I used to think the happiest place in the world was my neighborhood bar. It turns out, it’s actually due south: somewhere in the middle of Florida, in fact.
It’s a place you may have heard of. Does the name Mickey Mouse ring a bell?
Sure, I loved Mickey and went to Disney World when I was a kid (and was shaking with excitement when Chip and Dale once gave me their autographs), but I haven’t been in thirty years. Back then, Orlando wasn’t exactly known as a mecca for quality cocktails. My dad may have had a Coors back at the hotel after carrying a massive camera to capture family memories all day, but that was the extent of it.
If you haven’t been lately, Disney World has morphed into a theme park as much for adults as for kids, especially when it comes to the quality sips and eats. In fact, I hear a frequent rallying cry now is “From Mickey bars to Michelin stars,” with places in the joyful place like the Spanish-themed Capa boasting a full star, as well as Victoria & Albert’s, a classy joint with a New American menu. It seems there are as many places to eat and drink here as there are kids themselves.
As I walk into the Magic Kingdom one Monday afternoon (I figured I’d beat famous crowds going on the first day of the week, and I was right), I waltz along the nostalgic Main Street USA as a barbershop quartet promptly hums a tune on the sidewalk.
Fireworks go off in the distance as me and my friend prioritize classics like the “It’s A Small World” ride. I munch on a turkey leg as big as Goofy’s left ear.
Tonight, I’m staying at the Coronado Springs Resort, and after I check into my room I head to Toledo, their Spanish-inspired restaurant with a bar program as well thought-out as the park itself.
I’m handed a “Create-Your-Own Old Fashioned” menu where I can choose my whiskey (courtesy names like Elijah Craig and Buffalo Trace) flavored simple syrup (vanilla, blueberry, and orange-saffron among them) and bitters (from the classic Angostura to Hella Brothers Orange, chili or Mexican chocolate). This really is the happiest place on earth.
As night fell, it was time to head to the 305-acre EPCOT. For the uninitiated, Epcot boasts distinct “neighborhoods” based on countries like France, Japan, Morocco, and China. In other words, it’s possible to drink around the world here, which happens to be a (very tipsy) TikTok trend. Travel at your own risk, though. Passport not required.
I head to Rose & Crown located in the United Kingdom neighborhood. It’s almost as if park planners plucked an actual old pub on an English backstreet and plopped it here in the middle of Florida. In fact, maybe they did. Everybody who works here hails from the UK and the menu is full of typical pub libations, including blends like the fierce Irish Hen (which is half Old Speckled Hen English Pale Ale and half Guinness Stout). Of course there’s whisky, too (Glenallachie).
The story is the same in the Italy neighborhood, including at Tutto Italia Ristorante, which doesn’t just boast typical sips like Aperol Spritzes—fresh peach Bellinis and Italian Sangria (made with Italian red wine) abound. Tutto also has a nice mix of Amaro Averna, Orangecello and lemon juice, known as a Sicilian Lemonade. Cue the fireworks, as an incredible scene explodes overhead. It’s a stunning nightly display that is probably the best you’ll ever see. Cheers to that.
Even though I wish Minnie, Donald, and the crew a sad goodbye, I have one more day in Orlando. As my Disney adventure was high-key fun considering the whiskey and wild rides, I call an Uber for a quick ride to Orlando’s stately Waldorf Astoria. I’ve only been to the one in New York, an icon in the city, and was excited to compare the one in Orlando to the Big Apple location. I see the starkest difference right away: on this particular morning, I pull up to the hotel pool’s sparkling blue waters and stretch out on a lounge chair; sun blazing above me. It’s a serene oasis. This is a long way from Park Avenue.
At the pool, food and drink here comes from nearby eatery Aquamarine, which has typical pool fare as well as cocktails like the fresh and sweet Aqua Berry Blast (Wheatley vodka with muddled berries and lime juice). After I order my waterside welcome drink, it was time to freshen up in my chic and spacious room. I head to the property’s acclaimed eatery Bull & Bear, which I arrived at after walking through the Waldorf’s cavernous hallways accented by sparkling chandeliers.
Bull & Bear is known for its choice steaks and incredible attention to detail, which is readily apparent. A team of waiters attend to your every whim, as they kept a close eye, calibrating the entire experience.
The menu here is just as classy: overflowing seafood towers, luscious lobster bisque, and a tender chop of Colorado lamb. What they dub dish “enhancements” include truffles and foie gras. As soon as I think I’m done and down for the count in a food coma, a dessert trio is set on the table as a crème brûlée, flame and all, flickers before me.
I sip a magnificent red wine and bask in the glow of the feast. I always knew Mickey Mouse had good taste.
The post A Guide to Drinking in Disney appeared first on Chilled Magazine.
Source: Mixology News
