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You are here: Home / Blog / Epcot World Showcase Update as La Cava Margaritas Shrink with Nine Dragons Lunch Review

Epcot World Showcase Update as La Cava Margaritas Shrink with Nine Dragons Lunch Review

May 11, 2016 ~ 11 minutes read73 Comments

Okay I thought this was going to be a nice World Showcase update but it is just a La Cava rant and a Nine Dragons lunch review. Proceed if you are in the mood.

It’s time to battle the crowds through World Showcase for as good of an update as we can hope for with all of these people around. This particular picture was taken at 12:45pm on Friday May 6th.

Under serious duress, the website would admit that it has neglected Epcot for the most part since hitting the Flower/Garden booths hard back in early March. I did cover rope dropping Joy/Sadness/Baymax and would remind you that none of those characters offer FastPass+, in addition to reviewing Garden Grill breakfast yesterday in this post.

I had expected Frozen to be open by now and it probably would be if not for that seventh fire. But I would still expect the meet and greet to open sooner rather than later as we get closer to the official, still undated opening next month.

START LA CAVA DEL TEQUILA RANT

Scroll down to “END LA CAVA DEL TEQUILA RANT” if you would like to skip it.

It should come as no surprise, but the website has been negative on La Cava del Tequila inside the Mexico Pavilion for a couple of years now.

The fact is that at one time, they served an excellent, premium product at a higher price point than most other outlets. But the higher price was justified because the quality of their drinks was that much better. If you were to read anything that I had to say about La Cava before early 2014, it would be 100% glowing. They used to be fantastic.

But for the last couple of years, they have made their drinks in large batches and poured them out of these plastic jugs that they have behind the counter.

Nobody else will tell you this because La Cava hooks up people that are positive about them, particularly on Twitter. And they actually host a private group on Twitter and when somebody says something negative about their operation, a bunch of them will start tweeting at you about how you’re wrong. Most of the prominent “Twitter personalities” are in this group. And it’s why you hear so much positivity. This brand of marketing is of course not unique to La Cava. It’s smart business.

Edit: Apparently this private Twitter group is moving to WhatsApp and requiring the phone numbers of everyone in their “focus group.”

But last month, La Cava just about halved the size of their drinks. You are looking at $36.45 worth. Compare the current cups above.

To the old ones. I’ve marked off around where the new cups end.

Also be careful because they have a new device that they use to swipe your credit card. Instead of printing off a receipt with a tip line, they hand you the device which says, in this case:

Tip:

  1. 18% – $5.56
  2. 20% – $6.18
  3. 25% – $7.72
  4. Other

So if you would like to tip any less than $5.56 on two drinks, you would have to read this device in the darkness and then press “4” for “Other” followed by inputting a different number. If they are pouring 25 drinks per hour at a $2.75 tip a piece, each jug pourer is pulling in $68.75 per hour in tips or $550 over eight hours. And more than most front line cast members would make in two weeks. Maybe they are hiring.

I do have some advice if you are still headed here.

The first is to select a different tequila than comes standard on the menu. I would not select “Mexican Coke” from the “Beer” section.

Wait, I guess they don’t even indicate which tequila each drink comes with anymore. So I would just pick a tequila off the menu above and ask if the drink can be made with that particular one. They should oblige and will make it fresh. Choosing an $11-$13 shot shouldn’t increase the price much, if at all.

My second piece of advice is to be a pretty girl. Nobody is handing me free shots of tequila I can assure you, but I had conned Erin from the Garden Grill review into tagging along with me while I took some sweet merchandise photos. On the day prior, they gave her a free shot of Patron and on this particular afternoon, handed her a second Avocado Margarita that was just about as tall as the first.

Meanwhile, I can’t even get 35% coverage on the salt rim.

My third piece of advice is to pay cash so you can leave a couple dollars per drink on the bar instead of awkwardly selecting “other” and then typing in a number on their tiny little keypad.

My fourth piece of advice is to tell them that you tweeted them earlier in the day about how excited you are to be there. They love that and it will increase your chances of receiving something “free” exponentially.

