“Just One Bite And All Your Dreams Will Come True”

Most people prepare for vacation by working out and eating healthy. I on the other hand, decided it was a much better idea to go to Disney World and eat a TON of pizza with my friends a few days before my cruise to the Bahamas. Let’s just call it training for that amazing 24-hour pizza station they tempt you with.

As someone who was born and raised in Northern New Jersey, I basically consider myself a bit of a pizza expert. Which, is why I’ve decided to review all sorts of pizza from the parks from quick service to sit down dinners. Hopefully I can help point you in the right direction the next time you are at Disney and have a hankering for a slice or two- or 5!

Let’s start with the best; which is precisely what we did when we went to Via Napoli in Epcot for an early Saturday lunch. I had never been to Via Napoli but had heard great things. I was excited, yet skeptical, because as I mentioned before- I’m a cheesy connoisseur.

My first impressions of the restaurant were great. It wasn’t necessarily as fancy as I imagined but at the same time it had great details- like the 3 brick ovens in view within the open kitchen. But I have to admit, the best aesthetics within the restaurant had to be the wait staff. I would go back to Via Napoli just to stare at the good-looking Italian men.

As for the pizza itself, I would say this is probably the best pizza you will find in Disney. It isn’t your typical pie that you would find in NYC or NJ but the crust was perfect, the sauce flavorful and not too sweet, and the cheese was great. We also had some prosciutto on ours, which added a nice salty flavor. My only complaint would be that it could have used a bit more cheese, but I am glad that it was proportioned so that you could appreciate all of the parts of the slice. We washed down our pizza with the most popular drink at Via Napoli- the Limoncello Mule, complete with a Hidden Mickey!

Our next adventure of the day did not work out as planned. We headed to Hollywood Studios for some more pizza at the less than a year old Pizzerizzo but when we got there around 5pm it was already closed for the day. Yes, closed by 4pm on a Saturday in the middle of June. So instead, we headed to Catalina Eddie’s, which I am told is almost the same pizza as Pizzerizzo.

Catalina Eddie’s is located near Tower of Tower and isn’t much to look at. It’s a small quick service window with a creepy looking aviator scarecrow (at least I believe that’s what it is) and a cute kitschy shelf in the kitchen. The menu is fairly basic, but I should note that if you don’t want the side salad that comes with the pizza- you don’t have to take it. And they won’t charge you for it. Although, my friend got the Caesar salad and said it was quite good, while a little heavy on the dressing.

The pizza itself was nothing to write home about. I would compare it to Domino’s if Domino’s made small personal pizzas. Crust was a little too doughy, but the sauce wasn’t too sweet and it had enough cheese on it- so overall for quick service, I had no complaints.

Heading over to Magic Kingdom, I was able to snag last minute reservations for Tony’s Town Square, which was also a first for me. Everything about the experience was mediocre for me. The atmosphere was cute, but I feel they certainly could have done more with it. I suppose we didn’t have the best view either, seeing as they sat us at the worst table in the place in my opinion- right by the door and near a visible outlet which lead to people interrupting our dinner numerous times to charge their phones. The service was also just alright- no one really seemed overly attentive or happy to be there.

Knowing that reservations usually book up pretty solid for Tony’s, I was hopeful that the food would at least be great. We started with the Italian Cheese Dip, which was great, but that’s where all of that ended. The Margherita Pizza was definitely just mediocre cheese pizza. It had too much crust but not enough sauce or cheese. We also got an order of spaghetti and meatballs, because obviously the scene from Lady and the Tramp makes you want that dish, but we were disappointed with that as well.

The one redeeming quality about the restaurant is that it is the only place where you can go to get Lady & The Tramp’s signatures. That’s right! Although you cannot meet them (because dogs aren’t allowed in restaurants, duh), you can ask your server to bring your autograph to them in the back where they will graciously give you their “paw-tograph”! (Sorry guys, sometimes I think I’m funny!)

Unfortunately my feat to eat pizza at all the Disney parks that day was not accomplished, so luckily my friends Lisa & Lindsey volunteered their time and stomachs for the cause. They visited Pizzafari in Animal Kingdom on a Saturday for a late lunch/early dinner around 4pm (which, I was told, is important to this review). Rather than sum it up, I will give it to you straight from Lindsey herself:

“We ordered a child’s cheese flatbread to split. First impressions: the best way to describe the Pizzafari flatbread is ‘Gas Station Pizza’. But! Gas Station Pizza is STILL PIZZA. The flatbread could have been warmer, but we also were eating at 4pm, so we were between lunch and dinner and thus it could have been sitting out a bit. Also, we did mobile ordering so it was plated a few minutes before we picked it up. Good ratio of cheese to sauce to dough. Sauce was blessedly not too sweet! The flatbread style ensured it wasn’t too doughy (the curse of DHS pizzas). Neither soggy nor burned; flatbread could have stood to have a few more minutes to crisp up the middle, but it was still cooked through.”

Considering they stuck out the previous pizza reviews with me, I would say I trust their opinion on the matter and Pizzafari may be your best bet as far as quick service pizza goes.

Now, I know you are all probably all wondering what I wore to pay homage to all of the wonderful (and not so wonderful) pizza that we ate (but mostly just to the wonderful pizza). I was so excited to stumble upon a few new small shops shortly before my trip that took my orders and made it happen in a short amount of time.

Outfit Details:
Tank: Alex Strangler
Ears: CraftyOliviaCuties
Necklace: Italy Pavilion, Epcot
Cardigan: Charlotte Russe (similar)
Shorts: American Eagle
Shoes: Wanted Shoes: So old, I can’t remember where I got them! But here is a cute (and comfy!) alternative.

I loved all of the Disney and Pizza options that Alex Strangler has on their site- tees, tanks, pins, patches, and keychains in all sorts of throwback Disney styles and food related designs (which I love!). I went with the Mickey Pizza Women’s Fit tank and I’m so glad I did- the cut was great and it was lightweight and comfy for park hopping all day.

I also couldn’t believe that I was able to find Pizza Ears- how amazing are these? CraftyOliviaCuties seems to currently be out of stock of the pizza ears, but make sure to check out all of the other great styles they have available right now. And if you absolutely must have these, I would send the shop a message and put it on their radar that they are in high demand! (Which, why wouldn’t they be- they are the perfect way to show your love for both Pizza and Disney!)

Lastly, I am going to leave you with two honorable mentions for pizza at Disney. These didn’t receive a full review with pictures, but I have had them before and wanted to share some brief feedback.

First, if you are like me and can’t wait until lunch to start eating your pizza, check out the Pie of the Viper at the Rainforest Café for breakfast. It’s a Mexican style breakfast pizza that I ordered with bacon and it was amazing. Keep in mind that it is also huge, so you may want to split it with someone (or not- but I wouldn’t suggest heading directly to Expedition Everest after a move like that!)

The second honorable mention is Blaze Pizza at Disney Springs. It is a chain and not exclusive to Disney, however they serve some pretty tasty and unique combinations there. Whenever I go, I create my own pie with all different kinds of cheese, red peppers, artichokes, pepperoni, and of course the balsamic glaze finish at the end.

I know there is a lot of Disney pizza that I missed, so let me know which ones you have tried and loved (or hated)!