Bacon hanging from a wire, a S’mores Old Fashioned, 5 different kinds of popcorn, and…bone marrow?

Over at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, the Territory Lounge just got a BIG menu overhaul. Disney announced several new snacks and drinks that arrived here recently, and you know we had to try them out ASAP. Come with us to see which of the new items are worth a trip during your next Disney World vacation!

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is just a short boat ride away from Magic Kingdom, so even if you’re not staying at this hotel, it’s not too far out of the way if you want to visit for a quick bite. And Territory Lounge at this hotel is one of our favorite hang-outs! It has a cozy vibe and lots of unique options on the menu.

But there are a LOT of good lounges in the hotels around Magic Kingdom — we’re talking Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto with the exciting antics and themed drinks, Steakhouse 71 Lounge with the Stack Burger that frankly we’re in love with, and the Enchanted Rose with gourmet bites and classic cocktails. So can Territory Lounge compete with the BEST now that it has a revamped menu? Let’s go inside and see.

Atmosphere

Territory Lounge is connected to the table service restaurant Artist Point. This lounge has a cozy atmosphere with decor that’s inspired by a rustic lodge.

There’s a bar area with stools, or you can opt for the tables and chairs instead. We took a table, and we were very happy with our choice — we thought the chairs were super comfy, which is important if you’re looking for a relaxing place to hang out for a bit.

The decor around this restaurant is reminiscent of the Old American West, with artifacts hanging on the walls…

…as well as art and American flags. Overall, it’s a very comfortable place to kill a couple of hours while you give your feet a rest after a long day in the parks.

Let’s get into the real reason you came — the food!

Menu

Everything on the food and cocktails menu is new here. There are 7 new cocktails, including the National 95, Orchards Bounty, L&C G&T, Orange-Spiced Sangria, The Northwoods, the S’mores Old Fashioned, and Timeless Elias. Cocktails range in price from $15 to $22.

You could also opt for Red or White Wine or choose one of the many options for bottled beers. Beer ranges in price from $6.75 to $9, and wine by the glass is $10 to $16.

As far as the food, you can get a variety of lounge bites and small plates. The options look like they could please all kinds of palates, ranging from a popcorn sampler to a bone marrow charcuterie.

Small plates cost between $12 and $25 each.

Eats

We’ll start off with our cocktail of choice tonight, which was the S’mores Old Fashioned for $17. This drink is made with Elijah Craig 12yr Kentucky Straight Bourbon and has a Toasted Marshmallow garnish with Chocolate Bitters.

We thought this drink was a really fun twist on a classic Old Fashioned. It was definitely heavy on the bourbon, but it had a sweet kick from the chocolate bitters and marshmallows.

Drinks are also covered on this menu – this is the Smores Old Fashioned 🥃 It’s described as having a campfire feel with Elijah Craig bourbon, toasted marshmallow syrup, and chocolate bitters garnished with toasted marshmallows. 🏕 pic.twitter.com/jRD54iho48

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) October 4, 2022

If you like Old Fashioneds normally or enjoy strong alcohol, we think you’ll be a fan of this drink. However, if you prefer more balanced drinks or cocktails with fruity flavors, you’ll want to try something different.

Now on to the food! We tried everything on the menu so that you know what to order when you come. First up was the Territory Popcorn Sampler for $12. This comes with 5 different kinds of popcorn: Spicy, Caramel, Sea Salt, Truffle, and Barbecue-flavored.

The sea salt popcorn was pretty plain and had just a hint of salt. This one was a little boring in our opinion, but it was still tasty and had great texture. The barbecue tastes just like a Lays barbecue chip but with a bit more spice. The seasoning wasn’t dispersed very well, but it tasted great if you could get a piece with a lot of flavoring on it.

The truffle popcorn was very strong and savory. We thought the flavoring was much more evenly distributed on this one than on the barbecue, and the truffle flavor was prominent and well balanced with some salt.

The chef at Territory Lounge also took a spin on POPCORN! 🍿 Guests can now try the Territory Popcorn Sampler with spicy, caramel, sea salt, truffle, and BBQ flavors. pic.twitter.com/4jgCCX6bwQ

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) October 4, 2022

The spicy popcorn was — no surprise — SPICY. Seriously, you might want to avoid this if you’re not a fan of real heat. However, the spice was again not very well distributed, so some pieces had an overwhelming amount of spice while others were barely flavored. The caramel popcorn was one of our favorites. It was perfectly sweet and sticky and gave us burn marshmally/toffee vibes.

