What to Eat When It’s Too Hot to Think in Disney World

Disney World is a very hot place. By that, we mean that it’s actually physically very hot temperature-wise!

This is to be expected since Disney World is located in Central Florida. It’s not ALWAYS burning up, but you can pretty much count on it to be sweltering during the summer months. 

The heat can bring with it a lot of issues, from general discomfort to actual heat exhaustion, so it’s important to know the best ways to cool off and to be prepared.

I don’t know about you, but one of the main issues that I personally face when I’m in the parks and it’s super hot outside is eating. When it’s 95 degrees out, I’m tired, sweating, and my feet are aching, my body barely even becomes hungry.

It’s actually pretty frustrating because it’s obviously important to eat during the day, especially if you want to avoid passing out from the heat! So, I’ve had to find ways to remedy this issue. And, I’m here to help you, too!

Cool Foods

Let’s talk about cool foods! And no, we don’t mean that these food have really good vibes, we mean that their actual temperatures are cool or cold. 

The absolute last thing I want when it’s crazy hot outside is a scorching hot turkey leg or something freshly deep-fried. Don’t get me wrong, I love all the deep-fried, melty, battered, and delicious foods — just not when I’m also sweating through my whole outfit!

Even when I feel too hot to eat anything, I know it’s still important to be fueled while doing all that walking and adventuring in the parks. So, when I need to eat, I turn to the cold, refreshing food items!

Yep, Disney does have a ton of hot food items in the parks, but there are also a lot of cool, cold, and refreshing items that you can grab to stay energized! So, we’re going to tell you what they are and where you can find them!

Before we get started, just know that I’m not going to talk about ice cream, okay? Ice cream can be super heavy and I wouldn’t really consider it refreshing. Obviously, you can absolutely still grab some ice cream if that’s what floats your boat, though!

And another note, I’m not saying that these are the best, most exciting, or even fun foods you can find in the parks, but sometimes you literally just need some sustenance!

I’m going to be focusing on quick service and grab-and-go food locations since those are the places where you’d be eating while you’re still outside or with less time in the air conditioning than if you were to eat at a table service spot.

We also are looking at more permanent menu items, so we’re not including things that you can find for a limited time or for any of the EPCOT festivals. Also, a lot of these qualify more as snacks than as meals, so keep that in mind. Let’s go!

Magic Kingdom

Starting off in Magic Kingdom, head on over to Auntie Gravity’s for a cold strawberry smoothie!

You can also find a delicious Mint Julep Lemonade at Casey’s Corner on Main Street, U.S.A. This is super refreshing on a hot day.

In Frontierland, you will find the Sun Bonnet Trio Salad at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe. This is a mixed greens salad with strawberries, tomato, and red onion which you can get on its own, or with seasoned chicken or carnitas.

At Columbia Harbour House in Liberty Square, there are several great options. You can get the Lobster Roll, which is served chilled…

…or the Mixed Greens Salad. This has mixed greens with apples, cheddar, dried cranberries, onions, and apple vinaigrette topped with chicken strips.

A sweet option here is the Strawberry Greek Yogurt for dessert.

EPCOT

Buckle up, because there are a LOT of options for chilled food in EPCOT! Let’s start over at Sunshine Seasons inside The Land pavilion.

For breakfast at this spot, you can find things like overnight oats, fresh fruit, and yogurt to start your morning out on a cool note.

If you’re looking for lunch, dinner, or snacks, you can get things like the Asian Vegetable Noodle Salad, which has wakame, tuna poke, and spicy mayo. Or, get the Power Salad, with oak-fired chicken, quinoa, almonds, and honey vinaigrette.

If you’re vegetarian, you can grab the Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwich. This has roasted red pepper, red onion, tomato, arugula, hummus, and balsamic vinaigrette on herbed focaccia served with potato chips.

Snacks include things like a fruit and cheese plate, fresh veggies with hummus, and assorted fruit cups.

