On our last Disney World trip, we finally had the chance to try the wildly popular brunch at Olivia’s Cafe, located at Old Key West Resort. Today, we’re sharing our full review and spoiler alert. We loved it! Is this the best brunch at Disney World? It’s definitely one of the best and is worth taking the time to go!
If you’re a foodie, add this to your vacation bucket list immediately. Olivia’s delivers on food, service, and atmosphere, offering up familiar favorites as well as unique options with an island flair.
One of my favorite Disney tips is to visit other Disney World resorts. It’s a fantastic way to spend a day outside of the Disney parks, especially if you’re on a family trip with kids. There are typically fun (and free) things to do, not to mention it’s a great way to sample all the amazing Disney World food specific to each resort!
If you’re heading to Disney and looking for more dining options to add to your itinerary, I just shared our favorite sandwiches and some of the best salads you can get on property. And if you’re heading to Disney Springs early, here’s where you can get breakfast before 10 AM! Let’s dive in.
The food at Disney World has come a long way in the 40+ years we’ve been visiting. Disney restaurants have stepped up their game, and Olivia’s Cafe is no exception. Brunch at Olivia’s is actually breakfast. It’s served from 7:30 AM to 2 PM, seven days a week, and the menu stays the same.
Old Key West is a smaller Disney resort hotel, but it is highly underrated. It’s small but charming, unpretentious, and inviting. Olivia’s is no exception. Imagine a beach house with a warm and cozy vibe. There are nautical touches throughout the restaurant, large paddle ceiling fans, mismatched chairs, and an overall casual and welcoming atmosphere. It makes you want to stay a while.
The inspiration for the restaurant came from Olivia Farmsworth, a resident of Old Key West who was well known for inviting strangers and friends into her kitchen to eat. As you enter the restaurant, the lobby walls are covered with real photos of Disney Vacation Club members (who often return to update them). This is meant to make you feel welcomed, and it does. It’s the first thing I noticed, and I LOVED looking at all the photos.
Olivia’s Cafe At Disney’s Old Key West
On our last few trips, we’ve been staying at the Drury hotel in Orlando, which is actually a Good Neighbor Hotel located right outside Disney Springs. We absolutely love this Disney hotel and the location. In fact, we love it so much that I wrote a full review here.
Shannon and I love getting up early and walking to Disney Springs. There are some early-morning breakfast options worth waking up for, and it’s a relaxing way to start on a non-park day. Once at Disnsye Springs, you can follow the path over to Saratoga Springs, which takes you all the way to Old Key West Resort. It’s a long but beautiful walk, as most of this path runs along the water. The morning we did this, we had one goal in mind: to have breakfast or brunch at Olivia’s café, and it did not disappoint.
Related: Geyser Point Bar and Grill Review @ Wilderness Lodge Resort
Olivia’s Cafe Menu
The menu at Olivia’s is one of the things that makes it unique. You’ll find familiar favorites like pancakes and omelettes as well as island-inspired dishes like the wildly popular conch fritters, banana bread French toast with Bahamian banana rub syrup, and unique condiments like Key lime hollandaise sauce and a Key West-inspired ketchup. Shannon and I rarely go out to a Disney breakfast or brunch because the menus don’t excite us. We’re always looking for something a little more unique that entices us to go, and Olivia’s café does that!
If you’re on the Disney dining plan, Olivia’s Café counts as one table service credit for both breakfast/brunch and dinner. I always recommend that you look at the prices for each table-service restaurant you plan to visit. Use your credits at the most expensive restaurants to get the most bang for your buck! You can access all the Disney restaurant menus on their website and via the My Disney Experience App. I’ve also noticed the app is updated more often than the website.
Disney Brunch Review
We started with a cocktail, the blackberry orange spritz, made with Ketel One Botanical Peach & Orange Blossom Vodka, Rockey’s Botanical Liqueur, and Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, for $17.50. I don’t typically order bubbly drinks, but after the walk from our hotel, it sounded refreshing, and it was. This was light, refreshing, not too sweet, but also alcohol forward, which I didn’t mind. Adult beverages at Disney World are expensive, so I want my money’s worth.
We started with the famous Olivia’s Cafe conch fritters, served with key lime mustard for $16, which I was so excited to try. I had heard nothing but good reviews about them, and they were not wrong. The texture was spot-on for a fritter, and I loved the visible chunks of conch, which added nice texture. You’ll also want to slam dunk these in the Key lime mustard. It was fantastic!
I had already scoured the menu and knew I wanted to order the crab cake Benedict ($26). Eggs Benedict is one of my all-time favorite dishes, and this was another home run! The crabcakes themselves are full of crab without too much breading, but the Key lime hollandaise makes the dish. It’s light and tangy, with a hint of lime, giving it a tropical flair that pairs beautifully with the crab cakes and rich egg yolks. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of Olivia’s breakfast potatoes. They taste like scallop potatoes made with canned soup. The next time we go, I will choose a different side.
My husband ordered the bacon jam cheeseburger for $26 and loved it. Specifically, he commented on the quality of the beef, and I agree. You can tell it’s a good-quality beef patty. My only note, though my husband disagreed, is that the avocado is not necessary. I love avocado, but I don’t think it meshes well with the jam and pickles’ flavors. Speaking of the pickles, they’re delicious and come from The Land Pavilion at Epcot, so that’s a little Disney fun fact. The ketchup is their Key West ketchup, which has a bit of citrus. It also comes with an aïoli. This was unique and flavorful! (he also did not care for the potatoes)
Pro tip. You can find the menu for Olivia’s Cafe here. It’s always a good idea to check Disney menus right up until you leave for your trip, as they change often.
Final Thoughts
Aside from the potatoes, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Olivia’s Café! With so many fantastic Disney restaurants to choose from, I ask myself three questions before recommending one.
- Would I go out of my way to go back?
- As I mentioned above, brunch doesn’t usually excite us, but we will absolutely go out of our way to go back to Olivia’s Café (and I’ll be ordering the conch fritters every time!)
- Is it memorable?
- I have already forgotten many of the things we tried on our most recent trip, but I’m still thinking about our meal, so yes – it’s memorable!
- What would I recommend to other people?
- I recommend Olivia’s to anyone looking for a breakfast that is a little more unique, who loves exploring other Disney resorts, and anyone traveling with kids. The menu has something for everyone, including Mickey waffles.
If you’ve dined at Olivia’s Café, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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