Disney World's food offerings go well beyond the standard theme park fried food.
It can be a little overwhelming to know what to order when hunger inevitably hits after
walking around all day.
So we're here to let you know what you should absolutely never eat at Disney World.
You might be a bit surprised by the inclusion of this first selection.
Mickey pretzels are certainly adorable, and there's a time and a place for them.
The frozen variety is practically a rite of passage for a Disney newbie, and we must admit
that it makes for a heck of a photo.
We choose to live by the philosophy that you can find the good in even a bad pretzel, but
we do urge you to do better, and at Disney, it's extremely easy to do so.
As it turns out, there are some other pretzels that are more worthy of your stomach space.
Over at the BaseLine Tap House in Disney's Hollywood Studios, you'll find a near-perfect
execution of a Bavarian pretzel served with beer cheese fondue.
You can chow down on that while imbibing on their impressive selection of California craft
brews, wines, and cocktails.
Over at Disney Springs, the Indiana Jones-themed Jock Lindsay's Hangar Bar brings us all the
fortune and glory with its loaded pretzel.
A carnivore's dream, it's topped with pepperoni, sliced brats, prosciutto, two types of cheddar,
pickles, mustard, and the house-made beer cheese fondue.
As you can see, Disney's pretzels have us all tied up in knots.
If you're on the hunt for adorable-looking treats that are worthy of your Instagram feed,
you likely have novelty ice cream bars on your list.
Disney's Mickey-shaped pre-packaged frozen treats offer a reliable way to cool down on
those sizzling Florida days.
But when you consider that they're nothing special with their recent availability in
grocery stores, that's a "no" from us.
For a better option, house-made, gourmet-level frozen specialties can be found throughout Disney World.
In EPCOT alone, you can savor gelato from the Gelateria Toscana , aptly located in the
Italy World Showcase pavilion.
Just a hop, skip, and a jump away is the France Pavilion, where you can visit L'Artisan des Glaces.
It offers drool-worthy house-made flavors like caramelized pecan and cinnamon caramel apple.
Then there are some even more interesting options like macaron ice cream sandwiches
and croque glace, a homemade brioche stuffed with ice cream and pressed.
"It's the best ice cream.
I wouldn't order any other."
Pizza can be found throughout Disney World in a number of incarnations, from the inspired
to the merely okay.
The standard quick service variety is fast food pizza in its basic form.
These super-doughy, thick-crusted personal pizzas come with toppings that tend to gather
towards the center.
They're fine if you just need a quick carb boost, but we can think of many other better
options to satisfy your cravings.
"PIZZA!
Pizza, pizza, go in tummy, me so hungy, me so hungy."
Via Napoli, for example, is a family favorite spot in EPCOT's World Showcase.
It's home to Southern Italian-inspired dishes, and its main draw are wood-fired pizzas cooked
in an open-air kitchen.
If you can't snag reservations there, there are also some great pizza selections from
a walk-up window just next door dubbed Pizza Al Taglio.
Then there's Tambu Lounge, a tropical-inspired bar with small plates at Disney's Polynesian
Village Resort that serves up some well-thought-out flatbreads.
And for the best classic Margherita at Disney World, head to AbracadaBar, a magician-themed
social club with speakeasy vibes located at Disney's BoardWalk.
Churros may just be the quintessential theme park snack, but sadly, Disney World's standard
ones can't hold a candle to their counterparts found across the country at Disneyland.
What should be crispy on the outside with a pillowy outside can quickly turn into a
sad, stale mess thanks to Orlando's stifling humidity.
You're better off making your own churros at home.
Don't worry, though, as there are better options available.
Nomad Lounge is the definition of a hidden gem.
Located in Animal Kingdom, this tucked-away waterside lounge celebrates globally inspired
bites and drinks in an exotic locale suitable for the wanderlust traveler.
Head straight for the dessert here, which happens to be perfectly executed churros served
with vanilla crema and chili-strawberry dipping sauce.
If you're looking for a standard variety done exceptionally well, head to Sunshine Churros
at Disney Springs, which offers classic churros, as well as more inspired flavors like apple
cinnamon and watermelon.
Canned cocktails and spiked seltzers may be all the rage in everyday life, but it's not
the time for that when you're in a fantastical wonderland where they take cocktails very seriously.
You can drink around the world at EPCOT, including Iced Mint Tea with gin in Morocco, a Canto-loopy
glass of boozy and fruity delight in China, and a properly layered snake bite in the U.K.
And no spin around the World Showcase is complete without a stop at the agave spirit-focused
bar known as La Cava Del Tequila.
This nationally recognized den of tequila delights is even connected to several A-listers,
like The Rock, Lily Allen, and Neil Patrick Harris, who actually created his own signature
cocktail for the menu.
"It's gonna be legendary."
And the libations aren't limited to the parks.
Disney World's many resorts are home to some of the best themed lounges with inspired beverage programs.
At Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, Enchanted Rose is a Beauty and The Beast-themed lounge
with an inventive cocktail list, including table-side beverage service.
Over at Disney's Animal Kingdom, you can find Sanaa Lounge, a welcome respite from the hustle
and bustle of theme parks and home to an extensive collection of South African wine.
Convenience may play a factor in your dining choices while visiting Disney World, but with
a little preparation, there's no reason you should be settling for anything less than
practically perfect in every way.