Next, we had the Artisanal Cheese and Charcuterie Board for $22. This board has different kinds of cheeses, some meats, and handcrafted bread. There was Burrata cheese, Sea Hive cheese, Reypanaer cheese, and Bleu Cheese. The meat was Prosciutto, Salami, Braciola, and Capicola.

The burrata cheese was a little bit melty and had a mild flavor. It balanced well with the meat and other very salty elements of this board.  The sea hive was like a mild gouda and had a subtle smoky flavor. The reypanaer cheese was very creamy and not super sharp, although it had a bit of a bite (we think this one would make an AMAZING mac and cheese!). And the bleu cheese had a very strong flavor, as you’d expect from this kind of cheese. It was super creamy as well.

The meats were fairly basic although all tasted high quality. The prosciutto was a bit chewy and not quite as salty as we expected, but we thought it paired well with the cheese. The salami almost tasted like pepperoni, and it had more flavor than the prosciutto and was a bit saltier.

There’s also this not-so-subtle charcuterie board! It’s got Oregon and Utah cheeses – even a cheese wrapped in honey and sea salt – accompanied by fresh honeycomb, pickled vegetables, and handcrafted bread. pic.twitter.com/8S2PUVSrPI

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) October 4, 2022

The braciola is similar to roast beef but a little bit chewier. This one is not very salty and pairs well with the stronger cheeses because it doesn’t have a very forward flavor. Rounding out the meat selection is the capicola, which was very chewy and almost gummy. It was a bit spicy if you got some red pepper flakes in a bite but had a mild flavor otherwise.

The other elements on the board included some grapes, carrots, cauliflower, pickles, and honeycomb. The cauliflower is very pickled — it was super tangy and we enjoyed the twist on a classic veggie. That honeycomb was delicious as well! It was surprisingly fresh and just the perfect amount of sweet — not too sugary with a natural sweetness. It goes very well with the sharp cheeses.

The Loaded Baked Potato Flatbread for $17 comes topped with Bacon, Potato, Cream Cheese, Peas, and Dill.

This flatbread was super tasty. It’s a great choice for a filling, savory dish. The potatoes on top were cooked very well — they were so soft without being overcooked.

The Salmon Run flatbread isn’t alone on the menu – this is the Loaded Baked Potato flatbread! It’s topped with bacon, potato, chive cream cheese, and crème fresh for $17. pic.twitter.com/UZMN9BMGxH

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) October 4, 2022

The bacon added a nice saltiness, and the chives and other veggies brought a pop of freshness as well. The peas sort of popped in our mouths, so we thought they were a fun addition.

This is very much a crowd-pleaser dish — anyone who enjoys baked potatoes will love it!

We also tried the Salmon Run Flatbread for $25, which comes topped with Smoked Salmon and Salmon Gravlax.

This was one of our favorite snacks of the evening! The salmon is sushi grade and cold smoked salmon, and it tasted super fresh.

First up, the Salmon Run flatbread! It’s topped with an in-house dill-cured gravlax salmon with truffle cream cheese, fried capers, onions, black sea salt, and dill. pic.twitter.com/ZGXQasUrl8

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) October 4, 2022

The bread was doughy but not undercooked. The mild flavor balanced well with the stronger fish on top. There’s also a pretty strong onion flavor in this flatbread.

If you’re normally a fan of salmon or sushi, we think this is an awesome choice. It’s also very refreshing and pretty light, so it makes a great snack if you’re not too hungry or are tired of greasy theme park food.

We think the Bacon on the Wire is going to be a popular choice here. It’s Candied Bacon with a Bourbon Drizzle, served with 3 Deviled Eggs for $25.

The bacon was pretty chewy, and there was a maple bourbon sauce served on the side.

Want more hanging meat? This is the The Bacon on the Wire – with black pepper candied bacon cured in smoked paprika and bourbon with a bourbon glaze. It also features deviled eggs topped with fried shrimp, chipotle beef jerky, and salmon candy with a bourbon drizzle for $25! pic.twitter.com/hfMmfIFGch

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) October 4, 2022

The caramelization made it pretty sweet, but that was balanced by the salty bacon. We thought it was a great combination of savory and sweet.