Otherwise, I tried the new-ish Beet Margarita this time around – Tequila, Beet Juice, Fresh Lime Juice, Ginger Liquor and Agave Nectar served on the rocks with a Poblano Pepper Salt Rim – $14.50. It was way too thick and syrupy. The thing about La Cava is that with how popular they are, they can’t possibly make all of their margaritas fresh. It’s not logistically possible in that space. But they are still charging a premium price for what is now a 6-ounce margarita with unnamed tequila. And you can’t control quality when you are making drinks in such large quantities. The ratios on my margarita were probably “correct” at one time, but when you are pouring concoctions that have sat for a while into individual glasses, you are obviously not distributing the correct amount of any particular ingredient. Erin’s Avocado Margarita was significantly thinner than the one she had received the day prior almost to the point where it was like drinking water. 2011 La Cava would have never served that. 2016 La Cava doesn’t care and probably didn’t even notice.

Those are today’s margarita thoughts.

It will be interesting to see if the margarita stand moves elsewhere with the Frozen Meet and Greet moving in right behind it.

 

END LA CAVA DEL TEQUILA RANT

For longtime reader Jimmy N. If you’re still out there Jimmy.

The Tomb Warriors exhibit has now closed.

It’s expected that a Shanghai Disneyland exhibit will open in its place.

Reflections of China is still being shown as it heads into its 13th anniversary later this month.

Lotus Blossom Cafe, the quick service in China, seems to waffle between this menu and the old one. I actually want to get over here to try the Sichuan Spicy Chicken.

I like Nine Dragons a lot, having enjoyed about a half dozen meals here in the last couple of years. Their reputation remains terrible I think, which may be a shame. I am not sure if anyone has eaten here recently, but feel free to chime in with your experience.

But even with positive recent experience, it is kind of hard to recommend it as your one table service meal in Epcot when so many other restaurants are more unique. Just about everybody is going to have a neighborhood Chinese restaurant, but you probably don’t have a Biergarten with an Oompah Band, San Angel Inn with perpetual darkness and a boat ride going by, or Chefs de France with real life French people.

Most of the menu should be recognizable with the usual Potstickers, Shanghai Spring Rolls that we are boycotting, Dumplings, etc.

The Chinese Burgers – Buns are a relatively new addition to celebrate the Year of the Monkey. We will be trying the General Tso version.

Most of these entrees are less expensive than most other on-property restaurants. You might remember that Be Our Guest Restaurant is demanding $16.99 for its Roast Beef Sandwich and Pecos Bill has a $16 Taco Burger on the menu. But with all but one entree here coming in at $20 or less, it’s not breaking the bank, relatively speaking. The average lunch entree at San Angel Inn in Mexico is $24.25 and lunch at Akershus is $54/adult to give you an idea of the neighboring options.

Happy Family is also available.

Or for $18 you can order a 3-course lunch. A lot of quick service entrees with a dessert would exceed that in price.

And portions are typically large. This is $17 worth of Sweet and Sour Pork with a side of Lightly Spiced Spinach Noodles.

$5 for a cup of Chicken Dumpling Consomme.

$17 for this Honey Sesame Chicken, which could be easily shared. This is three or four times as much food as you would get for $10.49 over at Lotus Blossom.

Those looking for a stiff cocktail or interesting beer have probably not come to the right place, at least in my experience. But the drinks also cost $8 compared to Morimoto Asia’s $16. So there’s that.

But you might like one of the teas, smoothies, or other beverages that don’t look like they break the bank.

But back to the meal at hand.

I failed to capture the size of the $8.98 General Tso’s Chicken Buns – Steamed Chinese Buns with Battered Fried Chicken Breast topped with Pork Floss and General Tso’s Sauce. But you could easily make a meal out of these and they are a terrific value at $9. A woman at a neighboring table had ordered these as an entree and didn’t finish them. It’s that much food. The chicken is otherwise nicely battered and juicy inside of the soft bun, which does an admirable job of keeping everything together. My only complaint was that I would have liked some more sauce. There is so much chicken and just the dollop of sauce on top. According to Wikipedia, pork floss, or Rousong, “is a dried meat product with a light and fluffy texture similar to coarse cotton, originating from China.” It did provide another layer of salty, sweet, fluffy deliciousness. But it really is a sizable portion so keep that in mind if you’re planning on following these with an entree. If they were offering these out at the Flower and Garden Festival for $4.50 a piece I don’t think you would hear a single complaint from me. I would just tell you to go straight to China.

