Just days after Disney announced the menu change, we were able to try the new options available from Territory Lounge at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. This menu replaces some odd choices made over the past few years, mostly in the realm of colorful cocktails that took away from the feel of this retreat supposedly located in the Pacific Northwest.

You can watch Tom & Nick’s full video review for more details:

Territory Lounge Menu

Each of the specialty cocktails is new, showcasing high-end alcohol in tasteful pairings with other ingredients.

The new “snack” menu has six options, but you could certainly have a full meal here. Not on the menu but still available is the famous Portobello Mushroom Soup and the chocolate cake dessert.

Timeless Elias – $18.00

The Macallan 12yr Whisky, Courvoisier VSOP Cognac, House-made Vanilla Syrup

The smoked drink comes covered, so the smoke rises when you remove the card.

This was a delicious, smoother than expected drink made with excellent ingredients. While the cocktail prices here are a bit high, even for Walt Disney World, every drink felt elevated and special, worth the hefty price.

S’more Old Fashioned – $17

Elijah Craig 12yr Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Toasted Marshmallow, Chocolate Bitters

This is a good (and strong) Old Fashioned. We didn’t get much of the s’mores taste, unfortunately, but our waiter actually brought us a shot glass of more toasted marshmallow syrup. Adding just a pinch more of that syrup went a long way. It immediately transformed the drink into a s’more.

I wasn’t sad that I was having what tasted like a perfectly adequate Old Fashioned, but it was advertised as flavored, so I was looking for more of that sweet marshmallow flavor that was advertised.

The Northwoods – $15

Bulleit Rye Whiskey, House-made Rosemary Syrup, Citrus Juices, Maple

A more refreshing whiskey drink is The Northwoods, which comes served with a sprig of rosemary. The scent of the rosemary complements the citrus taste perfectly.

Orange-Spiced Sangria – $16

Chateau Ste Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon, Cointreau Liqueur, Apple Cider, House-made Spiced Orange Syrup

This pays homage to the previously available Blood Orange Margarita. This bright orange sangria is a refreshing addition to the menu for those that are fans of lighter and zestier drinks. That being said, we weren’t pleased with the strange aftertaste, which we believe came from a combination of the apple cider and orange syrup.

L & C G & T – $16

Fords Gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Elderflower Tonic

The name of this drink refers to Lewis and Clark, gin and tonic. This a sweet, refreshing rendition of the classic gin and tonic, thanks to the addition of cucumber. All the drinks remind us of Wilderness Lodge itself, but this one in particular thanks to the edible floral accompaniments. A number of the current cast members here have moved over from Coronado Springs, a resort where the bar menus are heavy on the gin cocktails, so this isn’t a surprise that this made it over, or that it is absolutely fantastic.

Orchards Bounty – $16

Ketel One Botanical Peach & Orange Blossom Vodka, Dolin Blanc Vermouth, Aperol Liqueur, House-made Pinot Gris Syrup

This vodka-based drink showcases fruity flavors such as orange blossom and artificial peach, but not in a bad way. Combined with vermouth, this makes one of the more unique and enjoyable drinks available at the lounge. It doesn’t taste very boozy, but that is only because the alcohol is well-masked.

National 95 – $22

WhistlePig 10yr Straight Rye Whiskey, Argyle Sparkling Brut, Simple Syrup

The sparkling wine is the dominant taste here, followed by the syrup, which is unfortunate because WhistlePig straight rye whiskey is a great bourbon. It’s not bad, just not what we expected from the description. If you’re looking for a wine cocktail, this is one of your only options here, but they still have a great list of wines available otherwise.

Territory Popcorn Sampler – $12

The popcorn flavors are spicy, caramel, sea salt, truffle, and barbecue. It’s a great variety of flavors and they’re all pretty good. This is a nice sampler to share and snack on throughout the night while enjoying your drinks. Be warned, however: the barbecue popcorn is also spicy and the actual spicy popcorn is EVEN spicier than maybe anything else at Walt Disney World. It’s good, but its habanero-flavored slow burn may not be for everyone. The good news is that you can swap any flavors on the board for more of another if you fear you won’t enjoy one.

