MASSIVE REVIEW of Everything We Tried at Disney’s Jollywood Nights

As Mariah Carey would say, “it’s tiiiiimeeee!”

What’s it time for? Well, Jollywood Nights, of course! The holiday season event has kicked off at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and we’re here to enjoy the festivities. A big part of those festivities is the FOOD, so let’s dig into all the delicious treats!

Backlot Express

Welcome to Backlot Express, where we’re trying several items, starting with the Hickory Holiday Mac, which is macaroni & cheese with burnt ends, crispy onions, and chili pepper sauce for $6.49.

This mac and cheese was fairly spicy with the chili pepper sauce, but then the hickory flavor added a smoky barbecue element that was slightly off-putting. The pasta itself was delicious — cheesy and creamy.

Next up is the Jolly Jam Slider, made with an Angus burger with bourbon-garlic-bacon jam, smoky paprika aïoli, and chili pepper sauce served on a Hawaiian roll. You can snag this for $6.29.

This burger was surprisingly decent quality for a Disney World burger. It was cooked medium well with a thick and somewhat juicy patty. The flavors were bold and contrasted nicely with each other while still blending. We would try it again!

The Sleigh Bell Brussels Sprouts with bourbon-onion jam and crispy onions are another new addition to the menu for $4.79.

These were fine. They were very aromatic and had that strong earthy, vegetable flavor. The jam didn’t do much to add to it, but the crispy onions were a nice texture contrast. These might be on your list if you’re craving a vegetable, but they’re not one of our top recommendations.

We also snagged the Sweet Chili Cheer Chicken Slider, which is chicken thighs tossed in sweet chili aïoli, topped with Asian slaw and cilantro, served on a brioche roll. Get it for $5.79.

These were a standout for us at Backlot Express. The chicken thighs are covered in sauce, and it has a sweet-and-spicy thing going for it. They’re meaty, juicy, and delicious, and we love the crunch from the Asian slaw.

For a sweet treat, they have the Holly Jolly Bread Pudding. It’s Warm bread pudding swirled with chocolate-hazelnut spread and topped with cherries, holiday sprinkles, and a chocolate gingerbread man for $5.49.

This is a great way to end your meal here, and Cast Members have said that this item is a fan-favorite for the kids! It was sweet and warm with a nice chocolate element from the sauce. We wish it had been a little bit gooier, and honestly, we would’ve probably preferred a traditional icing to the Nutella sauce, but it was yummy nonetheless.

To drink, they have a Figgy Pudding Martini. It’s made with Figenza Mediterranean Fig Flavored Vodka, fig jam, agave, half & half, ginger beer, and allspice, garnished with nutmeg for $9.50.

The ginger beer flavor comes through strongly on this drink, along with the allspice. It definitely has a “holiday” flavor to it. You might want to try this if you’re in the mood for something adventurous that’s not too expensive.

If you’re on the hunt for a wide variety of snack options, Backlot Express seems to be a great stop!

Fairfax Fare

At Fairfax Fare, you can get the Raspberry-Lemon Square, which is lemon filling topped with raspberry powdered sugar and glazed raspberries for $4.99.

Sadly, this one didn’t impress us. You could get a much better lemon square from your local coffee shop, especially for the price. The raspberry as a powdered sugar was kind of bizarre and threw off the flavor balance.

To drink, we also snagged the Eggnog, which is traditional eggnog with caramel swirl for $5.29.

Honestly? We don’t have a lot to say about this one. If you’re craving a cup of eggnog, this is a classic version.

Fairfax Fare might be an okay spot to skip during your Jollywood Nights visit.

Ice Cold Hydraulics

Here, you’ll pick up the Jolly Gingerbread Mini Churros. These are gingerbread churros with chocolate-hazelnut sauce and holiday sprinkles for $5.29.

These were fairly good, though definitely not as amazing as Disneyland churros (IYKYK). There was a hint of gingerbread flavor, but it wasn’t very strong. The Nutella was pretty thick on top, and we honestly thought it would’ve been a bit better as a dipping sauce.

They’re not a must-get, but if you’re a big churro fan, you might want to check them out.

