Have heard QS at MK isn’t great- but any standout decent meals?

[disneygirlsng]

I think the food in MK is awesome! Hollywood Studios has, by far, the worst quick service food in WDW. Even things that sound good just are so terrible. I will never eat QS in that park again if I can help it & I'm a passholder, which means I'm eating a pickle & cream cheese pretzel for lunch if I'm there in the middle of the day! A lot of people really like Columbia Harbour House in MK, but my favorite is Sleepy Hollow. Their sweet & spicy chicken waffle sandwich is awesome & enough for DH & I to split (it comes with chips). Add a giant pickle and an apple or some veggies from Liberty Square Market next door (or hummus or babybel cheese or whatever) and it's a great meal! I used to love Casey's Corner but they seem to have gone downhill lately. Luckily, the other spots have stepped up their game. It's definitely no longer a "burger and fries only" world in MK. I think BOG is overrated for lunch. Skipper Canteen is fantastic but it *is* a sit-down restaurant. Honestly even a turkey leg is enough for 2 people to split, especially if you bring or buy some veggies or something to go with it. From my list the things that I truly think are awesome, "I would order this at home" items are the chicken waffle sandwich and anything from Skipper Canteen. However, the rest is more than good enough for me while I'm on the go in Magic Kingdom and I don't feel like wasting valuable park time to sit down & eat. None of those options have let me down like the garbage you'll get in DHS over by TOT/RNRC/ABC Commissary for lunch.
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Curious if you've tried Docking Bay 7 at DHS? The food there is fantastic.

 

[Unlimited N2O]

One place not mentioned yet is Sleepy Hallow. It is a must eat anytime the wife and I go to MK. The nutella and fruit waffle and the chicken waffle sandwich are big enough for breakfast or lunch

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

There's nothing particularly unique at MK. We skip Cosmic Ray's and Pecos--neither is particularly great, both places can be very chaotic, and Ray's was disgustingly dirty last time we ate there. I think of them as comparable to McDonald's/Taco Bell.

Columbia Harbor House is probably my favorite, but the kids prefer Pinocchio Village Haus. Be Our Guest is pretty good but you need a reservation.

You could go to The Wave at Contemporary or Grand Floridian Cafe at Grand Floridian. Lunch at each of those is only slightly more expensive than at MK. But those are table service on the dining plan.

We've reached a point where we almost always take a midday break from the parks. That means we don't eat QS at any of them much anymore, but usually eat at the resort and then hit the pool.

 

[gharter]

Another vote for Columbia harbour House or Pecos Bills. They are our favorite QS at MK. Pinocchio is good for their flat breads. Would skip the rest of the menu.
Not a fan of Cosmic Rays to eat, but do stop to see Sonny Eclipse.

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

Curious if you've tried Docking Bay 7 at DHS? The food there is fantastic.

I have, but the only thing I thought was good was the sausage pita bread taco thing (lol). However, that was during passholder previews so I haven’t tried it since despite being back a couple times. I wasn’t sure if they actually changed the menu, or just the names of everything.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Our go to is Cosmic Rays due to the variety. I like the roasted chicken meal. It’s a pita for single parents with little ones though due to the multiple lines based on food choice. It only works with older kids who can order for themselves or at least 2 adults.

FYI - there are no longer separate lines for different foods. Cosmic Ray’s also takes mobile ordering.

 

[BrianL]

It's not really that the QS in MK is bad, it just doesn't stand out like some places at Epcot or AK do. I've generally always enjoyed my food from Pecos Bill's or Columbia Harbor House, Sleepy Hollow is the closest thing to a stand-out though the food there is kind of snack-ish. Casey's is a solid choice as they usually don't mess up hot dogs. Burgers can be, well, they're fine, just not that great, which is generally true for all QS burgers in the parks. The toppings bars can help fix that up though! I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[disneygirlsng]

I have, but the only thing I thought was good was the sausage pita bread taco thing (lol). However, that was during passholder previews so I haven’t tried it since despite being back a couple times. I wasn’t sure if they actually changed the menu, or just the names of everything.

It was just the names, I looooved all the thing I tried (the chicken, pork ribs, and breakfast platter). But I've also greatly enjoyed all my meals at all the QS at DHS, so it's far from "garbage" for everyone.

 

[OfCourseTheresAlwaysMyWay]

I finally tried Columbia Harbour House my last trip after hearing such good things about it here and on DFB. It was...not good. At all. And I went twice and tried different things both times.

The only place to eat at MK for me is Skipper Canteen.

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

It was just the names, I looooved all the thing I tried (the chicken, pork ribs, and breakfast platter). But I've also greatly enjoyed all my meals at all the QS at DHS, so it's far from "garbage" for everyone.

To each their own! I'm pretty particular with what I eat at Disney, especially when I travel solo. The prices are high enough that if I don't enjoy a meal, especially if I buy something from quick service vs. just eating a sandwich I brought into the park, it burns me a bit.. I've encountered it frequently enough at DHS (where the meal doesn't look anything like the picture, or it's very small for $16, or it's just really bland) that I avoid eating QS there when I can. The reason my friend & I ate in SWGE was because the CM at the entrance told us if we left, we wouldn't be allowed back in, even though we were within our time slot for previews. We heard later (on here) that they let other people leave & come back, but we certainly weren't going to risk it! I really disliked the fried chicken sticks at DB7 but haven't tried the breakfast platter. It does have that same sausage that I liked from the pita/taco, so I'll keep that in mind for 2 weeks from now! Ever since they got rid of Starring Rolls I've been very sad when I need breakfast at DHS.

