I’m back with another “Must-do Disney” feature, and this time I’m highlighting just a few of my must-get snacks and small treats in Walt Disney World. While these blog posts are a lot of fun to write, they also make me hungry and miss Disney food even more… Guess that means I need to book another trip to satisfy that craving!
PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER
Maybe it’s because all of my fondest childhood Disney memories take place at the Port Orleans resorts, but the Mickey-shaped beignets from Scat Cat’s at POFQ (Port Orleans French Quarter) has me resort hopping early in the morning to grab a dish of these! These fried dough pastries are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and topped with mounds of powered sugar.
While they’re hardly comparable to the famous NOLA Café du Monde, they fit with the theming of the resort perfectly and make for a great start to your morning when paired with a Café au Lait. Plus, they make for a great photo! If you’re at POFQ during lunch or dinner time and have missed out on the beignets, make sure not to miss the gumbo from Sassagoula Floatworks.
DISNEY SPRINGS
Have you ever heard of Gideon’s Cookies? If not, prepare for your life to forever change after learning about this Orlando-based bakery. These cookies are MASSIVE- like, half pound of cookie, massive. And even though they look like unbaked balls of cookie dough, they are the BEST cookie you will ever have… like, ever.
My go-to favorite Gideon’s cookie is the cookies & cream cookie which tastes like a cookies & cream milkshake in cookie form. My other favorite, and probably the overall fan favorite, is the pistachio toffee chocolate chip. Gideon’s also has seasonal cookies as well as absolutely delicious cake slices baked fresh every day. The cookies will cost you $6 each and the cake slices will be $11 each, but don’t even blink- just drop the money because it’s worth it, I promise.
If you go to Gideon’s on a day that they’re serving the key lime pie cake slice, then you’ll need to add that to your bill because it is the best dessert in Disney Springs. Also, if you’re a coffee fan then you have your pick of some truly unique cold brews at Gideon’s, including peanut butter and cookies & cream.
My other must-get snack in Disney Springs isn’t really a snack, but it’s from a quick service location so I felt it better fit onto this list than my upcoming “Must-do Disney… Sit-down Dishes” blog post.
If you’ve ever spent time on planet Earth then you’ve heard of Guy Fieri, the famous chef and restaurateur. Well lucky for Disney, Guy Fieri stuck his simple-yet-delicious quick service Chicken Guy restaurant smack dab in the middle of Disney Springs. When in Disney I’m all about the gourmet food and beautiful plated dishes, but every time I make it to Disney Springs my feet and stomach lead me to Chicken Guy. The chicken tenders here are incredible with a crispy, seasoned batter and tasty brine.
Sure, I could eat the chicken tenders here all by themselves, but Guy Fieri is not called “The Boss of Sauce” for nothing! You have 22 unique sauces to choose from to dip your chicken and fries in. My favorite are the Nashville hot honey and the spicy mayo, but you also can’t go wrong with donkey sauce, (mayo, garlic, mustard, & lemon) or peri peri. another great thing about Chicken Guy is that it is completely affordable for a family of four or a family of 20. For a five tender meal with fries, a drink, and two sauces you’re looking at a price tag of $13.50 which, in Disney terms, is revolutionary. So the next time you’re in Disney Springs and dad has a reservation at STK, cancel it and head to Chicken Guy!
MAGIC KINGDOM
DOLE WHIP! Yes, it’s dole whip appreciation time! While dole whip isn’t my absolute favorite Disney snack of all time, (gasp!), I count it as too popular to not include on this list. You can find this sweet treat at Sunshine Tree Terrace and Aloha Isle in Magic Kingdom, and everyday will bring with it a different flavor to choose from, including raspberry, orange, lime, and lemon.
Of course there’s always the original pineapple dole whip if you’re feeling not-so adventurous. Sometimes you’ll also be able to find this treat in cones and drinks, all spruced up to represent a Disney character. For the Disney adults wanting to get boujee and boozie, you can find spiked dole whip floats at many resorts and restaurants across WDW property.
EPCOT
Is it any surprise that Epcot has the most of my favorite snacks in WDW? With the diverse food options thanks to World Showcase and the many festivals with dedicated food booths, there will never be a time where you are unable to find something delicious to chow down on in Epcot.
Let’s start with a more-like-lunch item on this list… fish & chips from Yorkshire County Fish Shop in the UK pavilion. This “snack” has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid and has lost no love from me in those 20 years since. The fish is super crispy with a delicious batter and pairs well with the tartar sauce or malt vinegar. Every time I’ve ordered this it has been fresh and hot. This is a great item to share with someone if you’re not feeling like a whole meal but still have the rumbly in your tumbly.
