Great Sandwiches and the Best Combo Meal Deal in the Disney Bubble
The Earl of Sandwich, Orlando has been a part of Disney Springs dining, for a very long time (it opened back in 2004) … way back when Disney Springs was called Downtown Disney and there were only a handful of dining locations to eat at. Back then, it was one of the least expensive locations to get a decent meal… and I'm pleased to report, that is still the case.Most of the sandwiches are around $8.00 and you can get a combo (which includes a sandwich, drink, and either a cookie or some chips) for around $15. That is one of the least expensive meals you'll find in the Disney bubble these days.
The sandwiches from Earl of Sandwich are wrapped in paper foil, that also has a British flag pattern on it.
How's the food?
Well I suppose it depends on how you think about the "bread" component of a hot sandwich. One of the consistent quibbles that I read, when looking up other reviews from "the Earl" is that there's not enough "stuff" in the sandwich — or rather, there's too much bread in relation to the amount of stuff.I've not ever felt that was the case with any of the sandwiches I've received here over the years. The bread at the Earl is made fresh — and to me, it's an important part of the sandwich experience, which balances nicely with all the other components in the sandwich. They do have "wraps" I suppose, if you want less bread — but I've not tried one of those.
Wraps and Salad Menu Board at Earl of Sandwich, Disney Springs (Summer 2024).
The texture of the bread here is soft with a lightly toasted exterior. It's not hard to eat, and every bit of the bread is edible. No, it doesn't look like the sandwich on the digital menu board… and that might be part of the issue with some folks. The ones they show in the photos show perfectly, well toasted bread and are stacked high with two or three times the amount of stuff compared to the ones they're actually selling. Many places do this — I know — I roll my eyes at the practice too.
I wish the menu board photos looked a little more like what you're actually going to get, but the "doctoring up" of food photos is an almost institutional part of marketing food.
Main Sandwich Menu Board at Earl of Sandwich, Disney Springs (Summer 2024).
As I mentioned earlier though, the actual sandwich you'll get is well balanced and easy to eat (even if it's not as pretty as the one on the menu board). Here's a look at "The Earl's Club" which combines freshly baked bread with turkey, bacon, swiss, lettuce, roma tomato and a special sandwich sauce.
All of the Sandwiches at the Earl of Sandwich are served on freshly baked bread. The Earl's Club (pictured here) has been a staple on the menu board for a very long time.
I like the bread here very much, and so while it's not as "stuffed" as the menu board photo would lead you to believe — every bite of the sandwich is really good, the flavors and the textures all balance out. The special sauce is put on the sandwich in just the right amount, so it doesn't get soggy — and you can taste all the elements like the bacon, swiss and turkey.
The other sandwich we tried on this visit was a limited time "seasonal special" … the Earl's Pastrami. This one wasn't so much an "Italian classic" as it was a smokehouse style sandwich — the addition of chopped bacon with the provolone and another of Earl's special sauces really gave this sandwich a bold, meaty kick.
The Earl's Pastrami is a seasonal "special" sandwich at the Earl of Sandwich – and it's a pretty great one too. Because there's also bacon on this one, the sandwich ends up being more like an America smokeouse bbq or pub type of item, and not Italian so much.
Every bite was a meaty mouthful, and here again, I though the bread-to-meat and cheese ratio was perfect.
We picked up both of these as "combos" which means we got two drinks and a couple of cookies as well. The cookies are pre-packaged and are a good size.
Here's a "Bake Shop" Chocolate Chip Cookie from the Earl of Sandwich at Disney Springs. There's usually Sugar, Chocolate Chip, and Oatmeal available.
While the menu board says sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal cookies are available, they had already ran out of oatmeal within an hour of closing time. The cookies are good as well… the chocolate chunks in these were real chocolate (not the cheap waxy stuff they're putting in some cookies these days). The cookie itself was a little under-flavored, and was just what I would call a "white cookie base". Sadly, that's right on par with most restaurant cookies here of late.
Other dessert options are available, various brownies and blondes, along with some cupcake top flavors. (A cupcake top is just a pre-packaged, non-frosted, top-half of a cupcake — which comes off more like a high-loft soft cookie.) Those are all options you can pickup as part of the combo… you get one dessert item or one bag of chips with your sandwich and the beverage for around $15.00.
The Processes
Hey look at that, I normally put the food review portion at the end of the article and this time, I put it near the top! So ordering food at the Earl of Sandwich is … well, more confusing than it should be. What I'm about to describe is for "order in person"… I'm sure they have a mobile order system… but I've not tried that yet.There's usually a back and forth line where you get a chance to look at the large, overhead menu boards — and when you finally get up to one end of the main line — there's a person that will take your sandwich order.
This is the food ordering line at the Earl of Sandwich shop in Orlando. You order your sandwiches, pretty much right where I'm standing to take this photo (there's a cast member just behind that sign on the left)... and then you walk down the line, picking up chips and cookies, etc... and then pay for your order down where that other guy is standing.
