Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog! I am sooo excited to finally have pictures of all of my favorite hot dogs in Disney World! How excited, you ask? So excited, that I decided to do a blog post about it.
Now, some of you might not think that hot dogs (or “hotted dogs,” as Michael Crawford would say) are that big a deal. “So what?” you say. “A hot dog’s a hot dog.”
Not so, my friends. My mother is a hot dog enthusiast, and I must have gotten some of her hot-dog-lovin’ genes. Not every dog tastes the same, and Disney World has a few that are outstanding (in spite of their new beef/chicken-ness*). Below are my favorites, in no particular order…
Casey’s Corner
is synonymous with hot dogs. There’s just no getting around the fact that they’re the epitome of the Disney Hot Dog Empire, so we must begin with them. Sitting at the end of Main Street, right in sight-view of every parade, firework, and Castle show that happens in Disney World, Casey’s also provides an excellent vantage point for relaxing and enjoying Disney entertainment.
The Casey’s dog is short and fat, with an incredible burst of sodium-filled goodness in every bite. They’re best when partnered with (my favorite and yours) the hot, plastic-y cheese available from the dispenser at Casey’s “fixin’s bar,” which also usually includes relish, ketchup, onions, and mustard.
Casey’s Corner Hot Dog, Fries, and Fixins
Beaches and Cream Soda Shop
My second soft spot when it comes to hot dogs goes to Beaches and Cream in Disney’s Beach Club Resort. This place is a sentimental favorite of mine anyway, but the great diner food doesn’t hurt! 😉 This is the place to get all your favorites — burgers, chili cheese dogs, chicken noodle soup, onion rings, and more ice cream than you can shake a stick at.
The hot dog here is probably the most “standard” you’ll find in Disney World, but coupled with the slightly seasoned fries and a bunch of shredded cheese (are you sensing a theme here?), it’s just about perfect. Especially if you’re enjoying it with a Cherry Coke and anticipating a chocolate malt for dessert…
Hot Dog with cheese and Fries
ESPN Club
Surprised? Don’t be! The chili cheese dogs at the ESPN Club are legendary.
Located on Disney’s Boardwalk, the ESPN Club is busiest during big deal sports events, but if you arrive when they open for lunch on a regular old day, you’ll have your pick of great seating. Choose a booth with its very own TV (and gaming controls, of that’s your preference!), or head into the broadcast room — maybe you can catch a show being taped! When you’re finished, head into the arcade next door to play a few rounds. Whatever you do, you’ve got to hit the restrooms — I promise you won’t miss a minute of the game!
BUT, back to the dog! This thing is huge, and for those of you who aren’t big eaters, I can suggest sharing this one. It’s easily a foot long, and when covered in chili and cheese you have quite a meal on your hands. But the taste is outstanding, and the fries are some of the best in Disney World as well. Don’t deny yourself the indulgence.
ESPN Club Chili Cheese Dog and Fries
Final Comments and Info
So, there you have it! At long last, my picks for best hot dog in Disney World! I would love to hear your comments and other suggestions. Have you sampled one I haven’t tried? I can’t wait for recommendations! Let me know in the comments section below 🙂 Happy Dogging!
Oh, by the way, speaking of hot dogs, here’s a fun little ditty to have in your head for the rest of the day…
*Thanks to Chef BigFatPanda for the pic from Casey’s and for this info/research about the switch from all-beef to beef/chicken: “I received a call back from a Food & Beverage manager this morning who confirmed, as we know, the All Beef hot dog has changed to a Beef / Chicken hot dog. This change began Sept 2009. I was told that although the hot dog is not kosher (and she did not believe the all beef one was either), kosher meals can be gotten at Cosmic Ray’s. There is no pork in the hot dog. Furthermore, I was told that yes, in fact, the fat content of the hot dog was reduced because of the chicken addition, although the manager did not have the exact values on hand. I asked if it was possible to get those and she said she would be happy to follow up with me. Had I not read it here, I would not have tasted a difference. If the fat content was substantially reduced, I will be happy about the change.”
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I love Beaches and Cream hot dog. FOr some reason it tastes the best out of all the locations. And for some reason i dont like Caseys, maybe its becasue of the ducks everywhere, and the guests that feed them..
I can’t endorse your selection of Casey’s. The new hot dog at Casey’s has no flavor. It is dissapointingly bad, which is a shame. This was always our favorite place to get a quick bite. It has been interesting to me how quicky the wdw internet community caught on to this and started giving the collective thumbs down. Being a baseball fan, though, I love Casy’s theming.
