If you said two decades ago that the next arms race between Disney and Universal wouldn’t be around new rides, but new drinks, people would’ve called you crazy.
Yet here we are, more than a decade into the era of the “Living Land,” when immersive, cinematic theme park expansions plucked from blockbuster intellectual properties are all the rage. And from Hogsmeade to Avengers Campus; Cars Land to Arendelle; Springfield to New Fantasyland, the race is on to develop new signature retail and dining experiences that’ll convince guests to spend big bucks to “live” in their favorite worlds.
Countless custom-designed specialty drinks have popped up at parks around the globe, each vying to be that must-try $8 impulse buy and selfie star. But which reign supreme? Today, we’ll consider how these “in-universe” beverages fit into the parks – and of course, how they taste – in the ultimate beverage battle. Which drinks will earn our medals? We’ll find out… But let’s start with some honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
– Pingo Doce
Disney had its work cut out for them in trying to make the Marvel Cinematic Universe into a “Living Land.” Unlike Harry Potter, there’s no single “place” from the films that quite lends itself to a small-ish theme park land, and no iconic, must-try food or drink associated with the Avengers team… with a small exception, in a movie that’s also an exception in many ways. Universal acquired (and still retains) the standalone movie rights to the Hulk character, and when their 2003 film Hulk underperformed, they tried again with 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Technically, that film is the second canonical entry to the MCU, but it’s often overlooked both because it’s not on Disney+ and because it stars Edward Norton as Bruce Banner rather than Mark Ruffalo (who didn’t join until 2012’s Avengers), making it only-kinda-sorta an MCU movie.
In any case, Pingo Doce (pronounced ping-goe do-say) is a fictional Guarana soda from Brazil that shows up briefly in The Incredible Hulk, when Banner – on the run from authorities in Brazil – visits the soft drink’s manufacturing facility and accidentally leaves a drop of radioactive blood on a bottle. That bottle then ends up in the fridge of an old man (played by creator Stan Lee in one of his iconic cameos) who drinks from it and dies. (Posters for Pingo Doce can also be spotted in the background in Ant-Man).
Given that it’s a relatively obscure reference – even in a fandom known for its appreciation of obscure references – Disney doesn’t make a huge deal out of Pingo Doce. Rather, it can simply be selected from the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines in Avengers Campus’ Pym Test Kitchen. While carrying the radioactive green hue of the drink from the film, the park version of Pingo Doce is pretty much a Vanilla Sprite, which is a fine pick me up, but not a huge contender for the best drinks on our list.
– Pumpkin Fizz
It’s well known that one of the Caveats to Universal’s licensing of Harry Potter was that the resulting land needed to be fully “in-universe.” The “real” Hogsmeade doesn’t have Coca-Cola, so neither should the resulting theme park land! Obviously Butterbeer is the biggie, but actually, Universal developed a ton of beverages for the land that help expand the options in restaurants.
Bottled Pumpkin Juice was long a fan-favorite within the Wizarding World, made of a combination of apple cider, pumpkin, and apricot flavoring. Given that the juice is probably mentioned more in the Potter books than Butterbeer, it’s definitely worth trying – especially since it recently returned after a production shortage, now with a collectible sipper rather than in bottled form.
But in terms of our top drink choices, we have to hand it to Pumpkin Fizz – the carbonated variety offered at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade.
This fizzy beverage is like pumpkin pie in a cup – rich and sweet and autumnal, with nutmeg and cinnamon… Drink one on an empty stomach and you may find yourself feeling woozy from the sugar, but paired with a hearty fish and chips platter or a shepherd’s pie, Pumpkin Fizz is a cooling dessert drink you’ve got to try.
– Blue & Green Milk
When Disney acquired Lucasfilm outright in 2012, there was no question that at least part of the impetus behind the $4 billion purchase would be the acquisition of Star Wars – maybe the only intellectual property that can really give Harry Potter a run for its money. Still, many fans were surprised when Disney decided not to base its Star Wars land on one of the well-known and established planets from the films… and in fact, to not even base its land on the original trilogy of films at all. Instead, Star Wars became incarnate as Batuu – a from-scratch Outer Rim planet set in the timeline of Disney’s sequel trilogy.
Frankly, the setting makes sense. Planets like Tattooine and Coruscant may be recognizable, but they don’t translate well to the needs of a theme park, where scale is limited, where logistics like bathrooms, restaurants, and retail matter, and where giant showbuildings need hidden away. Besides, the visual language of Star Wars is established enough that Black Spire Outpost looks like Star Wars, even if it’s never been seen in the films. Likewise, food offerings and retail in Galaxy’s Edge are believably within the Star Wars Universe.
Technically, one of the few direct lifts from the movies was “Blue Milk” – a beverage initially seen only briefly and unnamed in A New Hope. Surely just meant to be an “alien” drink, Blue Milk became something of a fan staple, appearing in several other installments of the series. And just like that, Disney’s Star Wars lands had a built-in, must-try Butterbeer equivalent… Emphasis on try.
