When it comes to spooky season at Walt Disney World, there’s one lounge where foodies love to touch down for eerie bites and spooky sips: Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar at Disney Springs.
From Candelabra Eggs to Bone Kebabs, it’s the kooky creativity behind each presentation paired with flavors guests know and love that makes Halloween at Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar such a hit. But these creations don’t just appear out of thin air. They’re brought to life by creative thinkers like Chef Gary Miles.
Chef Gary came to Walt Disney World 28 years ago through the Disney Culinary Academy apprenticeship program. Since then, his culinary career has taken him through various roles across the parks, earning the prestigious Walt Disney Legacy Award along the way. Today, he’s a chef at Disney Springs, creating dishes for Disney-owned restaurants across the property.
The Puzzle Behind the Plate
Chef Gary has been at Disney Springs since its opening, and he helped create the first holiday menu at Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar in 2019. Over time, the team has developed a winning formula as the holiday menus have expanded to include Halloween: approachable and trending flavors served in unexpected ways.
“I’m a puzzle person,” said Chef Gary. “I like to figure things out, so Disney Springs is a really exciting place to be.”
When you think of Halloween, there’s not really a universal dish that comes to mind beyond candy and sweets. This was the first piece of the puzzle as Chef Gary approached the Halloween menu for its debut last year. His solve? Leaning into festive presentations.
“What I love about the Hangar Bar is we’re not limited by a certain cuisine,” said Chef Gary. “We have basically the entire world at our fingertips to pull from, so we look at our offerings and think, how do we make this a unique experience? And we do it through our presentations.”
Chef Gary’s favorite item on the menu this year is the Candelabra Eggs for its journey from idea to plate – or should I say, candelabra.
The team knew they wanted to serve the delicious deviled eggs in a candelabra vessel, but the next challenge was finding food-safe egg holders that fit just right. It turns out, the answer was in a little extra culinary creativity and innovation.
“We tried everything from cupcake liners to bamboo cones,” Chef Gary said. “Finally, while walking through one of our storage rooms, we found these little two-piece martini cups. They worked perfectly and felt like finding the last puzzle piece that locked everything into place.”
From Dishwasher to Disney Chef
Gary wasn’t born knowing he wanted to be a chef. Growing up, his mom worked at a local Mexican restaurant in Ohio. On a random Friday when he was fifteen, sitting on the couch watching TGIF on TV, he got a call from his mom asking if he wanted to come be a dishwasher.
After that first night, he found himself going back day after day. What really made him excited, though, was watching the line cooks do their work, joking around and having fun while cooking.
“I wanted to be a part of that, so I kept pushing to learn more. Within a few months, I was working with them side by side as a cook on the hotline,” said Chef Gary.
Decades later, Chef Gary creates that same sense of camaraderie in the kitchen for the teams he leads at Disney.
“One of the biggest reasons I’ve stayed here as long as I have is because I’ve always felt supported by our leadership and the company. They not only support the creativity and everything we do, but they also support us in what happens outside of Disney,” he said.
Chef Gary especially loves being a part of the magic at Disney Springs, because as a problem solver at heart, it’s a place where things are constantly evolving.
“We’re always trying to figure out the next thing,” he said. “Whether it’s Hangar Bar, D-Luxe Burger, one of our kiosks or outdoor vending, we’re always reinventing and growing the business, and I love that about Disney Springs.”
For all the puzzles Chef Gary loves to solve, his favorite part of cooking is serving up joy for others.
Ready to discover even more frightfully fun flavors? Check out the Disney Springs Halloween Foodie Guide for all the bites and sips you don’t want to miss this spooky season.
