Welcome to the Expert Disney Planning Tips podcast!
In Episode 5, our host, Rachel, is joined by fellow Disney pro's, Corina, The Magical Latina, and Becca, Undercover Tourist's very own Dining Expert, to discuss dining at Walt Disney World Resort!
We'll chat about advanced dining reservations, mobile ordering and, of course, our favorite places for a meal, snack or treat. You'll leave this podcast hungry AND prepared to enjoy all the yumminess that is Walt Disney World dining.
Hop in to get all the scoop including:
🐸 Let Us Help You Plan and Book Your Next Vacation! 🐸
💚 We’d Love to Stay In Touch! 💚
Welcome to the Expert Disney Planning Tips podcast!
In Episode 5, our host, Rachel, is joined by fellow Disney pro's, Corina, The Magical Latina, and Becca, Undercover Tourist's very own Dining Expert, to discuss dining at Walt Disney World Resort!
We'll chat about advanced dining reservations, mobile ordering and, of course, our favorite places for a meal, snack or treat. You'll leave this podcast hungry AND prepared to enjoy all the yumminess that is Walt Disney World dining.
Hop in to get all the scoop including:
🐸 Let Us Help You Plan and Book Your Next Vacation! 🐸
💚 We’d Love to Stay In Touch! 💚
Rachel (00:00:02):
Welcome to the Expert Disney Planning Tips podcast where we bring together Disney Pros to share our tips for making your vacation extra. Magical. Undercover Tourist is the trusted name in discount theme park tickets with over 20 years of experience under our frog belts. You can find us online@undercovertourist.com on top of saving you some green. We've also created comprehensive planning tools to make planning your next vacation as stress-free as possible, including the number one ranked crowd calendar, our comprehensive blog park plans, and so much more. Hello and welcome to the Expert Disney Planning Tips podcast. I'm your host Rachel with Undercover Tourists, and today I am so excited to be joined by my friends Becca and Karina to Dish on all things food at Disney World. Welcome, Becca and Karina. I'm so happy to have you here.
Corina (00:00:56):
Thank You.
Rachel (00:00:57):
Hello. Yes, thank you. It's so good to be here. I'm excited.
Corina (00:01:01):
I cannot wait to talk about food. My favorite topic.
Rachel (00:01:04):
It's going to be so much fun. So for anyone listening who may not know, Becca and Karina are Orlando locals and you guys do Disney all of the time. But on top of that, you are two huge foodies. When I have questions about where to eat or what to eat, you two are absolutely the ones to ask. I totally trust your pals and you always have the best advice. Outside of my day-to-day job helping families have their best vacations ever over at Undercover Tourist, I have a family of my own and I take trips with them without them. So I've experienced dining alone, dining with just my husband, dining with friends, dining with my whole family, dining with extended family, you name it, and I've done it at all price points all over Walt Disney World Resort. So between the three of us, you are in great hands and we're here to get you ready to eat on your next trip to Disney World. Karina, aka at the magical Latina on Instagram always has the top foodie finds, and you also own and operate your own food truck. Karina, tell us a little bit more about you.
Corina (00:02:05):
Well,
Rachel (00:02:05):
I've been living
Corina (00:02:06):
In Orlando for a little while and I noticed there hasn't been a lot of really good Puerto Rican food trucks or anything with The Twist. There are a lot of Puerto Rican food trucks, but not with the Twist. So growing up, my grandmas, my Abuelas, they taught me all their recipes, so I incorporated that into my food truck, the Buras table. It's a witchy themed Puerto Rican food truck that has vegan and vegetarian options. Also, I put my schedule on my Instagram page and my story, so you can keep up there and you can follow me and come visit me and I'll make you the best MP of your life. But yeah, that's my passion and I love it so much, including Disney. That's why I love food because I just love to compare and really get down to all the flavors and ingredients and then share it with all of you.
Rachel (00:02:57):
We do too. I can't wait to talk more about food with you as time goes on, and that food truck is so special. Thank
Becca (00:03:04):
You. And
Rachel (00:03:04):
Then we have Becca, a k a at Pixie, Dustin Freckles. She's a mom, Becca. You're also the hostess with the mostest when it comes to celebrating others and choosing the best restaurants to have birthday celebrations, baby showers, you name it. You're also a total foodie. Tell us a little bit more about yourself.
Becca (00:03:23):
So for my day-to-day job, like Rachel, I work here at Undercover Tourists as a content creator and blogger. So eating at the theme parks and enjoying Disney food is literally my job. It's my job to know the ins and outs of all the dining, but like Rachel said, I am a wife and a mom and Orlando local, and we just like hanging out at Disney even when I'm not at work and part of our favorite pastimes at Disney or trying all the foodie spots, whether it's fine dining to snack carts, I'm on a mission to try it all.
Rachel (00:03:59):
That's incredible. Well, I'm so happy to have you guys here. I was thinking about it today and I was like, I'm not in Orlando. So I think we're going to talk about all of this amazing food and the two of you're going to get to go eat whatever you want that we've talked about today. And I'm going to be stuck here wishing that I were there.
Becca (00:04:16):
Time to plan a trip.
Rachel (00:04:17):
I know
Becca (00:04:17):
Exactly
Rachel (00:04:18):
Disney World Vacations take planning and dining is no exception, but for me, this is kind of where the planning gets really fun. Finding the best places to eat, making your list of Epcot Festival must haves, getting those Instagram worthy shots, it's all part of the fun. So we want you to leave today's podcast feeling prepared to dine at Walt Disney World, and that's going to look different for each family based on your budgets, your vacation party and more. But we're going to give you a ton of delicious options for you to choose from to make the choice that's right for you and your family. So here's what we're going to talk about today. What are the dining options like at Walt Disney World? How do I make a dining reservation? How does mobile ordering work? And then my favorite part, we're going to talk about our very favorite things to eat in each Walt Disney World theme park, and we're going to talk about the very best thing we've ever eaten on Walt Disney World Property. How hard was this to pick you guys?
Becca (00:05:12):
Oh, very hard. There's so many options. I know. So
Rachel (00:05:16):
I asked Karina and Becca and I did the same. We've kept our answers secret for this portion as well, so you're going to get live reactions as well as so kind of what we think about all these different food options. So can't wait to share. And then we'll close things out today by talking about our very top dining tips and tricks. So can't wait to share more before we jump in. Of course, we want to share that you can save money on your entire Walt Disney World vacation theme, park tickets, your resort hotel stay rental cars, and so much more through undercover tourist. Also, undercover Tourist has a ton of fantastic planning tools. You heard Becca say she's a part of the team now that helps to create all of those. We also have some resources specifically with dining in mind. So if you hop over to our blog, find in-depth resources on mobile ordering, restaurant reviews, information on character dining and more. One of my very favorite things that we have ever created are our Epcot Festival menu. Infographics. We just released one for food and wine, but we do these for every Epcot festival and we create those menus In walking order so you know where to go next with helpful icons for things like top tadpole picks or kid picks, our team's favorite items, plant-based items and more. Those are so easy to screenshot or download and have with you in the park so that way you can kind of mark your favorites and have a plan to eat. All right, all that in mind, Becca and Karina, are you ready?
Becca (00:06:38):
I'm ready, yes.
Rachel (00:06:38):
Let's Jump into The good stuff. So we're going to start with a basic dining overview. Let's talk about the different types of dining that are available at Disney World because there are basically three. The first is Quick Service. Corina, can you tell us a little bit more about Quick Service Dining?
Corina (00:06:54):
Honestly, I really love Quick Service because when I go to the parks, I'm always, I go last minute, so I like to just pick something really quick. So I go on my app, my Disney app, and you just, it's the best thing ever because you just go on there, you pick your time that you want, your food, you order, you walk right up, go to the front of the line and get your food. You kind of just wave at everybody still waiting in line. You're like, Hey, a mobile order. I always tell people, you need a mobile order. It's the quickest thing ever. And it's nice. They have all the photos, they have all the allergy friendly items on there, so they make it very, very simple for you. But honestly, the mobile order is really the way to go when you're on the go
Becca (00:07:44):
And you don't have to wait. I'm shocked at how many people don't know about mobile ordering
(00:07:52):
Because when
(00:07:53):
I go to pick up my order, I will see the long line of people that are waiting to actually order at the cash register. And I was like, like, oh gosh. And literally when you mobile order, you just are like, your order's ready, you walk up, you pick it up and you're done. So such a time saver too.
Rachel (00:08:11):
It totally is.
Becca (00:08:12):
Absolutely.
Rachel (00:08:13):
So that's one option for Dining Quick Service, just like the name Quick, easy to get. The next is Table service. Becca, do you want to share a little bit about how that works?
Becca (00:08:21):
Sure. So I would think, I kind of think of it as the opposite of quick service. So it's going to be your full on restaurant where you sit at a table, you're going to want to make a reservation at Walt Disney World for the table service dining, and you're going to sit down, you're going to be seated, and then a server will take your order and your food will be brought out to you just like a regular sit down restaurant. And at Walt Disney World Table service dining encompasses everything from character dining to dinner shows and fine dining. So some of these spots can fill up very, very quickly something like Cinderella's Royal table. So making the reservations 60 days out is
Rachel (00:09:04):
Crucial, but
Becca (00:09:06):
It's not the only way. And we're going to talk about that a little bit more
Rachel (00:09:10):
For sure. So the next type of dining that we have is, I just labeled it as kind of other. So we've got quick service where you can usually mobile order, and again, that's going to be like a counter service type of deal like Karina was telling us about. Then there's table service like Becca mentioned, where you're going to sit down. The other are things that are in between. So there's carts of course, where you can get your Mickey ice cream bars, your popcorn, your pretzels, your churros, you name it. Those will not have mobile order. There's also those Epcot festival booths that we love to visit. Those will also not have mobile order, but those are usually walk-up again and grab your food. Similar to quick service, just no mobile order option. And like Carina mentioned that my Disney Experience app is vital when you're going to Disney World for so many reasons. We've talked about it with tickets, we've talked about it with your hotel. But like Karina mentioned, that's also where you can find dining locations. Make your reservations mobile order, check the walk-up list, see the menus, and even check in for your reservations. So you'll want to make sure you're ready to go with that app before you make your trip. Now Becca and Karina, let's talk about making dining reservations at Disney World because that is what we get a ton of questions on. So
Becca (00:10:20):
I know like
Rachel (00:10:23):
Becca said, I just so many people, it's such a stressful moment for people and I want to assure you, you can still have a magical time and there's still odds of you getting the dining experience you're looking for. Even if you don't get it at 6:00 AM at that 60 day mark, there is still hope you're still going to have a great time. All of the dining options that are there are so incredible. So not all hope was lost if you don't get it at that 60 day mark. But let me back up. Karina and Becca are both shaking their heads with me right now too. But let me back up. For anybody who might not actually know what Advanced Dining Reservations are, you'll sometimes see them called ADRs for short. This is what you would use if you want to save your spot or make an official reservation at a Disney World Table service restaurant. They are highly recommended for some of the in demand restaurants like Becca was mentioning earlier. So things like Cinderella's Royal Table, the new Woody's Rodeo Roundup, things like that, they'll book up pretty quickly, but they are not required. Highly recommended but not required. So let's talk a little bit about how you make Advanced Dining reservations. Becca, do you want to walk us through how that works?
Becca (00:11:36):
Sure. So the quickest and most efficient way to make your ADRs is to just do it in my Disney Experience app. And you can do that for everybody. It is 60 days before your trip, you can make those advanced dining and it usually starts pretty early 6:00 AM
Rachel (00:11:58):
On that 60
Becca (00:11:58):
Day
Rachel (00:11:59):
Mark.