 

[sharona]

FYI - there are no longer separate lines for different foods. Cosmic Ray’s also takes mobile ordering.

Good to know. It’s been a few years and we’re heading there in a few weeks!

 

[Jennasis]

We LOVE Pecos Bill. I order the bowl (it's not on the menu but you can request it). We also love the spicy chicken waffle sandwich at Sleepy Hollow. I enjoyed the totchos at Friar's Nook too.

 

[2019TripIdeas]

Wow, thanks for all the replies. I appreciate the tips on the spring roll cart and the brocolli at Columbia Harbor House especially. When we were last at Disneyland we actually did get a good meal (I thought) at Tropical Hideaway which is QS but things like bowls and bao buns, etc. We also did a lot of just picking up fruit cups and pickles at the more market type stops along our routes on that trip. I'm thinking Skippers Canteen will go over well with our crew. Otherwise CHH and Sleepy Hollow seem to be the ones to consider.

I'm thinking we need to plan on mobile order for sure with our kids ages (5, 3, 2)- standing in lines when they're hangry seems not the best idea and I read that its frowned upon to grab a table before you have your food (would people be more forgiving of a parent wrangling three kids there while the other parent stood in line, perhaps? Or just don't attempt it?)

We don't typically eat fried food or things like quesadillas/nuggets/fries/burgers and hotdogs, though who knows since it's vacation. In general I think navigating kids menus is something I need to think through. Our kids aren't "picky" (really the opposite I think- they prefer meals that aren't bland) but wouldn't go for the standard kids food that seems to be offered on a lot of them.

My thoughts on fun/interesting at DHS were the Docking Bay and maybe Woody's Lunchbox items- interesting to hear all the feedback there too!

 

[disneygirlsng]

To each their own! I'm pretty particular with what I eat at Disney, especially when I travel solo. The prices are high enough that if I don't enjoy a meal, especially if I buy something from quick service vs. just eating a sandwich I brought into the park, it burns me a bit.. I've encountered it frequently enough at DHS (where the meal doesn't look anything like the picture, or it's very small for $16, or it's just really bland) that I avoid eating QS there when I can. The reason my friend & I ate in SWGE was because the CM at the entrance told us if we left, we wouldn't be allowed back in, even though we were within our time slot for previews. We heard later (on here) that they let other people leave & come back, but we certainly weren't going to risk it! I really disliked the fried chicken sticks at DB7 but haven't tried the breakfast platter. It does have that same sausage that I liked from the pita/taco, so I'll keep that in mind for 2 weeks from now! Ever since they got rid of Starring Rolls I've been very sad when I need breakfast at DHS.

I also loved the breakfast bowl (can't remember the exact name) at Woody's a couple weeks ago!

 

[tguz]

I've loved everything I've had at MK!! Pecos Bill has great tacos and nachos (with an awesome toppings bar), I like the flatbreads at Pinocchio's, had a great burger at Cosmic Ray's a couple weeks ago, always love the hot dogs at Casey's. Then there's BOG though it needs an ADR, but has some great sandwiches. So many delicious options!!

We agree with you 100%! But since you didn't mention the Vegan Burger at Cosmic Ray's, I will say that was the worst item we tried all week. My regular burger was fantastic. My Financee took one bite of her vegan burger and the rest went in the trash (I took a small bite and agreed with her). I think she ended up filling up her popcorn bucket and having that for her meal.

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

I also loved the breakfast bowl (can't remember the exact name) at Woody's a couple weeks ago!

Actually Woody's Lunchbox is the one exception to my "I don't eat QS in DHS" rule, it's really good! I sort of separated it in my mind I guess lol. If only they'd carry the Ace Space Blood Orange Hard Cider from Baseline, it'd be perfect.

 

[BrianL]

When we were last at Disneyland we actually did get a good meal (I thought) at Tropical Hideaway which is QS but things like bowls and bao buns, etc.

Okay, I'm gonna be straight with ya, Disneyland has much better QS quality for the most part than WDW. Tropical Hideway is great - but there's nothing in MK like it. The closest is going to be Satu'li Canteen in AK which is in fact very good. If you're used to eating QS at DLR, temper your expectations and for goodness sake stay away from the pizza! The thread has demonstrated where your good choices will be, and don't get me wrong, there are some, they just aren't mostly at the DLR level!

 

[loves to dive]

We rarely eat QS at MK but when we do it's usually Pecos Bills. If we are at MK around lunch time, we just hop on a boat to one of the MK resorts and eat at their QS locations.

 

[Dean Kennedy]

Have been perusing the boards and it looks like Magic Kingdom just doesn’t have the greatest quick service options. Our kids are young and I don’t want to spend a ton of $ on mediocre food. I know we’ll be in the park at least 2-3 times around lunch and I do have Skippers Canteen booked for an early dinner on one of those days (where I’m assuming we’d skip lunch all together- it’s a 3:50 ADR).

We aren’t huge eaters in terms of volume but we do like quality, flavor and healthy-ish. We’re all pretty adventurous and like spice- at home our favorite restaurants are Oaxacan, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian and my kids will take down some sushi ha!

At other parks and resorts I feel like we’re good- even HS has what looks to be some interesting options. MK I’m stuck though!

If we need to, we can totally snack our way thru the MK days, but I’m curious if anyone has favorite QS meals they think are “worth it”.

Pecos Bills is very good. Theming at SC is awesome and a quick snack from Sleepy Hollow is quick, easy and good. CHH is always very acceptable. Enjoy.

 

[DadofChristaSonofRay]

Columbia Harbor House has never let us down. Cosmic Rays and Casey are good as well. I like Pecos Bills myself but the rest of my crew is big on Taco's etc.