Tantalizing Tastes from Savory to Sweet

In Part 1, I shared a small selection of the Mickey-shaped and Instagrammable treats found throughout Disney World. Don’t worry, there are still more to come but I wanted to share some of our go-to savory eats too.

Savory eats

Savory eats abound whether it’s barbecue from Flame Tree Barbecue in Animal Kingdom to Hummus Fries at Spice Road Table in EPCOT. Here are a few favorites:

Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ (Disney Springs)

For us, no visit to Disney World is complete without a meal at Homecomin’. This is the first reservation we make above all others once the 60-day reservation window opens up. I could make a whole meal of just the starters like the Thigh High Chicken Biscuits, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Church Lady Deviled Eggs. But if those don’t appeal, there is always Chicken & Doughnuts (who needs waffles when you can have doughnuts). Once we have our reservations secured, we breathe a little easier and figure out our next reservation.

Yorkshire County Fish Shop (EPCOT)

Another must-eat is the fish & chips from the Yorkshire County Fish Shop in EPCOT’s World Showcase. They make one dish and they make it well, and it is one of the better deals you’ll find in Disney World. Each order contains a healthy portion of chips (french fries) and a large fillet of fish. A good dousing of malt vinegar is all that’s needed. And if you’re lucky enough to secure seating, it provides decent viewing of the evening spectacular on the lagoon.

Ronto Roasters – (Hollywood Studios)

The Ronto Wrap at Ronto Roasters, I must admit, did not entice me based on the descriptions and pictures I found on the internet. It looked rather meh and uninteresting. However, if you forego breakfast in the interest of doing the mad dash to Rise of the Resistance at rope drop (we made it from the front gate to the start of the ride in 11 minutes at a fast walk), then you will quickly find that there is very little available for hungry bellies at that time of the day. Because of this, I decided to try the Ronto Wrap and was more than pleasantly surprised.

The wrap is made up of a grilled sausage and roast pork with a lightly spiced slaw wrapped in pita bread. It had just enough spice and a great crunch from the slaw. I went back another day just to have this sandwich, it was that good. There is also a breakfast version of this sandwich that replaces the roast pork with egg, but I chose the regular sandwich instead.

And even more sweets

Beaches & Cream (Disney’s Beach Club Resort)

In Hawaii we lack a good old fashioned ice cream parlour, so high on the list of restaurants to visit was Beaches & Cream. Serving a menu of diner classics – hamburgers, hot dogs, tots, grilled cheese – the main attractions were the ice cream creations.

We weren’t brave enough to get the Kitchen Sink Sundae – an iconic sundae that serves four and consists of 8 scoops of ice cream and 16 toppings. In fact, the No Way José sundae – chocolate and vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, peanut butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips, and whipped cream – was more than enough for two (with a side of onion rings for balance). It was the perfect frozen treat on a hot Florida afternoon.

Trolley Car Café (a.k.a Starbucks) (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)

In addition to the Mickey chocolate chip cookie, you can also find the carrot cake “cookie” at Trolley Car Café. Big enough to share, this “cookie” is more like a whoopie pie. Because the cake is so moist and soft, it’s not something that is easily picked up and held in your hand. This delicious carrot cake with a cream cheese frosting center is easier to eat with a knife and fork. The frosting could be a little softer and lighter but that didn’t stop us from eating the whole thing.

Zuri’s Sweet Shop (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)

With a rotating menu of tempting sweets, Zuri’s Sweet Shop was one of our favorite places for a snack. One of our favorite cookies was the large chocolate-dipped Mickey-shaped chocolate chip cookie. But so was the simple peanut butter and chocolate chunk cookie. In addition to cookies you will find cupcakes, rice krispie treats, and other cereal treats, like this S’mores Gourmet Cereal Treat.

Main Street Confectionery (Magic Kingdom)

A long time ago, Main Street Confectionery made fresh rice krispie treats. You could stand at the window and watch them stir batches of butter, marshmallows, and rice krispies in huge copper kettles. I don’t know what it was but those treats tasted better than anything I could make at home.

Nowadays, the selection of rice krispie treats has expanded but somewhere along the way, as the treats have been mass-produced, they lost the deliciousness they once had. It doesn’t stop us from trying the new treats but it does make us wish for the old days…

Having said that, there is no limit to Mickey-shaped treats you will find throughout the store.

A unique experience you will find at Main Street Confectionery is the ability to create your own custom popcorn mix. You choose the type of popcorn (sweet or savory), the toppings, and the chocolate drizzle.

Aloha Isle (Magic Kingdom)

No post on Disney treats would be complete without mentioning Dole Whip. At Aloha Isle you can get your Dole Whip in a cup, in a float, with alcohol, or on top of a pineapple upside down cake.

And if you don’t like pineapple, head over to Sunshine Tree Terrace for orange or strawberry Dole Whip. Or check out all these places that serve Dole Whip and celebrate Dole Whip Day on July 21st!

It’s fair to say that these two posts barely touch the surface of things to eat in Disney World. My wish list was far longer and if visiting Disney World more often was viable, I would do it. But for now, these pictures and the associated memories will have to tide me over.

Helpful tips

• Be sure to make reservations for table service restaurants as soon as the booking window opens (at the time of writing this post it is 60-days from the start of your resort or park reservation). This goes for restaurants like Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ as well as popular restaurants inside the parks like Cinderella’s Royal Table or Be Our Guest.
• When you can’t get the exact reservation you’re looking for, sometimes speaking in-person with the restaurant host/hostess will do the trick. The Disney reservation system has certain limitations that a host/hostess may have discretionary power to override. For example, you have a reservation for 7 but have an extra guest. It never hurts to ask but do not expect a host/hostess to perform miracles and certainly do not demand they accommodate your request. Treat people kindly and remember, just a spoonful of sugar …
• Mobile ordering is your friend at Quick Service restaurants. Rather than standing in line, you can order food through the Disney World app – even for quick service restaurants at Disney resorts. In many instances you can select a time in advance (for example, you know you’re leaving the park later in the day and want to take food back to the hotel with you). Be aware that at the peak times (lunch and dinner), you may still wait awhile for your order.