While I’d enjoyed Nomad Lounge several times, especially their outside deck, my husband had never experienced it. Since it was just the two of us on this day of our Animal Kingdom visit, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to introduce him to the Nomad Lounge. Therefore, at about 11:50 I joined their waitlist for a table in the MDE app on my phone. I received a text back that the estimated wait time would be 30 minutes. The text also gave me the option to reply “DECLINE” if I no longer wished to have my place held in the virtual line. Knowing how popular this lounge is I didn’t think that 30 minutes was a bad wait time. So anyway, we found a seat nearby and did some people watching to pass the time. At about 12:05 I received another text that they would be ready to seat us in about 15 minutes so we should make our way back to the restaurant/lounge. I thought it was nice that they give updates to their guests, especially those who might have wandered off to other areas of the park. And then to my surprise, just 2 minutes later (at 12:07) I received a text saying they could seat us earlier than expected and we should check in at the host stand within 10 minutes. Since we were seated very close by, we immediately checked in at the host stand and discovered that they were going to seat us inside. I asked to wait for an outdoor table, which took another few minutes but by 12:15 we were seated at a table for 2 in a prime spot by the railing of their deck. We had this lovely view…
Ok, let’s begin with our drink selections. Nomad Lounge has many Specialty Cocktails and Beverages so it took us a bit to choose, but here are the two we decided on…
Left: Tempting Tigress with Russell’s Reserve 10 yr Bourbon, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram Liqueur, Tamarind, and Lime Juice – $18.50 (current price per their Oct. 2026 online menu is $19.00)\
Right: Lilly Gorill-ie (non-alcoholic beverage) with Strawberry juice and Sprite – $7.00
I was not surprised at all with Don’s choice, as he is a bourbon fan. He enjoyed this and gave it a rating of 4. As for me, my drink was fine. It tasted like a very sweet (a little too sweet) Shirley Temple. I rated it only a 3.
But my ratings improved with our food, which we chose from their menu (that primarily consists of small plates)…
We were interested in their chicken wings but found that they had two different ones listed on their menu so asked our server for his recommendation…
Bangkok Crispy Chicken Wings – $16.00
These had a deliciously sweet, caramel fish sauce. I thought I tasted peanut in this sauce but our server said no. I’m not usually a fan of bone-in wings but I really enjoyed these. We both gave these chicken wings a perfect rating of 5.
NOTE: We were told that the Bangkok version of chicken wings was only available for a few more days after our visit (until the end of May) and then in mid-June they would add another option (besides the Chinese) to their menu. Our server said they frequently change the sauce of their chicken wings.
We also ordered these to share…
Wild Mushroom Dumplings with Dim Sum Sauce, Chili Crunch, and Roasted Mushrooms – $14.00 (This is still on their current online menu as of Oct. 2026 at the same price.)
This was the plant-based option on their Small Plates menu. The dumplings (aka potstickers) were filled with portobello mushrooms and tofu, then topped with beech mushrooms. They were actually pretty flavorless unless you covered them with the dim sum sauce, which was tasty. I gave these a rating of 4 but Don rated them slightly lower, giving them 3 1/2.
We of course had to finish our lunch with the…
Churros served with Vanilla Crema & Blueberry Sauce – $11.00
The churros were warm, sweet and so delicious. I especially loved them with the vanilla sauce. While it seems like the vanilla crema is always served with their churros, the second sauce changes seasonally (currently it’s apple butter as of Oct. 2026). I bet chocolate sauce would be phenomenal with these. Also of note, I’ve heard their churros are gluten-free. What a great gluten-free dessert option! Anyway, while I gave these a perfect 5 rating, Don wasn’t quite as enthused about them and gave them a 4.
Both the service and peaceful, relaxed atmosphere here were also worthy of a 5 rating. As you can see from our photos, we really enjoyed our time at Nomad Lounge…
In fact, we were enjoying ourselves so much that we nearly missed our time window for our Avatar ride Lightening Lane passes. Thankfully our server told us that if we were questioned at the ride entrance to just show them our dining receipt and our lateness would be forgiven.
NOTE: I heard that as of today (Oct. 28, 2026), Nomad Lounge began taking reservations 60 days in advance. I bet this reservation will be a hard one to get but I think it’s worth the effort.
Oh, and if you are able to snag a reservation at Nomad Lounge, be sure to ask to be seated on the deck…
