We taste-tested the Maple-Mustard Chicken Strips at Columbia Harbour House in Magic Kingdom, the replacement for Seaside Chicken Strips. Worth the $2 upcharge?

Columbia Harbour House at Magic Kingdom has swapped out its short-lived Seaside Chicken Strips for a new saucy sibling: the Maple-Mustard Chicken Strips. We stopped by Liberty Square to see whether this next evolution of Columbia Harbour House’s dressed-up chicken strips earns a permanent spot on the menu, or whether guests are better off sticking with the classic version.

What Is Columbia Harbour House?

If you’ve never eaten at Columbia Harbour House, here’s the rundown before we dig into the food. Columbia Harbour House is a quick-service restaurant located in the Liberty Square area of Magic Kingdom, right along the water near the bridge into Fantasyland. The restaurant leans into a New England-inspired, nautical theme, with ship’s-wheel decor, model boats, and warm wood-paneled dining rooms that feel more like a coastal seafood shack than a typical theme park counter-service spot.

The menu is built around seafood, with dishes like the Lobster Roll, a Shrimp Skewer Platter, a Maple-Mustard Glazed Salmon, beer-battered fish, and a New England Clam Chowder. There is also a Hearts of Palm and Artichoke Roll for plant-based guests, and, of course, chicken strips for guests who would rather skip the seafood altogether. Columbia Harbour House is also known among Magic Kingdom regulars for its quiet, air-conditioned upstairs seating area, which makes it a popular retreat during the hottest parts of the day.

When Did the Maple-Mustard Chicken Strips Arrive?

To understand the Maple-Mustard Chicken Strips, it helps to know the timeline. Walt Disney World rolled out a wave of 13 new “sauced” chicken strip variations across its parks starting October 8, 2025, and Columbia Harbour House’s contribution to that lineup was the pretzel-crusted, aioli-tossed Seaside Chicken Strips, which we reviewed back in October. Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland counterpart, Pinocchio Village Haus, got its own version at the same time with the Lemon Pepper-Parmesan Chicken Strips, which we found inconsistently topped and not worth the upcharge. The Seaside Chicken Strips have since been retired at Columbia Harbour House. In their place, the restaurant introduced the Maple-Mustard Chicken Strips, first noted publicly on the menu in June 2026.

Our Visit: Maple-Mustard Chicken Strips Review

Like its predecessor, this dish currently runs $12.99, a $2 upcharge over the standard Chicken Platter, which is $10.99 and comes with plain strips and fries. Here is what we found on our tray.

Portion and Presentation

Our order arrived with four chicken strips: three came in a normal, full size, while the fourth was noticeably smaller. Portion consistency has been a recurring theme with these specialty strips across Magic Kingdom, since a very similar complaint came up with the uneven topping coverage on Pinocchio Village Haus’s Lemon Pepper Chicken Strips.

Flavor

The sauce here is very mustard-forward. In fact, it is more Dijon-based on our experience. If you’re expecting a sweet, syrupy maple glaze, temper those expectations, because the mustard does most of the talking. There is plenty of sauce and topping coverage on the strips themselves, which is a welcome change from the patchy application we ran into with the Lemon Pepper strips at Pinocchio Village Haus. The crispy garlic and green onions add texture without overwhelming the mustard.

Sides

The entree comes standard with Disney’s classic shoestring fries, no surprises there. We also added the Black Garlic, Truffle, and Parmesan Fries as an extra side, and found the truffle flavor came through more strongly than the parmesan. If you’re a truffle fan, they’re a solid add-on; if you were hoping for a cheesier fry, you may be a little underwhelmed. Additionally, guests can upgrade the fries that come with the chicken strips to Black Garlic, Truffle, and Parmesan Fries for an upcharge.

Are the Maple-Mustard Chicken Strips the Upcharge?

This is the question that matters most for your wallet. The Maple-Mustard Chicken Strips cost $2 more than ordering the standard Chicken Strips Platter and adding a side of ranch or another dipping sauce. For us, the answer is no. The mustard flavor is enjoyable, but it isn’t distinct enough from what you could recreate yourself with a sauce packet to justify the premium. If you love a strong mustard kick, it may be worth trying once, but frequent visitors may find it easier to stick with the standard strips and their preferred sauce.

The Popularity of Chicken Strips at Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World’s continued rollout of specialty chicken strips at counter-service spots like Columbia Harbour House and Pinocchio Village Haus isn’t happening in a vacuum. Chicken tenders have become one of the biggest growth stories in the restaurant industry over the last several years, and Disney’s menu strategy reflects that same national appetite.

Chains built entirely around chicken tenders have exploded in popularity. Restaurant Business Online reported that chicken chains overall grew sales by 5.3% in 2025, more than triple the pace of the burger category, and that Raising Cane’s alone finished the year with roughly $5.48 billion in sales and more than 900 locations, even as its growth rate cooled from a stunning 32% jump the year before. Newer entrants like Angry Chickz and Super Chix also cracked the industry’s largest chain rankings for the first time, each posting double-digit growth.

That demand has pushed legacy fast food brands to chase the trend, too. Nation’s Restaurant News noted that McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Popeyes, KFC, and Wingstop have all launched or relaunched chicken strip and tender products recently, chasing consumers who increasingly want chicken that is boneless, portable, and crispy.

Walt Disney World’s own version of that chicken strip arms race began with the October 2025 rollout of 13 saucy chicken strip variations across multiple parks and price points. Columbia Harbour House’s Seaside Chicken Strips and Pinocchio Village Haus’s Lemon Pepper-Parmesan Chicken Strips were both part of that first wave. The Maple-Mustard Chicken Strips now reviewed here represent Walt Disney World continuing to iterate on that formula at Columbia Harbour House rather than treating the original saucy strip as a permanent fixture.

Maple-Mustard Chicken Strips at Columbia Harbour House Magic Kingdom

The Maple-Mustard Chicken Strips are a perfectly fine, mustard-heavy update to Columbia Harbour House’s chicken strip lineup, and they solve the sauce-coverage inconsistency that plagued Pinocchio Village Haus’s Lemon Pepper Chicken Strips. However, like the Seaside Chicken Strips they replaced, the $2 upcharge is a tough sell when a squeeze of mustard or a side of ranch could get you most of the way there for less. If you’re a mustard lover, give them a shot. Otherwise, the standard Chicken Platter with a sauce of your choice remains the smarter order.

For more theme park dining reviews, visit MSM News, updated every weekday at noon Eastern Time. As always, eat like you mean it!

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