Fun fact about Disney: If you love a snack enough and it’s popularity defies time, then it may just be made into wearable merchandise! The fish & chips ears to honor this Epcot classic debuted in 2019 and quickly sold out. Other snack merch collections that have made an appearance include Mickey waffles, popcorn buckets, Mickey pretzels, and Mickey ice cream bars. The famous Mickey beignets I referenced earlier also recently got their own ears!
Next up on the list is available in the France pavilion at Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie. This authentic French bakery has so many great pastries and treats to choose from, so its easy to skip over my personal favorite for something that is equally enticing and delicious.
The raspberry lime macaron is as delicious as it looks. The macaron feet are the perfect texture and size, and has a beautiful pink color. The lime cream adds a nice tartness to the overall flavors, but the real star of the show here is the fresh raspberries. Basically, you’re eating a healthy treat because it has fruit in it… right? Some other items to add to your bakery box while you’re here are the créme brûlée and half baguette because, why not? You’re in Paris! And if you are what you eat, then you should only want to eat the good stuff.
Behold the subcategory of all subcategories- Epcot festival food booths. How could I talk about Disney World snacks and small bites without mentioning the many festival kitchens found in Epcot? Food & Wine is the obvious go-to when it comes to festival booths, but Festival of the Arts, Flower & Garden, and Festival of the Holidays have just as good of food selections as a part of their offerings. Over the years I’ve ate a lot and fell in love with a few. Here are the dishes that stood out to me.
There’s one dish that tops all others at the Festival of the Arts, and that is the featured grilled cheese from the Pop Eats booth. In 2021 they did a French onion and bacon grilled cheese that had me calling for this to be put on a permanent menu. Unfortunately that specific grilled cheese did not come back in 2022 and was instead replaced with an apple and brie grilled cheese.
You can find grilled cheese options at some of the other Epcot festivals throughout the year, such as the fried grilled cheese that made an appearance at the Festival of the Holidays a few years back, but nothing can beat grilled cheese from Pop Eats.
Next on my Epcot festival favorites is the taco vampiro from the Mexico booth at the Flower & Garden Festival. This dish has been a festival favorite to many over the last two years and for good reason: The crispy fried cheese on the outside of the taco makes for a great added crunch to the corn tortilla, and the sauce used in the taco along with the chicken is unusually spicy for Disney which is a welcome change for those of us who would love to see some heat added to Disney menus.
Lastly on my festival eats list is… well, basically everything on the Canada booth menu at the Food & Wine Festival. There’s a reason why this menu has not changed for many years- if it works, there’s no need for change!
The filet mignon from this booth is always delicious and perfectly cooked, making for a melt-in-your-mouth small bite. While I’m not a huge mushroom fan, the accent adds to the overall flavor and pairs perfectly. Also at this booth is the beer cheese soup with a pretzel roll. Maybe this isn’t the best thing to order on a super hot Florida day, but if you’re searching for comfort food then you’ve come to the right place.
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
I suppose we’ve come to our most controversial item on my personal Disney-favorites for snacks and small bites… the blue & green milk from Batuu in Galaxy’s Edge. I say that these two iconic Star Wars drinks are controversial because you either love them or hate them- there’s really no in between. Personally, I prefer the green milk over the blue milk which is just another unpopular opinion that I have to own up to.
The green milk has a floral and citrus flavor that makes it a refreshing choice on a hot day. The blue milk, to me, lacks that citrus flavor and holds onto the floral notes. Both are the same consistency of an icy drink and certainly not the milky feel that you’d come to expect. While this has become a must-get for me when visiting Batuu, I think the drinks are here mostly for the nostalgia and, honestly, photo ops. If you’re a huge Star Wars fan like me though and you want to live your Star Wars dreams to the fullest, then go to that milk stand and buy that blue milk!
ANIMAL KINGDOM
Last, but certainly not least, is my go-to snack from Animal Kingdom which is actually one of my favorite snacks in all of Walt Disney World: buffalo chicken chips from Trilo-Bites in the Dinoland area of the park. This snack is… perfect! It has everything I love- homemade chips, tangy buffalo sauce-topped chicken, and a ranch dressing drizzle. I wish more people knew about this snack because it is so good!
What makes this quick-bites spot even better is that you can get a seasonal or local beer at this kiosk as well, and it is positioned right next to a walk way from Dinoland to Tree of Life that has plenty of picnic tables hidden away from the craziness that is Flame Tree BBQ. This dish is perfect to share as a snack with other in your party, although I usually hoard this all to myself.
And there you have it! There are just some of my top snacks in Walt Disney World. With menus changing all of the time and seasonal treats coming and going, its tough to keep a mental list of all of the best things I’ve eaten while in Disney. Did any of your favorite WDW treats make it onto this list? Is there something that I didn’t mention that needs to be on my must-try list for my next trip? Let me know!
Keep an eye out for my next Must-do Disney post focused on my favorite sit-down meals that I think everyone should experience on their next Disney trip.
This is my beach 