Disney World is, to many, the trip of a lifetime. Where else can you act like a kid 24/7, all while eating delicious food? And while, yes, many families head to the Most Magical Place on Earth to bring their kids joy, it’s also a perfectly wonderful place to go as a solo adult. Because then you can act like a kid 24/7 while not actually caring for any children — and get to eat and drink to your heart’s content with friends.
Recently, the Scary Mommy team got the chance to do just that. And because we’re not gatekeepers, we compiled a list of all of our favorite things we ate and drank all weekend. If you want an Epcot Food & Wine Festival-specific list, click here.) Enjoy, and cheers!
Magic Kingdom
Anastasia Cone @ Storybook Treats
This is one of the special desserts cooked up for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party — one of two special cones named after Cinderella’s stepsisters. Drusilla has a blueberry cone in her honor; I opted for this strawberry Dole whip with a lemon curd drizzle, a sprinkling of pop rocks, and a funny little chocolate piece with Anastasia on it. I laughed with delight at that little chocolate piece when they handed it to me, and it was tasty, too.
Cheeseburger Spring Roll @ the Adventureland Spring Roll Cart
This is every bit as good as it sounds. We searched for this treat and found it at a non-descript food cart in Adventureland. There was a long line, but it was worth every bite. It’s basically a cheeseburger rolled up into fried spring roll dough. They give you a dipping sauce that’s akin to Thousand Island. Pure happiness, and because you get two generously sized rolls, it’s filling for the price.
Dole Whip Mango and Chamoy Float @ Aloha Isle Refreshments
This float goes for $7.29, and I’d pay it again and again. It’s the classic pineapple sorbet you know and love, but bigger, surrounded in fresh mango juice, and topped with tajin and chamoy. I swore I couldn’t eat the whole thing but, well, it went down just fine after the first bite.
Hot Honey Chicken with Sweet Potato Fries @ the Golden Oak Outpost
While Tiana’s beignets are the star of the show at this concession stand (the Golden Oak Outpost), this dish was definitely my favorite thing there. Sweet and mildly spicy chicken nuggets (which are more like popcorn chicken than frozen nuggets) are tossed in a hot honey sauce and served with spiced (but not too spicy) sweet potato fries and topped with a mouthwatering olive relish.
Original Dole Whip @ Aloha Isle Refreshments
Nothing hits quite like a delicious pineapple Dole Whip on a hot day at Disney. It’s full of cooling, citrusy goodness. I could have had another three.
Epcot
Mango Lassi with Sōmrus Chai Cream Liqueur @ the India Global Marketplace
I really liked this refreshing little drink I got at the India Global Marketplace in World Showcase. It’s got a nice flavor, it’s icy, and it has a little sprinkling of mango pieces on the top. It’s also not too big, which is important for the purposes of pacing yourself when drinking around the world.
Cucumber Margarita @ Mexico’s La Cantina
This was light, refreshing, and flavorful without being overly sweet. A perfect drink to sip while strolling.
Guacamole @ Mexico’s La Cantina
Truly, guac is the food of the gods… when done well. It’s really easy to get bad guacamole, especially when you’re talking about making it to scale. But the guac and chips at Epcot was really very good. We were all delighted by the inclusion of pumpkin seeds on top!
Eel Temaki Sushi @ Japan (Food & Wine Festival)
I’ve eaten who knows how much eel sushi in my life, but I will remember this hand roll apart from the best. The seaweed wrap was so tender, and the rice and eel were both cooked to perfection.
Werther’s® Original® Caramel Butter Bar @ Karamell-Küche
Thank the caramel gods one of our group wandered into this store in the World Showcase Germany Pavilion when the rest of us passed it by. This caramel butter bar disappeared fast once we’d all tried it. It’s so gooey you wonder how it stays in one piece and is just a truly delicious dessert that caramel lovers will lose their minds over.