I was dining with good-friend-of-the-site Anthony, who ordered the Lunch Special and started with the Vegetable Spring Rolls. They fulfilled expectations being light and not-at-all-greasy with a nice crunch to each bite. Certainly not a bad way to start a meal as we split these and the buns.

Most of the entrees sounded good, but I ended up going with the $17.98 Nine Dragons Lo Mein – Egg noodles stir fried with barbeque pork, beef, shrimp and vegetables.

If you’re thinking, “where are the shrimp Josh,” you’re not alone. There were just a couple and they were teeny tiny, which might be disappointing if you were expecting something larger. It’s otherwise a sizable pile of food with a lot of meat. I would have preferred a more flavorful sauce – there was just a light soy taste to the noodles, but it still tasted good.

Anthony continued with the Moo Goo Gai Pan – Sliced Chicken Breast Stir-Fried with Mushrooms and Snow Peas. Served with Steamed Rice. He mentioned that the plating left something to be desired and it is an awful lot of white/beige on top of a white/beige plate. But the chicken was very nicely stir fried with a nice assortment of vegetables and rice. Neither one of us were able to finish our entrees and our Disney appetite games are strong.

You have your choice of ice cream with the lunch set – this is the Caramel-Ginger version and it is extremely ginger-y with bits of candied ginger mixed in. But that is not necessarily a bad thing and it is cold and refreshing during the heat of the day.

I prefer the Strawberry-Red Bean option, which is lighter and more air-y in my opinion with an authentic strawberry taste.

Overall, I think Nine Dragons competes very well on price, portion, and flavor. It does not compete so well on overall experience, perhaps. I think service is typically a little more brusk than other restaurants. At a restaurant like Tokyo Dining, everyone is so nice. They’re not mean or anything at Nine Dragons, but it’s pretty obvious that you both realize that you will never see each other again. And while Nine Dragons is a very pretty restaurant, it’s still “just a nicely decorated room.” But it might be worth checking out if you’re looking at a potentially less costly option. It is a lot of food for your money and if you share an appetizer and entree, you might find yourself more satisfied than quick service for the same money. It’s certainly more comfortable than Lotus Blossom’s outdoor seating space.

Another potentially underrated aspect of China is the shopping I think.

Japan/Mitsukoshi receive a lot of hype, and deservedly so, but if you enjoy that store then you might find some interesting items here too.

And you can get super artsy with it:









And a lot of the snacks are priced the same as they would be at a grocery or specialty store if you could find them. 20 pouches for four bucks.

Amusingly(?), I had noticed that a lot of the various Pavilions had released new Pavilion-specific merchandise. And because the House of Good Fortune is so vast, I asked a cast member if they had anything specific to the Pavilion and the cast member snapped back that “if I was looking for something with Mickey Mouse I might try Mouse Gears [sic] at the front of the Park.” I laughed. And she’s not wrong.

So that is not much of an update on what’s happening at World Showcase.

We will push forward in the next update.

Last modified: June 5, 2018 Filed Under: Blog

Comments

  1. Ottawa says

    May 11, 2016 at 8:49 pm

    Josh, where should my wife and I go for great cocktails in WDW?

    Reply
    • josh says

      May 11, 2016 at 8:51 pm

      http://www.millersalehouse.com/location/orlando-lake-buena-vista-ale-house

      Reply
      • josh says

        May 11, 2016 at 10:30 pm

        And to answer your question non-sarcastically, I am not sure on the cocktail front. I could offer a “best choice” at most parks, but I am not sure there is a single location that will always mix a good drink. There are a lot of variables plus personal taste.

        Reply
        • andrew says

          May 12, 2016 at 9:23 am

          FWIW Belle Vue Lounge at the Boardwalk always seems to make a nice drink.

          Reply
        • rose says

          May 12, 2016 at 12:30 pm

          yes, would love for you to post on your “best choices” for alcohol in parks and resorts….

