Ranking EVERY Restaurant in Disney's BEST "Park" -- Disney Springs 

I love that at 8:55 she calls it Downtown Disney. I catch myself still calling it Downtown Disney from time to time. 🙂

Raglan Road, Jock Lindseys and Earl of Sandwich have all treated me right when I've gone! Excited to try Homecomin' and The Polite Pig next time I go.

Planet Hollywood has really gone downhill over the years. I’d say it all started with the renovation that removed the planet paintjob on the dome’s exterior

Very well remember the Empress Lilly riverboat (Paddle Fish) and the area was called the Disney Village Marketplace at Lake Buena Vista. Ate there many times.

Have to admit, I pretty much agree with all of this! Got to try Eet a few days after it opened and LOVED it! I do like spicy food tho.

Yes - the boat used to be the Empress Lily!

Polite pig very good I was with my son and daughter and they picky in a simple food kind of way…really enjoyed it 😊

we just got homecoming reservations and I felt like I had made AJ proud

I'm old enough to remember when the ship was the Empress Lily and the most premium sit down was the Empress Room. Dined there MANY times on the Walt Disney World Gold Key plan. Yeah. THAT old!!

Last trip, we went to Jaleo. Best meal we have had in decades. The paella was unforgettable!

Terralina Italian restaurant was a HUGE disappointment. High-end prices, extremely LOW-END food quality. I was there with 2 adult sons. We each tried a different entree. They didn’t care much for theirs, and mine was basically not edible! I thought I couldn’t go wrong ordering spaghetti and meatballs. The spaghetti itself was perfectly cooked, al dente. BUT the sauce was flavorless unless you count the off-taste that made me suspect I was being poisoned. At first I couldn’t wait to dig into the giant meatballs …. But alas, they too were flavorless! They had a weird heavy and dry texture and no taste whatsoever! My sons tried them and agreed with my assessment. How AJ or anyone could say this is a better Italian restaurant in Disney Springs is unfathomable. One of the worst restaurants of ANY style, anywhere!

Although I like Raglan Road, I would put Jaleo and Wine Bar George ahead of it. Jaleo is also great for a late lunch with Tapas, and maybe a frozen sangria, yummy on a hot day. What put Wine Bar George above Raglan Road also is George walking around. The Burratta and Meatball dish is top notch. And the staff is very good with giving wine pairings. They treat wine like food.

The Ramen at Morimoto street food is fantastic! Now I’m kicking myself for not eating at chicken guys! Chicken strips and Mac and cheese with dozens of sauces is a win!

I just came back from Disney last Friday and I tried Earl of Sandwich for the first time and it was actually really good

Ok, so I wrestled with the thought of commenting on this one, but decided to share my experience in the end. Jaleo by Jose Andres was not just a disappointment but the absolute worst experience I have had since my sister-in-law ate at Rainforest in Springs and quickly ran to the bathroom as she got sick from the food. My wife and I decided to eat at Jaleo as we heard so many people raving about it. However, food was slow coming out (especially considering there wasn't hardly anyone in there), then the food was lukewarm to cold, silverware was dirty, and I had two long curly hairs in my meal. I refused to eat anything else and my wife was pretty much done as well. When the waitress came back to the table and noticed we weren't eating, I explained what the problem was and they asked if I would like a new plate. I politely refused and was prepared to pay for the drinks since we did actually drink while sitting there. A manager came over and asked if there was something wrong. I explained and was met with a barrage of questions about my service, the food, if I wanted a free dessert, or a free coffee, etc. I continuously stated that I was good and just wanted the check. Again, the manager practically begged me to take a free dessert and I repeatedly declined. The kicker was the bill came and every item we ordered was still on the check. Yeah, shocker. The customer service was not there and since it was obvious we didn't eat, and the hairs were in plain sight on the plate, neither of which matched my hair or my wife's, I would think the least the manager would do is deduct all food from the bill, and either allow me to pay for the drinks or even comp the drinks and apologize for the issu. Nope, paid for the whole bill and was desperate to leave. I will never again set foot back in Jaleo. Just my 2 cents.

