Whether you’re planning a trip to Disney World for a week or just popping in for the day, you’ll find a wide variety of dining options. However, if the number of restaurants featuring Disney characters has you worried about traveling with teens, don’t be. While Disney does cater to the young at heart, there are many restaurants that will appeal to kids who have reached a double digit age. Check out these 5 Disney World restaurants that are perfect for families with older kids.
Dining in an African Safari at Boma
Boma, located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, combines African-inspired flavors with quirky flair to bring the bounty of the savanna to guests visiting Walt Disney World in Florida. Even teens will love the ambiance as you dine under thatched roofs, enjoying an all you care to eat buffet (ideal for families with older kids!)
A bountiful breakfast will allow your teen to eat their hearty fill of traditional fare. More adventurous palettes might enjoy the carving station or turkey bobotie, a form of South African quiche. Dinner offers a similar slate of adventure, with oak roasted meats and coastal seafood dishes served fresh and hot from the restaurant’s onstage kitchen.
After your meal, make a trip to the savanna outside the resort. Here you’ll find giraffes, zebras and other African animals living a safari dream.
Take a Ride Into Space
Blast into space for a unique dining experience amid the heavens at one of EPCOT’s newest restaurants. At Space 220, you’ll experience the feel of lift off, as the you watch Florida and then the earth disappear below.
While guests never actually leave tera firma, you’ll feel like you have, all while enjoying a 2-course fixed price menu at lunch or a 3-course dinner. Teens will enjoy the atmosphere as well as the food.
Explore the Culture of the Na’vi at Satu’li Canteen
After flying through the treetops on the back of a banshee in Animal Kingdom’s Pandora Land, your teen might enjoy a meal at Satu’li Canteen. This former RDA mess hall, now adorned with highlights of the Pandoran culture, offers quick service dining that is a far cry from fast food when it comes to taste.
Inspired by international cuisine, Satu’li Canteen blends the flavors of multiple cultures into specially crafted bowls. Here, your teen can construct a meal from scratch by selecting a choice of base, including rice or sweet potato hash and then topping it with fresh meats or vegetables.
Satu’li is ideal for families with older kids who prefer to eat vegetarian or those who enjoy exotic tastes.
Dressing Up Those Burgers Just Right
If a burger done up with all the “fixins” is your teen’s idea of a meal made in heaven, stop by Peco’s Bill’s western saloon in the Magic Kingdom. Here, you’ll join the cowboys and cowgirls of Frontierland for a rootin’ tootin’ good time.
Pecos Bill’s is the stuff that dreams are made of for most teens, serving up scrumptious burgers and fries. Try the Big Al and add Maple Whiskey Barbecue Sauce to your two all-beef patties or take the traditional approach with a dress-your -own one-third pound burger.
Even if burgers don’t make your teen stop in his or her tracks, they’re sure to find something pleasing to the palette, including pork carnitas rice bowls, nachos and a variety of salads.
Take the Drive-In Route
While your teen is too young to remember the heyday of drive-in theaters, they can experience it all the same at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. 1950s-era cars line up in single file rows in front of the enormous screen as food is served from your door just like the old days.
The only difference is you won’t have to balance your tray on your lap. Each car is equipped with bench seating and a table, making it easy to munch through your meal while watching trailers of nostalgic sci-fi films.
Food is reminiscent of the traditional drive-in as well, so it should appeal to the appetites of most teens, but your older kids might be most inspired by the milkshakes. In fact, the restaurant is most widely recognized for its creamy frosty libations.