Becca (00:11:59):
And if you are staying at a Disney resort, you get a
Rachel (00:12:03):
Little perk or
Becca (00:12:04):
Benefit in that it's still 60 days out for resort guests, but you can book all of your dining reservations for the length of your stay on that first 60 day mark instead of having to wake up at 6:00 AM every single day to make them as the week goes on. And sometimes we even kind of recommend people to kind of work backwards, like start your last day of vacation, book your dining reservation on that day, and then work backwards for the best availability. So you get a little edge being a resort guest there, being able to make your dining reservations for the length of your stay, not just every single day.
Rachel (00:12:47):
For sure. And you touched on this a little bit earlier, but what do you do if you're trying, you're up at 6:00 AM Eastern, you're looking and you don't find your reservation now what?
Becca (00:13:00):
Freak out? No, that's what everybody does. Freak out. Freak out. Okay, so my first thing is to relax. Definitely have your bucket list items and the things that you want to do, do your research and know where you want to go. But if you're not able to get that, like I said, super coveted dining reservation right away, there's no availability or whatever. Take a deep breath and there's definitely some things you can do. So the first thing I would say is to just keep checking every day. You could keep checking and you could just also, the closer you get to your vacation, people change their plans all the time. And reservations do open up. So just keep checking. You don't have to be obsessive about it, but just keep checking and a lot of times things will open up, so that's something that you can do.
(00:14:08):
The other thing you can do is when you're actually at Walt Disney World, let's say you want to do Cinderella's Royal Table, that one is really hard to get online. It goes really, really fast. So what you can do is you're going to want to get to Magic Kingdom as early as you can and you're going to beeline to the walkup, to the host stand, and you're going to ask to get on the walkup list stat. You can do this in the app and it probably would work for restaurants that aren't as highly sought after. It's a lot easier to join the walkup list online. But for something like Cinderella's Royal Table, you're going to want to beline over to the host stand and asked to be placed on the walkup list. I know it sounds crazy, But
(00:14:56):
There is availability a lot of time that way. It's never a guarantee, so you just have to go in knowing that. But Disney is full of magic. A lot of times it does happen. So the other thing is Space two 20, that restaurant is incredible and it is hard to secure advanced dining reservations for that one, but they have a lounge. And so I've been really successful at being able to dine there by asking to sit at the lounge. When people sit at the lounge at Space two 20, they typically aren't staying there for the whole dining experience, which does take over two hours. But if you're sitting at the lounge,
(00:15:37):
Sometimes people just come in to grab an appetizer or a drink because the lounge is in the main dining room. So you get the immersive experience, but you're not there for the two hours. So they rotate through the lounge. And so a lot of times you can get into Space two 20 if you ask for lounge. Also, rain is a deterrent for people. So if it's really raining in the park, a lot of people will leave and cancel their dining reservations. So sometimes when it's raining and I'm at Epcot, I will see Space two 20 pop up in my Disney Experience app. So weather will make people change their plans a lot too. So if you're a person who doesn't mind rain and you're wanting to do a really cool table service experience, check your app when it's raining really hard,
Rachel (00:16:19):
And like Becca said, we totally get it. This is stressful. It's a once in a lifetime trip. You're ready. You've pictured your family sitting inside the castle with their wishing stars dining with the princesses. So it's a big deal. But we promise, promise, promise, promise that there are other options. And in the very worst case too, if some of your reservations, if you aren't able to make them even on day of, you're still going to have tons of amazing food while you're there.
Corina (00:16:45):
To piggyback off of what Becca said, usually I'm a last minute park goer, and I'm telling you 90% of the time I pretty much get to go where I want to go when it comes to reservations because like Becca said, when it's raining, that's my favorite time to go because everything is open. No one's at the park. And yeah, don't stress because something will always pop up. There's always something. I always try to make my reservations far in advance, but when I do my last minute ones, I pretty much base it on what is available that day and something always pops up, I refresh and so many of them pop up. You'll really be surprised. Yeah,
Rachel (00:17:39):
And there are just a couple of other things that you should know about dining reservations too. The first is that a dining reservation does not grant you access to the park. You still need to have a valid ticket and you need a park reservation for that park if you're visiting that park first for date-based tickets, that's through January 9th, 2024 to be able to enter. The next thing is that sometimes there are late evening reservations or early morning reservations that get you into the park when the general public is not. So that's not a mistake, that's not an error if you see that ogas is open at 10 30 for example. Sometimes there are some fun experiences after the park closes or before the park opens that you can take advantage of to get to those kind of varies depending on the restaurant and the location. So our best advice is to look for a cast member that has an iPad or a sign and they'll help you either into the park or back into the land that you're looking to get to access those reservations. And last but not least, let's talk about cancellations a little bit. What happens if you need to cancel your dining reservation?
Corina (00:18:45):
Well, you can, so just know that you
Rachel (00:18:50):
Can,
Corina (00:18:51):
But there are some stipulations to it,
Rachel (00:18:54):
Yes, so you can cancel your reservation up to two hours before you're set to dine there. So if you are a person who's like absolutely not to the rain or if something else pops up, you can always cancel. The caveat is that for some of these that you pay in advance for, so things like Cinderella's Royal table, the cancellation policy may vary. So we always recommend that you double check before you book, just so you know what that opt-out is like for your situation. Yep,
Corina (00:19:20):
Good to know.
Rachel (00:19:21):
So we talked about advanced dining reservations. Let's talk a little bit about mobile order. Carina, you gave us a wonderful overview earlier, but just as a recap, is there anything else that we should know about mobile order?
Corina (00:19:33):
I just feel like mobile order is such a useful tool. I personally, I don't have kids, but I can only imagine that it'd be such a great tool to have when you're trying to get something quick and you can just order it outside within your own comfort. You're not around a lot of people being able to order somewhere comfortable, make it in, get my food, and just to find a nice quiet place to eat it. That's what I love. I don't like waiting in really long lines for a long period of time. So that mobile order is fabulous. It's so great just everywhere in all the parks everywhere, convenience, convenience. So you can do everything inside the My Disney Experience app. The other cool thing about quick service for the planners out there, you can think ahead a little bit if you've got littles and stuff, like you said, you can be a little bit more planned with your quick service. So you can actually pick a time slot in some of the popular places like Woody's Lunchbox, the time slots will fill up. So if you know you want to eat there, you might want to go ahead and just
Becca (00:20:47):
Pre-select your time. You can change it too. As you get closer, you can move out your window. So there's flexibility there, but at least you have an ordering window time and they're not completely filled up. So that saves time.
Rachel (00:21:02):
And
Becca (00:21:03):
You can place your whole order in the app, you pay for it in the app,
Corina (00:21:08):
And then you just
Becca (00:21:08):
Let them know that you're on your way and you'll get an alert that your food is ready
Corina (00:21:13):
To pick
Becca (00:21:13):
Up and it tells you even where to go and what window to pick it up at. And all you have to do is show your screen and they usually have it on a tray for you and off you go. So
Rachel (00:21:23):
I love the ability to modify too, because I don't know how many times I've been like, you know what? I think I want a Ron bath, but I'm in line for Millennium Falcon and it's moving slower than I expected. So I'm about to get to my window to where I can't order any longer. And you can just pop in, you can modify and say that you want the next available window and move it out. You can also cancel your order as long as you haven't hit, I'm here. So once you hit I'm here, that gives the signal that they need to prepare that food for you. So as long as you have not clicked that yet, you can cancel your mobile order at no charge.
Corina (00:21:59):
And another thing I did want to ask, because I am also a discount girly,
Rachel (00:22:04):
You
Corina (00:22:04):
Can't use your passholder discount at
Becca (00:22:07):
The
Corina (00:22:07):
Quick service
Becca (00:22:08):
Using your mobile app.
Corina (00:22:10):
That's just
Becca (00:22:10):
Another little thing. That is true. I wish I
Corina (00:22:13):
Know. Oh my gosh, are you kidding? I always
Becca (00:22:17):
Ask.
Corina (00:22:17):
I always used to ask just in case. You never know.
Rachel (00:22:21):
All of this is super helpful. Thank you both so much. So now we've talked about the hows, we've talked about the why's, but let's talk about the what's. Let's get into our favorite food by Park.
Becca (00:22:33):
So
Rachel (00:22:33):
Before we dive in, Karina and Becca, tell me a little bit about your foodie profiles. What are your go-tos when you're looking at food? What is something that you always gravitate towards?
Corina (00:22:44):
That is so difficult only because I'm starving right now, but it really just depends. So when it's hot outside, I don't ever want to eat anything savory. I want something more sweet, cold, icy, so I'll gravitate towards the dull whips or something like that. But when it's a little cooler outside, I definitely want to eat something like savory and more hearty so that I want to eat. So it really just depends on my mood. I'm more of like a mood eater.
Becca (00:23:22):
Yeah, love it. Becca, what about you? Well, funny Karina would say, I don't really crave a lot of savory things. That would be me. I am the Sav, I'm the savory girl. So we have both angles here. You are right though. I mean in the heat of the summertime, it gets very hot here in Orlando and sometimes you're just not super hungry for something hot in the middle of the summer. But that being said, I typically do go for more savory snacks and salty snacks or all the carbs. Oh yes. Oh my gosh. Give me all the carbs. So I also am a coffee drinker, so I will never turn down coffee at Disney. I would love to try them all. And I also drink alcohol. So if there's a new fun drink or I'm also a beer drinker, Rachel knows I highly sing the praises of Shandies.
(00:24:29):
And the first Shandy I ever had was actually at Skipper Canteen and it blew my socks off. So I told everybody about it. I will talk about shandies and people are like, okay, we get it, we get it. But I'm like, no you don't. And now I'm on a mission to drink all of them, not all on the same day, of course, but I'm on a drink to drink to try all of them. And I was like, I might even start my own Instagram account, just Disney shandies you. That's it. You I was going to say,
Corina (00:25:02):
Next
Rachel (00:25:02):
Podcast is just a masterclass
Corina (00:25:04):
In Shandies
Rachel (00:25:05):
With Becca. Here's
Becca (00:25:06):
All the Disney Disney
Corina (00:25:07):
I
Becca (00:25:07):
Know, but to your point, they are very refreshing on a hot day here in Orlando. So I do. So yeah, I am like savory carbs beer girl.
Corina (00:25:18):
Oh yeah,
Becca (00:25:19):
That's me.
Corina (00:25:20):
Have you
Rachel (00:25:20):
Guys seen the girl dinner trend on TikTok Girl dinner?
Corina (00:25:23):
Yes.
Becca (00:25:24):
Girl, girl dinner.
Rachel (00:25:26):
That's me to a tea. I'm like, yes, give me the french fries and a salad. I am just the weirdest mix of things when I'm by myself, when I'm with my kids, they ask for things to be a little bit more structured, which is hilarious. But that's kind of how we eat. So well,
Corina (00:25:39):
Let's start with the big one. Let's start
Rachel (00:25:41):
With Magic Kingdom, and let's start with quick service. So let's round Robin
Corina (00:25:45):
Karina, I'm going to
Rachel (00:25:45):
Put you in the hot seat. What's your favorite quick service at Magic Kingdom?
Corina (00:25:51):
Oh, this is so difficult.
Becca (00:25:53):
I
Corina (00:25:53):
Love the Aloha aisle because they have all of the dough whips, but my favorite dough whip is the Tropical Serenade.
Becca (00:26:08):
That's my daughter. Okay, I'll tell you what it is. Okay.
Corina (00:26:12):
It's
Becca (00:26:13):
A
Corina (00:26:13):
Pineapple orange guava juice. So the Pog juice. Okay,
Becca (00:26:16):
Right there. You got me, you sold me.
Corina (00:26:18):
Done. And then it has coconut soft serve and an upside down pineapple cake pop and together
Becca (00:26:26):
Blow your mind. Blow your mind. It is,
Rachel (00:26:29):
Yes.
