Top 10 Disney Bars & Lounges

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Sometimes, you just need a drink. At Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or the other parks, sometimes you really need a drink. These are the top 10 Disney bars & lounges in the world…although the list skews heavily towards Walt Disney World, probably due to sheer quantity.

This list considers both ambiance and drink quality, but skews heavily towards ambiance since so many bars and lounges have drinks primarily from the Generic DisneyParks® Drink Menu®, a menu of sugar-water and vibrantly colored concoctions aimed at vacationers. Plus, theming is what Disney does best, and I think choosing a Disney bar and lounge based on that basis rather than the quality of its drinks just makes sense.

With that said, let’s take a look at the best Disney Parks bars & lounges in the world!

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10. Redwood Bar & Lounge – Located in Disneyland Paris’ Sequoia Lodge, Redwood Bar & Lounge is reminiscent of a modern take on a US National Parks lodge bar. It transports you right out of Paris and into the Ahwahee at Yosemite, warming up fireside after a winter hike. The furniture is large and luxurious, the lights are low and lit by white strands of Christmas lights in a window that looked through to the lobby. Oh, back to that fireplace; in the center of Redwood Bar is a beautiful pass-through fireplace that is unquestionably the centerpiece (literally and figuratively) of the lounge.

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9. Raglan Road Pub – The bar here is literally made of wood imported from Ireland, but the real selling point here is the entertainment and pub ambiance, making it one of the best options for adult nightlife at Walt Disney World. Raglan Road perhaps deserves an asterisks here, as it’s more a restaurant and less a bar, but there is a bar, and it has more of that pub & bar vibe than other restaurants at Walt Disney World, which simply have a bar in the restaurant as a de facto waiting area or afterthought. The drinks here are good, but it’s the food that’s really amazing. Do not miss the Bread & Butter Pudding. You can read and see more in our Raglan Road Review.

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8. Cove Bar – This is the only outdoor bar making the list, and thematically, it might seem like a tough sell for an outside location to rank highly. That’s until you spend a sunny afternoon here gazing out onto Paradise Bay or an evening here watching World of Color. Beyond that, its details really make it feel like a bygone-era Victorian boardwalk bar. The drinks are mostly from the generic menu, but there are a few unique ones, including the eye-catching “Fun Wheel.” More importantly, this is the home of the legendary Lobster Nachos, one of the greatest foods at Disney California Adventure. You can read and see more in our Cove Bar Review.

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7. Jellyrolls – Located on Walt Disney World’s BoardWalk, Jellyrolls is somewhat divisive. I know a lot of people don’t like it, and I don’t have the slightest idea why…besides maybe that they hate fun. Yeah, it does feel a bit 90’s, and it can get really loud, but you really cannot go wrong with dueling pianos. The inherent thematic details of the bar are basic and the drink menu is unimpressive, but those dueling pianos performing mostly classic rock is just too fun to pass up. It’s one of my personal favorites at Walt Disney World, so perhaps I’m a bit biased to this one.

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6. Territory Lounge – This spot in Wilderness Lodge is probably one of the unheralded gems of Walt Disney World. Bearing some similarities to Redwood Bar & Lounge, this is a more rustic and Pacific Northwest-inspired lounge. What elevates Territory Lounge is that it has more detail, including shadowboxes with sportsman memorabilia and other items of Americana. Carved bears gracing the bar and a beautiful ceiling mural are among the highlights, and the decadent pub grub is the icing on the cake.

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5. Rose & Crown – I can’t say for certain, but I’m guessing Rose & Crown in Epcot’s World Showcase is the liveliest and maybe most popular bar at Walt Disney World. Go here pretty much any evening, and crowds are spilling out into the walkways. This is for good reason, as the kitchen serves up some authentic, homestyle (or is it pubstyle?) foods and the bartenders can mix up some delicious blended draughts, among other drinks.. It is transportive in that it feels like it takes you from Walt Disney World to a real pub in the UK (albeit idealized). On top of that, its outdoor seating offers great views of IllumiNations.

