If you know me in real life, you know that I am obsessed with food. As far back as I can remember, I have loved eating, trying new, and talking about food. I think it’s such a fun way to explore new cultures and new places. When I meet someone new, my favorite thing to ask them is what they would eat on their final day on Earth.
As morbid as it might sound, it has become a fun way for me to get to know people. New friends, first dates – I have always loved hearing the different answers and reasonings behind the meals people love the most.
Recently, I began listening to the Misfits on Main podcast. Each week, three Disney-loving, self-proclaimed misfits get together to talk about all things theme park. In an early, and appropriately so, one of my favorite episodes, the trio talks about their death row meals – Magic Kingdom edition.
Dining around Disney
Now, don’t get me wrong – I love Magic Kingdom. I think they have great classic theme park dishes and snacks. But, if it was my last time enjoying food from The Most Magical Place on Earth, I would be park-hopping for sure!
Just as a note for those familiar and unfamiliar with the parks alike – some of these plans are a little bit unrealistic. To hop to all of these locations in one day, or to pay for an all-you-care-to-enjoy meal only for the dessert, isn’t feasible. Additionally, as a result of COVID-19, some of these locations may currently (and hopefully only temporarily) be closed. It’s with crossed-fingers and a hopeful heart that they open again soon with similar menus! However, as always, anything goes for my death row day meals – there are no rules! It’s my last day, so anything goes!
Breakfast bites
The most important meal of the day – also my least favorite. It takes a lot to get me excited for breakfast, but nothing gets me out of bed quite like a morning meal at Kona Café inside Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
Most Guests love the Tonga Toast – a banana-stuffed, strawberry sauce-topped French toast. It’s good, but for me, the star is the macadamia nut pancakes. Fresh pineapple and crunchy nuts come together to create a sweet and salty flavor within fluffy pancakes. With a variety of tastes and textures, these sweet flapjacks make for an interesting and unique breakfast choice. They’re topped with sweet syrup and if I could, I would eat them with bacon for every breakfast.
Lunch food
Lunch would be a meal that has become close to my nostalgic heart. All of Disney’s Hollywood Studios awakens feelings of nostalgia in me. As a kid, I only got to visit Walt Disney World once when I was four years old – and the only thing I remember was the then Disney-MGM Studios.
As I began working for the company, I cherished my time working in this park, above the iconic Hollywood Brown Derby. On busy days when I didn’t have time to pack my lunch, the famous cobb salad, hold the blue cheese, add shrimp was my favorite last-minute lunch.
Of course, on my final day, I would enjoy this in-restaurant with a full-service lunch. Starting with their warm bread basket, a seasonal appetizer, and then the unlikely last lunch, the cobb salad. I love the atmosphere and the storytelling behind this restaurant and the salad, besides being well-known and a memorable favorite for me, has been on the Hollywood Brown Derby menu since the park’s opening day in 1989.
Snacks
I’m not going to get through my last day of eating without something near and dear to my heart – snacks. Although full meals at table-service spots are great, there’s just something about a Disney snack. Grabbing a bite between rides is never boring and I always make sure to save my appetite for something I can only get while I’m at the theme parks.
For my snack, I would make my way over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Although this is my least favorite Disney Park, (sorry DAK Stans,) it’s a great park to grab a quick bite to eat. In the Valley of Mo’ara at Satu’li Canteen, all the food is made fresh and is so full of flavor. Out of all the quick-service restaurants on property, this one is my go-to.
The cheeseburger steamed pods are the perfect savory snack at the parks. They’re easy to hold and eat and they’re so unique and tasty. If you haven’t had one yet, it’s like a bao bun and a McDonald’s cheeseburger had a baby. The most epic crossover we never knew we needed.
Dinnertime
No matter where I am, Japanese dishes are always amongst my favorites. At Takumi-Tei in EPCOT, you can enjoy a high-quality, Japanese meal right in the park. My first and only time visiting the location, I was fortunate enough to dine at the Kaiseki Chef’s Table – which is a nine-course meal crafted by the chef for you and your party.
From the first bite to the last, each taste was a new experience. I tried so many new foods – from a tiny little crab that can be eaten whole – shell, and all to two different types of wagyu paired with an array of savory pairings. Each course was thoughtfully planned and explained by the chef. An authentic tea ceremony closed out the meal.
Besides the fact that this was an incredible meal, it offered a really special experience. Whether you’re at Disney for a vacation, a special occasion, or even your last day on Earth – dinner at Takumi-Tei is worth the time and the price tag. Yes, I still dream about the wagyu.
Dessert food
Finally, for the true most important meal of the day, I would land where the misfits began- the Magic Kingdom. I would run, not walk to Liberty Square. Here, at the Liberty Tree Tavern, I would taste my final bites before heading to the great beyond. I’ve written about this colonial-inspired dining location before, and although all of their food is delicious, I’m on a last-day mission for one thing.
At Liberty Tree Tavern, the menu is served family-style and I would be paying for the whole Bill of Fare, I would save my appetite for their Oooey Gooey Toffee Cake. This cake is everything a dessert should be. It’s decadent, and sweet, chocolatey, and served à la mode. The description on the menu looks basic and unassuming, but this cake will change you. In an ideal universe, this dessert made by the chefs at the Walt Disney World Resort would be at every major moment in my life moving forward. The toffee, chocolate, and vanilla flavors are so rich. It’s baked to perfection with a golden outside and a soft, molten interior. It’s the perfect dessert – maybe the best dessert on property – but that’s a story for another day!
