You have been with us through thick and thin. You’ve read our tips. You’ve read about best times to visit, line-skipping ride strategies, best restaurants, and a detailed breakdown of Orlando weather year-round.
All previous posts unknowingly laid the groundwork for what is probably our most important work yet.
The most essential guide in our arsenal.
The definitive guide to the Margaritas of Disney.
Do you know how many different kinds of margaritas are scattered across Walt Disney World property? We have endured countless hours of research, sampled dozens – probably hundreds (cumulatively, of course) – of cocktails, and spent a boatload of airline miles, all in the name of bringing you the information you didn’t know you needed about the best cocktail on earth.
You know, because we’re totally selfless like that.
We’ve even organized the margs for you by location, and rank them at the end with the best overall.
Marg our word and get ready to sip and enjoy. This one’s on us.
The “Standard” Disney Margarita
Walt Disney World has something like a “master cocktail menu” that is served across most restaurants and bars on property that otherwise don’t have their own “featured” list of cocktails.
Enchanted Rose, for example, is a cocktail lounge at the Grand Floridian and has its own list of beverages. Standard Disney restaurants like Cape May Cafe and Chef Mickey’s, however, share a universal list of the same generic recipes you’ll likely see multiple times throughout your visit (especially if you’re doing a lot of in-park, table service dining).
There are several margaritas that show up on this list like Blood Orange, Watermelon, and Spicy Poblano. We find that overall, they’re pretty decent and definitely drinkable.
But they’re nothing special, and you could probably find their equivalents back at home.
Margaritas at the Parks
Is there anything better than taking a break from the lines, noise, and heat of the parks and imbibing in something as uniquely refreshing and delightfully boozy as a margarita?
Spoiler alert: no, there is not.
Luckily for all of us, there are a few stops you can make around the parks to enjoy that particular experience.
The Margarita Flight (Hollywood Studios)
Yes, an entire flight of margaritas. Color us excited. This one is found specifically at the Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge, the outdoor offshoot of Hollywood Brown Derby.
Note: Getting a walk-up spot at the lounge is typically easier than getting one inside, with the added plus of still being able to order their famous Cobb salad if you’re also hungry.
Now to the real review. We might have been overhyped about this flight, because it fell a liiiiiiittle short of expectations. The flavors come in Classic, Blood Orange, and Pomegranate, but they were all kinda watered down.
Since we were drinking on a hot day, they turned even more watery pretty quickly. We did not enjoy the pomegranate flavor at all, but we do kind of want to give this flight another shot (no pun intended!) due to the overall experience.
If you give it a try, email us and tell us what you think!
Unofficial Margarita Crawl (Animal Kingdom)
Animal Kingdom, probably one of the more underrated parks overall in our opinion, comes in hot with its unique margarita selections scattered strategically and conveniently across the park. Which might just make it the perfect park for an unofficial margarita crawl.
- Thirsty River Bar: Conveniently located near Expedition Everest, try the Durbar Margarita for a little bit of liquid courage before you jump on the coaster with the kids! It’s like a traditional marg, but with a hint of ginger that makes it unique and absolutely delicious.
There is often a seasonal and special frozen marg also featured here. We love this spot, especially in the evening fall months when it’s cool enough to walk across the way and sit on the bleachers and take in the river views – usually with no one else around!
- Dawa Bar: Located just off the bridge to Africa, this spot usually offers a seasonal margarita and an African Margarita with tangerine liqueur. This is another great break spot because if you’re lucky enough to find a table, you can usually take in the live entertainment at the same time!
- Warung Outpost is a little kiosk in Asia positioned near the crosswalk from Africa, which makes it a great spot to take in the super fun bird show (which is right there!) while sipping on a selection of frozen margaritas that just hit the spot.
- Pongu Pongu is probably one of the best “hidden gem” snack stands on Disney property. To make it even better, they sell a delicious Pandora-themed marg, the Mo’ara Margarita. It’s made with Blue Curacao (so it’s blue and visually appealing to kids – don’t let them drink it!) and is topped with boba balls. So fun!
Poolside Sips
We’ll get to specifics, but first, we have to pay homage to the Frozen Strawberry Margarita that can be found at most Disney resort pools. At first glance, they might seem underwhelming because they come out of those generic-seeming, frozen-drink blenders that whirl nonstop (does anyone even know what those whirly things are called?), but that’s half of the magic. The consistency the whirly things give the drink (we’re gonna stick with that highly technical term), plus the real strawberry puree that gets blended in, makes this frozen drink one of the best on property and it’s very accessible since you can get it at most pools.
The only downside is that it goes down WAY too easy, so that bill adds up quick. You have been warned!
Polynesian Pool Bars FTW
Between their two pool bars, the Oasis Bar & Grill and Barefoot Pool Bar, the Polynesian Resort has one of the best and most diverse margarita selections outside of Mexico (the EPCOT one!). The ambiance of the resort doesn’t hurt, either. Pure vacation vibes.
Here’s a list of all the dreamy Poly margaritas, ranked from our least to most favorite.
- Frozen Margarita with DOLE Whip Lime: When this came out years ago, we were HYPED. And unfortunately, it fell short. The Dole Whip turned into a cocktail just didn’t do it for us, and immediately made us want a regular frozen marg instead. We’d be willing to give it another try, but it’s hard to do when there are so many other amazing margarita options at the Poly.
- Sunshine Margarita: This is the name for the general margarita (lime + rocks) that you’ll find on many menus across WDW. It’s good! Worth a try, especially if you’re in the mood for a classic.
