Disney World is full of Hidden Secrets that most guests never learn about, but are available to everyone.  Today we visit the World Showcase in Epcot to discover the Hidden Secret at La Cantina Quick Service Restaurant.

La Cantina Hidden Secret

The very popular La Cantina Quick Service Restaurant that is found in the Mexico Pavilion in Epcot has a beautiful waterfront setting with seating that overlooks the World Showcase Lagoon.


The Hidden Secret that many people do not realize is that during the Lunch hours every day diners at La Cantina may enter this door to dine inside the La Hacienda de San Angel table service restaurant that is only open during dinner hours.



While you enjoy your inexpensive (relatively speaking) food from La Cantina, you can dine in the posh setting of La Hacienda de San Angel!  This is a fact that very few people realize, even when it becomes standing room only for the outside seating, it is calm and quiet inside.  This is especially good to know on rainy days.

The restaurant affords wonderful views of the World Showcase making this a great choice for lunch.



The food is great. Whether you choose the great guacamole and chips for a snack or appetizer or get one of the freshly made taco meals, you can't go wrong.

Be A Disney World Expert!

The next time that you visit Epcot, suggest to your family or group that you visit La Cantina for lunch and steer them inside to the Disney World Hidden Secret seating to show off your Disney World expertise.  This is sure to impress and provide a great relaxing setting for lunch!

Epcot is certainly the best Disney World theme park for dining and La Hacienda de San Angel is a great option whether you are a couple on a special night out or a family looking for a enjoyable meal.

La Hacienda de San Angel

The Mexico Pavilion is blessed with two great Table Service Restaurants: San Angel Inn, which resides within the giant Aztec Pyramid that dominates the Skyline for the Pavilion and the newer La Hacienda de San Angel which has a wonderful waterfront perch.  Both restaurants are run by the same company, but provide a different menu and experience for Disney World Guests.




The decor that can be found within La Hacienda de San Angel is amazing! It is quite different from its near neighbor and creates a much different mood.  The seating is packed closely, so don't be surprised if your table is very close to another party.  The restaurant is friendly and welcoming, so this closeness does not detract from the ambiance of the dining experience.


With its waterfront location, there are amazing views of the World Showcase Lagoon, and the waterfront window tables are much sought after for late night seatings.  It is hard to name a better way to view Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.

Disney Dining Review

The ambiance is wonderful, but a restaurant is nothing without great food.  Fortunately La Hacienda de San Angel certainly has great food!

La Hacienda de San Angel Menu (Click to ENLARGE)

The menu contains several choices of Platos Principales (entrees):

• Costillas en salsa de Chile
  Braised short ribs, served with potato puree and chile de arbol sauce
• Tacos de Camarones
  Fried shrimp, chipotle-lime aioli, cabbage, lime and salsa verde, all served over flour tortillas
• Pollo al Pastor
  Achiote marinated chicken served with roasted vegetables, beans and pineapple relish
• Puerco en salsa de Ciruela
  Grilled pork rib eye, served with carrot puree, caramelized onions and plum sauce
• Pescado a la Talla
  Grilled Tilapia served with esquites (roasted corn) , nopales(cactus leaves) and mango chutney

La Hacienda de San Angel Wine and Beverage Menu (Click to ENLARGE)

Every meal starts out with the complementary Chips and Salsa.  This has two kinds of salsa to sample and enjoy.

They also have two different meals that are designed to feed two people each.  One is seafood centric and the other featured beef and chicken.  Since we had four people in our party during this review we decided to try both of the two person meals called Parrillada.


The "La Hacienda" features mixed grill offering New York Strip, chicken al pastor, chorizo and vegetables, served with beans and fresh salsas.

The food is certainly as good as it looks the portion for two is plentiful and the variety of tastes and flavors from the various portions of the meal are wonderful.


The Del Mar features mixed grill offering fish, shrimp, scallops and vegetables, served with beans and fresh salsas.

Again, another excellent choice.  This is sure to satisfy seafood fans.  The hardest choice if there are only two of you dining is choosing between the two meals.  I would recommend bringing along four people so that you can try both of these combination meals and enjoy all of the wonderful flavors.

Here is a picture highlighting all of the food that our table of 4 received.  They will bring refills of the bowls of rice and beans if you wish, as well as, additional tortillas.

Dining Review Summary

The La Hacienda de San Angel is a beautiful restaurant with great food that is sure to please whether you favor meat or seafood.  There is also a well stocked beverage menu to meet your needs.  The only drawback is that this restaurant does not accept the Tables In Wonderland Discount.  It does take the Disney Dining Plan and it also accepts a DVC Member Discount.

We highly recommend this restaurant and suggest that it would be a great way to end a day at Epcot with a window view of Illuminations: Reflections Of Earth.

Visitors to the Mexico Pavilion in Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort have been enjoying the musical stylings of Mariachi Cobre for over 31 years!  Believe it or not the band's original founder still leads and plays with the group.


Randy Carrillo formed Mariachi Cobre in Tuscon, Arizona in January 1971, over 42 years ago!  In September of 1982 Randy brought his band to Disney World to become the house Mariachi band and perform regularly at the Mexico pavilion.  I doubt he expected the band to still be performing at Epcot 31 years later.  Although band members have changed over the years, Randy has remained involved.



If you look in the background of the pictures of the band performing you can see the posters that are displayed close up above.  The Disney Imagineers do a great job of creating supporting materials, so that the band becomes a part of the history of the buildings and the pavilion.  With Mariachi Cobre, the band really is part of the history of the Mexico pavilion at Epcot.

Don't miss your chance to be entertained by this incredible group of performers, playing traditional folk music from Jalisco, Mexico.

When you are wandering through the World Showcase in Epcot, one of the signs that you have entered the Mexico Pavilion are the sounds of Mariachi Cobre, the Disney World strolling mariachi band.

This set of posters plastered on a wall in Epcot are a great example of the creative genius of the Disney Imagineering staff to incorporate this detailing almost subliminally into the background.  Check out not one, but three different signs incorporated together.