The eggs were really good deviled eggs! They were each topped with a different meat. Our favorite combination was the salmon with the egg. The other two were topped with jerkey (which added some great texture) and bacon (a pretty basic but classic flavor).

Finally, we had the Bone and Brie for $25. This dish has Roasted Bone Marrow, Honey-baked Brie, and crackers served with Marion Berry-Onion Jam.

OK, we know what you’re thinking — bone marrow? Really? Yes, and it was DELICIOUS. The bone marrow was so smooth and buttery, it just melted in our mouths.

Ready for more? We also got to try the Bone and Brie – roasted bone marrow, honey-baked brie baked in a cast iron skillet with marionberry onion jam – for $25! pic.twitter.com/UwFD2LuM3X

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) October 4, 2022

And it was seasoned with some herbs and spices that really brought out a great flavor. We think this is something that most people will enjoy, even if you haven’t tried bone marrow before.

The brie cheese was a great complement. It was a pretty basic brie but had a bit of sweetness from the honey and tasted amazing when paired with the marrow. The crackers were crispy (not soft or chewy) and were a good vehicle for anything on the plate.

The onion jam added some excellent savory, salty flavor — you should add this to the brie and bone marrow for sure. And the cranberry jam was sweet with just a little tang. It mixed very well with the creamy brie.

Nosh or Not

Make the trek to the Territory Lounge if you:

• Have been in Magic Kingdom for the day and want to end the day on a relaxing note with a hearty snack or some refreshing drinks. The atmosphere here is very laid-back and cozy, and the food is all high quality and tasty. It’s not too far from the park either — you can get to Wilderness Lodge via a boat from Magic Kingdom.
• Want to try some unique eats that aren’t your standard theme park food. Although you can get some pretty standard charcuterie and flatbreads here, we thought the Bone and Brie and Bacon on a Wire were different and fun to try!
• Are staying at Wilderness Lodge and want a quick bite. If you’re staying at Wilderness lodge, there’s really no excuse to not stop in and try some of these snacks. They’re tasty and fun, and if it’s convenient then that’s even better!

Skip this spot and find a different place to eat if you:

• Are looking for a full, hearty meal. The only options here are small plates, so unless you do what we did and order literally everything on the menu, you likely won’t be filled up after eating here. There are other restaurants nearby that offer more hearty meals, such as Roaring Fork or Whispering Canyon Cafe.
• Are a plant-based eater. Bacon on a Wire, Bone Marrow, Salmon Flatbread…we’re sensing a theme. There’s a LOT of meat on this menu and very few things that would work for a plant-based diet.
• Want a more themed or “Disney” experience. Although we enjoy the ambiance at this lounge, it’s not very “Disney.” Some other lounges — like Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto — will provide more entertainment and a unique setting that you couldn’t find outside of Disney parks.

Overall

In general, we really enjoyed the new eats at Territory Lounge. Some of the snacks were amazing stand-outs, like the Salmon Flatbread and the Bone and Brie. Others were fun novelty options, like the Bacon on the Wire. We were a little disappointed by some of the popcorn flavors, but we still think that sampler is a fun option, especially for kids or pickier eaters.

We’ll definitely be back at this spot in the future. The service was also excellent — our server checked on us multiple times and made sure we had everything we needed. Note that the Territory Lounge is open daily from 4PM to 10PM, but double-check the hours before you visit to make sure.

Don’t forget to visit Roaring Fork (another restaurant at Wilderness Lodge) to check out the new eats coming there on October 11th! There will be new dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and (of course) dessert. We’ll have a review of those items for you soon.

With DOZENS of places to eat at Disney World, we know it can be tough to plan your meals. That’s why we wrote the DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World.

We have reviews, pictures, and details about every restaurant all in one digital download – along with ALL of our best tips and strategies from decades of Disney World trips. We’ve got a special discount code for DFB readers, too! Use WDW2022 at checkout for 25% off.

Keep following DFB for more reviews of all the newest eats in Disney World!

Click here to see more dining options at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

Which of the new items looks the best to you? Let us know in the comments.