How Raglan Road beat Wine Bar George and Morimoto Asia is insane!! Did they sponsor the video? lol 😂

We come down a few times a year and go to Raglan every time!

Nice to see The Edison rated so highly! I love the 1920s/Industrial theming and the live music, it’s a must do for me ❤

Have you guys ever done a video ranking spots to go to for Brunch? If not, thats a video id love to watch!

Had a real rough time at Homecoming when I went. We had a reservation and they were so swamped that they sat us over an hour late, then took so long to get our food that half our party had to bail to catch their flight.

Disney Springs is very close to being Disney's fifth gate. Good food, interactive elements, attractions, shopping, photo options, and holiday scavenger hunts, the only thing missing is some characters (which DS does sometimes).

Thank you for the heads up! IMHO, Chicken Guy! was only “meh” and the most interesting part was that 22 sauces. Now I know not to let my “picky eater” convince me to go there again. We’ll find better food for him!

This was super helpful, even as an annual passholder I learned some things I didn’t know! I’ll give my two cents of some places if anyone’s interested. For reference I’m a bit more picky than your average person, I’ve been to a bunch of these places but not all and I am not rich lol so I appreciate a budget Disney meal. Table service: -Rainforest Cafe! The Disney Springs Rainforest Cafe is better than other locations I’ve been to and they have some exclusive items. I really enjoyed my whole meal there last time, surprising I know. -Splitsville! Super underrated I love their sushi and their appetizers, plus inside seating and it’s never been too crowded. -STK! Now I haven’t actually been to STK but I won’t be going because I’ve heard nothing but bad things. Wildly overpriced, very subpar food and a very loud atmosphere even outside. -Jock Lindsey’s Hanger Bar! Went here for the holiday overlay and absolutely loved it! The food was phenomenal and the Xmas decor was adorable. -Boathouse! Always great food, but always crowded and pricey. They had dueling pianos last time I went which was fun. -Wine Bar George! It’s been a while since I went here but I really liked it and the staff is very kind and helpful. George himself is almost always there too. -Raglan Road! It is truly phenomenal! Loveeee the chicken lollipops. The dancers and music is really cool but very loud and this place is always packed. -Homecomin’! I think it’s way overhyped. Maybe I need to give it another try. It was good but definitely not mind blowing and was pricey for what you get. (see my comment on Everglazed) Quick service: -Amorette’s! It was a pre-made sandwich, a little too cold (from being in a fridge) BUT I loved the sandwich I got. It was a caprese sandwich but sadly I don’t think they have it anymore. The bread was fancy and delicious! -YeSake! I really liked the bao buns, wish there was more seating nearby. -Everglazed! Super underrated savory food here! They’re owned by the Homecomin’ people so their chicken sandwich is the same chicken you get from Homecomin’ but honestly I think Everglazed chicken sandwich is way better and much cheaper. It’s a staple Disney Springs eat for me. Also try the grilled cheese on a donut, I know it sounds weird but it’s delicious. The donuts are very good but don’t get one with cereal on it unless you go first thing in the morning because the cereal gets really stale and gross throughout the day. -Blaze! The Disney Springs location is far better than the other Blaze locations I’ve been to. Very good but always crowded with a long line. -Pizza Ponte! A basic but good large slice of a pizza. Hits the spot. -The Daily Poutine! Their Korean barbecue poutine was a 10/10 highly recommend. -4 Rivers food truck! Fantastic flavorful food for a good price and quick. No place to eat inside but it’s always good. -Mac & Cheese food truck! I haven’t seen it in a while but if you do see it, it’s amazing and one portion is enough for two people. Some of a my favorite mac and cheese, love the bbq brisket one. -D Luxe Burger! A great burger, good sauces, not too pricey, would recommend. -Chicken Guy! Love their food, disappointed that they got rid of more than half of their sauces, all the best ones are gone. The chicken and fries have sugar on them so they are extra good. Again, this location is superior to their other location that I’ve been to. -Earl Of Sandwich! Love this place! Always good and I think it’s the cheapest meal I can get at Disney Springs. I love the Thanksgiving dinner sandwich. Always crowded here though. +Remember to always ask if they do annual passholder or DVC discounts because some places do and some don’t. I’m looking forward to trying The Polite Pig (I thought it was a sit down place), Morimoto Asia, Summer House and Eet. Hope this helped someone. :)

While ranking videos are always subjective, this video warms my heart....by far, our 2 fav sit-down restaurants at Disney Springs are Raglan Road, and Chef Art Smith's!!!! This video just reinforces my opinion!!!

