them on your trip.

Face Masks

It’s true that face masks are no longer required at The Walt Disney World Resort and are completely optional. This includes in restaurants.

There was much confusion during the reopening and in some places in restaurants face coverings were required and in others, they weren’t.

To further confuse the matter, Disney has updated its face mask policy what seems like a thousand times, with varying rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated guests. Thankfully, that is over now and face masks are optional in all indoor and outdoor areas, including restaurants.

Restaurant staff including waiters and chefs will always be wearing a face covering so as to not contaminate the food or guests.

To learn more, read our Guide to Face Masks at Disney World.

Cleaning/Sanitization 

Disney is increasing the cleaning throughout the resort, restaurants included. All areas that are considered “high traffic” will get extra cleaning and sanitization including tables, chairs, benches, doors, handles, restrooms, buttons, dining pagers, etc.

Expect to see sparkling clean tables as you’ve never seen before!

Self-Service

Disney originally was limiting what guests could touch to keep them from potentially contaminating others. Instead, they set up Disney Cast Members to serve you instead, including at self-serve drinking fountains.

However, now this has gone away and you can get your own drinks.

Temperature Screening

Temperature screening was required at Walt Disney World for the first year or so of the reopening phase. Now they have discontinued temperature screenings and they are non longer set up.

Dining Experience Types

We know not all restaurants have reopened yet in Disney World, and there are also restrictions on some types of dining experiences too. Here is the rundown:

Table Service Dining

The majority of Table Service restaurants have reopened but not all of them. Some of them are still not open, but the vast majority are. At times though it’s hard to find a reservation due to the shortage of workers currently in Walt Disney World.

The ones that are open will have limited seating and fewer tables than normal because of the shortage.

Quick Service Dining

From what we have seen so far, the great majority of quick service restaurants have reopened reopening during the initial phase. Capacity is limited here too and guests are encouraged to use the Mobile Ordering system.

Bars and Lounges

The lounges and bars at Disney World ran into a speed bump at the beginning of the reopening phase but they are back to normal now and serving guests.

Various bars such as Jock Lindsey’s Hanger Bar, Dockside Margaritas, and others are now reopened and serving alcohol.

The most popular bar in Walt Disney World, Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge also went back and forth between open and closed at times but it is also open once again.

Character Dining

Disney has recently reopened character dining in Walt Disney World at multiple locations. There were character meals during the reopening phase, but they were physically distanced. Now the traditional character meets are back including hugs, autographs, and photos right next to the characters.

We’re super happy about this as the best part of a character meal is when they come around and take pictures with you at your table, and not distanced selfies but real photos while you are hugging them.

Here is the list of normal character meals currently running in Walt Disney World so far and which characters you can find there:

• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in EPCOT (Reopening November 4)
• Artist Point – Story Book Dining with Snow White at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (Snow White, the Evil Queen, Dopey, and Grumpy)
• Cape May Cafe at Disney’s Beach Club Resort (Minnie, Donald, Daisy, & Goofy)
• Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Donald Duck)
• The Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom (Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, & Piglet)
• Garden Grill at The Land Pavilion in EPCOT (Mickey, Pluto, and Chip ‘n Dale)
• Hollywood and Vine at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Fancy Nancy, Vampirina, Doc McStuffins, and Roadster Goofy at breakfast and Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Pluto at other meals)
• ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (Lilo, Stitch, Pluto, & Mickey)
• Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera at Disney’s Riviera Resort (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy Duck)
• Tusker House Restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy)

All 10 of these restaurants have traditional character experiences as they did in the past, before the closures in 2020.

Other dining locations with characters but that don’t have the full character experience include:

• Be Our Guest in Fantasyland at Disney’s Magic Kingdom (The Beast)
• Cinderella’s Royal Table in Fantasyland at Disney’s Magic Kingdom (Cinderella)

There are also still many character dining experiences that have not yet returned to operations. These include:

• 1900 Park Fare at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort (Currently Closed)
• Trattoria al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn Resort (Open without characters)

During the initial reopening phase of the character dining locations, instead of having the characters go around and greet guests as they normally did, they still made an appearance by greeting guests while keeping physically distanced. That meant no hugs or autographs.

