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Have You Tried These Odd and Unexpected Eats at Disney World?

Weird Disney World Foods Feature Image

So many diverse food options make up the scene at Walt Disney World Resort. Whether you’re a creature of comfort foods or a foodie seeking exotic eats, it doesn’t matter because you’re sure to find whatever it is you’re hankering for. As for those exotic eats I just mentioned, it should be noted that Disney World boasts an array of novelties, some of which deviate immensely from what is considered ordinary fare by most standards and can only be considered strange. From peculiarly palatable picks to unconventional culinary culminations, delicacies from faraway lands to unheard-of combinations that most folks would never even consider, here are some genuinely odd and unexpected eats found throughout Disney World.

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Escargot

The consumption of snails may not seem as odd as it once was, thanks to popular television and movie presentations humorously highlighting the French delicacy over the last several decades in some capacity or another. But that doesn’t make it an everyday occurrence either. Still, regular or not, for those longing to have some escargot on a visit to Walt Disney World Resort, at least four places currently serve it up as a regular menu feature.

First, the Be Our Guest Restaurant at Magic Kingdom Park presents Escargot de Bourgogne as one of the available prix-fixe appetizer options. Likewise, Chefs de France of the France Pavilion in EPCOT serves up their Cassolette d’escargot de Bourgogne au beurre persillé. Additionally, the Hollywood Brown Derby, over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, features their Escargot Casino appetizer. Then there is Topolino’s Terrace—Flavors of the Riviera, on location at Disney’s Riviera Resort, presenting their Escargot en Gougères.

Escargot at Disney World

Credit: Paelo Disney

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Octopus/Squid

In everyday Western culture, it’s mainly atypical to find too many featured food presentations that include octopus-like tentacles. But given that it is much more the norm throughout other parts of the world, and Disney World is host to several international dining establishments, there are a few options for where to rightfully try out some succulent cephalopod-featured specialties.

On the Disney Springs side, you can try out some of the Takoyaki—or octopus fritters—served at Morimoto Asia Street Food. Madako, Octopus is also available at Morimoto Asia Restaurant. At Tiffins, on location at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, Charred Octopus can be enjoyed as an appetizer, served with sweet corn salsa, chorizo, tequila, mole rojo, pickles, and cilantro. It’s also on the Toledo—Tapas, Steak & Seafood menu at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, where it is served alongside patatas and chimichurri. At Jiko—The Cooking Place, over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, there are actually two octopus specialties. One is the Côte d’Ivoire Octopus Salad and the other is their Seafood Tagine, which comes as saffron-scented couscous, octopus, scallops, squid, and Prince Edward Island mussels. Jaleo by José Andrés in Disney Springs is another place to get both octopus and squid. Featured menu items here include Charcoal grilled octopus with potatoes and tomato confit, Andalusian style fried squid with squid ink aioli, and Traditional toasted pasta “paella” with head-on shrimp, squid ink, calamari sofrito, and aioli.

Charred Octopus Appetizer From Tiffins

Credit: Disney

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Oxtail

Believe it or not, there have been quite a few places around Disney World where you can get some Oxtail over the years. Because this exotic eat is traditional throughout Africa, Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of the main places to find it. Featured as one of the bountiful soup selections on the buffet line at Boma is Ghanian Oxtail Stew. Jiko—The Cooking Place features Zulu Oxtail Samp and Beans, with cracked hominy, sea peas, masala, and braised oxtail.

Two Oxtail Options at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

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Bone Marrow

This other less conventional pick has made its rounds throughout various Disney World locations over the years. And it’s currently featured on the menu of the Hollywood Brown Derby, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Here you have their Roasted Bone Marrow appetizer of braised beef, pickled mustard seeds, and fig bread crostini.

Bone Marrow Appetizer at Hollywood Brown Derby

Credit: Resorts Gal

Cheeseburger Spring Rolls

While this is one of the less peculiar picks, you don’t often expect to read about such a combination. But Cheeseburger Spring Rolls are, in fact, an actual snack, and a popular one at that. And they come just as they sound, with fillings like minced ground beef and melted cheese, all compacted into an easily manageable, crisp spring roll encasement. You can find Cheeseburger Spring Rolls on location at the Adventureland Spring Roll Cart in Magic Kingdom Park.

