Ramble: Theme Park Food Guide

The underwater restaurant in the EPCOT aquarium is the absolute coolest place to go with kids. One thing that's not well-publicized is that if you're dive certified, you can actually dive the aquarium. This means that divers can and will swim right up to the restaurant windows and interact with the guests. When I dove the aquarium, I swam up to a kid seated next to the window and high-fived him through the glass. Guarantee you he will never forget that moment. 😄

Andy Modrovich

I’m glad you mentioned Rancho. Was my first job back in the day and the food will always be a soft spot in my heart. Although recently they have changed the portion sizes so and menu so haven’t checked it out since but I have to try it once to see the difference Gotta try the cheese dog next time i go. Usually skip that place because it’s just corn dogs, or so i thought. Flo’s cafe is bad. At least last time i went. The chicken is so dry and bland. Plaza inn is way better. Also surprised no plaza inn mention

Robert Romero Jr

Having now eaten there, I would HIGHLY recommend Space 220 to anyone going to Epcot!!!

Tonks

I’ve been going to Disney world since I was like 4 and my family is a bunch of foodies so I have some recs!! The best dining at magic kingdom by far for both quality and bang for your buck is the crystal palace. It’s amazing for both breakfast and lunch. HOLLY WOOD STUDIOS: The brown derby has amazing food but pretty pricey. EPCOT: The garden grill is family style and DELICIOUS like the most fresh ingredients you’ll get at any restaurant because they grow the ingredients like at the facility. classic American style dining, buttered corn on the cob green beans chicken, all of it soooo fresh and good. The coral reef USED to be amazing, they recently got a new chef and it HAD to be like a favor for a friend because the food was the worst I’ve ever had at disney. The vibe of the restaurant is amazing but dont waste your money here please. Everywhere else at epcot is amazing but honestly it’s most fun just buying a bunch of food and drinks from the food festivals and trying them all. ANIMAL KINGDOM: the best drinks are at the little lounge in tiffins but my family fave dining if the flame tree barbecue, and the seating is outside under large gazebos on the lake, very peaceful, yummy bbq. Jiko at the animal kingdom lodge is VERY expensive but amazing. Polynesian has been under construction for so long and the best food there keeps changing with the years, the only thing I’m interested in there is trader sams. It’s impossible to get in but they serve the drinks outside, far more peaceful to buy them outside and go to the beach and sit on the chairs. The California grill at the contemporary is one of our absolute favorites, the sushi is amazing, go there for drinks and appetizers at the bar. The bartender has been working there for like 20 years he’s great ask him about anything he’ll tell you all there is to know. He’s like balding and has a big belly (not trying to shade the guy I just forgot his name lol) And at the grand Floridian absolutely anywhere you go will be delicious. Narcousees and citricos are our favorite though!

Melanie Warner

Quick theme park food that doesn't suck: there's a place in Frontierland at Disney World that has corn dogs and freshly made potato chips. They were really good and I'd never had un-bagged potato chips before. I spent less on food that day than I did on parking and it was still pretty good.

Podkayne of Fourth Dimensional Mars

I really liked this video! My favorite restaurant at Disney was always Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante because they had chicken molé but unfortunately when I went in December it was gone! I’m sure it wasn’t very popular so they got rid of it but it was so delicious. It was honestly my favorite thing to get food wise. That being said I always get the Mickey beignets at Mint Julep Bar and they slap.

Heljhammack

Some YouTube weirdness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww2Nn67d2vM

Shred Cadmium

A lot of videos I could see a day or two are private now? Hmm :/

NildroHain

I am being a weirdo who comments very late on a video, but I just joined the patreon and as a southerner, that pronunciation of Boudin made me cringe so hard.

Amanda Kay

Yea for me too

Is the video down for anyone else?

One of my favorite Disneyland memories is eating at the Blue Bayou. We’d waited forever for a table, and either they skipped our name or we didn’t hear it called (probably the latter). Either way, the hostess was about to leave when she realized we were still waiting and she very kindly let us in, so we got to sit by the water in an almost empty restaurant. I thought the atmosphere is magical. I’m slightly horrified to learn about “the grey stuff,” but you do you, Jenny.

BrittaBott

I live in Atlanta and have gone on multitudinous field trips to World of Coke and you brought back SO MANY memories when you mentioned Beverly. 8 year old me would try and trick my friends into drinking it by saying it was a new flavor of sprite

Isabella Whitesides

I'm so hungry after watching that. I miss Disneyland food!

