REVIEW: You’ll Want To LEAVE Magic Kingdom To Get These Nachos

Magic Kingdom has some pretty iconic snacks.

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

From the Nutella and Fresh Fruit Waffle Sandwich to Cheeseburger Spring Rolls, this park has some good snack choices. But sometimes you just want to enjoy a bite to eat outside the parks — that’s why we’re taking you over to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for lunch today to try some good old ‘ono grinds.

Capt. Cook’s is a quick-service restaurant in the Polynesian Resort that is known for its unique island-inspired breakfast, lunch, and dinner — but they also serve some classic American eats as well as delicious pastries in their bakery case. We stopped by for lunch, so follow along to see what we got!

Atmosphere

You’ll find Capt. Cook’s on the first floor of the Polynesian’s Grand Ceremonial House, and it fits right in! The whole resort has great island-inspired vibes, and this restaurant is no exception.

Capt. Cook’s

The restaurant has two indoor seating areas, both of which are inviting with golden lights and warm tones. To the left, you’ll find a larger area with fun Polynesian posters on the wall…

Seating area

…and to the right, there is a smaller seating area next to the beverage station and full of natural light.

Seating area

There is plenty of seating outside, as well.

Outdoor seating

After you enter the restaurant, you’ll be able to head to the counter to place your order with a cast member.

Order here

But don’t forget, you can also Mobile Order here so you don’t have to stand in line!

Mobile Order

If you’re looking for a quick bite to eat or something sweet, they have a variety of grab-and-go snacks, drinks, pastries, and ice cream in the cooler to the left.

Grab-and-go

Once you’ve placed your order, you’ll find a self-serve section to grab what you need for your meal, like utensils…

Utensils

…condiments…

condiments

…a soda station…

Soda

…a coffee and tea station…

Coffee and Tea

…and more sauces.

Sauces

Now that we have everything we need, let’s take a look at the menu!

Menu

Capt. Cook’s has a pretty large selection on their menu, starting with the 50th Celebration  Resorts Refillable Mug, Polynesian Favorites like the Thai Coconut Meatballs, and American Entrees.

©Disney

There are also some Salads and Plant-Based options, like the Roasted Red Pepper & Arugula Burger.

©Disney

For kid’s meals, there are some classics like Chicken Breast Nuggets or Macaroni & Cheese, as well as some Disney Check Meals like the Chicken and Pineapple Skewers for a healthier option.

©Disney

There’s also a collection of sides, desserts, and bakery items available…

©Disney

…and a ton of snacks to choose from.

©Disney

For beverages, there is a large selection of soft drinks, energy drinks, milk, juice, hot and iced tea, and more.

©Disney

There’s also a fun selection of specialty coffees.

©Disney

And if you’re looking for an alcoholic option, they have a few beers and wines on the menu as well.

©Disney

With so many options on the menu, you should be able to find something for everyone in your family to enjoy!

Eats

After we finished ordering, the Cast Member gave us a tracker. Once it started buzzing, we headed to pick up our food…

Table Tracker

…at the pickup station next to the registers.

Pick-up window

Since we ordered “for here,” it was served on a tray, but keep in mind that to-go orders will be served bagged up.

Our order

For our entrees, we tried three things: the Pan-Asian Noodles and Vegetables, the Aloha Pork Sandwich, and the Pulled Pork Nachos.

Full spread!

First up is the Pan-Asian Noodles and Vegetables for $9.99.

Pan-Asian Noodles and Vegetables

This is a refreshing salad with Rice Noodles, Mandarin Oranges, Mixed Vegetables, and Candied Cashews served with Honey-Miso Dressing. We thought that this was a really fresh salad with lots of crunchy, colorful vegetables and some bold flavors.

Such vibrant veggies!

While we enjoyed this salad as a whole — the noodles did have a pretty unusual texture — almost chalky. Keep that in mind if you are sensitive to different textures.

Candied Cashews!

The Mandarin Oranges, Honey-Miso Dressing, and Candied Cashews also made this pretty sweet for a salad, which we enjoyed — but it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Overall, we thought this was a nice option for those looking for a vegetarian-friendly meal, but it is pretty unique, so it might not be for everyone.

Next up was the Aloha Pork Sandwich for $11.29. This is Pulled Pork with Cheddar, Asian Slaw, Cucumbers, and Tomatoes on a Brioche Bun served with French Fries.

