Guys.. my entire blog post has been completely thwarted by a revelation regarding the Friar’s Nook… I’m still trying to contain my surprise, disappointment for opportunities lost, and how will I rectify the situation. I will make you wait and read the rest of this blog post before the big reveal. And if you knew about this, how dare you and why didn’t you tell me.
Anyways… Fantasyland has the widest array of quick service options and it just makes sense – it’s the most popular “Land” in Magic Kingdom. In all honesty, I have only eaten at the major attraction quick service options Pinocchio Village Haus and Be Our Guest (yes, at lunch, Be Our Guest is an interesting quick service hybrid). I was completely unaware of the other options available to me here.. and quite frankly, I feel robbed. So let’s take a looksy-loo at the restaurants I have enjoyed for many years, and the locations that I brushed off but will definitely be visiting in the future!
While Be Our Guest at lunchtime is considered “quick service”, I am not including this in my journey because it still requires a reservation. Quick service shouldn’t mean you need a rezzie purely for the aformentioned word “quick service”. Come on now.
I feel like Pinocchio Village Haus is the flagship quick service restaurant of Fantasyland as it has been there FOREVER (so many memories eating here as a child) and truly has something for everyone. Also – this is the only quick service option of the list with ample seating. I especially love the seating overlooking Its A Small World loading area! The food here is Italian-American fare and takes MOBILE ORDER! Here you can find chicken parmesan pasta or a sandwich, penne with marinara sauce, and a plethora of flatbreads (my choice). I personally love the caprese flatbread, but there is also cheese, pepperoni, or sausage and pepperoni together if you wanna get crazy. There is always an monthly special flatbread (similar to the monthly special hot dog at Casey’s Corner – check out that blog post for more details!) so make sure you check it out during your visit! And don’t worry, there are gluten free flatbreads as well!
Gaston’s Tavern is probably most known for Lefou’s Brew with the super cute souvenir stein. For those of you who have not tried this super sweet (IMO) beverage, it is a frozen apple juice with toasted marshmallow and a Passion Fruit and Mango Foam. Not my bag, but it is a hit with kids! They also have some great sandwich choices, including a Ham and Brie with Dijon Mustard or a Smoked Turkey Sandwich with Swiss and Cranberry Aioli. I am really intrigued by the Fruit and Cheese Picnic platter. I don’t like a huge lunch, and this platter sounds up my alley.
So now let me enlighten you with the greatest piece of information I learned during my research. I don’t know why I thought this, but I thought Friar’s Nook was ice cream related – why, I don’t know. Maybe I get it confused with Mrs Potts little ice cream area – who knows. THE MENU AT FRIARS NOOK IS TOTS. TOTS GUYS. LIKE ALL KINDS OF TOTS. TATER TOTS. The best American contribution to food in my opinion. I literally fell over when I read the menu. I am just disappointed in myself by not doing the appropriate research beforehand and shrugging this off like some random food cart. Can you imagine, I go to Disney quite a few times a year, and I missed out on so many opportunities. I really need to re-evaluate my life choices. Here’s the list: Loaded Buffalo Tots, Pub Tots, Hot Dog and Tots, Brats and Tots, and Loaded Fiesta Tots. Oh yeah, and there’s a fried twinkie. Good grief people.
I’m so excited I was able to find new choices, and I hope you are as well. For those of us that visit quite regularly, I always welcome a surprise! Now that I feel like Napoleon Dynamite with my weird obsession with tots, I will leave you to digest this information.
