food IS a theme park
Are you attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party this year?
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
If so, it’s time to get ready for SNOW on Main Street, U.S.A…
Main Street Magic Kingdom
Welcome back to the Contempo Cafe in Disney’s Contemporary Resort!
The last time we paid a visit to Contempo, we checked out a line-up of five new desserts that had hit the almost-famous Contempo Cafe bakery case. At the time, these included the Strawberry Blondie Banana Split, the Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich, the Cream Horn, the Swirl Cone Cupcake, and the Peanut Butter Pie.
Yes, that fabulous Peanut Butter Pie is still there (confession: my main motivation for stopping by more recently was to make sure that it indeed was)! In fact, the only one of the five that hasn’t remained on a longer-term basis is the Swirl Cone Cupcake. Of course, that’s not altogether unexpected, seeing as Contempo Cafe has a great reputation for changing up cupcakes quite often. Which is exactly why it’s fun to stop by… you never know what you might find.
This time, my search resulted in finding the Boston Cream Cupcake.
Boston Cream Cupcake
Taking inspiration from the famous Boston Cream Pie (which, in actuality, is a cake as opposed to a traditional pie), this yellow cupcake has a pastry cream filling and is topped with chocolate buttercream icing. The garnish is a chocolate ganache, with an added touch of white and dark chocolate swirls as a bit of decoration. [Read more…]
Every morning is a great morning to “Think Orange Thoughts!”
©Disney
And the new Orange Bird merchandise on the way to Disney Parks should help you do exactly that :). The little Orange Bird makes his official home at Sunshine Tree Terrace in Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland, and you can see him when you stop by to pick up your Citrus Swirl. [Read more…]
You know how we love our over-the-top gourmet HOT DOGS here at the DFB!
From the Barbecue Slaw Hot Dog and Chili-Cheese Dog at Casey’s Corner, to the Coney Island Dog at The Lunching Pad, to the fun assortment at The Mara in Animal Kingdom Lodge (the Mara BLT Hot Dog, the Reuben Hot Dog, and the African Chili-Cheese Hot Dog)… well, the bigger the variety of toppings to choose from, the better!
And now we’re excited to have SEVEN new gourmet hot dogs to add to the list at the Grand Floridian’s Gasparilla Island Grill! But there’s a little twist: the menu rotates. There are seven different hot dogs, with a different one featured each day of the week. Each hot dog is inspired by a different city or state in the U.S. So, let’s take a Hot Dog Tour of the country — courtesy of Gasparilla Island Grill — starting in…
The Cleveland Dog is topped with coleslaw and hot sauce. And the fries? Don’t look on the side for for this natural pairing, because they’re on top of this dog, too!
©Disney
The Seattle Dog is topped with cream cheese (now, why didn’t I think of that?), but you’ll have to look under a huge — and SPICY! — pile of jalapeños, cabbage, and Sriracha to find it! [Read more…]
Thought we were all caught up with new restaurants coming to Disney Springs, did you?
Not so fast! 🙂 Earlier this month, Disney announced that Chef Art Smith will open a brand new restaurant in the summer of 2016 by the name of Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine. Well, today brings news of another celebrity chef bringing a new venue! Chef Rick Bayless — winner of “Top Chef Masters” and host of National Public Television’s “Mexico-One Plate at a Time” — will showcase authentic Mexican cuisine at Frontera Fresco in Disney Springs. [Editor’s Update: Please note that the anticipated dining venue headed by Rick Bayless has undergone a name change since the original posting of this article. Frontera Cocina will open in the summer of 2016.]
©Disney
No opening season has been announced for Frontera Fresco, but we do know that the menu will feature tacos, salads, hand-crafted tortas, fresh guacamole, and Mexican braised beef entrees. And we may see a margarita or two as well 😉 . [Read more…]
Raise your hand if you love Port Orleans!!
Sure, people may look at you and wonder why your hand is in the air, but pay them no mind. It’s all for the love of the Port.
I’ll take any opportunity I can get to head over to the Port Orleans Resorts, be it Riverside or French Quarter (though I have a slight bias towards Riverside, what with the River Roost and all). So I was excited to finally have a chance to stop by recently to check out the specialty drinks that debuted earlier this summer. These sips are specific to the pool bars at Port Orleans — Muddy Rivers at Riverside, and Mardi Grogs at French Quarter.