Werther’s Originals Caramel Popcorn @ Karamell-Küche
I like caramel, but caramel corn has just never really done it for me. Well, this stuff absolutely does. It’s made fresh, so it’s warm and incredibly fragrant when you open the bag. It’s salty, sweet, and the caramel flavor is so much richer than any store-bought caramel corn I’ve ever had.
Hawaiian Rice Bowl @ Hawaii (Food & Wine Festival)
A week after our trip to Epcot, I cannot stop thinking about the humble Hawaiian Rice Bowl from the Food & Wine Fest Hawaii pavilion. Lesser minds might have considered the Slow-roasted Pork Slider to be the sexier order, and I’ll grant that rice, eggs, and spam might not seem all that compelling, but in the middle of a long day of magic, squirt on some eel sauce and spicy mayo and you will be transported to flavor town and not want to come home.
Griddled Cheese with Pistachios & Honey & Zoe Rosé @ Greece (Food & Wine Festival)
This was one of my favorite bites of the day. The cheese (I’m not even sure what kind it is) is heated on the griddle so that the outside gets crispy, and the inside heats to be all gooey and absolutely delicious. Then, it’s topped with rough-chopped pistachios and honey. It’s like the best parts of a grilled cheese — the little burnt crunchies left in the pan — but sweet and nutty to boot. You have to try it.
The accompanying rosé was everything you could want from a rosé on a hot day. Bonus points for pairing perfectly with the griddled cheese.
Potato & Pea Samosa @ India (Food & Wine Festival)
This was a standard, delicious samosa, but it was the coriander-lime cream drizzle on the top of this dish that made it something special. The spices inside were also perfectly balanced with the flaky puff pastry outside.
Polpettine Toscane & Italian Style “Nachos” @ Italy (Food & Wine Festival)
Being Italian-American, I’m picky about my meatballs, but these were moist and flavorful and served with a slightly spice pomodoro sauce that would have gotten my nonna’s nod of approval. And the “nachos” are basically heaven. There’s a beef ragout which you spoon into your mouth using pasta chips. Delightful.
Mimosa Flight @ Shimmering Sips (Food & Wine Festival)
This assortment of three drinks included a Tropical Mimosa made with POG juice, a Berry Mimosa made with La Gioiosa Berry fizz and white cranberry juice, and a Blood Orange Mimosa (our team’s clear winner of the three).
Frozen Rose @ The Alps
My first thought about the frozen rosé at The Alps was, “Oh my god, that’s so nice and cold!” And sure, that is true, but it’s so much more than that. It wasn’t too sweet — which can be a kiss of death for froze — and stayed cold even when I drank it all down to the stem. Anything that keeps me cool in hot temps and is a delight for the tastebuds is a winner in my book.
Grilled Mahi Mahi @ Coral Reef Restaurant
My waiter (who, incidentally, could tell me everything about the nearly 2,000 fish in the restaurant’s enormous aquarium) recommended this dish when I couldn’t decide what to pick, and I’m so glad he did. The fish was perfectly cooked and served over coconut-lime rice, mango salsa, avocado mouse, and toasted coconut.
Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese @ The Alps (Food & Wine Festival)
Raclette is among the stinkier cheeses out there, and it’s not for everyone. But you know who it is for? This girl. This dish features a sizable glob of melted raclette cheese served with boiled baby potatoes, a baguette, and cornichons. It took all my strength not to order a second.
Pumpkin Mascarpone Ravioli @ Forest & Field
I made it my mission to try this, and I’m so glad I did. I love pumpkin and I love ravioli, and this combo did not disappoint. The ravioli themselves were surprisingly warm (considering they’re mass-produced) and flavorful. I was impressed by this small, delightful dish.
Burrata with Seasonal Fall Fruit, Spiced Pecans, Apple Purée, and Fig Vinaigrette @ Forest & Field
Burrata is possibly the best cheese dish to eat when you’re hot, given that it’s served a little chilled with cool fruits and toppings. This one was pretty darn good. The apple puree added the right amount of sweetness, and the pecans gave it a satisfying crunch. If you’re only eating one dish from each location in the festival, I would opt for the ravioli over this dish.
