Unfortunately for Disney lovers everywhere, it’s not safe to visit the parks right now with the current pandemic going on, but when it is finally safe, I’ve compiled a list of places you can get a good glass of wine. You can probably find wine in any Disney restaurant or lounge, but I decided to make this list to make it easier to find wine you will enjoy. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll need a break from the hours of endless screeches from children and an enjoyable glass of wine makes it a lot more tolerable.
CALIFORNIA
Disneyland
Thanks to Walt’s old school rules, there’s no where in Disneyland to grab a drink aside from Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Oga’s Cantina doesn’t serve wine, so if you’re looking to get a drink there, you might as well purchase one of their fun Star Wars cocktails. I didn’t include Club 33 because I don’t know about you, but I definitely don’t have 50 grand to drop annually.
California Adventure
Since California Adventure isn’t technically Disneyland, I honestly believe that’s how this particular park bypassed Walt’s “no alcohol” rule. Every spring, this park hosts their annual Food and Wine festival featuring new and innovative dishes and wines and spirits inspired by the different food. When it’s not springtime, you can still find great wine at California Adventure.
Wine Country Trattoria
It’s called Wine Country Trattoria, I’d be surprised if you couldn’t find wine here. This restaurant is known for their Italian-inspired cuisine, but they also offer wine flights with wines from California or Italy and they offer a wine menu with over 25 wines to choose from. There’s no shortage of wine here, so you’re bound to find something that fits your palate. If I were ordering from here, I might go with the wine flight from Italy because Italian wines happen to be my favorite. If you’re an annual passholder, have a glass of wine on the Alfresco Tasting Terrace. I heard the views are fantastic.
Lamplight Lounge
Lamplight Lounge is one of those places you go for fun cocktails. They’ve got some awesome ones to choose from and of course they have cocktails made from wine. If cocktails aren’t your thing, they do offer a wine list with about 90% of the menu being wines from California. They have just about every popular California variety you can think of from Sauvignon Blanc to Syrah. Personally, I’d go with the Sizzle Reel because it’s made with red wine, Bacardi 8 Años rum, ruby red grapefruit juice, and mixed berries and just looks like a kickass wine cocktail to be honest.
Flo’s V8 Cafe
While the selection here is limited, the choices are not disappointing. Flo’s V8 Cafe serves wine from two of California’s most famous wineries— Kendall Jackson and Francis Ford Coppola Winery. If you’re in the mood for something else, you can also purchase red sangria for something to sip on while enjoying the ambience of Cars Land. I’ve had the red wine sangria at Flo’s V8 Cafe since they serve it at restaurants in Downtown Disney and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something fruity to sip on.
Hotels and Downtown Disney
Clearly, you’re going to find wine at almost any hotel and restaurant you go to, but I’ll save you the work and just tell you the best places to visit if you’re in the mood to drink wine.
Napa Rose
Napa Rose is located in the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa and they offer more of a fine dining experience. I’m sure the food is delicious, but I would stay in the Napa Rose Lounge where they offer an extensive list of wines. The servers are sommeliers, so they can recommend a wine you’ll like. Here you’ll find tons of wines from familiar wineries (think En Route, Far Niente, La Crema, etc.) and wines from countries like South Africa, France, and Italy. If I still lived in the area, I might visit this place every Friday!
Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria
You guessed it… Italian food = Italian wine. This restaurant has an impressive wine list and they’re all from Italy except for the random two wines from France. They even offer Chardonnay from Italy, which has intrigued me for the fact that I’ve literally never had Chardonnay from Italy and that sounds amazing. The food is a little pricey considering it’s Italian food, but the wine list certainly makes up for it in my opinion.
Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
I went to this restaurant the last time I was at Disney and I can say that the food is delicious. I didn’t order wine at the time, but they do have a good selection of red and whites; however, I would recommend their cocktails because they’re inspired by the cocktails of New Orleans. They have Hurricanes, an alcoholic take on Southern Sweet Tea, and Mint Juleps! When I went, it was hot, so I opted for the red wine sangria which was delicious especially with the fried chicken po-boy.
FLORIDA
Magic Kingdom
When I think of Disney, I think of Disneyland with Frontierland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, etc. Magic Kingdom is basically a new and improved Disneyland with all of the classics. Good wine isn’t that easy to find here though.
Be Our Guest Restaurant
You can’t watch Beauty and the Beast and not want to go here! Dining in a fancy ballroom looks like a fun experience and so does this particular wine list. Here you can find some great French wines, but you can also find French varieties made in California (i.e. Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon). They even have something called the Be Our Guest Sampler which is a flight of their private label wines. By ordering this, you get to have a taste of their Chardonnay from Pouilly-Fuissé, Rosé from Languedoc, and a GSM from Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Jungle Navigation Co. LTD. Skipper Canteen
If you were wondering where the South African wines were, you can find them here along with a variety of wines from Chile and Argentina. And not only is the wine list intriguing by itself, but the restaurant looks delish too. Fish with cassava cakes topped with guava-habanero sauce served with a side of greens and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc sounds like a magical dream come true to me.
Epcot
I’ve never been to Disney World, but I imagine that Epcot would be my favorite park because of its endless amount of different food and the fact that it hosts an annual Food and Wine Festival. It’s like eating (and drinking) around the world all in one place.