You should do a video on best places to eat for non-American (more specifically European) guests to Disney! Some cuisines like Mexican or hibachi grill may be harder for them to get at home, so more adventurous eaters might want to check them out. Conversely, familiar tastes for American palates might be more unusual for them.

Yes! We did a character breakfast at the paddlefish boat. 32 years ago! I still have a picture of my daughter at three years old, wearing her Donald Duck hat and posing with Donald Duck from that day sitting at my desk at work.

Great vlog! AJ you crack me up. I enjoy watching your vlogs everyday and smile/laugh the whole time.

Please do a ranking video for the bakeries/dessert places in Disney Springs because that is 100% the info I need to know!

With these ranking videos, how do you get the numbers? Is it just a random number or is it adding up criteria? If it's the later, what is the criteria you're ranking. Just curious how you get the ranking. Our first trip to WDW we didn't even make it to Disney Springs, now after watching this I want to try a year worth of dining in what might be one day on our next trip.

I am loving these restaurant ranking videos! ❤ The boathouse is totally overrated, imo. The outside seating is really pretty at night but it’s super expensive and the food is just average.

Y’all gotta stop lying to people about chicken guy. That place is TRASH

Always visit Wine Bar George. We’ve never had a bad experience with the wines or the food.

We love your video's, you have helped us plan several trips now {as we are based in the UK). You have even inspired us to start our own You Tube channel. Thank you so much, Dorset To Disney

I watched the whole video. 😊 It was great. Thanks for putting in the time to do it.

Art Smiths is a restaurant my husband and I never miss going to. The food is great.For quick service, Earl of sandwich is very good.

AJ you are an alcoholic every restaurant in the top five are bar restaurants lmao

freaky at 40:40 lacking at 40:41 on goodness.

Went to the boathouse for our honeymoon. One of the best steaks I’ve had the pleasure of eating

I am not a new cruiser but I am excited for Utopia short cruises! It is a fantastic add on, Disney already does it. But it can be great for people like me that can only devote so much of our PTO to cruising but want a shiny new ship, especially those of us that are only a 2-3 hour flight. I hated Freedom of the Seas, I don’t want to go on a ship with ugly patterned curtains from the 2000s. I really wish they would amplify the staterooms along with the common areas.

i would rather find a street vendor than pay 20 dollars for one person's tacos - edit: thank you for also being objective on non-white ethnicities’ food because we really hate being boxed into "adventurous" and then get low ratings because people can’t handle some spice or flavour other than salt. Thank you for trying to warn those with food sensitivities and neurodivergent people who have food sensory issues as well!

If you love seafood, the Boat House is fabulous!

I remember when Paddlefish was the Empress Lily. We went there back in 1985 when we went to WDW when I was 5 years old, and we went to the character breakfast at Empress Lily.

Great video as always! Can’t wait for an Animal Kingdom oriented one and as well, if you wish to rank every Disney restaurant and quick service that is NOT at a park or Disney Springs, that would be cool too! A lot of my fav restaurants at Disney are not at the parks and some aren’t even at Springs. Talking about like BOMA or Ohana’ and even the ones at the Four Seasons and Swan & Dolphin! I challenge and welcome yall to do a video on all of those!

My daughter took us to cookes of dublin and we loved it. Raglan is our favorite though.

DFB Guide is the tha #1 Stunna, da dun-dunnah

Great vlog! Glad u did disney springs, thank u 😊

Me: Oh hey, we ended up at Paradiso 37 when we went because we didn't think ahead to make a reservation, and they only had a 20 minute wait. Hopefully it's not that bad on the list. DFB: Basically the dine-in option at the movie theater is the only worse option on the list out of everything else available. Me: Yeah, okay, that's...yeah.