Elizabeth VanStralen

Personally, I think one of the best quick service options in Disneyland is the Bengal Rice Plate with veggie skewers at Bengal BBQ. Mostly because I think rice is the best side dish but also that citrus-miso slaw is pretty damn tasty. Also my hot tip is to get a baguette from Boudin, bring it over to New Orleans Square, and use it to complete the vegetable bolognese at Cafe Orleans which is good but missing a carb.

There's a Thai place in SF that serves (or served, if it closed) lobster ramen. That seems like the food I've been waiting to eat all my life. ;)

Andrzej Kapolka

Have you gone to the Craftsman Bar at the Grand Californian yet? IMHO it's a way better replacement for Cove Bar than Lamplight

Joy

omg the Cove Bar!!!! I'm from AUS and literally my whole day at California Adventure during my trip was based around trying to get a table at the Cove Bar at the same time as World of Colour so that we could watch the show with our fancy fun-wheel cocktails.

this is like... my perfect niche video to watch god bless

Heartbreak-Pudding-Reads

Hollywood Studios is the only place in WDW where you can get a funnel cake though

Laurga

Going back and watching your old rambles while I work on spreadsheets- If you're ever in Atlanta, you NEED to go to the World of Coke! It is mega cheesy mixed with some actually interesting displays, and they have a massive version of the around the world drinks. Obviously no time soon, but when the world is open again it would be a fun video!'

Katherine Elmore

I need to address your review of Knott’s Berry Farm. I understand that the CDR is probably not the best choice if you don’t eat meat, but I think it’s delicious. Yeah, Ghost town grill isn’t the best. But the glaring omission was the boysenberry funnel cake and boysenberry punch which are the best things there. Walter Knott invented the boysenberry and KBF does boysenberry better than anywhere else. The boysenberry festival was disappointing last year though and the best thing by far at it is the grilled boysenberry chicken, so I don’t know if it’ll be up your alley. But the boysenberry funnel cake covered in powdered sugar is the best food at the park

Agreed! When I was a kid my family ate there and I have the most incredible memories of the aesthetic. I don't remember what the food was like but the restaurant was so cool I'd definitely go back

Taylor Calloway

Your theme park videos are by far my favorites, since i'm a fellow theme park enthusiast <3 One day soon I'll be able to go up a tier and vote and boy am I excited. But can I just say how peeved I am that they no longer serve the potato leek soup??? That is my Favorite Soup and I wanted to try it and they TOOK IT OFF. I will never forgive Universal >:(

Taylor Calloway

agreed!! i went there last week and the food was amazing. i also got the ratatouille and we split a giant frosted blue drink that tasted like an alcoholic icee. it was great and the rollercoaster isn’t disruptive at all. i had a seat on the bar that faces the farris wheel. it was a really cool experience!

Bailey Price

Whatever you do, you need to do a video on that vague youtube video you mentioned, I gotta know what it is! I'd like to see your opinions on Sonic too, honestly you can talk about anything and I'd listen. I'll never get the chance to visit any of the places you just talked about for an hour but I enjoyed it.

Loctane

great video, but I gotta say I was surprised you didn't mention the Mexico pavilion at EPCOT. Like the Blue Bayou, it's best feature is the ambiance but the food is good too and since you mention later that you love Mexican food it seems like you'd like it.

Andrew James Looney

I honestly should not have been this entertained by your video. I will probably never get to go to most of these parks, and certainly not to the restaurants in them . . . but this video was totally fun and enlightening.

Rish Outfield

interested in sonic movie deep dive! and the bad corporate youtube video

Zutara Forever

I missed the tie breaker vote and I’m so glad this won. My (retired) family members spend three months a year in Florida and are huge fans of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at Universal City Walk. The margarita volcano is real class :) My personal favorite is the Mexican sit down restaurant at Epcot. I went to the Aquarium restaurant the last time I was there and it was really good. Only one person didn’t like their meal.

Devin Beliveau

jenny, i respect your disinterest in lamplight lounge BUT i will say... you should give it another chance to try the food. there are such good veg options, like the ratatoullie which is the Best ratatoullie i’ve tried at any disney park ( including paris’ which was .. A disappointment, and the ratatoullie at cafe orleans during pixar fest ). AND the potato skins, while make me feel absolutely terrible 3 hours later, taste so good in the moment that i have to get them every time. and i’ll also give a shoutout to the vegan nachos which are really really spicy and delicious. and while you’re very right, the drinks are usually bad, the ocean with a splash is 3 shots instead of 2 like all of the other drinks, for the same price/a little cheaper so... slightly worth it.