Outside of the pavilion at The Land Cart, you can also find fresh fruit, a fruit and cheese plate, a veggie plate, and hummus with pretzels.

At Connections Eatery in World Celebration, there are some salad options. We have the General Tso Chicken Salad, which is a petite kale blend, romaine, broccoli slaw, red bell pepper, mandarin oranges, edamame, crispy wontons, warm fried chicken, and General Tso’s dressing.

There is also the Niçoise-style Salad, which has crispy mixed greens, romaine, wedged potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, olives, white beans, and dijon vinaigrette. This is also a plant-based item!

Cool side items include the Mediterranean side salad or a side of coleslaw here if you just need a little something.

Moving into World Showcase, we’ll start over in Mexico (as you should!). You can get guacamole and chips at both Choza de Margarita and La Cantina de San Angel.

If you go inside the pavilion and sit down at La Cava del Tequila, you can also find chips and guacamole as well as a delicious salsa. I know this is technically table service once you’re sitting inside La Cava, but I’m making an exception for my favorite spot in EPCOT because it’s more of a lounge (you can’t make advance reservations!).

Next door at the Norway Pavilion, you’ll find Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe. This is a bakery, so it’s mostly sweet stuff, and the menu can change. But, you can pretty much count on the Rice Cream and iconic School Bread to be available, and both of these desserts are served chilled!

The next stop is The American Adventure Pavilion. There aren’t a ton of options here, but you will find some creamy coleslaw or a fresh watermelon cup inside Regal Eagle that will help keep you cool!

There’s also the Power Greens Salad, which you can get with or without chilled pulled chicken. This has mixed greens tossed with fresh citrus fruit, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and radishes in a fresh citrus vinaigrette dressing.

Now, we’re off to Japan! Over here you can get some Kakigōri at Kabuki Cafe, which is Japanese shaved ice. This comes in Rainbow, Strawberry, Melon, Cherry, Tangerine, or Blue Raspberry, and you can get it topped with cream.

Or, get the alcoholic version as a Sake Slushy. These come in the flavors of blood orange, coconut pineapple, or blackberry.

Also at Kabuki Cafe are some chilled edamame and some sushi! You can get a California Roll, a Spicy Roll with tuna and salmon, or a Nigiri Combo with salmon, tuna, and shrimp.

At Katsura Grill in the Japan Pavilion, you’ll find more sushi. You can get a Tokyo Sushi Combo (which is a California roll and 3 pieces of nigiri), a Spicy Roll with tuna and salmon, a California roll, or a vegetable roll.

This spot also has chilled edamame and a small side salad with ginger dressing.

Finally, let’s go to France! At Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie, there are all kinds of sandwiches that you can get served cold. Here’s the list:

• Jambon Beurre — ham and cheese, dijon mustard butter on a demi baguette
• Brie au Pommes — brie, apples, and cranberries in multi-grain bread
• Tartine Aux Fromages — country bread, tomato sauce, Swiss, parmesan, and goat cheese
• Dinde B.L.T. — turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and garlic aioli
• Croissant Jambon Fromage — ham, cheese and béchamel in a croissant
• Poulet au Pistou — chicken breast with cheese, tomato, red onion, and pesto

There is also an imported cheese plate you can grab!

Animal Kingdom

Moving on to Animal Kingdom, there aren’t as many options, but there are still some good ones to know about! Over at Caravan Road in Asia, you can get some tasty shaved ice.

They come in different flavors like watermelon and mango passion fruit, and you can also get them with sweetened condensed milk (Kakigori) or with alcohol!

If you’re looking for another salad to cool off with, check out the Cobb Salad at Restaurantosaurus in DinoLand U.S.A. You can get it with or without chicken.

At Satu’li Canteen in Pandora, there are a variety of bowls to choose from that you can customize. These all have hot, warm, and cold elements, so you can really mix it up.