          Reply
        • dusty cheatham says

          May 13, 2016 at 5:22 am

          rose & crown pub….

          Reply
    • Val. says

      May 12, 2016 at 6:13 pm

      I’m not Josh, but I’ve always had good drinks at the lounge at The Wave. Especially if you go in the afternoon when it’s practically empty. The bartender has time to craft a good, strong drink!

      Reply
    • Keith says

      May 12, 2016 at 7:19 pm

      From an mixologist…the absolute best cocktails are found at Blue Zoo. Creative and well crafted, and you can even find a nice barrel-aged Manhattan or Vieux Carre. Other good choices are Raglan Road, Morimoto, and Capa at the Four Seasons. In the parks….Tutto Gusto makes a very nice Negroni, otherwise I would stick with the finer tequilas at La Cava. Trader Sams cocktails are fun, but they are pretty “frou frou”.

      Reply
  2. Scott from VA says

    May 11, 2016 at 10:27 pm

    Hey Josh, I for one live the negativity! Thank you sir. Speaking of… It seems a number of your photos are mixed up in the post. #vacationruined

    Reply
    • Scott from VA says

      May 11, 2016 at 10:31 pm

      Sorry, *love* the negativity.

      Reply
    • josh says

      May 11, 2016 at 10:31 pm

      If you are on mobile and using Safari in particular, if you start scrolling before the page loads then that can happen. You might try clicking refresh and waiting until the whole page loads.

      Reply
  3. Tom Bricker says

    May 11, 2016 at 10:42 pm

    If anyone from La Cava’s social media team is reading this, I would like to be a part of your focus group. I am a personality on Twitter, and although I do not have WhatsApp, I do have a rotatory telephone and a fancy microwave (not to boast or anything). I am totally willing to sell out, and my price is LOW. I will gladly tweet words of harassment at Josh in exchange for free margaritas.

    Ah, who am I kidding, I will harass him even if no margaritas are on the table.

    Reply
    • josh says

      May 11, 2016 at 10:43 pm

      can you stop changing your ip PLEASE

      Reply
      • josh says

        May 11, 2016 at 10:44 pm

        AND WHY ARE YOU THE ONLY PERSON ON HERE WITH AN AVATAR AND WHY IS IT YOUR FACE

        Reply
        • Ben says

          May 12, 2016 at 11:17 am

          Are you two really going to have this fight, but no discussion of the sweet, sweet bokeh in the artsy merch pic??

          So disappoint. Much sad.

          Reply
          • Becky A says

            May 12, 2016 at 2:57 pm

            How can you call that artsy? There was no tilt.

        • Clayton says

          May 12, 2016 at 8:45 pm

          That smile is a ray of sunshine in the darkness. SOMEBODY HAS TO BALANCE OUT THE NEGATIVITY.

          Reply
        • mlm says

          May 16, 2016 at 12:51 pm

          If it helps any, on most other sites (I don’t waste my time enough on here to go to the effort) my avatar is also Tom’s face.

          Thanks for the lolz, gents.

          Reply
  4. Bob from Colorado says

    May 11, 2016 at 11:00 pm

    Thanks for the info on La Cava , we were planning on going there next week but are having second thoughts – I would love to hear what would be your “best choice ” suggestion for a cocktail in Epcot or any place else in the “world”

    Reply
    • andrew says

      May 12, 2016 at 9:27 am

      Might not be Josh’s opinion but the bar at the Rose and Crown is full service and they make good drinks, you can probably even get a freshly made margarita.

      Reply
      • Dan Young says

        May 12, 2016 at 11:30 am

        Another vote for the Rose & Crown. Drinks are strong – they make an excellent vodka martini! And you can get your last drink to go and enjoy it while watching IllumiNations.

        Reply
        • Bill says

          May 12, 2016 at 3:17 pm

          Drinks to go, good to know!

          Reply
        • dusty cheatham says

          May 13, 2016 at 5:26 am

          my good friend dan know from which he speaks

          Reply
        • Keith says

          May 13, 2016 at 10:58 am

          Drinks are well made, but nothing very creative. And the beers are pretty ubiquitous British beers. This bar is all about atmosphere, and it has that in spades.

