Magic Kingdom is finally giving The Diamond Horseshoe a menu worthy of that wonderful old saloon. On October 4, the Liberty Square restaurant will reopen as a limited-time small-plates pop-up, with reservations opening September 29.
And oh, this is a much more interesting use of the room. The Diamond Horseshoe has spent recent years serving the same family-style feast as Liberty Tree Tavern one door over—perfectly pleasant, but not exactly a starring role. Now that balcony-and-stage beauty gets a menu with a personality of its own.
Frontier food with a little swagger
Disney has gone smoky, sticky, and just the right amount of yeehaw with six small plates.
The charcuterie brings cured beef, candied bacon, smoked pork, green chile cheese, smoked cheddar, and pickles. Glazed sticky ribs come with cowboy beans and jalapeño crisps, while the queso fundido gets a proper pile of barbecue burnt ends and warm tortilla chips.
Then we have sweet golden corn fritters with cilantro ranch and red chili honey, a chipotle chicken tostada with lime crema and pickled cactus salsa, and pastry-wrapped mini hot dogs served with chips and queso. That last one is the menu's charming little wildcard: part frontier saloon, part extremely committed snack break.
The nonalcoholic drinks are not phoning it in, either. There is an Orange Cream Soda, Caramel Root Beer with Sweet Cream, strawberry-and-hot-honey Enchanting Ember Lemonade, and an Enchanted Grove Lime Splash with cucumber and mint. The root beer is the one making eyes at us from across the room.
For adults, Disney has lined up five cocktails, including a prickly-pear Cactus Rose Margarita, the vodka-and-cassis High Plains Huckleberry, and a Coal'd Fashioned made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, coffee liqueur, cinnamon syrup, and bitters. That Coal'd Fashioned has a lot of plot in one glass, and we are deeply curious to see whether it becomes the saloon's headliner.
Wine and draft beer round out the menu, including Cigar City Jai Alai IPA. This is officially a table-service restaurant, not a new quick-service counter or permanent Magic Kingdom lounge.
Now let's talk about the missing number
Here is where our fairy godmother gently takes the credit card away: Disney has not announced prices.
That is a fairly important omission for a menu built entirely around small plates. These dishes could make The Diamond Horseshoe a clever stop for drinks and a few shareable bites—or a very pretty way to discover that everyone is still hungry. The menu photos cannot answer that one for us.
Disney has also given the pop-up two very different party-night rules. It will not operate during Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, but it will be available during Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Two holiday parties, one saloon, completely different answer.
An earlier Disney preview said walk-ups would be welcomed, while advance reservations begin September 29. Liberty Tree Tavern remains next door with its all-you-care-to-enjoy meal, so nobody is taking away the turkey, pot roast, or Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake.
Disney calls The Diamond Horseshoe pop-up limited-time but has not supplied an end date. October 4 tells us when this new act begins; Disney has not said how long it plans to keep it onstage.
