- Mar 13, 2024
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You know, here at Magical Guides, we always say that Disney World is constantly changing, and the restaurants that make up the dining at Disney are no different.
PizzeRizzo
We review all of the Disney World restaurants for you to decide what is worth your time and money while you are on vacation. However, sometimes we have to say goodbye to a restaurant to make way for more exciting things that are to come. Here are 11 Disney restaurants that had to close permanently.
This feels a little too close to home, as this restaurant just recently closed for good, but nevertheless, it is closed permanently. Over in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the opening day eatery Restaurantosaurus was once home to one of Disney World’s McDonald’s locations. This restaurant was set up as a mess hall for the Dino Institute interns and served burgers, chicken tenders, and more traditional American fare. The restaurant closed on February 2nd, 2026, to make way for the upcoming Pueblo Esperanza– Tropical Americas. This location is set to become a large hacienda that will also serve as one of the largest quick-service restaurants at Disney World. In the meantime, you can find a similar menu to Restaurantosaurus at Harambe Market.
Restaurantosaurus
Speaking of DinoLand U.S.A., Dino-Bite Snacks permanently closed on October 20th, 2025, to accommodate construction for a new land in Animal Kingdom: The Tropical Americas — Pueblo Esperanza. This place was loved for its scooped ice cream and ice cream sandwiches! Guests can find soft-serve ice cream treats at Tamu Tamu Refreshments and the Anandapur Ice Cream Truck. Oh, and there’s a new ice cream sandwich over at Terra Treats!
Spiced Molasses Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
Mama Melrose’s was an Italian table service restaurant in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Located in Muppet’s Courtyard, this restaurant was inconsistent, sometimes great, and sometimes left much to be desired. It’s a bit expensive for what you get. It closed in June 2025 when most of Muppet’s Courtyard closed. Mama Melrose’s served Hollywood Studios for over 30 years before it was closed as part of the preparation for the upcoming Monstropolis area.
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano
PizzeRizzo, formerly the Pizza Planet restaurant, which opened in 2016. It served quick-service pizza, meatball subs, and salads. While the food was… not a strong suit (it was Rat Pizza after all), the eatery did develop a fanbase thanks to its elements of Muppet-theming, including the upstairs banquet hall. Like Mama Melrose’s, PizzeRizzo closed in 2025 as part of the Monsters, Inc. project.
PizzeRizzo
If you’re thinking, “I’ve never heard of this place!” then you’re not alone. Over in the Magic Kingdom, Aunt Polly’s Dockside Inn also closed permanently in July 2025. While some may not have noticed the quick service eatery closed as the Tom Sawyer location was only operational seasonally, those who frequented it will miss its quick service fare like BBQ sandwich biscuits, pretzel sticks, pb&j, and a Mississippi Mud Pie, all downed with a root beer float! Aunt Polly’s closed with the rest of the island in preparation for Piston Peak construction, which will become Disney World’s Cars-themed area.
Aunt Polly’s on Tom Sawyer Island
Trilo-Bites was a snack stand that sat right outside of DinoLand. Here lived our beloved Buffalo Chicken Chips, which have been moved (and modified) to Eight Spoon Cafe. The location permanently closed on October 20th, 2025, to make way for the new land as well.
We miss you, OG Buffalo Chicken Chips
This one was a tough loss for many Disney fans. The Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort was a long-running luau experience featuring live entertainment, Polynesian cuisine, and fire dancing. It was a unique offering that brought a little bit of island magic to Disney World. Unfortunately, it was permanently closed in 2022 to make way for the new Island Tower at the Polynesian. While we did get Wailulu Bar & Grill, the loss of this experience still lives on.
Spirit of Aloha
Over at Disney’s Boardwalk, Big River Grille & Brewing Works was one of the few spots in Disney World where you could get house-brewed beer with your meal. It was a more casual dining option that flew under the radar for many guests, but those who knew about it enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and solid menu. However, it suddenly closed its doors permanently on January 22, 2024. This building still sits empty to this day, two years later
Big River Grille
If you ever found yourself on Disney’s BoardWalk looking for a place to catch your favorite team playing, chances are you ended up at the ESPN Club. This spot was a staple for sports fans, serving up classic pub food with plenty of TVs so you’d never miss a play. However, the ESPN Club closed permanently, and in its place, we got something that we love, the Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers. This restaurant is all about elegant decor, Instagram-worthy desserts, and a more refined dining experience. There are still several places to go to watch sports while at Disney World, like CityWorks Eatery & Pour House or several lounges around the Disney resorts.
ESPN Club
EPCOT’s Japan Pavilion has always been a fantastic spot for unique dining, and Tokyo Dining was a go-to for sushi and tempura lovers. The restaurant had an elegant yet casual feel, making it a great option for those looking for a high-quality meal without a signature dining price tag. While Tokyo Dining has closed permanently, it has been replaced by Shiki Sai: Sushi Izakaya, which brings a new take on Japanese cuisine to EPCOT.
Tokyo Dining
At Disney World’s Dolphin Resort, Shula’s Steak House, named after the location’s original owner and American football great, the late Don Shula, closed in June 2025. We loved this restaurant for its large portions and delicious food. While it did close, another Steak House took its place, Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina.
Shula’s Steakhouse
There is a lot of news coming out of Disney World right now, and the Magical Guides team is here to cover it all. Be sure to stay tuned to DisneyFoodBlog for more stories and news.
Which of these restaurants would you love to see come back? Tell us in the comments!
