We won’t bury the lede: our favorite resort at Walt Disney World is also home to one of our favorite restaurants. Up against fierce competition, Geyser Point makes our list of the 26 Best Restaurants at Walt Disney World in 2026. That’s high praise for a location that too many fans view as “only” an open-air waterfront lounge!
Geyser Point is part of our regular restaurant rotation at WDW, and we make a point of dining here at least once or twice when staying at Wilderness Lodge. Although admittedly, we do not eat here as frequently now that Disney’s Contemporary Resort and the Island Tower at the Polynesian have similar options, but within walking distance of Magic Kingdom.
Collectively, though, this trio of restaurants is where we eat most often in Walt Disney World. You absolutely cannot go wrong with the waterfront settings and menus of Wailulu Bar & Grill and Geyser Point, or the ease of access at Steakhouse 71. Not to mention the (mostly) reasonable prices of all three.
In fact, one of our favorite Walt Disney World dining “secrets” is that lounges are our favorite category of restaurants at Walt Disney World…even as parents to a toddler! If we could only dine at locations on our List of the 25 Best Bars & Lounges at Walt Disney World, we could easily do so. It wouldn’t even be a real challenge.
Bar & grills are a nice ‘in-between’ option that makes them perfect for families of small children. Better food and more pleasant experiences than counter service, but with price points that are better than table service and more laid back atmosphere.
That’s the secret to bar & lounge dining at Walt Disney World–they’re affordable, easy to access, and you can get in and out quickly (great for us as parents to a small kiddo) or take your time. As an added bonus, many guests stay away under the assumption that they’re not family-friendly.
While some are not kid-friendly after a certain hour, the vast majority are perfect for families. We feel much more comfortable at Geyser Point than Citricos, Narcoossee’s, or California Grill. Bars are lower stakes, and calling them bars is really a misnomer. If it helps, emphasize the ‘grills’ part of the name–maybe they should rename this as “Disney’s Geyser Point Grill ~ But Also With A Bar.” Rolls right off the tongue.
Anyway, despite dining here fairly frequently, it had been a while since we’ve revisited this restaurant with a fresh review–despite fairly major menu changes. The simple explanation is that this is a restaurant we do “for fun” when we’re “off duty,” and (breaking the Sacred Blogger Code), we always tend to order the exact same thing.
Let’s start this review with ambiance. There’s really not much of the Imagineered variety at Geyser Point Bar & Grill, beyond the basic stone and exposed cedar design of the open-air structure.
It looks rustic and fits the vibe of Wilderness Lodge, and that’s perfectly fine from our perspective. The inherent atmosphere of being in the natural setting along Bay Lake is more than sufficient. More than perfectly fine and sufficient–it’s fantastic.
Geyser Point doesn’t need overbaked backstory to make its ambiance exceptional. To the contrary, if ever a locale called for understated design, it’s Geyser Point. Thanks to its serene waterfront setting, this is an excellent place to unwind and enjoy the natural side of the Vacation Kingdom.
Crowds vary significantly at Geyser Point based on weather, seasonality, time of day, and more. Regardless, we’ve never had a problem finding a spot to sit somewhere at the restaurant. The bar might be a different story, but there’s ample standard seating.
With that in mind, the optimal time to dine at Geyser Point is anytime before sunset or later at night (it’s currently open 11 am to 11 pm). We typically avoid the peak dinner rush of around 7 to 8 pm, but even when we have dined there at that time, we’ve seldom had issues scoring a table.
Our favorite time to dine at Geyser Point is much later. Electrical Water Pageant is performed nightly on Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake, and usually passes directly in front of Geyser Point between 9:30 and 9:45 pm. During or after that is a great and lower-crowd time to eat at Geyser Point.
Geyser Point is a hybrid lounge and take-out restaurant, meaning that you can use the ‘Table Service to Go’ feature in the My Disney Experience app. This is a similar idea to Mobile Order at counter service restaurant, and it gives you flexibility to eat delicious dishes from Geyser Point wherever.
This can be valuable if you’d prefer to dine in your room, or elsewhere at Wilderness Lodge. There are a lot of great seating spots along the waterfront, so take-out can work well. It’s good when you’re tight on time, don’t want to gamble on table availability, etc.
I’d say that we do Table Service to Go about half the time now that we have a daughter. While we love actually sitting at the lounge, Table Service to Go delivers more predictability in terms of timing. And there are also lovely locations all around Wilderness Lodge to sit and eat, away from other people.
Geyser Point does not accept Advance Dining Reservations…for now? (In what I hope does not become a troubling trend, Wailulu over at the Poly just started offering ADRs. Here’s hoping that experiment ends there.)