I made the stroll to the Ol’ Man Island pool area and Muddy Rivers over at Riverside. Where Mardi Grogs celebrates the colorful Mardi Gras vibe of the French Quarter, Muddy Rivers offers the rustic Southern charm of Riverside. (You can’t go wrong either way.)
Muddy Rivers Pool Bar
Muddy Rivers Pool Bar
Before I even reached the bar, though, signs showing guests the Big Easy Splash — the food and beverage selections currently available poolside — led the way. [Read more…]
Hot on the heels of the menu changes at Pecos Bill’s comes a shift at another Magic Kingdom Counter Service option: Tortuga Tavern will introduce an all-new Barbecue menu tomorrow!
Tortuga Tavern — a seasonally open restaurant in Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland, located across from the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and themed as a hangout for pirates to grab some grub and grog, previously featured Mexican fare such as Burritos and Rice Bowls.
However, those options — along with a few new dishes such as Fajitas — moved over to Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe earlier this month, replacing the burger-and-barbeque eats the popular counter service spot was known for.
So, what’s a pirate haunt whose menu has been plundered to do but debut a new menu all its own? Beginning tomorrow, October 14th, Tortuga Tavern will reopen with a barbecue-focused menu.
Tortuga Tavern sign
Options will include a Pulled Pork Sandwich served on Texas Toast with Baked Beans and Coleslaw for sides. [Read more…]
Well, it’s official! The rumor that Chef Art Smith is opening a restaurant is Disney Springs has been confirmed at last!
Earlier this summer, Chef Art Smith (BBQ Pitmaster Judge, author of Art Smith’s Healthy Comfort and other cookbooks, founder of Art and Soul in Washington, D.C. and Table Fifty-Two in Chicago, and former Chef to Oprah Winfrey), posted a message on his Facebook page stating that Chef Art’s Florida Fish Camp would be coming to Disney Springs. However, that post was quickly deleted, and we’ve been wondering about possibilities for his upcoming venture ever since.
Chef Art Smith
The originally proposed name of the restaurant has changed and the spot will now be called Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine.
The name is inspired by the fact that Chef Smith is a Floridian, raised in Jasper, Florida (his family still lives and runs their farm there). Not only that, but the Chef — a former student of Florida State University — even completed a Culinary Internship with the Walt Disney World College Program!
Have you made your New Year’s Eve plans yet???
New Year’s Eve Toast
Yeah, me neither. But believe it or not, it’s not too soon to start making plans… if you’re planning on ringing in 2016 at Walt Disney World, that is!
In addition to regular dining opportunities in the parks and resorts, special dining events will once again be offered for guests looking for some unique ways to celebrate, and the options appear to have expanded from last year’s offerings.
As you might anticipate, Epcot tops the list for most guests hoping to ring in the new year in one of the parks, thanks to extra special entertainment throughout the day as well as an extended version of the Illuminations Nighttime Spectacular, so the bulk of special New Year’s options take place throughout World Showcase.
However, a few of the Resort restaurants are planning celebrations of their own as well. Here’s the festive rundown (so far! It’s always possible that other events may yet be in store…)
Returning to Epcot this year is the New Year’s Eve at Epcot World ShowPlace dining event. Once again, the event will feature buffet dining set to classic Disney music, and will also feature vignettes for fun photo opps to remember the celebration. [Read more…]
With the return of the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival THIS WEEK comes the return of the Chase Lounge exclusively for Chase Visa cardholders.
Once again, the Lounge will make its home in the American Adventure Pavilion, offering complimentary non-alcoholic beverages and a device charging station (and — as always — air conditioning 😉 ).
The Lounge will be open daily from 11:00 am to park close. Cast Members will be stationed outside to check your card and direct you into the Lounge for a bit of rest and relaxation as well as some great views of World Showcase and Spaceship Earth from the third floor of the Pavilion.
This year, a few new features will be added to the amenities as part of the 20th Anniversary celebration of the Festival. These enhancements will include
Chase Lounge in the America Pavilion
To learn more about other Special Events for the Food & Wine Festival exclusive to Chase Disney Visa Cardmembers, click here, or visit our Special Events page for the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival. [Read more…]
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