Becca Flowers

The only fault in this video was that Jenny didn’t mention Mythos (in Islands of Adventure). That’s not only one of the best theme park restaurants I’ve been to, but one of the best restaurants period.

Nina Fernandez

Also, you've got to do the luau at the Polynesian. The food is mediocre, but, FIRE DANCERS! 🔥 Oh and booze served in a coconut mug you can keep.

Darren Pierce

i'm curious if you've tried Victoria & Albert's in the grand floridian? that's sort of a once-in-a-lifetime meal for most people because of the price point but it might be the best restaurant i've ever eaten at in my entire life. highly recommend because the 12-course menu is catered to your diet.

simrell

I’ve subscribed to you FOR theme park rambles!! The more the merrier. :D Also, “Mythos” at Islands of Adventure in Universal Orlando! Beautiful theming, table service, can walk in without reservations with great food options. My wife is gluten dairy free, and was wonderfully accommodated. If I remember correctly, many good vegetarian options too, though I could be mistaken.

Diary entry: Day 2356 of paying to support theme park content. Jenny still doesn't suspect us of enjoying theme park content.

Neil Dutton

This wasn't boring at all. Disney stuff can be talked about endlessly just like Star Wars! 😁 We vacation at Kidani Village every year, and have to super-extra recommend Sana'a. We often take our young nieces, and find that even the most foodie WDWA restaurants will cater to kids by either 'upscaling' an appetizer into a full meal, or 'downscaling' an overly ambitious foodie dish into something a kid can eat. At Jungle Skipper Canteen (you are SO RIGHT to recommend this one), they turned the Shu Mai appetizer into a meal with rice and roasted corn. It was my nieces' favorite meal! (They're too old for chicken nuggets and mac & cheese, but too young for anything 'adventurous'.) [You go to all the same restaurants we do, BTW.] Regarding the restaurant in The Land, I recommend going there for BREAKFAST. That way, you get an awesome experience and a giant delicious breakfast, but you don't cut into one of your precious 'main meals' back in World Showcase. Always ask for a table in the outer ring of the restaurant. My g/f and nieces (and I) don't care for princess experiences, but we ate in Cinderella's Royal Table anyway for the ambiance and just waved the princesses away. The food is always great! 😁 I do not reduce the amount of my tip if I've only gotten an appetizer or just a drink. I believe I'm paying for someone's time, and good service is good service regardless of the amount of the bill. My tips on a beer and plate of chili cheese fries often exceeds my friends' tips on a full meal. Don't know if that says something me or them, but the problem is there's no way to let a wait know in advance that you plan on tipping well regardless of the bill. Would love to hear your thoughts on Sonic! That's a movie I'm not going to see until it comes out on streaming anyway!

Darren Pierce

I love that Jenny talked about theme park food for a full hour. It's just kinda funny that she had a full hour of material here.

Danielle Palazzolo

I have the same strong feelings about Pixar Pier! In that I hate it and will never understand why they felt the need to ruin one of the parts of DCA that was good and worked. Also, definitely check out the Boysenberry Festival at Knott's - the Fun Bun gets all the love, deservedly so, but there's a boysenberry pizza that's so good!

Beth

PERFECT TIMING I'm literally going to Disneyland next week AND I'm a vegetarian. I know this video wasn't specifically for me, but it *feels* like it was for me.

Aris Behren

Those are actually emu legs. There's a documentary about it. You won't believe what rich Asian businessmen are paying to do with the princesses.

Shaun Cheah

My brother has been known to take day trips to Knott's Berry Farm just for the chicken & biscuits. Doesn't go to the park, but just drives 2 hours for the chicken. I guess some people love it.

S. E. Vidrio

this was published when i was on the drive to disneyland lmao amazing timing

Bailey Price

Oh, and thank you for another great video Jenny!