Now, that has all changed and it finally feels like they are getting back to normal once again.

Our feeling is that this is a good move for guests. The CDC is no longer requiring face masks to be worn indoors, and Disney has already dropped the face mask mandate in Walt Disney World. They obviously feel that there is a low enough risk at this point in time to make that happen.

So if Disney is ok with not wearing face masks, there wasn’t a reason anymore to keep the character interactions at these dining locations reduced from their original format.

From our experiences so far, it feels like you are now getting more value for your money, and it gives you more options for dining during their visit. For guests who are not ok with character dining at this time, the option is simple…don’t go. Guests who feel uncomfortable can just continue eating at traditional quick service or table service restaurants with no harm done.

Dinner Shows

The Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue dinner show has returned to Disney World and is now running on a nightly basis as before. On the other hand, the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at Disney’s Polynesian Resort is being torn down and replaced by a new DVC Tower.

Buffets

For over a year since the Walt Disney World parks reopened, buffet restaurants were temporarily suspended. That has now changed and buffets are back at Disney World!

During the reopening phase restaurants that were normally buffet-style were transitioned into family-style restaurants similar to Ohana’.

This change was recently reversed and we are now seeing buffets come back with 4 of them announced so far.

Buffets currently operating in Walt Disney World include:

• Biergarten at EPCOT
• Boma at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Crystal Palace at Disney’s Magic Kingdom
• Cape May Café
• Tusker House

Walt Disney World buffets are going to be the same all-you-can-eat affairs as they were before the closure. Some changes include limiting the number of people that gather at the buffet at one time and pre-preparing some dishes in some areas such as at the omelet stations.

We expect this change to move slowly across Walt Disney World until most buffets are brought back. Restaurants that were previously family-style such as ‘Ohana will remain that way for now.

Stay tuned for more updates on this one as more buffets return to Disney World.

Private Dining / In-Room Dining

(Update): In-Room Dining is now available at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, so this may start to be available at other Disney World hotels shortly.

Which Disney World Restaurants Are Open?

One of the hardest parts of dining in Disney World now is figuring out which restaurants are open and that you can actually go to.

Disney is reopening the restaurants in phases and doing it group by group. Disney has warned guests already that they’ll have to be patient and that some dining experiences will not be open during their next trip.

Which restaurants are open? Here are some lists, broken down by location at Disney Springs, the Resorts, and Theme Parks.

Theme Parks

Disney has released a full list of all the restaurants currently open in the theme parks during the reopening period.

Restaurants are reopening in phases, and a good number of quick service and table service restaurants will be open with the parks. As the crowds come back so will more restaurants.

Can I Eat in a Park Restaurant Without a Theme Park Reservation?

No, you can’t. Just having a dining reservation to a restaurant in one of the theme parks, does not give you access to that theme park. If you want to eat in one of those restaurants you will need to have both a Park Reservation AND a Dining Reservation.

Magic Kingdom

• Aloha Isle
• Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies
• Be Our Guest Restaurant
• Casey’s Corner
• Cheshire Cafe
• Cinderella’s Royal Table
• Columbia Harbor House
• Cool Ship
• Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
• The Crystal Palace
• The Friar’s Nook
• Gaston’s Tavern
• Golden Oak Outpost
• Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
• Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
• Liberty Square Market
• Liberty Tree Tavern
• The Lunching Pad
• Main Street Bakery
• Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
• Pinocchio Village Haus
• Plaza Ice Cream Parlor
• The Diamond Horseshoe
• The Plaza Restaurant
• Prince Eric’s Village Market
• Sleepy Hollow
• Storybook Treats
• Sunshine Tree Terrace
• Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
• Tortuga Tavern
• Westward Ho

Not Open:

• Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant

Animal Kingdom

• Anandapur Ice Cream Truck
• Caravan Road
• Creature Comforts
• Dawa Bar
• Dino-Bite Snacks
• Dino Diner
• Drinkwallah
• Eight Spoon Cafe
• Flame Tree Barbecue
• Harambe Fruit Market
• Harmabe Market
• Isle of Java
• Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
• Kusafiri Coffe Shop & Bakery
• Mahindi
• Mr. Kamal’s
• Nomad Lounge
• Pizzafari
• Pongu Pongu
• Rainforest Cafe
• Restaurantosaurus
• Satu’li Canteen
• Tamu Tamu Refreshments
• Terra Treats
• The Smiling Crocodile
• Thirsty River Bar & Trek Snacks
• Tiffins Restaurant
• Trilo-Bites
• Tusker House Restaurant
• Warung Outpost
• Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes
• Yak & Yeti Restaurant

Not Currently Open:

• Pizzafari Family-Style Dining
• Restaurantasaurus Burger & Sundaes

EPCOT

• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Returning November 4)
• Biergarten Restaurant
• Block & Hans
• Chefs de France
• Choza de Margarita
• Connections Café
• Coral Reef Restaurant
• Crepes des Chefs de France
• Fife & Drum Tavern
• Funnel Cake
• Garden Grill Restaurant
• Gelateria Toscana
• Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
• Joy of Tea
• Kabuki Café
• Katsura Grill
• Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe
• L’Artisan des Glaces
• La Cantina de San Angel
• La Cava de Tequila
• La Hacienda de San Angel
• The Land Cart
• Le Cellier Steakhouse
• Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie
• Les Vins des Chefs de France
• Lotus Blossom Cafe
• Monsieur Paul
• Nine Dragons
• Popcorn in Canada
• Refreshment Outpost
• Refreshment Port
• Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue
• Rose & Crown Dining Room
• Rose & Crown Pub
• San Angel Inn Restaurante
• Sommerfest
• Space 220
• Spice Road Table
• Sunshine Seasons
• Takumi-Tei (Returning November 23)
• Tangierine Café
• Teppan Edo
• Tokyo Dining
• Traveler’s Café
• Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar
• Tutto Italia Ristorante
• UK Beer Cart
• Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria
• Yorkshire County Fish Shop

Not Currently Open:

• Cool Wash
• Restaurant Marrakesh

Hollywood Studios

• 50’s Prime Time Café
• ABC Commissary
• Anaheim Produce
• Backlot Express
• BaseLine Tap House
• Catalina Eddie’s
• Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
• Dockside Diner
• Epic Eats
• Fairfax Fare
• Hollywood & Vine
• The Hollywood Brown Derby
• The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge
• Hollywood Scoops
• Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
• Kat Saka’s Kettle
• KRNR The Rock Station
• Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano
• Market
• Milk Stand
• Oga’s Cantina
• Peevy’s Polar Pipeline
• PizzeRizzo
• Ronto Roasters
• Rosie’s All-American Café
• Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant
• Sunshine Day Bar
• The Trolley Car Café
• Tune-In Lounge
• Woody’s Lunch Box

Not Currently Open:

• Neighborhood Bakery

Once we have confirmation of more restaurants in the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and the Animal Kingdom reopening, we’ll post them here.

Disney Springs

Disney Springs was the very first part of Walt Disney World to reopen and therefore got a head start on dining. Most of the restaurants have reopened already with only a couple still missing.

List of Disney Springs Restaurants currently open:

• 4 Rivers Cantina Barbacoa Food Truck
• AMC Disney Springs Dine-In Theaters
• Amorette’s Patisserie
• AristoCrepes
• B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co.
• The Basket at Wine Bar George
• Blaze Fast-Fired Pizza
• The BOATHOUSE
• Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’
• Chicken Guy!
• City Works Eatery & Pour House
• Coca-Cola Store Rooftop Beverage Bar
• Cookes of Dublin
• D-Luxe Burger
• The Daily Poutine
• Disney Food Trucks
• Dockside Margaritas
• Earl of Sandwich
• The Edison
• Enzo’s Hideaway
• Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC
• Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew
• The Front Porch
• Frontera Cocina
• The Ganachery
• Ghiradelli Soda Fountain and Soda Shop
• Gideon’s Bakehouse
• Häagen-Dazs®
• House of Blues
• Jaleo by José Andrés
• Jock Linsey’s Hanger Bar
• Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea Company
• Joffrey’s Handcrafted Smoothies Kiosk
• Lava Lounge at Rainforest Cafe
• MacGUFFINS
• Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante
• Marketplace Snacks
• Morimoto Asia
• Morimoto Asia Street Food
• Paddlefish
• Paradiso 37, Taste of the Americas
• Pizza Ponte
• Planet Hollywood
• The Polite Pig
• Raglan Road
• Rainforest Cafe
• Splitsville Luxury Lanes
• Sprinkles Cupcakes
• Starbucks (Marketplace)
• Starbucks
• Sunshine Churros (Both Marketplace and West Side locations)
• STK Orlando
• Sunshine Churros at Disney Springs West Side
• T-REX
• Terralina Crafted Italian
• Vivoli il Gelato
• Wetzel’s Pretzels (Both Marketplace and West Side locations)
• Wine Bar George
• Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill
• Yesake

Get a full tour and the latest updates in our post on Disney Springs Reopening.

Resorts

Just because some of the Disney World resorts are reopening, doesn’t mean all the restaurants in those resorts are reopening too. So far the list is pretty limited and pretty much eliminates all signature dining and character dining locations (Topolino’s being the lone exception for both).

Here is the current list of resort restaurants Currently Open:

Bay Lake Tower and Disney’s Contemporary Resort

• California Grill
• Chef Mickey’s
• Contempo Cafe
• Contemporary Grounds
• Cove Bar
• Outer Rim
• The Sand Bar

Disney’s All-Star Music Resort

• Silver Screen Spirits Pool Bar
• World Premiere Food Court

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas – Kidani Village

• Boma
• Cape Town Lounge and Wine Bar
• Jiko
• Maji Pool Bar
• The Mara
• Sanaa
• Sanaa Lounge
• Uzima Springs Pool Bar

Disney’s Beach Club & Villas

• Beach Club Marketplace
• Beaches & Cream Soda Shop
• Cape May Cafe
• Hurricane Hanna’s Waterside Bar & Grill
• Martha’s Vineyard

Disney’s BoardWalk Resort & Villas

• AbracadaBar
• Belle Vue Lounge
• Big River Grille & Brewing Works
• BoardWalk Bakery
• Boardwalk Joe’s Marvelous Margaritas
• Flying Fish
• Leaping Horse Libations
• Pizza Window
• Trattoria al Forno

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

• Banana Cabana
• Centertown Market
• Sebastian’s Bistro

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

• Barcelona Lounge
• Cafe Rio
• Dahlia Lounge
• El Mercado de Coronado
• Rix Sports Bar & Grill
• Siestas Cantina
• Three Bridges Bar & Grill at Villa del Lago
• Toledo: Tapas, Steak & Seafood

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort

• The Chuck Wagon
• Crocket’s Tavern
• Meadow Snack Bar
• P&J’s Southern Takeout

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Villas

• Beaches Pool Bar & Grill
• Courtyard Pool Bar
• Enchanted Rose
• Gasparilla Island Grill
• Grand Floridian Cafe
• Narcoossee’s
• Victoria & Albert’s

Disney’s Old Key West Resort

• Good’s Food to Go
• Gurgling Suitcase
• Olivia’s Cafe
• Turtle Shack Poolside Snacks

Disney’s Polynesian Polynesian Village Resort

• Barefoot Pool Bar
• Capt. Cook’s
• Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Deli
• Kona Cafe
• ‘Ohana
• Pineapple Lanai
• Tambu Lounge
• Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto
• Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace

Disney’s Pop Century Resort

• Everything POP Shopping & Dining
• Petals Pool Bar

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter

• Mardi Grogs
• Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory
• Scat Cat’s Club

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside

• Boatwright’s Dining Hall
• Muddy Rivers
• River Roost
• Riverside Mill Food Court

