Disney World vs. Universal Orlando vs. Busch Gardens Williamsburg
The first of the three parks I will be reviewing is Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Virginia. The park which opened in 1975, unfortunately lacks food options. While the park itself is beautiful and boasts great attractions, it lacks great dining. For starters, the park has less than ten restaurants, all of which are quick service. The quick services carry little other then the basic burgers, chicken fingers, sandwiches and fries. I will say, though that Das Festhaus restaurant in the Oktoberfest area of the park carries authentic German food. I can not give my opinion on it though as I did not try it. The only restaurant that has diverse options is Marco Polo Marketplace. Unfortunately, I was unable to eat there as the line to enter stretched through Italy, almost literally! This line appeared to be longer than most of the attraction wait times, which did not top thirty minutes at any point of our trip as we went during off season. Another complaint I have with the restaurants is the slow service. The longest wait we encountered for food was at the Squire's Grill in London. At the time we were the only people in line, but it still took twenty minutes anyway due to employees not having food prepared hours after the restaurant opened. After all that waiting the food was only sub par. This is the worst theme park food I have ever had. If you visit, I would recommend eating outside the park.
Universal Orlando's dining options are decent. The CityWalk which is outside both parks has 13 full service restaurants and numerous quick services and casual dining. While most of the food options here are not Universal exclusive the do offer good food and good atmosphere. They do have one unique restaurant though which is Toothsome's Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen. This is similar to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but with a steampunk vibe. Unfortunately, I have not been able to try it yet, but I have heard good things about the food and their giant shakes. In the parks the quality of the food goes down at most locations the serve the basic burgers and chicken tenders like The Burger Digs in the Jurassic Park area at Islands of Adventure. The chicken was extremely tough and tasted like it was from the Jurassic Era. The food was similar at the Monster's Cafe at Universal Studios next door. While the food at Monster's Cafe wasn't great, it had nice theming. The dining rooms were split up into a swamp inhabited by the Creature from the Black Lagoon, a flying saucer, and a castle filled with Dracula and Frankenstein memorabilia. Finnegan's Bar and Grill, also in Universal Studios, serves good Irish fare. While the food is not spectacular, it is definitely the best fine dining in the park. The highlight of that meal for me was the delicious Irish Soda Bread. At Islands of Adventure is Mythos Restaurant. It is claimed to be the World's #1 Theme Park Restaurant. I personally disagree with this, much better meals can be found at Epcot or at the Blue Bayou in Disneyland Park, California. This restaurant's food is not that unique and offers food that is only decent that can be found anywhere. I think it is overrated. Though they recently changed the menu to add more Mediterranean food. I have not tried it yet and the only reason I would go back to this restaurant is to experience these new offerings. The best food is these parks can be found in Springfield and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Over at Springfield they offer what I would consider the best theme park tacos at Bumblebee Man's Taco Truck. They offer something as basic as a chicken taco to something more uncommon like a Korean Beef taco. All of their tacos are soft shelled and are served in a good portion. I noticed that all the tacos had a nice hint of lime. The Springfield area which is home to the Simpsons offers a large variety off food like Krusty Burger, Lisa's TeaHouse of Horror and the Frying Dutchman, a quick service seafood restaurant. The Wizarding World's food is the most unique though. The two main restaurants The Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade offer authentic British fare. I personally loved the Bangers and Mash which I got from the Leaky Cauldron. It came with two flavorful sausages and thick mashed potatoes. The theming was the highlight of these restaurants as they were exactly the same as what was seen in the movies. The drinks served throughout these lands were excellent. I love the frozen Butterbeer that tasted like a cream soda with butterscotch. Another great drink was Otter's Fizzy Orange Juice. This delightful creation was a carbonated orange juice with cinnamon sugar. While Universal Orlando's food can be inconsistent, there are many great options eating options at this resort.
Walt Disney World Resort is home to the best theme park food in the United States. Its four parks, Disney Springs, and countless resort hotels have diverse selections of great food. One of my favorite places to eat is in the Animal Kingdom resort - Boma. This African-inspired restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge has a great selection of food including American favorites and dishes from Africa like Ghanian Oxtail Stew and Pap and Chakalaka, a South African stew. In the parks is where the best food is though. Animal Kingdom has the Tusker House which has a great African inspired breakfast and they serve Jungle Juice, a fruit drink with Pineapple, Orange and Guava. There is sure to be more great food options on the way with Pandora-World of Avatar which opens this summer. Magic Kingdom in the recent years has expanded its food offerings. Most recently it has added the Skipper Canteen and Be Our Guest Restaurant. A great treat to have in the park is the famous Dole Whip available at Aloha Isle. It is a pineapple soft serve. I recommend getting it in float form. Cinderella's Royal Table in Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park is a must do for any family visiting the parks. When I was tween I loved receiving a sword, given out to boys, whenever I ate there. My sister still has the wand Cinderella gave her at the restaurant. I would recommend this place for breakfast. I loved their Caramel Apple French Toast. This was a great twist on french toast that I had never experienced before I ate here. One of the best seats in the restaurant allows you to look out onto Fantasyland. This is a great way to start out your morning at the Magic Kingdom. These are really the only highlights in Magic Kingdom though. The rest is just decent burgers, chicken tenders, pizza, and Mexican food.
Hollywood Studios is the worst of the 4 parks and its dining options are no different, it has the blandest restaurants in the resort. The food there is all basic theme park food and some American food. If you want to expand your palette, I would not do so at Hollywood Studios.
Epcot is what all theme parks dining should strive to be. At Epcot you can dine around the world and underwater. My two favorite restaurants at Epcot are the Coral Reef and San Angel Inn Restaurante. San Angel Inn is located in the Mexico Pavilion in the World Showcase at Epcot. It is inside a Mayan Temple. It is made to look like a Mexican city while in perpetual night time. It is right next to The Gran Fiesta Tour-Starring the Three Caballeros, an underrated boat ride through Mexico. The food here is delicious. I like the tacos here, while they are a bit standard. The highlight of the restaurant is its theme. My other favorite restaurant, Coral Reef, which is located in the Living Seas Pavilion in The Future World. This restaurant takes you underwater, it gives great views of the main tank that is part of the pavilion. My family was lucky enough to be seated right next to the tank where a sea turtle sat and watched us enjoy our meal. The American Cuisine here can be found anywhere, but the food is still excellent and the views are even better. I would also recommend Chefs De France which offers French Cuisine and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall which offers Norwegian cuisine. Walt Disney World overall offers the best theme park food and atmosphere. While there may be some basic food, I have yet to have a bad meal anywhere on property.
