We love making Walt Disney World top 10 lists and we also love eating, so it seemed like a good idea to combine those two passions and make a list of the best brunches at WDW. About halfway through the process, I realized that no one seems to care about Disney Springs restaurant reviews or out of the way resorts, and at least 80% of the list would be at those locations.
There was also the practical reality that we had already spent a lot of money on brunches and although it was a lot of fun, it just wasn’t “worth it” from that perspective. We’ve regularly reiterated that breakfast is the most overpriced and skippable meal at Walt Disney World, which is why we usually opt for grocery delivery for healthy on-the-go morning options. When it comes to poor value, brunch is a close second.
Another practical reality is that some of the best brunches we tried at Walt Disney World aren’t even offered on a daily basis! Many of the offerings at Disney Springs are only on weekends, which makes the already limited reader appeal of those restaurants even more limited.
Cutting to the chase, we didn’t complete that project, but the best brunch we tried was Olivia’s Cafe at Old Key West Resort. We’ve mentioned this cozy restaurant as one of our hidden gem favorites for years, most notably on our list of Underrated Table Service Restaurants at Walt Disney World for 2025. If you asked us for one Walt Disney World brunch recommendation, Olivia’s would be it. We’re big fans.
There are several great items on the brunch and dinner menus, but regardless of which meal service you pick, my absolute favorite dish is the Southernmost Buttermilk Chicken (pictured below). I have a hard time ordering anything else, even during meals that are ostensibly for “research.”
We also just love the homey vibe of Olivia’s. It’s definitely not for everyone–if your favorite resorts are Gran Destino, Riviera, and the Poly Tower, look elsewhere. But if you’re an old school Walt Disney World fan who has never dined at Olivia’s, you owe it to yourself to make a trip out to OKW for brunch or dinner.
Other brunches that immediately come to mind as being top-tier are Wine Bar George, Grand Floridian Cafe, and the Boathouse (when offered). We wouldn’t hesitate to do any of these meals again for fun, which probably shouldn’t surprise regular readers as they’re routinely mentioned as some of our favorite restaurants at Walt Disney World. (Except maybe Wine Bar George, which we love despite not being oenophiles. Unless you count extensive experience with Two-Buck Chuck in college?)
There are also a couple of brunches at Disney Springs we’ve yet to try, the most notable of which is probably Summer House on the Lake (the photos make it look delicious). Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill is another we’ve missed that seems promising.
When it comes to the parks and most of the resorts, your best bet is probably a DIY brunch–book a late seating at a breakfast buffet that also does lunch and hang around for the changeover. That’s the best intersection of food variety and value for money at otherwise expensive breakfast buffets.
Anyway, there are also several brunches that we flat-out did not like or found to be massively overrated. This includes many of the popular spots in Disney Springs–but since it’s been a couple of years, I’m not going to name names. But one of them does rhyme with Tag-along Toad for those of you detectives able to decipher cryptic clues.
Somewhere in no man’s land between ‘best of’ and overrated is Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’. This would have made our work-in-progress top 10 list, but probably in the bottom half. As a general matter, we do find Homecomin’ to be overrated. This isn’t to say it’s bad, because it most certainly is not. It’s just hugely popular, especially among locals, which is a bit confounding since exemplars of Floridian flavors are ubiquitous in this area…of Florida. I get the appeal for tourists, but I’d think Floridians are familiar with Floridian cuisine? Anyway.
Brunch is the best meal service at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ and is actually fairly good! Not quite great, but I’m certainly not turning my nose up at it. Just not as good as Olivia’s Cafe or the other aforementioned spots. However, Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ is the most highly-hyped brunch in all of Walt Disney World, with reservations that can be difficult to score. I don’t think it lives up to that level of popularity.
Or at least, it didn’t our last time, but it’s been a couple of years. Maybe Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ has improved. Rather than serve up a belated review, here are photos of the dishes we ate the last time we did brunch at Homecomin:
All of this is really neither here nor there, as Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ is adding new dishes to its brunch menu. Some of these sound and look fantastic, so perhaps the meal will improve with the introduction of these items and become the new #1 brunch at Walt Disney World.
Let’s take a look at the additions to the Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ brunch menu as of February 1, 2025 (photos via the restaurant’s official Instagram):
First up is the Apple Butter Bread Pudding ($14).
A decadent, house made apple butter bread pudding sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and drizzled with crème anglaise.
Next is the Steak & Egg Plate, which costs $24.
This consists of a brunch-sized portion of country fried steak, smothered in sawmill gravy and topped with two over easy eggs. Served with a side of Southern-style cheesy potatoes and a biscuit.
Another new option is the Vegan Hash, priced at $24.
Scrambled Just Egg plant-based egg substitute, over fire-roasted tomatoes, diced potatoes, red and green peppers, onion and zucchini. Served with fresh fruit and multigrain toast.
Although it’s listed as a new dish, we’ve had the Homecomin’ Hash ($24) during a previous meal. It was fantastic before–the highlight of the menu.
This consists of two sunny side up eggs over fire-roasted tomatoes, diced potatoes, chopped bacon, sauteed red peppers and onions. Served with potato gratin mash and a cheddar drop biscuit.
On the sweeter side, there’s the Blueberry Buckle for $18.
This is described by Homecomin’ as its house made blueberry coffee cake topped with vanilla glaze and garnished with fresh berries and mint.
There’s a new featured drink, the Southern Mary ($15).
Dixie Black Pepper Vodka, Whiskey Willy’s Bloody Mary Mix with pecan-smoked bacon, fried green tomato, pimento cheese-stuffed olives and seasoned salt rim.
Finally, the side of Southern Style Cheesy Potatoes for $10.
Ultimately, the new dishes for brunch at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ look delicious (except for the vegan one, but to each their own on that) with a not-so-healthy mix of sweets and savory items. This makes me eager to revisit the restaurant to reassess it and see whether Homecomin’ actually does live up to the high hype.
There’s gotta be a reason why so many Walt Disney World fans–and more importantly, Floridians–rank Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ as one of the best restaurants in all of Walt Disney World. I would love to be wrong about it, and just have been unlucky with a couple of meals. Looks like maybe it’s time to revive the brunch project…in the name of research!
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Your Thoughts
Have you dined at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ at Disney Springs? Do you think it’s one of the top restaurants in all of Walt Disney World, or overrated? If you’ve done brunch, does it live up to the hype? Any of the new menu items you’re eager to eat? Do you agree or disagree with our rundown of the best brunches? 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!