Thanks for the photo from espn. That looks like a natural casing dog that has been split and grilled. I will be definitely trying it.
My favorite is Corn Dog Nuggets! (at Casey’s.) I’ll take them over a regular hot dog any day!
I have yet to have a hot dog since the switch. It’s been many years since I’ve had one at Casey’s, and around 3 since I had one at ESPN. I last ordered one there shortly after I moved to Orlando, I recall. Maybe I’ll have to revisit Casey’s soon.
Does anyone know if the corn dogs/corn dog nuggets have switched as well?
I too LOVE hot dogs and consider myself a Disney dog connoisseur. Oddly enough, I think the BEST dog in the park is from a little stand located in MK’s Tomorrowland between the Astro Oribiter and Space Mountain. All you can get at the stand are dogs, chips and sodas, but man they are the BEST!
I have always wanted to like Casey’s dogs, but just can’t. I guess I’m looking for more of a garlicy seasoning like you get in a good deli kosher dog. I’m not sure that it’s because of the chicken, since some standard dogs like Dubuque Plumpers and Ball Parks can fit the bill (or at least come closer).
I have to put out another “yes” vote for the corn dog nuggets, though!
Also . . . are the hot dogs from the hot dog carts the same size as the Casey dogs?
I’m really disappointed that Caseys switched to chicken/beef. It’s just another cost cutting measure at the expense of guests. They need to bring back the all beef hot dog… don’t tell me they were a cost issue at $7 a hot dog
Cody — I think the extra specialness of the B&C Dog is the fact that I get a brownie sundae afterwords.
Dave — Thanks for your Casey’s review! Definitely go sample the ESPN dog — it is amazing.
Kelly — Do you know, I’ve never even tried the corn dog nuggets?! My first corn dog ever…in my life…was recently had in Disneyland, so now I’m going to have to sample corn dogs aplenty.
Sarah — Not sure if the corn dogs have switched to beef/chicken — or if they were ever all beef! If you head over there and find out, let us know!
Sarah — Ah, yes! The hot dog stands! Thank you for making the suggestion and the recommendation! There’s a hot dog stand in Toon Town I’ve always wanted to try.
John — From my experience, the hot dog cart dogs are about the same as Casey’s dogs, but it’s been a while since I had a hot dog cart dog. Hopefully someone will be able to corroborate.
Matt — Come on, now, profit centers! PROFIT CENTERS! 😉
Ive never eaten at any of these, however I will use a counter service at either casey’s or Beach club.. both look great, oh and thank you for getting the hot dog song stuck in my head. I now hope you get the Cinderella mice “work song” stuck in yours 🙂
The switch was noticed, not only because of flavor, but my son has an allergy to chicken. So he no longer can have a dog anywhere in the Kingdom. stinks.
So glad I had already finished my lunch before I read this or I might have been tempted to go in search of a hot dog instead of the salad I ate! You know, I think I can honestly say that I’ve never eaten a hot dog at Disney World. Eek! I usually end up opting for a burger or chicken over hot dogs at counter service places. I think I’ll have to remedy that on my next trip.
We love going to Casey’s and the ESPN club! I still have yet to go to Beaches and Cream, though I hear nothing but good reviews. The ESPN club hotdog is awesome though cause it’s so big you can’t finish it. I do admit, for Casey’s I prefer the mini corn dog bites to their actual hot dogs though.
Mark — Definitely great hot dogs, and a good way to spend a counter service credit (maybe not the BEST way, but a good way… ) 😉
Rod — That IS a bummer. I’m sorry to hear about that. I do know that Disney is great with working with allergies, and if he really wants a hot dog, just call ahead to any table-service restaurant and they’ll do their best to get him one that he can eat.
Shayne — You must try a hot dog — you’re at a theme park, it’s in the code of ethics. 🙂
Melissa — ESPN’s dog is really something that should be split! We try to go at the end of the trip so that our tummies are sufficiently stretched out and we still can’t finish.
this post is one of the many reasons why i just ADORE your blog. man, i have to get me to WDW & stat!
AJ-SHAME! You really must try the corn dog nuggets. They’re little gems of joy!
John – The hot dog carts are the same as Casey’s but different. Casey’s has a quick turnaround while the ones at the carts and stands wait around a little bit. At the snack station in Liberty Square I’ve often found them a tad dried out or even overcooked due to being in the heater for too long.