I remember "Paddlefish" when it was an oyster bar

Thank you. You know for what. 😊

FYI WDI has very little to do with the individual restaurant design and backstory as of nearly all of these locations are Operating Participants (“OPs” i.e. tenants leasing space from Disney). So saying the “Imagineering” is a pro/con isn’t accurate. The property has an art director that consults / collaborates on design to some extent, but WDI isn’t the creative engine behind the restaurant’s design and storyline.

Love the video! Thank you so much!

"Not a lot for plant-based eaters" made the cons list for a few of these. Does that mean all of the other ones do have a lot of plant-based options?

I have been to Paradiso 4 times and their service is ....not good. It didn't depend if it was busy or dead. Twice the server forgot we were there. the last two times we were 1 of 4 or 5 tables seated (we went between 2-4pm) and waited the better part of an hour. Not sure what the management issue is. Once we were the only table in the entire section and our appetizers came after our entrees. Splitsville is great though. It is a go-to for our family when we go. It should be listed higher

ummmm, springs IS a park. if you gotta go through security to get in, and there's live entertainment, food, scavenger hunts, photopass locations, and rides, it's a park. my favorite park. and, is it ok, if i remember when paddlefish was the Empress Lilly, before it was a character restaurant? you know, when there were villas, across the water?

Paddlefish has amazing seafood & rooftop bar views! Enjoy fresh catches & cool vibes.

I went to Wine Bar George (brunch) and Chicken Guy during my recent trip. They were both so good! The Chicken Guy tenders had a good balance of crust and tenderness and the sauces I tried were tasty. Wine Bar George was casual but elevated. I had the burrata and it was one of the best meals I had on my trip. So fresh and good mix of textures and flavors

I worked at dluxe burger and amorettes so I may be biased lol!

"co see nuh", not "co chee nuh" 🤐

Could you do where to eat if you can’t eat wheat.

Frontera suffers from Location so badly, on the other side of the bridge from the majority of the other restaurants, essentially in the shopping district, Exceptional Food. The Edison is fun and the food is really good, DFB is flat out wrong, The Blackened Salmon and Vegetables is a meal fit for a King. Top 5 of Mine. Morimoto Asia is Outstanding, the food is great, the atmosphere is great, as a fan of Iron Chef i left satisfied every time. Top 3 of Mine. Farm to Fork, everyone really loved our one meal there, sadly i got sick that night which sucked because it sure was good. I will try again but no chicken fried steak for me. "The Earl" what can you say about the Earl of Sandwich, we dont have them here (because Minnesota cant have anything nice) so its still special to us. Top 5 of Mine "Oinkage".The Polite Pig. Easily #1 on my list. I Love BBQ, and this is Top Quality BBQ, easily surpassing or on par with the best BBQ places in the world. It is our first restaurant stop every single trip down to WDW, and we always start with butchers board that first night, its almost tradition. If you love BBQ, really good BBQ, you will return time after time to The Polite Pig. Trying The Ravenous Pig in Winter garden next time down, really excited. The last Top 5 for me is The Ganachery. First, Chocolate is Food!, and if you dont think chocolate can be a meal than you haven't been to The Ganachery.

Wifey and I live 10 minutes away and the rankings are very accurate. AJ is right about prices; we wish they were cheaper but we thank al tourists for their contributions. We drive there not knowing where we will eat, but know we will get a lot of options with great food.

First time going to Disney this june! super excited!! one thing though i have extra money left on my disney gc and i wanted to know which restaurant accepts the DGC for dining.. ty

Since DFB finally rated Universal Orlando, how about CityWalk restaurants?

So many mentions of “not ideal for kids” as a negative. Lets me know which restaurants to go to.

Can you pleeaaaaseee do it for Disneyland Paris? Plssss😭🤣

Polite Pig is the best. I go there every time.

What are ways Disney can bring back the magic that's been gone from Disney?

Hello AJ and the rest of the team, as always you guys are spot on. I'd like to add my two cents for STK, pricing for a party of four typically runs around 600 to $800 for dinner. I just can't recommend STK under any circumstance. It is disturbingly expensive. And the quality of food is not much better than golden corral.

