food IS a theme park
Staying at a Disney World hotel on your vacation can be a total GAME-CHANGER. But how do you decide on the right one?
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
There are plenty of options whether you’re looking for something ultra-themed, nice and quiet, or big and fancy. Disney World’s monorail hotels are often viewed as the cream of the crop and the BEST possible options due to their proximity to Magic Kingdom, but here’s why staying at a monorail hotel isn’t the hack you think it is.
A recent menu change has struck one of our favorite dishes at a fan-favorite Disney World restaurant and you know we had to scope it out.
Our meal at California Grill
There’s a short list of Disney World restaurants that just don’t seem to let us down, no matter how much Disney plays with their menus. Sometimes, these changes are for the better, and sometimes they still can’t quite measure up to some of the surrounding restaurants, but very rarely do we find a change that doesn’t feel much like a change. When we heard that one of our beloved dishes at California Grill had changed, we knew we had to investigate — stat!
Well, Disney World has certainly surprised us when comes to food this week.
Dark Chocolate Cone
First, we got to eat the Riviera Cookie Skillet at Disney’s Riviera Resort, which we’ve dubbed the “Pizookie” and it was EVERYTHING we’d hoped for. Then we scratched our head over the Dark Chocolate Cone we had in Disney Springs because its name is a little misleading. Then there was the Charcuterie Croissant, also in Disney Springs, which is just as amazing as it sounds. Now, we’re looking at Disney World restaurant menus and checking for changes.
If you’ve ever ridden the monorail through Disney’s Contemporary Resort, you’ve probably seen Chef Mickey’s and thought, “Is it really worth it?”
Chef Mickey’s
Now, Chef Mickey’s is undeniably one of Disney World’s most iconic dining experiences. But is the hype worth the hefty price tag and time commitment? Let’s break down the pros and cons of Chef Mickey’s – and then we’ll let you in on a hidden gem we think you’ll love even more.
It looks like 2025 is going to be a busy year in Disney World — y’all, it’s only January, and so much is already going on.
Bar RIVA at Disney’s Riviera Resort
Now, we’ve already told you ALL about the EPCOT Festival of the Arts (and you can read all our food booth reviews here), but we’ve also seen the phased closure of Dinoland, U.S.A. begin in Disney’s Animal Kingdom to make way for a new land, Pueblo Esperanza. There’s a ton of construction happening at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Magic Kingdom, too. SO MUCH. But that’s not all. Disney World has been updating its restaurant menus, so we need to get you caught up on the menu changes that happened this week.
Hello from Disney World!
S’mores Popcorn Mix
Okay, so it is like a HUGE week for food in Disney World because the EPCOT Festival of the Arts has officially kicked off. We were there on DAY ONE to check out everything the festival has to offer, including all the food booths (we ate so much, y’all have no idea). But there’s more happening in the Disney World food world, too, because we’ve also got some restaurant menu changes to get you updated on.
We’ve been thinking a lot about Disney World food recently — okay, we lie, we think about Disney World food ALL the time. That’s how we got here!
Vegan Spicy Falafel Pocket from Starbucks/Main Street Bakery
We have been looking forward to the rest of the year, though, and filling you in on our must-have foods for 2025. We’re also looking forward to the EPCOT Festival of the Arts starting soon, which will bring a variety of food booths and TONS of art-inspired food and drinks (and we are STOKED). However, we’re also starting to see more restaurant menu changes come in (it got quiet there for a while during the holidays…), so we want to make sure you stay updated on those, too.
Happy New Year! It’s 2025, and a LOT of exciting things are coming to Disney World this year.
Trader Sam’s Tahitian Torch
We’ve got new shows, a new nighttime parade, new lands beginning construction, and SO MUCH MORE to look forward to. We’ve even got a few new dining spots, including a Pirates of the Caribbean tavern and a Spaceship Earth lounge. However, now that the New Year has started, Disney World has been busy adjusting some of its existing restaurant menus, so let’s see what’s changed this week.
Dining at table service restaurants in Disney World can be fantastic, but worrying about getting reservations 60 days in advance of your trip and taking 1-2 hours out of your park day just to eat can be stressful, so it may not always be the best fit.
Garden Grill Restaurant
Sometimes, though, you want something a little more elevated than a quick-service meal, which leaves you at a bit of a loss. Fear not, though — there’s a middle ground that we absolutely love, and that’s Disney World lounges! Lounges are fantastic because you get the same elevated menu from table service restaurants without the time expectancy or the reservations. If you want to hit some lounges in 2025 but don’t want to spend an arm and leg for too small of plates, these are the top lounges we recommend!
December is already flying by and we’re so not ready for the holidays yet (although we’ve been celebrating the holiday season in Disney World for over a month now!).
Toy Soldier Mickey Dome Cake at Amorette’s Patisserie in Disney Springs
We’re looking forward to the opening of a brand-new restaurant coming up soon (and we now have a menu to look at while we wait for its doors to open). We’re also still eating our way around the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays (and here are the things we’re ordering over and over). Meanwhile, Disney World restaurant menus keep changing, and we’re keeping up with them all!
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