Pre-packaged ice pops and fruit bars can be found from any number of carts and counters
throughout Disney World.
And while they may be suitable for an everyday backyard picnic, you should be sure to let
them go during a Disney vacation.
World Showcase at EPCOT is a celebration of the many nations of our planet and home to
some of the most unique snacks and beverages that will introduce even the most cautious
palate to a new world of flavors.
You can grab a Frozen Kirin in the Japan Pavilion, but if you're looking for something more of
the dessert variety, then Kaki Gori Treats is home to some inventive shaved ice options.
A traditional Japanese dessert, shaved ice is covered in sweet syrup with fun flavors
like tangerine and melon and then covered on top with creamy sweet milk.
And at Disney Springs, the 21-and-older crowd can cool off with adult wine slushies from
the high-end bakery known as Amorette's Patisserie.
Hot dogs are synonymous with county fairs, and they're the iconic snack of choice to
chow down on at a baseball game.
But if you stop and think about it, you'll realize that a standard hot dog just isn't that great.
Our fascination with this particular staple is more about nostalgia than taste.
It's not like biting into an average hot dog is so delicious that it'll have your taste buds dancing.
You can find standard dogs all over Disney World at walk-up service spots and on kids' menus.
But the park has also truly excelled at some really special versions worthy of our stomachs' starting lineups.
We'll start with what can best be described as the most perfect interpretation of the
hot dog: the hand-dipped corn dog.
Found at Sleepy Hollow in Magic Kingdom, they're made-to-order and hand-dipped in a sweet batter
before being fried.
Also worthy of mention are Magic Kingdom's corn dog nuggets.
They've long been a park staple and an excellent option to pop in your mouth when you're on the go.
And if you're looking for something truly unique, the Satu'li Canteen in Disney's Animal
Kingdom serves what are dubbed Teylu Dogs.
This consists of a basic hot dog, but instead of a bun, it's wrapped in buttery and soft
Parker House roll dough.
We call that a home run.
Macaroni and cheese is a staple of many children's diets, and even some adults as well.
There's no shame in this accessible dish that combines carbs with cheese in an explosion of flavor.
Or at least that's how it should be.
Disney World's version could be described as basic at best.
It's suitable for the picky eater, but you'll find the rest of us heading elsewhere for
creamy, ooey-gooey goodness.
For a twist on mac and cheese that's suitable for the more sophisticated palate, the Enchanted
Rose at Disney's Grand Floridian welcomes you into their elegant atmosphere as you dine
on lump crab with Gnoccheti and mornay sauce.
This is mac and cheese opulence at its best.
For the less fancy among us, Animal Kingdom's Flame Tree Barbecue offers a just-as-good
but more accessible baked mac and cheese topped with barbecue pulled pork and onion rings.
Our preferred way to cap off a perfect park day is at The BOATHOUSE, a dockside seafood
haven at Disney Springs.
We're not coming here for seafood, but rather, the mac and cheese made with Merkts Wisconsin
cheddar cheese sauce and jumbo shell pasta.
It's so creamy, while the pasta remains perfectly al dente.
This is truly the pinnacle of mac and cheese.
Chicken fingers are available to provide you with just enough protein, fat, and carbs to
keep you going on those marathon park days.
But there's a problem with this standard basic quick service at Disney World.
Essentially, they're nothing more than frozen, pre-breaded chicken pieces thrown in a deep fryer.
If you're really pining for something of the fried variety, there are other options to
get your hands all salt-covered and greasy.
There's a guy at Disney World making something better than your average quick-service chicken
finger, and that guy is Guy Fieri.
The Food Network star has his very own Disney outpost known as Chicken Guy!
Fieri's ostentatious personality might be a turn-off for some, but those people are
missing out on his outstanding chicken fingers.
These all-natural poultry pieces are hand-breaded each day, and they're made even better with
their selection of more than 20 sauces, including a classic bourbon brown sugar bbq and a habanero
hot sauce.
"If you got some free time, come down and check it out.
The line's out the door, but it's worth the wait."
If you're a chicken maven looking for a more Southern approach, you can find outstanding
fried chicken at the Disney Springs spot Chef Art Smith's Homecomin', which comes to parkgoers
from a former personal chef to Oprah Winfrey.
And if you're craving something fried without the poultry, then you can head to EPCOT, which
has long been serving up authentic British style Fish & Chips from the Yorkshire County Fish Shop.
If you can promise us one thing during your next trip to Disney World, please don't drink any cheap beer.
We can understand if you don't have a very ambitious palate for adventurous foods, but
this is a bridge too far.
Disney World's beverage program puts an incredible amount of effort and thought into its beer
offerings, so it would truly be a shame to miss out.
There's even an entire team dedicated to outreach to local and small craft breweries.
So at any given point, you're basically experiencing a micro-brew fest at the property's nearly
400 on-site restaurants and bars that are serving up a multitude of new and interesting
beers on tap straight from the brewery.
A favorite way to imbibe these interesting beverages is at any one of the seasonal international
food and beverage festivals at EPCOT.
This low-risk commitment allows you to try sample sizes of the beers on offer, like 3
Daughters Brewing Pink Lemonade Hard Cider from nearby St. Petersburg.
You may also be surprised to learn that Disney World is the largest importer of the German
grapefruit flavored beer Schofferhofer.
It's the little touches like these that set Disney apart from its competitors and one
of the big reasons why they have such a fiercely loyal following.
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