Walt Disney World has a surprising number of great coffee spots, including Starbucks, Joffrey’s, and even some quick service and table service locations. There are standard iced coffees, lattes, French Pressed goodness, and frozen blended treats to be found all around property, and since I apparently can’t do a Disney trip now without caffeinating myself every two hours, I figured I’d share!
Mornings at your resort
Every Disney resort has an in-room coffee maker with Joffrey’s French Roast all ready to go. The coffee makers are super easy to use and can make one or two cups at a time. As far as standard hotel room coffee goes, the Joffrey’s French Roast is really good! (I actually just lucked out and found a couple of packages at TJ Maxx to brew in my French Press! I’m not local to the parks either and I’ve heard of it making its way to TJ Maxx before, so that may be worth keeping an eye out for.)
The downside here is that you’re making it yourself and you don’t have milk or cream, so if that’s something you’d need, it might be prudent to grab some from your resort’s quick service location the day before. (I like to grab a kids’ meal from my resort’s quick service spot at the beginning of the trip- It comes with milk and if I’m just using a splash on occasion in a cup of coffee in the room it gets the job done.) If you’re going to the quick service spot to grab cream in the morning, you might as well just order a coffee there!
In the past, I’ve actually brought my own cold brew coffee maker to Walt Disney World and while it’s a bit of a pain to pack if you drink enough coffee that’s also not a terrible idea. That way you can bring your own ground coffee of your choice, and all you’d need to do in the morning is fill your cup with ice and pour.
If you’re staying at a deluxe resort, room service is an option too, though I’d save that for when you’re actually ordering a full breakfast. Paying the extra fees that come with room service seem a little silly when you could just grab your own coffee at the resort…though if you’re already paying to stay at a deluxe resort, what’s the extra couple of bucks I guess?
Some resorts have better coffee options than others, too: Most notably Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort which has a grab-and-go counter called Kona Island adjacent to Kona Cafe (which yes, means high quality Kona coffee!) and Disney’s Contemporary Resort, which has a full Joffrey’s set-up near the entrance to the lobby.
Before entering a theme park
Most Disney theme parks have a Joffrey’s Coffee location outside the entrance, so you can easily grab a cup to go on your way in.
At the Magic Kingdom, you’ll find it at the Transportation and Ticket Center (which means if you are taking a bus, boat, or monorail directly from another Disney resort you would likely miss this) but it’s an option if you are parking for the day or arriving to the park from an off-property resort bus or Shades of Green as they may drop off at the TTC.
Epcot has a Joffrey’s location just beyond the security checkpoint in Future World before you reach the turnstyles. Everyone entering the park will pass by this Joffrey’s, unless you are entering through International Gateway (Epcot’s “back door” entrance, located in World Showcase between England and France.)
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, there is a Joffrey’s to the right of the entrance, most likely right after security though it can vary if they move the security staging area to accommodate long lines. (For whatever reason, this is the one spot I always find myself getting one of those signature Joffrey’s donuts from!)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a little trickier. There is no Joffrey’s setup outside of this park, however there is a Disney-operated coffee stand immediately to the right once you enter the park by Oscar’s Super Service. Sometimes it’s open serving coffee though, sometimes it’s not, sometimes it just has Coke or something else totally random. In any case, if it’s open while you’re there it’s fine in a pinch, it’s no Joffrey’s or Starbucks quality but I have enjoyed the occasional vanilla iced latte from there.
Starbucks vs. Joffrey’s
All of the theme parks have a Starbucks location and at least one Joffrey’s location. I tend to go with Joffrey’s over Starbucks while I’m in Walt Disney World for a couple of reasons. One is that there simply aren’t any Joffrey’s where I live, but Starbucks is pretty much everywhere. For that reason, I’d go with Joffrey’s just to have something I can’t have at home while I’m on vacation.
Joffrey’s has a lot of drink specials, too, and they change with events happening in the parks. Some of my favorite Joffrey’s drinks for instance have been found during Epcot’s festivals and are specific to those events. Even their seasonal drinks change so often and do not always come back year after year, so if something catches your eye I’d recommend trying it.
