Walt Disney World may come alive early each morning, but some of its most popular restaurants are in absolutely no hurry to join the action.
Guests can arrive early, tackle attractions and walk thousands of steps before lunchtime. But anyone hoping to sit down for a meal around 11 a.m. could discover that their chosen restaurant isn't serving yet.
At several popular locations, lunch doesn't begin until noon. One notable EPCOT restaurant waits until 12:30 p.m.
An Early EPCOT Lunch Isn't Always Possible
EPCOT has one of the largest dining selections at Disney World, particularly once guests reach World Showcase.
However, many of those restaurants operate on later schedules.
Le Cellier Steakhouse in the Canada Pavilion currently begins lunch at noon. Biergarten Restaurant in Germany and Chefs de France in the France Pavilion also start serving lunch at noon.
Nine Dragons Restaurant in China follows the same schedule.
Guests heading toward the Italy Pavilion may face an even longer wait. Tutto Italia Ristorante currently begins its lunch service at 12:30 p.m., continuing until 3:55 p.m. before dinner starts at 4 p.m.
That might sound like a normal lunch schedule outside Disney World. Inside the parks, things can feel very different.
Guests who arrive for Early Entry may have already spent several hours inside EPCOT before noon arrives.
Some Locations Open Before Noon
There are still options for guests who don't want to wait quite that long.
San Angel Inn Restaurante currently opens at 11:30 a.m., as does Space 220 Restaurant. Katsura Grill also begins service at 11:30 a.m., proving that later openings aren't limited to table-service restaurants.
Regal Eagle Smokehouse currently starts serving at 11:45 a.m.
Outside EPCOT, Tiffins Restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom begins lunch at 11:30 a.m.
But several Disney World restaurants take things much further.
Dinner Could Be Hours Away
Some restaurants don't offer lunch at all.
La Hacienda de San Angel at EPCOT currently opens at 4 p.m. Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White also begins at 4 p.m. at Disney's Wilderness Lodge.
Sebastian's Bistro at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort starts at 4:30 p.m., while California Grill at Disney's Contemporary Resort currently begins dinner service at 5 p.m.
Victoria & Albert's and Monsieur Paul start even later, with dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m.
For guests, the lesson is simple: don't assume a Disney World restaurant is open simply because the theme park or resort around it has been operating for hours.
Check the My Disney Experience app before making the trek. Otherwise, your early lunch plans could quickly turn into an unexpected wait.