Disney’s Riviera Resort

• Bar Riva
• Le Petit Cafe
• Primo Piatto
• Topolino’s Terrace

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort

• The Artist’s Palette
• Backstretch Pool Bar
• Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Cafe
• On the Rocks Pool Bar
• The Paddock Grill
• The Turf Club Lounge
• The Turb Club Bar & Grill

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

• Geyser Point Bar & Grill
• Roaring Fork
• Storybook Dining at Artist Point
• Territory Lounge
• Whispering Canyon Cafe

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

• Ale & Compass Restaurant
• Ale & Compass Lounge
• The Market at Ale & Compass
• Yachtsman Steakhouse

Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotels

• Cabana Bar and Beach Club
• Chill
• The Fountain
• Fresh Mediterranean Market
• Fuel
• Garden Grove
• Il Mulino
• Il Mulino Lounge
• Java
• Kimonos
• Kimonos Lounge
• Phins
• Picabu
• Shula’s Lounge
• Shula’s Steak House
• Splash Pool Bar and Grill
• Todd English’s bluezoo
• Todd English’s bluezoo Lounge

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

• Crown of Corellia Dining Room
• Sublight Lounge

As more dining locations open in the resorts we’ll add them to the list.

Find out how the entire hotel experience is changing now in our post on Staying at a Disney World Hotel During Reopening.

Technology

Technology is playing a big part in keeping guests safe in Disney World right now and has made reopening possible. Here are some of the most important ways Disney is using technology right now during the reopening phase:

My Disney Experience

Make sure you have the My Disney Experience app installed and updated on your mobile phone before you head to Walt Disney World. You’re going to need this app more now than ever with all the virtual queues, online check-in, and other digital services which will be vital to having a wonderful experience on your trip.

Mobile Ordering

If you want to eat at a quick service restaurant in Disney World when it reopens, Disney’s Mobile Ordering service is the best way to do that.

It allows you to order your food ahead of time from your mobile device at the quick service dining location of choice. Choose all your food options, make substitutions, and place your order. Then when you are in the area, pick up your food without having to wait at all in line!

With Disney concentrating on enforcing distancing between guests, it’s a great solution to the normal lines for food. For a more detailed look, read our post on Disney’s Mobile Ordering – The Complete Guide.

Mobile Dine Check-In

Normally, before being seated at a Disney World restaurant, you check-in at the host stand at the entrance to the restaurant. Instead, now guests have the opportunity to get sent directly to their tables.

How does that happen? Disney’s Mobile Dine Check-In app.

When you arrive at the restaurant you will scan a QR code that will check-in you and your party to your reservation. When your table is ready, you will be notified and directed where to go.

Learn more about how this new technology works and in which restaurants it will be available in our post on Disney’s Mobile Dine Check-In app.

Contactless Menus

One of the cooler uses of technology in Disney restaurants are the contactless menus. This eliminates the need for a traditional paper menu.

At quick service restaurants, the menus are displayed for guests to easily see on signage. At table service restaurants a QR code is on the table that guests can scan with their mobile phones. Once scanned the full restaurant menu comes right onto your phone.

Cashless Payment

Cashless forms of payment have been accepted in Walt Disney World for a while, but now Disney is going to be strongly recommending guests use them during their stay instead of cash.

Some of the contactless payment types include:

• Credit Cards
• Debit Cards
• Disney Gift Cards
• MagicBands
• E-Wallets (Apple Pay, Android Pay, etc)

These minimize contact with the cashiers and help avoid the spreading of germs.

Reservations

Figuring out your dining reservations is always one of the biggest things to do when visiting Walt Disney World and that doesn’t change after the reopening. Here are the biggest things to know about restaurant reservations:

• New Disney World restaurant reservations are now available to book for all guests.
• Guests can now make new reservations starting 60 days from their hotel arrival date or desired dining date.
• Reservations are available Online, on the My Disney Experience app or by Phone.
• Dining reservations are necessary for anyone wanting to dine at a table service restaurant (In the parks or resorts).
• The booking window has been changed from 180 Days to 60 Days before the dining date. 60+10 rule applies to Walt Disney World Resort guests.