Additionally, vehicular access to Wilderness Lodge is often restricted to only guests of the resort, or those with ADRs. (Table Service to Go orders usually do not count and security often is not sympathetic.) This means that if you’re not staying at Wilderness Lodge, you need to take Walt Disney World transportation (boat or bus) to the resort in order to dine at Geyser Point.
The menu at Geyser Point Bar & Grill has a few interesting items, and includes both the Rustic Fare and Small Bites. I’m honestly not sure why they’re treated separately since they’re both available until 10 pm. Small Bites are basically viewed as appetizers and Rustic Fare is entrees.
Speaking of which, let’s take a look at the current menu at Geyser Point Bar & Grill as of 2026:
There have been a couple of major menu changes in the last few years at Geyser Point. This includes ribs, multiple new plant-based options, and more.
In our recent visits to Geyser Point, I’ve been very tempted to try the BBQ Ribs. But even for Very Important Research, I can’t bring myself to stomach that $29 price tag for a half-rack of ribs. Whenever eating ribs, I order the full rack, which would cost $49 at Geyser Point. That’s insanity!
I thought the Barbecued Ribs Full-Slab Meal at Trail’s End is pricey (another favorite restaurant for escaping the crowds & mediocre Magic Kingdom culinary scene), and that’s served with cornbread and two 1-pound sides…for nearly $20 less! I’m sorry, but $49 for ribs is just a complete non-starter for me–that’s more expensive than any of the steaks on the menu at Steakhouse 71–or than most non-Signature table service restaurants. Unless these are like the ribs equivalent of wagyu or are dusted in rare pixie dust, I just don’t get it. Anyway, moving along…
Above and below are stock photos that Walt Disney World previously shared of the menu items we’ve yet to try. The Charcuterie Flatbread is topped with salami, brisket, chorizo, bacon, and smoked gouda beer cheese. The new Turkey BLT Sandwich combines house-smoked black pepper turkey, candied bacon, and avocado puree.
Normally, I’d be skeptical of both additions–flatbreads are overdone and coverage can be spotty, but the toppings on both make them sound worth my time, money, stomach space, etc. Both are also reasonably priced at around $20, making these dishes that we’ll try at some point…in the future. Maybe. (I’ve actually been holding off this review for a few months, wanting to order a couple more dishes for more comprehensive coverage. But that seems unlikely.)
There are also new drinks on the menu at Geyser Point, including the Pineapple Mule and more.
As noted above, there are also new plant-based offerings. The Macaroni and ‘Cheese’ Bites are “cheesy” bites paired with tomato and peppers. The Vegetable Burger with ‘Cheese’ is another option, topped with a spicy slaw, pepper jack ‘cheese’, lettuce, and tomato. (Although off-menu, the Multigrain Salad can also be done as a plant-based option…since that’s what the salad is minus the meat.)
Look, I’m not trying to be a hater…but even in the idealized stock photo version, that vegetable burger looks like an abomination. Obviously I don’t speak for the vegetarian community, but aren’t we collectively kind of “over” this type of thing? I’ll admit that I happily hopped aboard the Impossible and Beyond bandwagon at first, but that was like a decade ago.
We eat a very plant-forward diet, but if I’m eating something without meat, I’d rather know that it’s actually healthy. I’ll take that multigrain salad that I know will be only okay rather than a frankenstein style burger or dish that is the worst of all worlds: no meat, tastes bad, and contains who-knows-what chemicals and other nonsense. But I digress.
This brings us to the new menu items we recently tried with some friends, starting with the Chipotle Barbecue Bison Meatballs served with Goat Cheese Polenta, Onion Straws.
This is the appetizer to order when one bison dish just isn’t enough and you want to go for the double play.
The meat here is different, but likewise delicious. These meatballs have a bit of a light kick thanks to the chipotle, but that works really well with the goat cheese polenta. The onion straws help with texture, too.
I love these meatballs. It’s a rich and decadent dish, an appetizer that strikes me as ‘elevated and earthy’ in terms of the flavor profile. I would complain that $16 is a lot of money for meatballs, but compared to that ~$50 rack of ribs, they’re a steal. Most importantly, the meatballs gave me my bison burger(ish) fix when venturing away from my favorite dish…
That favorite dish, of course, is the Bison Cheeseburger Served with Bacon, Sweet Crispy Onion Straws, Marionberry Sauce, and Garlic Aïoli.
If you look around the other tables at Geyser Point at any given point, at least half of them will likely have the Bison Burger. Ask a Geyser Point regular their favorite dish, and there’s a near-certainty “Bison Burger” will be the response. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if many fans were oblivious to the expanded menu–why bother when you’ve already found perfection?!
