Resort dining in Walt Disney World can be a massive amount of fun.

And while we all know there are great resort spots like ‘Ohana, California Grill, and Sanaa, we don’t often spend much time celebrating food courts, even though they are packed with options and can be pretty cool. But just over five years ago, a Resort food court came along that was kind of a game changer: the Art of Animation Resort’s Landscape of Flavors.

It’s true: we give this place a lot of credit due to its more innovative dishes with some international flair. (Though I have to give a nod to some other Value Resort food courts for spicing things up recently with things like the  All-Star Movies World Premiere Food Court Secret Menu!)

So when I stepped into Landscape of Flavors during my recent Disney World trip to cover the 2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival, I was — as I always am with this place — optimistic.

Atmosphere

Here’s the typical scene upon arrival at Art of Animation, preparing you to enter the extremely colorful Resort.

Landscape of Flavors is located in Animation Hall.

Since Art of Animation opened just over five years ago, Landscape of Flavors has been one of my favorite resort food courts.

The vibe is fluid and colorful, with lots of careful lighting to accent the contours of the ceilings and dividers.

Seating areas are plentiful and pretty. Circular light fixtures anchor the spaces, and artwork on the walls represents the four movies brought to life at the resort, since each is likewise represented in the food court.

Aside from being themed to The Lion King, Little Mermaid, Cars, and Finding Nemo, each of the seating areas have a kind of movement to them, owing to the curved partitions and interesting floor patterns.

Be sure to pick your favorite flick’s area when you grab a seat!

Eats

Like all resort food courts, menus at each station are brightly displayed on LED screens, with changing images and menu items. Take your time reviewing the options, since there are TONS and they just keep on rotating!

We appreciate that even on the burger menu, you can still catch glimpses of desserts. Always plan ahead, I say!

One of the hallmarks of Landscape of Flavors is the sheer variety. While you’ll find all the regular food court classics (Chicken Breast Nuggets, Burgers, and the like), there are more unique items than what you’ll tend to find in other Value Resort courts. Of particular note is the Naan Bread, which is still available here! I also love the Cheesy Pesto Bread (also still on the menu!!).

Believe it or not, though, I actually went the more traditional route this time, with just some mild twists.

First up, a “Steak” and Egg Burger. Now, I would probably ordinarily recommend avoiding food in quotation marks, but in this case, I’ll let it slide. It’s actually an Angus Beef Burger, which was still (to no one’s surprise) dry and overcooked, but a slight improvement over the typical patty in flavor. The burger is topped with a slice of Cheddar Cheese and some good Disney bacon.

The play on “Steak” and Egg comes in the form of a Fried Egg that’s placed on top of all the other components. And I know what you’re thinking: “You didn’t mention any sauce, so obviously that’s a perfectly runny egg to add moisture to the burger!”

Ehhhhhh, not so much. The egg is pretty much over-hard, so there’s no rush of egg yolk to make this thing interesting.

But honestly, the Surf and Surf Burger is still going to be the main winner here.

But there was a new menu item that I HAD to try: the Chili-Cheese Fries for Two for $8.99. The “for Two” comes from the menu, and I think that’s a safe plan (although if you wanna take a stab at it by yourself… well, join my club!). The serving comes on an entree-size plate, and it is massive. A huge pile of fries is covered in globs of gooey cheese. (It’s not rocket science, I know.)

The Chili is usually served on top, but I requested it on the side (you can see it in the group pic with the Burger). So, approach it from any angle: dump it, drizzle it, dip it. It’s up to you. I went for a spoon-it-out-all-over-that-luscious-pile-of-fries angle. It’s a ground beef chili with lots of rich tomato sauce, so the contrast with the creamy cheese and the salty fries is terrific.

DFB TIP! Just as a note: I knew I was going to dive into the Chili-Cheese Fries, so I opted not to get the regular side items with the “Steak” and Egg Burger. Typically you can choose two sides with a burger or sandwich, but if you just want the sandwich, let the Cast Member know and they’ll deduct the cost of the sides from the price.

Following all that savory stuff, it was clearly cupcake time. And thankfully, the dessert and bakery cases at Landscape of Flavors are fully loaded with options. Gelato is always a solid choice here, with lots of topping options, too. But on this visit, I  couldn’t help but notice the Confetti Cupcake due to its somewhat unusual appearance.

Yeah, a bit of an odd look with that rounded scoop of vanilla buttercream on top, right? Though it does kind of look like a cute sundae with the chocolate drizzle and colorful sprinkles. I thought the buttercream was spot on — delicious. And the confetti cake itself was moist and flavorful. So this was a good choice!

Nosh or Not?

You’ll want to visit Landscape of Flavors if:

• You’re staying at Art of Animation or Pop Century Resort (it’s an easy walk from Pop) and want to embrace your Resort’s offerings.
• You’ve been meaning to check out Art of Animation (it’s super fun!) and have time to grab a meal or snack. An FYI for those using Disney bus transportation (until those gondolas arrive!!), the nearest park is Hollywood Studios.
• You like interesting quick service meal options and don’t mind going off the beaten path.

You won’t want to visit Landscape of Flavors if:

• You aren’t staying at Art of Animation (or her sister resort, Pop Century), and you have no reason to go.
• You don’t care for food court dining (and, honestly, the longer than usual wait times that are often involved).
• You don’t have time in your touring strategy to leave a park for a meal.

Overall

True, I had mostly traditional tastes this time, but Landscape of Flavors really lives up to its name by inviting guests to jump in and try something new. And this food court continues to offer selections that we don’t see often in a theme park, to say nothing of a food court! I always enjoy a stop here.

What’s your favorite resort food court? Tell us about it in the comments!