          Reply
    • Ashley says

      May 12, 2016 at 11:42 am

      I really like the Tipsy Duck in Love drink which is sold at one of the carts in China! Get it every trip.

      Reply
  5. Brent says

    May 11, 2016 at 11:05 pm

    a few years ago i talked with a manager at la cava and he mentioned some of the bartenders make 6 figures. after seeing your math, i might believe him now.

    Reply
  6. Jen Noricks says

    May 11, 2016 at 11:06 pm

    What’s the view like from Nine Dragons? If you get a window seat, is it a good place for people watching? IllumiNations?

    Reply
  7. Joanne Paar says

    May 11, 2016 at 11:06 pm

    I had a similar experience at Nine Dragons Restaurant in February. For dinner I ordered the chef’s special which turned out to be a lot of food, with tons of shrimp, beef, and chicken. Very delicious. It was probably enough to share with three people. It was early, about 5:30, and there were only about six other people in the restaurant. Surprisingly, they took a long time to figure out where to seat us which really seemed silly.

    Reply
  8. Cathy says

    May 11, 2016 at 11:39 pm

    Ate at Nine Dragons in Sept and it was good – place was empty but food was good. My sister was vegan and they totally accommodated her and she loved it! But yes, it is like all the other Chinese owned restaurants near me – however I would go back.

    Reply
  9. Dylan says

    May 12, 2016 at 6:30 am

    I am amused that the stereotypical Chinese nonchalance about intellectual property has snuck into Epcot.

    That is assuredly a pastiche of Ziggs, from the popular game League of Legends, on that bag of popping candy.

    https://na.merch.riotgames.com/media/catalog/product/z/i/ziggs_main_1.png

    Reply
    • Anon says

      May 12, 2016 at 12:25 pm

      Had a good laugh over that myself.

      Reply
  10. Lauren says

    May 12, 2016 at 8:38 am

    My family had a 11:30 ADR at San Angel Inn on May 6, and there were a few people lined up at La Cava waiting for them to start serving at 11:30.

    Reply
  11. Grover's Bathtub says

    May 12, 2016 at 9:37 am

    I liked the rant about La Cava, but I actually think that most margaritas have way too much (non-booze) liquid. My favorite, simple recipe is 2 oz of 100% agave tequila, 1 oz of Cointreau, and 1 oz of lime juice on ice.

    Reply
  12. Gigi says

    May 12, 2016 at 9:38 am

    We also used to love the margaritas at La Cava! They really got lazy with the premade crap. I get it – it’s Disney…you have a line of angry drunks lined up all through the building…you assume that most of these yahoos wouldn’t know a decent tequila if it bit them on the patootie – but there is no excuse for charging those prices. Oh well. Let’s just blame Shanghai and move on.

    BTW – we’ll be in Disney next week. Hoping to catch a glimpse of you (or photobomb one of your artsy pics) 🙂

    Reply
    • Heather says

      May 12, 2016 at 3:37 pm

      You could ask for one ingredient omitted or “on the side” to get that fresh mix-up?
      It would be their own fault for turning us into annoying patrons; who wants to spend over $15 on a pre-made drink that could’ve been sitting in a yucky plastic container oxidizing since ?

      “Shanghai Spring Rolls that we are boycotting” Josh shanghai’d us into the boycott, from here forth.

      Reply
  13. Dan Murphy says

    May 12, 2016 at 10:57 am

    They automatically add in the tip line? Terrible!!

    Reply
    • Dan Young says

      May 12, 2016 at 11:32 am

      I didn’t read that at all. They give you a choice – # 4 is OTHER, where you could add zero if you wanted.

      Reply
    • Angelique says

      May 12, 2016 at 11:53 am

      I’ve noticed this a lot at places that use an ipad for their “register”. I don’t know if it’s Square that does it or another program. There is often an almost automated tip line. I do find it annoying when they start at 18% though; even if it is the new norm.

      Reply
  14. PhilP says

    May 12, 2016 at 10:58 am

    We had Nine Dragons last week for lunch… I think it was Wednesday, when it was really rainy. The place was dead, but we quite enjoyed the food and the price was, as you say, quite good for a table service restaurant.