Coming from a family that loves spice and doesn’t mind paying for a good meal; Frontera Cocina is 1000/10, and so underrated!!! We went every single night on our last trip because it was that good. No wait, not crowded, stunning water views and the service is always top notch. You can always ask for the salsas on the side. ALSO the desserts are amazing too! 😊

I agree with every single placement on this list, except for eet. I spent over $100 for two people (yes, it's that expensive), and the food was horrible. For an Indian chef, this did not turn out. The mixture of ingredients was downright odd, for the tradition, and it didn't taste fresh at all. WP Express was far, far better, but, oh well. Life goes on.

Quick service @ 40:22

If you're from the South, you know Homecomin is not Southern food... We actually season our food and make our biscuits from scratch.

We did the Amphicar with my dad for his birthday. It was not cheap, but worth doing once, and what do I get a guy who has everything for his birthday? How about a car - boat ride! Note they are small old Italian jalopies, so they don't fit "a boat-load" so to speak. It was Dad, me, and two kids ages 6 and 8, and the driver-skipper, and that is all that fits. We brought a selfie stick for the ride for a great picture.

I will never spend my own money on polite pig again. I ate there in 18 and me and my sister both got the same thing which I believe was the brisket and I had tried many different things on it and I tried the other things on the plate and it was terrible and I love bbq and my whole family didn’t like it the only thing good there was the pop that was made by coke. My dad looked up the reviews later that day and a few days after and most of them said the same thing that it was very bad and to also prove how bad it was there was not much of a wait to order there on a Saturday at noon when it was very busy at Disney springs and we saw a few other quick services that were extremely long line. I had to go to another quick service which I believe was earl of sandwich and get a sandwich there because I was so hungry and discussed by polite pig and I couldn’t eat it so I had to sit there hungry and wait for my family to be done so me and my sister could get good food

Trex and rainforest cafe are our family favorites!!

Raglan Road, homecoming and polite pig are my top 3. Raglan road will always be my go to

Raglan Road was not good when we went. Bland and too loud. Also too expensive. I would not go back or recommend.

Is there beignets that are sold anywhere in Disney springs? Going to Orlando in a month but not going into the park. Craving beignets

I had Blaze Pizaa (a couple of years before my Disney vacation) from Charlottetown, Prince Edwarad Island, Canada, the only one inteh Maritimes of Atlant Canada, good for 3 meals. Polite Pig may be good, but I didn't expect to betoo much food for a combo. I also had chicken tenders at Chicken Guy (no need sauce). Earl of Snadwich fo rjsut a drink to wash down from a free cupcake for my 50th birthday (that should've also be on the list for treats and desserts) at Sprinkles. That cupcake I had was chocolate with vanilla frost/icing like snow and chocolate sprinles. (Was that like inpsired by the Frozen sisters?). M&Ms and Coca Cola shop were other treats (to name a few) for another topic.

Cmon, you wouldnt grab more than 5-6 diff sauces at chicken guy at any time

Paddlefish looks like it's going to sail away while you're eating LOL!

Boathouse, WineBar George and Morimoto are the top 3. What is DFB thinking? Raglan and Homecoming is all fried food. We go alot and with friends and family all the time. Not one of our family or friends have Jock, Homecoming or Raglan as a top 5. Plz don't listen to this list. Remember she loves plastic cheese. Need we say more

Enzo's Hideaway is worlds better than Maria & Enzo's and deserves a higher ranking IMO. We did not find it terribly expensive, and the Nonna's pasta was outstanding (coming from an Italian American). Terralina is also def NOT better; it's a Disney Springs Olive Garden. That's the only ranking here I really disagree with... well except Art Smith, which I'm stunned lands where it did. It was one of the WORST meals I've had at Disney Springs and EASILY had the absolute worst mac and cheese (seemed reheated; it was separated and dripping with oil) that I've ever had in my life. So.. those two. Oh and yes, I do remember Paddlefish as 'The Empress Lily' :)

Had Homecoming reservations as per your recommendation. 1. Probably some of the best American style fried chicken I have ever eaten. However, clearly lags behind Korean Fried Chicken. 2. Cheese drop biscuits. These turned out to be scones!! I feel cheated because I can get these at every Tim Horton's back home. I was under the impression I would get original Florida cuisine here. Missed the mark 7/10. The quality of the food was good.