Aloha Pork Sandwich

This is a pretty solid option that those who love pineapple on savory dishes should enjoy! The pulled pork was tender, sweet, and plentiful, and it paired well with the pineapple pieces in the slaw. There was a perfect amount of cheddar on the bottom that didn’t overpower the rest of the sandwich.

Aloha Pork Sandwich

The Asian slaw, cucumbers, and tomatoes were all very fresh and also added a nice crunch to the sandwich. Unfortunately, the fries on this meal were just okay. They were pretty plain and could have been a little crispier in our opinion.

Mediocre fries

Overall, this was still a good solid option for those looking for a fun island take on a pulled pork sandwich, and we would get it again.

For our last entree, we got the Pulled Pork Nachos for $10.29. These are topped with Cheese,  Spicy Mayonnaise, Pico de Gallo, and Pineapple Salsa.

Pulled Pork Nachos

These have been on our GOTTA-HAVE list for a long time, and they did not disappoint! They were so tasty! Just LOOK at this beauty!

yummm

Instead of tortilla chips, these are more like homemade potato chips — and they are perfectly fried and crispy! The cheese melted into the chips perfectly and there was plenty of pork that was tender, tangy, and sweet.

so crispy!

The spicy mayo added a nice kick without being too spicy, and it paired well with the sweetness of the pineapples. There were also a good amount of fresh veggies in the mix — red onions, green peppers, and tomatoes. Overall, this was SO GOOD and we are already dreaming about the next time we get to have them.

Lastly, we tried a new-ish dessert on the menu — the Pineapple Cupcake for $6.49. This was added to the bakery lineup recently to replace the 50th Celebration Cupcake (quite a few 50th anniversary items have gone missing from Disney World lately!). But we wanted to give this new cupcake a shot.  This is a Vanilla Cupcake with a DOLE Whip® Pineapple Cheesecake center, Pineapple Buttercream, and White Chocolate Décor.

This cupcake was FULL of pineapple flavors, so pineapple lovers will really enjoy this one! The vanilla cupcake was simple but moist and delicious, and the pineapple cheesecake filling was SO GOOD.

Pineapple Cupcake

It had the perfect sweetness from the pineapple and a nice cheesecake-style-tanginess that balanced it out perfectly. There was a good amount of it in the center of the cupcake, which we appreciated.

Pineapple Cupcake — look at that filling!

The buttercream icing also had a lot of pineapple flavor to it, and while it could have been a tad creamier, we still loved it. The pearl sprinkles on top also added a nice crunchy texture, and the white chocolate leaves are very thin and melt in your mouth.

Overall this cupcake was a pretty solid choice from the bakery case, and we would get it again!

Overall

The staff was friendly, the food was tasty, and the island ambiance was on point. Overall, we really enjoyed eating here and will definitely come again (did you hear how much we loved those nachos?).

Capt. Cook’s

In general, the food wasn’t mind-blowing, but it was still great — and we thought the convenience of this quick-service spot made it well worth the visit.

Nosh or Not?

You should head to Capt. Cook’s if…

  • You’re looking for a restaurant that has something for everyone in your group. This place has a TON of options ranging from classic American food and grab-and-go snacks to fun island-inspired eats.
  • You want a nice meal outside of the parks. This is only a short monorail away from Magic Kingdom, so it won’t take away too much time out of your park day and it’s worth the stop!
  • You’re looking for some aloha-inspired eats quickly and for a reasonable price.

Skip Capt. Cooks if…

  • You’re hoping for a little quiet during your meal. This location is very close to the Polynesian pool, so there are quite a bit of families enjoying their day, which makes this place a tad noisy at times.
  • You’re looking for a fine-dining experience. This is pretty solid for quick-service food, but it’s not the most elevated food or experience you’ll find at the parks.
  • You’re looking for something inside the parks. While this isn’t a long way from Magic Kingdom, it does require you to leave the parks, so it might not fit into a busy schedule.

That’s all for Capt. Cook’s today! We’ll continue to review all the Disney food, so stay tuned to DFB for more.

Click here to see the BEST snacks in Magic Kingdom in 2023


Need Disney Restaurant Advice? We’ve Got EVERYTHING You Need to Know

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

Have you ever eaten at Capt. Cook’s? Let us know what you thought in the comments below!

The post REVIEW: You’ll Want To LEAVE Magic Kingdom To Get These Nachos first appeared on the disney food blog.