25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown – Day 13: A Pint of Guinness at Raglan Road
The Christmas season is my absolute favorite time of the year. Growing up, one of the little things I loved most was getting an Advent calendar and counting down the days until Santa would be coming down the chimney. As I grew older, I had to leave Advent calendars in the rear view mirror,* but I still miss that daily countdown building anticipation to the big day. So, we’re going to start a virtual Advent calendar here at TouringPlans. For 2014, we are going to countdown our favorite drinks at Walt Disney World and the Universal Orlando Resort.
Criteria: Drinks can be alcoholic or nonalcoholic. Drinks can come from any venue on property as well as the Disney Cruise Line. Bonus points awarded for atmosphere where drink is served. Any drink with glow cubes is immediately disqualified. Ready? Let’s go!
DAY THIRTEEN: A Pint of Guinness at Raglan Road (Downtown Disney)
There are many places on Disney property where you can get a pint of Guinness, but only one place in our hearts, Raglan Road at Downtown Disney. Despite the large venue, Raglan Road does an amazing job at recreating an authentic Irish pub experience. The live entertainment is among the best on property and the menu consistently delivers with interesting and unique takes on traditional Irish standards. Come for the drinks, stay for the food, stay even longer for the off-the-charts atmosphere, Raglan Road is a true gem of Walt Disney World.
There is plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors at Raglan Road, with several bars to whet your whistle as well. Our best bets for food include the Dalkey Duo (beer battered sausages served with style) and the Bangers and Mash. Also be sure to check out Cookes of Dublin, which is connected to Raglan Road and offers the next-level bonkers Doh-Bar (a Snickers bar, deep fried in donut batter, covered with powdered sugar and YES, it’s as good as it sounds.)
PREVIOUS DRINKS OF CHRISTMAS:
DAY ONE: Shark Attack at Chez Alcatraz
DAY TWO: Grand Marnier Slush at Epcot
DAY THREE: Flaming Moe at Moe’s Tavern
DAY FOUR: Sunken Treasure on the Disney Cruise Line
DAY FIVE: Mai Tai at Emeri’s Tchoup Chop
DAY SIX: Avocado Margarita at La Cava del Tequila
DAY SEVEN: Pumpkin Fizz at the Three Broomsticks
DAY EIGHT: Old Fashioned at Belle Vue Lounge
DAY NINE: PBR in a Paper Bay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort
DAY TEN: Bay Lake Sunset at Top of the World Lounge
DAY ELEVEN: Tongue Tying Lemon Squash at the Leaky Cauldron
DAY TWELVE: Sugar Cane Mojito at Dawa Bar
See you tomorrow for the next entry into the 25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown, where we are going to head into Epcot’s World Showcase. If you had fun, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! and Saturday Six articles, or, for your listening pleasure, check out the Pardon the Pixie Dust podcast. Your humble author can also be seen producing typos at an inhuman rate on Twitter: @derekburgan
Interested in theme park drinks? Then do we have a eBook for you! The Walt Disney World Bars and Lounges eGuide by Brian McNichols. Over 250 pages and containing well over 400 photos, this eGuide takes you through EVERY bar and lounge on WDW property (trust me, Brian has the kidneys problems to prove it!) Also included? Recipes for some of your favorite WDW drinks. Ratings, descriptions, and photos for each of the 70+ bars and lounges. Talk about the perfect Christmas present!
Special thanks to crack staff photographer Brandon Glover and Megan Stump for their invaluable assistance with this article. Be sure to also check out Brandon on The Park Blogger podcast with co-hosts Aengus Mackenzie and Brian Carey.
*That is an absolutely lie. I still buy an advent calendar every year with chocolates in it, and I also buy an annual box of Christmas Crunch, but we’ll keep that between us.
Raglan Road is awesome, but the Guinness recommendation is a bit pedestrian.
I would suggest the Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. It is not as common as Guinness and much more of a treat!