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Three days in Las Vegas in November 2023, planned around food: two of the Strip’s best-known buffets, a giant deli sandwich and a night at our favourite tiki bar off the Strip.
Day 1: Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace
We landed and went straight to the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace. Glazed ribs, roast chicken, shrimp cocktail, fried rice, tacos and a shrimp soup, then a plate of desserts. It’s one of the biggest buffets in Vegas, and you can tell.
Day 2: Breakfast, Caesars and The Golden Tiki
Breakfast on the Strip was smoked salmon, shrimp and grits and a bagel, followed by ham and an omelet. Then we walked through Caesars Palace, past the famous Caesar statue in the rotunda.
That afternoon there was time for one souvenir that won’t fit in a suitcase: a new tattoo of a retro flying saucer with rocket flames, done by Jason Tritten at Revolt Tattoos in the Fashion Show Mall.
In the evening we went to The Golden Tiki in Chinatown, just west of the Strip. It has glowing waterfalls, tiki lamps, a wall of shrunken heads and video poker built into the bar. We drank a daiquiri and pink and blue frozen tiki drinks, and one came in a skull mug.
Day 3: Greenberg’s Deli and The Buffet at Wynn
Lunch was a towering pastrami Reuben from Greenberg’s Deli. It was barely enough room for dinner.
Dinner was The Buffet at Wynn, our pick for the best buffet of the trip. There were crab legs, sushi and nigiri, prime rib, and a dessert plate with a churro and strawberry cake.
Where to stay
We stayed at Caesars Palace, right in the middle of the Strip. The Bacchanal Buffet is downstairs, and the Wynn is a short ride north.
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The Golden Tiki in Las Vegas, a tiki bar in the Chinatown area just west of the Strip.
The bar is known for its dark, kitschy interior packed with tiki carvings, shrunken heads and themed booths, along with a long menu of classic and original tropical cocktails. The photos show some of the drinks from this visit, including a bright blue one.
It’s open late, which makes it a popular stop after a show or a night on the Strip.
The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace during a November 2023 trip to Las Vegas.
Bacchanal is one of the largest buffets on the Strip, with stations covering everything from seafood and prime rib to dim sum, tacos and a long dessert line. The photos show some of the plates from this visit.
Reservations or a virtual queue spot are recommended at busy times, particularly for weekend brunch and dinner.
Drinks and dinner at Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs at Walt Disney World, the pan-Asian restaurant from Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto.
The menu covers Chinese, Japanese and Korean dishes, from sushi and dim sum to Peking duck, served in a large, dramatic two-level dining room. The photos show some of the cocktails and dishes from this visit.
Disney Springs doesn’t need park admission, so Morimoto Asia is a good option for a night off from the parks.
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Nine days at Walt Disney World in September 2023, planned around food and drink: EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival, Galaxy’s Edge, tiki drinks at Trader Sam’s, a backstage greenhouse tour and fireworks from two different angles. Here’s how each day went.
Day 1: Arriving at Disney Springs
We checked in and headed to Disney Springs for a burger and fries to start the trip.
Day 2: EPCOT, Food & Wine and a Lobster Feast
First stop at EPCOT was the queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Then we grazed around World Showcase during the Food & Wine Festival: tacos, frozen drinks, brisket, onion rings, a shepherd’s pie and baked oysters. More in EPCOT food.
Dinner was all-you-can-eat seafood at Boston Lobster Feast: lobster, snow crab legs and mussels. We ended at Amorette’s Patisserie in Disney Springs for Mickey-shaped mousse cakes.
Day 3: California Grill at the Contemporary
Dinner was at California Grill on the top floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. We had sushi, sliders and dessert, then watched the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the restaurant.
Day 4: Hollywood Studios and Galaxy’s Edge
We walked through Toy Story Land, then into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to see the Millennium Falcon and grab a Ronto Wrap. Drinks were at Oga’s Cantina, the galaxy’s busiest bar, with the creature tank behind the counter.
On the way back we stopped at Portillo’s for a Chicago-style hot dog, then went back to EPCOT for an evening of Food & Wine booths: an herb-butter croissant, berry cheesecake, a rice bowl with a soft egg, a bao bun and more oysters.
Day 5: Nomad Lounge and Trader Sam’s
Afternoon drinks and small plates were on the terrace at Nomad Lounge in Animal Kingdom.
