Disney Parks Best Bites: October 2019

This edition of Best Bites is jam-packed with menu updates, Tiki mugs, and more at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort! I can’t wait to share all of this exciting info, so let’s get right to it, shall we?

Starting at Disneyland Resort, if you’re visiting the Disneyland Hotel and looking for a bite to eat, then look no further than Tangaroa Terrace Tropical Bar & Grill. The quick-service restaurant recently added a few new dishes to the menu. On the breakfast menu, you’ll definitely want to try the Loco Moco Burrito with steamed rice, chopped beef patty, a fried egg, gravy, crunchy onions, and salsa roja. There’s also the Thick & Fluffy Japanese Pancakes served with tropical fruit compote and guava syrup as well as the Açai Chia Breakfast Bowl featuring an acai purée blend with bananas, strawberry, coconut milk, and chia seed pudding topped with granola, coco nibs, and berries.

For lunch and dinner, a few new items include the Hawaiian Platter, Tonkotsu Ramen, and a few new salad options. The Hawaiian Platter comes with furikake-seasoned Thai jasmine rice, macaroni salad, and your choice of roasted pork belly or poached chicken breast. If you’re a ramen fan, then you’ll definitely want to order the Tonkotsu Ramen with rich, pork-based broth, wavy noodles, pork belly slices, fresh green onions, wood ear mushrooms, fish cake, black garlic oil, and a soft-boiled flavored egg.

The Rongo Salad is another incredible new option. It features iceberg lettuce and romaine mixed in with edamame, green papaya, cherry tomatoes, gooseberry, crispy shallots, sesame seeds, and marinated tofu and is topped with fermented miso vinaigrette. Another salad option is the Little Gem Salad which comes with little gem leaves, candied macadamia nuts, avocado, queso fresco, pog vinaigrette and your choice of either chicken or grilled salmon.

The menu at Tangaroa Terrace Tropical Bar & Grill is filled with delicious bites – to check out the full menu, visit the Disneyland Resort website or check out the Disneyland app!

Up next is a bi-coastal offering that you’ll definitely want to pick up. Each year for Halloween, we release a limited-edition Tiki mug at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at the Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at The Disneyland Hotel. If you remember last year’s Tiki mug, you’ll recall that we featured the Hatbox Ghost from the Haunted Mansion. All of you spooky Tiki fans out there will be excited to know that the Hatbox Ghost Tiki mug is returning this year to both locations! The Disneyland Resort mug will feature the Hatbox Ghost’s head inside his handy hat box, while the Walt Disney World Resort mug will feature the empty hat box with his head placed safely on his shoulders. Here is all of the information you need to know on how to get this exclusive mug on both coasts.

Walt Disney World Resort – Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

• The Hatbox Ghost Tiki Mug will go on sale on Oct. 15 at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto for those guests with a valid wristband. Wristbands will be distributed at Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace starting at 9 a.m. ET on Oct. 15 (and starting at 10 a.m. on following days, while supplies last). Beverage purchase is required. The Grim Grinning Grog here will feature pineapple-mango dark rum, Bermuda black rum, blood orange, lime juice, a trio of tropical juices, and dashes of aromatic bitters (non-alcoholic version upon request).
• Trader Sam’s Grotto will open at 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 15, and will open at 3 p.m. ET on the following days.
• A Hatbox Ghost Ornament and Limited Edition Hatbox Ghost Pin will be sold at BouTiki at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort beginning at 9 a.m. ET, Oct. 15.

Disneyland Resort – The Disneyland Hotel

• The Hatbox Ghost Tiki Mug will go on sale on Oct. 15 at the South Lounge of the Disneyland Hotel Convention Center from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. PST (line will open at 5:00 a.m.). Complimentary parking at the Downtown Disney District and the Disneyland Hotel will be available up to 20 minutes after the time of purchase with receipt.
• The mugs will also be available at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar with purchase of a beverage, The Grim Grinning Grog featuring coconut rum, spiced rum, pineapple juice, red passion fruit syrup, and blue curaçao (non-alcoholic version available upon request).
• A Hatbox Ghost Ornament and Limited Edition Hatbox Ghost Pin will be sold at Disney’s Fantasia Shop at the Disneyland Hotel beginning at 7 a.m. PST, Oct. 15.

*Note: At both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, this offering is non-discountable with a limit of two (2) per guest and is only available while supplies last.

Moving right along, there are a few new menu items at Walt Disney World Resort that you won’t want to miss! The first is a delicious Tradition English Breakfast Platter at Epcot. You’ll find it at the Rose & Crown Pub in the U.K. pavilion every Saturday 9-11 a.m. throughout the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. This platter comes with eggs, sausage, toast, baked beans, and mushrooms. The second is a new beverage at Bierline in the Germany pavilion. The Frozen Mezzo Mix is a popular soft drink in Germany and features Coca-Cola with a kiss of Fanta Orange. Adults can also add in a splash of honey and bourbon liqueur.

At “Walt Disney Imagineering Presents: The Epcot Experience” at Future World East, you can also find a variety of food and beverage offerings available for purchase. These offerings include assorted chips, bottled beverages, Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars and Ice Cream Sandwiches, Mickey Pretzels with cheese sauce, and a selection of craft beer and cider. You can also grab some flavored popcorn! In addition to the traditional butter popcorn, you can chow down on cheddar cheese, buffalo bleu cheese, or sour cream and chive popcorn.

But that’s not all, there are even more exciting offerings coming to Epcot. For all of the delicious details, check out my recent Epcot edition of Foodie News.

Now, on to Disney’s BoardWalk! Flying Fish has added a few new signature dishes to their menu, including a Filet Mignon with asparagus and honshimeji mushroom as well as Chilean Seabass with Spanish octopus and vegetable mélange and Sardinian Pasta featuring Maine lobster, scallops, shrimp, and garden herbs. And for dessert, satisfy your sweet tooth with a delectable Cocoa Beach with vanilla custard, milk chocolate bavarois, and feuilletine crunch.

Over at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Whispering Canyon Cafe has also added several sweet items to their breakfast and lunch menus. On the breakfast menu, you can now order freshly-baked warm cinnamon rolls topped with walnut-bourbon maple syrup, icing, and a sugar crisp – YUM!

And for lunch, you can indulge in a “Cowboy” Sundae with vanilla ice cream and macerated berries topped with a cobbler dough bubble waffle and a milk chocolate horse. Or if you’re really craving some chocolate, you can get the OLLLLLLLD Fashion Chocolate Cake decked out with chocolate ganache and a Mickey macaron.

Due to the popularity of Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Flying Fish at Disney’s BoardWalk, advance reservations are highly recommended. For full menus and to make reservations, visit the Walt Disney World Resort dining page or check out the My Disney Experience mobile app.