The caramel corn is covered in a very thick coating, which makes it feel more like a popcorn brittle than what it is advertised as. While the truffle flavor felt overly salty, we still enjoyed it. The seas salt is forgettable if only because the other 4 flavors are so interesting or profound. Regardless, this freshly popped and topped popcorn is a lovely bar snack served on a giant, and very heavy, wood board then topped with tiny metal pots.

Artisanal Charcuterie Board – $22

This charcuterie board is more so a charcuterie rack, as the meats are hung from a clothesline above the cheese and accompaniments. It makes for a fun dining experience and the presentation feels fitting at Wilderness Lodge.

The meats included are Berkshire Prosciutto, Bresaola, Salami, and Capocollo. The cheeses are Reypenaer, Burrata, Smokey Bleu, and Seahive cheese. This provides a great variety, and the addition of cornichons, carrots, and grapes ties everything together. All of the meats and cheeses are good enough in quality and it feels like one of the more hefty portion-sizes for such an offering anywhere at the parks and resorts.

The crispy crackers are a nice way to layer the flavors featured on the board. This is a filling board featuring a multitude of options to choose from. It could easily be split among a group.

Loaded Baked Potato Flatbread – $17

Bacon, Potato, Cream Cheese, Dill

The ultimate bar meal. Potatoes, bacon, cream cheese, dill, onions, corn, and peas and more create all the expected flavors of a baked potato, but here on a doughy crust. Being a large dish that is heavy on starch, it’s the perfect thing to munch on after a few strong cocktails.

Salmon Run – $25

Salmon Flatbread, Smoked Salmon, Salmon Gravlax

This flatbread is lighter than the loaded baked potato flatbread, given the smoked salmon and salmon gravlax taking center stage. It is also served cold, as you might imagine.

Capers, dill, and onions give this flatbread the needed freshness, making this a different take on the smoked salmon bagel. This would be a favorite for fans of smoked salmon and seafood, and honestly, we liked it just as much as the hot flatbread above.

Bacon On The Wire – $25

Candied Bacon, Deviled Eggs, Bourbon Drizzle

Served similarly to the artisanal charcuterie board, this serving of candied bacon comes fancifully accompanied by deviled eggs.

The bacon is candied and is hung next to rosemary to gently fragrance the meat. Three unique deviled eggs sit below topped with different meats.

Each deviled egg features a different type of meat and chives. This adds some variety to the dish between the large slices of candied bacon. The bourbon glaze is located in a cup behind the bacon, and it works WONDERFULLY with both the strips of meat and the deviled eggs. The bourbon drizzle seems like it may be a combination of syrup or molasses with bourbon, but we were unable to procure a recipe. Either way, this blows away the similar offering at The Edison and was worth there trip alone.

Bone and Brie – $25

Roasted Bone Marrow, Honey-baked Brie, Marion-Berry Onion Jam

This dish features roasted bone marrow along a variety of sides and jams to pair with the richness of the marrow.

The bone marrow is seasoned well and roasted until rich and easily spreadable. Baked brie cheese is topped with fresh honeycomb, adding sweetness and creaminess to the rich flavor of the bone marrow. The brie was a little hard, maybe needing a few more minutes to melt into a more spreadable consistency.

Toasted bread and fresh jams come with the dish. An onion jam gives a nice savory option (albeit one that gives off an unpleasant odor) while marionberry adds sweetness. Served with fresh berries, this is a nice mix of all flavors.

Personally, this dish doesn’t do anything for me and fell flat when compared to all of the other snacks we had at Territory Lounge this evening.

OVERALL

Many years ago, Territory Lounge was one of our favorites spots in all of Walt Disney World to hang out in. Wilderness Lodge is always in the conversation for best overall resort hotel, and this quiet, well-themed lounge was a contributing factor to that ranking. Over the last few years, they tried putting in colorful cocktails and playing Top 40 hits in this space, both of which clashed with the aesthetic many of us desired. Well, I am overjoyed that not only is the classic music loop and ambiance back, but the menu once again evokes the theme of the lounge while also offering some of the best specialty drinks and snacks anywhere in The Vacation Kingdom of the World. Beyond that, the bartenders and servers are second-to-none, making for a welcoming atmosphere and a quality of care you won’t soon forget.

What are your thoughts on these changes to the menu at Territory Lounge? Will you be trying any of these on your next visit? Is there anything you wish they would bring back from the old menu? Let us know in the comments below.

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Tom Corless