Casey’s is excellent, but am I alone in hating the atmosphere? The serving station is too small for the amount of people packed in, and there usually isn’t enough seating when I get there. I do love feeding the birds when I can. I know… I know…
Does Liberty Inn at Epcot still offer foot longs? I had one there about 3 years ago. It was pretty good as far as hot dogs are concerned.
When exactly did Casey’s switch over? I remember reading about it before, but now I can’t remember if I had since then… I may have to do test to be sure…
I also don’t notice a huge difference in the taste of the new dogs. I think they are still better than many ballparks and theme parks. I know I am practically alone in that, but to me, a good hot dog is a package-deal. A good bun (even whole wheat) and the right mustard can make up for a little chicken. And let’s not forget the cheese sauce. (Mmmmmm… cheese sauce…)
A.J., how about a corn dog sampling project in September? Now corn dogs… THAT is a serious weakness of mine…
Wow… I don’t think I’ve ever had a hot dog while at WDW, not even a corn dog. I have a WDW trip coming up. It might be the right time to try one at the World. I’ve had a dog at Disneyland (specifically in Toontown and on Main street) but none were stellar…..
Robin — I hear you! I need to get ME to WDW stat!
Kelly — No kidding! I need to do a corn dog round-up at WDW next time, clearly!
GG — Agreed that seating is at a premium here. There’s just not enough of it. That’s why we either go during lull times, or grab the dogs and sit on the curb somewhere to eat.
Pudge — Nope. Liberty Inn in Epcot has no hot dogs anywhere. Not even on the kids menu. Sad; I would have liked to know I could get a dog there.
Maria — September 2009 was the beginning of the switch-over. Let us know how you like ’em once you’ve done the taste test!
Elizabeth — Yes! Corn Dog sampling project! Maybe we’ll make it a video…
Lillian — I’m pretty sure, if I were to START my hot-dog-eating in WDW, I’d go with ESPN’s hot dog first!
We used to LOVE Casey Dogs but now after the switch, I don’t care if I ever have one. It used to be the HIGHLIGHT of any WDW trip was a Hot Dog at Casey’s. The new dog has ZERO flavor.
The best dog at the world now is at the little stand on the boardwalk at the Boardwalk. Plus they have one that is a footlong and BOY ARE THEY GOOD!!! Actually tastes like a nice BEEF hotdog.
Anyone else had one and wants to comment?
Thanks for this hot dog review! I have never had a hot dog at WDW, but may need to try the chili cheese dog at ESPN Club. YUM!
I must say, though, that my husband and I are on the West Coast, so we have been to Disneyland many more times than WDW. We are HUGE fans of the corn dogs that can be found on Main Street and in Cal. Adventure. We were VERY sad to find on our honeymoon last year that WDW does not have a corn dog cart equivalent. We settled for the mini corn dogs at Casey’s, but it just was not the same…..
Whitney — I just did a post abt the corn dog cart in adventureland, but those don’t hold a candle to disneyland’s hand dipped version! Mu dl corn dog review is coming up soon!
Wow… that ESPN Hot Dog & Fries looks fantastic! It’s now on my bucket list!
Just threw away the Hot dogs at Caseys Corner yesterday. Worst looking Hot Dog I have ever seen. Pink and tasteless just about sums it up. Then to top it off they put it on some giant chunk of bread. The only good thing is that being as the roll is so big you can put allot of stuff on it and throw out the dog. Do yourself a favor and just by pass this place. Nothing on this menu if fit for human consumption.
Before the switch, the hot dogs served at Casey’s were Hebrew National; I have a hard time believing they weren’t kosher. I agree with the comment above that the serving are is not up to the crowd, particularly for the evening parades. Thanks for the blog! We’re staying at the Board Walk on an upcoming trip, and the chili cheese dog at ESPN just made the agenda!
Does anyone know the brand of hot dogs used at Disney World?
Those are all good dogs, my favorite is at Fairfax mkt. @ Disney Studios just down the road
from the Tower of Terror. It is big and covered with bbq sauce and crispy slaw
R.I.P. Plastic Cheese.
Had the chili dog at Casey’s last night and it was delicious. I think the folks who say they can taste the flavor difference are full of crap. My daughter had the BBQ slaw dog and it was generously topped with so much pulled pork she couldn’t finish it. The only complaint I have is the buns are too big with too much bread. This will be a must every trip to WDW for me and my family!