While there are so many great food options to choose from around Disney’s Animal Kingdom, sometimes you’re just not looking to stop for a full meal. So, where’s the best-kept secret to pop by when you’re just looking to snack? We’re glad you asked!

Before you go sprinting off to play midway games for prizes on the brink of extinction, hitting up the latest version of dole whip floats or Creature Comforts, and rope-dropping lounges, there’s one little place we’d love to shed some light on as you get a start to or wind down your day. However, the real secret to this small snack spot is timing your visit just right!

On a recent visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we decided it was time to kick back, relax, and take in the sights and sounds of nature surrounding us with this astounding park. Sometimes, though, you want to really soak up all the vibes while sipping on a cool beverage or tasty snack — that’s when we decided to hop on over to Isle of Java.

This humble restaurant is more of a permanent snack and drink spot than a full size restaurant. While it might be tiny, we can promise you that you’ll walk away from it feeling refreshed with several options to choose from. Check out what we decided to grab this visit!

Atmosphere

If you’re not terribly sure where Isle of Java is, that’s probably because it’s one of those sleepier, hidden restaurants. We tend to see this restaurant busier in the mornings mostly because they’re a great spot to stop for a cup of coffee and pastries, but they’re open much longer than that initial rush might seem!

As you walk up, you’ll see the menu posted just outside of the ordering window where you’ll place your order, and then you’ll walk down to the second one within the same line to pick up your items.

To the left-hand side, as you’re exiting the line, you’ll find a small convenience station of self-service utensils, napkins, and a few condiments to accompany your beverages.

If you take a look around, you won’t find any seating at this restaurant, however, if you find yourself in search of a place to sit for a spell, we recommend using the communal shared seating that’s adjacent to the neighboring Flame Tree Barbecue.

Menu

At first glance, you might compare the menu at Isle of Java to your favorite coffee nook’s lineup but a bit of an abbreviated version. Sure, there are a few coffee and pastry options, but if you take a closer look, you’ll see there’s a little more adventure added into the mix!

In addition to some of the more expected options, you’ll find here, Isle of Java also offers several spirited beverages.

So, while we didn’t have too much to have to decide between, there were choices to be made!

For this review, we decided to order the Macaw Specialty Beverage, Island Sunrise, Vietnamese Iced Coffee, and Tiger Tail Chocolate Twist.

Drinks

Let’s start things off with the most commanding of the bunch — the Macaw Specialty Beverage. This beauty is made of layers of frozen Minute Maid premium lemonade, Fanta Cherry, and Fanta Blue Raspberry and will cost you $5.99. It sure is pretty to look at, but how did it taste?

Just like you would imagine! In the layers, as they were melting and mixing together, we were able to distinctively place all three flavors individually, but what really impressed us was how well they worked together to create such a tasty treat. Ours was fun and fruity, and we think your kids will LOVE the flavors in this one! No one flavor tried to overpower the other, and the consistency stayed right about middle ground — not too sweet and not too sour.

Then we tried out the Vietnamese Iced Coffee for $5.49. This drink is made of French-roasted Joffrey’s Coffee cold brew over ice with sweetened condensed milk.

The French-roast Joffrey’s coffee is a solid, consistent coffee brew on top of the heavier sweetened condensed milk. However, we did think it was a bit thinner than what you might expect to get freshly out of a can. If you’re not a fan of letting the flavors blend while you’re sipping on it, consider stirring it around a bit before you start to drink it so you get sweeter notes in the bitter roasted coffee as opposed to just straight cold brew coffee. Together, it kind of takes on the weight of adding cream and sugar in one swoop (or should we say stir).

Then, we turned our attention to the Island Sunrise for $14. This drink is made with Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila with pineapple-orange-guava juice and a hint of watermelon.

This drink quite literally tastes exactly as it’s billed — a boozy fruit juice with a few fun gummy worms added to the top for good measure! You can also taste the lower notes of the watermelon against it, but it adds character to an already fan favorite mix of pineapple, orange, and guava juices.

Eats

Our final item to review this visit was the Tiger Tail Chocolate Twist. This treat is made of a pastry stuffed with chocolate chips, drizzled with chocolate and orange-colored icing, and will cost you $5.99.

If this treat looks a little familiar to you, but you’re not quite placing it right off the top of your head, that’s because you’ve very likely seen it (in a different version) elsewhere around Disney World. Our tried and true cat tail pastry is covered in drizzled icing and is such a sight to behold.

It’s sweet, flaky, AND chewy all at the same time, with a few hidden chocolate chips that are melted towards the inside and sides of the pastry. We think these cat tail pastries are a favorite for a reason, and this one still bangs in our book!

Overall

All in all, we’d rank this restaurant as severely overlooked! We’ve found it to be a pretty popular spot in the mornings, BUT when that after-lunch nap starts trying to creep in on you, or you’re looking for something to sip on while you take a short break, this is a spot that will serve you well and not break the bank in the process.

We also really loved that they had such a vibrant, slushy drink that might appeal to some of the tiniest visitors. It felt a bit fancier than the average solid-flavor slushy you’ll find at so many other parks and restaurants.

Nosh or Not?

Let the winds blow you to this spot if…

• You’re looking for a quick snack to get you by. While we ordered several things, we can hardly call our entire lineup a meal. If a quick snack is what you’re looking for, this is a spot to do the job!
• You need a treat with an excellent walkability score. All of the snacks and drinks here are made to be portable and take with you as you roam. If you’re not one to stay put long, these will make an excellent option for you.
• You’re budget-conscious about what you’re spending on food while on vacation. Most of the eats and drinks here are fairly reasonable for Disney World prices, and we think they’re a solid choice if you’re really trying to stretch that snack budget for something reliable.

The call of the wild goes past this spot if…

• You need a filling meal. We get it, when the top of the food chain is hungry, they’re hungry, and sometimes nothing quite hits the spot like a full-fledged meal.
• You need a place to sit either immediately nearby or inside. Simply put, there’s just no seating here. If that’s a non-negotiable for you, you’ll probably want to consider another snack spot.
• You’re not a fan of eating outdoors. In true seriousness, sometimes there are just factors like weather, humidity, and getting into some shade with a bit of AC that can make or break your dining experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We’ve been there, and we know first-hand what it’s like to just take a break indoors for a bit, this just isn’t that kind of restaurant.

We’re constantly reviewing new foods and updating our older reviews, so be sure to stay tuned with us at DFB for all the latest!

REVIEW: Hang On. Did We Just Use the Word “Flawless” To Describe This Disney Restaurant?

What are your favorite things to order from Isle of Java? Tell us what you’re ordering in the comments below!