A NOTE TO OUR READERS:
"Dining at Disney: The Best Food in the Park" is from the November 2005 issue of Southern Living. Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.

At Chefs de France, gorgeous sliced tuna sits atop a delicious tricolored orzo.

Jiko: Disney's Animal Kingdom
This restaurant is a warm and visually stunning spot tucked into the lowest level of Disney's Animal Kingdom Resort. Jiko specializes in African cooking, spices, and wines. It's creative, surprising, and true to many of the traditional flavors of Africa. For starters, try the Maize Tamales, a mixture of decadent truffle oil, corn pudding, and mild spices wrapped in a corn husk ($7.25). The sauce atop my entrée, a berbere-braised lamb shank, took me right back to the first time I had this dish in the Sahara desert. The cuisine here will make you forget you're in the middle of Mickey country. (407) 939-3463. Entrées: $19-$33.

Liberty Tree Tavern: Magic Kingdom
Cinderella's (in the castle) may be the prime place to see a Disney character, but Liberty Tree Tavern at lunch is the best spot in the Magic Kingdom for a bit of calm. In the heart of Liberty Square, you'll find a building straight out of Williamsburg. But don't be taken aback by ye ole atmosphere. Liberty Tree Tavern boasts a fresh, healthful menu and highly efficient waitstaff. Our server, Mark, deftly suggested I try the Colony Salad, a dish that came packed with rotisserie chicken, Washington apples, sweet pecans, and apple wood-smoked Cheddar ($12). I tried many other items on the menu--none disappointed--but nothing measured up to the dessert selections. Mark pushed the butter-grilled pound cake served with warm pecan-caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream ($4.29) and the caramel-apple tart, a perfectly prepared New England classic ($4.29). I left thinking Mark was a genius. (407) 939-3463. Entrées: $11-$14.99.