Lunch at House of Blues Orlando at Disney Springs

We recently went to House of Blues Orlando to enjoy lunch on a Disney Springs day with another MilSpouse.

But First, Did You Know About Military Discounts in Disney Springs?

Walt Disney World has great ticket discounts and hotel room discounts for military members and their families, but discounts end there. There are no military discounts in shopping stores or restaurants in the parks.

Disney Springs is a completely different ball game! Because most of the restaurants and storefronts in Disney Springs are not actually run by Disney, each place has its own policy. Also, unlike the discounts for tickets and hotels in Disney, the ones in Disney Springs shops and restaurants are not complicated to figure out who qualifies and who doesn’t. In our experience, they just ask to see a form of DOD ID and they are satisfied.

What Places in Disney Springs Offer Military Discount?

Here’s a handy chart to get you started.

Also don’t be afraid to ask at locations not on the list! You never know, at one location without a military discount the person gave me his Disney cast member discount and thanked me for my service.

Our Experience at House of Blues Orlando

 We had heard some rough things about the service and wanted to experience for ourselves to report.

House of Blues is actually a chain restaurant that was started by one of the founding members of the Hard Rock Cafe. Walking up you definitely get the rocker vibe, but where Hard Rock Cafe should really be called Pop Rock Cafe, House of Blues is more 70s, mellow, psychedelic vibe. We have never been to any House of Blues, so we had no idea really what to expect.

Our service was fantastic! Our server was knowledgeable and made great recommendations. The drinks came really fast for being fresh drinks and not the premixed kind, and 15 minutes for food is very reasonable.

Havana Twist Mojito

We decided to try two drinks: The Havana Twist Mojito and the Strawberry Fields. The Havana Twist was Havana Club 3-year blanco rum, simple syrup, mint, raspberry, blackberry, and lime. It was fantastic! It was delicious and refreshing, and went down way too fast!  We can’t say the same for Strawberry Fields. This drink was described as Captain Morgan spiced rum, Disaronno amaretto, strawberry, passion fruit, mint, and lime, but all we tasted was syrup. It was thick and overly sweet. When the server noticed one drink completely gone and the other barely touched, she didn’t bat an eye, she replaced our Strawberry Fields with a second Havana Twist Mojito. For reporting purposes, we should have ordered something new, but the mojito was just that good!

For food, we ordered a half rack of ribs and a pulled pork sandwich and we split them. House of Blues specializes in smoked barbeque, so of course that’s what we had to test. The meat was sweet and smoky, and fall off the bone good!

Overall, our lunch was great! We had good food, good drinks, and great service. Plus, using a 15% off military discount made it even better. If you’re going to Disney Springs soon be sure to check out House of Blues Orlando. There are almost always reservations available on My Disney Experience. Plus, if you like live music, be sure to check out the website’s schedule for upcoming bands. Music is typically cover bands, but we have seen some bands from our youth like Less Than Jake or Bowling for Soup!

 House of Blues Menu

The House of Blues has a casual outdoor lounge as well.

House of Blues also offers a walk-up barbecue stand called The Smokehouse at the House of Blues.

Smokehouse at the House of Blues

Smokehouse Menu

What is Disney Springs?

To people new to Walt Disney World, Disney Springs is confusing. It is not one of the parks of WDW, so you don’t need a park ticket. It is a shopping and eating district to spend a day. Parking is free and the snacks are fancy!

In Disney Springs you can buy anything from Disney souvenirs to surf boards, or diamonds to hair wraps. As mentioned before, Disney Springs has some of the best snacks in all of Walt Disney World! And if you’re there in the evenings or on weekends you can expect live entertainment. Find out all about Disney Springs here.

Comments, Questions, be sure to leave them in the Comment Section Below!

• Disney Veteran & Military Discount Eligibility Guide
• The Military Family’s Walt Disney World Comprehensive Vacation Planning and Preparation Guide 
• Military Disney Tips Disney Packing Checklist 
• Disney Military Tickets – Your Start to Finish Guide

• Resorts/Hotel Overview Page
• Dining Overview Page
• Transportation Overview Page
• Technology Overview Page
• Shades of Green, WDW’s Military Only Resort