In actuality, both Blue Milk and Green Milk offered at Batuu’s Milk Stand are… unusual. It’s not uncommon to see guests snap a selfie with their frothy beverage, give it a taste, grimace, and toss the $8 beverage right into a trash can. Seeking to defy expectations, both Blue Milk and Green Milk are creamy, non-dairy blends of coconut and rice milk. Disney says that the Blue version has “alluring fruity characteristics” while Green has “zippy citrus and tropical characteristics.” We definitely give Blue the edge over Green (which, frankly, tastes like a cleaning product) but your mileage may vary… and at the end of the day, we appreciate the Milk Stand’s ambition and its desire to do something different than guests might expect!
BRONZE: Red’s Apple Freeze / LeFou’s Brew
Given that the cars from Pixar’s Cars likely drink some combination of motor oil and gasoline, Disney Imagineers had to look at things a different way to fill Disney California Adventure’s Cars Land with dining options. Luckily, much of it falls into place. Flo’s V-8 Cafe serves classic Americana diner fare; Filmore’s, fresh fruits; even the Cozy Cone Motel becomes a mini food court, with each cone serving Cars-style treats (like popcone or chili cone carne).
It’s also there that you’ll find Red’s Apple Freeze – the de facto Butterbeer of Cars Land (which is especially apt since Cars Land was Disney’s first land to follow the Wizarding World “Living Land” tradition). Red’s Apple Freeze is a no-sugar-added frozen apple juice slushy tinged marshmallow flavoring, then topped with a creamy, passion-fruit foam. Brain-freeze inducing, the sweet, icy concoction is cute and delicious… even if pouring it into a car’s gas tank would probably make it explode.
When Disney’s next “Living Land” opened, it, too, featured Red’s Apple Freeze. But in New Fantasyland, the same drink is called LeFou’s Brew. It makes sense, since the frothy beige beverage does look like a beer with a nice foamy head that you might expect from Gaston’s Tavern. The drink is just as good in Florida, too, and can be purchased in a collectible Gaston’s Tavern stein. So in this case, your preference might depend entirely on which story you’d rather be a part of – Radiator Springs, or Belle’s Village.
SILVER: The Leaky Cauldron Quartet
Clearly recognizing the gold mine that lie in specialty drinks developed for Hogsmeade, Universal went big when it came to rolling out new dishes, drinks, and treats for its second half. We have to give a special shoutout to the four drinks released exclusively alongside and within the Wizarding World’s Diagon Alley, available both at the Leaky Cauldron and at the land’s Butterbeer stand, the Hopping Pot.
A perplexing beverage, Otter’s Fizz is truly like a carbonated orange juice, not orange soda. It’s also infused with a vanilla flavor and served with an orange slice and cinnamon around the rim. Because this really feels more like a juice than a soda, the Fizzy Orange isn’t overwhelming. In fact, it’s quite light and refreshing (but for the chunky cinnamon and sugar you’re sure to crunch on from the rim.)
The same can be said of Diagon Alley’s Fishy Green Ale, which, like Butterbeer, isn’t actually an ale at all. Instead, it’s a minty drink. Like the Fizzy Orange, it’s not intense or overly sweet, but somewhat mellow and light with hints of cinnamon. The drink also comes with blueberry boba bubbles (“fish eggs”) and a wide straw to collect them, proving to be a whole lot of fun.
The third of Diagon Alley’s uniquely fizzy drink is the Peachtree Fizzing Tea, a carbonated iced tea with peach flavoring. That makes a unique, airy, unusual twist for iced tea fans.
Finally (and apparently the number one seller) is The Tongue-Tying Lemon Squash. This lemonade is reminiscent of the fresh-made, hand-shaken variety you may find a fair or festival. Much more tart than you might expect, it’s a wonderful balance of sweet and sour, with hints of vanilla and a lemon wedge smashed inside. Easily the best lemonade on Universal property, it’s a wonderful surprise.
GOLD: Butterbeer
Of course, there was no way for our countdown to end except for Butterbeer – the iconic origin of the must-try, land-exclusive, “in-universe” specialty beverage.
Butterbeer is the drink that started it all. This drink is a rite of passage for Potter fanatics, and practically a prerequisite the moment you step into either Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. Plenty of knockoff recipe exist if you care to bother a Starbucks barista with one, but nothing can quite match the perfection of Universal’s in-park recipe. Whether you opt for the “regular” version or the “frozen” slush, Butterbeer is creamy and comfortable; a toasted butterscotch flavor made all the better by a frothy, vanilla marshmallow foam topping.
Worth going out of your way for is the “hot” version – now served year-round in Florida – which is quite literally like if hot chocolate swapped the chocolate for butterscotch. It’s a delicious, ridiculously sweet, warm, welcoming, and homey drink that must be tried to be believed.
Even forgetting Butterbeer’s place in the world of Harry Potter and its importance in the land, Butterbeer is just a very good drink, and frankly, you don’t have to know or care about Potter to think so. The only issue is that the super-sweet beverage is so indulgent that you really have to take a break between varieties or risk a stomach ache. And trust us, you’ll want to save room for Butterbeer fudge, Butterbeer ice cream, and Butterbeer potted cream.
So, do you agree? Is Butterbeer the best theme park beverage? Let us know by voting in our poll or by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