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4. La Cava del Tequila – La Cava has taken the Walt Disney World fan community by storm with its interesting margaritas, but I like it for a different reason: what better place to drink than a cave? The menu is unique, there are a variety of tequilas from affordable to “high roller” level, and the staff is knowledgeable. I’d say the margaritas are unique and good but not amazing. However, the environment and service are both exceptional, making this a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of Walt Disney World. This is especially true in the early afternoon (and much less so in evenings).

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3. Carthay Circle Lounge – Carthay Circle Lounge made Straight Outta Compton’s Ice Cube the second most awesome ice cube in Southern California. The reigning champion? The ‘cubes produced by Carthay’s custom pressed ice machine. The excellence of Carthay goes well beyond the ice cubes, to the unique and stylish drink menu, and the lavish and old Hollywood level of class. I don’t know much about old Hollywood, but imagine the bar in the Hollywood Tower Hotel before it became Tower of Terror. Yeah, it’s that elegant, and the nicest place to get a drink at Disney California Adventure. Read and see more in our Carthay Circle Review.

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2. Trader Sam’s – I’m lumping both Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at Disneyland Hotel and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at Walt Disney World’s Polynesian Village Hotel together, which is probably a crime. Although they unquestionably share the same thematic bloodlines, they are so different in style and execution that they really each deserve slots on this list. (They’d be 2-3, with Grog Grotto just a hair better than the original, for what it’s worth.) What makes these bars so special is their intimate environments, embrace of tiki culture, self-referential and strong details, and interactive fun. These bars are both packed with detail, and are unabashed, kitschy fun. They are Disney’s take on tiki bars, complete with Imagineered effects and Disney backstories. We’ll have a Grog Grotto Review soon, but for now, you can get more of an idea of the “magic” of these bars in our Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar Review.

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1. Teddy Roosevelt Lounge – A bar in Tokyo DisneySea. Honoring an American President. On a classic American ocean liner. That’s just the tip of the iceberg with Teddy Roosevelt Lounge, a bar the very existence of defies explanation. It doesn’t stop there, with painted murals of key points of Roosevelt’s life, antiques and memorabilia showcasing his rise to power, and photos depicting some of his accomplishments. It doesn’t stop there, either. The lounge abounds with rich, masculine woods that are detailed and textured, the booths are beautifully upholstered, there are overstuffed leather couches sit under a painted ceiling rotunda around a fireplace, and the light fixtures are all detailed. This lounge is lavish–far moreso than the Club 33 members-only 1901 Lounge. Add to that a 6 or so page sophisticated drink menu and some nice, light snacks, and Teddy Roosevelt Lounge surpasses every other entry on this list. It really must be seen to be believed, but you can get an idea of its excellence from the photos in our Teddy Roosevelt Lounge Review.

Now, some honorable mentions. Even though none of the resorts around the world have a lot of offerings that can be described as nightlife, the parks do have a lot of nice bars. Some of those include Mizner’s (one of the classier joints), Tune-In Lounge (a kitschy throwback), Dawa Bar (a relaxed, open air locale in the heart of Animal Kingdom), Top of the World Lounge (great views of the Magic Kingdom), and Crew Cup Lounge (think of it as a classy place for yacht owners to unwind). There are many other great options, and everyone seems to have their bar of choice–even in the Disney Parks!

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Looking for Disney trip planning tips to plan your next Disney Parks Bar Crawl? 😉 Make sure to read our Disney Parks Vacation Planning Guides, including our popular Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide and Disneyland Trip Planning Guide.

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YOUR THOUGHTS…

Any Disney bars you think got snubbed from this list? Any choices here that you think don’t belong? Share some of your favorites, and if you think I mis-ranked any bars, or made any poor choices? If you have any other questions or comments, please leave them below.

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