- Niue Rita: Tequila, meet POG juice. Combined with the Poly’s signature juice blend (passionfruit, orange, and guava), this fruit-forward marg is a punchier take on a classic marg. Delicious.
- Rose Gold Sunset Margarita. We were a little bit cynical at first (and rightfully so, we think) that the master Disney marketers just slapped a cutesy, trendy name on an overpriced, subpar drink. We humbly apologize we ever thought that, because this drink is shockingly amazing and is now our #1 here.
It skips the classic lime marg recipe and instead goes for a mix of guava, ginger and mango. It is absolutely fabulous and while it is pricey (I mean, it’s Disney), it’s a great daytime cocktail that totally rivals other high-end “modern” cocktails that are in that $17-20 range.
The Oddball Margaritas (aka Honorable Mentions)
Sometimes you find yourself at a restaurant or bar that doesn’t quite fit the “must try” criteria, but hey, they’ve got margs! Here are a few of those.
- The Maya Grill (Coronado Springs). We feel like we should mention this place even if no one else really does because they have quite the cocktail list when it comes to mezcal and tequila-based cocktails – and most are good!
However, the food is pretty hit or miss and this spot is just generally kind of known as one of the lowest-rated restaurants at WDW. If you love margaritas and happen to be staying at Coronado Springs and also couldn’t get a spot at any other restaurant…you could consider this place? Ouch. Sorry, Maya Grill. - Boardwalk Joe’s (Boardwalk Resort). The Boardwalk is our favorite resort (and honestly, probably our favorite place in all of WDW), so we really, really want to love Boardwalk Joe’s. But it just falls short. Prices are ridiculously high (like $22-after-tax-and-tip high) and we swear the margs come in smaller cups than any other ones on Disney property…
The Frozen Grand sounds promising, but just isn’t. The Patron marg is the best but comes in at a whopping $18. While we’re staying there, we usually just head to the Boardwalk pool bar or upstairs at the Belle Vue Lounge for our margarita fix. - Dockside Margaritas (Disney Springs). This counter service bar in Disney Springs is super cute, and the margaritas are both fresh and delicious with a handful of selections for both on-the-rocks and frozen types. However, since we’re almost always eating and drinking at other restaurants when we visit, we just don’t find ourselves hitting Dockside often.
That being said, if you’re visiting Disney Springs with the kids during the day to shop or browse, this spot is located near a bunch of the best shops for youngins (and we’re pretty sure they positioned this stand there on purpose for the parents!).
Were you concerned we hadn’t talked about the Mexico Pavilion at EPCOT yet? Don’t worry. We saved the top two categories for those margaritas, and with good reason!
*THE* Best FROZEN Margarita on WDW Property
The honor goes to Choza de Margarita for their incredible frozen margs. Located right outside of the Mexico pyramid in EPCOT, this counter-service spot can draw long lines but trust us, it’s worth it.
Our absolute favorite is the classic lime (it’s just the best), but you can mix and match any of the three frozen flavors: mango, strawberry, or lime or combine all three for a fun experience.
Beware berry-lovers, the strawberry flavor is actually made with cassis which makes it taste more like raspberry. Why can’t Disney margaritas all taste how they’re advertised?! That particular fact made a difference to us, but you might enjoy it, anyway. We are just oddly detailed around here when it comes to anything food and beverage.
Another point for Choza goes to the food which, to us, has some of the best in the World Showcase, and it’s offered year-round. We find ourselves coming back for the Elote and Empanadas, even when festivals are happening.
Best of the Best Overall
And, surprising no one, the award for best margarita at Walt Disney World goes to…
La Cava del Tequila!
Also located in the Mexico Pavilion at EPCOT, La Cava is such a unique spot to visit, regardless of whether or not you consider yourself a tequila aficionado. We consider it a must-try on any trip. Guests can choose over 200 types of tequila and indulge in any number of delicious, well-crafted cocktails.
The Wild One and Piña Loca (which is mezcal-based) are both great cocktails for non-margarita drinkers.
The Avocado Margarita is hands down the most popular marg at La Cava, but let’s call out the BS and the Disney influencers who fail to mention that this margarita is made with a melon liqueur and that melon flavor in our opinion, completely overpowers any avocado taste. It’s still a great drink, but you definitely have to like melon to enjoy it.
The El Diablo is incredible, and Ali’s personal all-time favorite. It’s made with tequila, fresh lime juice, agave, cucumber-jalapeno juice and a hibiscus salt rim. As far as heat goes, the spice level in the drink can vary dramatically depending on how hot your fresh jalapeno slices are. The cucumber juice is basically undetectable, which is great for those who don’t care much for cucumber (oh hey, that’s us).
Sometimes we wonder if it thinks about us, too.
All in all, Disney is awash in amazing margarita choices and while you can find a halfway decent one just about anywhere, the standouts are worth adventuring to.
Here’s a rapid-fire list if you need a quick nightcap recap. You can always screenshot this section for later!:
Pool day planned? Grab your resort’s version of the poolside whirly-blender frozen strawberry marg.
Need a midday break from Magic Kingdom? Hop on the monorail to head over to the Poly and hit up either pool bar for the Rose Gold Sunset Margarita.
Shopping day at Disney Springs? Don’t forget to stop by Dockside Margaritas – just don’t blame us if you go overboard on souvenir shopping.
Time for your Animal Kingdom park day? Drop a couple of pins on the spots we mentioned earlier and plan your own margarita crawl.
If you miss any of those or don’t have a whole lot of extra time to work into your itinerary, make sure to stop at La Cava at EPCOT for Ali’s number one margarita rec, El Diablo. That drink is plain amazing and just writing about it is making us crave it (even though it’s only currently 10 am).
