One common misconception I hear often about Disney World is that they only have ‘typical’ theme park food of burgers, chicken nuggets and french fries. While I do happen to believe that the burgers and chicken nuggets at Disney are top-notch, I also understand the desire for something a little bit more sophisticated than those options on occasion. In Part 1 of this 4 part series we check out some great options for counter service meals in the Magic Kingdom!

1) Columbia Harbor House : Located in Liberty Square, I consider Columbia Harbor House to be a hidden gem at the Magic Kingdom. You can find many delicious seafood options here including a lobster roll (for the bargain price of $10.49), clam chowder, fish and chips and more. Another highlight of Columbia Harbor House are the vegetarian options of vegetarian chili and the Lighthouse Sandwich which consists of tomatoes and broccoli cole slaw with hummus on multigrain bread. Even my burger-loving self admits this sandwich is something special!

2) Pinocchio Village Haus : This counter service restaurant in Fantasyland (with a few “it’s a small world” view seats!) is worth visiting for one of their menu items alone. Disney pizza in general is… not very good. The flatbreads at Pinocchio Village Haus are a different story! There are three different varieties of flatbreads: Pepperoni, Caprese and BBQ beef but I personally enjoyed the BBQ beef. Another very popular item here is the meatball sub, which is definitely on my list to try for next time!

3) Casey’s Corner : On Main Street USA, Casey’s Corner is a staple of Magic Kingdom. Yes, they are just hot dogs, but sometimes you just feel like a hot dog! At Casey’s you can get a plain hot dog or go all out and have the Chilli Cheese dog or the Barbeque Slaw dog. I personally prefer the corn dog nuggets for my meal. You can also get Cracker Jacks here!

4) Be Our Guest : Be Our Guest is still a very difficult to place to obtain a reservation. If you are lucky enough to grab one, you will have a very good meal. Counter service lunch at Be Our Guest is as close to the quality of a sit down meal as you can get. I have personally tried (and enjoyed!) the Braised Pork and Carved Turkey sandwich, but I have yet to hear any real negative feedback on the menu items served during lunch at Be Our Guest. A major bonus is the setting! Enjoying lunch at Beast’s Castle, there isn’t much better than that!

Note: A prior version of this list may have included Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn and Cafe. However my personal opinion is now that they’ve recently removed the taco salad from their menu there are better places to find a meal at the Magic Kingdom! One minor caveat; if you are going to eat a burger at Magic Kingdom the Angus beef burgers are Pecos Bill’s are very good, and the toppings bar allows you to customize to your liking!

What are your favorite counter service restaurants at Magic Kingdom?