The Best Foods To Try When Visiting Disney World's Hollywood Studios, According To Disney Bloggers
Taking on a Disney theme park is no small challenge. In the marathon effort to race from one attraction to the next, you can definitely get your steps in — upwards of 20,000 in some cases. On such an epic trek, you'll need plenty of fuel to keep your spirits high. Fortunately, unlike some of the world's lesser theme parks, the food at Disney Parks is an attraction all on its own. In fact, there are entire blogs dedicated to showcasing the parks' latest food and drink offerings.
While many parks are content to offer an endless train of overpriced, mediocre fare, Disney has a way of transforming their park food into experiences. Every menu item is designed by culinary experts in a dedicated Flavor Lab and then rigorously tested before hitting the parks. The team works with Imagineers to design food that perfectly fits into guests' overall park-going experience. They also want to generate hype on social media, so they're always working to design one-of-a-kind menu items that are sure to go viral.
While Magic Kingdom gets a lot of attention for its signature Mickey foods, there are plenty of memorable treats at the other Walt Disney World parks. The best way to find out what's popping off at the parks is by listening to what other Disney fans are saying. Next time you find yourself famished near the Galaxy's Edge, here are some of the best snacks at Hollywood Studios, according to Disney bloggers.
Share a Wookiee Cookie with someone you love
After a long morning of trekking around the galaxy, a massive sandwich cookie is quite possibly the universe's most perfectly shareable treat. The official cream pie of the Jedi, this chunky delight is nearly the size of a small plate. It's made from two thick oatmeal cookies generously filled with a fluffy vanilla cream filling and garnished with an adorable milk chocolate Chewbacca sash for that Big Wookiee energy. Disney blogger Charles of Magical Guides praised the cookie as "fit for Wookiee royalty" as a "perfect balance" of crunchy and chewy cookie goodness. Jordan of Jordan Lee + Three compared it to a "giant adult oatmeal cream pie," adding that it's the cookie that haunts her dreams.
At under seven bucks, this very shareable snack is an affordable way to keep the troops happy until your dinner reservation. Commenting on a Disney Food Blog post, Instagram user Olivia Cobble warned, "A family of four can eat one cookie. Do not buy two of these." Another user replied, "I tried to eat one of these by myself, and I still feel sick when I think about it." You can pick one up at Backlot Express along with a selection of other "Star Wars"-themed food items.
Crave a Carrot Cake Whoopie Pie from Trolley Cart Cafe
Another clear winner under the category of grown-up cookie pies is the Carrot Cake Whoopie Pie, available from the Trolley Car Cafe. This walk-up bakery kiosk located on Sunset Boulevard is a necessary stop for coffee fiends since they offer a selection of Starbucks offerings in addition to their various pastries and baked goods. If you're craving something sweet, you're sure to find something you love here. Many of Hollywood Studios' seasonal and special edition viral goodies can be found at Trolley Car Cafe.
Like the Wookiee Cookie, the Carrot Cake Whoopie Pie is large enough to share with a friend. The treat itself is two generous helpings of dense, moist, cookie-like carrot cake. Layered in between them is a fluffy layer of cream cheese frosting. Disney blog Chip and Company called this dessert an "icon," praising the enigmatic treat as "a cupcake without the mess, a whoopie pie with more substance, a cake, and yet a cookie." With its thick layers of cake, this chonker of a snack is roughly the size of a moderately sized hamburger. And at only $4.99, you'll still have plenty of cash to pick up a few more snacks on the list.
Get a Waffle Bowl from Fairfax Fare
If you're looking for something that will stick to your ribs just a little more, motor on over to Fairfax Fare near Sunset Boulevard. This quick service joint specializes in serving up a variety of hearty waffle bowls full of all manner of goodness. Although they have several menu items to choose from, you almost can't go wrong here. Everything here runs $15 and under. And while they're big enough to serve as a meal on their own, these tasty waffle bowls would also make a fabulous snack for park guests suffering french fry fatigue, if such a thing exists. For vegetarian guests, a plant-based soba noodle bowl is available and can be served with a chicken substitute. Other bowls include a Korean barbecued pork belly bowl, buffalo chicken bowl, or barbecued beef brisket bowl.