This is one of the Best Burgers in all of Walt Disney World, and it’s such a fan-favorite and the unequivocal #1 menu item at Geyser Point that, when it comes to reviewing the rest, I’ve wondered what’s the point?! (At least, that’s what I’ve told myself so I can just keep ordering this, forgoing research.)
I’m not 100% sure the Bison Burger is the absolute best, as there’s some staunch competition from the Contemporary, Island Tower, and Coronado Springs. But it’s a powerful nostalgia trip for me. I’ve been eating this burger since 2017, and it’s my favorite food at my favorite resort. Lots of fond memories in this beautiful burger, from rainy days to Christmas nights to the post-COVID reopening.
There’s a lot going on here, but none of the ingredients are out of place. This is a symphony of flavors. Everything adds something, be it in terms of texture (onion straws) or flavor (aioli). The Marionberry sauce is the highlight in this regard, and made the dish more like something you’d find in the Pacific Northwest.
Some will claim that bison is too lean to produce a truly great burger, but I’m guessing those people have never tried this. It’s neither overly lean nor does it have a gamey flavor–the Bison Burger is perfect in every way. It’s changed a bit over the years (different bun, loss of waffle fries), but it’s generally the same great dish it was almost a decade ago.
Honestly, you can stop reading now. This is the only thing you need to know is on the menu at Geyser Point.
If you do want something different, but prefer to stay in the meat family, there’s the Rib-eye Steak Sandwich with Caramelized Onions, Provolone, Garlic Aïoli, Au Jus on Sourdough Roll.
If it were just about any other restaurant, the review would be raving about this standwich. The rib-eye steak is tender, flavorful, and juicy without even touching the au jus, and the cheese sauce, and aioli just take it to the next level. The bread is also fantastic, and holds up admirably under the weight of all those toppings.
But honestly, eating this was a bit bittersweet. I was enjoying it, sure. And if this dish were served somewhere at Magic Kingdom, I wouldn’t have to leave the park so often for a decent meal. I’d order it all the time. But at Geyser Point, I was mostly just regretting not getting the Bison Burger.
Some research does not need to be done–like studying the sleep habits of mice after listening to the Hot Dog Song, or this. I could’ve just re-reviewed Geyser Point by saying “other stuff now exists, but probably isn’t as good as the Bison Burger.”
Geyser Point also serves a Multigrain Salad with Salmon, Steak or Chicken. All versions feature Mixed Greens, Quinoa, Apples, Goat Cheese, Golden Raisins, Candied Walnuts, Apple Cider Vinaigrette.
Sarah has, historically, liked this salad. She says it’s one of the better salads at Walt Disney World. The portion is hearty, it’s fresh and refreshing, and the toppings coupled with the tangy goat cheese provide an earthy quality. (There used to be a Grilled Portobello version for vegetarians, but I don’t recall seeing that recently.)
But even Sarah, who is usually Mrs. Salad and scoffs at all of my “Burger Research,” prefers the Bison Burger if she’s “forced” to choose. Especially now that we’re no longer regulars and can’t just pop into Geyser Point every month. That should tell you everything you need to know about what’s best at Geyser Point, just in case you don’t trust my burger bias!
Ultimately, Geyser Point is an unmissable option for guests staying at Wilderness Lodge. You might be tempted to skip it in favor of the more memorable table service options in Whispering Canyon and Storybook Dining at Artist Point. And to be sure, those are great restaurants that are must-dos for many guests.
Our favorite, though, is still Geyser Point. This is an approachable restaurant you should be enjoying multiple times during your trip. Roaring Fork is lovely, but we’d go as far as to recommend treating Geyser Point more like the counter service option than the actual counter service restaurant (if time and your budget allows). It’s easy and convenient, cheaper than the other table service alternatives and only a bit more expensive than Roaring Fork.
As for whether you should make a special trip to Geyser Point from Magic Kingdom, it also depends on whether time allows. Although “only” a bar & grill, we actually do view Geyser Point as a destination-worthy restaurant, especially when packaged as part of a bigger-picture visit to the ‘Wilderness Resort Region.’
Beyond the brilliant bison burger, there are worthwhile ambitious yet approachable dishes at Geyser Point Bar & Grill. It’s deceptively good on the cuisine front. Then there’s the serene and relaxing ambiance, which alone could be enough of a draw to get you here. If you want to enjoy a leisurely boat ride (a fun experience in itself) before a stroll around the best resort at Walt Disney World, a meal to Geyser Point is even more compelling and something we highly recommend.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Have you dined or had a drink at Geyser Point Bar & Grill? If you’re a regular, are you a fan of the Bison Burger or do you (gasp) order something else? Enjoy the waterfront dining, or do you prefer taking your meal to go? Do you agree or disagree with our take on this Walt Disney World lounge? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!