Mickey's Salads

Let’s talk salads.

I love salads and we all look forward to our favorite foods and restaurants when we visit a Disney resort. In Walt Disney World we have the parks, the hotels, and Disney Springs all loaded with choices for us.

For me, I can live off salads and through the years I have found those places which offer me the best salads. I’m very picky when it comes to salads so here are some thoughts on where in Walt Disney World are the best salads or I should say the best salad offerings.

I’ll tell you right now…for me they are few and far between. What do I look for in a salad? Well, like everyone else freshness is at the top of the list. A fresh salad is an inviting salad. After freshness comes perhaps the dressing and then the ingredients. I often call salads with intriguing ingredients a salad with “pizzaz.”

As you read on I hope you are not expecting a long list as making a list of let’s say ten places to get salads in Walt Disney World because frankly, in my humble opinion…I cannot come up with ten.

Also, over the years I have found some of my favorite salads to drop in my favor for a number of reasons…perhaps a change in dressing or a change in price or a change in the ingredients or perhaps in volume.

I have in my head about a half dozen establishments that over the last several years have fallen from grace when it comes to salads. I’m not here to put any restaurants down so I will stick to positive information.

Perhaps by me not mentioning certain restaurants, you will figure it out.

I want to focus first on Disney Springs because there are two establishments there which are near the top, if not the top of my list as places that never fail to disappoint me when it comes to a salad.

I need to talk about Splittsville at Disney Springs because of what happened on one visit. I happen to like the Southern Goddess Salad and I ordered it on one visit. About five minutes into enjoying the salad a manager came out and asked me if I was enjoying my salad. ”As always, it’s good.” I remarked. To which he said, “We brought you the wrong salad. You were given our Southwest Salad and we are bringing you out the one you ordered…Southern Goddess.

I was surprised and said the salad was fine and they did not have to bring out another one…but they did and I ended up taking that one back to my room. Oh and because of that mix-up they gave us free desserts. So Splittsville is right up there when it comes to salads and service. Once again, my salad of choice is Southern Goddess.

Another Disney Springs restaurant that has a salad coice for me is Worlfgang Puck Bar and Grill. Last year on one visit I happened to order the Chinois Chicken Salad. Yikes. It was a mountain of salad with a ton of Sesame-Soy-Mustard Vinaigrette, Candied Cashews, Crisp Wontons. It was very fresh. You need to be careful here because this salad is huge. It is very tasty…but don’t even think of ordering anything else like an appetizer because this salad will fill you up.

I don’t think the picture does the salad justice.

If you like variety then one place in particular where you can find a variety of salads is Sanaa at Khadani. Actually it’s sort of an appetizer but it is a combination of three salads…made up of Chermoula Quinoa, Watermelon Compress, Avocado, Roasted Vine Tomatoes, Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds, and Tamarind Vinaigrette.

Heck for most people they go to Sanaa and dine on the bread service and the seasonal salad and they are good to go.

In keeping with the theme of variety salads I have to mention Boma. The “pods” at Boma are exceptional because they offer so much variety and are vegetarian friendly. I’m a carnivore but I have many friends who are vegetarians and I know Boma is a place for them.

I’m not sure that every visit to Boma will result in the same array of salads but suffice to say there are multiple salad options such as Lentils and hearts of Palm Salad, Avocado, Grapefruit and Papaya Sada, Apple Jicama Salad, Artichoke and Preserved Lemon Salad, Spinach and Quinoa Salad, Pearl Couscous Sous salad, Beetroot Salad, Ghana Tomato Salad, and Tunisian Couscous Cous and Shrimp salad.

Now again, you may not find all of these salads when you visit Boma but there will be a few to open your eyes.

Those are my top choices. Of course anywhere that I can make my own salad would also be popular for me. I can think of two places where I feel meet my needs.

One is Cape May Cafe in The Beach Club…lots of variety. The other is a place I’ve gone to only once or twice but I thought it fit the bill nicely. It is Landscape of Flavors at The Art of Animation Resort. You can build a salad there.

I will say that pretty much every visit to Walt Disney World will see me visiting at least two or three of the four establishments I’ve mentioned.

That should tell you something.

Happy eating and we’ll see you next time.