Becca (00:26:29):
Yes. It's like that little pineapple cake pop is so good too. Yes, it's, it's like the perfect finishing touch, but I also think that the coconut dull whip is probably my favorite dull whip, and it's not really dull whip. I know I am going to get a lot of flack. I'm going to get some flack here, but I could take or leave a pineapple doll whip, and I know, I know it's just too citrusy for me, but if I can swirl it with a coconut or vanilla, then I'm like, okay, now let's go. Becca.
Rachel (00:27:10):
It was so nice having you. We'll talk to you next time. I'm just kidding.
Becca (00:27:14):
I know you're going to disown me.
Rachel (00:27:17):
Never. No, not at all. Not at all.
Becca (00:27:20):
But yeah, it's a good one.
Rachel (00:27:21):
I've been surprised. There's a lot of people who are not big fans of Doll Whip. I have to get a swirl. I cannot eat it by itself. You got to cut it with something. Becca, what about quick service for you at Magic Kingdom?
Becca (00:27:32):
Okay, so keeping in line with the whole savory thing. My favorite quick service at Magic Kingdom is Sleepy Hollow Refreshments. Y'all know where I'm going with this probably, right? The waffle sandwiches and they have different ones. So for breakfast, and they only serve it at breakfast time, so you have to keep that in mind. They stop serving it 11 or something. It's the Nutella
Rachel (00:28:00):
Filled
Becca (00:28:01):
Waffle with fresh fruit like strawberries and bananas and it's warm, but the fruit is always really fresh. So that one's good for breakfast. But I think my favorite one is their sweet and spicy chicken waffle sandwich. Oh my gosh. So it's got a little kick of heat, but then it's sweet with the honey and they've got some kale and stuff in it, which doesn't sound good when you talk about Disney food, but it's like the crunch that's in that and it's like a crispy chicken and oh my. And then they make their homemade fries there with the potato skin fries, and that always comes as a side and then throw a Diet Coke in there. But also they have the seating there that's right next to this Cinderella castle. So you are eating this amazing waffle sandwich, your view of the castle and right next to the parade route. So I'm just saying
Rachel (00:29:07):
Sometimes
Becca (00:29:07):
You can have a trifecta of Castle Waffle Sandwich parade.
Rachel (00:29:13):
Beautiful. I also thought about seating in my response because just like Karina was saying with I have a safe spot to order and then I know I'm going to have a spot to sit, that's super important to me. I don't want to order and then be like, where am I going with all of my food? So food, atmosphere, everything. I like Casey's Corner. I love the Corn Dog. I like Sumit Julip. You can get mobile order. I also have sat down there several times to watch fireworks, so you need to get there a little bit early, but you can sit down, you can see the fireworks. It's just great. And sometimes they have a live pianist out there that'll play Take me off to the ball game and those sorts of things while you're eating at Casey's. So that was my pick for quick
Becca (00:29:54):
Service.
Rachel (00:29:55):
That's a
Becca (00:29:55):
Good one. So can't go wrong with corn dog Nuggies cannot go wrong and the best dollar you will ever spend is going to be on that little side of cheese
Corina (00:30:08):
Dip
Becca (00:30:10):
Unless they've changed it. But it's always been a dollar for a long time. Best dollar, get the cheese dip
Rachel (00:30:15):
And
Becca (00:30:16):
Dunk your nuggies your corn dog and your fries and the
Rachel (00:30:18):
Cheese dip
Becca (00:30:20):
And watch the parade. And you can also see the parade and the Caval cakes go by there. So I would say good one. Nice
Corina (00:30:28):
Dips
Rachel (00:30:29):
Have Had So much to do with this list. I took some things off if they didn't dips, make or break for me. I don't know you guys, I feel like this is getting very complicated, but dips, yes. Cheese dip makes the difference. Totally agree.
Corina (00:30:43):
Well they used to be egg rolls, now they're spring rolls, the cheeseburger and pizza. Spring rolls.
Rachel (00:30:48):
Yes.
Corina (00:30:49):
I love the cheeseburger ones. Those are my favorite. They like the little Big Mac. They taste like a little Big Mac.
Rachel (00:30:57):
They're so good.
Corina (00:30:59):
So good.
Rachel (00:31:00):
So let's move on to table service. So Corinne, I'll start with you again. What's your favorite table service restaurant at Magic Kingdom?
Corina (00:31:06):
I really liked be our guest and specifically the library, the room, all the way on the left side. It was really dark. I feel like I like the atmosphere. The atmosphere is what really makes or breaks. I feel like
Rachel (00:31:27):
A
Corina (00:31:28):
Table service, especially the food is great, obviously I feel like Disney does great when it comes to their food and their theming and things like that. So just for me, the environment and the escape around me is very important and I just love that dark atmosphere that was in that room at beer, gas,
Becca (00:31:50):
Yeah, the West Wing.
Corina (00:31:51):
Yeah. Yes.
Rachel (00:31:54):
That room is so cool. I will say my daughter, when we went, she was like six and it did scare her a little bit, but that is by far the coolest room to be in. So just know if you have little kids and you can make a polite request to see if there's availability, but you kind of just get seated where you can be. But all of the rooms are pretty cool. You get to watch Snowfall. I will say, and this has been a hot topic on Facebook lately. BR Guest is not character dining. There're not characters that will stop by your table individually for autographs, hugs, that sort of thing. You don't go meet somebody, but the Beast
Corina (00:32:27):
Does
Rachel (00:32:28):
Welcome you to his castle. So he'll walk around and take a bow, which is kind of fun to see.
Becca (00:32:33):
Yep. Another frog teammate here, Ryan and I, we just recently ate at Be Our Guest and we had
Rachel (00:32:41):
A really great
Becca (00:32:41):
Experience. I really enjoyed it. And Karina, you're right, the atmosphere and the immersive environment is like Chef's Kiss and Be our guest. Our food was really, really good. We loved everything that we had in our server was,
Rachel (00:33:00):
And going back to alcohol. So the only place at Magic Kingdom that you'll be able to get alcohol are at the table service restaurants and all around Walt Disney World that you'll probably hear us talk about this several times there at this podcast. But there are, they're even immersive in the types of drinks that they offer you. So for example, there's a special wine flight that was curated from France for Disney. That's all Beauty and the Beast themed when you go to be our guest as well. So Becca, what about you? What's your favorite table service restaurant at Magic Kingdom?
Becca (00:33:35):
I'm going to get disowned again. If it was really my way, I'm not going really, I'm probably not going to go for table service at Magic Kingdom. That being said, I do have one and it's always Skipper Canteen. Always, always, always. Skipper Canteen is really fun. It's just an extension of the Jungle Cruise. So you're going to get that same campy vibe you're going to get.
Corina (00:34:02):
I've never been
Becca (00:34:04):
Uh Corina.
(00:34:04):
I know.
(00:34:04):
Okay, so now I'm going to disown you. I know. Don't dis kidding. No, I'm just kidding. No, no, I'm not going to disown you. You better just make a reservation. Okay, we'll have to go together. I'm like,
Rachel (00:34:13):
You guys have to go after this podcast. Just go to Skipper Canteen and report back
Becca (00:34:17):
And get a Shandy.
Rachel (00:34:18):
Yes.
Becca (00:34:19):
I'm sorry. I got really excited. You got me talking about Skipper Canteen. Okay, so I do love Skipper Canteen. So Campy and the servers still jokes the entire time and they're so full of puns and they're so corny that if you're not paying attention, you might actually miss it. It's so good. And there's little Easter eggs throughout the entire restaurant. If you ask your server about it, they have so many fun things like go check out the library and read the book titles. If you're a Disney lover and fan, those book titles are going to be like, oh my gosh. Anyway, if I'm really going to do table service, I'm actually going to leave the park and I'm probably going to go over to the contemporary or even
Rachel (00:35:03):
The Poly
Becca (00:35:04):
To be honest. So
Rachel (00:35:07):
The
Becca (00:35:08):
Magic Kingdom resorts are super, the monorail resorts are super close. It's a great way to take a break. So hop on the monorail or even contemporary, you can walk and get an
Rachel (00:35:18):
AC
Becca (00:35:19):
And
Rachel (00:35:20):
Eat at Steakhouse 71
Becca (00:35:22):
Or Kona Cafe over at the Poly. Take a break.
Rachel (00:35:25):
I think you get a
Becca (00:35:26):
Little bit better food quality in
Rachel (00:35:27):
The
Becca (00:35:27):
Resorts
Rachel (00:35:28):
Compared
Becca (00:35:29):
To Magic Kingdom's dining. And I'm not saying that you can't find something you'd like. I'm just saying overall.
Rachel (00:35:36):
And
Becca (00:35:36):
Then you get to kind of get that resort experience, take a break and then go back. So if I was going to do table service at Magic Kingdom, I'd leave the park honestly then
Rachel (00:35:46):
Cheater.
Becca (00:35:48):
I know you're not
Corina (00:35:49):
Wrong.
Becca (00:35:50):
No,
Rachel (00:35:51):
She's not wrong. And Becca, we'll get we'll also talk a little bit more. So Becca, we'll share her resort faves here in a second too, so we'll go through all of them. So my favorite table service at Magic Kingdom is Liberty Tree Tavern. But you have to be in the mood for it and you need to come ready to eat because it's family style. It's Thanksgiving esque food, so it's a little bit heavier. So it's you get Turkey pot roast, pork, mashed potatoes, stuffing mac and cheese. They also have a vegan option as well. But the highlight of the meal is, I mean I think this will be a theme for today, but ey, gooey toffee cake. Their dessert is so good.
Becca (00:36:29):
Yep,
Rachel (00:36:30):
So good. They also have what they call a shandy, but jury's out on whether it's actually a Shandy, it's Sam Adams and Angry Orchard Hard Cider. But yeah, so you can get some drink options there as well. Okay,
Becca (00:36:44):
On my list now.
Rachel (00:36:45):
So let's move into Honorable mention or something that you think people should miss. This can be from any category at Magic Kingdom. Karina, do you want to go first? I was going to say either the
Corina (00:36:56):
Cheeseburger spring rolls or the mini corn dogs
Rachel (00:37:01):
At Casey's.
Becca (00:37:02):
I'm going to second the cheeseburger spring rolls. Those are, I love them so much. Okay,
Rachel (00:37:09):
And what makes it again,
Becca (00:37:11):
The sauce, the dips, the sauce. It's the sauce. I love it. And it is, it's like eating a little Big Mac, but it's like the crispy spring roll outer. So good. So I would second that for sure. I also love the giant cinnamon roll over at Guest on's Tavern. That one's really good's a good. And then I feel like if you're in Magic Kingdom, you got to stop at the confectionery and get a freshly baked treat. Don't get the ones that are on the shelf with a nutrition wrapper. Those have been packaged should take home. So if you want to take Magic Home, get those. But you need to get the ones in the case in the calendar. So I like a caramel cover Apple. I don't hate on a Disney cupcake. Something really fresh and lovely in there I think is something you should get when you're at Magic Kingdom.
Rachel (00:38:06):
And they offer a mobile order too. So every time right before I'm about to leave the park, I will mobile order, run in, pick it up, be on my way, be good to go because of course when I'm there without my kids, they're like, where's my crispy? So yep,
Becca (00:38:20):
Got to stop again. Same. My kids are like, where's my Disney snack? Even though I'm local if I have to go and they're not with me. Also a little hack, I actually just saw it and I realized it, but this little Instagram reel reminded me that if the confectionary is super busy or crowded, go over to Storybook Circus because their case has a lot of the same things. Or if you're in that section of the park and you don't want to walk all the way back up to the confectionary, it's just a good little hack to know so you can get the same treats over
Corina (00:38:53):
In
Becca (00:38:53):
The circus storybook Circus
Corina (00:38:55):
In the back of the confection area where the Build your own popcorn. Honestly. Oh my gosh, I don't know why I did not
Becca (00:39:01):
Think
Corina (00:39:01):
About that beforehand. It is the best thing ever. You pick your popcorn, you get to pick as many toppings as you want based on the pricing. You get chocolate sauces and it's a big bucket of popcorn. It's so great to share. I recommend getting it for the family when you're going to go watch the fireworks. You get a lot for what they offer. It's so good.