When Can I Make New Dining Reservations and How?

New Disney World dining reservations are available for all guests starting 60 days from their hotel arrival date or dining date. They are no longer limited to just Walt Disney World Resort guests but available to everyone.

• Restaurant reservations can be made Online on the Computer or using My Disney Experience (Starts at 6 am daily).
• Phone reservations start daily at 7 am.

TIP: Remember the booking window has changed to 60 Days before your desired dining date (60+10 for WDW Resort guests). This might result in some restaurants becoming harder to book so make sure to be online at 6:00 am sharp to make reservations.

You Need Reservations for Table Service Restaurants

Whether going to a table service restaurant in a resort hotel or in the theme parks, dining reservations are highly recommended and in some locations required. Some walk-ins are accepted but it’s much safer to book a table.

Remember, a Dining Reservation in a theme park restaurant, however, doesn’t give you automatic access to the theme park. You need a separate park reservation and a dining reservation in that case.

For a better look at how dining reservations work during the reopening phase, read our Guide to Restaurant Reservations in Disney World.

Disney Dining Plan Cancellations & Refunds

Even though the Disney Dining Plans is not running at this time, you are probably wondering about refunds for booked experiences and packages.

• There are still cancellation fees or no-show fees for reservations not canceled within 24 hours of the reservation time.
• Pre-paid dining experiences and reservations are fully refunded if canceled within 24 hours of the reservation time.

Canceled Dining Events

For the moment, Disney has also canceled most special dining events and experiences. Here is the current list of canceled dining events:

• Afternoon Tea at the Garden View Tea Room
• Cake Decorating Experience at Amorette’s Patisserie
• Circle of Flavors: Harambe at Night
• Dine with an Animal Specialist
• Dining with an Imagineer – Cítricos
• Dining with an Imagineer – The Hollywood Brown Derby
• Disney Early Morning Magic – Fantasyland
• Epcot Forever Dining Package
• Fantasmic! Dessert & VIP Viewing Experience
• Fantasmic! Dining Package
• Festival of the Lion King Signature Dining Package
• Frozen Ever After Dessert Party
• Highway in the Sky Dine Around
• Jiko Wine Tasting
• Pirates & Pals Fireworks Voyage
• Rivers of Light Dessert Party
• Rivers of Light Dining Package
• Savor the Savanna: Evening Safari Experience
• Sense of Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Signature Celebration at Cinderella’s Royal Table
• Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular Dessert Party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Taste of Magic Kingdom Park VIP Tour
• Tiffins Talks
• Victoria & Albert’s Chef’s Table Dinner
• Wanyama Safari
• Wonderland Tea Party at 1900 Park Fare

“We understand how much excitement, thought and time goes into planning your visits to Walt Disney World Resort and realize some of these changes may be disappointing. Please know we will be here to help you, as our Cast remains focused on delivering magical experiences and incredible storytelling for everyone who visits.”

No reopening dates have been given for these canceled events and tours. Disney will continue to monitor the situation and reopen them when possible.

How Long Will These Changes Last?

Unfortunately, at this time we don’t know how long these changes to dining in Disney World will go on for. At this point, if you want to go to Disney World, you are going to have to follow these new policies and procedures.

These changes will last through the “reopening phase” in Walt Disney World. Just how long of a period the reopening phase is, we still don’t know. It will be however long is necessary according to government and health officials to protect the guests and safely run the parks.

Though we don’t have an exact date when dining in Walt Disney World will go back to normal again, we are already seeing a big change. There are way fewer restrictions on dining and across the parks in general and every month things feel more and more normal. Our guess is some things will continue in the coming months, but that by the end of 2022 most of the restrictions will be gone.

If that doesn’t fit with your idea of a Disney vacation, you will probably want to push your trip off until some of these guidelines are not needed anymore. Check out our post on Visiting Disney World in 2022 vs. 2023 for more information on which is the right decision for you.

Your Thoughts

I want to know what you think about the changes to dining in Disney World…

• Which change affects you the most?
• What has been your experience so far since restaurants reopened?

Let us know in the comments section below!

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