According to Erica of DIS Unlimited, the waffle itself has a slightly "sweeter flavor profile," which works well to enhance the salty and savory flavors of the bowl's contents. They also praised the bowls' overall presentation while emphasizing how filling the dishes were.
Snack on Impossible Nachos at Sci-Fi Dine In Theater Restaurant
One of the fantastic things about dining at Disney is the selection of quality vegetarian and vegan offerings. In a world where these foods can often seem like an afterthought, it's clear that Disney has made the extra effort to present vegetarian dishes that anyone would want to order. The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater offers a fair selection of these, including one of their newest menu items, the entirely shareable Impossible Nachos.
Sci-Fi Dine-In is a full-service restaurant, but don't let that stop you from popping in for a little something to tide you over when you're feeling peckish. This adorable little retro drive-in-themed diner is a great place to catch your breath and fuel up with some appetizers and drinks. The diner has also made the bold move of switching out their popular plant-based Spinach and Artichoke Dip for the Impossible Nachos, and veggie Disney bloggers love can't recommend them enough.
Impossible Nachos are made with fried tortilla chips topped with black beans, impossible chili, pico de gallo, avocado cream, and cilantro. Carol of the flexitarian Disney vlog Princess and the Bear emphasized that they're more of a "chips and meat salsa" than traditional nachos but added, "It is really, really tasty," calling the chili "impeccably seasoned." Vegan Disney World concurred, concluding, "I would absolutely come back just for these and a vegan milkshake."
Nosh on an epic Funnel Cake from Epic Eats
If you're one of those folks who can't imagine a trip to the fair without picking up a funnel cake, you'll want to stop by Epic Eats, the "Indiana Jones"-themed treat purveyor. Epic Eats specializes in offering a fair selection of dreamy and decadent funnel cakes. For just $7.29, you can pick up a standard funnel cake (topped with powdered sugar, of course). But for just over a dollar more at $8.49, you can get a specialty funnel cake loaded with goodies.
Like many Disney spots, the offerings can change seasonally. Past funnel cakes have included the Mango-Chamoy Funnel Cake, a funnel cake topped with mango-flavored DOLE Whip and chamoy-mango purée and dusted with chili-lime seasoning. During the 50th anniversary celebration, they offered a Glimmer and Shimmer funnel cake made with cookies and cream and topped with golden cookies.
Besides the stand's seasonal offerings, you can get your funnel cake topped with soft-serve vanilla ice cream and either cookies and cream or strawberry topping. Anytime you get a cookie-inclusive funnel cake here, the ears are pushed into the cake to create mouse ears because of course they are. Disney TikTokker Mayra of mayratheprqueen called her strawberry funnel cake "superior," adding, "I hope they don't ever get rid of this." Dad Got Empire praised the convergence of crispy cake and ice cream, concluding, "It sets off the funnel cake really good."
Fill up Woody's Lunch Box with some Totchos
With its delicious totchos, Disney brings together two of the world's best snacks: tater tots and nachos. They're basically a bowl full of piping hot, super loaded tots mashed up with Frito chili pie, and they're one of the most popular Disney Parks snacks. In their totcho review, Disney bloggers Mike and Marcia from Chasing Dreams With Mike called this tasty snack "the ultimate comfort food." "It's good for so many things," Mike expanded. "If you've got a hangover, get some totchos. Just wanna have fun? Get some totchos. Totchos and beer, also good." And totchos have something of a cult following on TikTok. As TikTokker Dempsey McKeen put it, "Do not sleep on the totchos ... they are amazing."
