The Sanctum is the Doctor Strange-themed lounge on the Destiny. We review the food and drinks and decide whether they live up to the magic or not.
The Sanctum
Journey into the world of Marvel Studios Doctor Strange at The Sanctum. You don’t have to be the Sorcerer Supreme to enjoy the mesmerizing array of spellbinding cocktails, spirits and coffee drinks available at the bar.
We have a full photo tour of the venue, where you can learn more about the space and incredible details. In this review, we sampled six different cocktails plus the waffles.
The Distortion Effect – $ 25
Angel’s Envy Single Barrel High Seas Edition, Lillet Rouge Bitters
Our first impression is that the bitters did not blunt the bite of this drink. It is very smoky and strong. We like it, which tastes like an old-fashioned. The flavor is nice; it’s just powerful. It has the strength of bourbon but the taste of the bitters, which is an interesting combination. This would be a good drink option if you needed your sinuses cleared out.
For an extra $25 you can order this drink with a specialty coaster. We did not receive one of these, as they were not available on the media preview cruise.
Rating out of 7 Sling Rings: 4
Vapers of Valtor – $25
Grey Goose Altus, Butterfly Pea Lemon, Fever Tree Ginger Beer
The presentation has an evaporated CO-2 effect, which is really cool. And, glass has a neat texture and design element, which we like. This is a pretty standard drinks; it reminds us of an EPCOT festival mule. It is a little sweet and sticky, but not in a good way. One positive is that the citrus flavors mixed together nicely in this cocktail.
Rating out of 7 Sling Rings: 4
Mirror Dimension – $22
Stoli Elit, Lychee, Strawberry Pink Peppercorn, Fever Tree Lime & Yuzu
This drink has the best presentation of all the drinks we sampled at The Sanctum. It has a blue sugar rim, and it is put on a platform. When you touch it, the effect makes it look like there is electricity on your fingertips. This is a very innovative presentation.
Drink-wise, the presentation is not the only thing we enjoyed! Our first impression: wow. It feels like your mouth is being shocked by the pop-rock like aspect of the drink. Eric jokes that it tastes like a 9-volt battery, but in all seriousness, this is a light and refreshing drink.
Rating out of 7 Sling Rings: 6
The Darkhold – $15
Amaro Averna, Patrón XO Cafe Agave Nectar, Milk, Salted Caramel Ethel M® Chocolates
The Darkhold is served in a crazy looking canister-looking contraption with with salted caramel at the bottom. Be careful when putting the caramel chocolate in the drink, as it may overflow the drink and make a mess.
This coffee drink served warm, not hot. You may think its a cold drink, but you would be surprised. It also kind of reminds us of chocolate milk, with a strong caramel presence being the most prominent flavor.
Rating out of 7 Sling Rings: 7
Eye Opener – $15
Saigon Baigur, Lemon, Smoked Oolong Tea, Amaro Montenegro
The drink comes presented in a larger beaker-style glass that you must pour into smaller cups. It looks like the world’s tiniest espresso cup, but it does have a nice presentation. Overall, it’s a nice alcoholic tea drink. It’s very strong, don’t let the petite glass fool you. The mint is refreshing. It’s not necessarily a drink for two, but we feel it could be drank that way.
Rating out of 7 Sling Rings: 5
The Incursion – $16
Absolut Citron, Cointreau, Aperol Lillet Blanc, White Cranberry
This drink was pretty basic. There is glitter on top. It essentially tastes like a cosmopolitan with its light floral taste.
Rating out of 7 Sling Rings: 4
Mystic Waffles – $5
Custard or Mixed Berry Served with Maple Syrup or Hazelnut Spread
Lobby bars always like to include waffles in the menu, and The Sanctum is no different. We did not care for the Mystic Waffles at all, due to the fact that they were served cold. They were also very chewy, likely because they were served cold. The berry one is the weaker of the two; the custard variety was better, but still not great. Adding syrups doesn’t save it, either.
Rating out of 7 Sling Rings: 1 (Berry) and 4 (Custard)
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of cool effects to keep the space interesting. There is not a lot of movement and activity in the lounge, as in effects to look out for and things to do. That allows the entertainment to come to the table, and we think The Sanctum does a fantastic job doing this through the presentation of the drinks.
Overall the drinks were solid, but Cask & Cannon has the better menu.
Would you grab a drink at The Sanctum? Let us know in the comments and on social media.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
