Swing and a miss at Walt Disney World?
I see the question all the time. How much should I budget for food at Disney?
The answer is complicated by a myriad of factors. Do you want character dining? Sit down dining? Can you get by with a light breakfast?
And then those questions inevitably lead to a discussion of the dining plans which we DO NOT want to get into today.
The fact of the matter is you can eat fairly affordably at places like Cosmic Ray’s, Docking Bay 7, Flame Tree Barbecue, and others – we’re talking under $20 per person, per meal, including a drink. Balance enough of those meals in with a few of the better sit-down restaurants and your budget will be manageable. You may even leave enough to splurge for a more expensive meal.
But does quick service mean your settling for a lesser meal? Sometimes. Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, for example, is merely a functionary refueling station, IMO. But, if you’re smart, you find both tasty and affordable options like the baked macaroni & cheese with pulled pork at Flame Tree BBQ in Animal Kingdom, or at someplace like my favorite stop for a quick, affordable meal at Disney Casey’s Corner.
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What is Casey’s Corner?
Casey’s Corner is a quick-service restaurant right at the end of the shops along Main Street, U.S.A. It is themed after the 1888 poem Casey at the Bat which Disney turned into an animated short as part of the anthology film Make Mine Music in 1946.
The restaurant which serves a variety of hot dogs and drinks has been a park staple since it replaced the Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner in 1995. It’s a small and simple establishment.
There’s limited indoor seating – I wish Disney would clear out more of the shopping space to get more seats – and some more outdoor seating, but still not enough.
The regular menu includes a chili-cheese dog in regular or foot-long options, as well as all beef dogs in both foot-long and regular size.
The mini corn dogs – essentially corn dog nuggets – are popular as well. There’s always a plant based option, as well as a seasonal featured option that can sometimes get quite experimental. Around the 50th anniversary, it was a funnel cake dog, topped with funnel cake, powdered sugar, and fruit. It was surprisingly good.
You might see a dog topped with barbecue – Disney usually does barbecue quite well – and coleslaw. Which is better known in my part of the world as a slaw dawg.
The specialty beverage is the Frozen Mint Julep Lemonade, which is light and refreshing in the Florida heat. Sides include fries, mandarin oranges, chili, or cheese sauce.
If you, like Walt Disney and I, love a good hot dog, Casey’s is a must stop each visit.
Why is Casey’s a key part of any Disney vacation?
You hear a lot of people opine about the parks these days and how they’ve lost connection to Walt and his original vision.
I don’t go in for all that myself, but to each their own. But at Casey’s – unlike many of the restaurants across Disney World – the connection to Walt is real.
Not only is it themed after a short produced in Walt’s heyday, but its menu is also after Walt’s own heart. The man loved a good hot dog, and in his memory Casey’s has good hot dogs.
How much did Walt love hot dogs? In 1929, “Hot Dog!” was Mickey’s first words. That tradition has carried on through Walt’s passing and the decades since.
If your kids grew up with The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and the Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog theme song, then you have experienced Walt’s legacy in your own home. In fact, our middle child John Paul grew up believing Mickey’s real name was Hot Dog and called the mouse that until he was four.
For my family, no trip to the Magic Kingdom is complete without at least one stop at Casey’s.
In addition, the Casey’s Corner Pianists, located between the restaurant and the outdoor seating, add to the ambiance and old timey Main Street feel.
Are there any drawbacks to Casey’s?
We mentioned the seating, which isn’t enough, but the restaurant itself is small and ill-equipped to handle demand.
Even with mobile order, it is frequently extremely crowded and chaotic just trying to get your food. The right play is to mobile order, send some of your party out to scout seating and then coordinate after picking up the food. Make sure you send enough people to carry the trays.
I really wish they could expand this place. From my experience, the demand is there for a bigger footprint, but I’ll admit there’s not a lot of space unless they remodel the shops.
Also, if you do eat outside beware of the ducks and other birds. Given a chance, they will steal a fry or more.
If you can’t find any seating, you’ve got a couple of options.
There are the green spaces just across the way, but if the sun is bearing down, those can be painful. Can I suggest going mobile and taking the path past Crystal Palace, pass the Spring Roll cart at the entrance to Adventureland, and down to the shady area by the gazebo behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe?
The rock walls are the right height for sitting and, again, there is shade. Sure, it’s a little bit of a hike from Casey’s, but it’s worth it for a less chaotic picnic spot. The spot is also good if you’re eating something from the Spring Roll Cart or Sleepy Hollow.
What should I order?
I’m a fan of the all-beef footlong with some mustard, maybe a little relish, or onion if you can get it. The chili-cheese dog is dangerous for a couple of reasons.
First of all, if you’re like me, there’s a good chance you’re going to be wearing some of that chili-cheese dog the rest of the day. But even if you successfully consume the dog, that’s a lot to be sitting on your stomach as you march around the park, riding rides, and experiencing the Florida heat.
It’s too much for me.
I usually eat a light breakfast and a light lunch – especially in the warmer – months and sustain myself with Powerade and light snacks, as necessary. The dinner meal can be a little bigger, but the last thing I want is to be marching around the park on a heavy stomach.
I’m not a huge corn dog nugget fan, but certain members of my family swear by them. I’d rather have a regular corn-dog.
What about the specialty items? The slaw dog sounds fantastic as I am one of the world’s key slaw dog proponents, but again, it sounds too heavy to be practical. If it was something more dramatic, like the funnel cake dog, I might try just for the novelty.
Also, as beef is one of my son’s many food allergies, we have tried the plant based dog. He wasn’t much of a fan – he prefers the pork, chicken Oscar Meyers he gets at home – but I thought it was a pretty good dog, actually.
Is Casey’s Corner worth it?
Absolutely, yes. You can get a foot long dog with fries or oranges and a drink for right at $18. It’s a full meal, and if you enjoy a good hot dog, it’s a good meal. I’d certainly rather have a hot dog at Casey’s than a hamburger at Cosmic Ray’s. You get to keep your dining budget manageable and have a classic Disney – Walt approved – experience in the Magic Kingdom, what’s better than that?
Want to read more from Hey Orlando? Check out this article about ranking dining options in Magic Kingdom: Dining at Magic Kingdom
