DISNEY SPRINGS FOOD CRAWL

It's no surprise I love a good food crawl. I've been known to gather a car load of friends and take them around town in our comfiest eating clothes, phones in hand, ready to share and eat as much as we can stomach in one afternoon.

It's the most cost-effective and all around genius way to try a bunch of places in a few hours while you order minimal items, and spread the foodie wealth between all your forks.  Of course, friends that don't like to share their food are never invited. Let's be honest, we are not friends with those types of people in the first place.

The problem with Orlando food tours is that in many instances, you need a car transporting you between all your stops, unless you are sticking to a walk-able district, which then limits what you can enjoy. At Disney Springs however, you walk the entire property, burning calories while never being too far from a clean bathroom.

In visits past, I wasn't blown away by the food options at Disney Springs, but as more continues to be added, it was time to go back and this time, go big. 

Coca Cola Store

I have absolutely no idea who buys Coca Cola merchandise, but the first two floors of this large chunk of advertising real estate is dedicated to every type of Coke swag under the sun. For your food crawl, walk the ramp (forget the long elevator lines) up to the third floor and enjoy the rooftop beverage bar where you can purchase several different Coke based drinks, some even with booze.  

I opted to share the Coke Float tray ($10) with my friends to start the crawl off with dessert first. Each flavor is labeled on the tray paper from Sprite floats to Cherry Coke to Grape Fanta. Have a few Coke float chug contests and then be on your way to stop 2 with a full on sugar-slam buzz.

The Polite Pig

Owned by the famous duo behind the Ravenous Pig, the Polite Pig offers BBQ and southern fixins in a fast casual manner.  After ice cream floats we were ready for actual food, so we got a platter that comes with one side to share.  I went with the brisket ($17) and the mac and cheese.  Aside from a few fatty pieces, the brisket was pretty good, although some bites were a bit salty. The flavor got enhanced once we married the meat with some of their signature sauces.  

I would definitely come back again to try more options here.

Morimoto Street Food

It's not imperative need to make reservations at Morimoto for your food crawl. You can take full advantage of the outdoor street food quick service setup on their patio.  We got a tiny feast here made up of the ribs ($10), short rib and pork baos ($10, $8), pork egg rolls ($8), and a single sushi roll ($8).

You definitely don't have to get as much food as we did, but of all the items, the ribs are what you should make sure you get. While I saw a platter come out fresh from the kitchen, my only complaint would be that the ribs get served to you much hotter. Check yo heat lamps Morimoto.

Paddlefish

Paddlefish is a pretty expensive restaurant, so you may or may not want to add it to a food crawl list. However, if you have no shame about ordering one item and explaining to your waiter that you'll be sure to take care of them despite the small check, you can forgo spending a large amount of money here while still getting to see a glimpse of what it's all about.

I would suggest the Crab Fries ($14) because you get a decent portion to share and they are delicious.  Served in a large bowl, you get a pile of skin-on french fries, lump blue crab, and Louie dressing.

Rule #1 in your food crawl, have no shame in your game.

Homecoming Kitchen & Shine Bar

The Shine Bar is connected to the Homecoming restaurant, but takes you out of the large dining room.  You can opt to only enjoy a few cocktails or one of their many flavors of moonshine, or if you are feeling a little spendy I would suggest splitting the Jasper Board ($20). A beautiful spread of pimento cheese, shaved country and Tasso hams, smoked fish dip, bread and butter pickles, candied pecans, and buttermilk crackers.

The cocktails are great (pictured below are the Mule Shine and the Berry Lavender ($12), and the chocolate pecan pie was delicious and decadent, served with a scoop of locally made vanilla ice cream.

Erin McKenna's Bakery

Normally if a bakery claims to be gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free and vegan, I run like Forest Gump in the opposite direction, assuming it will be dry and horrible. After hearing that was not the case, the time had come to finally give Erin McKenna's a try.  I made my apprehensions known to the friendly guy behind the counter and he promised me nothing would be dry.

I got a simple vanilla doughnut, and my friends got a small brownie bite and a cupcake.  While it wouldn't be my first decision for a doughnut to enjoy, it was indeed not dry at all. It tasted more like a cupcake than a doughnut, very cakey; but overall I was impressed with what they were able to do with lord knows what ingredients, (my best guess is applesauce). Also, those with food allergies need a place to enjoy a sweet treat, so it's great they have that option at Erin McKenna's. 

The Ganachery

I wanted one last small sweet to take home with me, so my final stop was at the Ganachery. Everything is made in house and you can watch them through a window creating their intricate chocolate bites.  Each square was $3, so I just selected three flavors; Egyptian sea salt, orange, and chipotle pepper. Loving all things chocolate, these were the perfect rich and creamy small bites. 

Despite not being a Disney enthusiast, I would say this is actually a great place to create a food crawl of your choosing.  Parking is free, and while you are taking a break from eating you can kill time looking through the shops or just hanging out in one of the bars for a bit while your digestive track tries to keep up.  

TIPS

• If you are an annual passholder you can get discounts at most of these spots (but not all, and some have time-of-day restrictions. 
• The Orange Parking garage dumps your right in front of the Coca Cola store if you wish to start there. 
• The Lime Garage dumps you in the retail rich part of Disney Springs, but also steps from the Polite Pig. 
• If you are food crawling with guys (or girls that are into it) make sure to head over to the Star Wars Galactic Post and Marvel shops that are near the House of Blues.
• Starbucks coffee is plentiful here, but you can go to the Polite Pig and order Axum's cold brew if you want something a little more local.

This is not a sponsored post, Disney Springs did not invite me or curate this food tour.  This was just a fun way to spend a Sunday with some of my food loving crew. All photos belong to me. All food with the exception of Homecoming Kitchen's Jasper Board and the fries at Paddlefish were paid for by myself and my friends.