If you’re staying off-property on your next Disney World vacation or you have the flexibility to venture beyond the resort’s perimeter, there’s an entire world of dining options at your fingertips! We’ve been checking out some of the newer dining options to open off-property, including the brand-new White Castle!

Let’s Go!

Today, we stopped by Portillo’s, the Chicago-style, rock ‘n’ roll-themed diner at the intersection of Palm Parkway and Daryl Carter Blvd. The restaurant is celebrating its grand opening, so we thought we would take part in the celebration and share our thoughts!

Atmosphere

If you’ve never visited a Portillo’s before, this should give you a good idea of what to expect! This rock ‘n’ roll-themed diner has all of the fixings you would expect to see, from the black and white-tile flooring to neon signs. There’s a LOT to take in, that’s for sure!

So Much to Look At

Make sure you look UP to catch all of the details in this place! This place is practically oozing with Americana.

Gotta Look Everywhere!

This restaurant has more of a quick service-style vibe to it. You order and pick up your food at a counter and then bring it to your table!

Portillo’s

There is a large seating section that includes both standard tables as well as booths.

A Peek Inside

Now that we’re seated at our booth, let’s dive into some FOOD!

Eats

The claim to fame here at Portillo’s is their hot dogs, but you can also dine on chicken dishes, burgers, and more if hot dogs aren’t your cup of tea. But, when in Rome (or in this case, Chicago), you order their star food item!

Menu

We ordered THREE of those featured items to be exact. First up was the Italian Big Beef Sandwich for $8.69! Portillo’s calls this their most famous item on the menu and it shares a fun anniversary with Disney World. Both Disney World and this sammie are turning 50 years old this year!

Italian Beef Sandwich

This sandwich comes with Italian Shaved Beef served on French Bread. We ordered ours the “Portillo’s Way” for an extra $1.40, which added Hot and Sweet Peppers on top as well as extra Gravy! This was an excellent sandwich — the meat fell apart as we ate it and the roll held up really well, even with all of the gravy!

Italian Beef Sandwich

It’s a massive sandwich that will easily fill you up. Watching your carbs? Don’t worry — you can order the sandwich bunless as a bowl! We also picked up the Jumbo Hot Dog for $3.99. 

Jumbo Hot Dog with ALL the fixings on top.

We ordered ours will ALL of the toppings because that’s how we roll here at DFB. That means this traditional Chicago-style dog comes loaded with mustard, chopped onions, BRIGHT green relish, sliced tomatoes, sport peppers, celery salt, and topped with a kosher dill pickle spear on a poppy seed bun! That’s a LOT of toppings! This was another home run for us! Even with all of those ingredients, we didn’t find it to be too salty.

Jumbo Hot Dog

The third sandwich we ordered was the Maxwell Street Polish Hot Dog for $4.99! This is a real Polish hot dog grilled and topped with lots of mustard and grilled onions. It was a favorite of Portillo’s founder as a boy!

Maxwell Street Polish Hot Dog

This was also super yummy! The best part about this sandwich to us was those onions on top. The sausage on this sandwich had a nice snap to it, and we could really pick up on that char-grilled flavor.

Maxwell Street Polish Hot Dog

We also ordered a small side of French Fries for $2.29…

Can’t forget the fries!

…and a large side of Onion Rings for $3.49. Both are the perfect accompaniment to any hot dog or sandwich!

Onion Rings

Oh, and did we mention…you can order a side of melted cheese (umm…is that PLASTIC CHEESE we spy?!) for an extra $0.89 to dip your fries in!! Yep. You’re welcome.

Melted cheeeeeeeese!

For dessert, we picked up a trio of sweet treats: Portillo’s Famous Chocolate Cake (heads up — you can get this blended into a milkshake!), Strawberry Shortcake, and the Chocolate Eclair Cake.

OooOo

All three were solid dessert options, depending on which flavor you enjoy the most! Our personal favorites were the Chocolate Cake and the Strawberry Shortcake. The shortcake is made with mascarpone cheese and angel food cake, making it almost like a fruity tiramisu!

