My party of 3 spent $118 at Nomad Lounge in Disney World, and we loved the laid-back feel and tasty cocktails

After trying my fair share of Disney's restaurants, I decided to visit Nomad Lounge, a dining area known for its small plates and selection of cocktails and spirits.

The lounge is located in the heart of Disney's Animal Kingdom near the entrance to Pandora - The World of Avatar. It's also attached to Tiffins, a table-service restaurant.

To dine at Nomad Lounge, customers need a ticket and reservation to the park but no dining reservation. To get a coveted table at Nomad Lounge, you can join the walk-up list through the Walt Disney World app or have your name added at the hostess stand at the front of the lounge.

After parking, I immediately joined the walk-up list through the Walt Disney World app. Using this method, I indicated how many people were in my group, whether we had any dietary restrictions, and if we were celebrating anything.

After confirming all of my information, I was given an estimated wait time of about 40 minutes, though our actual wait was closer to 20 minutes.

I noticed two main seating areas for Nomad Lounge. The first was inside a large open room with plenty of cushy lounge chairs, couches, and low tables as well as a community table with stools and a bar with seating.

The other seating area was a covered outdoor porch, which had similar soft loungers and couches with lower-level tables. The outdoor space was mostly shaded and some tables even had a fantastic view of the boats and characters at the Discovery River.

Though I normally love sitting outside, it was over 90 degrees so my group opted to wait slightly longer for an indoor table with air conditioning.

Once inside Nomad Lounge, I noticed plenty of nods to the concept of the animal kingdom theme park and the spirit of adventure.

Large banners depicting different animals and people represented in the theme park hung from the ceiling.

Guests could fill out their favorite adventure-related memories on bookmark-sized pieces of paper located over the bar and on bulletin boards.

To fill one out, you can ask the waiter to bring one to you.

Along the hallways leading to the restroom, I noticed shadow boxes filled with pictures.

There were photos of current and former Walt Disney Imagineers on research trips as they were building the theme park, the most notable person being Joe Rohde with his iconic earring.

When we sat down, I was impressed by the lounge's drink menu, which featured more than Disney's typical sugar-laden drinks and glow-cube-riddled cocktails. My mom and I selected the Hightower Rocks and my dad opted for the stronger Tempting Tigress. Each drink was $16.

I thought the Hightower Rocks was essentially a very good and strong watermelon margarita. It was made with Casa Dragones Blanco tequila, watermelon, sweet-and-sour, and lime juice. The cocktail was garnished with a slice of watermelon, which I let sit in my cocktail to let it soak up some of the flavors.

My mom and I both really enjoyed the Hightower Rocks and would get it again.

My dad's Tempting Tigress was a unique blend of Russell's Reserve 10-year bourbon, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, tamarind syrup, and lime juice.

One sip was enough for me. I thought the bourbon flavor really came through to create a drink that packed a punch.

Our first small plate to be delivered was the $12 signature bread service, which is also served at the adjoining signature dining restaurant, Tiffins.

The bread service came stacked in two-tiered bowls that we took apart at the table. The top-tier bowl contained three types of bread, including one piece that was flat and cracker-like, a slice that reminded me of naan, and a portion of brown bread. The lower-tier bowl contained three different spreads, which included red-pepper hummus, a spicy coriander-yogurt dip, and a tangy ginger-pear chutney.

We enjoyed mixing and matching the bread slices and spreads to see what fun combinations we could make.

Next, we tried the smoked pork ribs, which cost $10.

Four sweet and sticky soy-glazed ribs came with an extra cup of sauce and a small pile of apple and jicama slaw.

I thought the sauce on the ribs was literally finger-licking good. I found myself trying to get every last morsel of sauce into my mouth before the next plate of food came out.

Our final savory item was the honey-chili-glazed pork belly, which was $15. The plate came with chorizo, a cheese biscuit, a soft-poached egg, and Tasso gravy.

The pork belly was super crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside and the biscuit tasted like an elevated version of the traditional Southern-style bakery to me.

Though the dish was smaller than I expected it to be, I thought the flavor was great and all of the extras on the plate complemented the tasty pork belly.

After the savory plates, we were ready for something sweet so we ordered the $9 churros with two dipping sauces.

This dish wasn't the typical churros you can get from a stand at the Disney World theme parks. Nomad Lounge's churros, which I've heard some hype about, came to the table piping hot and dusted in cinnamon sugar. The outside of the churro was slightly crisp and the inside was light and pillowy.

The churros were accompanied by a vanilla crema and a berry compote. I liked the vanilla crema because it added a nice, silky element to the dish. According to Nomad Lounge's current menu, the berry compote has since been replaced with a coffee crème anglaise, which I imagine would also be delightful.

After spending about $118 to dine on four small plates and three cocktails with my family, I believe a meal at Nomad Lounge is mostly worth the cost.

I thought the food was scrumptious but some of the portion sizes were smaller than I would've liked for the price. For example, I expected the $15 honey-chili glazed pork belly to be larger so I was surprised when we were served what, to me, was a small portion.

The overall atmosphere was tranquil and there was a lot of interesting decor to admire whether you were sitting inside or outside. I felt like the elaborate theme helped us forget we were in a crowded theme park and relax in a place that was communal and filled with the possibility of adventure.

After dining at my fair share of lounges and restaurants at Walt Disney World, I can say that Nomad Lounge is at the top of my list to visit the next time I'm at the Animal Kingdom.