Our Visit to the Solar Powered McDonalds at Disney World

Cash and I went down to Animal Kingdom last week to meet up with friends who were in town. On the way home, we were very worn out and didn’t have any plans to stop anywhere until we got home. However, we happened to pass close by a super interesting site, something we’d only ever seen far-off from the highway before- a space-age-looking McDonalds- and we had to pull in and check it out!

Honestly, we didn’t know for a long time that this was actually a real McDonald’s. From the highway, it looks more like a stadium with a giant McDonald’s logo on it. I’ve always wondered what it really was. Turns out- it’s 100% solar powered, and the first of its kind. It opened in 2020.

When we walked up, one of the first things we noticed was the expansive outdoor space. It offered all kinds of really comfortable seating and was covered by solar glass panels, casting a slight shade. Even the lights in the parking lot collected energy to light the lot on rainy days or at night.

There were stationary bikes that would power the golden arches along a plant wall on the outside of the building. We tried them after our meal, and they were pretty difficult to use- we could only get part of the M to light up, as one of the pedals was missing from each bike and we could only use the hand crank. But it was fun to try!

When we went in, we didn’t notice a traditional counter where you walk up and order. Instead, you can order from one of their touch panel screens, or from the McDonald’s app right from your table. They bring your food out to you when it’s finished. We ordered from the touch screen and snagged a table.

There is lots of different types of seating around the restaurant, and even the bench seats we sat in were much more comfortable than expected.

This was a great unexpected stop, and someplace we would definitely love to visit again on our way home from the parks!