I’ve seen many fun and creative cocktails coming out of Disney over the years, so I was really excited to try a few during my vacation. Now, I didn’t do a full Disney cocktail exploration– I was on a family vacation after all. However, I did manage a few poolside and at dinner. A few were really good, some others were more forgettable than I’d have liked. But hey, it’s always a bit of a gamble trying new cocktails. So with no further ado, here’s my ranking of my 1st Disney cocktail experience.
Bottom 5 Disney Cocktails:
White Sangria ⭐
I picked this up at the Banana Cabana Pool Bar at the Caribbean Beach Resort. I was looking for something light and fruity to enjoy poolside. Plus, I have a thing for sangria, so I was really looking forward to this one. This ended up being my least favorite Disney drink. It was way too sweet and didn’t have much to by the way of flavor or depth. It tasted more like a pre-made bottled sangria vs one may fresh in house. Don’t get me wrong, it’s decent for a summer drink, just not my cup of tea.
Hazelnut Old Fashioned ⭐⭐ 1/2
This Disney cocktail hails from Enzo’s, an Italian restaurant we dined at in Disney Springs. I like a good Old Fashioned, and I especially like a unique hand crafted Old Fashioned. Yet, I found this one perplexing. The nuttiness of the Frangelico paired well with the bourbon. But, the hazelnut notes were entirely too sweet for me. It was a really weird drinking experience for me. The first part of the sip is sweet, overwhelmingly so. While the second part of the sip is quite lovely and rich. The Bourbon really did pair well with the nuttiness, I just wish it wasn’t so sweet.
Caribbean Smuggler ⭐⭐⭐
Here’s another drink from the Banana Cabana. Still searching for a good poolside beverage, I wanted to try one of their speciality cocktails. After asking the bartender for a recommendation, I settled on the Caribbean Smuggler. It sounded delicious with both dark and coconut rums, plus cranberry & OJ. It certainly looked more festive than the sangria when I got it, so I was hopeful. Alas, I wasn’t blown away. It was tasty enough, but I found it a bit thin and watered down. This one was more along of the lines of any standard hotel cocktail, nothing special.
Blood Orange Margarita⭐⭐⭐
I picked up this beauty at the Mexico pavilion at Epcot. It wasn’t the best margarita I’ve ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the worst. I’ll admit, I was really hoping to try the famous avocado margarita, but the line to get one was longer than I was willing to stand in. Especially after 2 full days running around Disney properties. But I love a good blood orange cocktail, so when I saw this on the menu while getting tacos, I decided to give it a try. I would have liked a more robust blood orange flavor, but it wasn’t bad. And I liked the Tajin rim.
Chipotle Pineapple Margarita⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
While strolling around Disney Springs, watching my girls spend all my money, I happened upon this margarita stand. The minute I saw “chipotle pineapple” on the menu, I was all in. I liked the flavors in this margarita. Pineapple goes so well with the smokiness of the pepper. My only wish was that it had more kick. I love a good spicy rita, and if this one had a little more heat to it, it would have been perfect.
Top 5 Disney Cocktails:
White wine 🌟🌟🌟🌟
So, after going bust on the cocktails at the pool, I decided to play it safe and go with a faithful standby: wine. Since it was quite hot out, I went with the Lost Slipper Sauvignon Blanc by Once Upon a Vine. I found it in the gift shop when I was looking for aspirin, and was quite Disney festive, so I took a chance. And to my surprise, I liked it. It was nice and crisp with notes of pear and citrus. I found it perfect for enjoying poolside on a nice summer’s day.
P
rosecco 🌟🌟🌟🌟
And of course I had to have some Prosecco. It’s the perfect wine on a warm summer’s night. So again, I head over to the Banana Cabana and ordered a glass of Maschio Prosecco. This was delicious! I really enjoyed the flavor, a peachy orange that’s not overly sweet. This became my poolside drink of choice at this. The perfect companion for sunning poolside or enjoying the sunset at the beach.
Sangria Roja la Sueca 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I got this ruby concoction from Jaleo’s, a tapas restaurant in Disney Springs. Now THIS is what I’m looking for when I ask for sangria. It’s fruit forward, spicy (in a fall spice way, not the hot way), and light. This was very much needed after another full day of fun in the sun. This sangria reminded me of what I make at home. Full of fruit, not too heavy, and just delicious.
Limoncello Gimlet 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I LOVE gimlets and I LOVE limoncello, so I had so much hope for this cocktail. I eagerly waited for it to be delivered, passing the time wondering why I’d never thought to use limoncello in my gimlet prep. Before I could beat myself up too much about it, this lovely darling was placed in front me and I had a sip. It was DELICIOUS!! I’d been let down by some of my cocktails choices while at Disney, but this did not disappoint. It was very well balanced, not too sweet, and the essence of the lemon shines though with no bitterness. I highly recommend if you ever visit Enzo’s at Disney Spring.
Samantha Sterling 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Samantha Sterling, named after a character from Pleasure Island, was the shining star of my Disney cocktail experience. The Edison has quite the interesting bespoke cocktail menu, and I was having a hard time deciding which direction I wanted to go in. After some back and forth with our server, because, let’s face it, a watermelon/cinnamon combo sounds weird to those not in the know– and I was CLEARLY not in the know. This cocktail is made with watermelon juice, vodka, Lillet Rose, lime juice, and cinnamon cordial. Let me tell you, it’s DELICIOUS. It doesn’t taste like you’d expect it to, yet it tastes exactly like you’d expect it to. Make sense? I didn’t think so, but just go with me on the one. The Samantha Sterling is light, refreshing, and nicely balanced. I never would’ve thought the sweetness of watermelon would pair so well with the earthy sweet/spice of the cinnamon. Yet it does. This one cocktail has made me start brainstorming uses for cinnamon in future cocktail creations.
Thanks for coming along on myDisney cocktail ride with me. They didn’t all blow me out the water, but I had a good time nonetheless. Can’t wait for my next Disney trip so I can sample a new batch of cocktail goodness from the happiest place on earth. Next time, I’ll be leaving the kids at home, so I can’t wait to try some of Disney’s more over the top offerings.
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