KRNR The Rock Station

Our next stop is KRNR The Rock Station, where they have several treats. First is the Arepas de Choclo, which are sweet corn cakes with cheese, topped with cilantro aïoli and served with jícama slaw for $4.99.

This was one of the best dishes we’ve had at a holiday party in a WHILE. The arepas were moist and cheesy, but the real standout was the aioli, which was very garlicky. We would’ve drunk that sauce with a STRAW! And all of this for around $5? A STEAL!

The Churro Sundae is churros topped with vanilla soft-serve, spiced apples, and spiced chocolate sauce for $6.99.

This was pretty okay, but not anything to write home about. There’s a bit of chili spice to the apples that makes this taste like Mexican chocolate, but the churros are fairly thin. Not super interesting, but might satisfy your sweet tooth.

We also tried two drinks here, starting with the Spiced Apple Sangria. It’s made with Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, red wine, apple cider, Minute Maid Orange Juice, and lemon and lime juices, garnished with a star fruit chip for $9.50.

This tasted a lot like a mulled wine, which made the flavors blend nicely. It’s very festive and has a good bit of fruitiness underneath.

The other drink was the White Cranberry Margarita, which is Teremana Blanco Tequila, Grand Marnier Liqueur, white cranberry juice, lime juice, and simple syrup with a sugar rim and cranberries. It’s $11.

We had heard many people say they loved this drink, but ours mostly tasted like cheap tequila with the slightest hint of cranberry. It’s possible we got a rough one, but overall, we weren’t very impressed.

If you’re going here for anything, make sure it’s that arepa!

Market

At Market, you’ll find some new treats, including the Mike-aroon. It’s a toasted coconut cookie with green white chocolate and topped with a sugar eye for $5.29.

This is essentially a conglomeration of coconut shavings with some butterscotch chips and extra sugary-ness mixed in. The presentation is fun and kind of wonky, but it definitely has that coconut texture and flavor, so avoid it if you’re not a fan of that ingredient. Overall, we really enjoyed it!

To drink, we ordered the Bing Bong Candy Lemonade. It’s a frozen strawberry lemonade slushy and butterfly pea flower tea topped with pink cotton candy and freeze-dried candy for $6.99.

Of the two beverages, this one is the standout! It’s essentially a pink lemonade slushy, but with some fun toppings. The cotton candy helps mix up the flavors, and the Skittles give a unique chewy element. Definitely one the kids will love!

The other beverage is the Caramel-Apple Cider, made with Werther’s Original Caramel, apple cider, and cinnamon, topped with Werther’s Original Caramel Popcorn — sounds delish, right? It’s $5.29.

This had a much thicker consistency than your typical apple cider, and we could taste the caramel apple flavor well. It’s topped with caramel popcorn that gets a little bit stale in texture. Overall, not a bad drink, but not something we would rush to have again.

Market might be a good stop if you’re interested in one of these items in particular, but otherwise, it’s not necessarily a must-do.

Tune-In Lounge

Want a fun and quirky drink? Stop by Tune-In Lounge to grab the Holiday Dill-light, which is Hendrick’s Original Gin, John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum Liqueur, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, lime juice, pickle juice, chili-lime rim, and pickle garnish. You can get it for $11.

This is an absolute MUST for pickle lovers. The flavor reminded us of a bread-and-butter pickle with some light sweetness in the beverage, but they really go ham on the pickle juice here. Quincy described this as the best pickle cocktail she’d ever had because the flavors are so intricate.

This one will be fun to try with your friends!

Snack Cart Across From Beverly Sunset Boutique

At one of the snack carts, you’ll find the Blue Sparkling Cider, which is white cranberry juice, guava syrup, blue curaçao syrup, lime juice, and sparkling apple cider with a blue sugar rim and sugar snowflake. It’s $5.49.

This is like if they turned blue raspberry as a flavor into a sparkling cider. It’s tangy and punchy, and you get a few different fruit notes from the various syrups. Kids have been loving this one!

Those are ALL of the snacks we tried at Jollywood Nights so far, but we’ll be in for more food, characters, entertainment, and fun as the night goes on.

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Get ALL the Jollywood Nights Details Here!

Are you going to Jollywood Nights this year? Tell us in the comments!

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