Cheeseburger Spring Rolls

Credit: Inside the Magic

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Grilled Cheeeeeese Donut

Have you heard of this cheesy anomaly? It sounds admittedly disgusting but is apparently intriguing enough to have an established fan following. Odder still is the fact that this isn’t the only donut sandwich gracing the Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew menu in Disney Springs. From the B&G Burger to the Funky Chicken, and so many others, options are seemingly unlimited for the sandwiches you can request to have done on donuts.

Grilled Cheeeeeese Donut at Everglazed

Credit: Everglazed

Away from Everglazed, there are some other like-minded oddball donut sandwiches. One well-known highlight over at Eight Spoon Café in Animal Kingdom Park is the Pulled-Pork Jelly Donut Sandwich. On a more esoteric note, Premier Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort features a secret menu item of a Cinnamon Bun and Candied Bacon Cheese Burger.

Two Odd Burger Variations at Disney World

PB&J Chicken Wings

In continuation of unexpected sweet and non-sweet food culminations is this strange offering, featured on both the kid’s menu of Steakhouse 71 and the lounge menu. As you’d expect, they are essentially chicken wings but come coated with sweet peanut glaze and jelly powder.

PB&J Chicken Wings

Credit: Disney

Salt & Straw Specialties

If you ever went to Salt & Straw in Disney Springs, expecting to get a traditional ice cream flavor scoop or two, you probably met with a moderate shock when you realized the menu was laden with anything but. In fact, Salt & Straw is renowned for their bizarre bounty of unconventional flavor combinations. Some are more novelty, tasty presentations, like Honey Marshmallow Rocky Road or Chocolate Gooey Brownie. Others genuinely are peculiar picks, such as Black Olive Britten & Goat Cheese, Sweet Corn & Waffle Cones, Arbequina Olive Oil, Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper, the Salty Donut Guava & Cheese, and several others.

Varieties of Ice Cream at Salt & Straw

Credit: Salt & Straw

King Dog

One of the most unusual hot dog concoctions at Disney World can’t even be found on any established menu. That’s because it’s the ultra-secret King Dog, served at the Hot Diggity Dogs Food Truck at Disney Springs. What makes it so unusual? Only the fact that it’s an all-beef hot dog served in a French toast batter-dipped, cereal-encrusted bun. And then, on top of it all, comes the spicy peanut butter sauce, banana honey mustard, chipotle berry preserves, and bacon to give it that kick.

King Dog at Disney Springs

Credit: Disney

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Dried Baby Crabs

If you’ve ever ventured over to the Mitsukoshi Department Store in EPCOT’s Japan Pavilion of the World Showcase, then you very well know that they feature a vast collection of traditional Japanese wares of many kinds. They also vend in many snacks and beverages not traditionally found outside of Japan. One such snack food they’re known for is Tamagogani or dried baby crabs. And yes, they are exactly as they sound—crispy, dried, packaged baby crabs you can eat whole, shell and all.

Dried Baby Crabs Snack From the Japan Pavilion

Grasshoppers

For all of the delicious, albeit exotic, eats you can indulge in at Disney World, many Guests have found instances where they could actually eat bugs at various locations over the years. First, there are variations of packed bugs or even candied/lollipop presentations of such that have turned up at numerous candy shops and snack vendors in the past. And let’s not forget about those seasonal oddities, like Salt & Straw’s featured Don Bugito’s Creepy Crawly this past Halloween, which even included crickets and mealworms in the mix.

Don Bugito’s Creepy Crawly from Salt & Straw

Credit: Today

But at Frontera Cocina at Disney Springs, fried, crunchy grasshoppers are a frequent snack pairing on the mezcal menu to go along with a wide range of drinks. La Cava del Tequila in EPCOT’s Mexico Pavilion also has featured grasshoppers in the past, most notably via their drinks with grasshopper rim salt. They’ve also formerly included black ant and mezcal worm rim salt options as well.

Side Order of Grasshoppers and Black Ant Rim Salt on Cocktail

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This is by no means the extent of Disney’s odder culinary concoctions. And as these trends continue to prove bizarrely lucrative among curious diners, we can only imagine what other new novelties will still come about.

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About Laura

Laura Catherine aka “LC” is a writer who resides in Maryland with her family and several pets. She visits Walt Disney World whenever she can. Additionally, she is a published author of three novels, a children’s book, and has a passion for gardening.