Becca (00:39:26):
So I haven't done that, but it has been on my food bucket list. Nope, it's fine, Karina, because listen, now our Magic Kingdom Day is ready. So we're going to go have skippers lunch or dinner at Skipper Canteen and for dessert, we're going to go and get our popcorn and you get to show me that.
Corina (00:39:43):
We sure are. I'm so excited.
Becca (00:39:45):
So my honorable
Rachel (00:39:47):
Mention
Corina (00:39:48):
Was
Becca (00:39:49):
A Diet Coke float from Sunshine Tree Terrace. I'm a Diet Coke
Rachel (00:39:52):
Girl, and
Becca (00:39:52):
You're not wrong. You can swirl some soft serve in there and
Corina (00:39:57):
Then they'll put some Diet Coke on it.
Becca (00:39:58):
But they have all kinds of soda. They have Fanta, Coke, Sprite,
Rachel (00:40:02):
You name it,
Becca (00:40:02):
They've got it there for you.
Corina (00:40:04):
And
Becca (00:40:04):
I think they even have some doit flavors there too. So you
Rachel (00:40:06):
Can mix
Becca (00:40:07):
Those
Rachel (00:40:07):
In if you want.
Becca (00:40:08):
So they're great. Yep. You're not wrong. They are so good. Alright, let's go. Favorite item overall,
Corina (00:40:15):
I think it would have to be the Tropical Serenade.
Becca (00:40:18):
That's a good one.
Corina (00:40:19):
Yeah, definitely
Becca (00:40:21):
Becca. I do love those waffle
Corina (00:40:24):
Sandwiches
Becca (00:40:25):
At Sleepy Hollow,
Corina (00:40:26):
But I also
Becca (00:40:26):
Really love their corn dog. It's a running joke everybody knows here on the team that
Corina (00:40:31):
I'm obsessed with
Becca (00:40:32):
Hot dogs and corn dogs and stuff.
Corina (00:40:33):
But this one is the only
Becca (00:40:35):
One that's hand dipped
Corina (00:40:38):
In Disney World and it's just
Becca (00:40:40):
The one over at Disneyland, which is also very good. And it's the only place you can get it is at Sleepy Hollow. So
Corina (00:40:46):
A lot of times you will
Becca (00:40:47):
Find me corn dog in hand. Love it. Mine are the cheeseburger. Spring rolls. I don't think you can go wrong. And for anybody who doesn't know where they are, this is not a mobile order location. It's a cart. It's on the way into Adventureland
Rachel (00:40:59):
From the
Becca (00:41:00):
Hub, you will see a little cart off to the right hand side and that's where you can go. Yep. Alright, we have you all prepared for Magic Kingdom. Let's move on to Epcot. Let's talk quick service. So Karina, what's your favorite quick service stop at Epcot?
Corina (00:41:16):
This is a difficult one because I feel like Epcot, they're always having a festival and they're always changing it up. So generally I always gravitate towards the carts that are going with the festival. Honestly,
Rachel (00:41:33):
That's why I go to
Corina (00:41:34):
Epcot is to go to the
Rachel (00:41:36):
Festivals and eat at the carts.
Becca (00:41:38):
And those festivals are
Rachel (00:41:40):
Almost year round now, so
Becca (00:41:41):
It's
Rachel (00:41:41):
Like they're everywhere.
Corina (00:41:44):
Yeah,
Becca (00:41:44):
It's hard to nail it down in Epcot because Epcot is the foodies, paradise Park
Corina (00:41:50):
Seasons.
Rachel (00:41:50):
Honestly, I feel like it's one of my favorites. It's quick And They had one of my favorite items, but we'll talk about that later.
Becca (00:42:00):
Okay. What about you for Quick service? I actually really like the Connections Eatery, which is somewhat new. I just think it's great. I love the atmosphere there. There's a lot of seating, there's big windows, you get a great view of the Guardian's attraction. But also everything I've eaten there is really good. So I like their chicken sandwich. They have a bistro burger there that is like Mel in your mouth. There's also an Asian salad that I order a lot and I think it's really, really good. They've got some great smoothies and also they have drink fountains there. Not every quick service has drink fountains. And so I make sure to eat there and then take my Coke to go because not every quick service offers that or fill up my water bottle there with cold, icy water. So they have bathrooms in there. And then also if I want to finish my lunch with some coffee, cup of coffee, you just go right around the corner and you can hit up Starbucks. That's where the
Corina (00:42:59):
New Starbucks
Becca (00:42:59):
Location is in Epcot. And they've always got really fun treats and desserts over at the Starbucks there, the leash waffle. So I like connections.
Rachel (00:43:10):
That was my pick too. And my pick was also the hand breaded chicken sandwich. It's got that
Becca (00:43:14):
Special sauce. It's got pickles. It
Rachel (00:43:16):
Does. I have literally not tried anything else. I always go there and order the chicken sandwich, but I also really like their watermelon mint aqua fresca. So good. It's very, haven't refreshing on
Corina (00:43:27):
A hot
Rachel (00:43:27):
Day, so that's my favorite too. Love it. So let's talk table service. So for sit down restaurants, Karina, do you have a favorite at
Becca (00:43:36):
Epcot?
Rachel (00:43:37):
Honestly, personally, I don't think I've been to a
Corina (00:43:42):
Table service
Rachel (00:43:43):
At Epcot. Stunned quick service.
Corina (00:43:46):
Yeah, like I said, when I go to Epcot, I just go for the,
Rachel (00:43:50):
There's so many good
Corina (00:43:51):
Options.
Rachel (00:43:51):
Yeah, there. There so
Becca (00:43:53):
Many good options. Oh no, you have your
Corina (00:43:55):
Garden. Me, we were, oh my gosh, sorry.
Becca (00:43:59):
I don't know. No, I don't know if that's your favorite, but we went to Beer Garden together.
Corina (00:44:04):
We sure did. And that was fun.
Becca (00:44:06):
Favorite was, yeah, they
Corina (00:44:08):
Had a lot of options and the environment was, yeah,
Rachel (00:44:11):
Our producer Ryan, that's his absolute favorite too.
Corina (00:44:14):
The only one I've gone to, which I am very happy. I did get to go. It was for a friend's birthday and Oh wow. It was very immersive. They had music. You really got to like, what was it? Oy,
Rachel (00:44:27):
Oy, oy. Stinky soy, stinky, soggy,
Becca (00:44:30):
Yeah, that it's fun.
Corina (00:44:33):
And it was an all you care to enjoy. So you go up, get your food, they had a lot of options. Very meat heavy, very heavy food, definitely for dinner. I couldn't imagine eating that for lunch because like I said, it's very heavy. But everything was really good. I enjoyed it and it's just so beautiful. I've never gone to Germany before, but I feel like that's what it would be like. You walk in and you're just so immersed in everything. Yeah, I recommend. It's really nice.
Rachel (00:45:07):
Becca, what about you? What's your favorite table service?
Becca (00:45:09):
I have two and one I briefly mentioned. So Space two 20 is a top favorite of mine. Lemme tell you a really quick funny story. So they were doing a soft opening as Disney does for a lot of their restaurants or and attractions before they open. And it was mostly just open to media, but a girlfriend and I decided we wanted to try it on the soft opening. So we got there super early. We ended up waiting, I think six hours.
Corina (00:45:39):
Oh my gosh.
Becca (00:45:40):
To try it. And I don't think that we intended to wait six hours, but it was like you'd already wait until we think we're going to get in soon. Okay, we should probably get in the next hour. And you were invested. So we were just going to wait it out. So it ended up being six hours before we actually got seated. But I loved it. I could say I was one of the first to try it, but the immersive environment is like next level here. The fact that you have to get on a space elevator, I want to go and it shoots you in an imaginary way, but 220 miles up above Epcot, you can literally see yourself going into space and watch. You leave Earth and Epcot and everything. And then once you step into the spaceship and just the whole thing, the music, there's these big screens and you can see Earth and astronauts and all kinds of stuff fly by on the screen. So immersive wise, I think it's incredible. It is an expensive meal, so you got to think about that. It does take some planning because reservations go quick. But like I said, there's ways that you can try the walkup list or lounge seating and it's an over two hour dining experience if you don't do lounge. But if I'm hanging out with my family and I'm just going for table service, I really like Via Napoli,
(00:47:02):
Which is the Italian pizza joint over in the Italy pavilion. It never disappoints. It's so good. My kids love pizza, but they've got great salads and appetizers and wines. So that's the top of my list. I have
Corina (00:47:16):
Been there actually a while ago, so I take that back. Look at me. It was really good. The pizza was really good. I love their pizza. It's so good.
Becca (00:47:25):
Yeah, it is. It's really good. So yeah,
Rachel (00:47:28):
So I almost said via Napoli, but I went and everybody who's listening, forgive me for this pronunciation, but I went Acri for breakfast in particular. I love the, so that is a character dining experience. You see all the princesses, you go in and meet Belle in her yellow dress,
Becca (00:47:44):
Which was
Rachel (00:47:44):
A huge highlight for my little bell lover. She dressed in her yellow dress to meet Bell. It was precious. And then there's a ton of princesses in there walking around to meet. But we go particularly for breakfast for all the reasons Becca and I shared earlier, but also they have these cheesy hash browns that are just like to die for. They're so good. They didn't. So Acrisure had been closed for a while, just recently reopened. And actually when we were at a press event like a year or so ago, they served us those cheesy potatoes. And I immediately sent a picture to my husband because I was like, look what I get to have. They haven't had 'em back in so long, but they are back. And I highly recommend that breakfast is really, really delicious and just a fun experience. And that's in Norway.
Becca (00:48:27):
Yeah, it is good. And I think when you compare prices, I think that Acer Shush has really fair pricing for what you get with all the princesses and all the delicious food. And it just felt, I had visited recently coming off from a visit at Cinderella's real table and it just felt like a really relaxed environment. I felt like we got a lot of food and the princess interactions were so good. It was great.
Rachel (00:48:53):
It's my fave. So let's do, I know Karina was already festival food, festival food festival food. So like we said, Epcot almost always has a festival going on with some really awesome food booths. So for our honorable mention for Epcot, let's talk about our very favorite festival item from any of the festivals. Corina's already thinking she knows she's up. First pressure's on. There's so many I know, but I do have to say in France, I feel like, yeah, I haven't been back for the Food and Wine Festival, but I feel like I get it. Every food and wine festival, it's that cheesy bread that's so good Bowl
Becca (00:49:32):
I can, oh my goodness,
Rachel (00:49:35):
I might just take myself.
Becca (00:49:37):
France delivers.
Rachel (00:49:38):
Yes, France always has something with cheese and bread at the festivals and they're so good.
Becca (00:49:44):
I like the violet
Rachel (00:49:45):
Lemonade
Becca (00:49:46):
At Flour and Garden and I just feel like it's popular, but it's popular for a reason. It's really refreshing and it's pretty, so that's always a staple. But I also do the food crawls at each festival. So if you pick up your little festival passport in the back, they always give you,
Rachel (00:50:05):
I don't know,
Becca (00:50:05):
Sometimes it's like five to 10 different items that they suggest that you kind of work your way around the world showcase and try. And I've tried things that I probably wouldn't have picked before, but also you get a little stamp for each food item that you try. And if you get five items, I think then there's usually a completer item. And a
Rachel (00:50:24):
Lot of
Becca (00:50:25):
Times it's doll whip, which is kind of fun. Or cookies if you're doing the cookie stroll in December.
