The New Walt Disney World Restaurants You’ll Find Us Dining at During 2023

The Walt Disney World Resort continues to bring new experiences and attractions to the Disney Parks and Resorts. EPCOT theme park was the Disney location that received most of the new Guest experiences in 2022. These included Guardian’s of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Space 220, and Connections Cafe & Eatery.

2023 is set to bring new Guest experiences to other parts of the Walt Disney World Resort. These include TRON Lightcycle/Run in Magic Kingdom Park, The Journey of Water Inspired by Moana (2016) in EPCOT, and the Walt Disney Company’s 100th Anniversary Celebration across the Disney Parks and Resorts. But that isn’t all. Several new dining locations are also coming to Walt Disney World in 2023.

Let’s look at the five new Disney dining locations set to open this year. When they open, we’re excited to secure advance dining reservations in these new restaurants.

Summer House on the Lake

A new dining location is coming to Disney Springs this year. The site that used to be occupied by Bongo’s Cuban Cafe, owned by Gloria & Emilio Estefan, currently has works being undertaken. Summer House on the Lake is now being constructed and is set to open later in 2023.

The Summer House chain currently has two other locations that are open, in Chicago and North Bethesda. Said to bring sunshine all year round, Chef Ben Goodnick leads the California-inspired menu. Dishes are made with locally-sourced simple ingredients and sustainable products. Each restaurant features its own Rose Cart, where Rose is poured all day. Guests to the current restaurants can also order beverages from an extensive wine list and handcrafted cocktail list. We expect that these services will also be offered in Disney Springs. 

Guests can dine in a light and airy Summer House and enjoy lunch and dinner daily and brunch during the weekend. If The BOATHOUSE is anything to go by, we’re sure we’ll love Summer House on the Lake too.

Woody’s Roundup Rodeo BBQ

The long-awaited full-service restaurant in Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios will soon be open. While a final date is yet to be confirmed, Woody’s Roundup Rodeo BBQ is set to open in Spring 2023. Guests can enjoy family-style dining that will serve up barbecue offerings, delicious sides, and sweet treats. A fully-immersive environment will be created in the new Disney restaurant, where Guests will feel as though they are inside Andy’s rodeo arena. Beloved characters from the Toy Story franchise will feature as rodeo characters in ‘Woody’s Roundup,’ the walls will be decorated with hand-drawn audience members, and the ceiling will be covered in artwork from Andy’s favorite comic strips. 

Woody’s Roundup Rodeo BBQ sounds like the perfect location to enjoy the shade from the sun in a fun place serving delicious food. We can’t wait to secure an advance dining reservation.

The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers

Construction is currently taking place at Disney’s BoardWalk. Once complete, a fresh and elegant eatery will open for Guests to experience at the Disney Resort. The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers will occupy the site previously known as the ESPN Club restaurant. Disney’s BoardWalk won’t be the first location for The Cake Bake Shop to open. There are two locations currently open: Broad Ripple Village, Indianapolis, and Carmel City Center, Indiana.

Several experiences will be available to Guests when The Cake Bake Shop opens on Disney’s BoardWalk in 2023. The whimsical setting at a Disney Deluxe Villa Resort will provide the ideal location for Afternoon Tea, delectable desserts, exquisite dining, champagne, and cocktails. We’re excited to see what is set to be a truly stunning dining location.

The addition of The Cake Bake Shop will contribute to the ongoing development of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. 2022 saw the BoardWalk Deli and the new coffee shop, Carousel Coffee, open for Guests to enjoy quick-service dining.

Rosa Mexicano

Several Mexican restaurants are already available to Guests around the Walt Disney World Resort, found in the Mexico Pavilion, EPCOT World Showcase, and Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. But an additional restaurant will be available for Guests to dine in soon. Rosa Mexicano will open in the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. The restaurant will occupy the space formerly known as the Fresh Mediterranean Market. Guests will be able to enjoy dishes that are deeply rooted in Mexican cuisine, designed by Chef Josefina Howard. 

The Walt Disney World restaurant will join the long list of locations that Rosa Mexicano currently has, such as New York and Massachusetts, and the new locations opening soon, including Virginia and Las Vegas. Guests can order signature menu items, award-winning margaritas, and over one hundred varieties of tequila.

CommuniCore Hall

Details are currently limited about CommuniCore Hall, which is set to open in EPCOT later this year. Along with CommuniCore Plaza, these locations are set to be the first entirely purpose-built locations in the Disney Park with the EPCOT International Festivals in mind. CommuniCore Hall is set to be where Guests can take inspiration from a demonstration kitchen. There is also set to be a mixology bar. We’re excited to see how this new location in World Celebration will change throughout the year to reflect the different International Holidays. 

Which of these locations are you excited to dine in during 2023? They will most certainly add to your Disney experience once they open. Stay tuned to find out if the opening of any of these Disney restaurants will coincide with your next Disney vacation. We’ll keep an eye out for confirmed opening dates once The Walt Disney Company releases more information.