Lastly, Joffrey’s tends to have a shorter line than Starbucks so if you find yourself between both locations and want to be in and out quicker, Joffrey’s could be the way to go. Of course, Starbucks has the convenience factor where it may be part of your at-home routine and you know what to order and are happy with that. That works, too. Just remember you’re going to be paying more for your standard Starbucks coffee at Walt Disney World (potentially a lot more depending on where you’re from) so it may end up being a bit of a splurge, at least for what a coffee costs.
OH and how could I forget- At Joffrey’s at Disney Springs you can get latte art added to your coffee, either featuring Disney characters or even…yourself. It’s an added (very small fee) but can be a lot of fun to add something unique to your something sweet while exploring Disney Springs.
The one exception where I always have to go Starbucks over Joffrey’s is at Disney’s Animal Kingdom– If you visit the park’s Starbucks location and order a Flat White, a portion of the proceeds to go support conservation efforts of the Cotton Top Tamarin. Not only are Flat Whites delicious, but I am more than happy to spend a little extra on coffee in support of these animals.
My Favorite Coffees
Some of my favorite coffees at Walt Disney World are found at table service restaurants and some unexpected locations. I think we usually consider coffee to be a grab and go drink while exploring Disney parks, but really some of the best coffees in my opinion come with a table service meal. If you need some dining inspo for your next trip or are just wondering where the coffee is definitely worth it, here are some of my picks:
“Affogato” Espresso Gelato from Gelateria Toscana in Italy of Epcot’s World Showcase is one of the best coffee ice cream concoctions to exist probably anywhere. It’s espresso poured over vanilla gelato and amaretto cookies, and it’s incredible. (If you prefer, ask for chocolate gelato with it!)
Frozen Viking Coffee from Kringla Bakeri Og Cafe in Epcot’s Norway pavilion is a mix of “Baileys Irish Cream and Kamora Coffee Liqueur with Coffee-Chocolate Sauce and garnished with Coffee-Chocolate Crunch.” You can get it simply iced rather than frozen, which I’ve also enjoyed and is nice if you want something a little lighter, but the frozen one feels like a fancier (and boozy!) version of a frappacino and that would be my pick.
Chocolate Orange Coffee from Rose and Crown Dining Room in Epcot’s UK pavilion (which I’m not sure has anything to do with the UK) is made with “Grand Marnier, Amaretto, and Dark Crème de Cacao featuring Freshly Brewed Joffrey’s Coffee.” I wouldn’t make a reservation here just for the coffee, but if you happen to be dining here be sure to stick around for coffee/desserts!
Alberto Dante’s Millionaire Cappuccino from the Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is yet another boozy coffee (oh no, I’m noticing a trend here…) made with Baileys, Grand Marnier, Kahlúa, and Frangelico. It is a strong drink–er, coffee, for $12.50, which is a steal for theme park cocktail prices. It’s only at the Hollywood Brown Derby, though, which is certainly not a steal so this is another one where I wouldn’t make a reservation just for coffee, but if you happen to be here. (I’ve never tried ordering this from the lounge outside the restaurant, that may be a possibility, too.)
Joffrey’s Coffee Ethiopia “Natural” Harrar, preferably in a French Press, from Tiffins in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is easily my favorite alcohol-free specialty coffee in the theme parks (not the resorts, we’ll get to that soon…) It’s one of Joffrey’s best blends in my opinion, and is always fresh and strong, but not overbearingly so that it’s on the bitter end. It’s not on the Nomad Lounge menu, but worth a shot if you’re just hoping to stop in for a coffee while in Animal Kingdom.
Freshly Brewed Joffrey’s Coffee™ Hawaiian Kona Blend, definitely in a French Press, from Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is my go-to for when I want to chill at a resort with coffee. It’s one of the best coffees I’ve ever had (not surprising where it’s Kona coffee), and while the Tonga Toast is also incredible I would make a breakfast reservation here solely to justify ordering a French Press of the stuff.
Did I miss anything? If so, please let me know in the comments! I’d love to find new coffees worth a try on my next Disney trip. 🙂