You can get it with chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu as your protein, then choose between different bases. The hearty salad and noodles bases are usually served decently chilled.

On top will come a chilled sauce — pick between charred green onion vinaigrette, black bean vinaigrette, or creamy herb sauce. Also on top are the vegetable slaw and boba balls which are both cold!

If none of those options sound great, go for the Ocean Moon Bowl. This chilled bowl has blue noodles, tuna, watermelon radish, pickled daikon, rainbow carrots, avocado, cucumbers, and red cabbage with miso and sweet soy drizzle topped with micro cilantro.

Yak & Yeti Local Foods Cafe has both a fruit salad and a yogurt parfait during breakfast. During lunch and dinner, you can grab a teriyaki chicken salad.

At Harambe Market in Africa, you can get the Harambe Salad with or without chicken. This is a  Mediterranean-influenced salad with pepperoncini, kalamata olives, cucumber, tomato, and feta served with Greek-style vinaigrette dressing.

Hollywood Studios

If you need something refreshing in Hollywood Studios, there are a bunch of options! Starting over in Galaxy’s Edge, you can find some options at Docking Bay 7.

You can get the Peka Tuna Poke, which is raw tuna tossed in a spicy sriracha dressing and served with green papaya salad, pickled mushrooms, fresh herbs, and crispy garlic. That’s certainly a refreshing option!

Or, try the Roasted Endorian Chicken Salad. This has marinated chicken, mixed greens, shaved onion and radish, grapes, tomato, and cucumber in a citrus-pomegranate vinaigrette with spiced yogurt drizzle.

If you’re looking for something smaller, grab the kids’ Takodana Veggie Dippers. This is black bean hummus, edible soil with nuts, chilled dipping vegetables, and multigrain crisps with a side of “ranch” dressing.

Next door at Ronto Roasters, they have the Rising Moons Overnight Oats for breakfast which are cold and come with fruit! They also have the Andean Fruit with Muja Sauce all day, which is sticks of jicama, cucumber, pineapple, melon, and dragonfruit in a tamarind sauce and dusted with peppercorn ash.

Over at Fairfax Fare, check out the Plant-based Soba Noodle Salad Bowl with or without Chik’n. This dish is chilled while still being pretty hearty! It has chilled soba noodles, edamame, red cabbage, red peppers, shredded carrots, celery, and green onions tossed in a yakisoba sauce all inside a waffle bowl.

Right by there at Rosie’s All American Cafe, there is a Plant-based Lobster Roll available! This has marinated hearts of palm, celery, sweet apples, and creamy old bay dressing served with house-made potato chips.

In Toy Story Land, there are some good options at Woody’s Lunch Box! You can get the Chicken Salad Sandwich, which has chicken salad, lettuce, tomato, and dijonnaise spread served chilled on sunflower multigrain bread.

Or, go for the Smoked Turkey Sandwich! This is thick-sliced smoked turkey breast, lettuce, and tomato with dijonnaise spread served chilled on multigrain bread.

At PizzeRizzo in Muppets Courtyard, you can get the Antipasto Salad. This has ham, salami, pepperoni, kalamata olives, mozzarella, tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, and red onion tossed with chopped romaine in a house vinaigrette.

Want another salad option? Go for the Mediterranean Salad at ABC Commissary. This has mixed greens with tomatoes, cucumber, pepperoncini, kalamata olives, and feta tossed in a Mediterranean vinaigrette served with hummus and grilled flatbread. You can also get it with marinated chicken.

Or, over at Backlot Express, you can find the Southwest Salad with or without chicken. This has romaine mixed with roasted corn relish and diced tomatoes topped with pickled red onion, and cheese, and then served with house-made jalapeño-lime ranch dressing.

Multiple Locations

If you’re wondering why you’ve made it this far without reading about Dole Whip, it’s because we’ve saved it for right now! Dole Whip can be found in several different spots around the parks, so we’ll break it down for ya.