What would you recommend for a more intimate date night?

Wolfgang Pucks takes my top place and has for a long time. Most of the US chains in Disney Springs haven’t made it over the pond yet, so it’s all different to me, but the means I do have an endless supply of Jammie Dodgers while I watch

Earl of Sandwich and Chicken Guy are my bottom two for Springs and they're in your Top 5?!? "Gross" is the first word that comes to mind for both. Don't waste your money at either, people!

Great video as usual! I'm about to do my 5th Disney World trip this May and will go to many of these places. Quick question.... of course we tip for full service restaurants and bar service. Do we tip for food from quick counter service attached to these restaurants as well? If yes, how much? At a restaurant, our server spends over an hour with us and we give 20% +/-. At counter service we spend 45 seconds with the cashier, so I wasn't sure how much to tip, if any?

I ate at AMC in December, and it was really good!! Expensive yes, but the food was good... no, its not gourmet or anything like that, that's for sure, but my burger and FF were good and enjoyed it with the movie! Great concept also! Wish there was something like this where I live! Now as far as Rainforest Cafe, eating there in June, that food was really bad!!! The only pro in my opinion is if you have kids that like that... food is really bad! I was at the Edison in Sept of 2023, and it took them 4 times to get a medium burger cooked to medium, and that was for me and my party (5 people).. by the 4th time, we were so hungry, we just ate what they gave us, and the food wasn't seasoned at all, and all the tables around us seemed to have problems with their food also... servers were taking plates back the whole time we were there.. probably won't be back anytime soon!

Enjoyed the vid, breaks my heart to not see Bongos on this list tho.

Have only been to - and LOVED - Wine Bar George, Raglan Road, and The Boathouse. All excellent. I also love seafood (and meat and everything, I'm a major foodie), so I get where AJ says to not hit The Boathouse if you don't like fish. Their fish (including the raw bar) is outstanding, but why go there for a piece of meat when you're getting quality seafood, you could get meat anywhere else. I often joke that I will order a seafood dish at a steakhouse way before I'd ever order a meat dish at a seafood restaurant.

I don’t understand how DFB and other bloggers have said that Homecomin’ is number one. Homecomin’ was the most mediocre fried chicken I have ever had. The sides were also extremely mediocre. I’ve had better friend chicken from a grocery store.

I don't really understand the comment about Paddlefish if you don't like seafood...they have several "land" options.

Earl of Sandwich, Paradiso 37, and House of Blues has always been our go to places to eat when we are there. We tried Homecoming last November and we loved it. We are going next week and we will hit all of these again. Going to watch this and find something else new to try!

These rankings are helpful but it would be nice if they put the dollar sign marker to know how “affordable” or “eeexpensive” without having to look up each ones menu

Paddlefish...aka Fulton's? Ya, 2008 had dinner here one night with the family (when kids were 3 & 8). Best part of the meal was seeing a shuttle launch in the distance! 😁 Ate here a few times and food never stood out.

Can you make similar rankings for the restaurants at Downtown Disney in California as well as Universal CityWalk in both Hollywood and Orlando?

I never really know the place you are talking about. Maybe the name of the place your talking about in the top left hand corner? I've never been to some of these places so remembering all the names are difficult.

AJ! You forgot to mention the BEST thing about Flame Tree! It's the entertaining DJ across the way! We have made SO many memories dancing/eating/drinking in this little area. ❤️

Homecomin is so overrated. I ate there and the fried chicken tasted stale, the mac and cheese had so few noodles and the collard greens and sweet potato was waaaay too sweet. Did the 50's prime time dinner and ate pretty much the same thing and it was so much better! The fried chicken at prime time was so perfectly cooked, not too oily and their deviled eggs blew homecomings out of the water! Did the fireworks package and it was SO worth it! Cheaper and tastier than Homecomin!