Jason Reichtell

The Blue Bayou at Disneyland is one of my absolute favorite places to eat when i'm there, not only for the well done theming which almost everyone thinks is great, but also because if you happen to be a steak lover such as myself; the bone-in rib-eye steak they have is amazing! It comes with some real nice lumpy mashed potatoes and bacon wrapped asparagus on the side, which have yet to disappoint me. Of course there's some nostalgia creeping in here too because Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the very oldest memories I have of the park from back when I was very young, and the first time I finally got to eat at the restaurant is just a great memory.

Jason Reichtell

I'm going Universal and Disneyland next week so this video is very timely!

My wife and I are from Canada and we traveled to EPCOT and Jurassic Park/Harry Potter land a few years back, I am not super versed in theme park food, but I feel like an ungodly amount of turkey legs were floating around there. Is this an American (or maybe just Florida) thing? I have never seen a turkey leg my whole life.

Avatar

As a person who visited DCA for the first time in summer 2018 I loved the look and the theming of the lamplight lounge, but I agree that the dry ice juice was gross. Why did it have to taste that way

Mariayuri Kumagae

Every single time my family would go to Disney we would eat at the San Angel Inn at the Mexico Pavilion then ride it out on the El Rio De Tiempo (now the Three Caballeros ride). Easily my favorite theme park memory. As a fellow non-meat eater, I appreciate your take here. Great ramble!

bub

Before you buy a stand try using a high pass filter EQ on the audio track. It will cut out the low end thumps but should leave everything else sounding fine.

Benjamin A.

You say you were surprised that this one won but I can't be the only one here who would happily listen to you talk about something you're clearly interested in. One of the options could be "which theme park is the best to stand around and watch plants grow' and I'm sure people would vote for it.

Jessica Carter

No, we <3 ghosts. Watch Hellier.

Steve Ray

I love your videos and please don't block me, but can you fix the brightness? Because I want to look at the video but I can't because I can't stop thinking that I'm watching a ghost excitedly talk about park food.

Gumby with a sombrero

As someone who was a cast member at Backlot Express, I feel so (justifiably) attacked by your Hollywood studios sectoon

I'm surprised no-one else here is talking about the short response to that disastrous corporate YouTube video. That's the upcoming idea about which I was most excited! Up until the "embedded in their website with only 1,000 views" bit, I thought of this video on how to freeze pizza dough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMHXAVelq7A He's just so indignant that they're forcing him to explain this. His head shakes. His tone of voice. It's Art. It took me a while to find that video and I came across some other gems; I've literally still got tears on my face from laughing so hard at his video on how to cook two pizzas in the same oven: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFuFh5E4eYA

Shaun Cheah

Just hope when that happens that it's cold out and there's sufficient hunger and also the mood to endure a bit of oral abrasion.

Shaun Cheah

As a vegetarian, I deeply appreciated your takes on Disney and Universal food (having nothing to eat at Wizarding World in Orlando was the worst part of an otherwise incredible day). I, too, generally dislike Pixar Pier, but thought the ratatouille at Lamplighter Lounge was especially good, and I appreciated the multiple veggie options on that menu. YMMV

Christiana Oatman

In the spirit of the movie, an awful preview should be released so we clamour for change and then we wait and a new preview is released and it looks so much better, but then the actual review comes out and it's actually just kinda underwhelming and also Giant Porg's enormous contribution to fixing the review goes mostly unacknowledged and then he gets fired when the video finally drops.

Shaun Cheah

I visit the Land and take photos every time I got to EPCOT, because it is my favorite place in the park and I'm afraid it's going to be gone sooner than I expect. Our very first visit to EPCOT was the last gasp of the Wonders of Life educational stuff still functioning. It's the only theme park my mom has ever enjoyed-- I remember a year that the two of us rode Living with the Land three times.

Kat Green

This is my first month subscribing to your patreon and this is EXACTLY the kind of content I love

Sophie Raymer

Nobody: Jenny: it's a cool vibe!

KL

Jenny next time youre at knotts please get the boysenberry filled churros!!! they are wonderful!!

Kitty

I want Sonic video. but I think that in the spirit of the Sonic movie you should delay it and take your time with it so it will be a much better product.

I totally forgot about the Prime Time Cafe until I was editing! I don't remember the food there very well but i do remember they had an appetizer that was like fried goat cheese? and extremely good. That place is kind of a social anxiety nightmare though lol so I haven't been in a hurry to go back The thing with the chef is actually true of any table service disney restaurant and I should have mentioned it! Usually there's an on-menu option, but if someone has allergies or other dietary needs they can tell their wait staff and they'll bring out the chef to work something out, no matter how specific someone's diet is. (A lot of the quick service places also have allergen menus you can ask for but at table service they'll make you something special)

Jenny Nicholson

WHAT that's a fantastic trade tbh

Jenny Nicholson

I love the Skipper Canteen! Glad to hear it get some recognition! It’s also almost always a really easy reservation to get.