At night we went to Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at the Polynesian Village Resort for tiki mugs, potstickers and the Uh Oa! bowl, which they light on fire at the table.
Lighting the Uh Oa! bowl at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto
Day 6: Behind the Seeds, Shiki-Sai and Cirque du Soleil
We took the Behind the Seeds tour at The Land pavilion in EPCOT. It goes through the greenhouses and labs you see from the Living with the Land boat ride: hydroponic towers, a coffee plant, giant squash hanging from vines, and fish tanks.
After a look at the Cosmic Rewind building, we had sushi, gyoza, tempura and skewers at Shiki-Sai in the Japan pavilion. The night ended at Cirque du Soleil’s Drawn to Life at Disney Springs.
Day 7: Magic Kingdom, The Polite Pig and Rise of the Resistance
At Magic Kingdom we did the Haunted Mansion and rode the PeopleMover past the Progress City model. Splash Mountain was under scaffolding while it was being turned into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Lunch was at Skipper Canteen, plus egg rolls from the Adventureland snack cart.
We had barbecue at The Polite Pig in Disney Springs: brisket, sausage and mac and cheese. In the evening we went back to Galaxy’s Edge for Rise of the Resistance and Smugglers Run.
Day 8: 50’s Prime Time, Jock Lindsey’s and Fireworks
Lunch was at 50’s Prime Time Cafe, where the dining room looks like a 1950s kitchen: deviled eggs, a crab cake, shrimp and grits and fried chicken. Then one more Galaxy’s Edge visit to see the X-wing and fly Smugglers Run.
We finished the night at a fireworks dessert party in Magic Kingdom, with desserts, mimosas and a view of the castle, then saw the TRON Lightcycle / Run bike on the way out.
Day 9: One Last Lobster and One Last Grog
Before flying home we went back to Boston Lobster Feast for another round, and stopped at Trader Sam’s once more to catch the show effects.
The show effects going off at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto
Where to stay
We stayed at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, a Disney Vacation Club resort across the lake from Disney Springs. You can walk or take the boat over to Disney Springs for dinner.
Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar in Disney Springs is an Indiana Jones-themed bar named after Indy’s pilot from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The bar is set up like Jock’s aircraft hangar, filled with props, maps and nods to the films, and serves themed cocktails and small plates. The photos show the bar’s decor, including an Air Pirates Circus banner, along with drinks from this visit.
It has both indoor seating and a waterfront patio overlooking the lake at Disney Springs, and it’s a relaxed spot for a drink without needing park tickets.
Lunch at 50’s Prime Time Cafe in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World.
The restaurant is themed as a 1950s family kitchen, with black-and-white TVs playing classic sitcoms and servers who play the role of family members, reminding guests to keep their elbows off the table and clean their plates. The menu is classic American comfort food.
The photos include the deviled eggs and other dishes from this meal. Reservations are recommended through the My Disney Experience app.
Skipper Canteen in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom is a table-service restaurant themed around the Jungle Cruise and its skippers.
The menu features globally inspired dishes, and the servers keep up the Jungle Cruise tradition of puns and corny jokes. The restaurant is also packed with details tied to the S.E.A. (Society of Explorers and Adventurers) storyline. The photos show the restaurant’s crest and some of the dishes.
Skipper Canteen is a good choice if you want a sit-down meal in Magic Kingdom that’s a little different from the usual theme park food.
Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant in the Japan pavilion of Epcot’s World Showcase at Walt Disney World.
The restaurant’s menu changes with the seasons and features sushi, sashimi and izakaya-style small plates, along with sake and Japanese cocktails. The photos show some of the sushi and drinks from this visit.
It’s located upstairs in the Mitsukoshi building, and the Japan pavilion is a great place to explore before or after with its gardens, shops and pagoda.
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Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Walt Disney World’s tiki bar, during a September 2023 trip.
Trader Sam’s is famous for its collectible tiki mugs and for the little shows that happen around the bar when certain drinks are ordered. The photos and video show some of the mugs and the bar in action, including a blue skull mug.
It’s one of the most popular bars on Disney property and gets crowded quickly, so arriving around opening time is the best bet for a seat.
Lighting the Uh Oa! bowl at Trader Sam’s Grog GrottoThe show effects going off at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto
Make tiki drinks at home
If a trip to a tiki bar gets you hooked, here’s what we’d start with for a home bar. The full list is on our Tiki Bar Gear page.
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