Rachel (00:50:31):
So I
Becca (00:50:31):
Always love those little crawls. Very
Rachel (00:50:33):
Nice. So like Becca mentioned, violet lemonade, there's a ton of mocktails, non-alcoholic option, but my favorite festival items are always the France Martini Slushes, which are alcoholics. So even during regular times, I stop and get a Grand Marnier slush all the time. But at the festivals, particularly at the Festival of the holidays, they have a frozen hot chocolate martini that is my tipity top. It is my absolute favorite. So that's where I always stop.
Becca (00:51:06):
Good choice. Yeah, that one is so good. And very Instagrammable.
Rachel (00:51:12):
Yes.
Becca (00:51:13):
It's like the visual presentation is just so good.
Rachel (00:51:16):
Yes. And you're right that look Booth is right by the skyliner going by and there's always some little topiaries or signage back there that it is just a perfect spot to take a picture too. So good call. So let's talk about our favorite item overall at Epcot. So anything, what do you think Karina?
Corina (00:51:34):
Oh, the pressure. The pressure is on.
Rachel (00:51:37):
You're in the hot seat always. I
Becca (00:51:38):
Know.
Corina (00:51:39):
Honestly, I would have to say the filet
Becca (00:51:42):
Mignon
Corina (00:51:43):
From the Canada booth. Absolutely. Oh absolutely.
Becca (00:51:48):
It's a good one.
Corina (00:51:49):
It's
Becca (00:51:49):
Delicious.
Corina (00:51:50):
It's so good.
Rachel (00:51:52):
Cca, what do you think?
Becca (00:51:53):
Yeah, one of my favorite festival items is actually during the Food and Wine Festival and it's at the Greece Food Kitchen
Corina (00:52:00):
And
Becca (00:52:00):
It is the griddled cheese and it has pistachios and honey. It doesn't look like much, but
Corina (00:52:07):
It is
Becca (00:52:08):
Really, really
Corina (00:52:09):
Delicious
Rachel (00:52:10):
Mental note. That sounds great. My favorite thing at Epcot to get is the Norwegian school bread. You can get it in Norway. There's a little shop that has a whole bunch of pastries in there and the school bread is a very fluffy donut almost with some custard in it and some toasted coconut and cinnamon on top. And it is incredible. I took my friend there and she is French, she loves to bake. And she literally, the second day we were there, she was like, can we please go back to Epcot? I want some more school bread. And I was like, absolutely. We can make that happen. But they'll also give it to you in a little container too. So again, I will get it to go put it in my little mini fridge in my hotel room and eat it as I please, because it is
Becca (00:52:55):
A dish.
Corina (00:52:56):
Yes,
Becca (00:52:56):
It is fun. I like the school bread. It's delicious. And that bakery in general is just, they have so many good things
Corina (00:53:02):
There. Yes. Everything
Rachel (00:53:05):
So good. All right, well let's move on to Animal Kingdom. Let's start with quick service. So Karina, do you have a quick service go-to at Animal Kingdom?
Corina (00:53:14):
I do. I really love, and forgive me for my pronunciation, the Tuli Canteen. That is my favorite place from outside, you can smell them grilling the chicken. It's like, oh, it smells so good. And everything is visually pleasing. It's beautiful and it tastes good. And for me, if it looks and tastes good, that's a win. That is a win-win.
Becca (00:53:40):
That is also mine. Yay. It's good. So
Rachel (00:53:43):
What's your
Becca (00:53:44):
Go-to order when you get tuli?
Corina (00:53:45):
I like getting the rice bowl. I get the rice with the black beans and I like getting the grilled chicken with the garlic sauce on it. It's so good.
Rachel (00:53:57):
Mine is
Becca (00:53:58):
The cheeseburger pods, cheeseburger
Rachel (00:54:00):
Pods. I've never tried
Corina (00:54:01):
Them. I want to,
Becca (00:54:02):
Oh,
Rachel (00:54:03):
So
Becca (00:54:04):
If you like the cheeseburger spring rolls, then you're going to like the cheeseburger pods. It's kind of like the same filling but in a B bun versus the crispy. So it's so good.
Corina (00:54:16):
Okay, I'm getting
Rachel (00:54:17):
Those. And
Becca (00:54:17):
There's a sauce. There's a sauce, Rachel.
Rachel (00:54:21):
It's important. It's important. Yeah. So mine is kind of a hot take. I have a couple of hot takes on here, but we really like Harambe market. I like the chicken and rib bull from Harambe a lot. I like their rice. It's a nice little spot too, to watch the Wildlife Express train. Go by Karina. What's your favorite table service spot?
Corina (00:54:42):
Honestly, my favorite is the Ya and Yeti. Everything on the menu is delicious. Everything. They have so much flavor. I feel like my, other than Epcot Animal Kingdom
Rachel (00:54:56):
Has
Corina (00:54:56):
The most flavor when it comes to spices and stuff like that. But yeah, I love the Yak Yeti Delicious.
Rachel (00:55:04):
I agree. Tuna
Becca (00:55:05):
Nachos.
Corina (00:55:07):
Yes. It's like you have to, if you go there, you have to get those.
Rachel (00:55:12):
Yeah.
Becca (00:55:13):
Yep. And if you're a land use card member, you can flash your Landry card because it's not technically owned by Disney World. It's a Landry owned restaurant. So yeah, you can sign up for their little card and it does cost like $25 to sign up. But the $25 gets loaded onto your card that you can use the next time you visit a Landry restaurant.
Rachel (00:55:35):
So Rainforest
Becca (00:55:36):
Cafe t Rex Cafe, also Landry, and so is the Bubba Gump over at Universal. If you frequent Landry restaurants, you can earn points before your Disney trip and actually maybe even get free points towards Yak and Yeti. But if you can't get a reservation at Yak Yeti, you can walk in and just show your card. They usually fit you in, which is pretty cool.
Corina (00:55:56):
Oh,
Becca (00:55:57):
So I love them. Love it.
Rachel (00:55:59):
So my favorite is Tusker House. I love Tusker House. I think it's a great option to get a little bit of that spice that Carina was talking about because they serve, even at breakfast, they have this really cool curry that they do that's
Becca (00:56:14):
Delicious.
Rachel (00:56:15):
So it's like some African inspired touches with some traditional safe, tadpole friendly foods and it's character dining. So you'll get to see Mickey and his friends all in their safari outfits. And of course they have that pog Juice Karina talked about that
Becca (00:56:29):
Is so
Rachel (00:56:29):
Delicious. I also love that they have character Waffle, so not just Mickey, but they often have Simba and Nala. So it gives, again, a little bit of that African feel. It gets you immersed in the vibe. So I just love it.
Becca (00:56:43):
Tusker house is top of my list, definitely for sure. Especially for character dining. So my favorite table service at Animal Kingdom really isn't even table service, but it is the Nomad Lounge. Nomad Lounge. So it's this little unassuming spot as you're heading to Pandora and you cannot make a dining reservation for it, but it's not quick service either. Basically you do have to join the walkup list. You can do it when you're in the park. Usually I just walk up. Sometimes there's a short weight, but it's never too long. But the atmosphere of the Nomad Lounge is, I feel like it's like an insider secret because it's really relaxed there. They have a beautiful outdoor seating area. All the drinks there and all the small plates there are so, so good. And it caters to travelers, hence the nomad part. So there's signage and stuff inside of the restaurant and it poses questions that you can ask with your table while you're sitting there, but the cocktails there are top notch, and it's the only place that I would recommend really good churros. When you're at Disney World,
Rachel (00:58:03):
I was hoping you would talk about this
Becca (00:58:07):
So you can get a decent churro at Disney World, but they're not. They are at Disneyland, with the exception of Nomad Lounge. When you go to Nomad Lounge, they are really, really good and they come with little raspberry strawberry sauce and a vanilla sauce, and they're just really, really good. So Nomad Lounge for me,
Rachel (00:58:24):
Love it.
Corina (00:58:25):
There's another super quick service. There's really nowhere to sit. You kind of just walk up to it in the Harambe area it's called, and I went there for the first time a couple weeks ago. It's really hidden. It's called the, I'm going to pronounce it wrong, I'm sorry. The Fui Coffee Shop and Bakery.
(00:58:45):
It's really hidden. And I got a marinated chicken flatbed sandwich and the chicken was marinated in a curry and it was so flavorful and it came on the flatbread with fresh lettuce and then it had a TKI sauce on it. It was really big. And then it came with fresh chips and I think it was like 12 or $13, something ridiculously low for something you can share. But it was so flavorful and they also had it with pork. And then they also had an impossible empanada. And you know me with Empanadas, that's my number one seller on my food truck. And it was really good. Wow. And it was plant-based.
Becca (00:59:29):
Wow, nice.
Rachel (00:59:30):
I had no idea. It's a nice
Corina (00:59:31):
Little hidden area.
Becca (00:59:34):
That's like a, that's
Rachel (00:59:34):
So cool.
Becca (00:59:35):
Animal. Animal Kingdom secret.
Rachel (00:59:37):
Yeah. And speaking about that, we're going to talk about Honorable mention. So Corina, do you have another one in mind or do you feel like that's your honorable mention for Animal Kingdom? Oh yeah,
Corina (00:59:47):
That's definitely my honorable mention for sure.
Rachel (00:59:51):
Love it.
Corina (00:59:52):
SFI Coffee Shop and bakery, the marinated chicken flatbread or the Impossible Empanada. Delicious. They only have three things on their menu, so that's how you know it's good.
Becca (00:59:59):
Yeah, it sounds delicious. Becky,
Rachel (01:00:01):
What about you? I'm going
Becca (01:00:03):
To head over to Flame Tree Barbecue and I'm going to get that pulled pork Mac and cheese.
Rachel (01:00:09):
Mac and cheese
Becca (01:00:10):
Pulled pork on top. And then they have a big old onion ring and barbecue sauce drizzled on it.
Corina (01:00:16):
Oh my gosh.
Becca (01:00:17):
So good.
Rachel (01:00:17):
You guys are making me hungry.
Corina (01:00:19):
I'm so hungry.
Rachel (01:00:21):
That sounds so good. My honorable mention, I've talked about it before. If you follow us on Instagram, you probably saw that this was part of the scavenger hunt that our Sure. Your thrills winners and froggy friends went and did. But I love the Yeti sundae from an non Deur ice cream truck that's just outside of Everest. It's so good. There's little cake pieces in it. So I love Soft Serve. It's Swirled Soft serve. It's got a little Yeti chocolate piece on the top. It's got some light sprinkles and then ya some cake pieces throughout that is so good. And you've got that big amphitheater there that you can walk over and sit in while you enjoy. Watch the boats with the characters in them. Go by, get a wave in or two. So good. One of my faves.
Becca (01:01:04):
Yum.
Rachel (01:01:05):
All right. We've made it to favorite item overall Animal kingdom. And again, Karina's in the hot seat.
Corina (01:01:12):
Oh my goodness. Every time I think I have to say I really love those Ahi tuna nachos from Yakin Yeti. Oh man, those are delicious.
Becca (01:01:24):
So good. I already said it, but the churros at Nomad Lounge.
Rachel (01:01:28):
Okay. Mine be, and I talked about this, but she knows exactly what I'm about to say. I like Mr. Kamal's fries a lot. However,
Corina (01:01:39):
They,
Rachel (01:01:39):
I think recently took away their sauces, which would mean that they're no longer my favorite. The sauces are really what make it, so I'm hoping they bring them back, but usually it comes with a racha ketchup. It's so good. And again, not mobile order. You walk up, enjoy it. And again, girl
Corina (01:01:55):
Dinner,
Rachel (01:01:55):
I usually get the french fries from Mr. Kamal's and then go get my ice cream and call it a day
Corina (01:02:02):
A girl day.
