DisneyTips.com Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
1. Cornbread from Whispering Canyon Cafe
For a standard pre-dinner treat that the whole family will enjoy, visit Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. If your order the skillet (a family style multi-course meal featuring a full barbecue spread) you’ll receive the cornbread with your meal as an appetizer. If you order an a la carte option however, the cornbread is an excellent choice for an appetizer. It’s the ideal balance of buttery and sweet, and it even comes with a side of barbecue sauce for dipping.
2. Sticky Wings from Kona Cafe
Kona Cafe, located on the Magic Kingdom monorail loop at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, is the restaurant to pick on wings prior to your meal. These sticky wings are named intentionally, as you’ll want to wipe your hands constantly while enjoying them but it’s so worth it. They are perfectly seasoned with a honey marinated dressing, sesame seeds, mustard sauce, and pickled vegetables.
3. Lobster Bisque from the Yachtsman Steakhouse
The Yachtsman Steakhouse may be a destination for prime steaks, but this Epcot area resort has one of the most delicious lobster bisques at the Walt Disney World Resort. This bisque is creamy with just the right amount of spice, with a hearty portion of fresh lobster meat. The one downside to lobster bisque (or any more chowder-like soup) is that it can be a filling start to a meal, so choose your entree wisely!
4. Arancini from Via Napoli
For an authentic Italian appetizer to enjoy before pizza, visit Epcot’s Via Napoli for an order of arancini. These crispy fried delights are filled with olive oil-scented rice, with bits of seasoned ground beef and sitting atop a bowl of marinara sauce. Sometimes arancini is difficult to get just right but Via Napoli perfectly executes these pre-dinner treats.
5. Crispy Onion Rings from Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater
With so many unique restaurants at the Walt Disney World Resort, it’s sometimes easy to overlook those standard go-to appetizers. These crispy rings are served in a tower with a variety of dipping sauces including a sweet chili and horseradish sauce. Where else can you enjoy delicious onion rings while getting some laughs from vintage sci-fi films?
6. Firecracker Shrimp from The Boathouse
The waterfront atmosphere and specialty cocktails alone can make dining at The Boathouse a worthwhile idea, but the food continues to live up to the rest of the hype. Located in the Landing area of Disney Springs, the star appetizer at The Boathouse is the Firecracker Shrimp, a shareable fried shrimp dish tossed in Siracha Mayo, Serrano Chillis, and Sweet Peppers. With so many new and unique restaurants popping up all over Disney Springs, it’s difficult to narrow down a favorite, but if drinks, appetizers, and views are on the agenda The Boathouse is the place to be.
7. Loaded Fries from Splitsville Dining Room
Loaded fries are surprisingly difficult to come by at the Walt Disney World Resort, but if you stick around Disney Springs you are sure to find them at Splitsville Dining Room. These cheese covered fries feature sides of sour cream and scallions, and can take the place of your standard nacho appetizer. Combine this dish with live music and a retro bowling alley and Splitsville can offer quite the unique and memorable experience.
8. General Tso’s Chicken Buns from Nine Dragons
Nine Dragons is one of the most underrated restaurants in Epcot. Far too many guests dismiss it assuming it will be comparable to their standard Chinese takeout restaurants in their hometown but that simply isn’t the case. This location offers modern spins on traditional Chinese-American cuisine, one of which can be found in our favorite appetizer here, the General Tso’s Chicken Buns. It’s a fun take on the usual steamed bun but filled with sweet and spicy General Tso’s chicken.
9. Sopa Azteca from San Angel Inn Restaurante
A few countries away in Epcot within the pyramid in Mexico you’ll find San Angel Inn Restaurante. This restaurant is home to a unique atmosphere within an evening setting of a Mexican marketplace, and within view of the Gran Fiesta Tour attraction. The Sopa Aztec is a spicy variation of traditional tortilla soup, with a hearty portion of seasoned broth, fried corn tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and peppers.
10. Orinoco Ida’s Cachapas from Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen
The Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen follows the storyline from the Jungle Cruise attraction, where the cast members are skippers who are excited to share their corny jokes just like at the ride. Speaking of corn, the last items on our list of best appetizers are the Skipper Canteen’s Cachapas. These homemade corn pancakes are bursting with unique flavors due to their toppings of braised pork, black bean salad, and avocado cream.