Hard Cider Flight, Stone-baked Moroccan Bread & Pistachio Cake @ Morocco’s Tangierine Café
This trio of Floridian hard ciders included blackberry pear, tamarind mint, and fig flavors. The tamarind mint was hands down my favorite, but I easily could have had a pint of any of them. They were sweet and refreshing.
Macadamia Passion Fruit Cheesecake @ Hawaii (Food & Wine Festival)
I am a big cheesecake fan (what, my two favorite things combined?) and tried three different ones while at Disney. This one was my favorite. Super bright and tropical without the heavy feel that cheesecake can sometimes have. And the toasted nuts added great texture.
Hollywood Studios
Blue Milk @ the Galaxy’s Edge Milk Stand
I was a huge Star Wars nerd as a kid and still love the franchise, so of course I leapt at the opportunity to drink the famous “blue milk,” as seen in the first movie. Obviously, “blue” and “milk” are not generally words you want near each other, but this was delightful! It was refreshing and tasted like a combination of a blue raspberry Icee and sweet cream.
Potato Barrels @ Woody’s Lunch Box
I have eaten a lot of tater tots in my life, but none as good as these. They were crispy but tender, warm but not too hot, salty but not overwhelmingly so. In short, these are a delightful addition to any meal at this quick-service restaurant. My only regret is not getting these as “totchos,” which are basically tater tot nachos. Double yum.
Hotels
Wood Fired Steak & Eggs @ Topolino’s Terrace at the Riviera Resort
Maybe one of my best decisions made at Disney World was ordering this dish when we did a character breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace at Disney’s Riveria Resort. It was delicious, for one thing, and it kept me going through a long park day when I was laser-focused on frozen snacks and drinks. I’m still thinking about how good it was.
Avocado Toast @ Topolino’s Terrace at the Riviera Resort
I was trying to be a little bit healthy this breakfast, particularly since it opens with an assortment of truly delightful pastries (the croissant was my favorite), but this was no bunny food. Served on ciabatta, the smashed avocados are served with prosciutto, a poached egg, toy box tomatoes, and fennel. But what truly brings it together is the delicious harissa vinaigrette.
Aura In Me @ The Enchanted Rose at The Grand Floridian
This was hands down the best alcoholic beverage I had at Disney World. Perfectly balanced, refreshing, and delightfully aromatic, it contains Nolet’s Silver dry gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, honey, pink peppercorn, cardamom, and lemon and is topped with an egg white foam. I’ll be trying to recreate this one at home… and I doubt I’ll get it as good.
French 76 @ The Enchanted Rose at The Grand Floridian
Give me a glass of champagne any day of the damn week. I loved this twist on the classic French 75, which is traditionally made with gin. I swapped out gin for vodka, and this drink, which is made with Laurent Perrier Brut Champagne, lemon, and agave, was one of the best cocktails of my entire life.
Rosemary Cooler @ The Enchanted Rose at The Grand Floridian
Sitting on the outdoor patio at Enchanted Rose sipping on this Rosemary Cooler was refreshing in every way I needed it to be on a super hot and muggy Florida afternoon. The mix of lemonade, vanilla, and rosemary was sweet without being overpowering, and since it’s non-alcoholic, it’s a great “grown-up” drink to let your kid try.
Disney Springs
The Cookies @ Summer House on the Lake
These cookies remind me of Levain; they’re that good. Don’t sleep on the sea salt chocolate chip, the snickerdoodle, the lemon, or the peanut butter. I packed them for the plane ride home the following day, and they were just as tasty as the night before.
Frozé @ Summer House on the Lake
The Frozé at Summer House on the Lake at Disney Springs (rosé, Aperol, cocchi americano, whipped strawberry) was a real treat. I love a frozen adult beverage generally, but all too often they get a little too sugary and too knock-you-down strong. This one was a nice, cheerful little treat, with just the right amount of oomph. Plus, it cools you down in that Florida heat.
