We've always stayed at POR and love the food court but I may be planning a trip where we would rent DVC points in order to accommodate 5 adults. I am concerned about food options as I haven't seen a lot of counter service places at deluxe resorts and we can't afford table service for every meal. What are your experiences?
If quick service is a big deal, and you're planning on renting DVC points, trying to stay at Bay Lake might be your best bet. Contemp seems to have the widest variety of options, and you're also monorail rides away from Poly and GF, and a walk to the food options available at MK.
Beach Club has a decent selection of pre-packaged foods in their Marketplace. They also make some sandwiches to order, though the selection is narrow. Boardwalk has some more options, but there's no food court per se. There are various very-small outlets, like the bakery & the pizzeria, to get quick service options. But at least, when you stay at Beach Club or Boardwalk, they're within walking distance of each other, the cheaper eats at Swan and Dolphin, and Epcot. The Studios isn't quite as convenient, but it is a boat ride or longer walk away.
Animal Kingdom Lodge has a decent food court, though I haven't been there since the Villas opened up. I'd worry that all those extra rooms, without expanding Mara (or opening up any other QS options) could overwhelm Mara, and while the food was tasty, they were never what I'd call speedy.
As others have said, Roaring Forks at Wilderness has a few nice options. It does take a while to pay, and the seating area is less like a food court and more like the cafeteria of a ranger training academy in the Pac NW. If you can eat outside, do it. Not many other options nearby.
Good's To Go in Old Key West, can't really say good bad or indifferent.
Artist's Palette at Saratoga also has some tasty fare most of the time, and each night for dinner there's a different special dinner entree as well as their regular menu of sandiwches and flatbreads. Staying at Saratoga also gives you close access to Downtown Disney; my advice to anyone staying at Saratoga is to ask to stay in the Congress Park section. You'll be close to the main building and pool, but you'll also be walking distance to the Marketplace section of DTD. Eating at Wolfgang Puck Express is always a better alternative to Artists' Palette, especially for breakfast. Ordered take out for dinner there a few times, and it was faster calling ahead, ordering food, walking over, picking it up, and walking back to our room than it was going to AP, waiting on line, ordering food, waiting to pay and sitting down somewhere. Your mileage may vary, but I'm very high on WOlfgang Puck Express.