Lily Sage

Not entirely sure why but it's extremely endearing to hear about diners "grazing" on various food options. A+ word choice, Randy Moore would approve (he thinks they're all sheep, you see).

Shaun Cheah

The jungle Cruise themed restaurant in MK is called skippers canteen btw!

Leesah

The steampunky place in Universal Orlando is really good!

Avia Lewis

While this is all true, I think it's good to accompany any criticism of the Sonic movie (of which there is plenty) with praise for the One Good Thing it did, which was the normalization of interracial marriage. At a time when kids are still fighting for desegregated proms ( https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/segregated-proms-an-ongoing-controversy-in-georgia ), I think it's really significant and really great that children can go watch a movie where that sort of relationship is portrayed as happy and healthy and normal and it doesn't become a point of conflict or even really get mentioned at all. I dunno, perhaps I'm too invested in the social progress represented the blue rat movie, but as a child of miscegenation this stuff does hit a little closer to home. Oh also while we're on the topic of social progress, how about the fact that Robotnik is a total top in this movie, eh? Wild.

Shaun Cheah

I haven’t been to Disney world since I was really little but I remember my parents insisting on eating at the brown derby and it was vile

Allison

I went to Disney World this past December, and the best meal I had was actually in Hollywood Studios, at the 50's Prime Time Cafe. I'm pescetarian don't eat dairy for medical reasons, so I asked the waitress if I could get the Salmon meal cooked without butter. When she found out that I couldn't have dairy, she went back and brought the head chef out to our table and he drew up a special menu for me that fit within my restrictions. Maybe the standard menu isn't very impressive (the theming of the restaurant is pretty lackluster), but my food was delicious. Honestly, eating out when you have certain restrictions can be frustrating, so it was just awesome to have a wait staff be so accommodating. I was generally impressed by Disney's vegan options though, almost every place has at least one veggie dish. I definitely want to try the Satu'li Canteen the next time I'm in Orlando though. I love tofu and not enough places offer it.

Alicia Fitch

100% with you on the Orange Swirl vs Dole Whip debate.

Brian Perkins

I only recently have stopped eating red meat in the first stop in trying to make a lasting lifestyle change of going total vegetarian so your opinions on that front was helpful. I hate Pixar Pier. It’s garish and a ham-fisted IP shove and it’s a relief I’m not the only one who feels that way.

Meg Fig

Re: Sonic The Hedgehog Video I have to admit I went and saw the movie, despite reading your scathing Twitter reviews. I was thinking going in "of course it's going to be bad. Jenny's just expecting too much/ too hardcore of a Sonic fan." I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED! Funnily enough, my friends were telling me those exact same things, because they all liked it. I really wanted to enjoy the movie for being dumb fun, but it was just dumb boring. So I am definitely interested in a Sonic video, please make it so I can show it to my friends, you'll put the problems into words better than I can.

Bryan Sutton

Honestly love your theme park vids, anything you deeply care about becomes interesting.

Tasha

oh also they’re putting in toothsome’s chocolate into universal hollywood’s city walk, replacing the hard rock cafe (rip)

Alyssa Schultz

I need to befriend some flexible vegetarians so I can have their cast away protein

James Murphy

Very informative and I loved all the pictures. I've recently decided to go meatless so this guide will prove quite useful if and when I visit one of these theme parks.

Luis

I wasn't bored Jenny, I'm only a $1/monther. I'll be here for next month's ramble.

Island Boy

So glad you mentioned Rancho Del Zocalo in Disneyland. LOVE that place. I always eat there when I visit the park.

Matthew McCoy

DFB guide is quaking

Alyssa Schultz

I love this. Also, the Hemingway daiquiri at Carthay Circle is one of my favorite drinks to get anywhere. It’s crazy that it’s just right there in a Disney park.

Catherine Escobar

Please more theme park stuff!

Wesley Quinonez

Yes! I get to put off chores for another hour. Thank you Jenny!

James Murphy

Anybody take a leap yesterday?

Dillon Enarson