Dazzle Me, Disney: Disney World Dining Review

I hate to admit that our day at Hollywood Studios did not boast any fantastic foodie finds but I'm eager to share what we ate, as well as a few tips for future trips!

For starters, there are a lot of great little kiosk choices at Hollywood Studios and plenty of counter service options. I'm in the minority when I say that I'm less than impressed by some of the table service restaurants (I'm looking at you, Sci-Fi Dine-In) but I'm not going to spend time on this blog telling you to avoid these places because I fully believe that each person should make that determination on their own. So what do I do for food when I'm at Hollywood Studios? Well, PizzeRizzo wasn't open for our September trip but I'll definitely be trying it when we're back next May! Typically, we focus on snacks and light meals. We don't make any dining reservations at Hollywood Studios anymore but I'm hoping that will change with some great new additions in the Star Wars and Toy Story expansions.

Carrot Cake Cookie

The Carrot Cake Cookie has a huge following among Disney foodies and I think Disney must realize its appeal because they've managed to keep it in the bakeries even through the construction at Hollywood Studios. It was primarily found at Writer's Stop but also moved over to Sweet Spells when its former home had to close down temporarily. It's exactly as it sounds - two slices of carrot cake surrounding an ooey gooey cream cheese frosting center. Sorry for the picture of the half-eaten portion, but it was too good to not devour immediately! The cake is super moist and I didn't notice any nuts or raisins for all you picky people out there. Also, we paid only $3.99 for this massive treat and it was easily shared between two adults. Give it a try!

Red Sangria at Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge

The Hollywood Brown Derby is easily considered the most chic place to dine in Hollywood Studios. It's sports old American charm paired with fantastic food and it has a lounge! The best part about Hollywood Brown Derby is that the main restaurant requires reservations but the outdoor lounge is walk-up and rarely full. We stopped by during peak lunch rush and easily found a table with quick service. I started with a Red Sangria, which was pretty standard as far as sangria is concerned, but it was very refreshing on a hot and muggy day.

Crispy Bites at Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge

The only drawback of the lounge is that it does not serve the full restaurant menu, but we didn't see any issues with their offerings. We primarily selected the lounge for convenience and because we wanted to try the famous Cobb Salad (see below), which IS offered at both locations. The Crispy Bites were selected as an appetizer and they were quite delicious. Parmesan goat cheese risotto sticks, fried Brie cheese, and corn/shrimp fritters with a host of dipping sauces made this savory starter a winner in our book!

The Famous Hollywood Brown Derby Cobb Salad

This salad is famous for two reasons: the original Hollywood Brown Derby is where it was created and it's incredibly delicious! The kitchen staff at Disney are more than accommodating of preferences so they will happily remove any topping upon request, but I think it's pretty amazing as-is. I prefer this salad because the lettuce is chopped and very easy to handle with a fork (no big chunks of iceberg lettuce to wrestle!)

Nachos and Pulled Pork Sliders at Min and Bill's Dockside Diner

Our dinner option was a little place called Min and Bill's Dockside Diner. It's a quick service location with only outdoor seating so beware on super hot days. The food was fairly lackluster and, for lack of a better term, DRY. The nachos could have used some queso and the sliders really needed a sauce. Also, the wait was incredibly long for what should have taken just a few moments to prepare but the kitchen seemed fairly under-staffed at the time of our visit.

The final stop of the day was the Star Wars Dessert Party. I debated whether to include this review here, but I think the relatively light options at Hollywood Studios warrants a little excitement. I'll end the suspense - the dessert party was amazing! We will definitely return to this option in the future because it not only offered delicious sweet treats, but there were beverages (including alcoholic options) and exclusive access to Stormtroopers and Jawas. There were also a few savory snacks on the dessert menu so there's something for everyone.