Rachel (01:02:03):
Yes. Yes. I feel like the
Becca (01:02:05):
Title of this podcast, we have to use the word sauce in somewhere in the title for
Corina (01:02:10):
Sure.
Rachel (01:02:11):
Yes, absolutely. It's all about the sauce. I mean, it's so make or break though, honestly.
Becca (01:02:16):
It's
Rachel (01:02:17):
All right. Let's make our way to Hollywood. So over at Hollywood Studios, let's start with quick service and I'll mix it up this time. Karina, Becca, what's your favorite quick
Becca (01:02:26):
Service? Okay, now that I'm finally ready. Okay. Just kidding.
Rachel (01:02:31):
Hey, Karina, what's your favorite quick service restaurant at Hollywood Studios? Okay, 100%. I love a b, c commissary because they have something there that I literally crave. I crave this thing on a daily basis, and it's their buffalo chicken grilled cheese. That sounds so good. It is so good. But
Becca (01:02:56):
Also, do you get the side salad that comes
Corina (01:02:59):
With it? No, honey, I
Rachel (01:03:00):
Get the fries because I like dipping those delicious fries in the buffalo sauce that they give you and the ranch. Listen, it's like a whole experience that I have.
Becca (01:03:12):
See we're back to To the sauce.
Rachel (01:03:14):
Back to the sauce. There's more sauce to come,
Becca (01:03:16):
I feel like too. So anyway, I'm going to back you up because that dish, I've had it and it's phenomenal.
Rachel (01:03:24):
Becca, are you backing up as in that's your favorite or as in just supporting
Becca (01:03:29):
Corina? I'm supporting, and I also support the fries as a side. So this is not a judgmental statement, but when you just, there's steak fries to be specific. That's why. Okay. So I probably would've changed my side if I knew that when you order it standard, it comes with the salad and the salad is really, really flavorful and it's a little bit mild and it has some sort of grain on it. But anyway, it kind of is the mild friend to that spicy sandwich. Anyway, I was just going to ask because it's really good. But I think my favorite quick service is, again, not a place that you can mobile order or anything from, but it's baseline taphouse in Hollywood Studios, which is right across from Star Tours, it's kind of hidden. You can kind of miss it, but they've got adult beverages there. They've got beer and wine, and I think cider cider too on tap. And they're all from California. The small plates are really good. I love the charcuterie because girl dinner and anyway, it's a place we like to hang out. So we get some beers, we hang out and it's kind of all outdoor seating, but they've got music playing and stuff. And at night they've got string lights and it's like a vibe over there. But that's where I like to hang out in Hollywood Studios.
Rachel (01:04:49):
Love it. Mine is Woody's lunchbox. Their grilled cheese is great. I love their grownup lemonade, which is another alcoholic beverage, but it's like a cherry limeade almost. But more lemonade, so good. But I really like their breakfast bowl so often when I'm going into Hollywood Studios, I'll try to go back to Slinky and then get my breakfast bowl, but it's got little, they call them potato barrels, but they're tater tots with some eggs and a little bit of gravy. And then they have Texas Pete's hot sauce. That's so good to put on top. Just I love it. That's my morning. That's my morning.
Becca (01:05:24):
Yummy.
Rachel (01:05:25):
What about table service?
Becca (01:05:27):
Well, I'll start. Okay, yeah. If I'm going fancy, I'm going to the Brown Derby.
Rachel (01:05:34):
Yes ma'am.
Becca (01:05:36):
And it's like a vibe over there. I know we keep saying that, but Hollywood Studios is full of vibes,
Rachel (01:05:41):
And
Becca (01:05:41):
So it's a little bit fancy over there, a little bit vibey over there. You feel like you're on the red carpet. They've got really phenomenal drinks. And if you go there, it's kind of like a rite of passage. You have to get the famous cob salad and it's famous. It's really, really good. So
Rachel (01:05:58):
That was my favorite as well. Cob Salad. It's light, but heavy enough, if that makes sense. It'll sustain you, but it's also a salad that feels pretty light while you're walking around in the theme parks in Hon Orlando. So love it. It's delicious.
Corina (01:06:10):
I think I'm going to choose Ogas Cantina. I know it's like a bar, but there is food there too, because now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever had table service at Hollywood Studios because I always go to a b C commissary to get my spicy Buffalo Chicken grill cheese sandwich. I just can't get past it. But yeah, I really love Olgas Cantina, especially the fact that I can make a reservation after the park closes, which is really nice because I can get those pictures with nobody in the park. That's really nice. But as far as what I like to order from Olga's Cantina, I like getting that fuzzy TomTom drink that makes your mouth all numb and feel weird. It's just an experience I feel like everybody should try.
Rachel (01:06:58):
It's a great vibe in there. It's so fun. I feel like they toned it down. So our teammate, Amy, she is on the West Coast, and when Galaxy's Edge first opened over there, she went and of course was trying the drinks and got a fuzzy ton and there was no warning about it. And now the servers will kind of tell you about it. And she thought she was having a stroke because she lost feeling in her mouth because it makes your mouth tingle a little bit. And then the server was, she was like, what is in this? And then the server told her and all was well. But yeah, it does give you a little tingly with that one when
Becca (01:07:31):
That's,
Rachel (01:07:31):
I was like, am I
Corina (01:07:32):
Having a slight allergic reaction?
Rachel (01:07:34):
No, just a drink.
Becca (01:07:37):
Well, if they didn't warn me, I would probably think I was having an allergic reaction. So
Rachel (01:07:43):
That is a fun drink
Becca (01:07:44):
Though. It is fun.
Rachel (01:07:45):
It is.
Becca (01:07:46):
It
Rachel (01:07:46):
Is. So let's talk Honorable mention. What's something that people shouldn't miss over at Hollywood Studios?
Becca (01:07:52):
Ron Wrap?
Rachel (01:07:53):
Yeah, I
Becca (01:07:54):
Was going to say the same thing. My savory is showing. I know, but I just love a round to wrap so you can get it over at Ron Roasters, which is in
Rachel (01:08:07):
Galaxy's Edge. And there is
Becca (01:08:10):
Just something about the combination. So it's kind of like a non breaded or pita. I think it feels more like a non breaded to me. And there's a grilled pork sausage in there, but also a grilled pork slice of meat. And that sounds like a lot of pork overkill, but it just works good.
Rachel (01:08:29):
They're so good and they do close. We're onto our roasters closes a little bit early, so if they do close, then you can find rancher wraps over at docking base seven, and both of those offer mobile order. My honorable mention is the cold brew half calf, which you can get at Kat's Kettle. So it's like a little cold brew with some cocoa puffs basically on top and a little bit of cream. So good. That's like my afternoon. Pick me up. I love those. You can also get it spiked if you'd like as well. And that's also available on mobile order.
Becca (01:09:01):
That's a good one.
Rachel (01:09:02):
Let's talk about favorite item overall. And mine has already been talked about because it was the Ron Tour app, that's app my absolute favorite. But what are your favorites over at Hollywood Studios?
Becca (01:09:11):
Yep. I'm going to say Ron Wrap for sure, and then I already mentioned it, but I really like the California charcuterie that's at baseline, taphouse, and you get a full charcuterie board with lots of different cheeses and meats and these little crostini and it's like $12. So I share it with my husband. I
Corina (01:09:32):
Do charcuterie at my food truck and I do charcuterie events. And let me tell you, yeah, that charcuterie is 10 out of 10.
Rachel (01:09:38):
Recommends good for sure. Yep. Gets Karina's stamp of approval.
Becca (01:09:42):
Yep. So it's good.
Rachel (01:09:44):
Love it. Well, that wraps up the four theme parks. We've made it through the theme parks. Let's jump over to Disney Springs, which is the entertainment district. They've got shopping, dining, so it's great for your arrival day. Great. If you're having an off day from the theme parks, it's just a great stop and I think it often goes overlooked. So let's start with quick service over at Disney Springs. What do you guys recommend?
Corina (01:10:07):
Man, there is so much, but I'm going to go on my sweet side. I recommend Gideons. They're cookies, they're cakes, they're cold brew, cookies, cakes, cold brew, the three css, all you need
Becca (01:10:19):
Plus the spooky vibes. That's why you like it too, but I love it. I too, I
Corina (01:10:25):
Guess so. Yeah,
Becca (01:10:27):
It's like a cookie shop and haunted mansion had a baby. Yeah,
Corina (01:10:31):
I'm putting it out there that hopefully one day we'll do a collaboration BJA table and
Becca (01:10:36):
Oh, okay. So that's the perfect marriage right there. Oh my gosh. I'm telling you.
Rachel (01:10:44):
Manifesting. Manifesting.
Corina (01:10:46):
Oh, exactly.
Becca (01:10:47):
It's like the same vibe. So
Rachel (01:10:50):
I have to confess that I've never been there because I mean, you've heard me talk about quick service or sorry about mobile order this whole time. If there's a line, I'm just like, I'm not there. It's just to be perfectly honest and I've never seen it without a line. So can you guys give your best tips on when to go when the line is shortest?
Corina (01:11:08):
I preferably like to go later on in the evening, and honestly, when you see a long line, it goes by very, very quickly. The time I would kind of avoid, I believe it's either one or two. I think it's two o'clock. It's their hot cookie hour and that's when they have their hot cookies. Yeah, I feel like the busiest time, but if you can make it for hot cookie hour, I recommend it Totally. But yeah, towards the end of the night or at the very beginning of the day, that's when I recommend it.
Rachel (01:11:38):
That's super helpful. I have to try next time, then I just have to. Yeah. Okay. You've convinced me. Thanks for the scoop guys. Yay. So my favorite quick service is chicken guy. That's the guy Fury chicken nugget. Again, girl dinner. So chicken nuggets and french fries, that's literally all that they serve. I'm waiting. And the sauce. The sauce, that's what it's really known for. So chicken tender, it's so
Becca (01:12:02):
Crispy
Rachel (01:12:03):
On the outside, but juicy on the inside. It's a very, it's just so good. And their fries are also well seasoned and delicious. But yes, what Becca was saying is they are known for their sauce. I think there's like 20 sauces that you get to choose from. I think all but three or four are gluten-free as well, which is really great. But they're all made in-house. My very favorite is the buffalo sauce. So again, we're just like all three of us are of the same. Hi of mine here. I think it's rare to find a buffalo that is really, really good and stands out. And this was like I was licking my fingers at the end of my dinner. It's so good.
Corina (01:12:37):
Oh yeah.
Rachel (01:12:38):
So that's always a must do for me.
Becca (01:12:39):
Yeah, I feel like anything he touches is just
Rachel (01:12:44):
Next slide. I was skeptical. I was like, how good. I mean, I always like chicken nuggets and french fries, but I was like, how exceptional could this really be? It's pretty good. Highly recommend if you're going to be in the area. What about table service? And again, hive Mine. I know Becca. I know our answers are going to be the same
Becca (01:13:02):
Wine bar, George
Rachel (01:13:04):
Ding, dinging, dinging
Becca (01:13:07):
Wine bar. George. I love that little restaurant, so it feels classy, but it's not super over the top fancy, so it feels a little elevated. Everything on George's menu is fantastic. George is also very involved in his restaurant and with the guests that come there that their wine selection is endless, all of it. Everything I've tried has been amazing and I've had anything from appetizers to dessert and I'm never disappointed. And I leave there being like, oh, this was so fun. So they also have a place where you can kind of grab and go things. It's called the Picnic basket, but they also have outdoor sitting on the terrace. So if you're there in the evening, the terrace actually overlooks a stage next to the water. So if you time it right, you can have a little outdoor entertainment while you're dining
Rachel (01:14:01):
That
Becca (01:14:02):
The whole experience is just lovely. And it's just, I love being there.