Chocolate Eclair Cake

They’re all pretty rich and might be difficult to eat after your heavy meal, but they’re good for sharing! Of the three, the Strawberry felt lightest, despite its huge portion size.

Strawberry Shortcake

And you can’t forget about the drinks! Portillo’s serves both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. We ordered the Chicago-based Goose Island 312 Beer Urban Wheat Ale for $5.99. You order at the catering counter and it comes in a 22 oz. chilled goblet. 

Definitely wear your stretchy pants here!

Nosh or Not

You should make the trip to Portillo’s if…

• You don’t already have a Portillo’s in your area. This Chicago-style chain isn’t available everywhere (in fact, the locations are more limited than you might think), so you may want to take advantage of its close proximity on your next vacation!
• You’re craving a good-quality hot dog or Italian style sandwich. It’s their specialty dishes for a reason!
• You have a car and can easily leave Disney World property. You’ll be shocked to see how much the price of a meal goes down once you step outside the Disney World perimeter!

You should SKIP Portillo’s if…

• You aren’t into hot dogs. While other food items are available on their menu, it’s probably not worth the effort to leave Disney World property if all you’re going to order is a cheeseburger (head to D-Luxe in Disney Springs instead!).
• You can’t easily leave Disney World property. Unless you want to pay for an Uber to take you here, you might be better off sticking to on-property dining options.
• You’re looking for healthier dining options. While there are a few salads on their menu, the common theme here is MEAT.

Overall

As excited as we are over new dining options to open in the Disney World parks and resorts, we’re just as thrilled to see great dining options pop up off-property as well. Sometimes your Disney World vacation will take you beyond the resort’s perimeter, whether you’re checking out other Orlando theme parks or you simply want to escape that Disney “bubble” for a few hours. Hopefully this gives your family a new option to check out next time you’re driving around the area and want to try something off the beaten path!

Click here to read our review of the new White Castle, located just outside Disney World property!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Do you typically leave Disney World property during your vacation? Let us know in the comments!

The post Review: Should You LEAVE Disney World Property For a Hot Dog?! first appeared on the disney food blog.

Can you believe we’re halfway through June? That means the 4th of July is just around the corner!

4th of July Treats!

If you’re thinking about visiting Disney World on July 4, 2021, you need to know a few important planning details and we have ALL the info you need to celebrate and secure your visit to the fourth in Disney style!

Park Reservations

The park reservation system makes this year a little different, but as of right now July 4th reservations are still available for all four parks! If you want to visit the parks on July 4th, you should make your reservation for Magic Kingdom OR EPCOT ASAP. Like, right now.

©Disney

Here’s why you might want to hurry to snag those park pass reservations for parks like EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. 

Park Passes were just restocked for July! Get all the details here. 

Fireworks Shows

In case you missed it, fireworks are returning to Disney World on July 1st, 2021, just in time or the 4th of July! Fireworks at Disney World have been suspended since the closure in 2020. While we have seen testing around the parks, July 1st is the first time guests will be able to watch a full show in the parks since the closure.

©Disney Happily Ever After

The Happily Ever After fireworks show will return to Magic Kingdom while guests at EPCOT can experience the EPCOT Forever show.

Epcot Forever

There is a LOT of excitement over the return of the fireworks shows so you can expect huge crowds.

See the fireworks hours for the month of July here. 

How to Manage the Holiday Crowds

Historically, the 4th of July has been a BIG day for Disney World crowds with Magic Kingdom hitting capacity early in the day. Therefore, a visit to Disney World on the 4th of July would mean arriving at the Magic Kingdom gates as early as possible and staying for the entire day to make sure you could see the special 4th of July fireworks.

Front Gates at Magic Kingdom

This year, you will want to make sure you have the park pass especially to Magic Kingdom or EPCOT (where you will be able to see fireworks), so you know that you know you have a spot in the park. Arrive before 2PM, since that’s when hopping begins. But unlike years past, there’s really no need to rush like before since you know you can get in with that park pass!