Then you have to make your way down the line between a cold counter and some chip racks. This is where (if you're getting a combo) — you can pick out your own chips or dessert from the display. Once you get to the end of the line — that's where you tell them you're getting a combo (or whatever) and they match everything you've picked up with the sandwiches you've ordered at the other end — and then pay for it all. The "pay for your food" cast member should also hand you some cups, if you ordered drinks.
Once you pay for your order, you'll be given a little table buzzer and you can sit down wherever you want. When the buzzer goes off... bring it back to the "Pick Up Here" sign — where they'll have your order waiting.
Now, you have some empty cups and some cookies (or chips) but no sandwiches. You will be given a little table buzzer which has a number on it — and so now is a good time to find a seat.
Don't forget to say "hi" to flat George Washington when you visit.
If the place is busy, you'll probably have five minutes before your sandwiches are ready, and that gives us time to get sodas (or whatever) from the beverage station and to pick up some napkins. An interesting thing to note — Earl is one of the few places left in the Disney bubble that doesn't seem to have "chipped" paper cups. So you can visit the soda machine two or three times (or more) during your meal.
This is one of the few remaining "refill your cup" beverage stations in the Disney bubble. Most stations, have "chipped" cups that only allow you to refill your cup so many times (or not at all, depending on where you go). Not so much here, you can get two or three or four refills with your paper Earl of Sandwich cup. (But they won't let you refill giant plastic mugs here, so let's not abuse the system, please.)
After a while, your table buzzer should go off… and then it's your responsibility to bring the buzzer over to the "Pick Up Here" section of the front counter. Once there, a cast member will match up the number on your buzzer to your order — and hand you all your sandwiches in cool looking British plastic bags. You can then go back to your table (or just leave with the sandwiches I suppose), and reconnect with your drink and cookie (assuming you got a combo).
Your order at the Earl of Sandwich is placed in these cool British flag bags.
There's usually not much seating around (I took most of these photos right as Earl was closing), but the table turn-over is pretty fast. There is a little "table trolling" activity here, where you might end up strolling around the different seating areas, hopping to snag something quickly is someone near you gets up and leaves.
Over on the south side of the Earl of Sandwich location, there's some more seating with a slightly different vibe.
The Dining Environment
So, what's the downside to Earl of Sandwich? For me, it's the environment. There's so many immersive dining locations, even here in Disney Springs, that the interior feels a little "high volume" dated and slightly hodgepodge. While some of that could be seen as charming — I don't think they've actually updated anything since the place first opened.
The dining areas can get quite full during peak meal times, but table turnover is fairly quick and there's a couple different areas this size at the Earl of Sandwich location.
The dining areas are loud, and because of the constant hustle and bustle, I never really feel like I can get "settled" at any point during the meal. It's all very "hot stop mart" kind of dining. There's bright blue-white "shop lights" that have been added to the warm yellow ceiling lighting… and I'm pretty sure there's background music playing, but I couldn't tell you what it was.
Still, there are small design elements here and there — I always stop by and say "hey" to the little wooden squirrel and the Earl of Sandwich Griffon, before I leave.
This is the famous, one of a kind, Earl of Sandwich squirrel.
Cleanliness-wise, most of the cast members at the Earl of Sandwich try their best — but because tables are hard to come by at peak dining times, guests often swoop in and a grab table before anyone can clean it. If the table cleaning crew sees an empty table, they do try and disinfect them and the seats, between when someone gets up and new diners move in. I've always imagined — that this place could look a lot worse — so considering it's such a high-volume location… I think they do a decent enough job.
Closing Thoughts
If you're looking for a quiet place to have meaningful conversation with your meal, the Earl of Sandwich wouldn't be my first choice. What you can get here, that you really can't get anywhere else in the Disney bubble, is a decent meal (sandwich, drink, and dessert item like a cookie) for around $15. And it's all actually pretty great food too — as long as you like good, fresh bread with your sandwich.Finding a place to sit at peak times can be challenging, but table turn-over is pretty quick so if there's a couple of people in your party trolling around, you should be able to find something quickly.
For me, the Earl of Sandwich is part of Disney Springs history. It's one of those nostalgic places, like the Columbia Harbour House in the Magic Kingdom — that you just have to go to at least once a year.
It brings back memories of what this original section of Disney Springs was. Seeing the hexagonal Disney Pin Traders Gift Shop building from the main entrance to the Earl of Sandwich brings me back even further... way back to the Dinsey Village Marketplace years (before the "Earl" was built) . As an added bonus, I really quite like the sandwiches, and soup (in the winter)... I just wish the atmosphere was a little less hectic, and I think they should make that "Earl's Pastrami" a permanent part of the menu — it was a really great sandwich.
I don't give out four-star "Best" ratings very often. They are reserved for things that are actually the "Best"... and so it's worth calling out the fact... that on this visit — the Earl of Sandwich gets four-stars in the "Value" category from me. It really is a great value, when comparing all locations in the Disney bubble.