Rachel (01:14:05):
It's always my go-to, so I'm right there with you. I also love that there's usually a lot of availability and for a lot of things at Disney Springs when it comes to table service too, try Open Table because that's where a lot of the reservations there made. But you can do it through my Disney experience as well. But back to Wine Bar George, I also had brunch there. Phenomenal, sharable, small plates. Like Becca said, I've had meatballs, barta, you name it, and it's all been just exceptional, have loved it.
Corina (01:14:31):
So I like to start off by getting a rubber ducky drink at the boathouse because it's delicious. I mean, it's like you have to, and then you get that little duck and then you put it on someone's jeep when you leave. But I really love Chef Arts Homecoming Smith's Homecoming. Oh yeah, that's really good. Their fried chicken is really good. I was actually talking recently at one of the frog hops and they were telling me that it's the best fried chicken, and so I ended up making a reservation because he's like, oh, it's far out in advance. And back to making reservations, I found one a week later
Rachel (01:15:09):
Just
Corina (01:15:10):
Scrolling through and one just popped up and I was like, whoa, I'm going to go. And it was amazing. It was so good. Like the mac and cheese, the fried chicken.
Becca (01:15:20):
So good.
Corina (01:15:21):
It was just like home cooking. Home cooking.
Becca (01:15:24):
Yes. It's delicious. That was my other top, if I had to
Rachel (01:15:28):
Share, that was my honorable mention. So we're already two honorable mentions, but that was my honorable mention because it's so delicious. I also love their deviled eggs. They've got chicken biscuits and they have moonshine. They're known for their moonshine and they have moonshine flights, so you get to try a couple. I like moon like
Corina (01:15:43):
Moonshine.
Rachel (01:15:44):
Theirs is good. I don't like all moonshine.
Becca (01:15:46):
Some
Rachel (01:15:47):
Of it is a little much for me, but
Corina (01:15:49):
I like flavored ones. Flavored ones.
Rachel (01:15:51):
Yes, yes, yes. You can
Becca (01:15:52):
Get a moonshine Tumblr, you can get the moonshine tumblers with the cups and stuff. So
Rachel (01:15:58):
Delish. So what are your honorable mentions?
Becca (01:16:01):
My honorable mentions. I also like polite pig. It's a quick service place. They have a delicious barbecue there and bourbons and every time everything I've tried there has always been really delicious.
Rachel (01:16:13):
Nice. What about you, Karina?
Corina (01:16:15):
I really enjoy the daily poutine. I love when they have different events going on During Latinx, Latinx or Hispanic Heritage Month, they had a Lon, which is a traditional Puerto Rican, like a lasagna, but we make it with sweet plantains, meat, cheese, all that stuff. But they made that into a poutine with over fries and it was probably the most delicious thing ever. And I have not stopped thinking about it. I recreated it at home so good. So I just love just the quickness and they just always have something different going on when there's a new event or something going on.
Rachel (01:17:00):
That's a good tip to keep your eyes peeled for specialty offerings too.
Becca (01:17:03):
Yeah.
Rachel (01:17:04):
Let's move on to our favorite items at Disney Springs. Who wants to kick us off?
Corina (01:17:09):
That's tough. It's so tough because there's so much good food at Disney Springs, but that's my dessert place.
Rachel (01:17:16):
Yes.
Corina (01:17:17):
I feel like all the good dessert places are at Disney Springs.
Rachel (01:17:20):
Absolutely. So my favorite is actually, and you can get this here or Disneyland, but I like the Ghirardelli sundaes. My kids love. They've got the little Mickey sundaes where they put a little waffle cone in it to make it look like ears. So that's always a stop for us when we go there. I like the gold rush Sunday, so that's always a must for us at Disney Springs.
Becca (01:17:39):
So good. It's really hard for me to pick one favorite item at Disney Springs. I go there a lot and as a local, I'm really spoiled. Regular chain restaurants around here don't cut it for us anymore sometimes. And so I'm like, I just love eating over at Disney Spring, so it's really hard for me to pick a favorite ever. GLA Donuts is really fun. The donuts there are incredible. They make them in front of you in front the window. They've got some cold brew on tap. They've got funky kind of concoctions and combinations that they put together between your donuts and your cold brew, but it's also just super creative, so that's a fun one.
Rachel (01:18:23):
Okay, so Becca, you teased this a little bit ago. You talked about, and Karina too, that you like to hop around to the resorts to eat. So let's hop over to the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels. So let's start with quick service.
Becca (01:18:39):
So my quick service sounds simple and maybe it is, but I always get really delicious things there. And that's the Boardwalk Deli over at the Boardwalk Inn. They just have really great sandwiches and salads and they have some bakery items there and they also have fountain drinks. And so if I want a nice little lunch, I love the vibes over there.
Rachel (01:19:02):
Nice. Karina, what about you?
Corina (01:19:06):
I love, love, love Captain Cooks at the Polynesian.
Becca (01:19:11):
I was going to say that
Corina (01:19:11):
One too
Becca (01:19:12):
As another.
Corina (01:19:13):
Yes.
Becca (01:19:14):
So I would agree. Yeah, for sure.
Corina (01:19:15):
Yeah, they have such a good selection of fresh items and the portions and the price is just amazing. So good.
Becca (01:19:23):
Do you get the nachos there?
Corina (01:19:25):
Yes, that's exactly what I like to get. And it's so hard to stray away from something else when I go there, but it's just, it's so good and it's so good to share. I can never finish them on my own.
Becca (01:19:35):
Yeah, they're delicious.
Rachel (01:19:37):
Yeah, mine is. And I feel like I haven't had any bad quick service at the resorts, which I feel like is rare. They're all pretty good. But I had a burger that I have not forgotten about over at Three Bridges at Coronado Springs and it had some potato strings and paprika fries and it was just chef's kiss. Just so good. Nice. Can't
Becca (01:20:00):
Go wrong with a good burger.
Rachel (01:20:01):
No. How about table service? What's your go-to table service at the Disney World Hotels?
Becca (01:20:07):
Karina is answering, go ahead, you
Corina (01:20:09):
Okay, because this is my favorite of all time. I don't know if we're there yet, but I mean this is going to be a two for one because I tell so many people are going to be upset because this is my little secret. It's my favorite place ever. I've taken my mom, my stepdad for mother's and Father's Day. It's Sebastian's Bistro.
Becca (01:20:34):
Oh
Corina (01:20:34):
Yes. Over at the Caribbean Beach Resort. It is so good.
Rachel (01:20:41):
Really would've never again. I know that they're all really great, but that's not one that I would've thought to mark down. I'll have to check it out.
Corina (01:20:51):
Let me walk you through the menu because I feel like I tell everybody this. So it's all just really bright and airy and there's pictures of Sebastian and you really feel like you're immersed in a little mermaid area, but it's not too much. It's a little fancier, but you start off with a necklace salad and it's like a key lime salad. It's delicious. Yeah, it's really fresh. And then the bread, it comes with a guava guava butter and onion jam. And then it's like everything is very fresh. So you get vegetables over an open fire, you get chimichurri steak and it's family style, so that's really good. Yeah, so there's something for everybody. There's fish, there's chicken, there's pork, there's steak. You get rice and beans. And then the best part, that's dessert.
Rachel (01:21:48):
Tell us more, tell us more.
Becca (01:21:50):
So
Corina (01:21:50):
Good pineapple, coconut bread pudding with the caramel sauce on top of it. And vanilla ice cream
Rachel (01:21:56):
Similar to the,
Becca (01:21:57):
You can get at the poly, right?
Corina (01:21:59):
Yes, yes, yes.
Rachel (01:22:00):
Yeah.
Becca (01:22:01):
Oh my
Rachel (01:22:01):
Gosh. Can I claim this as girl date next time that I'm in
Becca (01:22:04):
Town, please?
Rachel (01:22:06):
I'll go have dinner. Okay, Becca, what's yours? What's your table service go-to
Becca (01:22:11):
You guys. Don't make me pick. I'm just going to rattle off tops. So Topos Terrace at the Riviera, I love the brunch there. It's also character meal. The characters are in their little art costumes. Okay. So Topos Steakhouse 71
Rachel (01:22:31):
Is a big one. It used
Becca (01:22:32):
To be the Wave. I loved it when it was the wave, but they recently redid it to Steakhouse 71. It's amazing. California Grill, a top of the contemporary is a good one, but literally the list could just go on and on. Ohana is a big favorite. Yes, there's so many. Those are my tops.
Rachel (01:22:56):
So I knew you were going to talk about those. So I was going to add more to that
Becca (01:23:00):
List because
Rachel (01:23:01):
Steakhouse 71 is great. California Grill is great. Corina gave us a new one we got to go check out, but there's two on my list that I thought were worth honorable mentions, I guess not Honorable mention, they're some of my favorite table service, but Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge, their breakfast buffet is so good. Phenomen, they have a different egg, like scrambled egg mixture every day and it's just so good. And they have plantains there too that are always just, they're so good. And then my other, that is maybe cheating, but Becca, I know you've been cheating this whole podcast with your pick, so I'm just going to cheat. For mine. It's Trader Sam's. They have Tiki Terrace outside where it's hard sometimes to get into the actual Trader Sands because they usually have a line, but that Tiki Terrace usually does not have a line. They pipe in the music for fireworks. They've got mocktails cocktails, dull whips with an extra little shot if you want it. And then they have poopoo platters, dumplings, sushi. So that is a nice stop. If you want to be somewhere where you can still see the fireworks, hear the music, and get a feel for a trader. Sam's Tiki bar. Yep.
Becca (01:24:07):
And they've got the tiki torches outside.
Rachel (01:24:10):
Yes.
Becca (01:24:10):
You definitely feel like you were on Vacay when you were over there.
Rachel (01:24:13):
Yes, yes, for sure.
Becca (01:24:15):
Yeah.
Rachel (01:24:16):
So I skipped ahead a little bit because mine were kind of supplemental to your as Fcca, but let's talk Honorable mentions about the Walt Disney World Resort hotels.
Becca (01:24:24):
Let's just keep the poly vibes going. Let's see.
Rachel (01:24:27):
Yeah,
Becca (01:24:29):
Clearly the Disney's Polynesian Village Resort hits when it comes to dining. Kona Cafe is my honorable mention. They have a really good food there. It's very similar to Ohana. It's also much, much easier to get into where Ohana can be kind of hard sometimes. It's not character dining or anything like that, but you can get some of the famous Ohana Eats there, so you can get that bread pudding there. You can ask for Ohana noodles. They're not on the menu, but you can ask for it. I love the Potstickers, the sushi, all of it is really, really good. So that's my honorable mention.
Rachel (01:25:07):
I had one from Poly too, and that is pineapple lanai for their doll whips. And sometimes it's a big dull whip bar and sometimes there's even specialty flavors that you can't find in the parks that you can find there at the poly. So that's my go-to.
Becca (01:25:22):
Yeah, good one.
Rachel (01:25:24):
I had one more too, but it's not in vibes.
Becca (01:25:27):
Spill it.
Rachel (01:25:28):
So over at Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Sana Bread service for the sauce,
Becca (01:25:35):
Because
Rachel (01:25:35):
It has the different types of non and the accompaniments, like chutney and hummus. It's so good.
Becca (01:25:41):
It is. It's very, very good. And the atmosphere over there. So yeah, I was going to say that one and it dropped off my list, so I'm glad you mentioned it.
Rachel (01:25:51):
What about you, Karina? Any honorable mentions?
Corina (01:25:55):
My honorable mention. Oh man, that's so difficult. I feel like I'm just starting to explore now. I have my places that I really like and I can't get past.