The generous totcho bowls come piled up with tots topped generously with all the fixings. First, they're drizzled in queso. Then they're piled high with thinly shredded cheddar cheese, beef and bean chili, tomatoes, Fritos, sour cream, and chives. The bowl itself is big enough to make a meal in and of itself for most guests, but it also makes a good-sized — if messy — snack to share with your ride buddy.
Don't miss the Lunch Box Tarts while you're there
While you're ordering your totchos, you absolutely must pick up a Lunch Box Tart. Easily Disney's most kawaii treat, these genuinely adorable pastries frequently get compared to a Disney Pop Tart, but that's a little overly simplistic. Visually, they look like the real-life incarnation of a Pop Tart you might see in a Disney movie like "Toy Story." But in terms of taste, texture, and overall experience, Lunch Box Tarts have much more in common with a soft sugar cookie cake. Disney mom Christhy of TikTok profile @wethedreamers_ posted, "The seasonal Box Tart from Woody's Lunch Box is a MUST for me everytime (sic) we go to Hollywood Studios." And at only $4.79 a pop, they're a budget-friendly eat.
Like the best Disney Park foods, Disney rotates through tart offerings from time to time. This makes picking them up more of an experience than just a grab-n-go snack since you might only get the chance to devour a beloved tart for a limited time. They're always super cute with their colorful fondant icing and sprinkles or other themed toppings. One example is the Sweet Potato Tart with its sweet potato filling, cinnamon brown sugar fondant, toasted marshmallows, pecans, and cinnamon sugar. The Raspberry Tart is filled with raspberry marmalade and topped with strawberry fondant and candy pearls. Other past flavors have included Lemon-Blueberry, Hot Chocolate, Cranapple, Pumpkin, and Peanut Butter Banana, to name a few.
Get a gooey Jack Jack's Num Num cookie
The Neighborhood Bakery is another little nondescript snack stand that would be easy to overlook in favor of more celebrated Disney restaurants. However, experienced Disney travelers know that these sneaky little sleeper spots are some of the best places to pick up killer snacks. Neighborhood Bakery is no exception. Its modest menu consists of slushies, a popcorn box, and the perennially popular Jack-Jack's Num Num Cookie. Described on the menu as a "Warm, Crunchy but Gooey Chocolate-Chip Cookie Tart," these "Incredibles"-themed cookies are reasonably priced at $6.29 per cookie and big enough to share. And unlike many other Disney pastries, Num Nums are served warm, giving you the ultimate oven-baked cookie experience.
Dad from the theme park vlog Dad Got Parks raved about the Num Num, proclaiming, "This cookie is AMAZING!" After biting into the thick treat almost deep enough to be considered a cake, he described it as "slightly crispy but all warm and gooey on the inside," ultimately declaring it "better than a Tollhouse cookie." The Unofficial Guide praised the cookie's "warm, buttery dough and gooey chunks of chocolate" while emphasizing that there's plenty of cookie for the price tag. "The cookie has a larger than average circumference, but it's the deep-dish depth that gives this dessert its volume, making each portion the thickness of nearly three normal cookies."
Grab a charcuterie board from the tap house
Even if you're relatively careful about your food intake, noshing on theme park grub for days at a time can take its toll on your digestive tract. It's hard enough to balance health and budget at mealtime. But where things can really break down is when you're roaming around the parks with hours to go before dinner and an ever-crescendoing grumble in your tummy.
If you need some protein in your system that isn't fried, take a detour to the Baseline Tap House. It's a bar, and the extensive beer menu lets you know this spot is definitely marketed towards the over-21 crowd. But kids are allowed inside, and patio seating is available if you've got younger crew members and don't want to ruin anyone's buzz with overtired kid energy. The pared-down menu features a handful of pub food offerings, but it's their California Cheese and Charcuterie Plate that you want.
Priced at $13, this charcuterie board isn't one of the larger-portioned offerings at Hollywood Studios, but it is a delicious and reasonably healthy alternative to the park's heavier options. The board comes with farmstead cheese, rindless blue cheese, goat cheese, chorizo, Calabrese salami, cornichons, grapes, and toasted baguettes. The Park Prodigy's YouTube review called this simple cheese board "one of the best value charcuterie boards you can get at Disney," particularly regarding meat and cheese quality.