PizzeRizzo
We review all of the Disney World restaurants for you to decide what is worth your time and money while you are on vacation. However, sometimes we have to say goodbye to a restaurant to make way for more exciting things that are to come. Here are 11 Disney restaurants that had to close permanently.
Restaurantosaurus
This feels a little too close to home, as this restaurant just recently closed for good, but nevertheless, it is closed permanently. Over in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the opening day eatery Restaurantosaurus was once home to one of Disney World’s McDonald’s locations. This restaurant was set up as a mess hall for the Dino Institute interns and served burgers, chicken tenders, and more traditional American fare. The restaurant closed on February 2nd, 2026, to make way for the upcoming Pueblo Esperanza– Tropical Americas. This location is set to become a large hacienda that will also serve as one of the largest quick-service restaurants at Disney World. In the meantime, you can find a similar menu to Restaurantosaurus at Harambe Market.
Restaurantosaurus
Dino-Bite Snacks
Speaking of DinoLand U.S.A., Dino-Bite Snacks permanently closed on October 20th, 2025, to accommodate construction for a new land in Animal Kingdom: The Tropical Americas — Pueblo Esperanza. This place was loved for its scooped ice cream and ice cream sandwiches! Guests can find soft-serve ice cream treats at Tamu Tamu Refreshments and the Anandapur Ice Cream Truck. Oh, and there’s a new ice cream sandwich over at Terra Treats!
Spiced Molasses Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano
Mama Melrose’s was an Italian table service restaurant in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Located in Muppet’s Courtyard, this restaurant was inconsistent, sometimes great, and sometimes left much to be desired. It’s a bit expensive for what you get. It closed in June 2025 when most of Muppet’s Courtyard closed. Mama Melrose’s served Hollywood Studios for over 30 years before it was closed as part of the preparation for the upcoming Monstropolis area.
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano
PizzeRizzo
PizzeRizzo, formerly the Pizza Planet restaurant, which opened in 2016. It served quick-service pizza, meatball subs, and salads. While the food was… not a strong suit (it was Rat Pizza after all), the eatery did develop a fanbase thanks to its elements of Muppet-theming, including the upstairs banquet hall. Like Mama Melrose’s, PizzeRizzo closed in 2025 as part of the Monsters, Inc. project.
PizzeRizzo
Aunt Polly’s Dockside Inn
If you’re thinking, “I’ve never heard of this place!” then you’re not alone. Over in the Magic Kingdom, Aunt Polly’s Dockside Inn also closed permanently in July 2025. While some may not have noticed the quick service eatery closed as the Tom Sawyer location was only operational seasonally, those who frequented it will miss its quick service fare like BBQ sandwich biscuits, pretzel sticks, pb&j, and a Mississippi Mud Pie, all downed with a root beer float! Aunt Polly’s closed with the rest of the island in preparation for Piston Peak construction, which will become Disney World’s Cars-themed area.
Aunt Polly’s on Tom Sawyer Island
Trilo-Bites
Trilo-Bites was a snack stand that sat right outside of DinoLand. Here lived our beloved Buffalo Chicken Chips, which have been moved (and modified) to Eight Spoon Cafe. The location permanently closed on October 20th, 2025, to make way for the new land as well.
We miss you, OG Buffalo Chicken Chips
Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show
This one was a tough loss for many Disney fans. The Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort was a long-running luau experience featuring live entertainment, Polynesian cuisine, and fire dancing. It was a unique offering that brought a little bit of island magic to Disney World. Unfortunately, it was permanently closed in 2022 to make way for the new Island Tower at the Polynesian. While we did get Wailulu Bar & Grill, the loss of this experience still lives on.
Spirit of Aloha
Big River Grille & Brewing Works
Over at Disney’s Boardwalk, Big River Grille & Brewing Works was one of the few spots in Disney World where you could get house-brewed beer with your meal. It was a more casual dining option that flew under the radar for many guests, but those who knew about it enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and solid menu. However, it suddenly closed its doors permanently on January 22, 2024. This building still sits empty to this day, two years later
Big River Grille
ESPN Club
If you ever found yourself on Disney’s BoardWalk looking for a place to catch your favorite team playing, chances are you ended up at the ESPN Club. This spot was a staple for sports fans, serving up classic pub food with plenty of TVs so you’d never miss a play. However, the ESPN Club closed permanently, and in its place, we got something that we love, the Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers. This restaurant is all about elegant decor, Instagram-worthy desserts, and a more refined dining experience. There are still several places to go to watch sports while at Disney World, like CityWorks Eatery & Pour House or several lounges around the Disney resorts.
ESPN Club
Tokyo Dining
EPCOT’s Japan Pavilion has always been a fantastic spot for unique dining, and Tokyo Dining was a go-to for sushi and tempura lovers. The restaurant had an elegant yet casual feel, making it a great option for those looking for a high-quality meal without a signature dining price tag. While Tokyo Dining has closed permanently, it has been replaced by Shiki Sai: Sushi Izakaya, which brings a new take on Japanese cuisine to EPCOT.
Tokyo Dining
Shula’s Steak House
At Disney World’s Dolphin Resort, Shula’s Steak House, named after the location’s original owner and American football great, the late Don Shula, closed in June 2025. We loved this restaurant for its large portions and delicious food. While it did close, another Steak House took its place, Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina.
Shula’s Steakhouse
There is a lot of news coming out of Disney World right now, and the Magical Guides team is here to cover it all. Be sure to stay tuned to DisneyFoodBlog for more stories and news.
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Which of these restaurants would you love to see come back? Tell us in the comments!
