We have seen both harsh complaints and rave reviews coming from Walt Disney World Resort Guests recently (especially in EPCOT and the World Showcase) when it comes to Disney restaurants; however, in a new interview with Insider, two Walt Disney World Resort chefs have revealed their top recommendations for Disney diners — and their recommendations are not what you might expect!
Chef Romina Wagener is a pastry chef at the new Space 220 restaurant in the EPCOT Disney Park, which is a restaurant that focuses on intergalactic themes and collectibles. Chef Dee Rolle, on the other hand, is the executive chef at The Edison within the popular area called Disney Springs.
Both chefs shared their own personal favorites from their respective restaurants, as well as their own favorite menu items in the Disney Parks when they are just regular Disney Guests!
Chef Dee Rolle admitted that she is a big fan of the iconic Dole Whip, which is a soft-serve sweet treat that has become a staple for many Disney World Guests (especially on hot days in Central Florida).
Dee Rolle even confessed that she “will go to the Park just for Dole Whip”!
If you love pineapple flavorings like those found in Dole Whip, but want something heartier, then Chef Wagener has another pineapple-themed suggestion — and this item is only found in one limited-time location!
During the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival, there is a standout menu item that presents itself in the Hawai’i festival booth.
“I always have one of these awesome poke bowls,” Wagener revealed in the interview. “They have like a bunch of little tuna and pineapples and stuff like that. It’s delicious.”
The poke bowls change a little each year, but not too much — and besides, according to Wagener, “if you see something weird that you’ve never tried before, don’t be afraid, just go for it, order it. That’s the whole point of the experience: that you go and try things that you’ve never tried before”!
When it comes to a more familiar favorite from her own workplace, Wagener recommends the carrot cake from Space 220. “It’s not really very space-y, but everybody likes it,” she explained. “It’s a completely plant-based carrot cake. And people that actually like the cream cheese in regular dairy products still love this dessert because they think that it actually is like a conventional carrot cake.”
Wagener recommends the olive oil cake as well (which also features citrus and pistachio flavors). One of the best parts of this olive oil cake is, apparently, the presentation. “When you cut it, it looks as if it was a space rock, like an asteroid,” Wagener continued. “It has the little texture that the asteroid would have. And with that, we made a mousse dome, and it’s green in color because it’s made with pistachio. So, it looks like a little planet that is in between the asteroids.”
As for The Edison, which is a restaurant with a more down-to-earth and savory feel, Chef Dee Rolle told Insider that the clothespin candied bacon is the dish to try. This dish features four bacon strips hanging from clothespins, with sides like mustard sauce and pickles.
“The candied bacon is something so simple and so unique, but in the same scope, it’s such a wow factor, because you get this personal clothesline setting in front of you,” Rolle explained “Most guests are like, ‘Oh my goodness.’ They say they wouldn’t even have thought of it. But they really enjoy it.”
There are a lot of foods to try in Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Springs — but if anyone would know quality food, it would be a chef! Have you ever tried any of these standout dishes?