    While decent Chinese food is available at most places in the US, I do think Nine Dragons gets unfairly overlooked… you can get steaks and seafood similar to what you’d find at Le Cellier and Coral Reef, and those do a good business, so there’s no real reason why people should give it a miss. It’s a good place to cool off on a hot day or warm up on a cool and damp one.

    Reply
  15. ceb104 says

    May 12, 2016 at 11:09 am

    Should have saved the China rotunda ceiling for your next Mosaic Monday. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Joeseph says

    May 12, 2016 at 11:48 am

    Why is Mexican Coke listed as a beer?

    That said, if anyone is willing to spend $5 on it, it tastes great and is way better than US Coke. It uses real cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup (which is in the US formula). It is essentially the Coke formula used in the early 80s in the US until the New Coke debacle (after New Coke failed in the mid 80s, Coke “reintroduced” the previous formula under the Coke Classic banner, except that the sugar was replaced with HFCS).

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      May 16, 2016 at 8:24 am

      If you live in Brooklyn, or other places near a religious jewish community, you can get coke made with sugar around Passover time. Coca-Cola produces a special run of sodas with yellow caps that contain sugar instead of HFCS. In major jewish areas these can be found in chain supermarkets sometimes. But even in smaller areas, visit the local kosher grocery a couple weeks before passover and you’ll probably see those yellow caps.

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        May 16, 2016 at 8:25 am

        And it usually costs the same price as regular coke.

        Reply
  17. Dose of Reality says

    May 12, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    “My second piece of advice is to be a pretty girl.”

    Dude, seriously? You just described every bar on the planet. Stop whining.

    Reply
  18. IndyND says

    May 12, 2016 at 1:23 pm

    Does anyone know what the sawdust/dryer lint looking stuff is on top of the General Tso’s Chicken Buns? Just curious.

    Reply
    • Kim says

      May 12, 2016 at 3:59 pm

      I assumed that it was the “pork floss”, a concept that both disgusts and amuses me.

      Reply
      • Heather says

        May 15, 2016 at 12:25 am

        You never know when you may need to floss your pork… might come in handy 😀

        Reply
  19. Tina says

    May 12, 2016 at 1:26 pm

    Your review on La Cava is so negatively stilted I don’t know if it can be trusted. It sounds like you’ve had a bad experience and are just out to get them. I may try then just to see if you r reviews can be trusted.

    Reply
    • Heather says

      May 12, 2016 at 3:43 pm

      Well, the smaller drink size is objective. And the pre-made jugs are objective. Pretty girls are subjective though.

      Reply
      • dusty cheatham says

        May 13, 2016 at 5:31 am

        hummmmm indeed madame

        Reply
    • AnneMarie says

      May 13, 2016 at 10:52 am

      Cava is definitely not what it used to be I will second that 100%. However, we still enjoy it for some reason and it is a staple on our vacation, how long it will continue that way I guess we’ll see. It’s more nostalgia to us at this point then the fantastic drink possibility, which is a shame with what they started making in the beginning. Margaritas have become imbalanced and overly sweet almost to the point I always make my husband finish mine and he does so reluctantly (and I don’t do that often with drinks) service is no where near what it used to be when they opened and were friendly to all. We have found ourselves lately just going in for a beer, cool place to sit, and their fantastic queso dip.

      Reply
      • Becky A says

        May 13, 2016 at 3:35 pm

        I second everything AnneMarie says. I’m pretty much over La Cava. I have stood at the bar and watched as my margarita was freshly made but I can’t say for sure what they bring me when I order at the table. I have been “gifted” chips and queso before, and not because I’m a pretty girl – more to do with having my bartender son with me who can chat up just about anyone. The smaller drink size kind of puts the nail in the coffin for me. May still stop by on Margarita Monday, but that would be about it.

        Reply
  20. Melvin says

    May 12, 2016 at 1:33 pm

    That tequila bar is a blight on the park at Food & Wine time. So many people doing shots and behaving as drunk people do. My last profanity-laced stroll through the Mexico pavilion in October reminded me why Senor Disney didn’t want booze in his parks. It’s not a tasting experience, it’s a drinking experience. But lucrative!