Tutto Custo Wine Cellar
Come on… Wine Cellar is literally in the name. I’d be SO disappointed if you couldn’t find wine here. You can’t find their wine list online, but they do offer one in the lounge itself. It’s pretty extensive and you can find a lot of great Italian wines. If you’re feeling the need to explore, you can also taste through the Grand Tour of Italy.
Chefs de France
Chefs de France is a French restaurant in Epcot that offers delicious dishes that you can also find in France. If you want to try escargot, it’s on their appetizers menu as well as french onion soup (my favorite) and a variety of charcuterie. Not only do their entrées look amazing, but their wine list does too and it’s exclusively French wines. They’ve got wines from Alsace, Haut-Médoc, Côtes du Rhône, Saint-Emilion, and so many more.
Coral Reef Restaurant
This restaurant’s food is mostly seafood and I know I’d feel guilty eating in front of all of the fish that swim around here, but this place is too cool not to share. Coral Reef Restaurant serves tons of yummy cocktails like raspberry mojitos, spicy poblano margaritas, and even something called the Godiva Chocolate Martini made with Godiva chocolate liqueur, Stoli Vanil vodka, Bols white crème de cacao, and Frangelico. Sounds decadent. Yes, there’s a wine list and they even offer red and wine wine flights!
Hollywood Studios
This is just one of the parks Disney World has and it’s inspired by Hollywood and Los Angeles with some Pixar and Star Wars thrown into mix. If I ever get to ride the Hollywood Tower of Terror again, I’ll be finding a glass of wine in this park to celebrate. Rest in peace to our fallen tower in California, which is now the Guardians of the Galaxy ride.
Tune-In Lounge
A 50’s themed lounge and music? I’m in! This cool spot offers fun cocktails like Dad’s Electric Lemonade which is made from vodka, blue curaçao, sweet and sour mix, Sprite, and a glow cube for some extra fun. If you’re looking for wine instead, they offer a few whites and reds for your choosing. The MacMurray Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir is calling my name!
The Hollywood Brown Derby
Fine dining located in Disney World’s Hollywood Studios can be found at none other than Hollywood Brown Derby. They offer a few different red wines, but their menu is interesting as they have a section dedicated to “after dinner drink flights.” They have flights of sparkling wines, dessert wines, cognac, scotch, and a vertical flight of Dow’s Tawny Port. If you don’t want to taste your way down a flight, this restaurant also offers a dessert wine menu featuring Tokaji from Hungary and Icewine from Germany. If you don’t go here for the food, at least take a look at their dessert wine menu.
Animal Kingdom
Nomad Lounge
If you’re going to go to Nomad Lounge, ordering one of their cocktails is probably the way to go since they have some tasty looking ones; however, if you want wine, they’ve got a great list! They serve wines from Argentina, Chile, and South Africa at very reasonable prices. Although if I were to sit down and enjoy a drink here, the Jenn’s Tattoo cocktail is calling my name. Jenn’s Tattoo is made with Ketel One vodka, watermelon, hibiscus, and lime juice.
Pongu Pongu
You’ll find Pongu Pongu in the World of Avatar, but they don’t serve wine. They make drinks with passion fruit popping boba that is so unique, I felt like it was worth sharing. Try the Rum Blossom. It has Barcardi Superior rum, apple and desert pear limeade, and topped with popping boba.
Tiffins Restaurant
This is another one of Disney’s fine dining experiences, so this place definitely has a wine list and just like Nomad Lounge and Jungle Navigation Co., they serve wines from South Africa, Argentina, and Chile. Not only is that a plus, but they also serve charred octopus with Romesco, olive tapenade, chorizo, and squid ink aioli that I think I would go here for that alone and maybe not the wine list. If you’re thinking about checking out this restaurant, they do have good wine, so you don’t have to worry about that!
Hotels and Disney Springs
Again, you can find wine at just about any hotel and restaurant, so here’s the best of Florida all in one place.
The Basket at Wine Bar George
Seriously, this place is so cool. You can buy charcuterie boxes here to enjoy outside and don’t forget to get a glass of wine to pair with it. They’ve got some delicious wines on tap ranging from Chardonnay to Pinot Noir to Barbera. I’m also eyeing those buffalo fries they sell as a side to a charcuterie box. It’s on the side of Wine Bar George which is a restaurant that has an extensive wine list and charcuterie boards. If you’re not in the mood for a picnic, check out the restaurant instead!
T-REX
Think Rainforest Cafe but with dinosaurs and that’s why this place is SO awesome. And yes, they have a few wines like Rodney Strong Merlot, Decoy Rosé, and Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (yum). However, you can’t ignore the prehistoric themed cocktail list. They’ve got fun names like Jurassic Mule, Raptor Rita, or my personal favorite, Prehistoric Fashioned. I would totally go here and I know my best friend would too.
Maria and Enzo’s Ristorante
If you’re feeling Italian food, Maria and Enzo’s Ristorante has it all. Plus they’ve got an awesome wine menu featuring tons of Italian wine from many different regions. The Planeta La Segreta Grecanico Blend from Sicilia sounds amazing and would pair wonderfully with the Aragosta Fra Maria (lobster and linguini with tomato, garlic, and white wine).
