- Mar 13, 2024
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For over a decade, the area currently known as Disney Springs has been home to numerous restaurants and dining spots. However, as far as our experts are concerned, not every eatery is created equal.
That is a MOUTHFUL of a burger
Our experts skip some of these restaurants due to their food, others thanks to tired theming, and a few simply because they can find them at home. Of course, we have to note that taste is subjective. Your go-to Disney Springs eatery may have made the list, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
We’re grouping these two Landry’s-owned restaurants together, since the reasons our experts skip them are pretty much the same. Their internal 90s theme restaurant aesthetic and theming may be fun for kids, but likely feels dated and stale to most tweens and above, unless they’re huge fans of animatronic dinos and animals.
T-Rex Cafe
And to be blunt, nothing on either restaurant’s menu is exactly making up for that.
Rainforest Cafe in Disney Springs
You can also find Rainforest Cafe in a lot of other areas around the US. So, it’s not super unique to Disney.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with Blaze Pizza, but considering the chain is relatively common, our pros recommend skipping it for something a bit more unique while at Disney Springs.
Blaze Pizza
We will say, if you are craving a quick meal and a custom pizza, this is a great option. But again, it doesn’t scream unique or Disney. So if that’s what you’re looking for, you may wanna pass this spot by.
Spicy Pepperoni Pizza
While Terrlina provides a wonderful dining environment — punctuated by the outdoor terrace that looks out onto the water — the restaurant’s menu hasn’t lived up to the setting during several of our visits. Let’s face it, if a burger is beating out two Italian dishes at an Italian restaurant, it’s probably not a good sign.
Terralina Crafted Italian
Sadly, the food here simply doesn’t blow us away, so we opt for restaurants in Disney Springs.
Terralina Crafted
Once the centerpiece of the former Downtown Disney area, Planet Hollywood finds itself stuck in the middle. It’s long-since been stripped of the majority of its whacky ‘90s design elements, replacing them with a modern — arguably bland — design aesthetic meant to appeal to more sophisticated diners at the expense of nostalgic millennial appeal.
Planet Hollywood
However, the restaurant’s menu is a disappointment to said diners, leaving much to be desired for both audiences.
That is a MOUTHFUL of a burger
Much like Blaze, there’s nothing inherently wrong with Häagen-Dazs ice cream. However, it falls victim to the fact that Disney Springs is also home to an outpost of the much more unique — and rarer — Salt & Straw, which offers ice cream as well.
Häagen-Dazs
Paddlefish is housed in one of the oldest structures at Disney Springs, the paddleboat shaped building that was once known as the Empress Lilly, which has held several restaurants over the years. Sadly, the chain’s food hasn’t lived up to the location in the minds of our experts.
Paddlefish
It’s not bad food at all! It’s just not stellar. And Disney Springs has a seriously stellar lineup of food, making it hard to compete.
Crab-topped Fries
We already know this final pick is going to be a bit controversial, but the popular viral chicken joint from celebrity chef Guy Fieri closes out our list, especially after a big chunk of the specialty sauces were removed.
Chicken Guy! Sandwiches
This used to be one of our very top spots, but the removal of so many sauces has caused this restaurant to fall from our must-try list.
While taste is subjective, you won’t find the pros we asked at these Disney Springs dining spots anytime soon. Stay tuned to Magical Guides for more on Disney’s dining options.
What are your Disney Springs go-tos? Let us know in the comments below.
That is a MOUTHFUL of a burger
Our experts skip some of these restaurants due to their food, others thanks to tired theming, and a few simply because they can find them at home. Of course, we have to note that taste is subjective. Your go-to Disney Springs eatery may have made the list, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
T-Rex Cafe and Rainforest Cafe
We’re grouping these two Landry’s-owned restaurants together, since the reasons our experts skip them are pretty much the same. Their internal 90s theme restaurant aesthetic and theming may be fun for kids, but likely feels dated and stale to most tweens and above, unless they’re huge fans of animatronic dinos and animals.
T-Rex Cafe
And to be blunt, nothing on either restaurant’s menu is exactly making up for that.
Rainforest Cafe in Disney Springs
You can also find Rainforest Cafe in a lot of other areas around the US. So, it’s not super unique to Disney.
Blaze Pizza
There’s nothing inherently wrong with Blaze Pizza, but considering the chain is relatively common, our pros recommend skipping it for something a bit more unique while at Disney Springs.
Blaze Pizza
We will say, if you are craving a quick meal and a custom pizza, this is a great option. But again, it doesn’t scream unique or Disney. So if that’s what you’re looking for, you may wanna pass this spot by.
Spicy Pepperoni Pizza
Terralina
While Terrlina provides a wonderful dining environment — punctuated by the outdoor terrace that looks out onto the water — the restaurant’s menu hasn’t lived up to the setting during several of our visits. Let’s face it, if a burger is beating out two Italian dishes at an Italian restaurant, it’s probably not a good sign.
Terralina Crafted Italian
Sadly, the food here simply doesn’t blow us away, so we opt for restaurants in Disney Springs.
Terralina Crafted
Planet Hollywood
Once the centerpiece of the former Downtown Disney area, Planet Hollywood finds itself stuck in the middle. It’s long-since been stripped of the majority of its whacky ‘90s design elements, replacing them with a modern — arguably bland — design aesthetic meant to appeal to more sophisticated diners at the expense of nostalgic millennial appeal.
Planet Hollywood
However, the restaurant’s menu is a disappointment to said diners, leaving much to be desired for both audiences.
That is a MOUTHFUL of a burger
Häagen-Dazs
Much like Blaze, there’s nothing inherently wrong with Häagen-Dazs ice cream. However, it falls victim to the fact that Disney Springs is also home to an outpost of the much more unique — and rarer — Salt & Straw, which offers ice cream as well.
Häagen-Dazs
Paddlefish
Paddlefish is housed in one of the oldest structures at Disney Springs, the paddleboat shaped building that was once known as the Empress Lilly, which has held several restaurants over the years. Sadly, the chain’s food hasn’t lived up to the location in the minds of our experts.
Paddlefish
It’s not bad food at all! It’s just not stellar. And Disney Springs has a seriously stellar lineup of food, making it hard to compete.
Crab-topped Fries
Chicken Guy!
We already know this final pick is going to be a bit controversial, but the popular viral chicken joint from celebrity chef Guy Fieri closes out our list, especially after a big chunk of the specialty sauces were removed.
Chicken Guy! Sandwiches
This used to be one of our very top spots, but the removal of so many sauces has caused this restaurant to fall from our must-try list.
While taste is subjective, you won’t find the pros we asked at these Disney Springs dining spots anytime soon. Stay tuned to Magical Guides for more on Disney’s dining options.
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What are your Disney Springs go-tos? Let us know in the comments below.