    Reply
  21. JayStemple says

    May 12, 2016 at 1:59 pm

    Yes! The China and Japan pavilion shopping is a must stop for us. My kids and I could spend an hour in each.
    But even my kids saw right through the clam-pearl shuckers. They saw the pearl in one of the lady’s hands before she even opened the clam. Don’t mean to break anyone’s hearts here.

    Reply
  22. Jenn @ Fairest Run of All says

    May 12, 2016 at 2:25 pm

    I have often noticed that China and Japan share a lot of the SAME merchandise. So that’s interesting. Still love perusing both!

    Reply
  23. andrew says

    May 12, 2016 at 3:06 pm

    I can’t believe Josh gets constantly attacked on Twitter anytime he speaks truthfully about La Cava. It’s a joke. This is a trip planning/value based blog/twitter account. If anyone thinks 6oz of pre-made Margaritas is a good value, good for them. As the above receipt shows, at $18 with tax and tip, you money can be spent better at bars that will make you a fresh made drink. I asked the Margarita Slingers(cause Bartender is reserved for actual bartenders) to make a fresh blood orange margarita and they refused, then my wife asked the next day and they obliged. They told me I could only get a fresh margarita if I ordered the $20.50 top shelf. That is garbage! If you like La Cava, that is fine, you are allowed to, just don’t force you opinion on others, as was the case on Twitter.

    Facts-Margaritas are pre-made and stored in jugs. The size of the cup they are served in has shrunk. If you are a woman you get a fresh margarita if you ask(could be an opinion but it was a fact for me)

    Opinions- 30+ minutes waiting in line is not worth it. Would rather pay for a double at Rose and Crown for a similar price, and the take Tables in Wonderland if ya got it.

    Reply
    • dusty cheatham says

      May 13, 2016 at 5:34 am

      is that why there are so many people in my pub ???

      Reply
  24. Ghenghy says

    May 12, 2016 at 3:31 pm

    I completely agree with you about the drinks at La Cava. Our first time there was just a few months after they opened and we were floored at how awesome it was. Over time, we noticed the quality was going down. Drinks seemed smaller, weaker, sweeter. Just not as good, and yet more expensive. We used to make it a point to go there every time we were in Epcot, now we pass it by. The same goes for the African Margarita at Animal Kingdom’s Dawa Bar. It used to be my favorite drink on property and then it, too, became pre-made. The last time I had it, it was so sweet I didn’t even finish it. I’ll never order it again. Truly sad how they mess up a good thing. Is there anywhere on property to get a freshly-made, classic margarita anymore?

    Reply
    • Keith says

      May 13, 2016 at 11:07 am

      The margaritas made at La Hacienda are made fresh and usually much better. I believe the new Rick Bayless restaurant will have great margaritas. For a nice twist on the margarita, try the Burnt Orange at Blue Zoo…comes with a bruleed orange slice as a garnish.

      Reply
  25. Ana says

    May 12, 2016 at 4:10 pm

    I completely agree with the La Cava review which makes me sad. I was a HUGE La Cava fan, been visiting since they opened, used to sing their praises to anyone who would listen, etc. Unfortunately, the last few times we have visited, it’s been disappointing. Last November (last time I was there) was the worst; my avocado “margarita” was so bad I like to describe it as “water with a hint of avocado”…. yum. It’s a shame that the quality has gone downhill – ambiance is nice but drink wise, I rather go drop my $$ somewhere else now.

    Reply
  26. Kevin says

    May 13, 2016 at 8:08 am

    I also completely agree with the La Cava Review. We used to love the margaritas there, but the last time we ordered (probably a month ago) the drinks were really bad (watered down and way too sweet), which is something that should not happen at that price point. I felt like I had been pick pocketed. Will not be going back anytime soon.

    Reply
  27. Liz says

    May 13, 2016 at 9:21 am

    Lovely China pavilion photos. I’ve always loved the shopping there but haven’t visited in a while. Thanks for the reminder.

    Good to know what’s behind the twitter attacks.
    I appreciate that you stand for you principles, Josh.

