Disney World Dining
Artisanal Spirits at La Cava del Tequila Bar
Orlando: Mexico Pavilion, Epcot
The upscale, hacienda-style tequila bar pours over 100 tequilas and mezcals as flights or in inventive cocktails like margaritas made with avocado, hibiscus or jalapeño. There's a shortlist of Mexican-inspired snacks such as spicy shrimp cocktail with fried tortillas.
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Fried-to-Order Franks at the Corn Dog Wagon
Anaheim: Main Street USA, Disneyland
Locals have been known to make weekly trips to the theme park just to pick up this cart's hand-dipped, fried-to-order corn dogs. Know that the hot, crispy real thing will erase any pleasure formerly garnered from the prefrozen versions sold at carnivals.
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Caramel at Karamell Kuche
Orlando: Germany Pavilion, Epcot
The new caramel café in the German Pavilion is fashioned like a Bavarian cottage and sells cupcakes, apples and popcorn all slathered in its namesake. Patrons can snag free samples.
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Dole Whip at the Tiki Juice Bar
Anaheim and Orlando: Disneyland Resort, Disney World's Magic Kingdom
Dole Whip is an über-refreshing, frozen pineapple soft-serve that's only available at Disneyland and World, the Dole Plantation in Hawaii and a couple other locations worldwide. Dole-ophiles can spoon tart mouthfuls out of pineapple juice floats.
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Mickey-Shaped Melons in Disney Greenhouses
Orlando: The Land Pavilion, Epcot
During the hour-long "Behind the Seeds" tour of the Disney greenhouses, guests are privy to experimental cultivation techniques, and witness trees and vines growing mickey-shaped lemons, watermelons, cucumbers and pumpkins. Diners at the Garden Grill restaurant might later find such cucumbers on their salads.
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Wood-Fired Pizza at Via Napoli
Orlando: Italy Pavilion, Epcot
Opened in the summer of 2010, this pizzeria and gelateria serves blood-orange-juice coolers, fried arancini (rice balls) and pizzas pulled from giant wood-burning ovens designed in Naples. The mozzarella is flown in from Italy (as are, often, the servers), and the pies are made in strict adherence to Neapolitan pizza rules, with San Marzano tomatoes and a crisp, charred crust.
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Gluten-Free Sweets at Babycakes
Orlando: Downtown Disney Marketplace
This Manhattan bakery became a cult after perfecting cupcakes without gluten or dairy. The dense confections are made with rice or bean flour and sweetened with agave, but even the non-allergy-prone like the pretty pastel frosting and flavors like red velvet, banana-blueberry, lemon and vanilla.
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Thanksgiving Year-Round at Liberty Tree Tavern
Orlando: Liberty Square, Magic Kingdom
This replica of an 18th-century American inn contains real Colonial artifacts and working fireplaces. It serves family-style Thanksgiving dinner every day of the year: platters of roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, glazed ham, applesauce, mac and cheese and apple crisp.
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Craft Beer at Big River Grille and Brewing Works
Orlando: Disney's Boardwalk Resort
The only microbrewery on the property, the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based Big River Grille has five taps (some seasonally rotating), an outdoor patio, an on-site brewmaster and exhibition brewing rooms. Beer Advocate rates the label's Dunkelweiss a noteworthy B+, but there are pilsners, IPAs and stouts as well.
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Good Coffee at Joffrey's
Orlando: Epcot
While Nescafé monopolizes almost all of the Disney properties, Florida-based Joffrey's grinds and brews high-quality coffee from Colombia, Ethiopia and El Salvador at four locations throughout Epcot. The company sells more than 124 premium blends and roasts its beans in Tampa, just over an hour away.
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Frontierland Turkey Legs
Orlando: Frontierland, Magic Kingdom
The mammothly amusing salty-smoked legs sold from a wagon in Frontierland are now ubiquitous on Disney grounds. Not common knowledge: The Bamm-Bamm-worthy bones may run upward of 1,000 calories.
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Neighborhood Coffee Shop at The Writer's Stop
Orlando: Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's version of a bookstore-cum-coffeehouse employs focused baristas and provides shelves of books—plus cozy chairs to read them in (or break for carrot cake). Occasional book signings attract the likes of crime novelist Ridley Pearson.
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Hong Kong Fish at Flying Fish
Orlando: Disney's Boardwalk
It's off the menu and has to be ordered at least a day ahead, but the Hong Kong Fish is a terrifically fresh local yellowtail snapper, coated in tempura batter and fried whole. There's even a chef's counter in the kitchen so diners can watch the action.
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Rice Krispie Treats at the Main Street Bakery
Orlando: Main Street USA, Magic Kingdom
The old time U.S.A.-style bakery and candy shop has monstrous and incredible Rice Krispie Treats and cinnamon rolls—and dining credits will cover the cost. Homemade ice cream sandwiches are also fantastic.
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Dine with Animal Academia at Sanaa
Orlando: Kidani Village at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Animal specialists proffer knowledge about the giraffes, zebras and wildebeests roaming outside Sanaa, where the relatively exotic Indian-African menu includes green curry shrimp, tandoori lamb over Basmati rice and flaky, griddled paratha breads.
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Legendary Bread at La Brea Bakery Cafe
Anaheim: Downtown Disneyland District
An offshoot of the famed SoCal bakery founded by Mario Batali's Mozza partner, Nancy Silverton, makes sandwiches on artisanal breads. The stellar loaves also anchor breakfast as in brioche French toast with cranberry compote and a melty, Gruyère-loaded croque madame on country white sourdough.
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Walt Disney's Secret Club 33
Anaheim: New Orleans Square, Disneyland
Before he died in 1966, Walt Disney founded the members-only Disneyland Club 33 with the goal of entertaining politicos and other important guests. The French New Orleans-inspired gallery space and dining rooms weren't finished before his death, but 33 upheld its exclusivity—the waiting list to join the club is said to be fourteen years.
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Ohana's Vegetarian Menu
Orlando: Disney's Polynesian Resort
All Disney restaurants can accommodate vegetarians, but the Polynesia-themed Ohana is the most buzzed-about. When diners call ahead, the chef customizes a menu that might include stir-fried tofu, and house-made baba ghanouj.
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Dinner and a Movie at Fork and Screen
Orlando: Downtown Disney
Opened in May 2011, AMC's dine-in theater complex, Fork and Screen, takes reservations and waiters deliver cocktails and full courses—like smoked salmon BLTs and chocolate spooncake—to moviegoers in their seats.
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Gospel Brunch at House of Blues
Orlando: Downtown Disney West Side
Top gospel choirs serenade brunch goers every Sunday at the House of Blues when the buffet is piled with southern favorites like biscuits and gravy, cheesy grits, fried chicken and jambalaya.