Pop into Kat Saka's Kettle for some popcorn
One of the best investments of your Disney snack allowance is, perhaps surprisingly, popcorn. Here, popcorn is more than just a snack — it's an event. You can pick up Disney popcorn at every park, and you should. To grab some "Star Wars"-inspired popcorn at Hollywood Studios, stop by Kat Saka's Kettle. Themed as a Batuu grain merchant, this galactic popcorn stand sells two types of popcorn for $6.49 per bag. The first is the standard Buttered Blue Grains. According to Disney blogger Shannen Ace of WDW News Today, it's basically a simple buttered popcorn with a slightly blue tint. But if you're craving something extraordinary, you'll want to pick up the Outpost Popcorn Mix, described on Disney's online menu as "a colorful blend of Sweet and Spicy flavors."
The popcorn mix changes periodically, but the current mix includes a blend of blueberry, lemon, sweet chili, and lime. Kitra of the theme park vlog Ordinary Adventures described the outpost mix as "so colorful and beautiful" and "kind of sweet, kind of salty at the same time." Kitra went on to explain that the individual flavors complement each other, adding, "It's kind of like a kettle corn. Like a sweet, nice kettle corn but "Star Wars." Five out of five."
Get a Blue Milk from Batuu's
If you didn't already know, there's a scene in "Star Wars IV: A New Hope" that shows Luke Skywalker sharing a family meal with his aunt and uncle. And what's on the menu? Among other things, a frosty pitcher of what appears to be blue milk. Decades later, the now-aging Jedi can be seen obtaining and then swilling green milk in "The Last Jedi." "Star Wars" fans who have always wanted to try a glass of these enigmatic fluids finally can, thanks to the culinary wizards behind Disney Parks menu planning.
Just mosey on over to Batuu's Milk Stand in Galaxy's Edge where you can pick up a refreshing glass of blue or green milk. Despite their names, both beverages are plant-based blends of rice and coconut milk with a slushy consistency. The Disney menu describes the blue stuff as flavored with "alluring fruity characteristics." Green milk, on the other hand, is said to feature "zippy citrus and tropical characteristics." And if you're an over-21 looking to add a little pep to your step, both drinks are available to order in alcoholic form — the blue milk comes with rum, and the green gets a shot of tequila. While the green hasn't been as popular, the blue milk is a hit. YouTuber Mr. Cheezy Pop found himself getting emotional at the excitement of drinking actual blue milk in a Star Wars setting, declaring, "It actually is milky! That is delicious!"
Head to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge for a Ronto Roasters Ronto Wrap
Ronto Roasters is another buzzworthy Disney grub spot that's home to the ultimate meat lover's snack. Located in the Black Spire Outpost at Galaxy's Edge, this popular quick-service joint features a pretty cool hook: a pod racer repurposed as an exotic meat roaster. Priced at $13.99, the Ronto Wraps come with thin slices of roasted pork, a massive grilled pork sausage, and tangy slaw topped with peppercorn sauce and served in a pita wrap. Bloggers and park guests celebrating this stick-to-your-ribs fare can be found all over TikTok and YouTube. Adventures by Jay & Letty called this meaty wrap "the best food in the galaxy," while TikTokker Josie Maida cheered, "Everything goes together so well. The soft pita, the bite from the slaw. There's a nice snap on the sausage. It is 10 out of 10 — perfect park food."
If you're worried it might be tricky to eat such a gnarly wrap on the go, Nicole of The Disney Journey emphasized that the pork is tender and easy to break into bites with the whole wrap falling apart. Calling the slaw "a touch of genius," she concluded, "The slaw provides a nice crispness and crunch," creating a perfectly balanced sandwich. The stall also features veggie and gluten options.