by Beth Keating
Review
DisneyBizJournal.com
May 11, 2021
You could be forgiven for thinking that Starbucks is the coffee powerhouse of the Disney kingdom, especially if you’ve rope-dropped and experienced the enormous lines that populate the Starbucks counters at the parks. Heck, they even have Starbucks’ park specific mugs and tumblers for sale.
But, you would be wrong. It turns out that Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. is the “Official Specialty Coffee of Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, and Disney Vacation Club.” It has its own shop in the Landing section of Disney Springs, as well as quick serve and kiosk locations throughout the parks (including a few specialty locations and novelty menu items at EPCOT festivals), and is served at the signature restaurants at Disney Parks and Resorts. It’s even available in the little single serve packages for your in-room coffee makers. If Starbucks shouts its availability, Joffreys is a little more subtle, with dozens of unique and ever increasing proprietary blends available throughout the Disney empire.
Several trips ago, in searching for some different souvenirs to bring home for family members, we came across the limited edition “Mickey’s 90th Birthday Celebration” blend at the Joffrey’s location in Disney Springs. And, viola, a whole new coffee love affair was born in our household. I don’t know why it never occurred to us that we could mail order the coffee to our house, but stupidly we would stock up on a few packages of the blends and cart them home on the plane with us, to be measured out judiciously for special occasion coffees until the next trip to Disney. (I know, why didn’t we think of having more shipped??? Had we never heard of the Internet?)
That first year, we bought Mickey’s Birthday blend as a novelty, but the great flavor of Joffrey’s kept us coming back to try other flavors. The new 11 ounce “Disney Mickey Mouse Classic Blend” ($11.99) is a reimagined blend of the earlier 90th Anniversary edition, and is a medium roast featuring a more traditional looking Mickey on the label.
The roastmasters at Joffreys have collaborated with Disney’s chefs to create blends that complement, and are exclusive to, the dishes served in their restaurants. The 16 ounce bags come in French Press, ground or bean formats, and range from $10.99 to $19.99 depending on the blend. A few flavors also come in K-cups. There are also limited edition and holiday varieties that pop up from time to time, and more than 25 blends unique to the Disney Specialty Coffee Collection.
This year, we took home the “Tusker House” blend ($12.99), one of the namesake coffees served exclusively at the Disney restaurants. Tusker House (at Animal Kingdom) does, indeed, receive kudos from guests for its excellent coffee, so we decided this year, we’d try that selection out at home. It had been a few years since we’d been to Tusker House, though it always ranked high on our dining favorites list. The Tusker House coffee is a dark roast, with hints of caramel and chocolate, “with a subtle smoky finish.” Our youngest adult son believes that, at this point, it is his favorite coffee. In the world. So far.
If you want to stick with the Animal Kingdom theme, the “Artifact” blend ($14.99) is the signature blend of Tiffins restaurant at Animal Kingdom park. Its Ethiopian beans are “blended with spicy Estate beans from the Indonesian island of Java.” Fruity and floral notes are carried through in this cup.
At Animal Kingdom Lodge, you have three other choices. The “Sanaa” blend ($14.99) is served at the resort’s Sanaa restaurant, and its medium roast comes from Kenya AA Specialty beans. Also from Animal Kingdom Lodge is the “Jiko” blend for $14.99 from the Lodge’s signature restaurant. A full-bodied coffee, its beans “mimic the tantalizing flavors and fragrant spices of Jiko’s New African cuisine.”
Let’s not forget the medium roast “Flavors of Africa” blend ($14.99) served at Boma – Flavors of Africa at AK Lodge. It’s described as a brisk, snappy full-bodied cup with a splash of fruitiness, and its beans are grown in the volcanic soil of Mt. Kenya (that alone makes it sound like a blend worth trying!)
Another restaurant that consistently receives great reviews for its coffee is the Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney World’s Yacht Club Resort. Its “Yachtsman Steakhouse” dark roast blend is known for its great aroma and a deep, bold flavor. Crafted from beans from Africa, Central America, and Indonesia, you can take home this blend for $14.99.
We sent the “Kona” blend (named for the Polynesian’s Kona Café) to another family member, who enjoyed its medium roast, somewhat fruity blend of Hawaiian and Central American beans. It was the priciest among the coffees at $19.99. Though it isn’t served specifically at Disney World, you can also purchase another Hawaiian blend at Disney – the medium roast “Aulani” blend served in-room at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii. It is said to have a “distinctly smooth & buttery mouth-feel with mild tropical fruit flavors.” It is also $19.99.
Apparently, if you want great coffee, the Grand Floridian is one of the places to go on property – it boasts no fewer than three of Joffreys’ specialty roasts. The uber-exclusive, AAA, 5 Diamond, Victoria & Albert’s at the Grand Floridian serves a single origin coffee called “Victoria & Albert’s” from a remote island in Indonesia (honestly, would you expect anything different from this bucket list restaurant?), and it offers chocolate and nutty overtones. On top of that, it is brewed tableside, and though you may not get exactly the precise results as your server does using Victoria & Albert’s siphon method of preparation, your home brewing machine will still give you a great cup of coffee with this choice. Amazingly, it is not one of the pricier offerings at $14.99.