    Reply
  28. Claire says

    May 13, 2016 at 9:46 am

    We ate lunch at the Nine Dragons in March, the park was crazy busy (Spring Break I know!) but we got a table immediately. We both had the 3 course lunch deal, the portions were big and the service was fantastic. The food was good, nothing different than you’ll get at your local Chinese but when everywhere else is bursting at the seams it’s well worth a visit. Also the restaurant is really pretty.

    Reply
  29. Anne Marie says

    May 13, 2016 at 9:53 am

    Thanks for the update Josh. I agree with you that the staff at Tokyo Dining are “so nice” & the staff at Nine Dragons are rushed & “know they will never see you again.” ;0 Nine Dragons is ok but like you said there are more unique experiences in World Showcase. We ate at both in December but are only planning to going back to Tokyo Dining this summer.

    I guess I am the out one out because I don’t drink but I enjoy reading your drink reviews. ! LOL.

    Reply
  30. ron says

    May 13, 2016 at 10:02 am

    Am I the only one who thinks that burger and monkey should not be in the same sentence?
    I also think that top shelf tequila is wasted in most of those drinks. To enjoy a high quality tequila, drink it straight or with mixers that don’t mask the tequila.
    Otherwise save the money and use a cheap tequila because you can’t taste the difference anyway in a drink with overpowering mixers.

    Reply
  31. kayemgi says

    May 13, 2016 at 11:52 am

    We went to La Cava in late 2013, and I was so excited because I had read your glowing reviews here. They must have just started the jugs, or perhaps were testing them at that time, because when I ordered my margarita I watched them pour it from one of those plastic jugs and I was so confused! This was not the freshly made masterpiece I was expecting! It was disappointing to say the least. We haven’t been back since then. I’d rather get a fun cocktail somewhere in Disney Springs if I’m going to pay $18 for it.

    Reply
  32. Jaime says

    May 13, 2016 at 1:03 pm

    On the icon thing, I have an icon that pops up that may be related to disqus or gravatar, but I’m not certain. We’ll see what pops up for me today, but the last time I commented it came with my cup of tea icon. (Teacup/nyreak = gravatar, water/Jaime = disqus)

    As for Nine Dragons, my family enjoys eating there. As you said, you get a lot of food compared to some places, and it’s nice to be able to sit and eat somewhere that’s relatively peaceful. It’s one of the few table service restaurants we can turn to as walk-ups and never worry that we’ll have to wait a long time.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      May 14, 2016 at 10:10 am

      Ohhhhhhh! Very interesting about the avatars – I was wondering!

      Reply
  33. Dawn says

    May 13, 2016 at 5:58 pm

    One of my daughters has dated a boy who is a Twitter personality, gets paid to lie , very strange… Truman in reverse…odd

    Reply
  34. Dawn says

    May 13, 2016 at 6:33 pm

    OH! and your photo inside the China pavilion is gorgeous!!

    Reply
  35. dusty cheatham says

    May 14, 2016 at 10:12 am

    josh I am sure if you took a dog eared copy of your book ” THE EASY GUIDE TO YOUR FIRST WALT DISNEY WORLD VISIT ” sat it on the bar & asked for a freshly prepared blood orange ..sic… being the chick magnet that you are … you just have to use your celebrity.

    Reply
  36. Katy says

    May 16, 2016 at 3:50 pm

    Random recommendation – The canned mango drink from the refrigerator in gift shop in China is THE MOST refreshing drink in the whole of World Showcase. SO good.

    Alcohol wise , I like Morocco (though I may be in the minority). Always give me a huge measure of alcohol in whatever I order. Usually make me drink half in front of them and then top it up with more alcohol!

    Reply
  37. Bervenator says

    May 16, 2016 at 11:22 pm

    So it is written; so it shall be done!

    We took your Mitsokushi suggestion and amplified it with leftover steak from Le Cellier lunch. I brewed hot water in the BWV coffee maker , steeped the ramen while we sliced up our protein, threw it together and heated it one minute in the microwave. It was CRAZY DELICIOUS and we’re going back tomorrow to buy more spicey ramen to bring home. 2.99! Dang me!

    Also thank you for the fearless La Cava review. You are right on point; it is a ridiculous ripoff to the point of absurdity!

    Reply

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