Liberty Tree Tavern, located at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, is now on my list of “Favorite Places to Have a Good Lunch and Take a Break.” After a few days of burgers, chicken fingers, or jumbo dogs for lunch, a sit-down restaurant was the perfect idea after a morning of commando touring of the Magic Kingdom in the Florida heat. Liberty Tree Tavern is an excellent alternative to standing in the counter service restaurant lines during the lunch time rush.
Liberty Tree Tavern Location: Centrally located in the Liberty Square area of the Magic Kingdom, Liberty Tree Tavern is adjacent to the Hall of Presidents. Liberty Square is located between Fantasy Land and Frontierland. The restaurant can be reached by either direction. An alternative route is available from the front of the park, through Cinderella’s Castle. The path to Liberty Tree Tavern can be found on the right after exiting the Castle. An Early American theme is demonstrated, with a flair for the patriotic, throughout Liberty Square. A replica of the Liberty Bell can be seen from the entrance to Liberty Tree Tavern.
Atmosphere & Theme: Colonial America is represented as authentically as possible at Liberty Tree Tavern. The waiting area has a large hearth and fireplace with wooden benches nearby to sit on. The hosts and servers dress in Colonial attire, complete with Betsy Ross type white bonnets. Families are greeted by the sound of their family name being regally announced when a table is ready. We heard our family name announced in a booming voice when the town crier proclaimed our presence in the restaurant, and led us in a procession to our table.
Food & Menu Selections: There are two distinct dining experiences available at Liberty Tree Tavern. We chose the lunch menu because it offers a variety of hearty meals to choose from. The dinner experience is a fixed menu that is served family-style as a character meal. The dinner menu includes a “Patriots Platter.” This meal offers roast turkey, ham, flank steak, Stouffers macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, salad, rolls, vegetables and an apple crisp. Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale, and Pluto are regular characters at dinner. During the dinner hours, the characters circulate throughout the restaurant and make stops at each table to visit with guests. Parents can take photos of their children with Colonial Goofy and crew. Our lunch menu did not prepare us for the large portions of food! Lunch could easily be considered a dinner for many families. This is one of the Disney World restaurants where meals could easily be shared by two. Ideally, I would share an entrée and save room for dessert.
Lunch choices include; Colony Salad, William Penn Pasta, Amber Waves of Grain Pasta, Cider Cured Salmon, Pilgrim’s Feast Turkey, sandwiches and a burger selection. Since we were on the dining plan, our lunch included appetizer, entrée, and dessert selections.
Our lunch selections included the following: Appetizers: New England Clam Chowder, Fried Cheese Sticks, Declaration Salad, Maryland Crab Cake, and Children’s Fruit & Yogurt Dips Entrees: Colony Salad, New England Pot Roast x 2, Children’s Macaroni & Cheese Desserts: Caramel Apple Tart, Chocolate Lava Cake, Liberty Strawberry Shortcake, Butter Grilled Pound Cake with Carmel Sauce, and Children’s Pound Cake Dippers The meals were hearty and filling. Our favorites were the Clam Chowder, New England Pot Roast (deliciously served with a cabernet wine sauce, a huge mound of mashed potatoes and vegetables), and all the desserts. My Caramel Apple Tart was shaped like a miniature version of a full-size pie, but much larger than a normal tart. The Colony salad had a chicken breast sliced and grilled, along with golden apple slices and pecans. This is a great choice for a lighter meal. The pot roast was tender enough to be pulled apart with a fork.
The lunch experience is one of the best available at the Magic Kingdom for a relaxing afternoon break and a good meal. The air conditioned Liberty Tree Tavern was a wonderful respite from the Florida heat. The prices for lunch are considerably less than the family style character dinner and most entrees were priced in the $12-16 range. The bowl of Clam Chowder was thick and filling for only $3.99.
The character dinner at Liberty Tree tavern is popular with parents of young children. The prices are about double for dinner though, at $27.99 for adults and $12.99 for children 3-9 years old. My best advice is to plan an early lunch to beat the lunch crowds or make the latest afternoon reservation for an early dinner. Lunch hours are between 11:45 and 3:00 and dinner is served from 4:00 until 9:00 pm. Advanced dining reservations are highly recommended (1-800-WDW-DINE).
The children’s menu offers kid-friendly meals for $4.99, which is about the same as you would pay at a counter service restaurant. Liberty Tree Tavern offers healthier choices than many of the fast food type quick service restaurants. The children’s meals include a blueberry muffin, carrot chips, and a beverage.
Our lunch reservation was scheduled for 11:50 in the early afternoon. We were seated promptly about five minutes later. The reception area had many Colonial-themed artifacts and decorations to look at while we waited. By around 1:00, however, the front wait area was nearly at capacity with guests waiting to be seated. The Disney Cast Members were cheerful, friendly, and accommodating. I had mentioned a birthday in the family when I called in the reservation a few months earlier and we were pleasantly surprised with the birthday greetings and complimentary cupcake. This is a fun restaurant to celebrate a special occasion at.