First, know that pineapple is the classic Dole Whip flavor, but there are other flavors available like coconut, orange, raspberry, lime, and more. In Magic Kingdom, you’ll find Dole Whip over at Aloha Isle in Adventureland, where you can usually get it on its own or as a float.

In Animal Kingdom, Dole Whip is served at Tamu Tamu refreshments, and typically, only the pineapple flavor is available. But, you CAN add some rum to the Dole Whip over here!

In EPCOT, there is often Dole Whip available thanks to whichever festival is going on. But, it can change locations!

Sometimes you’ll find it at Refreshment Outpost and other times it will be at one festival food booth. For example, find pineapple Dole Whip at Pineapple Promenade during Flower & Garden Festival.

Right now, there’s no location in Hollywood Studios to get Dole Whip.

If you’d rather have a sour snack, go for the giant pickles! These can be found at the produce stands around the parks.

Sometimes they’re in a pre-packaged pouch and sometimes they’re not. As weird as a giant pickle sounds, it actually is a great snack for the hot weather because the juice can have those electrolytes that you need when you’re sweating!

Speaking of the produce stands, this is another spot to grab a refreshing snack! They’re located around the parks and sell things like whole fruit, apple slices, Babybel snack cheese, cuties mandarin 3-packs, and more.

You can also usually get cuties with a lot of kids’ meals around the parks. And, Babybel snack cheese is available at other quick service locations like Woody’s Lunch Box.

We know we’ve already talked about a lot of salads, but we left off the generic salads that you can find at a lot of places. Find Ceasar salads at most quick-service pizza places like PizzeRizzo, Pizzafari, and Catalina Eddie’s. You can also usually add grilled chicken to them to make them heartier!

Alright, the next one is a childhood favorite — Uncrustables! Peanut butter and jelly Uncrustables are available at a lot of places like Sunshine Seasons at EPCOT. Because sometimes you just need a classic! 

Other great options when you need something refreshing are the frozen fruit and juice bars at the kiosks around the parks. These are where they sell bottled beverages and can include things like the strawberry fruit bar or the Olaf frozen juice bar.

Finally, who can forget about frozen lemonade?! Find these usually at the same little kiosks that sell the fruit and juice bars we mentioned above.

Find frozen lemonade as more of a slushy drink, or get things like a frozen lemonade cup at places like Yak & Yeti Quality Beverages in Animal Kingdom.

A Final Note

We just covered a ton of cool and cold snacks, treats, and meal options, and we hope it gives you a lot of great ideas for those hot park days. But, while we’re on the topic, I want to stress just how important it is to stay hydrated while at Disney World.

This is important year-round, but especially during the super hot summer months. I know telling you to drink water seems like obvious advice, but Disney hydration is on another level.

You’re likely sweating a lot in the parks on those hot days which means you’re losing water and electrolytes. I would recommend keeping a collapsible refillable water bottle in your park bag to get water around the parks. Also, remember that you can get FREE ice water at most quick service locations.

On top of drinking water, I usually reach for something with electrolytes in it as well. Gatorade, Powerade, Liquid IV, Pedialite — whatever floats your boat!

I keep a few Gatorade Zeros in my hotel room to drink at night so I can rehydrate. I personally enjoy the Zeros because they have zero sugar and the normal Gatorades with sugar can make me nauseous (especially after eating all those sugary goodies in the parks throughout the day!).

These hydration tips are extra EXTRA important if you’re drinking alcohol while in the parks. Alcohol in hot weather is a fast track to being dehydrated, so mix in some waters when you’re drinking. And trust me, those electrolyte drinks will come in super handy!

I know the hot weather can be brutal in Disney World, so treat yourself with kindness — take breaks, bring a portable fan, stay hydrated, eat some cool foods, and go at a pace that works best for you!

Stay tuned for more Disney World tips, info, and news!

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