Man does not live by bread alone at Jollywood Nights. He also drinks cocktails.
CROSS-PARTY COCKTAILS
Yes, unlike Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in the (mostly) dry Magic Kingdom, the holiday party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios toasts the season with adult beverages! Oh, and snacks too. In fact, Jollywood Nights features something of its own food festival. There are booths and revamped restaurants scattered across the park with party-exclusive menus of food and drink. (See Disney’s official Jollywood menus here.)
And I love that! Because while you can certainly find a full size drink without issue, you can also try more sample size booth drinks without risking, shall we say, having a little too much fun.
Tragically, if you’re looking to have just the right amount of fun, you will likely need to exercise discernment by trying only some Jollywood offerings. But which? That’s where I come in! C’mon, let’s review some drinks – and heck, a little bit of food too while we’re at it. Starting with…
EPIC EATS AT ECHO LAKE
I snagged the Warm Spiced Chai Cocktail: Twinings Chai Tea, RumChata Cream Liqueur, vanilla, and cinnamon. This was a very sweet drink, but the spice from the chai and cinnamon kept it from tipping into cloying territory. It was also light on the alcohol, which is bad for value but good for keeping your head. Basically if you enjoy chai lattes you’ll like this.
My main complaint was the temperature. When they say “warm,” they do mean warm, not hot – and I think it would’ve been better served properly hot. Maybe a safety issue?
KRNR THE ROCK STATION
This food stop was located by the Fiesta en la Calle party area and had a Latin menu to match. I grabbed a Spiced Apple Sangria: Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, red wine, apple cider, Minute Maid Orange Juice, and lemon and lime juices garnished with a star fruit chip.
I really liked this one! The Fireball made its presence known, but the red wine and fruit juices held back the beast. I especially appreciated the citrus notes, which somehow managed to make cinnamon whiskey refreshing??? It’s hardly an authentic sangria, but I thought it was a fun little holiday drink.
JOLLYWOOD NIGHTS GENERALLY
There are a smattering of menu items offered across the park during Jollywood Nights. While on Sunset Boulevard, I picked up the Gingerbread Whisky Mule: Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, gingerbread syrup, lime juice, and ginger beer garnished with a gingerbread bite. Yeah, I was all in on the Fireball. It’s that Marine Corps Marathon runner in me.
This one wasn’t nearly as Fireball-y, though. Between the gingerbread syrup and ginger beer, the dominant flavor was definitely ginger. If you like ginger – which luckily I do – you will get a kick out of this drink. If you don’t, you really won’t. I enjoyed it as something to nurse while watching a show, but I think I’d look for something a little more complex next time.
The gingerbread whisky mule came with a gingerbread bite, which is a sort of vegan gingerbread… cube… thing. I might describe it charitably as okay. It was hard, but I’m not sure if that was a bug or a feature. I’d say try one as a drink garnish, but I doubt a bag of them is worth it.
GET YOUR JOLLYWOOD NIGHTS FLUTE AT THE TIP TOP CLUB
The Twilight Soiree at the Tip Top Club, located in the plaza behind the Tower of Terror, was my favorite part of Jollywood Nights. Bonus: the bar there featured my favorite drink. Double bonus: it comes in a souvenir glass! (Disney fine print claims “while supplies last” so we hedged our bets and went first thing.)
If you want the souvenir champagne flute, you’ll need to order one of the two signature cocktails. I went with the 1939 Royale: Teremana Blanco Tequila, Cointreau Liqueur, desert pear, agave nectar, and lime juice topped with Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut.
First of all: 1939!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But also, this drink was up my alley and in my wheelhouse. It is my circus and my monkeys. It is tequila – love a good tequila drink. AND it is champagne – love champagne! And it is delightfully balanced with just enough fruit juice and agave to keep the two alcohols smooth but detectable. If we didn’t have so much party to cover I would’ve had another.
Incidentally, the souvenir glass is not so much glass as a sturdy plastic. It’s cute, though – I brought mine home and intend to use it furiously all month.
JAZZY HOLIDAYS AT THE BROWN DERBY
When Becky and I snagged an advanced dining reservation for Jazzy Holidays at the Brown Derby Lounge, we debated whether we should keep it. The idea of the party-within-a-party – that it’s a swanky lounge with swingin’ singers crooning holiday tunes in a fancy setting – appealed to us. On the other hand, we weren’t sure if it would eat up too much time.
Ultimately I’m of two minds about the experience. I liked it more in theory than in practice. My biggest problem was in the sound balancing. Basically, it wasn’t. I imagined an experience where the performer is something of a central figure, almost like a cabaret or dinner show. Instead, it was more like a standard dinner service with two rotating singer-pianists you couldn’t really hear… from your table.
When I went to the bathroom, however, I discovered that the artists’ mics were piped directly into the restrooms??? I could hear them perfectly! They had banter and everything! I kinda wanted to take my drink into the stall and hang out there…?
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE JAZZY HOLIDAYS DRINKS?
Speaking of which, we did order drinks and food while straining to hear the musicians over the dining din. Jazzy Holidays has its own special Jollywood menu.
For my beverage, I chose the Poinsettia Fizz: Grand Marnier Liqueur, cranberry juice, simple syrup, and prosecco garnished with frozen cranberries. You know how I love my bubbles.
This was good, but not as good as the 1939 Royale at the Tip Top Club. The Poinsettia Fizz was more like dressed up sparkling wine then a well-balanced cocktail in its own right. Since I like champagne, this was not a disappointment as such, but I wish the Grand Marnier had pulled a little more weight. Very pretty, though, and I do love effervescence.
AND THE FOOD?
We also picked up some snacks at the Brown Derby, including the Pork Belly Bao: Korean barbecue, cucumber slaw, and soy vinaigrette. To be honest, I’m not sure how impartial a review I can be; I am well documented as a lover of bao. It would be an exaggeration to say I’d eat pencil shavings in a bao bun, but not by as much as you might think. The pork belly was a major improvement on pencil shavings and I did find it tasty. That being said, nothing about it stood out.
And since Becky and I are on a mission to try every Disney charcuterie board, we certainly going to let the Jollywood edition pass us by. Thus we ordered the Charcuterie: House-made cured meats and accompaniments with blue cheese mousse and toasted sourdough.
Unlike the Poinsettia Fizz, I did find the charcuterie board to be a bit of a disappointment. It was pretty small and uninspired. I mean, there was nothing wrong with it, and I do LOVE a honey accompaniment. Still – only two meats and two cheeses? Three toast points? And all of it fairly pedestrian? What’s Hollywood-Jollywood about that? Isn’t generosity part of the spirit of Christmas?
Anyway, my assessment of Jazzy Holidays at the Brown Derby is fabulous idea, spotty execution. I’d consider trying it again, though, if they piped the music into the dining room and not just the bathroom.
IS THE JOLLYWOOD NIGHTS FOOD & DRINK SCENE WORTH YOUR TIME?
Listen: you don’t have to use up precious Jollywood party time on food. There’s a good two hours of mix-in period before the party starts. You could just as easily grab a meal during regular park hours or even before arrival if you want to keep your focus on shows or characters or attractions.
If you like a little sip ‘n stroll, however, I would highly recommend hitting up a few Jollywood-exclusive menus and trying a drink or two. Particularly at the Tip Top Club. Please tell them I sent you! I’m trying to get a membership there. 😉
Don’t forget, you can follow FRoA on Threads @fairestrunofall and on Instagram @fairestrunofall. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment or email fairestrunofall@gmail.com. See ya real soon!