Also from the Grand Floridian is the “Narcoosee’s” blend, a dark roast for $14.99, made with beans from Africa and Indonesia with woody and smoky notes, but a “spicy, sweet finish.” The “Citricos” blend at the so-named restaurant at “The Grand” is also a $14.99 dark roast, with berry-chocolate aromas and a milk chocolate finish.
The dark roast “Riviera Resort” blend is $13.99, and as one of the newest selections, it will give you a sweet and smoky cup with beans from Papua New Guinea, Costa Rica and Kenya.
The Boardwalk hasn’t been left out, either. The “Flying Fish Café Espresso” is a full, espresso roast, for $13.99, and leans toward the bittersweet. Prefer a medium roast while at the Boardwalk? Reach for the “Trattoria Al Forno” blend, a $14.99 berry and citrus flavored cup with a chocolate aroma.
California Grill at the Contemporary is considered by many as one of the top dining choices at Disney World, and their “California Grill” blend ($14.99) is a dark roast made from beans from Central America, Indonesia and Africa. Also at the Contemporary is “The Wave” ($13.99), a bold, full blend at the often over-looked restaurant, The Wave. This unique blend comes from a sustainable farm in Sumatra, in keeping with The Wave’s commitment to using sustainably sourced products on its menu. It stands out from other blends in its flavors, with hints of cedar and dried fruits.
There are tons more blends you’ll find just at Disney World. Try the medium “Hollywood Brown Derby” ($13.99) at Hollywood Studios, or the full, caramelly flavor of “Artist Point” ($13.99) from Wilderness Lodge, one of our favorite places to visit. EPCOT’s Le Cellier boasts caramel-brown sugar and citrus backgrounds in its dark roasted “Le Cellier” blend ($14.99).
At the Joffreys’ kiosks, you can get more than just coffees. Hand blended teas, huge fluffy doughnuts, snacks and specialty, limited time offerings show up as well. At a recent stop at the Joffreys’ kiosk at the Disney Skyliner at Caribbean Beach, we tried the “Toffee Flight Latte,” a delicious, cold espresso-based beverage with sea salt caramel toffee and mounds of fluffy whipped cream. The Nitro Cold Brew at the Disney Springs’ location also hit the spot as a pick-me-up on a hot afternoon. On Mother’s Day, we tried an iced “Lion’s Latte,” with coconut and white chocolate flavors for $5.69 a glass.
Incidentally, at the Disney Springs location, for a bit of extra fun (for only 50 cents), you can add a picture in the foam on the top of your latte, including an image of the big cheese himself, Mickey, or one of his friends; a seasonal message; or even your selfie portrait. (You know, so you’ll know whose drink is whose.)
If you are more of a West Coaster, there are blends unique to Disneyland, such as “Napa Rose” ($14.99), “Carthay Circle” ($13.99), and “Steakhouse 55” ($13.99), rather inexpensive ways to bring a touch of Disneyland to your door, since most of us out-of-staters aren’t eligible for park admission right now. We are especially looking forward to trying the Carthay Circle blend from Disney California Adventure’s Carthay Circle restaurant– its nutty and deep chocolate flavor is created from a rare 100% Specialty Grade Indonesian coffee that grows on trees that can date back as far as 250 years.
Joffreys is always introducing new blends, and coming up with creative ways to serve those flavors, such as the frozen Citrus Sunrise or Spring Flurry at the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival.
Disney also has a special collaboration with Joffreys and Conservation International to support the Alto Mayo Protected Forest Project in Peru, and the organic “Peru Alto Mayo” blend is the result of that team-up. The blend is a USDA Organic and Fair Trade Certified coffee from the Amazon Rain Forest that is farmed using sustainable methods in a protected area of San Martin. You can check out the Joffreys’ blog to learn more about this special offering. The fresh vanilla almond aroma is unique to this coffee, and you can take home a bag to sample for $12.99.
Joffreys has a wide range of other specialty blends and one-of-a-kind coffees to offer in addition to the Disney collection, including their “Giving Back” coffees, where a portion of the profits from each bag sold are donated to local charities, including the “Wish Maker’s Blend” ($13.99) supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida; the “Rise and Shrine” blend ($13.99) supporting Shriners Hospitals for Children; and the “Valor Blend” ($13.99), supporting our armed forces through Folds of Honor, providing scholarships to families of fallen and disabled military heroes.
If you are smarter than we were, and want to have your Joffreys’ blends shipped straight to your house, you can sign up on the Joffreys’ website, and get 25% off on your first order. (DisneyBizJournal does not profit from the sales; we just like the coffee.)
Happy brewing!
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.
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