Hi there, Phoebe! Thanks for trusting the Disney Parks Moms Panel to help you plan your adventure to the Walt Disney World Resort!
Quick service and counter service are interchangeable terms for restaurants where you generally walk up to a counter, order and pay for your food, pick up your food, and then take it to a table. There are some food carts and trucks that are much smaller establishments that might be considered more of a quick-service option than a counter-service option, but generally the terms mean the same thing. Additionally, counter-service dining restaurants do not accept reservations. So, when you are planning your
advanced dining reservations up to 180 days in advance, you only need to focus on table-service restaurants.
Although you can’t reserve a table in advance, many counter-service dining locations do have the option to order your meal ahead of time using
mobile ordering on the My Disney Experience app! This service is so convenient and time efficient because you can set up your order from anywhere; then when you arrive at the restaurant, simply tap “I’m Here, Prepare My Order” and your food and/or beverage will be prepared right away. You will pick up your food at a designated counter/window for mobile orders and skip most of the line! Further, if you are using a Disney dining plan, you can even pay for your mobile order with your dining plan entitlements.
I hope this helps clarify things a bit for you. Please stop by again with any other questions you may have!
-Linda