Secure Your Spot for Fireworks

Even with the park reservation system, you can expect VERY high crowds, especially with Disney World increasing capacity. Depending on what time Cast Members allow guests to begin searching for the best viewing spots, you will probably need to secure a spot for fireworks viewing early in the evening. 

You want to find the best spot for fireworks viewing!

Information regarding social distancing has not been shared, but if you’re concerned about getting a good spot, you may want to scope it out early. Happily Ever After will start at 9:15PM and EPCOT Forever will begin at 10PM. 

Park Hopping

Park Hopping may prove to be a bit difficult on the 4th. So if you’re able to snag an EPCOT or Magic Kingdom Park Pass, you may want to stay put. If you can only get a park pass to another park, you might want to hop right at 2PM. Guests will likely be flocking to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT since they’re the only two parks offering fireworks on the 4th.

Fourth of July Peanut Butter Pie

As of right now, a special 4th of July show has not been announced, but because there is so much pent-up demand and excitement for fireworks, high crowds and people securing their viewing spots as early as possible is to be expected. Therefore, we suggest booking your 4th of July park reservation right now if you’re vising then!!

Stay tuned to DFB for all the breaking news about spending 4th of July in Walt Disney World! We will cover crowds, treats, fireworks, and more!

Click here to check out the Disney 4th of July collection available online now!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Will you be visiting Walt Disney World on July 4th? Let us know in the comments!

The post Why You Seriously Need to Get Your 4th of July Disney World Parks Passes Right NOW! first appeared on the disney food blog.

‘Ohana is reopening SOON at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort!

‘Ohana Will Be Reopening Soon!

And we’re EXCITED. We’ve been bringing you all the details on what to expect from its return (including those famous ‘Ohana NOODLES), and now, we’ve got another update!

We previously showed you both the breakfast and dinner menus for this fan-favorite dining spot, but now we’re taking a look at some DRINKS. For both breakfast and dinner, guests will be able to enjoy the Moana Smoothie, Lilo Smoothie, or Stitch Smoothie, for $6.49 apiece.

©Disney

You can also see that there are a variety of alcoholic specialty beverages available at breakfast (which are nothing new)…

©Disney

…as well as dinner.

©Disney

It’s a pretty long list!

©Disney

Guests will also be able to enjoy mocktails with dinner.

©Disney

Lastly, there’s plenty of beer…

©Disney

…and wine up for grabs.

©Disney

If you’re looking for something to sip on at ‘Ohana, you’ll have plenty of options! We’ll keep you updated as we learn more about this spot’s reopening — and of course, we’ll be bringing you a full review. Stay tuned to DFB!

Learn More About ‘Ohana’s Reopening!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Are you excited for ‘Ohana to reopen? Let us know in the comments!

The post DRINK Menu Announced for ‘Ohana Reopening at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort first appeared on the disney food blog.

We’re seeing more and more reopen around Disneyland Resort!

Sleeping Beauty Castle

As the parks opened to out-of-state guests and safety policies continue to be lifted, Disneyland is continuing with its phased reopening. We’ve heard all about restaurants and rides resuming operation around property — and now we’ve got even more reopening dates to share!

While we already had reopening dates for several restaurants, we’re adding a couple more to the list! On June 17th, Mendocino Terrace and Bayside Brews in Disney California Adventure will reopen.

Disney California Adventure

And June 24th is a BIG day! Maurice’s Treats, Edelweiss Snacks, Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums, and Cozy Cone Motel — Popcone will all reopen, too.

Maurice’s Treats

We sure are excited to chow down on some MORE Disneyland eats! We’ll continue to keep ya posted with the latest reopening news, so stay tuned to DFB.

Check Out More Restaurant Reopenings in Disneyland!

Which of these spots are you most excited to visit? Let us know in the comments!

The post 6 MORE Disneyland Dining Spots Are Reopening SOON first appeared on the disney food blog.