Rachel (01:26:07):
I feel like you gave us the tip of all tips with Sebastian. I did.
Corina (01:26:10):
Yeah. I feel like that's my favorite whenever it comes
Becca (01:26:13):
To
Corina (01:26:13):
Resort anything. It's like Sebastian's. We're going to Sebastian's.
Rachel (01:26:16):
Yeah. So we were going to talk about favorite item overall. It sounds like your pick is Sebastian's. Would you say that's fair? Nice.
Corina (01:26:23):
100%.
Rachel (01:26:25):
We're going to have to check it out. I mean we're just going to have to check it out. Becca, do you have an all around favorite from the hotels?
Corina (01:26:33):
It's probably
Becca (01:26:33):
Got to be Kona because if ever
Corina (01:26:35):
I
Becca (01:26:36):
Just seem to make that reservation the most. So the fact that I frequent there a lot probably
Corina (01:26:40):
Means it's
Becca (01:26:41):
Probably my overall favorite Tonga toast.
Corina (01:26:43):
I recently just did something different with the Tonga Toast. You know how it comes with the strawberry compote, right? Well, I asked them, I was like, can I get the caramel sauce
Rachel (01:26:54):
Instead?
Becca (01:26:56):
Wow,
Corina (01:26:56):
It was amazing. Shut
Rachel (01:26:58):
The front door it Caramel
Corina (01:26:59):
Banana. I recommend Best
Rachel (01:27:05):
You. Oh my gosh.
Corina (01:27:07):
See,
Becca (01:27:07):
She knows
Rachel (01:27:08):
Her
Becca (01:27:09):
Foodie experience. She knew what to
Corina (01:27:11):
Do.
Rachel (01:27:12):
I am literally taking notes and before I visit every time I have a list of things that I want to eat. So if you're listening, suggest that you write those down so that way you make sure you get 'em in if they're on your list. Because otherwise I get sensory overload and otherwise I'm in the park and I'm like, I feel like there's something I'm missing and it's that I wanted to eat this one
Becca (01:27:30):
Thing. So true professional right there.
Rachel (01:27:33):
Yes, yes. It's a difficult job of somebody's got to do it, right?
Corina (01:27:38):
Yeah,
Becca (01:27:38):
Exactly.
Rachel (01:27:40):
Well that is wonderful. Suffice it to say that the resorts have a ton of amazing food for us to try. So that brings us to the pinnacle, right? We've talked about the theme parks, we've talked about the resorts, we've talked about Disney Springs. I want to know what is the best thing that you have ever eaten at Disney World? Can be anywhere.
Corina (01:27:59):
Do you know what it is? Karina?
Becca (01:28:01):
Me? Yeah. Do you have yours?
Corina (01:28:05):
Are you still thinking? There's just so much. It's hard to pick just one who can really pick just one. It's
Becca (01:28:14):
Really hard.
Corina (01:28:16):
I think that's really hard. I feel like
Becca (01:28:17):
Rachel should go first on this one.
Corina (01:28:20):
Yeah,
Rachel (01:28:20):
Okay. Mine is kind of a controversial take, so I'm interested to hear what other people's experiences have been like because I hear sometimes that this is hit or miss, but I'm going to share it. Okay. First of all, I made a rookie mistake, and we're not to tips yet, but let me set the stage for you. It was my first time at Epcot and I decided that I wanted to try some of the festival food severely underestimated how delicious it is and how much I would eat and had a dining reservation at Laier over in Canada, which is the steakhouse. And I was like, I'll walk it off. We had a few hours. I was like, it'll be fine. Got to Losier. My husband and I still talk back and forth about how it was, and we've tried to decide whether we even want to go back just in case it doesn't live up to our experience. But it was incredible. So you start off with this pretzel bread and they have this maple sea salt butter that goes with it. They're known for their cheddar cheese soup, which dip the pretzel bread in the cheddar cheese soup. So good. And then I had filet mignon with mushroom risotto on the side.
Corina (01:29:26):
Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.
Rachel (01:29:27):
It was also a 10 out of 10. It was so good. And I'm not really a steak person. It's rare that I'll come off and be like, oh, that steak was delicious. I would go back and I loved it. I think we also had dessert, but I'm pretty sure I blacked out at that point because I was just so full. We left and I was just like, that is probably the best thing I've ever eaten. But oh my gosh, I was so full, just stuffed. So take it from me. If you have a dining reservation at Epcot, do not go eat festival food first. Eat breakfast and hold off till you go eat dinner. Otherwise it's going to be bad news. But highly recommend Laier. Even with the festival food, I was like, this is incredible. This is the best thing I've ever eaten. So that's my pick.
Becca (01:30:09):
That is the best foodie trek story I have ever heard. Oh yeah, because you went on a foodie trek. Apparently I did. Literally. But you barely survived. But you did.
Rachel (01:30:22):
I made it somehow. I made it out. He still, my husband will give you a hard time. He's like, remember that one time that we ate at las and it was so good. But I'm like, yes. Anyway, it was,
Becca (01:30:32):
You know that saying, but did you die
Rachel (01:30:35):
At the time? I felt like I was going to die. I was almost in tears. I was like, why did I do this to myself? It was just so good. Anyway, I have not made that mistake again, but it was, yes, so
Becca (01:30:47):
Good. But hashtag worth it. Oh, hashtag worth it. Absolutely. I love that. Well, it's so funny because you're talking about how you and your husband are like, remember that time and you can't stop talking about the experience. So that's how I came to my pick. And again, I'm going to head back to Wine Bar George. We went there for Easter one time.
Rachel (01:31:08):
This
Becca (01:31:09):
Dish is always on their menu, but we got the skirt steak
Rachel (01:31:13):
And
Becca (01:31:14):
The way that they cook it is just like the steak is literally melting in your mouth and the veggies will change seasonally, but it's really, really delicious and my husband will still talk about it, so
Rachel (01:31:28):
That's so funny. Yeah, that's good to know too. Specialty dinners too, for even something like Easter Worth Keeping an eye out for Karina, what is your absolute one favorite must have item or meal at Disney World? It could be anything but just your tippity top favorite.
Corina (01:31:45):
I think I'm going to stick with my Sebastian's.
Rachel (01:31:48):
Nice.
Corina (01:31:49):
Absolutely. I'm telling you, nobody's heard of it, but everybody will now. Oh no, what did I do? Oh no, my little secret spot.
Rachel (01:32:00):
I know it. Thank you for sharing with us. But I know I love that you've given us something brand new that Becca and I were both
Becca (01:32:06):
Like,
Rachel (01:32:06):
What gives us something new to look at for sure. And hopefully gives everybody at home some great ideas for their next trip. So, all right. Well, we've given
Becca (01:32:15):
Lots of tips
Rachel (01:32:16):
And tidbits throughout this podcast, but let's move on and wrap up with some of our very top dining tips for our audience. Becca, do you want to start us off?
Becca (01:32:25):
Sure. So as a mom and when we would plan our Disney vacations, I have picky eaters and I know it would stress me out trying to make sure that everybody had a magical trip, but that my kids were going to eat something and it wasn't going to be like a big hassle. So my biggest tip is that if you have picky eaters or you just have special dietary preferences or needs just to do your research in advance, you can find all of the dining locations and their menus online, on the website and on the app. I think you'll just have more peace of mind by doing your research first. Also, don't freak out when you don't get those coveted dining reservations. Do
Corina (01:33:09):
All
Becca (01:33:09):
The little tips that we shared here. I promise you you'll find some amazing dining. Also, one little thing going back to the kids' dining is if you're at a table service restaurant and you don't see french fries on the menu, I know for my kids, that's a staple that that's the one thing I know they'll eat at every restaurant. A lot of times they have them at the restaurant and just ask.
Rachel (01:33:33):
Super helpful Carina, what's one tip from you that you have for people when they're thinking about dining at Disney World? My
Corina (01:33:39):
Tip is go in with an open mind and explore and expand your palette and have fun with it. Because when it comes to Disney food, I feel like that's what it's made for, is to be a part of the experience. And everything is just so cute and tasty, and I feel like, yeah, just make it fun.
Becca (01:34:01):
I would agree. That's great advice.
Rachel (01:34:02):
It is. It's my tip, of course, coming from Undercover Tourist is to use
Corina (01:34:08):
Those
Rachel (01:34:08):
Ticket savings that you'll get when you purchase your tickets through undercover tourist towards your favorite snacks. So you can save up to $47 a ticket for a four day park hop to Walt Disney World Resort. So for a family of four, that's a savings of up to $188. I did the math on this, and that is enough for 23 Mickey Ice cream bars, 12 Turkey legs or a character breakfast with the family. So those savings really do add up and you can put those towards some of the amazing ideas that we had and shared with you today.
Becca (01:34:39):
Amazing.
Corina (01:34:40):
Yay. And
Rachel (01:34:43):
Becca, I had one. I know we've been talking about this a lot, but when it comes to dining too, I think a lot of people don't realize that you can bring your own food into Disney World. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?
Becca (01:34:54):
You can. So that is one of the, I think, really great things about Disney is that you're allowed to bring your own food into the park so you don't have to feel pressured to buy what can be pricey. Theme park food. And this also goes hand in hand if you have picky eaters and you know they're not going to eat anything, or you're a picky eater or you have special dietary needs, you can bring your own food. There are some rules, like you can only bring a certain size cooler. You can't use dry ice, no glass, things like that. But you can find all of those policies on the Disney website. We also have some blogs that share about taking a picnic to Disney or coming to Disney with picky eaters. So we have those blog posts on our site to help you there with those resources. But yeah, feel free to bring your own food and maybe you want to splurge on a really big meal, but then pack your food for the rest. So I think just knowing that is a super helpful tip.
Rachel (01:35:46):
Yes. The other tip I have is to know that most of the onsite hotels have pretty affordable family pizzas for about $20 or so. So if you need just something quick to eat in the room, that's also affordable. They've got you covered with pizzas.
Becca (01:36:02):
Yep.
Rachel (01:36:03):
That's such great insight. Thank you so much for sharing Becca and Karina. So that's a wrap on dining at Walt Disney World Resort. Today, we talked about the different dining options available for your family, how to make advanced dining reservations or ADRs, how to utilize tools like mobile ordering and my Disney Experience app to enhance your experience, our absolute favorite food stops in the parks and our top dining tips and tricks. We hope we've given you all of the dining information that you need for your next trip to Walt Disney World Resort. Don't be shy about asking us questions or letting us know what your favorites are. If you go over and check out Sebastian's, make sure you let Corina know what you thought of it. Yes,
Corina (01:36:45):
Definitely.
Rachel (01:36:47):
This was so much fun. Karina and Becca, thank you so much for sharing all of your amazing insight. All of your foodie finds with us, Becca, for even more Pixie us, where can our audience find you?
Becca (01:36:59):
Well, you guys can't get rid of me. You'll see me here working on a team at Undercover Tourist. If you want to follow on my personal adventures where I just share family fun as we go about the theme parks and things here in Orlando, I'm on Instagram at pixie dust and freckles.
Rachel (01:37:14):
Amazing. And Karina, where can our audience find you for more food? He finds or stop by and say hi at your food truck. My
Corina (01:37:20):
Personal page is The Magical Latina, and my food truck is the BRUJAS table.
Rachel (01:37:26):
Amazing. Thank you both so much for being here. This was, I can't stress enough how much fun this was. So, so great talking with you guys. Thank you so much for being here. And to everybody listening at home, thank you for hopping along with us. Bye
(01:37:41):
bye.
(01:37:42):
Bye.
(01:37:43):
If you enjoyed the Expert Disney Planning Tips podcast, please let us know in ratings and comments. Make sure to visit our site for discounts on theme park tickets, hotels, and more. And follow us on social at Undercover Tourist on YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook. And at Theme Park Frog on Instagram.